10/25/2018
fyi, (just sharing the below announcment, from Fire Chief Kingman Schudt, President, Southeastern Assoc. of Fire Chiefs; for those interested)
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"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE"
From Fire Chief Kingman Schuldt, CFO
President Southeastern Association of Fire Chiefs
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
In recent weeks, many of you have been affected by the impacts of Hurricanes Florence and Michael. Whether planning for impact, recovering, responding locally or regionally, and now hopefully starting to recover from two of the most severe disasters in recent times to affect the Southeastern United States. The response by our fire service professionals to both disasters has been expedient, professional, and with great compassion.
Although the storms have officially past, the effects are in some cases, just now surfacing, with the significant damage and impact on the residents and our first responders. Many of you and your organizations have given everything you had to protect your communities and provide mutual aid assistance far beyond your jurisdictional borders. Many of our own experienced significant damage and losses personally, and in some cases losing everything.
The North Carolina Association of Fire Chiefs has organized a support program to gauge the impact of Hurricane Florence on firefighters and their families across the state of North Carolina, as well as the availability of firefighters who may be able to assist other firefighters with the recovery process at their homes.
If agencies in North Carolina has firefighters whose homes have been affected by Florence and could use assistance, or if your agency has firefighters who would be interested in volunteering to assist firefighters who have been affected, they are asking you to complete the survey
(North Carolina only). https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScd-OAxtAt8xBrwUKvmWyDhHU5eqgevAjdHjEZTk01S3YN1Jw/viewform.
The North Carolina Association of Fire Chiefs will work to match up the needs with these resources to the best of our abilities.
The Florida Fire Chiefs’ Association is actively working with local first responders to provide professional and personal assistance to those similarly affected in Florida’s Panhandle. The Association has dispatched liaisons throughout the region who are actively meeting with local fire chiefs to assess specific support measures as they move from the response to recovery phase of the incident. As additional information is made available from the Florida Fire Chiefs’ Association it will be distributed to our entire Division.
In other Division business, I had the opportunity to travel to Fayetteville, Arkansas October 3-6 to participate in the Southwestern Association of Fire Chiefs Executive Leadership Conference. It was wonderful experience being part of a great group of presenters including IAFC 2017-2018 President Tom Jenkins, IAFC 2nd Vice President Otto Drozd and, Chief Tim Sendelbach. I was also able to attend their Leadership Academy graduation. I would like to thank Immediate Past President, Chief Randy Parr of Tomball (TX) Fire Department for his gracious hospitality and congratulate President Shauwn Howell of Pine Bluff (AK) Fire and Emergency Services on his appointment to President.
This past weekend I had the honor of attending the Safe Haven for Newborns Annual Gala in Miami, Florida. Also, in attendance; IAFC 2nd Vice President Otto Drozd of Orange County (FL) and Florida Fire Chiefs Association President John Miller of Ocoee (FL) Fire Department. I have had the honor of working with A Safe Have for more than 15 years and currently serve on the Advisory Committee. Florida’s “Safe Haven” is a safety net for both the mother and the newborn infant. It allows mothers, fathers or whoever is in possession of an unharmed newborn, approximately seven days old or less, to leave them with someone at Safe Havens: any hospital, staffed fire rescue station, or staffed emergency medical service station, with no questions asked, totally anonymous, free from fear of prosecution. The Hospital will contact a participating private adoption agency who will then arrange placement of the newborn with a waiting family.
The Safe Havens: hospitals, fire rescue stations and emergency medical service stations working to receive these babies coupled with the identity protection of the parent, make this law an effective tool in preventing unnecessary deaths of newborn citizens of the state of Florida.
During my time as your President I have committed to expanding similar programs throughout the Division. I am pleased to inform you that over recent months the Association has made significant progress working with representative from South Carolina, Kentucky, and Mississippi to develop or expand existing programs. It remains my desire to see all 10 states of the Southeastern Division make a commitment to adopt a similar, or expand an existing program to to support the Safe Haven effort and prevent unnecessary deaths of newborn citizens of the Southeastern Division. Since the program inception in Florida 288 young lives have been saved.
Until next time, be safe and remember;
Kingman D. Schuldt, CFO
President | Southeastern Association of Fire Chiefs
Fire Chief | Greater Naples Fire Rescue District, FL
(239) 348-7540
SEAFC.org | SEAFCconference.org
Link to survey https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScd-OAxtAt8xBrwUKvmWyDhHU5eqgevAjdHjEZTk01S3YN1Jw/viewform
The NC Association of Fire Chiefs is trying to identify the number of firefighters homes that are damaged and the departments who may have firefighters interested in volunteering to assist other firefighters in the recovery process. Please complete the form below to allow us to determine the assista...
