Meeting Minutes

Minnesota State Fire Chiefs Association
Board of Directors - October 19, 2011

Presentation Prior to Meeting - Chief George Esbensen gave a presentation regarding the fundraising efforts for the firefighter’s memorial. He asked the directors help in arranging presentations in their regions as they are the most effective way to solicit donations. George noted the $216,000 is in the bank and $140,000 is in the form of “rock solid” commitments.

Call to Order - The meeting was called to order by President Marty Scheerer at 1:00 p.m. President Scheerer asked if there were any changes or additions to the agenda as distributed, and there were none.

Attending - Nyle Zikmund, Jim Hansen, Arden Anderson, Bob Dahm, Bob Brown, Tom Cvar, Steve Flaherty, John Strongitharm, Bill Thoennes, Jena Noah, Steve Jurrens, Jeff Juntunen, Tim Pohlman, Dan Nath, Mark Hovland, Bill Mund, Gary Conrath, Jeff Anderson, Bruce West, John Taylor, Brian Haugen, Randy Gust, Jay Wood, Dale Specken, Tim Butler, Tom Brace, Marty Scheerer, Randy Polzin, George Esbensen, Ulie Seal, Dan Roeglin, Shane Schmidt and Tim Farmer.

Unable to Attend - Alex Jackson, and Marty Dirnberger.

Minutes of the Board of Directors meeting of April 15, 2011 - A motion was made by Bill Mund, and seconded by Gary Conrath, to approve the minutes as published and distributed. The motion passed.

President’s Report – Marty Scheerer noted that he purchased sweatshirts for the entire board in appreciation for all of the work the board members do which does not always get recognized. President Scheerer presented a leadership award to Ulie Seal in recognition for all of his work on behalf of the association. President Scheerer had emailed his report to the board prior to the meeting, and highlighted some current activities. Marty and other members of the board met with the Minnesota Fallen Firefighters Memorial Association to clarify roles and responsibilities in the event of a Line-of-Duty-Death after some problems in Cambridge.

Vice President’s Report – Randy Polzin distributed his report via email prior to the meeting. The shared services study is resulting in discussions throughout the state, and Randy urged members to get involved early in these discussions or risk being left behind.

Executive Director’s Report – Tom Brace noted that the audit is nearing completion and there are no major issues noted to this point. We are working on getting all conference certificates to the attendees via on-line internet access. The financial condition of the association was reviewed by Tom who presented and explained a number of spreadsheets for the various accounts within the association. The Minnesota Fire Chief Magazine is in a very healthy financial position, and Tom recognized the efforts of the Editor-in-Chief Jena Noah.

The cooking safety trailers are now in service, and there is a possibility of funding for a Bullex safety trailer in the future. The kitchen fire safety trailer training sessions were highly attended and the demand for the trailers and this training is very high.

Committee Action Requested
Nyle Zikmund, Chair of the Legislative Committee, detailed the proposed lobbyist contract for 2012 and noted that the Legislative Committee, and the MNFAC partners, is recommending that board approve the contact. A motion was made by Jay Wood, and seconded by Tim Pohlman, to approve the 2012 contract for services with the association’s current lobbyist. The motion passed.

Communications and Policy Committee Update – Vice President Polzin noted that the committee met and are recommending a new policy which will allow members of the MSFDA Executive Committee, some who are not currently eligible for membership in accordance to the bylaws, to attend the MSFCA annual conference. A motion as made by Bill Mund, and seconded by Jeff Anderson, to adopt Policy 500 - Executive Board Reciprocity Agreement at MSFCA and MSFDA Conferences.  The motion passed.

Pass The Boot Donations - A motion as made by Jeff Juntunen, and seconded by John Taylor, to donate the monies collected during this year’s “pass the boot” donations to the memorial fundraising cause. The motion passed.

Minnesota Board of Fire Training and Education - Bruce West, MBFTE Executive Director, discussed changes in the distribution of money in “round four.” The amount made available per firefighter was calculated by dividing the monies available by the number of firefighters in the state. Departments that did not report the number of firefighters in their departments were given credit for ten. Firefighter licensure is going well, and a large number of licenses have been issued. The MBFTE is working on a program to train “Live Burn” instructors which is design to produce curriculum and train 30 instructors by June 2012.

