NVFC Holds Fall Meeting in Kansas City, MO

The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) Board of Directors held its annual fall meeting on
September 18-20 in Kansas City, MO. The board gathers as a whole twice a year to conduct Council
business, guide the strategic direction of the organization, and vote on matters before the board.
Among those in attendance were 64 directors from 41 states, including Ret. Chiefs Kevin Quinn and
Mark St. Pierre from Rhode Island.
The three-day agenda included committee meetings, guest speakers, general and executive
sessions, activities, and a special election. The following are the fall meeting highlights.
Committees Meetings
Many NVFC committees met during the fall meeting, along with the Council’s EMS/Rescue Section.
The NVFC has 19 committees that steer the Council’s direction in critical areas including health,
safety, and training; wildland; standards and codes; recruitment and retention; hazmat response;
and more. (Quinn serves on the Health, Safety. & Training Committee, along with the Legislative
and Codes & Standards Committee. And St. Pierre serves on the legislative Committee along with
the Volunteer Advocacy Committee and Bylaws Committee.) The NVFC’s OSHA Task Force also
provided an update on the proposed Emergency Response Standard. For more information on this
standard, visit the NVFC landing page.
Board Actions
During a special election, Reid Vaughan (AL) was elected to the position of Second Vice Chair, and
Joseph Maruca (MA) was elected to the Executive Committee. Regular elections will be held in the
spring of 2025.
In addition, NVFC Chair Steve Hirsch presented Maruca and OSHA Task Force Chair David
Denniston with the Chairman’s Award in recognition for their work in addressing the proposed
OSHA Emergency Response Standard and raising awareness to OSHA, Congress, responders, and
the public of the impact this standard would have on the volunteer fire service.
The board voted to make the New Mexico State Fire Marshals Office a state member of the NVFC.
State members have the ability to appoint up to two directors to the NVFC. With this addition, the
NVFC will now have 48 states represented on its board of directors.
The board also voted to add the Honoring Fallen Heroes Act to the NVFC’s legislative priorities. This
act would provide Public Safety Officer Benefits for exposure-related cancer.
Guest Speakers
On September 19, the board heard a panel discussion on “Railway Safety and Volunteer Fire
Departments: Best Practices and Collaborative Solutions,” which highlighted ways railroads and
volunteer fire departments can work together to better prepare for and respond to railway
incidents. Facilitated by the NVFC’s Ryan Woodward, the panel included Bob Clatterbuck of NTSB,
Andy Elkins of the Association of American Railroads, Derek Lampkin of BNSF Railway, and Lane A.
Sekavec of Union Pacific Railroad.
MacKenzie Pfeiffer gave a power presentation on September 20 titled “Breaking the Stigma:
Embracing Mental Health and Self Care.” Drawing on her own personal heartbreak, Pfeiffer delved
into why mental health is important in the fire service, the impact sigma has on individuals and
communities, self-care strategies to improve mental wellbeing, and guidance to create personal
action plans for individuals and departments.
Tom Jenkins of UL Fire Safety Research Institute provided an update on the status of the National
Emergency Response Information System (NERIS), which will replace NFIRS.
Special Events
The Kansas City Fire Museum opened its doors for the NVFC board on the evening of September 18.
The Chair’s Lunch was held on September 19. Later that evening, the board attended a reception
and dinner followed by the annual auction to benefit the NVFC Health & Safety Fund.
Sponsors
The NVFC thanks the fall meeting sponsors for their support: Anheuser-Busch Foundation, BNSF
Railway, Clarion Fire & Rescue Group, Columbia Southern University, ESIP, Firefighters Association
of Missouri, National Fire Protection Association, OnStar, Provident, Tesla, Tractor Supply
Company, and Wendell’s Mint.
Next Meeting
The next NVFC meeting will be held in Alexandria, VA, on May 8-10.