Volunteer fire departments receive get-a-grip gloves

by Featured NewsProducts

PH&S Products, LLC (PH&S), in partnership with the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC), has provided 100 NVFC members with GET-A-GRIP Gloves for their volunteer fire departments through the 2022 “Glove On!” Giveaway.

The giveaway saw each department given two dispenser boxes (up to 50 pairs of gloves per box) to enhance responder health and safety.

Gloves are an important part of a responders’ personal protective gear as they provide hand protection against substances that may be encountered during emergency response.

GET-A-GRIP gloves have been permeation tested against fentanyl, heroin, and gastric acid, and the super tough nitrile compound provides abrasion resistance and protection.

NVFC chair Steve Hirsch said: “Emergency responders answer the call to all types of incidents, and keeping them safe is a top priority for the NVFC. It is critical that our first responders have the resources they need to safely respond where hazardous or toxic exposures might be a concern.

“We are grateful to PH&S Products for their support and providing our volunteer fire departments with these protective gloves.”

PH&S Products general manager Brett Sarbach said: “PH&S Products is proud to be able to aid in the safety of first responders. We are glad to offer gloves that protect our front-line workers from fentanyl and also heroin and gastric acid. In addition, the strength and two-tone construction are other benefits to the first responders. Glove ON!”

To be eligible to enter the giveaway, departments had to be over 50 percent volunteer, serve a population of 25,000 or less, be located in the U.S., and the applicant or department chief had to be a member of the NVFC. Recipients were randomly selected after the entry period closed.

NVFC members are eligible for a five percent discount on GET-A-GRIP Gloves and free shipping until December 31.

NVFC awarded grant from Motorola Solutions Foundation

by Featured NewsTraining

The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC), the association representing the volunteer fire, emergency medical, and rescue services, has received a grant for $25,000 from the Motorola Solutions Foundation, the charitable arm of Motorola Solutions.

This is the seventh consecutive grant the NVFC has received from the Motorola Solutions Foundation to support training initiatives.

NVFC has said it will use the grant to prepare first responders across the US to serve their communities in a safer, more efficient manner through online and in-person training courses.

The grant will enable the NVFC to develop a new course as well as offer existing courses in its catalogue for free to the volunteer emergency services community. The training covers critical topics including health, safety, preparedness, leadership development, and retention and recruitment, among others.

NVFC chair Steve Hirsch said: “Training is consistently the number one resource that our members request. With the varying schedules of volunteer firefighters and limited resources of departments, online training is a pivotal tool in enhancing the knowledge and awareness of responders on an array of topics that will increase their safety and effectiveness.

“We are grateful to the Motorola Solutions Foundation for supporting the NVFC and our efforts to provide greater training access to our nation’s volunteer firefighters, EMS providers, and rescue workers.”

Karem Perez, executive director of the Motorola Solutions Foundation added: “The Motorola Solutions Foundation is proud to partner with organizations like the NVFC that share our values and passion for driving positive change in the community.

“We believe in the work that the NVFC is doing and look forward to seeing their continued impact.”

NVFC mourns passing of legislative chief Dave Finger

by Featured NewsPeople

The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) has announced the passing of chief of legislative and regulatory affairs Dave Finger, who lost his battle with pancreatic cancer on 3 June.

“Dave was a true asset to the NVFC and a friend to all who knew him,” said NVFC CEO Sarah Lee. “Whether working on legislation, answering difficult inquiries, advising the board, or any number of other tasks, he was a respected voice people listened to and learned from. He faced his cancer battle just like he did everything else in his life – with strength, dignity, and his signature humor. It is with the heaviest of hearts that we say goodbye to Dave, but his memory, legacy, and the impact of his work will live on.”

NVFC’s official statement said that Finger dedicated his career to utilising political advocacy to make a difference and impact positive change for the fire and emergency services community. He received his bachelor’s degree in political economy at Michigan State University and his master’s degree in legislative affairs from The George Washington University. Prior to joining the NVFC, he was the lead staffer on first responder issues for the Research and Technology Subcommittee of the U.S. House of Representatives Science, Space, and Technology Committee.

