R eflecting on the Foundation and where we were, I don’t think we have ever been able to make the transition from an FFCA support group to a progressive foundation that can generate the funding necessary to fulfill the needs for information, education and training. Several of the last leaders have had a long-term vision of being an effective force in providing scholarships to the FFCA events, and quality programs to fire and emergency personnel across the state. This vision includes generating enough funding to be able to support scholarships to higher education programs for worthy individuals who are attempting to further their personal development. The Trustees recently provided their ideas on the areas that they felt were important for the Foundation to work toward. I would like to share some of those with you and welcome any comments you may have about what we feel is currently important. 1. Develop a first-line supervisor academy patterned after ESLI that could be offered for direct delivery within regions or organizations. 2. Create and deliver a Volunteer Chief Officer weekend training program that can be taken on the road. 3. Provide free training opportunities around the state targeted at reducing firefighter cancer. 4. Help fund the creation of a North Central Florida training program similar to the Northwest Florida Volunteer Firefighter Weekend. 5. Provide the capability to enhance fire service presence within local communities by sponsoring events. 6. Sponsor a $1,000 scholarship for the son or daughter of a firefighter to attend a college or trade school. 7. Create a strategic donor/contribution Acquisition Team to focus on developing relationships with individuals or organizations to determine if we can secure a reliable improved income stream. 8. Develop and utilize a media kit to get the word out about the Foundation and what it can do. 9. Provide funding to help support the firefighter mental health network. While this is not a complete list of what was provided, the other items dovetail into these nine. As you can see, the list is ambitious but provides great direction on which the Foundation may focus. The Foundation will have a position become vacant in July. We will soon be looking for an individual to fill the positon. If you think you want to apply, the thing to remember is we are looking for individuals who can aggressively go after funding sources while managing the use of those dollars in the best interest of the fire and emergency services. We have not found the correct linkage to a sustainable source of funding that provides the capability to take the Foundation into the next level. While we have made several attempts in the past, those efforts have always seemed to fall short. If you’re interested and want to help take on the challenge of helping the Foundation grow, please fill out an information sheet and provide us with a resume. Please mail your information to the FFCA Office. The information sheet should be the cover page for your resume and include the following: • Name. • Contact information (both address, email address and phone). • A brief statement as to why you are interested in becoming a Trustee for the Foundation. The Board of Trustees will evaluate the resumes we receive and select a replacement prior to the July meeting so that the individual can overlap at that meeting with the outgoing Trustee. We look forward to having many good resumes to review as we select our new Trustee. FLORIDA FIRE SERVICE May 2017 6 Michael Long MESSAGE FROM THE FOUNDATION CHAIRMAN MESSAGE FROM THE FOUNDATION CHAIRMAN E ach year the Florida Fire and Emergency Services Foundation provides many educational opportunities to the fire service. The scholarships provided by the Foundation allow individuals to participate in the many educational opportunities to which they may not otherwise have access. A Centurion Scholar Sponsor has the opportunity to help with educating many members of the Florida Fire Chiefs’ Association. The Centurion was the most professional of the ranks and they were viewed as great leaders, well respected by those they led. They were held personally responsible for the training and conduct of those in their ranks, and inscriptions have been found indicating that they may have had the title “centuro et campidoctor” (Training Officer). By assuming the responsibility for training, those who sponsor scholarships have earned the rank of Centurion. With your commitment, a scholarship will be reserved in your name for the conference you select. There is no limit to the number of scholarships you can sponsor. By sponsoring the scholarship you will be joining the ranks of the Vigiles Societas. Furthermore, your named scholarship will be posted on the FFCA/FFESF webpage, will be recognized in the Florida Fire Service publication, and will be listed with all conference material. Currently the Florida Fire and Emergency Services Foundation offers scholarships for Fire-Rescue EAST, the National Emergency Vehicle Technician Training Academy, the Emergency Services Leadership Institute, theExecutive Development Conference, and the Safety and Health Conference. To view detailed information on the Vigiles Societas and Centurion Scholar sponsorship opportunities, visit the Foundation page of the FFCA website at www.ffca.org, Foundation page. Join us at the Vigiles Societas Reception that is being held on July 15 at 6:30 PM at the 2017 Executive Development Conference in Fort Myers. This is a great opportunity to become a member or upgrade your current level! Vigiles Societas ~ Becoming A Centurion Scholar Sponsor