I want to again thank all our responders working tirelessly to protect lives and save property in their respective communities and around the state as mutual aid for neighboring areas. Our volunteer responders are truly remarkable, and I am proud to serve them. I personally wish all our responders a safe and prosperous Thanksgiving and Christmas season.

The fall district meetings are wrapping up and your Executive Board attended all those that were scheduled, having to split up to cover meetings held on the same day and time in a few instances. Districts were represented and updated on what’s happening around the state and in Austin. All districts should make plans to attend the 148th SFFMA Training Conference and Convention in San Marcos, June 27 – 30, 2024, at the Embassy Suites. Most attendees will attend 3 ½ days under the new format. By attending the Recruitment & Retention workshop some of your travel can be reimbursed by the SAFER grant.

I want to offer the SFFMA’s sincerest condolences to the Panhandle Firefighters and Fire Marshals Association and the Floydada VFD for the loss of one of their own. Donald “Cowboy” Wiley lost his battle with numerous health issues on October 21. Services were held for Cowboy and his wife Sandra (who passed a week prior) on October 30 in Floydada where many departments and individuals attended and paid their respects. Cowboy was a longtime member of the SFFMA Sergeant at Arms Committee, a lifelong member of the Floydada VFD, and longtime guest instructor at the TEEX Municipal Fire School. His passion for his department, district, SFFMA, and the fire service will be greatly missed. Go rest high Cowboy…we will take it from here.

The Executive Director search committee is continuing to reach out to individuals that may have an interest in filling the position. They will bring their recommendations to the Executive Board. If you know someone who is very savvy to the volunteer fire service, outgoing, personable, and servant oriented…let the search committee know.

The 2024 District Leaders Symposium will be held January 26 – 28, 2024, at the SFFMA office in Austin. Districts should make plans to send two (2) executive board members to take part in this important gathering. Much information will be shared to further bridge the communication gap, as well as having representatives from TEEX, Texas A&M Forest Service, VFIS, and other stakeholders to field questions you or your district may have. You will get answers straight from the entities themselves. Remember, there will be a Recruitment and Retention presentation Saturday morning and your attendance is required for receiving travel reimbursement for attending this symposium.

In closing, the 2024 Membership Drive is underway. It’s time to renew dues for your department and for individual members. Please do not let the benefits lapse because you didn’t pay the dues. Benefits end at midnight December 31. For approximately $4.17 per month ($50 /year) you get $5,000 severe burn benefit, $10,000 AD&D benefit, and $20,000 LODD benefit. And of course our testing and certification program, training opportunities, leadership development courses, and other discounts and services. This policy covers an individual traveling to or from department meetings, training, and incidents. To me, this is a very low-cost way to ensure your members receive something for their services to the community.

As always, thank each of you for what you do for your department, community, district, county, the State of Texas, and the SFFMA. Please stay safe.

 

God bless y’all.

Donny Boggs

SFFMA Executive Board

President 2023 – 2024

979-220-0141

donald.boggs@gmail.com

A common question heard around volunteer fire departments lately is, “How are we going to get more young people on the roster?”

For Daniel Mendez, who is 22, it’s a hard question to answer. So we began with: how did he come to be a volunteer with Eula Volunteer Fire Department (VFD) at just 20 years old?

 

“I saw a post by Eula VFD on Facebook asking for members to join,” he said. “So I messaged the chief and things went from there.”

 

Daniel wasn’t a big Facebook user – he went on mostly for Marketplace. But he saw the Eula post and it appealed to him.

 

Now that he’s an active member, is he recruiting other young volunteers?

 

“There was a guy - I had a hand in recruiting him. We’ve been best friends since age 8-9,” Daniel said. “Once I joined, it seemed interesting to him and he joined, too.”

 

Daniel’s friend, Abner Hill, 23, also joined Eula VFD (which is about 20 miles outside of Abilene) around the same time.

 

"We talked about it, we were thinking about it, "Abner said. "We decided that’s what we were going to do."

