WFCA Quarterly Newsletter 2026 | Q1
Published:February 11, 2026
Edited:February 18, 2026
Learn more about what the Western Fire Chiefs Association (WFCA) worked on during Q4 2025 and plans for Q1 2026 in this edition of the WFCA Quarterly Newsletter.
President’s Message: A Look Back at 2026
Dear WFCA Members,
2025 was a busy and meaningful year for the Western Fire Chiefs Association, marked by connection, collaboration, and a shared commitment to moving the fire service forward. Throughout the year, chiefs from across the Western states came together—not just to talk about the challenges facing our profession, but to learn from one another and support the people doing the work every day.
WFCA held our first ever IGNITE Symposium and we are excited for IGNITE 2026. We had a strong presence at Fire Rescue International and had incredible engagement at the FORCE Conference, where relationships were built, ideas were exchanged, and tough conversations were welcomed. These events reminded us that while our departments may differ in size and geography, we share the same mission and many of the same challenges. Investing in leadership—both current and future—remained a priority as we worked to create opportunities for growth, mentorship, and meaningful dialogue.
Taking care of our firefighters continued to be at the heart of our efforts in 2025. WFCA stood up a health and wellness task force to share information on health and wellness initiatives, with a focus on firefighter cancer awareness, behavioral health, and long-term well-being. Just as important, the Association stayed active in legislative and policy discussions, ensuring the voices of Western fire chiefs were heard and respected when decisions were being made that impact our departments and our people.
As we look back on 2025, we’re proud of what was accomplished—but even more grateful for the members who show up, speak up, and support one another. The strength of the Western Fire Chiefs Association has always been its people, and together we are building a stronger, healthier fire service for the future.
Warm regards,
Chief Jeremy L. Craft
Lehi City Fire Department
President, Western Fire Chiefs Association
Northwest Leadership Seminar | March 4-6, 2026 | Portland, OR
The 2026 Northwest Leadership Seminar is just weeks away, taking place March 4–6 in Portland, Oregon. NWLS brings together public safety leaders from across the Northwest for three focused days of practical leadership insight, meaningful connection, and fresh perspective. Attendees will gain tools they can apply immediately while connecting with peers facing the same challenges.
Before You Buy: A Chief’s Blueprint for Technology Needs & Readiness
Part one of a three-part, practical series on fire-service technology adoption, brought to you by Sourcewell.
Fire-rescue leaders face constant pressure to modernize. The smartest investments, however, begin well before a purchase—with a disciplined needs assessment and a clear view of operational priorities.
Start With the Right Voices
Bring the right stakeholders to the table early. That includes not only command staff, but company officers, frontline firefighters, IT, procurement, and municipal partners. Early engagement surfaces interoperability constraints, hidden training demands, and funding realities—while building durable buy-in that lasts beyond the purchase order.
Pressure-Test Priorities
Rank and rigorously test your priorities (e.g., firefighter safety, response time, reliability, budget). Identify the top three, then evaluate how they hold up under real-world constraints such as staffing levels, maintenance cycles, and competing initiatives. This discipline clarifies what cannot wait—and what must be defended at budget time.
Look Past Price to Total Cost of Ownership
The sticker price is only the beginning. Assess total cost of ownership (TCO), including installation, integration, training, updates and upgrades, change management, downtime, and long-term support. Mapping TCO early strengthens your fiscal case with city and county leaders and prevents costly surprises later.
Verify Fit and Interoperability
Confirm the solution aligns with existing platforms, equipment, SOPs, and mutual-aid partner systems. Coordination with neighboring departments ensures your investment complements regional capabilities rather than duplicating—or fragmenting—them.
Test, Validate, and Vet Vendors
Before committing, pilot the solution in realistic conditions and collect structured user feedback. Interview vendors with agency-specific questions and speak directly with customer references to validate support quality, update/upgrade cadence, and contingency plans in the event of an acquisition. Real-world testing, rigorous vendor research, deliberate training and change management planning are essential to successful implementation.
Learn more
Explore proven strategies for adopting emerging fire-rescue technology in the free Sourcewell Fire-Rescue Tech Guide. Download your free Sourcewell Fire-Rescue Tech Guide now!
For questions about Sourcewell or its cooperative purchasing options, contact their dedicated team online or call 877-413-5360.
WFCA Seeks YOUR Feedback
The Western Fire Chiefs Association, through our Board of Directors, has directed the development of a 3-year strategic plan. We have engaged Kelsie Carnosso, who is leading the development of this effort. While many strategic plans become shelf-ornaments, the WFCA will use this plan as an actionable roadmap of priorities and initiatives that will help continue to grow our organization and bring value where it’s needed most- to all of you. Your input is critical to help us better understand what value we currently bring you, and what value we could bring you in the future. Upon completion and approval by the Board, an overview of our roadmap will be shared at our annual membership meeting at Fire Rescue International (FRI), August 12-14, in Kansas City. We hope you will be joining us there!
We recognize how valuable your time is- this survey should take no more than 10 minutes to complete. Please take those few minutes to complete the survey by February 20th.
Thank you for your leadership, your membership or partnership, and your continued commitment to the fire service.
Mark Niemeyer, CEO
Western Fire Chiefs Association
Register for the Upcoming Webinar: Data and Technology Support for Fire Chiefs and Agencies
Fire Tech U is hosting the fifth webinar in its series designed to bridge the gap between technology and today’s fire service leaders. Building on earlier sessions that explored technology integration, selection, and emerging tools like artificial intelligence, this webinar focuses on the support available to fire chiefs and their agencies as they navigate growing data and technology challenges.
The session will be hosted by Joanna Zibbell, Fire Tech Manager for the Boise Fire Department and Secretary of the Association of Fire and Emergency Services Analysts (AFESA), alongside Jessica LeBlanc, Chair of AFESA and a member of Fairfax County Fire and Rescue. Together, they introduce the modern fire service data analyst role and highlight how analysts help departments turn increasingly complex data—from CAD and RMS to staffing, training, and inspections—into actionable insight that supports operations, technology decisions, and informed leadership.