Hello from District 7. I hope everyone is doing well. I believe spring has sprung and summer is upon us. As they say that’s a wrap, the 2018 St. Joseph convention is in the history books and a good time was had by all that attended. Thank you to the St. Joseph Fire Department for the hospitality.

At the convention, the fire prevention posters were judged. I want to say thank you to the FFAM Auxiliary who have the difficult task to choose which artist has the best poster and when I see the posters, I wish I could say everyone is a winner and in a way they are because they won from their department or district.

The theme was Plan Two Ways Out, Every Second Counts. Sixty-six posters were submitted from seven districts or departments. With that being said, I’m challenging all directors, departments and districts to get the word out and let’s get more posters for next year. I want to give a thank you to Gail Hagans for the question she asked, “Who is able to submit posters?” School curriculum/schedules can be difficult, and departments often aren’t able to get the poster contest in their local schools. This poster contest is open to all organizations including Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, home-school kids or even just kids in your community. As long as they fit within the grade requirements and are sponsored by their local department, their poster can be submitted. I challenge everyone that reads this to go out and spread the word. Fire prevention is every day, not just in October. Continue Reading →

Winter’s end brings hope for brighter days and warmer temperatures. Unfortunately, Spring also ushers in its own challenges and unique safety issues. There’s a lot more to spring cleaning than vacuuming up the dust that accumulated over the cold, dark months of winter. The fresh start of spring is the best time to ensure your home is prepared for the spring and summer season. As we spring forward change the batteries in your smoke detectors

To verify your smoke detectors are in good working condition, test each one individually. Ask a family member to stand as far away as possible from the detector you are testing. It’s vital that your family can hear every detector from anywhere in the house.

You should have a carbon monoxide detector outside every room and on every level of your home, and check the batteries in each one every month. The gas sensors in CO detectors have a limited lifespan, and the test button tests only the battery, not the sensor. So replace or recalibrate your detectors at least every five years, even if the detector still beeps when you push the test button. Continue Reading →

Hello from District 7, the east side of the state. I hope everyone had a great and safe Christmas. As we say goodbye to 2017, let’s remember all the brave men and women who gave all. They are watching over us so please be with their families. We are in a new year so let’s make 2018 the best year yet and get the most out of training and encourage districts and departments that are not FFAM members to join the best firefighter’s association in the state!

As I’m typing I can hear the wind blowing at the house. The outside temperature is a balmy 14° with a wind chill of -10° so when you’re out, be sure to bundle up in layers, make sure your automobile is ready for the cold, pack extra water and blankets and carry kitty litter or ice melt for extra traction. If you don’t need to be out, stay inside and enjoy a hot coffee, tea or hot chocolate.

With the new year approaching, it also means that Winter Fire School is coming up. I hope everyone takes advantage and signs up for classes and gets the opportunity to attend the exposition. There are always lots of great deals. Continue Reading →

The holiday season is one of great joy as we look forward to spending time with family and friends. And while the winter holidays are a time for great celebration, we must also be mindful of some of the hazards this time of year can bring. As you prepare for the holidays, whether trimming the tree, setting up decorations, shopping or traveling; here are some helpful tips to keep you and your family safe.

When trimming the tree, make sure that the lights you are using are in good condition with no frayed cords or loose wires. It is also important that you not connect too many light stands or extension cords together, or have too many connections into one socket. Be sure to turn the tree lights off when you are not at home or are going to sleep. If the tree is fresh, make sure that it is properly watered so that the branches do not dry out and become a potential fire hazard. Continue Reading →

Hello to all from the East side of the state. Summer is here and on this side we have had some hot days with high humidity, so before the dog days of August hit us, here is a friendly reminder about hyperthermia.

Hyperthermia is actually an umbrella term. It refers to several conditions that can occur when your body’s heat-regulation system can’t handle the heat in your environment.

Hyperthermia comes in many stages. Heat exhaustion, for example, is a common condition. But others, such as heat syncope, may be less familiar to you. Continue Reading →

Hello from the east side of the state. Can you believe how fast time is going by! Spring has sprung and the 2017 FFAM Convention is in the history books. What I can say about the convention is, wow! What a great time and for the ones that didn’t attend you missed out on great opportunity for training, fellowship, competition and motivation.

A big thank you to the Missouri State Fair Fire Department for hosting such a grand event and a big thanks to the committee with fine leadership by Chair Larry Jennings and Co-chairperson Grant Oetting. Missouri is the Show-Me State and I feel the Missouri State Fair Fire Department showed everyone they knew what to do. It was run like a fine oiled machine; it was a great time, thank you.

Another thank you goes to Chief Jeff Buford for being in command of the shuttle service for the conventioneers providing shuttle service from the hotels to the convention. They did a great job once again in providing a service that allowed fellow firefighters to enjoy the convention without worrying about driving; thank you to all the drivers, a job well done. Continue Reading →

Hello to all I hope to see many at the 2017 Convention at the Missouri State Fairgrounds; it will be a grand ole time. I want to say thank you to all the members that have been working many hours behind the scenes to get the convention going.

With the convention around the corner, the Fire Prevention poster contest will be judged during the convention, so all poster entries will need to be in before the start of the convention. All posters will need to be given to the ladies’ auxiliary. The ladies auxiliary will be judging the posters and a pre-thank you to all the ladies for doing a great job and who have the hard job of selecting the top three winners from each class. As a reminder, “PLEASE” use the back poster form. This will help the Fire Prevention committee to make contact with the winners to make arrangements. I hope we have many from each district and would like this year to be a record year.

Have a great spring and see ya soon at the convention.