The Delaware Valley Fire Chiefs Association sends it's deepest regrets to the Philadelphia Fire Department Members and Officers.

April 19, 2012 the Gibbstown Fire Department in NJ will host the bi-monthly meeting of the DVFCA. We look forward to seeing you all there!

FDIC - Fire Department Instructors Conference is next week April 16th-23rd Many of the members of the DVFCA will be there with their respective fire companies and various organizations to get the nations best training. We wish all of you happy and safe travels as you descend on Indianapolis.

Wishing every one a Happy Easter and also reminding everyone to check those battery's in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Spring is hear most schools are closed this week kids are everywhere  and with the warm weather there are more motorcyclist out there. Please be careful out there!!!

Thursday February 16th the DVFCA members and invited guests ascended on the Holloway Terrace Fire Company in NCC Delaware to Celebrate our 50th Anniversary. It was more than a successful way to start the organizations 50th B-Day!

The Food and Banquette Facility at the Holloway Terrace Fire Company was absolutely fantastic and we can not thank the men and woman of the department enough for their generosity.

We would also like to thank our invited guests who came out to join in the festivities and each and every member who attended. It was a night well deserved and well celebrated!

If you missed it you missed a small piece of history. However there are 50th anniversary patches, shirts, and License plates on sale at the next meeting.

A special thanks to the officers of 2011 and the new officers of 2012 for making this happen in a big way!

 

16-Feb-12          Regular (Blazer)  Holloway Terrance (DE) 50th

15-Mar-12          Exec Board         NJ at Rode"s                 

19-Apr-12          Regular (Blazer)  Gibbstown (NJ)              

17-May-12         Exec Board         DE at Michael's              

21-Jun-12           Regular (Casual)  Media  (PA)               

19-Jul-12           Exec Board         PA at Lehman's              

16-Aug-12          Regular (Casual)  Centerton (NJ)               

20-Sep-12          Exec Board         NJ at Rode"s                 

18-Oct-12           Regular (Blazer)  Brandywine 100 (DE)                  

15-Nov-12          Exec Board         DE at Michael's              

6-Dec-12            Regular (Blazer)  (PA) Nomination of Officers          

The United States Fire Administration (USFA) announced today there were 81 on-duty firefighter fatalities in the United States as a result of incidents that occurred in 2011. This represents an almost seven percent decrease from the 87 fatalities reported for 2010. The 81 fatalities occurred in 33 states, one U.S. territory, and one overseas U.S. military facility. Texas experienced the highest number of fatalities (seven). North Carolina experienced six firefighter deaths and was the only other state with five or more firefighter fatalities.

"In 2004 at the initial Life Safety Summit, a number of fire service leaders did not believe we would complete a calendar year with less than 100 firefighter on-duty deaths," U.S. Fire Administrator Ernest Mitchell said.  "We broke through that perceived barrier in 2009, 2010, and now in 2011!  We salute and congratulate our fire service family and pledge to continue working closely with the entire fire service community and its partners to maintain and even accelerate this downward trend in on-duty firefighter deaths."

Heart attacks were responsible for the deaths of 48 firefighters (59%) in 2011, nearly the same proportion of firefighter deaths from heart attack or stroke (60%) in 2010. Ten on-duty firefighters died in association with wildland fires, the lowest number of annual firefighter deaths associated with wildland fires since 1996. Fifty-four percent of all firefighter fatalities occurred while performing emergency duties.  Only three firefighters were killed in vehicle collisions.

2011 firefighter fatality statistics are provisional and may change as the USFA contacts State Fire Marshals to verify the names of firefighters reported to have died on duty during 2011. The final number of firefighter fatalities will be reported in USFA's annual firefighter fatality report, expected to be available by July 2012.

For additional information on firefighter fatalities, including the annual fatality reports from 1986 through 2010 and the Firefighter Fatality Retrospective Study 1990–2000, please visit the http://www.usfa.fema.gov.

To access this Article, go to:
http://www.fireengineering.com//content/fe/en/articles/2012/01/usfa-announces-2011-on-duty-firefighter-fatalities.html

Thank you for your support this year !!!!

Happy Thanksgiving,

President,   Dean Simpson

With only a couple days until Thanksgiving please take some time to review these Fire Facts


Cooking is the leading cause of home fires on Thanksgiving Day with cooking fires occurring more than twice as often as any other day.
 
Thanksgiving Day home fires cause more property damage and claim more lives than home fires on any other day of the year.
 
