VSFSI

March 2008

• The 2008 Instructor College has been cancelled by the Department of Fire Programs (see the VDFP web site for additional details). The decision has been made to cancel the 2008 Fire Instructor College; due to lack of courses available for roll out, and changes in available venue options, we will be looking at alternative methods for delivering Train-the-Trainer classes for the next fiscal period.

  We may look at putting the program back on in alternate years, as previously discussed, beginning in 2009.

February 2008

• Mike Armstrong is currently serving on the Department of Fire Programs Fire Officer 1 and 2 Development Committee. The committe has been working on revising and updating the Fire Officer 1 and 2 programs. Pilot Officer 1 courses are being conducted. Once the Officer 1 program is approved by the Fire Services Board, there will likely be a train the trainer conducted at the July Fire Instructor College in Salem.

• Fire Officer 2 is now being piloted and will go to the Fire Services Board in the future. There is no train the trainer scheduled yet. It will be after the program is approved by the FSB. Contact Mike with any questions.

• There will not be a VSFSI meeting at the Feb VA Beach Chiefs Conference due to scheduling/work conflicts with executive staff members.

• The dates for the July Instructor College are July 18-20. We are still hoping to have a guest speaker either Friday night or Saturday morning. We have had difficulty securing a speaker. If anyone has suggestions, please let us know. Due to the number of training programs being revised and or updated, Fire Programs will conduct train the trainers this year at the conference. Stay tuned for a list of train the trainers being offered.

• VSFSI membership cards are being developed and will be issued to all existing and new members as soon as they are ready.

• Still looking for a member to fill positions of Division Rep's for the following divisions:
  • Division 1 – Richmond
  • Division 2 – Orange
  • Division 3 – Farmville

• Jones and Bartlett Publishers partners with the International Society of Fire Service Instructors

• Elections will need to be held at the July 2008 meeting, be thinking of nominations!

• July 2007 Meeting held at Instructor College
  • Mike Glass, Salem Fire-EMS took Vice President position
  • We began filling out division rep seats.
  • The next scheduled VSFSI meeting will be held Friday night July 20, at the Salem Instructor College. The meeting will begin at 7:00pm in Trexler Hall, Room 372. Meeting agenda will include:
    1. State Corporation Commission update
    2. By-laws review and vote
    3. New Executive Officer additions
    4. Seeking indivduals to serve as division representatives (aligned with DFP divisions)
    5. Planning for the 2008 fiscal event

• All current Virginia Fire Service Instructors are urged to attend and take an active role in your Instructor Association.

• The Virginia Fire Chief's Association, Company Officers Section, will host a Fire Officers Academy June 2007. Criteria is currently being established for the selection process. The training will be conducted at the University of Richmond and will be approximately one week in length. The material covered will be the 16 Life Safety Initiatives.

• As a Virginia Fire Services stakeholder group, the VSFSI is currently reviewing the draft for the Virginia Fire Officer Training Guide. The goal is to establish a consensus guideline for officer development for all fire officers in Virginia. The projected rollout date is January 2007.
  • Members of the VSFSI have worked closely with the Department of Fire Programs and the Virginia Community College System to formulate a common curriculum for an Associate in Applied Science degree in Fire Science for Virginia's fire service. Students will now be able to receive college credits for DFP/NFPA classes in wich they have already received certification.

  • Several Department of Fire Programs courses have been accredited from the American Council on Education (ACE). There is now a cross-walk conversion document that shows which DFP/NFPA classes will convert to college credits; it will be posted ont this site soon.

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  Copyright © 2008
  Virginia Society of Fire Service Instructors
  Richmond, Virginia
  For more information, please contact Mike Armstrong.
  For assistance with the web site, please contact Tony Schloss.
  
  Last Update: March 25, 2008