The MBFTE is working on a two and one-half hour program on gross decontamination which will be presented at every fire department in the state free of charge. Randy Polzin noted that there were past problems with the MBFTE which were resolved through discussions with administrators, rather than through a legislative solution. Marty Scherer asked how training funds which are not used are dealt with, and Bruce noted that they are carried over to the next year. Marty asked about reimbursements for EMS training, and Bruce announced that this was in process and should become a reality in the near future.

MSFCA Spring School Update – Mark Hovland discussed the “Fire Officer School” hosted in the western part of the state in the spring of 2012 which is an association goal. Mark distributed a report detailing the recommendations of the school planning committee. Bruce West noted that the MBFTE has some money available to assist with special schools and conferences, and noted that an application will need to be submitted for their consideration. A motion was made by Bill Mund, and seconded by Jay Wood, to proceed with the Spring School as recommended by the planning committee. The motion passed.

A motion was made by Tim Pohlman, and seconded by Steve Flaherty, to approve a budget for the school of $10,000, and to direct Executive Director Brace to enter into negotiations with conference facilities in the Alexandria, Minnesota area. The motion passed.

Financial Investment Plan Presentation – John Rudi and Brian McKnight of the Parr McKnight Wealth Management Group, made a presentation to the board regarding longer term investing of the association’s reserve funds. The minimum investment is $100,000, and the management fee is 1%.  The Parr McKnight fund which was discussed is currently managing $1.5 billion, and in the event of an urgent need, the association’s funds can be withdrawn in three days. A motion was made by Dan Nath, and seconded by Bill Mund, to approve a $100,000 investment with the Parr McKnight Wealth Management Group. The motion passed.

Old/Unfinished Business
Website Update – Tim Farmer noted that the website needs to have some technical changes beyond his expertise which would provide a “members only” capability as a part of the site, the ability to provide conference certificates on-line, and pages with restricted access on the MSFCA website. The consensus of the board was to proceed with the updates.

Webinar Update – Randy Polzin and Jim Hansen have worked on the logistics and costs of providing webinars, and reported that this is a very cost effective method for providing training, and also a method of conducting meetings.

IRS 990 Issue – Nyle Zikmund gave a brief update on the legal actions being taken to clarify IRS reporting rules. Contact Nyle with specific questions regarding this issue.

New Business
Retreat Location for 2012 – There are a number of resorts whom are interested in hosting the board’s annual retreat. A motion was made by Jeff Anderson, and seconded by John Strongitharm, to go to the Breezy Point Resort for the 2012 retreat. The motion passed.

Bylaw Change Proposal – The proposed change deals with the status of past presidents on the board of directors, elimination of the State Director of Fire Service Training from the board, and clarifies that each region is entitled to only one vote. A motion was made by Dale Specken, and seconded by Bill Thoennes, to make a recommendation that the membership approve the proposed changes. The motion passed.

Life Members – Tom Brace presented a list of potential members for life membership including; Bob Brown, Tom Cvar, Jerry Pawelk, Jeff Swanson, Bruce West, Jerry Rosendahl, Richard Rock, and Mike Anderson.  A motion was made by Tim Butler, and seconded by Jeff Anderson, to approve the list as presented for life membership. The motion passed.

A motion was made by Jay Wood, and seconded by Dale Specken, to approve retired Glencoe Fire Chef Bob Scheidt for life membership. The motion failed.

Legislative Committee Recommendations – Nyle Zikmund distributed a list of sixteen possible legislative initiatives and asked the board members to choose their top five issues for 2012. Nyle then explained a Strategic Expenditures Plan for the Fire Safety Account Revenue which was prepared by the MnFAC members.

Legislative briefing for the 2012 Session – Lobbyist Sherry Munyon discussed how they have been encouraging and facilitating discussions with state legislators on a local basis, and have been have having very good results. These meetings are extremely important as they help to educate the legislators on the real needs and issues of the local departments.

Fire/EMS/Safety Center - Dan Roeglin noted that the Fire/EMS/Safety Center no longer exists and the focus of MnSCU has changed. There have been great reductions in staffing but the regional colleges continue to provide fire training. Voucher dollars are no longer being issued, but there is about $600,000 in credits still available to a number of departments, but all vouchers will expire in 2013.

