International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) News

The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) is pleased to announce the winners of its annual fire service achievement awards, which recognize fire service volunteers who have gone above and beyond in service to their department and community. The 2024 recipients are Stephen Austin, Lifetime Achievement Award, sponsored by Lincoln Financial Group; Chief John Swan Sr., Chief James P. Seavey Sr. Health & Wellness Leadership Award, co-sponsored by VFIS and Ward Diesel Filter Systems; Joseph Val...

Pierce Manufacturing Inc., an Oshkosh Corporation company, in partnership with the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), announced the 2023 IAFC Fire Chief of the Year honorees. Volunteer Fire Chief Thomas Bell of the Greensburg Volunteer Fire Department in Pennsylvania, and Career Fire Chief Brian Fennessy of the Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) in California, have been named 2023’s recipients. IAFC Fire Chief of the Year Annually since 1996, the IAFC has honored both a v...

On Tuesday, July 11, 2023, the National Volunteer Fire Council’s (NVFC) Deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dr. Candice McDonald, participated as a featured presenter at the International Association of Fire Chiefs’ (IAFC) webinar on ‘Igniting Firefighter Retention’. The webinar provided strategies and tips for volunteer fire departments to utilize to boost retention and create a dynamic team.

Homeland Security Secretary, Alejandro N. Mayorkas and U.S. Fire Administrator, Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell delivered remarks during the 42nd National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) Memorial Weekend on May 7, 2023, in Emmitsburg, Maryland, USA. The Homeland Security Secretary and the U.S. Fire Administrator paid tribute to the 79 firefighters who died in the line of duty in 2022 and 65 firefighters who died in previous years.  Paying tribute to fallen firefighters The emergencies to wh...

In support of the Safety Stand Down campaign from June 18-24, 2023, the Safety Stand Down Sweepstakes Quiz has become live, featuring questions that reinforce key messages and practices behind the theme, “Lithium-Ion Batteries: Are You Ready?” Safety Stand Down campaign Each year, the Safety Stand Down campaign and sweepstakes quiz is organized by the National Fire Protection Association® (NFPA®), the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) Safety, Health & Surv...

Two grant programs designed to address staffing, equipment, training, and health and safety needs of firefighters are scheduled to ‘sunset’ in 2024 unless Congress reauthorizes the grant programs, and funding for the programs will run out unless Congress endows them for another year. Legislation to extend the programs has already passed the U.S. Senate. The Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant program provides funding to hire additional personnel to mainta...

The International Association of Fire Chiefs’ Health, Safety, and Survival Section have announced the launch of a new Virtual Training Series designed to reduce preventable injuries and deaths in the fire service. These trainings cover a wide range of fire service topics, including assembling a peer support team, cardiac health awareness and the benefits of early detection, the impacts of bullying on members’ health and wellness, and how to choose the right occupational healthcare p...

The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC), International Association of Fire Chiefs’ Volunteer and Combination Officers Section (VCOS), and the International Society of Fire Service Instructors (ISFSI) joined together to release a new operational training guide for firefighters. The new operational training guide – ‘Training Volunteer Firefighters to Be Combat Ready’ is designed to help fire departments develop a training program that meets the needs of the community an...

Among the ways, garments protect firefighters is by reducing the heat stress and discomfort created by the need to carry heavy gear. Making the garments more comfortable to wear means less physical stress. Garments also help to protect firefighters from the toxic elements in the fire environment. The extent to which plastic materials can generate toxic smoke when they burn has previously been ignored but is now better understood. Concerted effort to understand end user As a manufacturer of fi...

The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), in partnership with Pierce Manufacturing Inc., announced the 2022 IAFC Fire Chief of the Year honorees. Volunteer Fire Chief, Marshall Turbeville, of the Northern Sonoma FPD in Sonoma County, California, and career Fire Chief, Gary Ludwig, of the Champaign Fire Department in Champaign, Illinois, have been named this year’s honorees. The IAFC began recognizing one volunteer and one career Fire Chief of the Year in 1996. A selection commi...

Situational awareness is a critical component of emergency response operations. It is a process that helps firefighters solve problems, prevent bad outcomes, and make better decisions in high-stress environments. In recognition of its importance, the theme of the 2022 Safety Stand-Down campaign is “Situational Awareness: The Foundation for Good Decision-Making.”  Focus on Training and education  A joint initiative of the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) Sa...

Wildland firefighters are exposed to many of the same naturally occurring respiratory hazards as structural firefighters. They are also exposed to many of the same man-made respiratory hazards, especially when fighting fires in or near the wildland-urban interface. However, unlike structural firefighters, wildland firefighters are unable to use the current standard respirator systems. They are heavy and bulky, taking up valuable carrying capacity needed for the tools and supplies required for w...

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has released a new fact sheet highlighting important elements of the NFPA 1584 Standard on the Rehabilitation Process for Members During Emergency Operations and Training Exercises. The new, at-a-glance resource debuts just in time for the 2021 Safety Stand Down campaign, “Rebuild Rehab,” later this month. Each year, NFPA works with the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) Safety, Health and Survival Section, the National...

According to AAA, more than 9 in 10 Memorial Day travelers will drive to their destinations this year. The advocate for safe mobility predicts a 52 percent increase in vehicle travel this Memorial Day weekend over last year and reports that 34 million Americans are planning to take road trips now that COVID-19 restrictions are loosening up. In the interest of public and responder safety, leading fire service organizations are reminding firefighters, EMS providers, and roadside service provide...

The Metropolitan “Metro” Fire Chiefs Association, a Section of the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) held its 2021 annual meeting virtually on May 10, 2021. More than 85 Metro chiefs attended the meeting and elected the Association’s 2021-2022 officers and board members. The officers are: Chief Don Lombardi, President; West Metro Fire Protection District, Lakewood, Colo. Chief Robert Rocha, Vice Pres...

