It is good to see that spring is arriving and bringing new opportunities to get outside without being bundled up. Now we can get started on those outside chores that may have been neglected around the house or the fire station.
I had the opportunity to spend some time recently at the University of Missouri Fire and Rescue Training Institute’s Winter Fire School to visit with attendees from across our great state. I hope you also had the opportunity to attend either the equipment exposition or some of the classes and continued to pursue improving your skills and the services we provide to our communities. The inclement weather that visited just before the kick-off certainly affected the event. Several vendors either were not able to attend or had an abbreviated booth. This is always an excellent event to attend and do some quality networking. If you missed this year, pencil it in for next year.
In case you didn’t get the opportunity to stop by for a visit at the FFAM vendor booth, I think it is important to note that Secretary Miller was on site for the duration of the expo spreading the news about FFAM. Due in part to weather and other commitments, the assistants that had offered to share time at the booth were limited in number, but she recruited (assigned) Chief Miller from JCFPD #2 to be her right hand during the event, and he did an outstanding job helping her out. Thank you Chief Miller for always being “willing” to man the booth and help out the FFAM when needed.
April 5th at noon is the annual Fire Fighter’s Day at the Capitol. It is an excellent opportunity for members of the fire service from all corners of our state to meet and take time to visit with the various legislators who will be there. This is a face-to-face format opportunity to make sure those folks understand the needs of the fire service and how their work often affects what we do in the field. Also on that day, the Missouri Division of Fire Safety will be celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the creation of the Missouri State Fire Marshal’s office. Current and former employees of the Division should be on hand to celebrate the occasion, and this would be a great time to visit with those you may not have seen in years.
May is shaping up to be busy for our membership for two very good reasons. The FFAM convention is slated for May 6-8 in Washington and will include the annual meeting. There are classes planned along with vendor displays and of course, the always anticipated firefighter challenge contests. Networking events are planned for Friday and Saturday night, so it looks like it will be a weekend packed with opportunities and fellowship. You can find more information on the FFAM website.
The second event in May is the annual Fire Fighter’s Candlelight and Memorial Services. These are scheduled for May 14 and 15 respectively in Kingdom City. Please plan to join us there to honor those of the Missouri Fire service that have passed away. The Memorial Foundation is always willing to accept assistance for various aspects of this event. If you have some extra time leading up to that weekend or want to be involved during the weekend, please contact a foundation member.
The last event I will highlight for this edition is the Missouri State Fair. Slated to take place August 11-21, the fair will continue to rebuild the in-person, full-scale event that was sidelined during the height of the COVID spread. The FFAM is scheduled to once again assemble the Missouri State Fair Fire Department and serve during the duration of the fair. No matter if you have served in the past or not, I encourage you to go to our website and fill out and submit the application before the due date of June 1.
As we move further into this year, take the extra time to serve your community in the safest way possible. Remember to seek out and take part in training at every opportunity. There are numerous training events or options available throughout the state, some at no charge and some for a fee, but you have to take the initiative to participate. We all can learn daily, and no matter how long you have been in this industry, there is always something to learn and help us function better.
Be supportive of your fellow personnel and those belonging to the surrounding departments. Let’s continue to show all those watching us that we are truly a “family” as we often state publicly. If any of the Board of Directors or I can be of any assistance please make sure you contact us. Be Safe!
FFAM