Magazine Editor-In-Chief Report – Jena Noah encouraged every department to participate in the Fire Prevention Poster Contest. The conference directory is the largest ever with 100 pages. Jena is looking for ideas for articles, and fire service issues which could serve as the focus for an edition of the magazine (i.e. fire prevention, winter safety, etc.)

Great Lakes Division IAFC – Bill Mund is stepping down as the Minnesota Representative to the Great Lakes Division due to his campaign as vice president of the MSFCA. President Marty Scheerer noted that he plans to appoint George Esbensen, Eden Prairie Fire Chief, to fill the vacancy.

State Fire Marshal’s Division - Bob Dahm gave a report on current activities at the division, and noted that the Fire in Minnesota Report will be distributed at the conference. The division has been offering a lot of training on a number of topics this year, and the large majority of the offerings are free of charge. The State Fire Marshal’s Division is still hoping to host a conference in 2012, but is still in the planning stage. There were 39 fire deaths in 2010 and 39 this year as of today.

Department of Natural Resources –Brian Haugen noted that $401,000 was distributed in grants this year. The Firewise Program is still being supported by the DNR.

Regional Director’s Reports
The majority of directors submitted a written report prior to the meeting via email, and President Scheerer asked if there were any updates.

Randy Gust, Northern, Region 2  - American Crystal Sugar is still locking out their employees and this is causing issues for the local departments. Richard Rock’s position is expected to be filled when he retires from the Crookston Fire Department.

Jim Hansen North Suburban, Region 8 – The region’s executive committee is looking at changes in format and focus for their region.

Tim Pohlman, South Central, Region 14 –  Tim noted the region met the previous night and he did not have a report prepared in time for the board meeting, therefore, he would email one once he got back home.

Ulie Seal, Minneapolis – Ulie informed the board that Minneapolis Fire Chief Alex Jackson could not attend the meeting due to pressing work regarding budget issues.

Tim Butler, St. Paul – Stated that they may have to take a rig out of service due to budget constraints.

John Strongitharm, Duluth – Noted they may also have to take a rig out of service.           

Call for Adjournment – A motion was made by Jim Hansen, and seconded by John Taylor, to adjourn the meeting. The motion passed and the meeting was adjourned at 5:11p.m.

A  complete list of minutes can be found under the “Archive” tab

Minnesota State Fire Chiefs Association
October 21, 2011 Annual Meeting
St. Cloud, Minnesota

1. MSFCA President Marty Scheerer called the membership meeting to order at 1:02 PM.

2. President Scheerer led the members in the pledge of allegiance to the flag.

3. Welcome – Chief Bill Mund welcomed the membership to the City of St. Cloud.

4. Recognize Special Guests

• The MSFCA Board members who were present stood up and were recognized.
• Great Lakes Division - GLD Representative to the IAFC Board - Bill Mund is stepping down from the position as he will be seeking the vice presidency of the MSFCA, and George Esbensen will be filling the vacancy.
• MSFDA Executive Board Members were recognized including; President Shane Schmidt and Vice President Mike Schroeder.

5. President’s Report – Marty Scheerer spoke about the need for donations for the memorial and ongoing fundraising activities. The Protocols and Ceremonies Committee is continuing their work and early reviews have suggested that the final documents may serve as a possible model for the nation. Ramona Dohman has been appointed as the Minnesota Commissioner of Public Safety, and the associations’ officers have had meetings with her. The executive officers met with the Minnesota Fallen Firefighters Memorial Association to clarify responsibilities and other issues when responding to a Line-of Duty-Death. The Legislative Committee has been identifying and prioritizing possible initiatives for the 2012 session, and are also planning Fire Service Day at the State Capitol, preferably earlier in the session in February. The annual financial audit is underway and everything is looking good, and the board approved a longer term investment plan for the associations reserve funds at their board meeting on Wednesday. Two kitchen fire safety trailers have been acquired through grant monies and are now available to fire departments statewide (see www.msfca.org for information). Marty noted that it was his last meeting as president, and thanked a number of people and the membership for their work and support.

