Volunteer Fire Service

Another one in the for OSU-FST. supporting this grassroots effort to promote books ... The OSFA Volun- • Doubling the amount that volunteer leadership in the Oklahoma Volunteer Fire teer Fire Service Committee firefighters can be paid (from roughly $3,600/ Service, please reach out to the OSFA and tell began meeting in August year to $7,200/year). them you would like to help make the VOLT of 2020 to begin planning • Reverse the 2013 Pension rule requiring program successful.

Deer Creek FPD the 19th Annual Volunteer 11 years to be vested and 22 years to retire On the horizon … Our Volunteer Fire Firefighter Caucus, which Overall, the 19th Annual Volunteer Fire- Service Committee was asked to help form was held Feb. 6. fighter Caucus was a great success, and we a new committee to assist new fire chiefs, For the first time, the caucus was moved to are looking forward to next year’s, as we especially volunteer chiefs, as they step into Lawton and will now be rotated around the have already had a department reach out that their new roles. The purpose of this committee state each year. would like to host it in Atoka. is to create a list of resources such as “fill in Our goal for this was to bring new depart- A work in progress … Another great idea the blank” Standard Operating Procedures, ments to the caucus, regardless of member- to come out of the Volunteer Fire Service state & national fire service organizations, ship, and hopefully result in new ideas and Committee this year was the “Volunteer Okla- city-county-state government resources and discussion of issues facing the volunteer fire homa Leadership Training – VOLT” program. contacts, etc… service in Oklahoma. That goal was obtained, The original idea was to create a program sim- The goal is to help newly promoted/electas we had several new departments in atten- ilar to the “Oklahoma Ag Leadership Program ed fire chiefs take their first steps in leading dance and set a record for overall attendance – OALP,” where participants travel the state their department seem a little less daunting, with 125. seeing how farmers and ranchers are success- which will hopefully lead to the result of The committee also decided to do away ful in other portions of the state. Our goal will improving their department. with the traditional “guest speaker” and be to do a similar program but substitute the opted to have department members present farms and ranches for fire departments. It has been an honor to serve as the Chair possible solutions to the usual topics brought Our committee will be doing a trial run this of this committee for this session. As this was up at the Caucus such as funding, recruit- year to develop a more formal itinerary and my first year serving on this committee, I have ment/retention, leadership, safety/health, determine the best way to build this program nothing to compare it to, but I would venture and training. to be “volunteer friendly” as it will require to say we have one of the best committees This idea led to further discussion in the multiple weekends and travel to get the full ever assembled with regards to truly having breakout sessions and resulted in new topics benefit. Once the program is developed and a desire to see the Oklahoma Volunteer Fire being brought to the floor for the creation of ready to be implemented, we will be seeking Service succeed. the three resolutions for this year’s conven- sponsors to help fund it in order to keep it as Thank you to all of the committee members tion, which were: cost-friendly as possible for the participants. and OSFA staff who have worked and will • Finding better and more stable funding If any vendors would be interested in continue working for our Volunteers!