FM Global Donates $150,000 to Wildfire

Author: Scott Miller, President, Western Fire Chiefs Association
Published: 10/22/2020
The Wildfire Initiative, a program of the Western Fire Chiefs Association, is pleased to announce the generous donation of $150,000 made by FM Global to help with immediate relief and long-term support of the fire service battling wildfires across Washington, Oregon, and California. Recognizing that the affected states are in the best position to allocate the funds, FM Global requested that WFCA and the Wildfire Initiative suggest categories of use ranging from firefighter safety equipment, strategic planning for prevention, notification and evacuation, research and development, infrastructure, and community protection and education.     read more

COVID-19 and Wildfire Webinar Series: Episode 2 on Tuesday, Sept. 29

Author: Chief Kim Zagaris, WFCA Wildfire Policy and Technology Advisor
Published: 9/21/2020
The COVID-19 pandemic has created a number of ongoing challenges for the fire service. Daily operations have been impacted in unprecedented ways including increased demand for PPE on calls, social distancing requirements, and quarantining guidelines. Wildfire season is currently in full swing, and the COVID pandemic has created additional issues for federal, state, and local agencies. Intterra and WFCA are coming together again on Tuesday, Sept. 29 to offer Episode 2 aimed at offering real solutions for fire service teams.     read more

Tactical Pause on Sept. 2 – Focus on Risk Management

Author: National Multi-Agency Coordinating Group
Published: 9/01/2020
We are in the height of the 2020 Western fire season and we have been reminded that the wildland fire environment is dangerous whether you are on the ground or in the air. Along with the increase in fire activity, there has been an increase in close calls, serious accidents, injuries, and fatalities. Please honor those that have fallen, most recently our aviators, by actively managing risk. It is now the beginning of September and long-term fatigue is setting in, which exacerbates the complexity of a fire season made even more difficult by COVID-19. We ask you to take a tactical pause at some point on Wednesday, September 2nd, to discuss current risks to which you are exposed.     read more

First Responder Fees – Is It Time?

Author: Kurt Henke, Principal/Managing Partner, AP Triton LLC
Published: 7/14/2020
Chief Jeff Johnson’s editorial on the financial crisis facing the fire service and public sectors today could not be more accurate. Though most of us have not dealt with a health pandemic of this magnitude or a near complete shutdown of our economy in our lifetime, we have dealt with financial crisis before. Does 2008-2011 ring a bell? As a fire chief of a metropolitan fire district ...     read more

The Future of Technology Partners for Public Safety: A Case Study on First Due

Author: Dan Munsey, CFO, Fire Chief, San Bernardino County Fire District
Published: 5/29/2020
When fire service leaders look to acquire and adopt new technologies, we need to ensure we lead through the technology we implement--not be led by it. This concept is something I have witnessed again and again as fire agencies implement new technology integration into operations--we all want to have the "shiny new toy," and we buy it impulsively. The fire service technology vendors we need to partner with should be thought leaders and innovators in technology.     read more