As I pen this information it is hard to believe we are rapidly approaching Winter. The unseasonable warmth most of us have experienced deep into Fall will no doubt yield to cold and less fire department friendly conditions. Remember to take extra precaution when driving to, operating at and returning from your Winter incidents.
I was not able to attend the Saturday evening candlelight services at the memorial this year, but I did make the Sunday ceremony and joined a large crowd of emergency responders and citizens in paying tribute to numerous fire service personnel who have passed away. My thanks go out to each member of the Memorial Foundation and the volunteers who stepped up to fill various roles in making the ceremonies memorable and a fitting remembrance of those being honored. You all did a fantastic job and continue to create a welcoming environment for all who attend. Job well done!
I was able to make several visits to the Missouri State Fair this past August and take part in the dedication of the new fire station. What a change from the old building and what a nice building it turned out to be. Now that the first fair is behind us and we have gotten a “feel” for the building you should start seeing much of the memorabilia from the old station being hung on the walls and other minor adjustments being made before next year’s fair.
I was impressed with the number of tours that were given during the entirety of the fair. It seemed like there was a steady flow of elected officials, fire service personnel and most importantly members of the public who stopped in and asked to see the building. Perhaps we have been more visible on our piece of the fairgrounds than we realized or the “shiny” new station just drew people in. Either way we were given the opportunity to thank everyone and show off what we do not only at the fair, but in our local communities also. My thanks to everyone that stopped what they were doing and led a large or small group through the facility and helped them each connect with Missouri’s fire service.
For those of you that miss the old station there is good news. Somewhat of a replica of the old building now stands inside the museum at the Fire Fighters Memorial in Kingdom City. Siding, signage and the old EMS door now reside in the museum due to the hard work of members of the Foundation and volunteer labor. What a fitting tribute to the years of service by so many of our members in a station that stood for years protecting the fairgrounds and all visitors. Thank you Foundation members for including this in the museum and preserving a meaningful part of our past.
Each year the FFAM makes scholarships available for graduating high school seniors and for FFAM members continuing education. Applications for these are due by February 28th so go to our website and fill out an application today so you or a deserving student can be considered to receive financial assistance.
We also have several awards available for presentation to FFAM members including the Chief Officer of the year, Firefighter of the year, Fire Department of the year, Lifesaving award, Meritorious action award, Youth Program award, Award for Valor and the Phil Sayer Lifetime award. Each of these award recipients are selected from the nominations YOU submit by February 28th. We know there are many deserving personnel in our membership, but without your nomination we can not give them the recognition for their actions. Go to the FFAM website under the Awards Committee and review the criteria for each of the awards and submit your nominations.
Have you made plans to attend MUFRTI Winter Fire School yet? You should be seeing information in the near future for dates, available courses and registration information so keep an eye on the MUFRTI website and/or your email so you can get registered to attend. The courses offered provide beneficial training at a reasonable cost and the event gives us all an opportunity to see many of our fellow Missouri Fire Service personnel who we don’t get to see every day.
One last reminder: Each year your agency (big, small, career, combination or volunteer) are required by Missouri statute 320.271 to register with the Division of Fire Safety. We have made great strides in getting our agencies registered, but not all are complying. Take a few minutes and make sure your agency is registered. Not only is the registration required by statute, but it also provides vital information that may be needed for state wide resource allocation during large scale emergencies and some funding opportunities may only be available to registered departments. The process does not take a large amount of time and instructions are available on the Division web page.
If any of the Board of Directors can be of assistance to you or your agency please contact us. Be Safe!
FFAM
