FIRE CHIEF

The Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association, a section of the International Association of Fire Chiefs and National Fire Protection Association held its 2008 annual conference in Virginia Beach, Va. Approximately 150 chiefs from Canada, China, the United Kingdom, and the United States attended the conference and elected the Section’s 2008-2009 officers and board members.

The new officers are: Chief William Stewart, Toronto Fire Services, president; Chief William Bryson of the Miami Fire Rescue, vice president; Chief Robert Hendricks of the Lexington (Ky.) Division of Fire & Emergency Services, secretary; and, Chief Greg Frederick of the Louisville (Ky.) Fire & Rescue, treasurer.

The new board members are: Chief Douglas Barry, Los Angeles City Fire Department; retired Chief Doug Ratto, Stockton (Calif.) Fire Department; Chief Manuel Navarro, Colorado Springs (Colo.) Fire Department; and Chief Keith Richter, Contra Costa County (Calif.) Fire Department.

During the meeting, Bryson was named Fire Chief of the Year, and retired Chief Charlie Dickinson of the Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire and former Deputy U.S. Fire Administration administrator received the Lifetime Achievement Award.

The Metro Chiefs also created a committee to monitor and have input into future selection processes for the positions of USFA and Federal Emergency Management Agency administrators. The group also passed resolutions supporting such things as the Coalition for Fire-safe Cigarettes, residential sprinklers, and firefighter health and safety efforts.

The 2009 Metro conference will be held in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada from June 21-25.

To read the full article click here.