Visit us at WWW.FFCA.ORG 35 Lake County Fire Rescue Promotion By Elisha Pappacoda, Public Information Officer Lake County Fire Rescue recently promoted Jeff Hurst from lieutenant to the position of Battalion Chief, specializing in wildland fire. Bat. Chief Hurst is currently working to complete the National Fire Academy’s Managing Fire Officer (MFO) program. This prestigious four- week course is taught in Emmitsburg, Maryland at the National Fire Academy. Hurst recently received his Associates of Fire Science degree and is a part of the National Wildfire Response Overhead Team. He is also the program manager for Lake County Fire Rescue’s Honor Guard team. “His commitment to Lake County Fire Rescue has been and will continue to be important to the success of our department’s future success,” said Chief Jim Dickerson. “As the fire chief, it is always an honor and pleasure to promote someone who has positioned themselves to excel professionally in the organization.” St. Lucie County Fire District Received Accreditation By Brenda Stokes, Executive Aide / PIO The St. Lucie County Fire District (SLCFD) received international accredited status from the Center for Public Safety Excellence . There are less than 250 Fire Departments that have achieved this prestigious designation and SLCFD is the first fire agency on the Treasure Coast. Accreditation is a comprehensive self-assessment and evaluation that enables an organization to examine service delivery and compare it to the industry standards. It’s also a way to establish a method for achieving continuous organizational improvement. The accreditation process is voluntary and the CFAI is dedicated to assisting fire and emergency service agencies throughout the world. The Accreditation Team attended the Center for Public Safety Excellence conference in Orlando yesterday and participated in a panel discussion and evaluation with the Commission; at which time, they were awarded the 5-year designation. The process of Accreditation has been ongoing for the past 4 years and the Fire District has embraced the continual improvement model of excellence in industry best practices. “We are very proud of this tremendous achievement. It recognizes the hard work and dedication of our entire organization. Furthermore, it ensures that we maintain systems and processes that keep our organization effective and efficient” – Fire Chief Nate Spera, MPA “It is with the full support of the elected and appointed representation of the St. Lucie County Fire District Board that our professionals have delivered once again. The benefits of proactive efforts, continuing education, the benchmarking of systems, strategic planning, and a continuous review process become clear with this incredible achievement.” – Chair Chris Dzadovsky Sanford Fire Department Promotion By Ronnie McNeil Jr., Deputy Fire Chief Congratulations to Fire Inspector Matthew Minnetto on his promotion to Fire Marshal pending the retirement of our current Fire Marshal, Timothy Robles, who will retire on Thursday, April 5, 2018 after 30 years of service with the City of Sanford. Fire Marshal Minnetto will be the manager of our Building & Fire Prevention Division effective Friday, April 6, 2018. Fire Marshal Minnetto started his career with the Sanford Fire Department in March 2003 as a Firefighter/EMT. He received several accolades for his excellent service to the community including the Women’s Club of Sanford Firefighter of the Year in 2009. He was promoted to Fire Inspector in our Fire Prevention Division by managing the over 2,300 annual commercial inspections enforcing the building and fire prevention codes to make sure our buildings are safe to our citizens and firefighters. He has also been conducting fire investigations, child seat safety inspections/installations, and assisting with the public education events in the City for more than 7 years. Fire Marshal Minnetto’s trustworthy effort and hard work has paid off to become the next Fire Prevention Code expert for the City. Congratulations Matt! New Fire Chief for South Trail Fire & Rescue District By Christie Knudsen, Public Information Officer On March 7, 2018, in front of family, friends, and co-workers, Benjamin Bengston was officially installed as South Trail Fire & Rescue District’s new fire chief. Chief Bengston serves as the seventh fire chief in the South Trail Fire District’s 53-year history. Chief Bengston began his career in emergency services in 1991, first as an EMT with the Everglades Memorial Ambulance Service in Palm Beach County, then as a paramedic with Rural Metro in Orlando and with Tallahassee Memorial EMS. He started his 21-year career with the South Trail Fire District in 1997 as a firefighter/paramedic, and progressed through the ranks as Engineer, Training Lieutenant, Safety/Training Director, Deputy Chief EMS/Training, and Assistant Fire Chief. Chief Bengston is committed to providing the highest quality fire and rescue services to the residents of and visitors to the South Trail Fire & Rescue District. GNFD 2017 Awards By Nicole Chesser, Office of the Fire Chief Greater Naples Fire Rescue District (GNFD) recognized several members for their significant contributions during 2017 at the March 13, 2018 Board of Fire Commissioners meeting. Lieutenant Inspector Steve Riley was presented the Fire and Life Safety Excellence in Service award, Lieutenant Jason Bright was presented the Firefighter of the Year award, Captain Craig Weinbaum was presented the Fire Chief’s Values award, and Executive Assistant Nicole Chesser was presented the Civilian Employee of the Year award. Pictured L-R: Lt. Inspector Steve Riley, Lt. Jason Bright, Captain Craig Weinbaum, Executive Assistant Nicole Chesser April 2018 FFS.QXD 4/10/18 2:01 PM Page 35