Update from President Duane Antle

Convention 2022:
Our Convention planning is moving along, with many items now getting to their final stages. Registration packages are out in the mail and are available on our website and Facebook page. We certainly hope you will be pleased with the product that we Convention Committee Chairperson, Director Addison Quilty and his team are putting together. They are putting a lot of time into the planning to present you with a great weekend We hope you will join us in Gander for our first convention since 2019. Remember the dates: July 15-18 2022

Fire School 2022:
We are so pleased that the Fire Services training School  is back in action and we hope to see as many of you as possible taking advantage of this tremendous opportunity.

A lot of folks have done an enormous amount of work to make Training School 2022  a reality and a big thank you must go out to Commissioner Simmons and his team at the Fire Services Division, the host Fire Departments, Regional Trainers, Proctors, and of course, the Clarenville Fire Department for the commitment they are making to ensure we all have the best possible experience.

For Firefighters to give up their vacation time with family, or time they may have used for any personal reason, speaks volumes of their dedication. On behalf of our Board, Staff, and Volunteers, I want to say thank you in advance, to each and every one of you who are attending.  Without you, the Training School could never be the success it is and be assured, you are appreciated.

Our Website

If you have been looking for the association website, you have noticed that it is being re-vamped to serve you better. We have been working to ensure the new website will offer more information. It is live but is being updated regularly to get all of the content updated and uploaded. If you have a suggestion of something that you would like to see, contact us. Our Facebook Page and Twitter account are still in full operation.

Should you not be able to find the information you need, please contact your regional director or our office @ 709 424-6500 or Office@nlfireservices.com.

Summer is just about here:
Summer is just about here! You wouldn’t think it given the fact that we still have the old wood furnace going in the morning, but hopefully better weather awaits. With the school season soon over, many of you will have even busier schedules. With summer travel comes an increase in traffic and, in turn, our responses to motor vehicle incidents.

As most of the population looks forward to an easy-going, enjoyable summer, we know that our workload will certainly not lessen. Folks, please be careful out there! Ground cover/forest fires, road accidents, water incidents and all-terrain vehicle (ATV) incidents will no doubt have you out serving, and your job never gets easier. Look after each other and remember to take some time for yourselves to re-charge and take that deserved break!

Updates on items to come:

Some of the on-going work includes items such as:

• Updating our membership lists
• Working to improve our ability to communicate with you. Items such as the Fire News magazine, Virtual meetings, and improving/updating our social media outlets.
• Meetings with our Fire Commissioner and Minister to clarify some questions you have regarding training standards, budget 2022 and its effect on programs, the future of 911, geo mapping, and enhanced 911.
• Re-starting our Critical Incident Stress Management training to enhance and support our current provincial team.
• Restarting our Fire News Magazine as it was known in a format that will enhance our ability to communicate with you and provide you with an opportunity to showcase the great work you have been doing, share new advances in training and equipment and the stories that are important to share!

Please send any updates from your department, training and fundraising efforts, lessons learned and any other items that you feel are worth sharing. We would also look forward to any suggestions you have for our Fire News. email@firenews.ca

Thank you again for all you do, and please know you are appreciated. As I have said so many times before, we are successful because of the great people we represent. You should be proud of the dedication you show and the accomplishments you have made to provide your communities with an essential service. Be proud People!

As always, please reach out if you have questions or concerns and our team will do all we can to provide you with the help you need.

Take care, be safe, and keep up the great work!

President Duane Antle
Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Fire Services