During his tenure at NFVC, he tackled many issues to represent the interests of volunteer responders on Capitol Hill, with regulatory agencies, and as NVFC staff liaison for 20 NFPA standards-setting committees. He also facilitated numerous NVFC board committees as well as the EMS/Rescue Section. The NVFC staff and board routinely sought his advice and expertise on governmental and regulatory matters. He brought a depth of knowledge and insight to his role that resulted in numerous victories for the volunteer. He was always ready to step up to a challenge and was skilled at working with other groups and organisations to amplify messages and make the biggest impact.

National Volunteer Fire Council appoints Deputy CEO

by Featured NewsPeople

The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) has announced that Dr. Candice McDonald will join staff as deputy chief executive officer.

In this role, she will assist CEO Sarah Lee in managing the internal operations of the NVFC, including grants oversight, budget development, organisational planning, and more.  

“We are very excited for Dr. Candice McDonald to join the NVFC as a key part of our staff leadership team,” said Lee. “Candice brings a myriad of experience and expertise that will help the NVFC grow and move our initiatives forward. I am confident she will be an asset to our team and to the emergency responder community that we serve.”  

McDonald’s involvement in the NVFC dates to 2010, when she became one of the organisation’s first Fire Corps State Advocates. In addition to her work with Fire Corps, she has served as an instructor for the NVFC, facilitated webinars and online events, written numerous articles, and provided subject matter expertise in various areas. 

McDonald holds a doctorate in business administration with a specialty in homeland security, a master’s degree in organisational leadership, and a bachelor’s degree in organizational management. She also has an extensive professional background in marketing.

She currently works as a federal special agent for NASA in the Office of Protective Services, where she utilizes skills including grant and project management, budgeting, and staff management. In addition, she is an adjunct professor at Eastern Gateway Community College, serves as a recruitment and retention expert for the U.S. Fire Administration, and has taught recruitment and retention courses across the U.S.  

McDonald has been active in the volunteer fire and emergency services for almost two decades, serving as a volunteer firefighter, EMS chief officer, instructor, and fire inspector. She is the incoming president of the Cumberland Valley Volunteer Firemen’s Association, a trustee for Women in Fire, and a member of the FDIC/Fire Engineering Advisory Board. 

Deadline closing in on Heather Schafer Memorial Scholarship

by Featured NewsPeople

This Heather Schafer Memorial Scholarship is set to recognise exemplary emerging leaders in public safety who are committed to improving the fire and emergency services in the areas of health, safety, recruitment and retention, department culture, and emergency response. Four recipients will each receive up to $1,500 to attend one of the NVFC’s training conferences in 2022.

This scholarship honors the legacy of longtime NVFC CEO Heather Schafer and is designed to assist the recipient’s professional growth as an emergency volunteer fire and emergency service leader through educational and networking opportunities offered through the NVFC’s training events and conferences.

Candidates must have made an exemplary impact at their local level by demonstrating leadership in one of the following ways:

  • Promoting and supporting projects or activities that have positively impacted health and safety within their department.
  • Assisting in the development of a sound recruitment/retention plan for their department or region.
  • Participating in actions or activities that have measurably improved the emergency response capability of their department.
  • Contributed to an innovative solution that has improved the culture of the department in ways that relate to improved health, safety, recruitment and/or retention, and emergency response.

The scholarship covers the cost of the registration fee, airfare (or mileage), meals, and lodging, up to $1,500, to a designated NVFC training event. In 2022, two scholarships will be awarded for the Health & Safety Training Summit and two scholarships will be awarded for the Recruitment and Retention Experience.

Eligible candidates must meet the following criteria:

  • Candidate must be 18 or older.
  • Candidate must be a member of the National Volunteer Fire Council.
  • Candidate must be an active volunteer fire or emergency service responder or have served a significant role in the volunteer fire and emergency service community.
  • A candidate for the Heather Schafer Memorial Scholarship cannot nominate him/herself. An application must be submitted by an individual who possesses a strong understanding of the candidate’s contributions to the fire and emergency services at their local level.
  • Candidate cannot be a previous recipient of the Heather Schafer Memorial Scholarship.


