http://www.nmfirechiefs.com/ee/index.php/site/index/ "Serving Those Who Protect" en ljaramillo@nmml.org Copyright 2009 2009-09-09T13:04:00-07:00 http://www.nmfirechiefs.com/ee/index.php/site/serving_those_who_protect/ http://www.nmfirechiefs.com/ee/index.php/site/serving_those_who_protect/#When:16:39:01Z Welcome to the New Mexico Fire Chief's Association Website.The New Mexico Fire Chiefs Association is a subsection of New Mexico Municipal League whose membership is comprised of all incorporated municipalities in the state.  Additionally, the League sponsors groups of professionals from several areas of municipal government.  These groups include Fire Chiefs, Police Chiefs, City Clerks, Finance Officers, City Attorneys, City Managers, Municipal Judges, Public Works Officials, Zoning Officials and Airport Managers, just to name a few.  In fact, there are currently 14 such professional groups that are called “Subsections” at the League. Each of these professional organizations are formed under the overall aegis of the New Mexico Municipal League and have their own Bylaws and/or Constitutions, which spell out, among other things, their mission, how officers are elected, what their dues are and other relevant information for the groups functions.  Each subsection must have their Bylaws approved by the Municipal League’s Board of Directors in order to become operational.  More information on NMML Subsections. Subsections.doc Announcements 2006-12-19T16:39:01-07:00 http://www.nmfirechiefs.com/ee/index.php/site/nmfca_annual_business_meeting/ http://www.nmfirechiefs.com/ee/index.php/site/nmfca_annual_business_meeting/#When:13:04:00Z A meeting of the New Mexico Fire Chiefs Association (NMFCA) is scheduled to be held on Wednesday September 30, 2009 at 4:30 pm at the Convention Center in Ruidoso, New Mexico. Please plan on being there! A business meeting, including the election of a president and a board member is on the agenda as well as reports from statewide fire service boards and commissions. A full agenda is available on the NMFCA website www.nmfirechiefs.com. In accordance with the Constitution & By-Laws of the NMFCA (Article III, Section 2, 08/03), municipal fire departments: in good standing and in attendance at a meeting shall be entitled to cast a single vote in the name of the municipality. Non-municipal fire departments (such as county, tribal, and other governmental subdivisions of the State of New Mexico): within each county may combine into one “county entity.” The “county entity” must designate a Fire Chief, Fire Marshal, or other Chief Officer (with 2 to 5 crossed trumpets) and submit that name to the New Mexico Municipal League liaison as its designated “voting representative” at least 7 (seven) days prior to the annual meeting.  Each county entity in good standing and in attendance at a meeting shall be entitled to cast a single vote in the name of the county entity. Please remember that the payment of subsection dues must be current in order to maintain “good standing” status. Announcements 2009-09-09T13:04:00-07:00 http://www.nmfirechiefs.com/ee/index.php/site/news/wills_for_heroes/ http://www.nmfirechiefs.com/ee/index.php/site/news/wills_for_heroes/#When:13:08:01Z The Need The events of September 11, 2001, remind us of the extraordinary, daily sacrifices made by emergency first responders and public safety personnel.  These individuals selflessly devote their lives to serving their communities and are prepared to pay the ultimate price in the line of duty.  Paradoxically, an overwhelmingly large number of first responders do not have even simple estate plans.  Despite the minute-by-minute, day-to-day risks they face, approximately 80-90% of first responders do not have a Will.  (This figure is based only on experiential data and feedback from first responder organizations such as the 100 Club of Arizona.  We are unaware of any agency or organization that does or can track this type of information.) Understanding this dynamic requires some understanding of the first responder psyche.  For many, thinking about and executing a Will is surrendering to the inevitable.  It is an uncomfortable reminder and realization of the imminent dangers of their jobs and mortality.  The relatively low number of first responders with Wills also speaks to the selflessness of first responders; the very nature of their profession is to think of others first, to put the good of the community before themselves.  Former Tucson Police Department commander and current 100 Club of Arizona Vice President Bob Easton put it best when he recently said, “It’s kind of like NASCAR drivers who never go to the hospital.” Like professional racecar drivers who avoid going to the hospital to protect their self-confidence, avoiding the thought of ‘what happens if I die’ is, for many first responders, an occupational necessity. The Program Wills for Heroes is unlike many other clinic or pro bono programs because we bring the program to the first responders’ doorstep.  Working with department coordinators, Wills for Heroes provides this free service by bringing together the first responder with attorneys, laptop computers, witnesses and notaries at a department station, training facility or headquarters on a predetermined Saturday.  The department’s sole responsibilities are to provide the meeting space and coordinate the appointments.  Although some unions and employee organizations offer free or reduced fee estate planning services, no service like Wills for Heroes exists in the U.S. In advance of the Wills for Heroes event, participants download and complete an estate planning questionnaire.  