Georgia State Firefighters Association

Burns leave some scars you can see, and some you can’t. Your support today can make a lasting impact. Whether donating, sponsoring, or volunteering, you can help us provide crucial assistance and healing to burn survivors and their families. Together, let's make a difference. 💪💙

https://gfbf.org/

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State Farm® is Giving $500,000 in Grants to Volunteer Fire Departments Through the Good Neighbor Firefighter Safety Program A total of 50 volunteer departments will receive $10,000 each to help them improve responder safety and service to the community.

The GSFA office will be closed today, July 4, 2024.

Have a safe and Happy 4th of July!

NVFC Champion member CHEMTREC supports emergency responders during hazmat incidents and connects them with everyone involved, including manufacturers, shippers, carriers, and more. We appreciate all they do for our nation’s first responders, including partnering with the NVFC to distribute hazmat preparedness grants through the HELP Award.

The 2024 HELP Award application period is now open – apply at www.chemtrec.com/helpaward.

Learn more about CHEMTREC at https://www.chemtrec.com/.

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: JUNE 17TH

Submit your class NOW to be considered to teach at the 2024 Georgia Fire Service Conference! Both new & seasoned instructors welcome!

Complete our call for papers here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSduPSQ1q4V5OJE8EBvG5xVDm5ocf0tLB4SFkDVVYRS29Tee_g/viewform

Submit your class NOW to be considered to teach at the 2024 Georgia Fire Service Conference! Both new & seasoned instructors welcome!

Complete our call for papers here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSduPSQ1q4V5OJE8EBvG5xVDm5ocf0tLB4SFkDVVYRS29Tee_g/viewform

From: Holder, Kristie [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Tuesday, May 28, 2024 7:32 AM
To: Holder, Kristie
Subject: Lithium Ion Battery Training- Waycross GA June 3, 2024
Importance: High

CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders.
CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders.

Subject: Lithium Ion Battery Training- Waycross GA June 3, 2024

Good morning everyone,

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday weekend.

Can you please share the following training opportunity with Fire Departments, LE, EMS, and any community partners you will would benefit from the training. Like always Region M will be providing lunch during the training.


Training: BatteryIQ: Awareness and Operations Response to Battery Emergencies (BAIQ-HM)
DESCRIPTION: BatteryIQ provides students with a simplified system to understand, identify, and safely respond to battery-related incidents as small as a cellphone or electric scooter to large battery failures such as an electric vehicle or energy storage facility. Students will be provided with Quick Reference Guides allowing students to quickly, effectively, and efficiently categorize battery-related emergencies based on battery type and incident severity. These categories then guide students to determine the potential hazards, response considerations, required PPE, recommended equipment, and emergency operation tactics to consider when arriving on-scene of a Li-ION Battery Emergency.

RECOMMENDED PREREQUISITE: Those trained to NFPA Awareness/Operations level



Link: https://training.gema.ga.gov/TRS/courseDesc.do?sourcePage=courseSearch&cofId=60064
Location: J. Backburn Public Safety Training Center, 3801 Scapa Road Waycross GA 31503

Date/Time: Mon. Jun 03, 2024 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM

Training, Exercise & Response Management System - DESCRIPTION: BatteryIQ provides students with a simplified system to understand, identify, and safely respond to battery-related incidents as small as a cellphone or electric scooter to large battery failures such as an electric vehicle or energy storage facility. Students will be provided with Quic...

Please note that our office is closed in observance of Memorial Day. We will reopen on Tuesday, May 28th. Happy Memorial Day!

Three course dates are now available to register for the Georgia Public Safety Resiliency Program at GPSTC! The goal of the resiliency program is to promote well-being among first responders which ultimately affects performance, safety, and attitudes at work and home.

The resiliency program is for anyone in public safety across all disciplines, Law Enforcement, Fire, Communications, EMS, and Corrections.