The Metropolitan “Metro” Fire Chiefs Association, a section of the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) announced their award honorees, and for the first time in its 56-year history, fire chiefs from the largest jurisdictions throughout the world have selected a female officer as Fire Chief of the Year. Mary Cameli, chief of the Mesa Fire and Medical Department in Arizona has earned the Metropolitan Fire Chief of the Year ho...

Wildfires represent extreme instances of the deadly destructiveness of fire. There seem to be more wildfires every year, and there are certainly larger and more deadly wildfires all over the world than ever before. Wildfires dominate the public perception of the most extreme consequences of fire. This look back at 2020 will highlight some of the articles about wildfires published by TheBigRedGuide.com, with links to the full-length original articles. The wildfire season in 11 Western U.S. stat...

The International Association of Fire Chiefs, International Association of Fire Fighters, National Association of State Fire Marshals, and National Volunteer Fire Council urge governors and state health officials to make career and volunteer firefighters, EMTs, and paramedics a top priority level for COVID-19 vaccines. They are vital parts of the national public health system and should be treated at the same priority as other frontline healthcare workers and hospital staff. The nation’s...

National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has released NFPA 1700, Guide for Structural Fire Fighting, the first NFPA document connecting fire dynamics research to response strategy, tactics, and best practices for firefighters controlling fires within a structure. The 2021 guide was prepared by the Technical Committee on Fundamentals of Fire Control Within a Structure Utilizing Fire Dynamics. The document was then voted on by NFPA membership, issued by the NFPA Standards Council, and has been...

The biggest risk of property damage and injury from wildfires comes at the wildland-urban interface (WUI), which is defined as areas where structures and the built environment begin to intermingle with wildland vegetation. More and more such areas are being created as humans move near wildland areas to take advantage of their natural beauty and privacy. As a result, fire departments are fighting more fires along the interface, and there is a greater need for citizens living in these areas to be...

6 part webinar series on firefighter cancer risk reduction. Join the VCOS and NVFC for a 6 part webinar series, where one will explore some of the most important information one needs to know when it comes to firefighter cancer risk reduction. The webinar will also discuss the importance of early detection and what to do when a firefighter has cancer. February 18: Exposure DocumentationExplore and learn about apps available for documentation that one can implement in one’s department. Th...

Volunteer fire departments are ineligible to obtain funds from the Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) program because of their dependence on bingo games and raffles for fundraising. With the COVID-19 crisis destroying the ability of volunteer departments to raise funds, access to the EIDL program could provide needed assistance during a time of economic crisis. Under current rules, the assistance is unavailable. Economic Injury Disaster Loans program As the U.S. Small Business Administrati...

The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) is promoting awareness of the danger of heart attacks in the fire service. A toolkit provided by the IAFC includes information and resources to assist members and fire departments when responding to on-duty or duty-related cardiac events. The international campaign, titled ‘If You Don’t Feel Well, Don’t Make It Your Farewell,’ offers standard operating procedures (SOPs) including an example policy that departments can u...

The third stimulus package passed by Congress and signed into law by President Trump on March 27 includes funding earmarked to help fire and EMS services deal with the burgeoning coronavirus emergency. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act provides $2.2 trillion in all to help the nation deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.  Among the provisions of the law is $400 million in grants that can be disbursed for firefighters, emergency managers and providers of emergency foo...

Fire chiefs endorse position papers on hot work safety, the economic impact of firefighter injuries, suicide prevention, the National Firefighter Registry, data analyst/chief information officer, and the Centre for Homeland Defence and Security Fire chiefs from Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States participated in the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Urban Fire Forum (UFF) last week at NFPA headquarters in Quincy, Massachusetts. NFPA President and CEO Jim Pauley welcomed...

LION is dedicated to firefighter safety, which means producing the best turnout gear available and sharing it with the world. LION was pleased to set up shop at the IAFC’s Fire-Rescue International Conference & Expo in Atlanta, Georgia. Fire-Rescue International (FRI) is the annual conference and expo of the IAFC that has been taking place for the last 140 years. With hundreds of vendors present, this is a one-stop-shop for all things training, learning, and gear. LION Group displaye...

Pierce Manufacturing Inc., an Oshkosh Corporation company, announced that it will display an extensive array of apparatus and new technology innovations during the International Association of Fire Chiefs’ (IAFC) Fire Rescue International (FRI) conference and expo on August 7-10, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia.   Located at booth #1503, visitors will have the opportunity to learn more about the latest developments in fire apparatus, fire truck features, and technology that improv...

TargetSolutions, a Vector Solutions brand that offers operations and training management software for the fire service, and the International Association of Fire Chief’s (IAFC) Volunteer & Combination Officers Section (VCOS) are proud to announce Lee Whitner of South Adams County (Colorado) Fire Department, as the recipient of the 2019 VCOS Training Officer Recognition Award. 2019 VCOS Training Officer Award As the award winner, Whitner will be recognized during the annual VCOS meeti...

The Metropolitan “Metro” Fire Chiefs Association, a Section of the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) held its 2019 annual conference in Edmonton, Alberta June 8-14. More than 110 Metro chiefs from Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, Mexico, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States attended the conference and elected the Association’s 2019-2020 officers and board members. The officers are: Chi...

The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) guide walks fire chiefs and other officials through wildfire planning using the four phases of emergency management: preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation. Using case studies from all parts of the country, the guide details successful best practices already in use, giving fire departments new to wildfire planning a leg up and the ability to get started without reinventing the wheel. Wildfire risk  In 2018, federal wildfire su...