6. Vice President’s Report – Randy Polzin noted the he has attended a lot of meetings along with President Scheerer. The shared services study report is gaining ground and Randy encouraged fire departments to get involved early in any consolidation discussions to ensure that they have a say in the process. An investment policy, goal for 2011, has been acted upon and a longer term investment has been made. The association continues to work closely with the MSFDA, and there have been some bylaw issues regarding attendance at each other’s conferences. A policy to clarify these issues with a reciprocity agreement has been approved by the board. Randy attended two funerals for fallen firefighters this year. He noted that firefighters attend in great numbers and he is very proud of the way the fire service members support one another.

7. Executive Director’s Report – Tom Brace thanked a number of people including; Tim Farmer, Monica Correll, Brian and Wanda Staska, Chad Steffens, June Hirdler, Gunta Brace, Irene Moore and Dan Roeglin for handling logistical and administrative support for the conference. Tom also thanked President Scheerer for his work during the year. The association will be investing some monies with the Parr McKnight Group since, at the current time, the association is receiving less than one percent interest on the current reserves. The Minnesota Fire Chief Magazine is in great financial shape, and the magazine has increased in quality and content. Tom noted that in his column near the back of each edition of the magazine – Tom’s Trumpet – he has expressed some views which might be “controversial,” and noted that these are personal opinions and he appreciates the feedback that he gets from members. The convention center expansion will be ready for our use next time we come back to St. Cloud, and this will ensure that we can accommodate all of the exhibitors who wish to be a part of the show. Duluth, the site of next year’s conference, has also been expanded and Tom was able to negotiate with them to hold the 2009 pricing for the next two conferences.

8. Fire Service Foundation Report & Presentation – George Esbensen gave a presentation on the statewide effort to fund a firefighter memorial in St. Paul. The goal is to raise $600,000 by the end of the year. If the monies are insufficient and the memorial is not built, all of the money will be refunded beginning the first week of January 2012. Over $400,000 is in the bank or in “rock solid” commitments to date, and all supplies and services expended to the time have been donated.

9. Tom Brace explained the history and purpose of the annual pass the boot tradition, and noted that the funds collected this year will be used for the fire service memorial project and that the boots would be passed during the memorial service.

10. Magazine Editor's Report – Jena Noah thanked members who submitted articles and photos, and encouraged all members to submit them. Jena highlighted the annual poster contest and asked all departments to participate.

11. IAFC Great Lakes Division Report – Bill Mund announced that this was his last meeting as Minnesota Representative to the Great Lakes Division. Bill noted that most of the GLD board members have changed after Fire-Rescue International was held in Atlanta. The Daily Dispatch on-line daily newsletter is timely and very informative and is available to everyone free of charge. The Fire-Rescue GPO (group purchasing organization) has some very good deals and is a great site to compare pricing. The entire Blue Card Training Program is available through the GLD to train your department once your members have completed the on-line portion (you must pay the shipping costs).

12. State Fire Marshal's Report – Chief Deputy Fire Marshal Bob Dahm relayed greetings from State Fire Marshal Rosendahl, and noted that this is the first year since1978 that Jerry has had to miss the conference. Bob thanked all of the firefighters for their support over the years. The department is up to full staffing in the investigations division, and they are working on replacing some vacant positions (postings on their website). The annual “Fire in Minnesota” report has been distributed at the conference. Minnesota continues to be a leader in the nation with respect to submitting response data. A large amount of training is being offered and conducted, and is free of charge. Bob noted that if you sign up for a course, please let them know if you cannot attend because there have been problems with no-shows in the past. There have been 41 fire deaths so far this year, which compares to a total of 39 fire deaths in 2010.

13. Minnesota Board of Firefighter Training and Education – MBFTE Executive Director Bruce West noted that his report could be found on page 33 of the conference guide. Bruce has been getting warm welcomes at the regional and county fire chiefs meetings, and this continues to be a priority. Bruce noted that the training reimbursement dollars are now credited to every fire department in the state, and he asked the departments to begin using these funds early in the year. Bruce encouraged departments to work closely with their fire training providers to get the training accomplished and the reimbursement submitted. The MBFTE is now under the State Fire Marshal Division. There will be a press release going out to all media outlets throughout the state explaining the training reimbursement funding, and departments may get calls regarding how the department will be using these funds. Contact Bruce with any issues or questions.