Register today at the link below:
https://access.gpstc.org/student/classes/details?gpstcCode=MC2761

It is important that volunteer fire departments are aware of how OSHA’s proposed Emergency Response Standard would impact them. Join the NVFC for a free webinar on Thursday at 2pm ET to hear directly from OSHA staff about how volunteers would be affected.

Register: https://bit.ly/050924-webinar

Beginning May 1, the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) open burning ban will be in effect for 54 Georgia counties. The ban, which has been in place every summer since 2005, affects many of the counties in north and central Georgia (a full list is shown below).

The burn ban prohibits citizens and businesses from burning yard and land-clearing debris during the summer ozone season, which runs from May 1 through September 30. This is in addition to the year-round, statewide prohibition against burning household garbage in Georgia. Recreational activities such as campfires and grilling are exempt from the open burning ban.

According to James Boylan, Chief of the EPD Air Protection Branch, “Smoke from open burning includes small particles and gaseous air pollutants that can form ground-level ozone. Particulate pollution can cause chronic heart diseases and ground-level ozone can cause inflammation of the lungs, especially in children and people with asthma.” When open burning creates smoky conditions, reducing exposure is important for everyone’s health. Things you can do to reduce your exposure to smoke are listed at https://www.airnow.gov/sites/default/files/2021-07/protect-yourself-from....

Citizens can access more information on the open burning ban by visiting https://epd.georgia.gov/air-protection-branch/open-burning-rules-georgia, or by calling the EPD District Office serving their area.

Counties included in the ban and contact information for the corresponding EPD District Office are as follows:

Mountain District Office (Atlanta): 404-362-2671 Carroll, Clayton, Coweta, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Fulton, Gwinnett, Heard, Henry, Rockdale, and Spalding counties.

Northeast District Office (Athens): 706-369-6376 Banks, Barrow, Butts, Clarke, Hall, Jackson, Jasper, Madison, Morgan, Newton, Oconee, Putnam, and Walton counties.

East Central District Office (Augusta): 706-667-4343 Columbia and Richmond counties.

West Central District Office (Macon): 478-751-6612 Bibb, Crawford, Houston, Jones, Lamar, Monroe, Peach, Pike, Twiggs, Upson, Meriwether, and Troup counties.

Mountain District Office (Cartersville): 770-387-4900 Bartow, Catoosa, Chattooga, Cherokee, Cobb, Dawson, Floyd, Forsyth, Gordon, Haralson, Lumpkin, Paulding, Pickens, Polk, and Walker counties.

For more information about alternatives to burning, such as composting and chipping, please visit https://epd.georgia.gov/air-protection-branch/open-burning-rules-georgia....

Debris can also be hauled to a commercial processing/grinding/composting operation or to an inert or construction and demolition landfill. For a list of landfills in your area, please call EPD’s Solid Waste Management Program at 404-362-2692 and/or visit the Land Protection Branch website for more details: http://epd.georgia.gov/land-protection-branch.

Some Georgia counties and cities have burning restrictions that are more stringent than the EPD open burning ban. EPD recommends that citizens check with their local Fire Marshall before conducting any burning.

Open Burning After the Burn Ban Ends

For citizens seeking to burn hand-piled, natural vegetation collected onsite (e.g., yard debris and leaf piles) after the EPD open burning ban concludes, the Georgia Forestry Commission (GFC) no longer requires permits for this activity. Instead, the following five safety precautions are required:

Burn location must be no less than 25 feet from any woodlands, forestland or field that contains brush, grass, or other flammable material.

Burn location must be no less than 50 feet from structures, which includes homes, outbuildings, sheds, and barns.

Burning must take place between sunrise and sunset.

Person responsible must attend burning at all times until the fire is completely extinguished and there is no risk for burning to escape control.

Person responsible must take reasonable and necessary precautions to prevent fire escape or spread from the original location.

GFC Permits for any other types of burning (e.g., silviculture, agriculture, and land-clearing) should be obtained by contacting your county GFC office. You can find your county GFC office here: https://gatrees.org/about/county-contacts/.