Nominations for the Heather Schafer Memorial Scholarship should be submitted online and include:

  • Letter of Nomination: The nomination letter must demonstrate how the actions or achievements of the candidate have made an exemplary, positive impact at the local level in advancing the capabilities of the department in health, safety, recruitment, retention, department culture, or emergency response. This statement should focus on specific activities and outcomes, including metrics when available, and specifically address the scholarship goals that are met by this candidate. Max length: 1000 words.
  • Letter of Support: A letter of support signed by the department president and/or chief is required.
  • Additional Materials (optional): Accompanying materials, such as additional letters of support, can be included in the application; however, the selection committee will place special emphasis on the aforementioned letters of nomination and support, which should convey how the candidate’s contributions have addressed any of the four goals described above.

NVFC and Anheuser-Busch to hydrate US fire volunteers

by Featured NewsPeople

The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) has joined hands with Anheuser-Busch to provide hydration to volunteer fire departments responding to wildfires.

For the fourth year running the initiative, which is held under the name of the Emergency Drinking Water for Wildland Firefighters programme, will help volunteer departments that struggle with limited budget and resources.

The programme is an expansion of Anheuser-Busch’s longstanding tradition of providing emergency drinking water and supplies for disaster relief efforts. Anheuser-Busch is continuing its commitment in 2022 by pledging to donate 1.5 million cans of clean drinking water to help keep wildland firefighters hydrated as they protect and strengthen their communities.

Since the program began in 2019, nearly 4.9 million cans of water have been distributed to more than 960 departments across 49 states.

To apply for the emergency drinking water, departments must be based in the USA, annually respond to wildfires, be over 50% volunteer, and serve a population of 25,000 or less. Departments in declared emergencies due to wildfire will also be able to request water outside of the application period to help with their immediate wildfire response needs. The application period is open through March 15 and can be applied for on www.nvfc.org/water.

NVFC partners with DRONERESPONDERS to help America’s Volunteer Fire and Emergency Services

by Americas - Projects

The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC), the non-profit membership association representing the interests of the volunteer fire, EMS, and rescue services, has announced a partnership with DRONERESPONDERS – the world’s fastest growing program supporting public safety – to help coordinate, cooperate, and co-promote efforts to enhance the use of drones in the pursuit of public safety.

Drone Operations

The memorandum of understanding outlines the key initiatives under which the NVFC and DRONERESPONDERS will collaborate together to assist America’s volunteer fire, EMS, and rescue services in adopting and perfecting the use of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) to help save lives.

“Our members are increasingly interested in learning more about how they can use drones to enhance their ability to serve the public,” said Steve Hirsch, chair of the NVFC. “At the same time, we are also hearing concerns from members about privately operated drones interfering with their operations. Our partnership with DRONERESPONDERS will focus on both of these issues, providing information to the volunteer emergency services about drone operations, and educating public safety and the public in general about the benefits and challenges associated with drone use at emergency scenes.”

Aerial First Responders

The partnership works towards the common goal of enhancing public safety and furthering the capabilities of emergency responders. DRONERESPONDERS was created to unite aerial first responders, emergency managers, and search and rescue specialists to maximize drone operations for public safety. With volunteers comprising 65 percent of the nation’s fire service, it is important to educate this segment of the emergency responder community on this growing technology. It could also benefit departments struggling to meet staffing needs by helping them be more effective and efficient in their operations.

“Volunteer firefighters are the backbone of our nation’s fire service, providing life-safety services across most smaller towns and rural communities in the U.S.,” said Charles Werner, director of DRONERESPONDERS and retired fire chief from Charlottesville, VA. “Drones represent an amazing new capability to help these departments conduct a wide-array of operations, ranging from search and rescue missions to structure fires to HAZMAT incidents.”

Drones For Good

Werner says DRONERESPONDERS and the NVFC will work together to provide resources to help volunteer fire departments adopt and implement Drones For Good™, a program designed to utilise unmanned aviation capabilities in disaster response.