E-update: August 8, 2005
Welcome to the National Volunteer Fire Council's (NVFC) E-Update. The NVFC is a non-profit membership association representing the interests of America's volunteer fire, EMS and rescue personnel.
Visit Fire Corps at Fire Rescue International
Fire Corps Signs Up First 250 Fire Departments in Program to Attract "Citizen Advocates" Supporting the Fire/EMS Service
Free Online Resource Will Help Fire Corps Achieve its Public Safety Mission
Fire Corps Supports National Preparedness Month Initiatives
In this issue:
- Visit Fire Corps at Fire Rescue International
- Fire Corps Signs Up First 250 Fire Departments in Program to Attract "Citizen Advocates" Supporting the Fire/EMS Service
- Free Online Resource Will Help Fire Corps Achieve its Public Safety Mission
- Fire Corps Supports National Preparedness Month Initiatives
Visit Fire Corps at Fire Rescue International
Fire Corps will be in attendance at Fire Rescue International in Denver, Colorado from August 12-13. Located in booth L-36, Fire Corps representatives will be available to answer your questions and give ideas on how to start or improve a Fire Corps program.
In addition to being on the exhibit floor Fire Corps will present a seminar on the program "Fire Corps: Finding Volunteers for Non-Operational Support" from 7 AM -8:15AM on Friday August 12th. "Interest is growing about Fire Corps by departments throughout the United States and the ability to meet with them not only on the show floor but also though the seminar on the program will be an wonderful opportunity to educate the fire service about the benefits of Fire Corps" said Shawn Stokes, Director of Fire Corps. "Fire Rescue International allows us to connect with the leaders of the fire service throughout the United States, the chiefs. This will be an important opportunity to answer their questions about the program."
Please stop by and meet us. The Fire Corps staff will be waiting to answer your questions about Fire Corps and how it can benefit your department.
Fire Corps Signs Up First 250 Fire Departments in Program to Attract "Citizen Advocates" Supporting the Fire/EMS Service
Fire Corps, a newly-formed program partner of Citizen Corps, announces that it has achieved an important milestone: signing up the first 250 fire departments in its "citizen advocates" program. The purpose of the program is to help fire departments expand existing programs - or assist in developing new ones - that recruit citizens who donate their time and talents to support the fire service in non-operational roles.
"We're very pleased with the number of fire departments that have signed up for the program to date, especially since our first registrants signed on just this past December," notes Shawn Stokes, Fire Corps' director. "In fact, we're now nearing 300 departments. But our goal is to grow much larger and to involve as many fire departments as we can throughout the country in this very worthwhile endeavor."
Stokes claims that "the benefits are huge" for fire departments that sign up. The Fire Corps has established a web site (www.firecorps.org), where departments may register and be listed as having a Fire Corps program. Citizens use the site to learn about the opportunity to give of their time and talents, and to search for departments in their area that have particular needs for assistance. Matching registered departments with interested citizens brings a wide variety of skills and talents together in support of the fire service.
Stokes explains that non-operational roles filled by citizen advocates can include functions such as administrative support, life safety education, fundraising initiatives, canteen services, public relations, and even grant-writing support. "There's a wide variety of support, but the underlying thing is that these individuals provide support in ways that allow department personnel to concentrate on their core duties of fighting fires and protecting the public," he notes.
One example of an all-volunteer department that is already experiencing great benefits from the Fire Corps program is Johnson County RFD #1 Company in Clarksville, Arkansas. Located in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains, this department serves a 45-square-mile rural area, and has a lively tradition of community interaction. So far, 47 Fire Corps citizen advocates have signed on. According to Dayna Hilton, the fire company's volunteer coordinator, these individuals have provided many different types of support - ranging from assisting with fire safety programming, helping with the department's fire safety house, assisting at safety fairs, stuffing "goody bags" for children in the community ... even running the department's two robots Freddie and Pluggie.
The Fire Corps program is also active with departments that have paid personnel. One such case is the Bernalillo County Fire & Rescue Department, based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. This large department comprises 12 districts with stations throughout the County, providing fire and rescue services for more than 550,000 residents covering over 1,000 square miles. According to volunteer coordinator Carol Morgan, the department has 12 Fire Corps citizen activists helping with administrative and clerical work, public education and firefighter rehabilitation, as well as training other members of the department.
Noting that the Fire Corps program is designed to support paid and volunteer departments regardless of size, Stokes emphasizes that is it not the intent to replace current fire-fighting ranks with Fire Corps citizen advocates. "The objective is for citizens to supplement the department by performing non-operational support tasks, thus freeing up firefighters to focus on the tasks they're trained to perform," he says.
Fire Corps will be showcasing its programs and activities at national fire industry trade shows throughout the remainder of 2005. Having just appeared at the FDIC 2005 Show in April, Fire Expo in May, and Firehouse Expo in July, Fire Corps will also be exhibiting at Fire Rescue International on the following dates:
FireRescue/International - Booth L36
Denver, Colorado August 12-13, 2005
In addition, Fire Corps plans to attend several state fire meetings, including the Alaska and North Carolina conventions. Attendees at these conferences are invited to stop by the Fire Corps exhibit to learn how they can tap into the support of citizen advocates. Career, volunteer and combination fire departments are also encouraged to visit www.firecorps.org for additional information on the program, as well as to register their department as a Fire Corps participating fire company.