Thanksgiving Preparedness
Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, grilling or broiling food. If you must leave the kitchen remember to turn off the stove.
 
If you are simmering, baking, boiling, or roasting food make sure to check it regularly. Always remain in the home while food is cooking.
 
Avoid wearing loose fitting clothing or dangling sleeves while cooking.
 
Keep kids away from the cooking areas and enforce a “kid free zone” of at least three feet around the stove.
 
Keep anything that can catch fire away from your stove top and oven or any other appliance in the kitchen that generates heat.
 
Keep at least one ABC-rated fire extinguisher in your kitchen area where you have easy access to it.
 
Remember that smoke alarms save lives, make sure that all the ones in your residence are operating properly by testing them before cooking.
 
Turkey Fryer Safety
Turkey fryers should always be used outdoors at a safe distance from buildings and any other material that can burn. Remember to keep them on a level surface when cooking.
 
Make sure to follow the manufacturers instructions for the use of your turkey fryer.
 
Only use oils with high smoke points such as peanut, canola and sunflower. Remember to pat the turkey dry also before dropping it into the oil to keep it from spattering and popping.
 
It can take up to 20 minutes to an hour to heat the oil depending on outside conditions. Maintain an oil temperature of 350 Degrees F and slowly lower the turkey into the oil. Use well insulated potholders or oven mitts while handling the pot or lid handles. Also if possible wear safety goggles to protect your eyes from oil splatter.
 
Never leave the fryer unattended and keep children and pets away from the fryer while cooking. Remember to keep them away even after usage because the oil can remain dangerously hot hours after usage.
 
Make sure that the turkey is properly thawed before frying and never overfill your fryer which will lead to spillover.
 
Remember to keep an all purpose extinguisher nearby, never use water to extinguish a grease fire. Use good judgment when attempting to extinguish a fire. If you have a large Fire, call 911 immediately.
 
Keep at least two feet of space between the liquid propane tank and the fryer burner.
 
If you receive a minor burn injury immediately run cool water on the burn for 3-5 minutes. Never apply butter or lotions to the burn as they can keep the skin hot and increase the injury. For serious burns seek medical treatment immediately.
 

Decembers DVFCA will be held at the Radnor Fire Company in Delaware County PA. Nominations for the 2012 Officers will take place as well as other general business.

You will see on the meeting announcement that should arrive in the mail any day that the December meeting announcement also has a SAVE THE DATE portion for the up and coming DVFCA February Meeting & 50th anniversary celebration!

SEE YOU ON THE 1st at Radnor Fire Company

SAVE THE DATE - February 16, 2012

This Friday marks the annual observation of Veterans Day. Please take time to thank all the veterans out there. Whether they're currently serving or have served in the past, please take time to thank them for their service.

Rememeber it's that time of the year when we set the clock's back. We all know also to change our Smoke Detector Batteries!!!!

    But this year check with your Senior / Life member & Ladies Auxliary Member to see if their detector are working or even need's replaced we all preach fire safety but sometime we forget our own membership !!!!!!

The Delaware Valley Fire Chiefs Association is happy to announce 2012 will be its 50th Anniversary. To celebrate this great occasion we will kick off our 50th year with a 50th Anniversary Banquette  / Meeting on Thursday February 16th hosted by Holloway Terrace Volunteer Fire Company. The new officers will be installed and the events over the past 50 years will be celebrated and remembered. 

The Banquette Committee has started to organize a history and banquette book and we are selling Ads and patron lines. Please print out your own copy of the Ad or Patron form and get your fire company friends and vendors to be a part of history by having their information in our ad book!

The Officers & Members of the DVFCA would like to thank the West Grove Fire Company for hosting our bi-monthly meeting and making it a success. We were welcomed into there station where the members enjoyed good company and some important information.

Don Konkle from the Pennsylvania Fire & Emergency Services Instatute spoke about the latest happenings in PA and reported amoung other things that the Cancer Presumption Bill has passed. The information letter he passed out is available here for you to print.

We also learned from our officers that the 50 th Anniversary Celebration Meeting and Banquette will be hosted by the Holloway Terrace VFC in New Castle County, DE on February 16th 2012.

The next Regular DVFCA Meeting will be held at Radnor Fire Company, on Thursday December 1, 2011. Nomination of officers for 2012 will be on the meeting agenda. 

The DVFCA October monthly meeting will be hosted by the West Grove Fire Company (Main Station) see the attached meeting notice JPEG for more details. See you there travel SAFE!1