International Association of Fire Chiefs
Board of Director Meeting
November 6, 2003
Springfield, MA
Members Present:
Exhibitors:
President Jack Parow
Judy
Marshall
1st VP William
Weston
2nd VP Brian
Thibeault
Guest:
Sec/Treasurer John Wood
Fred Stanley
Inter. Director Roger
Bradley
State Vice Presidents
Stephen Allen, NH
Not
Present:
Gerald Dio, MA
IAFC 2nd VP Robert DiPoli
Michael O’Neil, VT
Timothy Wall, CT
James Farrell, ME
Brian Hoxsie, RI
Immediate Past President
Chief Michael Lajoie
Board members met at 8am for
a special meeting before the regular meeting to review and work on the draft
strategic plan for the division. President
Parow will make needed changes made by the board and will then email the new
strategic plan to the officers of the division for distribution to the State
Fire Chief’s Association Presidents. The division officers will review the draft with their State
Presidents and invite them to a meeting on December 4, 2003 to get their input
on action items. This meeting ended at 10:00.
President Parow called the
Board of Directors meeting to order at 10:15 and pledge to the flag.
Chief Lajoie gave
invocation.
Secretary Report
Chief Wood presented the
written minutes of the previous meeting. Chief
Michael Lajoie made a motion to accept the minutes Chief Michael O’Neil
seconded the motion. Motion passed.
Annual meeting minutes were
presented for officers to read, they will be acted on at the next meeting.
Newsletter guidelines were
distributed to the group and reviewed.
Badges were distributed to
officers.
Motion by Chief Weston
seconded by Chief Farrell to have both plaques designed by and purchased by
Chief Dio for retired members. Motion
Passed
Treasurer Report
Chief Wood distributed the
treasurer’s report showing that the checking account had a balance of
$9,381.42. The two CD’s and the
money market account had a combined value of $49,458.19 as of 10/31/03 making
the total cash available at $58,839.61. A
more detailed account of the records is attached.
Motion was made by Chief Brian Hoxsie and seconded by Chief Michael
Lajoie to pay all bills and to accept the treasurer’s report. Motion Passed
International Directors Report
Chief Bradley spoke of the Wild Land Fire legislation briefing by the IAFC. Nancy Weaver from the IAFC sent out a News Alert regarding a Prime Time program on ABC about the Night Club Fire in West Warwick.
President Report
Chief Parow spoke about the membership alert from IAFC. Contact IAFC or see the web-page to sign up and get on the list for the alerts. There was discussion about sending too many letters both individual and form to the legislators, therefore, losing the effectiveness of sending them. The general feeling of the group was that you do not lose any effect and that the legislators want to hear from you. President Parow participated in the quarterly division teleconference with the IAFC. He attended the RI Fire Chiefs Association meeting in Block Island along with Secretary/Treasurer John Wood and VT State VP Michael O’Neil. He attended the Maine Fire Chiefs meeting were Chief Michael Lajoie received an award for Fire Chief of the Year.
President Parow would like
to thank all the officers that attended the Strategic Planning meeting in NH.
He also attended the Leadership Summit in Washington, DC sponsored by the
IAFC and found it to be very informative.
Nextel has a priority
service for their towers that allow first responders to access service before
any other service is allowed for non first responders.
They also have five (5) mobile towers and 5000 phones to bring to an
emergency scene. They will and can
fly in the equipment and service it as well.
He believes the service is free during an emergency.
President Parow attended the
NEAFC meeting in Killington, VT.
Committee Reports
The joint conference is June
23-27, 2004; President Parow would like everyone to arrive on Wednesday evening.
There will be a joint dinner meeting for work assignments and to address
other issues of the conference.
The contract for 2004-2006 was distributed to all the officers and discussed. Kudos’ to the committee on the contract.
Seminar Committee
President Parow appointed
Chief Brain Hoxsie, Chief Steve Allen, and Chief Timothy Wall to the committee.
The committee will bring the complete package to the December 4, 2003,
meeting for input and approval.
Logo, Branding, and the
Banner Committee-Chief Brain Thibeault suggests reducing the States on the logo
by 1/5 or 1/4 which he thinks would look better. Chief Thibeault made that a motion Chief Lajoie seconded the
motion passed. Chief Thibeault will
email the new look to all the officers for approval. Chief Thibeault will then have the new logo put on a banner
and will get a plaque for the division booth.
State Vice Presidents Reports
Chief Hoxsie RI-
Chief Retired Jerry Bessette has accepted a chief’s position with the
Barrington Fire Department. He is
no longer retired. There is a teleconference coming up for the by-laws
committee.
Chief Dio MA-Attended
the Strategic Planning meeting in October and has met with the MA Fire Chiefs
president and vice president. One
of them will attend the meeting on December 4, 2003.
Chief Dio is researching a standard uniform regulation for the fire
service.
Chief Allen NH-
Attended the Strategic Planning meeting in October.
Chief Allen will be attending a retirement party for Donald Bliss, State
Fire Marshal in December.
Chief Farrell ME-Chief
Michael Lajoie received the Fire Chief of the Year award at the Maine Fire
Chiefs Meeting in October. The
web-page has been updated for the division along with the newsletter alerts for
the IAFC. Maine Chiefs are putting
a committee together to meet with the Maine Municipal Association of the City
and Town Mangers.
Chief Michael O’Neil VT-Homeland
Security Grants have been reviewed and awarded.
There is a push to increase membership in the State.
Unfinished Business
Chief Weston thanks everyone
for the help at the hospitality room in Dallas.
New Business
Chief Weston is working on a
membership drive with the IAFC to promote new membership.
He does not think it should be put on the State Vice Presidents to do a
lone. President Parow wants to have
a committee to work on membership. Chief
Thibeault will chair and organize a plan.
The president appointed a
By-laws committee to review and make changes.
Chiefs Wood, Hoxsie, and Lajoie will make up the committee.
President Parow appointed
himself and Chief Michael Lajoie to a committee to look into a Chaplin for the
division.
Received a letter from Dan
Lane requesting the division appoint four members to a group for the ICC
updates. President Parow will
appoint after the State Vice Presidents get back to him no later then the end of
November with recommendations.
President Parow distributed
job descriptions to the officers for discussion. The question is should these be included in the by-laws.
The officers are to review and bring back any suggested changes to the
December 4, 2003 meeting or email the president with ideas and/or suggestions.
Exhibitors Report
Judy Marshall thanks
everyone for including the Vendors Association in the Strategic Planning
process.
Other
Retirement Life Membership and Plaque
Clarification
A fire chief must have 10 years of active service prior to retiring to qualify for life membership and a plaque. That is 10 years as an active fire chief and 10 years as a dues paying member of the IAFC. If a fire chief retires prior to 10 years and continues to pay his/her dues they then would qualify for life membership not a plaque.
Chief Lajoie thanked Chief Bradley for his help during a fire chief issue in Lewiston, Maine.
Meeting Adjourned 14:30
Respectfully Submitted,
John G Wood Jr., Secretary