14. MnSCU Training Report– Dan Roeglin represented the Fire/EMS/Safety Center report and updated the membership on the current status of the fire center, as well as future plans and opportunities. Voucher dollars are no longer being issued, and on June 20, 2013 all vouchers will expire. Dan encouraged all departments with voucher credits to use them.

15. Department of Natural Resources – Brian Haugen updated the membership on the grants that were awarded, and on some of the training courses that have been offered. There have been some very large fires this year which are now under control. The Excess Property Program is very popular and Brian encouraged departments to acquire needs through the program.

16. Education Committee- President Marty Scheerer thanked the education committee for their work and noted that Brad Emans, the committee chair, is stepping down and has worked very hard on the committee for many years.

17. Legislative Committee – Nyle Zikmund spoke about the Fire Safety Account and the Legislative Committee’s strategies for making more funds – which are collected to support fire training – available to local departments. The committee needs help at the local level to educate legislators as to the purpose of the account and the local department training needs. Legislators have been told there is currently adequate funding for training, and therefore, excess funds in the account can be directed to fund other needs.

18. Code Committee – Luke Stemmer, Code Committee Chair, noted that the committee reviews codes and makes recommendations to the fire marshal division. The next code adoption is expected to be the 2012 edition. Lightweight construction continues to be a major focus of the committee and a safety issue for firefighters.

19. Emergency Management Committee – Scott Gerber reported that the mutual aid plan is now in place, and he asked for assistance from the local departments in getting the database up to date by submitting their equipment and response capabilities. The purpose of the Minnesota Fire Chiefs Assistance and Support Team (FAST) is to have qualified fire officers assisting other departments in their time of need (i.e. a LODD, tornado flood). To get involved go to the MSFCA website and look at the FAST webpage.

20. Old/Unfinished Business

• Consideration of the proposed Bylaws change – President Scheerer reviewed the proposed bylaws changes which were published in the July/August Minnesota Fire Chief magazine, and have been recommended for adoption by the MSFCA Board. A motion was made by Brandon Guest, and seconded by Tim Butler, to accept the proposed bylaws changes. The motion carried.
• Call for any other old/unfinished business – None

21. New Business

• A fire officer’s training school is being planned for February 11-12, 2012 in the Alexandria area and President Scheerer encouraged all members to attend. More information will be sent out as the details are finalized.
• President Scheerer reported that life memberships were approved for Bob Brown, Tom Cvar, Jerry Pawelk, Jeff Swanson, Bruce West, Jerry Rosendahl, Richard Rock, and Mike Anderson

22. Elections of officers

• Vice President’s position – Parliamentarian Ulie Seal announced that Bill Mund had been nominated for the vice president’s position, and asked if there were any other nominations from the floor. There were no other nominations. A motion to cast a white ballot for Bill Mund for vice president of the MSFCA was made by Luke Stemmer, and seconded by Tom Cvar. The motion carried.
• President’s position – Parliamentarian Ulie Seal announced that Randy Polzin had been nominated for the president’s position, and asked if there were any other nominations from the floor. There were no other nominations. A motion to cast a white ballot for Randy Polzin for president of the MSFCA was made by John Strongitharm, and seconded by Tom Cvar. The motion carried.

23. Good of the Association

• President Scheerer asked if anyone had anything else to bring before the meeting and there were no other issues brought forward.
• President Scheerer reminded the members of the 2012 Conference in Duluth, October 18-20, 2012 at the Duluth Entertainment & Convention Center.

 24. Adjournment – A motion was made by Tim Butler, and seconded by Joel McColl to adjourn the meeting. The motion carried and the meeting was adjourned at 2:40 PM.

A  complete list of minutes can be found under the “Archive” tab

Minnesota State Fire Chiefs Association
2011 Goal Setting Retreat

Goal #1 - Develop a plan within one year to seek a constitutional amendment that protects the Fire Safety Account - on the ballot on or before the year 2016. Monies from the dedicated fund used for other purposes. The MSFCA Legislative Committee will be responsible for this goal.

