General Information

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Please print the form, complete and send with your application fee to the address listed. A blank has been included for an email address-complete it if you or anyone on your department has email. It is a quick way to communicate and will keep you informed on matters of interest.

Current membership dues are $65 for the fire chief, and $40 for additional officers and retired chiefs or officers. Dues include a subscription to the Minnesota Fire Chief Magazine.

MEMBERS

Section 2.1 Type. The membership of the corporation shall consist of six (6) classes of members. The term of membership shall be one calendar year from the application acceptance unless specifically noted otherwise and shall not be transferable.

Section 2.1.1 Active Member. An active member shall meet one of the following qualifications: Any person who is actively employed as a fire chief, and any other command/supervisory/chief officer as designated by the fire chief of a Minnesota municipal or private fire department. The Minnesota State Director of Fire Service Training, the Minnesota State Fire Marshal, Section Manager of the Division of Forestry for the Department of Natural Resources and the State Director of Emergency Management are also eligible for this class. In the event any member shall file with the Executive Director, written objection to any application within thirty days after receipt of such notice, the application shall be submitted to the Board of Directors and shall require the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the members of that entire Board for admission of the applicant.

Section 2.1.2 Associate Member. An associate member shall meet one of the following qualifications: Any person who is a fire department line officer who is not included in Section 2.1.1 and is an active or employed member of a municipal or private fire department; the Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s Office, Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, Technical College Fire or EMS Instructor; F.I.R.E./EMS Center; Division of Emergency Management, Division of Forestry for the Department of Natural Resources and consultants, vendors, fire protection engineers, educators, elected officials, institutional or private fire department officials and other agencies. In the event any member shall file with the Executive Director written objection to any application for associate membership, the Executive Director shall make an investigation. If the Executive Director believes the application for associate membership should be denied, Executive Director shall notify the applicant to that effect. If the Executive Director believes that the application cannot be denied, the member who has made the objection shall be advised. Either the applicant or the member may appeal the action of the Executive Director to the Board, and the decision of the Board is final.

Section 2.1.3 An individual, meeting the Lifetime Membership criteria established by the Board of Directors, shall be eligible to be nominated for Lifetime Membership to the Minnesota State Fire Chiefs Association upon retiring from active service.

Section 2.1.4 Sustaining Member. Sustaining membership is limited to corporations, companies, partnerships and any organization in the fire equipment, prevention, suppression, detection, business and any other business organization interested in better fire protection. Individual representatives of sustaining member organizations are eligible to become associate members. The Executive Director is authorized to approve memberships in this category.

Section 2.1.5 Honorary Member. An honorary member may be nominated by any active or associate member because of distinguished public service. No person who is eligible to be a member in the association shall be chosen as an honorary member. Anyone proposed by an active or associate member shall be accepted upon two-thirds vote at any membership meeting. Honorary members are for life and they shall not be required to pay dues to sustain membership.

Section 2.1.6 Retired or Past Member. Any person having met the requirements of Article II, Section 2.1.1 or 2.1.2 for a minimum of five years, shall be eligible to become a retired or past member upon application and certification of eligibility by the Executive Director.

The Minnesota State Fire Chiefs Association is made up of over 2,000 chief fire officers that represent nearly 500 departments in Minnesota. The MSFCA is a member driven organization that seeks to provide information and training to its members on a wide variety of technical and management subjects. The MSFCA publishes a bi-monthly magazine that is recognized around the state as the best. The MSFCA holds an annual conference where instructors from Minnesota, as well as from across the country, teach the latest techniques in every subject likely to be needed by today’s fire chief. The MSFCA provides a forum for networking between fire chiefs, whether from a small rural fire department or a large metropolitan fire department. The MSFCA seeks every opportunity to stay in touch with all other Minnesota fire service organizations, in order to stay abreast of every issue that touches the Minnesota fire chief.

MSFCA Mission Statement Providing proactive leadership and innovative, comprehensive continuing education while supporting current leaders and mentoring aspiring leaders of the Minnesota fire service.

The mission of the Minnesota State Fire Chiefs Association is fulfilled through extensive use of committees. Members of this Association and other specialists in the specific area study issues and make recommendations to the MSFCA Board of Directors. The Board meets as needed, at least four times a year, and the chairs of the committees meet with the Executive Board at least once a year, to ensure adequate funding and understanding of issues and to prepare for the Association’s annual membership meeting in October.

Our Board of Directors is comprised of two elected officers, fifteen regional representatives, three representatives from the first class cities, four representatives from different state organizations, the Minnesota Fire Chief magazine Editor, the MSFCA Executive Director, IAFC-Great Lakes Division Minnesota Representative (an elected officer of the GLD while serving), parliamentarian and current past serving presidents. This is a large Board which works to ensure that all members are represented and issues are considered from varying points of view.

Board members or other Association members so appointed also represent the Association on other boards, commissions, foundations and joint boards. These include:

• Minnesota Fire Service Joint Council
• MnFAC
• Public Safety Commissioners Fire Service Advisory Committee
• Governor’s Council on Fire Prevention and Control
• Joint Executive Committee (MSFCA and MSFDA)
• Minnesota Fire Service Foundation
• Advisory Council on Fire Protection Systems
• Department of Natural Resources MNCIS Committee
• Senior Advisory Committee (Public Safety)
• Responder Safety at Highway Incidents Task Force
• Minnesota Ambulance Association
• Minnesota Board of Fire Training and Education
• MSA PSAP 911 Board
• Minnesota Great Lakes Region Representative
• Minnesota Fire Service Certification Board
• ARMER Radio Board
• Working Group Task Force
• State Wide Volunteer Pension Plan Advisory Committee
• Construction Codes Advisory Council
• Fire Instructor Training Officers Association
• MN Propane Education & Research Council
• National Volunteer Fire Council Committee

In addition to the committees, task forces or special committees may be formed to deal with one time issues.

It is only through our members’ willingness to actively participate on committees, boards, commissions, foundations, joint boards and task forces that we are able to meet our mission of providing proactive leadership and innovative, comprehensive continuing education while supporting current leaders and mentoring aspiring leaders of the Minnesota fire service. We wish to recognize and honor these people and to provide them with the opportunity to inform our members of their activities and future projects.

Thank you all very much for your involvement, in making the MSFCA a strong and productive organization.

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Frank Smith Frank Smith C M “Pete” Williams Walter Berg Bob Huges Frank Oberg Ray Erlandson Harold Bartholow Orviille Merts Evert Grinolds Jerry Moen Lyle Robinson Gordon Vadnais Richard Kosec William Reimer William Thompson Ed Kohner Denis Erickson Brian Holzer Dan Formato Jerry Rosendahl Don Latch Jeff Swanson Tim Farmer Jeff Juntunen Bruce West Bob Brown Marty Scheerer

1953 – 1954 1955 – 1956 1957 – 1958 1959 – 1960 1961 – 1962 1963 – 1965  Three year term 1966 – 1968  Three year term 1969 – 1971  Three year term 1972 – 1973 1974 – 1975 1976 – 1977 1978 – 1979 1980 – 1981 1982 – 1983 1984 – 1985 1986 – 1987 1988 – 1989 1990 – 1991 1992 – 1993 1994 – 1995 1996 – 1997 1998 – 1999 2000 – 2001 2002 – 2003 2004 – 2005 2006 – 2007 2008 – 2009 2010 – 2011