National VolunteerFire Council Update

As one of the two Directors from Delaware that serve on the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC), I have decided to write a column in the Delaware Fire News to develop an interest by members of the Delaware fire service in becoming members of this vital nat ional organization.

Dues are $21 per year, and it includes a $10,000 AD&D policy from Provident. In addition, there are many free training webinars ranging from Recruitment and Retention, PTSD, Cancer Presumption, to Lithium-Ion Batteries and Hazardous Materials. The NVFC current ly has over 30,000 members and their long-term goal is to have 50,000 members within five years. This is a huge voting block for the volunteers in the United States, and the NVFC is also working in conjunction with the International Association of Fire Fighters in bec oming a larger voice for the national fire services.

They have recently implemented a mental health hotline for members experiencing any signs of PTSD and are urging volunteer firefighters to sign into the National Firefighter Registry to trac k the history of cancer among volunteers. You can register at NFR.cdc.gov.

Currently there are 47 states represented in the NVFC with two directors from each state. The state directors attend a spring conference in Arlington, Virginia, coinciding with the CFSI dinner and a fall conference which will be held in September in Cooperstown, New York. Your Delaware Directors are Bill Betts and Jay Jones, and we would be glad to answer any questions you would have about becoming a member, or any of the programs the NVFC has to offer. Their website is NVFC.org.

Contact me at 302-535-7080 or Jay Jones at 302-381-9780 if we can be of any assistance.

- Submitted by Bill Betts