By receiving the questionnaire ahead of time, participants are able to think through a number of important decisions and discuss them with their spouse, partner, or other trusted friends. Upon arrival at the Wills for Heroes event, the first responder signs in and reads and executes a disclaimer.  The participant is assigned to an attorney who examines the questionnaire and inputs the information into laptops loaded with the document assembly software platform HotDocs® by LexisNexis.  The attorney reviews the draft estate planning documents with the first responder participant to ensure that they fully understand and agree to what they are executing.  After the document is explained and any corrections made, the documents are signed, witnessed and notarized in a formal signing ceremony.  On average, the first responder walks out with their estate planning documents in one hour. The Wills for Heroes participant keeps the original estate planning documents and their estate planning questionnaire.  The Wills for Heroes program does not keep a copy of the participant’s documents or information. For more information please visit the Wills for Heroes Foundation Website. 2007-09-07T13:08:01-07:00 http://www.nmfirechiefs.com/ee/index.php/articles/fullstory/gunfire_at_christmas_morning_structure_fire_from_firehouse_magazine/ http://www.nmfirechiefs.com/ee/index.php/articles/fullstory/gunfire_at_christmas_morning_structure_fire_from_firehouse_magazine/#When:13:05:00Z by Tom Aurnhammer On Christmas morning 2003, the Los Pinos Fire Protection District, located in southwestern Colorado, responded to a well-developed structure fire involving a sniper. First-arriving police officers and a volunteer firefighter in his personal vehicle thought they were being hit by shrapnel and ammunition coming from the fire. No one initially thought they were being shot at. 2009-02-20T13:05:00-07:00 http://www.nmfirechiefs.com/ee/index.php/articles/fullstory/creating_a_tradition_of_safety/ http://www.nmfirechiefs.com/ee/index.php/articles/fullstory/creating_a_tradition_of_safety/#When:11:46:00Z BY THOMAS W. AURNHAMMER THE FIRE SERVICE HAS MANY GOOD TRADITIONS. They include serving our communities, wearing our uniforms, the historical symbols that designate rank and office, the brotherhood and sisterhood among members, and the good standing we hold in our communities. 2009-02-20T11:46:00-07:00 http://www.nmfirechiefs.com/ee/index.php/articles/fullstory/preparing_for_the_ultimate_scenario/ http://www.nmfirechiefs.com/ee/index.php/articles/fullstory/preparing_for_the_ultimate_scenario/#When:17:14:00Z - Long before the rest of the country, New Mexico responders had to confront the dangers of radioactive incidents and WMD events. What they learned can help all responders who have to face the most dangerous form of emergency. Cover Story - "HS Today", December 2006 By Chief David Pasquale 2007-01-18T17:14:00-07:00 http://www.nmfirechiefs.com/ee/index.php/articles/fullstory/marketing_your_fire_department/ http://www.nmfirechiefs.com/ee/index.php/articles/fullstory/marketing_your_fire_department/#When:00:05:00Z - Putting the Pieces Together - Thomas W. Aurnhammer, EFO, Fire Chief, Farmington Fire Department - Published in American Fire Journal 2006-12-28T00:05:00-07:00 http://www.nmfirechiefs.com/ee/index.php/articles/fullstory/addressing_the_fire_fighter_arson_problem/ http://www.nmfirechiefs.com/ee/index.php/articles/fullstory/addressing_the_fire_fighter_arson_problem/#When:00:02:00Z - By Thomas W. Aurnhammer, EFO, CFI, Fire Chief, Farmington, NM - Published in the March, 2002, issue of The Voice, a publication of the International Society of Fire Service Instructors 2006-12-28T00:02:00-07:00 http://www.nmfirechiefs.com/ee/index.php/articles/fullstory/mission_statement_storyteller/ http://www.nmfirechiefs.com/ee/index.php/articles/fullstory/mission_statement_storyteller/#When:00:00:00Z - Chief Thomas Aurnhammer, EFO, Farmington (N.M.) Fire Department, Fire Chief - Published in Fire Chief Magazine, January 2002 2006-12-28T00:00:00-07:00 http://www.nmfirechiefs.com/ee/index.php/articles/fullstory/personnel_evaluations_are_we_being_effective/ http://www.nmfirechiefs.com/ee/index.php/articles/fullstory/personnel_evaluations_are_we_being_effective/#When:23:29:00Z - Performance appraisals can be as awkward to give as to receive, yet they're invaluable to the employee and to the department. - By Thomas W. Aurnhammer, Fire Marshal, Farmington (N.M.) Fire Department - Published in Fire Chief Magazine, August 1996 2006-12-27T23:29:00-07:00 http://www.nmfirechiefs.com/ee/index.php/articles/fullstory/fresh_heirs/ http://www.nmfirechiefs.com/ee/index.php/articles/fullstory/fresh_heirs/#When:22:41:00Z - Anticipating a wave of retirements, this department started up a professional-development program that encourages personnel from firefighters through captains to prepare for positions one or even two steps above their current ranks. - Thomas W Aurnhammer, Fire Marshal, Farmington (N.M.) Fire Department - Published in Fire Chief Magazine, September 1994 2006-12-27T22:41:00-07:00 http://www.nmfirechiefs.com/ee/index.php/site/training/fire_and_life_safety_plan_review/ http://www.nmfirechiefs.com/ee/index.php/site/training/fire_and_life_safety_plan_review/#When:15:13:00Z December 14-19, 2009 The National Fire Academy and the New Mexico Firefighters Training Academy Present Fire and Life Safety Plan Review December 14-19, 2009 New Mexico Firefighters Training Academy 600 Aspen, Socorro New Mexico 2009-10-23T15:13:00-07:00 http://www.nmfirechiefs.com/ee/index.php/site/training/2009_fire_academy_training_schedule/ http://www.nmfirechiefs.com/ee/index.php/site/training/2009_fire_academy_training_schedule/#When:16:49:00Z 2/12/2009 2009 Fire Academy training schedule: http://www.nmprc.state.nm.us/fireacademy/pdf/2009CourseCalendar.pdf 2009-02-12T16:49:00-07:00