F.F.A.M.

News from District 11 – March 2020

Greetings from 30,000 feet above our great state of Missouri, as I write this from my airline seat! I hope everyone has had a great start so far in 2020 and everyone had a chance to attend another great Winter Fire School or the Equipment Exposition that the University of Missouri Fire and Rescue Training Institute put on again in February. I saw many old friends and faces along with many new ones as well. I hope every training officer has had time to create challenging and exciting spring training agendas for their departments. I’m sure many people want to start training outdoors with the nicer weather as we have all been stuck indoors doing tabletop and or powerpoint trainings all winter long. 

There is so much going on state wide and in District 11, where to begin? Well first off lets start with the annual Firefighters Association of Missouri state fire muster competition and annual convention this year in Kearney, MO on May 1-3, 2020. We would like to see a record number of attendees and participants for both the game competitions and banquet dinner along with Saturdays antique to current fire engine displays. If you have a fire truck we would love to see it displayed. Please contact us and get your spot to show your pride and joy. I encourage everyone to talk with members of yours and friends of neighboring department to come and even put together a competition team. Then come enjoy a very elegant night at the banquet where responders throughout the state will be recognized for 2019 achievements and outstanding service. Also a very important business meeting Sunday morning where you can have your voice heard regarding things with the FFAM organization and vote for several important issues including spots within the organization. Each registered department has a voice and we want to hear from their members, whom this organization represents. 

Then we have the April Fools Conference in Kansas City, MO. I spoke about this in last month’s article which includes numerous HOT (hands on training) classes. The MU Fire and Rescue Training Institute has prepared what looks to be another great summer school training but also check their website for numerous free trainings throughout the state. Lake Area Fools are hosting Revolutionary Fire Tactics at the lake conference which has HOT classes on July 17-19, in Lake Ozark, MO. The EMS conference is at Margaritaville on July 28-31. Both of these were excellent conferences and expositions in 2019.

As a reminder the annual firefighter memorial and name reading is in Kingdom City, MO. The Candlelight Service will be May 16 at 21:00 hours and Sundays service will be May 17 at 10:30 a.m. If you’ve never been it’s an experience to attend. The Missouri State Fair Fire Department is in full swing planning and setting up everything for the fair in August. A reminder if you want to attend, please fill out a form and drop it off at the convention or have it postmarked by May 2, and please note! You personally have to be a FFAM member, not just your department or ems agency. So make sure they registered you correctly. Due to some departments just paying membership for upper supervisors or departments only, and not their members, unfortunately this was an issue we came across at the last fair. We don’t want that to be the case for anyone to miss coming down due to an error. From the events we’ve been told so far, it looks to be a great fair again. There is a final push for ticket sales for $10 to enter to win a entire 1/2 side of beef processed the way you wish. The raffle will be drawn at the May convention. If anyone would like to purchase a ticket or several tickets, please contact any director listed on our website or myself and we will get you taken care of. Remember it’s for a charity fundraiser to get the state fire museum opened. So each ticket is tax deductible. If you didn’t have enough deductions for 2019 this is a way to get it for 2020 and possibly fill that freezer you have. 

The organization has seen an increase in membership from last year. I thank everyone, not just our district representatives, but all the agencies that talk with others that are not members. Since October they have been in contact to get them on board. Also, so they can see what this organization has to offer to all the responders and dispatch agencies in the state. Please keep up the great work and get others in contact with any of the 26 directors and assistants. We thank you for your continued support as this organization would not be what it is with out every members support of us and our mission.

If you or a fellow member might be interested in becoming more involved with this organization we have vacant director and assistant director spots totaling 13 across the state. We would love to have people join and bring things to the table and knowledge. Please feel free to email President Ken Hoover, Second Vice President Grant Oetting or myself. Contact info is available on the website to inquire.

Everyone be safe and take care of each other and make sure we all go home at the end of every call.