It has been an exciting quarter at the Western Fire Chiefs Association, including the recent activity of two WFCA members taking on important, national-level roles. First, a huge thank you to our membership for supporting our board member from Montana, Chief Josh Waldo, who was elected as the next IAFC Second VP. Chief Waldo is excited to take on this role and honored to serve the membership.
Additionally, Chief Bob Roper, WFCA’s Senior Wildfire Policy Advisor, was appointed by President Biden to the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission. The Commission will play a key role in recommending ways that federal agencies can better prevent, mitigate, suppress and manage wildland fires. Congratulations Chiefs Waldo and Roper!
New Logo and Website
We’re proud to announce the launch of our new logo as part of the ongoing evolution of the association’s brand. We altered the logo to reflect who we are today as an association and who we represent: modern fire service leaders coming together to tackle the biggest challenges in first response.
Additionally, we launched our new website design that presents our information in a clean and structured format. Visitors will be able to easily access information and updates on our current programs, projects, and available resources.
WFCA’s Fire Map
As the country prepares for a summer of excessive heat and drought, WFCA introduces its Fire Map to provide near real-time information about active wildfires. The Fire Map pulls data from the US Forest Service via National Inter-agency Fire Center IRWIN feed, and 911 Dispatch data via PulsePoint to track the location of wildfires as they start and while they’re burning.
“The WFCA is committed to provide an even deeper level of intelligence around wildfires as they happen,” said Chief Niemeyer, Vice President of the WFCA and Fire Chief of the Boise Fire Department. As the WFCA looks to the future, it is creating a development path in the next year which will include 3D and predictive mapping models, air quality and weather data, as well as text message notifications.
Prepare for Emergency with Sourcewell, your FireRescue GPO
We know that emergency preparedness is on the top of everyone’s mind. No matter if you are preparing for an earthquake, power outage, wildland fire or flooding, Sourcewell has contracts that can help get you the supplies you need by the time you need them. Sourcewell contracts are created through a government solicitation process designed to satisfy your procurement requirements, meaning, you get to pick the contract you want to use without waiting on an RFP, saving you valuable time and resources. Time and resources that can be put toward saving lives.
As a government agency, Sourcewell exists for one reason: to help government, education, and nonprofits work more efficiently. Sourcewell offers a wide range of cooperative contracts and has been a trusted agency resource for more than four decades. You save time and money while satisfying your procurement requirements. Participation is free and without obligation.
To view all awarded contracts available to you click here.
Introducing WFCA’s Burn Permits App. Don’t let legal backyard burning turn into an out of control wildfire. Join the Burn Permits App community and see where the smoke is coming from. Available to agencies within the Western Division.
Top 4 Most Clicked Stories
Similar to most news organizations, the Daily Dispatch tracks clicks to gauge interest and identify the types of stories that catch our readers’ attention. We know our readers especially enjoy articles that include multimedia such as video and photos. We hope you enjoy revisiting the most clicked stories from this quarter.
#1
Downtown Las Vegas sees largest occupied building fire in 25 years
SOURCE: KSNV-TV NBC 3 LAS VEGAS
#2
Gripping body camera video shows massive downtown Las Vegas fire, life-saving efforts by first responders
SOURCE: KVVU-TV FOX 5 LAS VEGAS
#3
Virginia volunteer firefighter to compete in Miss USA Pageant
SOURCE: THE BURN
#4
Firefighters crushed after kids wreck Illinois volunteer firehouse and leave it in ruins
SOURCE: WBBM-TV CBS 2 CHICAGO
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