Goal #2 - Market the organization to new officers and to those members whose memberships have expired. Develop a membership marketing package, and have a sample and proposed budget available for review by the October 2011board meeting. Identify persons who fit the desired market goal by December 2011. Make initial contacts with the target audiences by March 2012. Have regional director report back to the MSFCA Marketing Committee – by the April 2012 board meeting/retreat. Establish annual reports by the MSFCA Marketing Committee to the board during the annual meeting. The MSFCA Marketing Committee will initially design the program, and the regional directors will assist in judging effectiveness and suggesting changes or improvements.

Goal #3 - Improve the perceived value of Minnesota fire departments to the public and legislators. Develop a “toolbox” of resources. Develop a system to gather and share best practices. Offer a workshop at the annual conference. Assign to the MSFCA Public Education Committee. Have a plan to present to the board at their meeting in April of 2012.

Goal #4 - Create an investment policy and invest the association’s financial reserves in accordance with that policy to improve investment reserves. Research other 501(c)(3) organizations. Identify potential investment firms. Solicit RFP’s from investment firms and select from the choices. Develop the investment policy. Determine MSFCA’s needed cash flow and decide how much money can be invested. Develop a proposal for board action. Assign to the MSFCA Executive & Finance Committees. Have a proposal to the MSFCA Board for discussion and decision by the October 2011 board meeting.

Goal #5 - Develop a strategy and work with the Minnesota Board of Fire Training and Education (MBFTE) to expand the list of eligible training, and expenses which qualify for Fire Safety Account reimbursement. Identify what current training is not covered which should be covered. Identify training expenses that are not covered and should be covered. Solicit other peer groups to assist (MSFDA, MPFF, IAAI, FMAM, Commissioner’s Advisory Group, etc.). Develop a strategy to increase applications for reimbursement from fire departments. Continue to pursue the block grant concept. Make use of the MSFCA’s representatives to the MBFTE. Assign to the Executive & Legislative Committees, and the association’s MBFTE representatives. Report by the October 2011 board meeting with a plan and strategies developed.

Goal #6 - Establish a formal mentoring program. To help officers at all levels of their careers. Would benefit the regions as new leaders would attend the meetings and be more active. This could result in cost-effectiveness through better use of mutual aid, reduction of duplication of services, and local department cost effectiveness. This is consistent with the mission of the MSFCA. The impacts would be better trained officers and greater organizational efficiencies. The goal would be to have a mentoring manual, and training on the use of mentoring available by April 2012. The MSFCA Member Services Committee will be responsible for this goal.

Goal #7 – Amend the MSFCA’s Bylaws to clarify board membership and voting rights.  Immediate past president to remain a voting board member Other past presidents to move to ex-officio status Regions get 1 vote despite 2 board spots – (accepted as the norm but not written this way) Clarify the position of State Director of Fire Training – do we really have one? Review cities of the first class language (not sure there is an issue) The MSFCA Bylaws Committee will be directed to have the issue ready for consideration by the membership at the 2011 annual meeting.

Goal #8 - If:  there is a ban on requiring the installation of residential sprinklers in new construction, then: the MSFCA will work with collaborative agencies (fire service, code enforcement, etc.) to repeal the ban before the 2012 legislative session. Continue discussions regarding residential sprinklers. There is a current lack of understanding regarding sprinkler systems. There are hazards inherent in new construction methods & materials which affect citizen and firefighter safety. Educate legislators, the public, firefighters, building industry, code enforcement organizations, etc. The timeline is prior to the 2012 legislative session. The MFSCA Code, Legislative and Public Education Committees would all be involved with the Code Committee taking the lead.

Goal #9 - Statewide Mutual Aid / FAST - complete the process identified in 2010 goals and begun in 2010 to finish the association’s commitments. Have a tabletop simulation or functional exercise by the end of 2011. Responsibilities: Emergency Management Committee.

Goal #10 – Financial Planning – Develop five & ten year plans to complete the 2010 goal. A draft plan has been completed and will be presented and acted upon by the board at their October 2011 meeting. MSFCA Executive and Finance Committees are responsible for the plans.

A  complete list of minutes can be found under the “Archive” tab

Jump to - Minutes of the MSFDA-MSFCA Executive Committees

MSFDA-MSFCA JOINT BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Winter Meeting Minutes
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Radisson Hotel - St. Cloud, Minnesota - 10 a.m.