Launched in 2004, Fire Corps is a partnership between the International Association of Fire Chiefs' Volunteer and Combination Officers Section (IAFC / VCOS), the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC), and the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA). Its mission is to help career, volunteer and combination fire departments supplement existing personnel resources by recruiting citizen advocates: "citizens helping the fire service." For more information on Fire Corps programs and activities, contact Shawn Stokes at 202-887-4809 or via e-mail at stokess@firecorps.org.
Free Online Resource Will Help Fire Corps Achieve its Public Safety Mission
Fire Corps (www.firecorps.org) has announced a public-private partnership with the nonprofit Washington, DC-based Home Safety Council (HSC). Among the cooperative activities underway is an effort by Fire Corps to facilitate increased fire service awareness and use of the Council's public safety teaching tools.
HSC's high quality home fire and injury prevention education materials are available at no charge to members of the Expert Network (www.homesafetycouncil.org/expertnetwork). This comprehensive online service is available to U.S. fire and life safety advocates, including Fire Corps members and volunteers.
"We're urging Fire Corps organizations across the country to join the Home Safety Council's Expert Network," says Shawn P. Stokes, Director of Fire Corps. "The Expert Network's free educational materials provide an essential public safety tool box for fire department educators and are ideal for presentation by Fire Corps citizen advocates. The Expert Network will help local fire departments stretch their public education budgets to teach more members of the community how to be safer from fire and other injuries."
The Home Safety Council Expert Network, which has more than 2,300 members to date, is a fast growing resource. Open to fire and life safety advocates, the majority of members are from the fire services. The Expert Network addresses the top causes of unintentional home injury, including the third-leading fire and burns, and contains high quality educational tools that can be accessed on demand, downloaded and in many cases tailored specifically to local needs.
In addition, members of the Expert Network receive exclusive mailings from the Home Safety Council with carefully selected "hard copy" teaching tools not available online, including high quality educational videos and printed materials.
"The Home Safety Council is committed to developing and maintaining partnerships that support the fire and life safety educators who are working so diligently to make their communities safer," says HSC president Meri-K Appy. "Teaming the Home Safety Council with Fire Corps is a natural connection that will benefit the thousands of citizen advocates who are extending the public safety mission of fire departments across the country. We are delighted that the Expert Network can be a part of the Fire Corps' successful injury prevention work."
Representatives of registered Fire Corps programs can join the Expert Network online by visiting www.homesafetycouncil.org/expertnetwork and clicking "sign up." All new members will receive a welcome package with a variety of teaching tools, including three educational videos that address home fire safety and automatic fire sprinkler protection.
In addition, members of the Expert Network will be the first to receive the new national Fire Safety Literacy Project materials in 2005. The Project is an unprecedented initiative that introduces basic home fire safety information and instruction into existing adult literacy programs. Sponsored by the Home Safety Council with funding through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security grants, the Project is a cooperative effort with ProLiteracy Worldwide and Oklahoma State University's Fire Protection Publications. Learn more about the Fire Safety Literacy Project by visiting www.firesafetyliteracyproject.org.
As a program partner of the Department of Homeland Security's grass-roots initiative Citizen Corps, Fire Corps works through local Citizen Corps Councils to promote opportunities for citizens to assist their local fire and EMS departments. Fire Corps serves as a gateway to information for and about fire department programs and meets a citizen's desire to serve, as well as a department's need for support.
Fire Corps is coordinated nationally by the International Association of Fire Chiefs' Volunteer
Combination Officers Section, the International Association of Fire Fighters, the National Volunteer Fire Council, and the Department of Homeland Security's US Fire Administration and Office of State and Local Government Preparedness and Coordination.
The Home Safety Council (HSC) is the only national nonprofit organization solely dedicated to preventing home-related injuries that result in nearly 20,000 deaths and 21 million medical visits on average each year. Through national programs, partnerships and the support of volunteers, HSC educates people of all ages to keep them safer in and around their homes. The Home Safety Council is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization located in Washington, DC.
Fire Corps Supports National Preparedness Month Initiatives
A powerful hurricane is approaching. "What should I do?" An "F4" tornado is bearing down on your town. "What should I do?" The national threat level is raised. "What should I do?" That one question - "What should I do?" - is asked by thousands of residents every time we are reminded that our lives can instantly be changed by a number of different types of emergencies.
Yet, too many Americans have answered the question, "What should I do?" by doing little or nothing at all. In fact, there are simple steps each of us can take to prepare for whatever might come our way. Emergencies will happen, but taking action now can help us minimize the impact they will have on our lives.
That's what this September, National Preparedness Month, is all about: helping us take action! Fire Corps encourages its member departments to take part in National Preparedness month activities, both for its own members and with the communities they serve.
The resources to help you guide your communities toward better preparedness and help answer the "What should I do?" questions are just a click away. Visit www.ready.gov and www.redcross.org to start. They contain a wealth of information about what people can do to prepare.
National Preparedness Month 2005 is a nationwide effort to encourage Americans to take simple steps to prepare for emergencies in their homes, businesses and schools. Throughout September, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the American Red Cross will work with a wide variety of organizations to highlight the importance of emergency preparedness and promote individual involvement through events and activities across the nation, such as first aid trainings, town hall meetings and much more.
So go to www.ready.gov for more information on how you can better educate your community about their personal preparedness during National Preparedness Month!
