Exciting news! The 2023 Kansas State Fire Chief's Association Conference registration is now open. The Manhattan Fire Department is thrilled to have the KSAFC conference come to our community Nov. 2-4, 2023. We are changing a few things up this year and are looking forward to having a great conference.
On Thursday, we will be hosting another Fire Chief's Roundtable like the one Chief Llewellyn and Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical just hosted. Friday will be our normal conference activities including agency updates, officer elections (both president and vice-president), and our annual business meeting. Saturday we are partnering with our neighbors with NBAF (National Bio-Agro Defense Facility) and the FBI JTTF to bring to attendees an Agroterrorism Workshop.
In addition to the conference, we are hosting Fire Chief John Norman, FDNY ret., for a two-day class aimed at first due Chiefs in charge at a fire. We are hoping this class attracts some newer Chief Officers, and even Company Officers, that otherwise may not come to the conference. Attendees of the conference can attend the first day of the Chief Norman's class if they choose.
More details about the conference including the spouse's program will be posted to the KSAFC website soon.
Below is the link for registration for both the Conference and Chief Norman's class including more information. We are glad to be partnering with Kansas Fire Rescue Technical Institute for the class, and they are handling the registration for both the class and conference.
Please share this announcement with others and plan to join us at the 2023 KSAFC Conference.
The most recent fire chief’s roundtable was held in Lawrence August 3rd. This event was a great opportunity for us to network, learn, and discuss current and upcoming issues facing our profession.
The topics that we covered were wide-ranging, but some of the highlights included:
· The use of artificial intelligence (AI) and digital assistants in the fire service
· The future of MABAS (mutual aid)
· Legislative topics that are important to the fire service
· The pros and cons of promoting firefighters to just fill positions
· The feasibility of implementing a 36-hour work week
The level of discussion and participation at the roundtable was unprecedented. It was clear that everyone was passionate about the fire service and eager to share their ideas. Thanks to Chief Llewellyn from Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical for his and his staff's hospitality. They did a wonderful job of hosting us and making us feel welcome.
Special thanks to Troy Tabor from WSU for the really great presentation on A.I. and digital assistants.
We know many of you were unable to attend the roundtable due to scheduling conflicts. We are sorry that you missed out. The roundtable was a truly unique and valuable experience that will benefited from.
The discussions were lively and thought-provoking, and attendees came away with a renewed sense of purpose and commitment to the fire service. We also learned a great deal about the latest trends and technologies that are shaping our profession.
If you are able to attend the next fire chiefs roundtable, we highly encourage you to do so. It is an event that you will not want to miss. The next roundtable will be in Manhattan on November 2 at the KSAFC conference. You (and your staff) should get registered for the conference as soon as the details are released. This is going to be a GREAT conference!
If you want to learn more or have any questions or suggestions -- reach out to District 6 Representative Chad Russell.