1. Call to Order
MSFDA President Dan Winkel and MSFCA President Bob Brown called the meeting to order at 10:05 a.m. A moment of silence was held for Don Deutsch.

2. Discussion on developing regions- Bob Brown and Dan Winkel
President Brown began the meeting by having everyone introduce themselves.  He explained the topic for this morning was to discuss methods of improving regional attendance.  He raised the question “how do we expect information to be shared?”  “Is it from the Boards to the Region or from the Region to the Boards?”  Dale Specken and his MSFDA counterpart both interact and that is the expectation for all regional reps from both organizations.

Blogs, my space etc are all next generation’s ways of communicating according to Jerry Rosendahl.  President Brown stated that our Magazine published in a timely manner was another means of communication.  Jim Hansen commented on packets of material that he hands out at regional meetings and other opportunities.  Judy Thill wanted a list of best practices to be handed out to add value to the meetings.  Some regions reported that 70-75% of their departments were attending and that activities like meals, and raffles helped attendance.

A discussion was held regarding e-mails vs. surface mail.  President Winkel asked the question “Are we getting feedback from e-mails?”  Some of the membership felt that a surface letter was better.  One region thought that all meetings should be held in a central location within the region.  Comments were made that 2 meetings/year were not enough and 6/year were too many.  SFM Rosendahl commented that there is an e-mail list of all the people who report MNFIRS to his office.

Tom Brace reported that controversy has a way of bringing out more attendance at Regional meetings.  The League of Minnesota Cities has a list of fire chiefs and fire departments.  While this is a very good list, it is not complete. 

Training at Regions needs to be of interest to younger firefighters and needs to be made fun if you want them to jump in.  Marty Scheerer suggested “grab someone and make them attend”.  There is also a need for streamlined presentations once you are able to get them to attend.

There is also a need for a job description for regional reps.  This could take the form of a general outline so that a new director would have “the tools for being a director.”

Marty Scheerer suggested a magazine article that solicited e-mail addresses and explained how to join a Region.  President Winkel discussed the Smoke Eater and thoughts MSFDA has in the future regarding their relationship with that publication.  Marty commented that the print media was failing and the future might be newsletters electronically. The problems with Dial Up were discussed in greater Minnesota as a problem with the above mentioned idea.

Marty informed the group of our communication director position for the MSFCA which would be as a paid contractor.  President Winkel stated the “we are waiting for the new regional map from the SFM Division and also commented on that fact that some departments migrate to neighboring Regions that they feel more close to then their own.

This concluded a very thoughtful discussion regarding strengthening our Regions.

3. Minnesota Fire Service Foundation- Zikmund
There is a need for a MSFDA representative, a need to replenish the scholarship fund and internally fundraise.  Each one of the three organizations has been requested to donate $3000 for 3 statutes.  Our site at the State Capitol is still secure.

4. MnFAC Report-Zikmund
The MPFF licensing bill was discussed.  There are questions regarding the definition of Full Time as it pertains to firefighters.  They are not doing the grandfather provisions and       feel that they are losing ground to Police Officers.  Ulie Seal stated that this is a bill    about jobs and jobs lost.

The “two hatter” issue was discussed and the NVFC is going to wait and see.  It appears that the IAFF was an early Obama supporter.

Several additional comments were made regarding the licensing bill which included the news that bill is jacketed and will be introduced next week.  DPS Commissioner Campion after being briefed on this bill stated “We are not going to get crosswise with the volunteers.”  The $75 fee would be paid by the individual according to Tom Thornberg, MPFF President.

The issue of flashing lights was discussed with a report that WI would like to repeal their law.  The push for a bill in Minnesota is coming from the Pickwick Fire Department and does not have any support by the MnFAC representatives.

Chief Zikmund feels that the Civil Immunity Bill will pass.  He also suggested the need for a study of Ethanol Plant Fires re Rep. Bunn and SFM Rosendahl.

Nyle discussed the Residential Code and the Sprinkler Coalition.  He stated there is a need to educate the fire service and wants to have about 15-20 minutes at regional meetings to explain exactly what is being proposed.

