Visit us at WWW.FFCA.ORG 33 Drozd III Elected President of International Association By Kat Kennedy, Public Information Officer, Fire Rescue The Metropolitan “Metro” Fire Chiefs Association, a section of the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), held its 2017 annual conference in Orange County, FL, April 7-13. Approximately 120 fire chiefs from metropolitan fire departments in the U.S., Canada, China, South Africa, and the United Kingdom attended the conference and elected the Section’s 2017-2018 officers and board members. Orange County Fire Chief Otto Drozd III was elected president of the organization, with his term beginning April 13, 2017. “I am honored to lead this distinguished group of my peers as we discuss major issues affecting the fire service in the U.S. and throughout the world,” said Chief Drozd. “It is a privilege to represent Orange County in leading significant national conversations on policies and best practices that advance the fire/emergency medical services profession and impact the international community.” The Palm Coast Fire Department Promotions The Palm Coast Fire Department celebrated promotions and new rank assignments for 25 firefighters during a Pinning Ceremony held January 12, 2017. The firefighters being honored were “pinned” by family members and fellow firefighters at the ceremony at Palm Coast City Hall. “I personally want to thank everybody for what they’ve done to get here,” said Palm Coast Fire Chief Mike Beadle. “It’s been a long, long, long journey for many, but this is the culmination and the payoff of those years of sacrifice and the training and the testing.” “This is the first step in our organization to plan for the future,” said Deputy Chief Jerry Forte. Forte also stated that adding the new ranks of Battalion Chief and Driver-Engineer will give the Department more leadership succession opportunities in the coming years, as well as strengthen the middle ranks. The rank changes and promotions are as follows: Battalion Chiefs: Ronald Petrillo, Mark Valentik, Sean Major, Captains: Kyle Berryhill, Gary Potter, Thomas Ascone, Lieutenants: Dan Driscoll, John Kozloski, Joseph Paci and Driver-Engineers: Jeffrey Poeira, Mike Chandley, Daniel Hackney, Mark Davidson, Leo Chumaceiro, Adam Bachman, Christopher Cottle, Omar Kanaan, Robert Ballou, Daniel Bouillon, Eric Robinson, Colin Craig, Jeff Nunziato, Nikolay Kulev, David Faust, Andrew Woolwine. Fire Lieutenant Receives his Master’s Degree Lt. William F. Whalen, Volusia County Fire Rescue, graduated with his master’s degree in Safety, Security and Emergency Management, with a double concentration in Fire and Emergency Services and Emergency Management certificates from Eastern Kentucky University. Whalen is also an Executive Fire Officer graduate from the National Fire Academy and holds a bachelor’s degree in Organizational Management from Warner University and an associate’s degree in Fire Science from Daytona State College. City of Seminole CERT President Recognized The City of Seminole Fire Rescue is pleased to announce that Seminole CERT President Devon Blackburn was selected as a “30 Volunteers Under 30” recipient for Volunteer Florida. Devon is the Charter President of Seminole CERT and is one of 30 young people from throughout Florida being recognized for the extraordinary volunteer service they provide to their communities. Devon helps educate individuals about disaster preparedness, participates in training and community exercises, and supports emergency response agencies. Devon volunteers because, “I grew up with Seminole Fire Rescue. My grandfather, dad and uncle have dedicated themselves to the fire service and I wanted to help Seminole in a way that would do the most good.” Miami Firefighters Respond to Boat Yard Fire By Ignatius Carroll Jr., Captain, Public Relations Officer On March 14, 2017 just before 6pm, Miami Fire Rescue (MFR) responded to reports of several boats on fire at the Popeye Marina and Boat Storage Yard located at 830 NW 8th Street Road near downtown Miami. MFR arrived to find heavy flames and smoke showing from boats located inside the building and fire quickly spreading to a second building within the boat yard. Miami Firefighters from three (3) fire stations as well the Hazardous Materials Team and the Fireboat, concentrated their efforts on confining the fire within the structure, preventing intense heat and flames from threatened nearby boats and homes. At one point, firefighters had to clear the building and assume a defensive attack as the roof and wall began to collapse. Fire crews applied several layers of foam to the area, allowing firefighters to safely re-enter the building to reach the seat of the fire. According to the business owner, two men had just completed doing some minor electrical work and engine repairs on their boat. They stepped away for a moment and when they returned, they found a large fire. One of the men, who sustained a minor burn to the face, attempted to extinguish the fire but was unsuccessful. Both were able to escape just before the entire area was consumed in flames. They were evaluated and released by paramedics on the scene. At this time, it is unclear how the fire started. Fire Investigators located two (2) boats destroyed beyond recognition and four (4) other boats with minor heat and smoke damage. The cause of the fire is under investigation. Photos courtesy of Captain Ignatius Carroll/Miami Fire Rescue.