 

What draws in younger volunteers?

 

Abner thinks certain types of people - no matter their age - join a volunteer organization.

 

"To them it's a duty not just a job," he said. "It takes that kind of person."

 

He recommended that VFDs use that angle in their messaging.

 

"Speak to those people," he said, "The reward is all in going out and doing the work. You won’t be happy if you just see it as an unpaid job."

 

Daniel thinks once you bring in a few younger volunteers, more will join.

 

“Getting one younger person involved helps other young people get involved,” he said. “We’re in the same stage of life. We’re just getting into adulthood.”

 

Daniel and Abner are now two of four young volunteers with Eula, one of which is a young woman. While she’s a career EMS responder, she still comes to some Eula VFD calls when she can.

 

How about the department members – were they welcoming to younger volunteers?

 

“For sure,” Daniel said. “They tell us, ‘We need more people like y’all.’ Most of them are happy to show us the ropes. And they push us to get more training.”

 

He added, “I’m excited to go and keep learning. I enjoy seeing new stuff."

 

Daniel said the older crew members recognize younger volunteers will be the leaders someday. Abner agrees.

 

"Eula is a very welcoming department," he said. "There is a certain level of comradery among the guys. More experienced people will take rookies under their wing, help them learn what to do, what not to do."

 

What is it like being a volunteer firefighter? Daniel said it’s been like the missing piece in his life.

 

“I wanted to get involved with the community and make new friends,” Daniel said. “I also enjoy helping people.”

 

He loves going to training and getting exercise, but it’s more than that.

 

“This filled the void in my life,” Daniel said.

See the Eula Department Profile below.

But it’s not always easy. His first call was an accident – a fatality – on the highway running through Eula’s service area.

 

“We often arrive before EMS,” he said. “I’ve seen a lot of difficult situations.”

 

But Daniel understands it’s part of the job. Some of the situations stick with you.

 

In terms of recruiting, Abner said he believes the Eula fire chief, Roy Galinak, helps the department be more forward thinking.

 

"We debrief from the last incident," he said. "What could we do better? Then we implement it."

 

How does Daniel's family feel about him becoming a volunteer firefighter?

 

“My parents are interested in what I do,” he said. “They ask questions when they hear I went to a call. They are pretty excited that I’m doing something other than drugs or drinking.”

 

Daniel’s day job is perhaps less dramatic but something he enjoys quite a bit: he’s a plumber.

 

“I will be licensed later this year,” he said, the excitement clear in his voice.

 

And no matter where that career takes him, he plans to remain a volunteer firefighter.

 

The company where he works is supportive, but he typically can’t go to calls during the workday since he’s working on new housing construction projects. Sometimes when he’s at the shop he can go to a call.

 

“Eula VFD responded to the old shop of the company where I work,” he said. “Now that they have a connection to the department, everyone seems more interested in the volunteer fire service.”

 

Daniel said the local community is supportive and donates to the VFD. But he also believes not many people – or business owners for that matter – know what they do.

 

“Some people think we don’t handle what they call ‘big’ incidents,” he said. “Their perception is that our calls are ‘less’ because we’re volunteers. They don’t know everything we do to protect everyone.”

 

Daniel said a lot of people just don’t realize that volunteer fire departments handle all the same calls and situations as career departments. And they get training to make sure they are ready to answer those calls.

 

What would Daniel say to a young person thinking about volunteering?

 

“Go down and give it a shot,” he said. “See how you like it. Give it a chance.”

 

He added, “Most volunteer departments could use the help.”

I’ll start with an introduction of our family. My parents are Steven and Donna Loving. My brother is Christapher Loving, who has a son, Aaron Loving. Then there’s me, Rhonda Payne, and my future spouse, John Davis, as well as my children Jacob Payne and Jayda Payne.

 

My dad has been a firefighter for the past 36 years with the Ingleside Volunteer Fire Department (serving as a life member and former chief), the first fire marshal for San Patricio County, SFFMA Firefighter of the Year 2018, and is currently the City of Brenham Fire Marshal.