Chief Zikmund is looking to build a data base of trainers.  He reported on a 60-70% rate of failure for the Haz-Mat Ops test and reminded everyone that he does not set the standards.  On line testing was discussed and the big challenge for the fire service is to get trained.  Marty Dirnberger expressed concern with “this has got to stop” with what he identifies with industry and vendor driven NFPA standards.

5. Certification Board-Nyle Zikmund
There are 19 people on this Board.  Nyle and Terri Zikmund started on September 2007 and got the books in November of that year.  They had a balance of $8600 but owed the Pro Board $6500.  Their program was built by Monica Correll and they are in need of a new server in their home.  They are using a 10-12 year old lap top and they are asking for $2500 from each of the two organizations represented.

MSFCA started this program in about 1998 and Firefighter 1 has been the bread and butter of the program.  Four skill stations are planned as there are currently five.  Chief Mund stated that “you are going to pay one way or the other.”  There is a need for a dedicated server at the Zikmund home office.  A decision was not asked for today.  MSFCA will discuss this request at their retreat on March 20, 2009.

6.  Fire Service Day at the Capitol
An estimate of about 200 registrants was reported.  There will be an 8:00 am briefing at the hotel before departure to the Capitol.  The same shirt as last year could be used with the main issue for 2009 the Fire Safety Account.

7.  NVFC Update
The Sheraton in Bloomington MN will be the conference hotel.  It was reported that it took between 20-25 thousand dollars to host a conference.  They will bring a staff to help with the registration.  Minnesota is responsible for one dinner.  The conference will be September 22-26, 2010.

8.  Fire Service Advisory Committee
Revenue appears to be running from 10.5-10.8 million dollars.  The authorization to spend is for 8 million.  The Fire Training Board reported 250 applications received with maybe 200 more applications to be received before Monday March 2, 2009 at 5:00 pm. That would be about one-half of the fire departments in the state.  There appeared to be a question of what was meant by “in their hands or postmarked.”

9.  State Fire Marshal Briefing
SFM Rosendahl spoke about the decision to not adopt the 2009 IFC, IRC, and IBC.  He indicated that he had taken “some personal heat” on this issue.  Jon Nisja of Jerry’s staff had indicated that it would cost $120,000 to update the Fire Code alone.  Jerry stated a need for educational training at various regions on the issue of sprinklers.

SFM Rosendahl reported on a bill that would reduce fire drills from five to two.  They have already been reduced from nine to five.  The SFM will be “sharing a concern” on this issue.

A question was raised as to how much money will be taken out of the Fire Safety Account.  Several different opinions were discussed with an added concern that the 2% pension money may also be at risk.

PFC Class B Foam issue was talked about and the Chiefs Magazine Article was cited. If you train with it, do not use it over the city well.  MNFIRS was discussed with about 100 Fire Departments mentioned who had not sent in their data.  Region 8 and Region 12 have a 100% reporting.  SFM Rosendahl needs help in getting reports in.  DNR requires MNFIRS reporting to receive money from them.  Some fire departments regard the MNFIRS requirement as an unfunded mandate.  The wonderful person who manages this Program(Nora) for the SFM was reported to be “nervous”.

A question by Rep. Bunn regarding Ethanol Emergencies may lead to a report of said subject by the State Fire Marshal.

10.  Joint Fast Team
A brief history of the Fast Team was reviewed.  President Brown indicated that he had spent a great deal of personal time on Luverne Fire Department support. The basic tenant of the Fast Team is to help the Fire Department manage their loss.  The regional representative from both organizations will work together under this joint effort.

11.  Statewide Mutual Aid Plan
This program is a work in progress with a draft available in June of 2009 for review and comment.  This group has been meeting monthly.  The concept is to use local mutual aid then call the State Duty Officer for additional help if needed.  Randy Polzin met with Ann Gergen of the League of MN Cities regarding changes in Chapter 12.  This process is for a major event and will not do away with local programs.  The Fire Map program is   no longer accurate.

12.  DNR Report
Gene Mannelin reported that DNR was reducing its staff in 23 SW Minnesota Counties.  Tom Romaine of DNR has about 18 months left in this territory.  Gene presented a Montana Bill that dealt with the issue of lying to investigators.