Happy International Firefighters Day! Today, we salute those who run in when others run out. Thank you for your service to your community.

Learn how you can become a volunteer firefighter at https://makemeafirefighter.org/!

Join the NVFC for a FREE hazmat train-the-trainer event on June 15-16 in Sebastopol, CA. Attendees will learn how to train others in their department and community on hazmat safety and response. No previous instructional experience is required!

Register: https://bit.ly/ca-hazmat

Assessment Launching May 1: How Ready is Your Fire/EMS Department for Pediatric Care? The National Prehospital Pediatric Readiness Project offers free tools and resources to help fire, EMS, and rescue agencies become pediatric ready.

Fire Service Leaders,

Please help us spread the word about a very important upcoming two-day symposium entitled "Come in from the Rain: Taking Care of Ourselves", a symposium focused on behavioral and mental health of public safety employees. This event will focus on practices of resiliency to protect ourselves from the harmful effects of everyday work and life events and provide resources to address issues

Hey NEGA here is one chance of several being offered around us, come on out Rabun County Fire Services White County Public Safety Toccoa Fire Department Stephens County Emergency Management, Georgia Hall County Fire Rescue

📢 Friday Presenter Spotlight! Over a dozen incredible speakers will present at this year's SEAFC Leadership Conference. REGISTER and come learn what it takes to Lead, Develop, and Achieve in today's fire service 🔥🔥. Salvatore J. Scarpa CFO, EFO

Register today!

https://lnkd.in/eTZHhhpP

ATTN women in the fire service: the U.S. Fire Administration’s National Fire Academy, in partnership with Women In Fire, will host their second annual Women’s Weekend on June 15-16. Classes are free of charge, and lodging is provided at no cost to personnel from volunteer or career departments.

Learn more and apply at https://bit.ly/489ZNl2!

Please find attached the letter addressed to our legislators concerning HB 451, which is being sent out today.

This letter has been prepared following a survey conducted among our membership, with 70% voting to withdraw support for the bill.

Hello All,

Please consider this invitation for the upcoming Georgia Firefighter Appreciation & Awards Luncheon happening next month (see attached). GFBF is hosting this occasion to express gratitude to fire service members across the state, and this will be a great opportunity to come together for an enjoyable afternoon of fellowship with friends & family… and of course a delightful hot meal “smiles”.



FRIDAY, APRIL 19, 2024, | 12 Noon

GEORGIA FIREFIGHTER APPRECIATION & AWARDS LUNCHEON
Emory Conference Center Hotel
1615 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, Georgia 30329



This fun & inspirational complementary event includes raffle prizes and free onsite parking!

12:00pm – Doors open, time for reconnection and networking.

12:30pm – Lunch buffet opens, featuring southern delicacies including fried chicken, meatloaf, desserts and all the fix’ins!

1:00pm – 2:30 – Program includes burn survivor story sharing, fire service & supporter acknowledgements, awards for the Give Burns the Boot® Campaign 2023 (we encourage departments that participated in the 2023 Boot Drive fundraising initiatives, to have a representative in attendance to receive awards of appreciation).

Excitement is running high for this occasion to pay tribute to the courageous men and women comprising Georgia's outstanding fire service! Feel free to share this invitation throughout your department and with other fire personnel/colleagues. Don’t hesitate to reach out to Venessa Walker for questions or concerns. [email protected]

Please RSVP by Friday April 12, anticipated attendee numbers are very helpful in preparations for a successful event.



Dennis J. Gardin, Executive Director

Georgia Firefighters Burn Foundation

2575 Chantilly Drive, NE

Atlanta, GA 30324

HELP, HOPE & HEALING BEYOND THE BURN!

www.gfbf.org

Need drinking water to keep your crew hydrated during wildfires and other long incidents? APPLY NOW to receive clean, canned drinking water through Anheuser-Busch's Emergency Drinking Water for Wildland Firefighters Program, in partnership with the NVFC!

Applications are due March 31.

https://bit.ly/3TlH0gh