He serves on multiple SFFMA committees and is past president of the South-Central District.

 

My mother has been a firefighter for the past 12 years, of which 10 of those she was the president of the Ingleside VFD Association, a lieutenant in charge of the Support Division, and a driver operator. She also serves on several SFFMA committees and is currently an associate member of the Brenham Volunteer Fire Department.

 

Christapher has been a firefighter for 15 years and currently serves with Texas A&M Forest Service as a Resource Specialist. He is also a volunteer with Beeville Fire Department.

 

John Davis, my finance, has been a firefighter 

for the past 35 years; for the past nine years he’s been the fire chief of ESD #3 in Bishop, Texas.

My daughter, Jayda Payne, is 11 years old and is currently a mascot for the Central District. She was previously co-mascot for the Brenham Fire Department and is a past mascot for the South-Central District and for the Ingleside Volunteer Fire Department. 

 

I’ve been with Ingleside Volunteer Fire Department for the past 10 years, serving as a firefighter, training officer, and driver operator. I currently sit as the 3rd Vice President of the South-Central District.

 

Our family, including my mother’s family serving the City of Port Aransas (her father was fire marshal) and my father’s family serving in East Texas and Houston area fire departments, have dedicated our lives for several generations to serving in the fire service of the State of Texas.

 

If we are not at home, you can find us at one of the many fire departments that we serve. We don't do it for the glory or the shirt, we do it because we love serving our communities. Both of my children and nephew all love being part of a fire department family, and all want to become firefighters just like their parents, and their GiGi and Pawpaw. All three of the current generations and the previous generations of our family love and have loved serving our community and being in the fire service.

November featured store item:

Principles of Fire Prevention, Fourth Edition 

 

Principles of Fire Prevention, Fourth Edition meets and exceeds the FESHE Associate Core level course called Fire Prevention (C0286). It will provide readers with a thorough understanding of how fire prevention and protection programs can greatly reduce fire loss, deaths, and injuries. Additionally, the Fourth Edition covers the elements of public education, plan review, inspection, fire investigation, community risk reduction as well as the logistics of staffing and financial management so that readers are fully prepared to lead successful fire prevention programs. Click image to visit the store!

 

VFIS of Texas and Texas Mutual Insurance Company are sponsoring a need-based Health & Wellness Grant program for fire departments and nonprofit EMS organizations in Texas. Grants up to $5,000 will be awarded based on financial need and are intended to assist emergency service organizations in developing a health & wellness program to prevent emergency responder deaths and injuries and for cancer prevention.

 

Departments will need to apply for the grant, expend the funds and then send in copies of receipts to receive the reimbursement of grant funding. Accepting applications now through December 31, 2023. Learn more and apply here. 

Written Testing Dates

(Click here for more options)

 

Saturday, November 18, 2023
6:00 PM - 9:30 PM (CDT)

Potter County FD Station 3
4150 N Soncy Rd
Amarillo, TX  79124

 

Saturday, December 2, 2023
9:00 AM - 12:30 PM (CST)

Devine Vol. Fire & Rescue
1419 County Road 5710
Devine, TX 78016

 

Saturday, December 2, 2023
2:00 PM - 5:30 PM (CST)

Guadalupe County Fire Training Facility
320 Fire Field Rd
New Braunfels, TX 78130

Saturday, December 2, 2023
9:00 AM - 12:30 PM (CST)

Tarrant County College Fire Service Training Center
4801 Marine Creek Pkwy
Fort Worth, TX 76179-3513

 

To register or cancel, contact: Kevin Creamer
State Firefighters' & Fire Marshals' Association of Texas | SFFMA testing@sffma.org

 

Registration typically closes at 4 p.m. about three days prior to the test date. 

 

Inability to attend the testing session must be communicated to Austin staff prior to the start of the session to avoid forfeiture of testing fees.