The National Volunteer Fire Council held its annual spring board meeting in Arlington, Va., at the end of March. Representatives from 40 state fire associations, corporate members and special guests attended. The board addressed a range of issues including legislative priorities, the strategic plan, emergency medical services and the Hometown Heroes Survivors Benefit Act.

According to an NVFC press release, nearly 20 committees met on topics from membership, EMS and disaster relief to standards, legislation, volunteer advocacy and homeland security. Board members also took advantage of the location near Washington, D.C., to advocate the NVFC’s legislative priorities to U.S. senators and representatives.

During the meeting, the board voted to reorder the NVFC’s legislative priorities as follows:

1. Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program
2. Volunteer Responder Incentive Protection Act (H.R. 943)
3. Volunteer Firefighter and EMS Job Protection Act (H.R. 1643)
4. U.S. Fire Administration funding
5. Fire Sprinkler Incentive Act (S. 582)
6. Length-of-service award programs
7. Supporting Emergency Responders Volunteer Efforts Act
8. Good Samaritan Volunteer Firefighter Assistance Act

In addition, the board added the Volunteer Emergency Responder Fair Mileage Act of 2007 (H.R. 606), the Firefighters Special Operations Task Force Act of 2007 (H.R. 1351), and the 911 Comprehensive Health Benefits Act of 2007 (H.R. 1247) to the NVFC’s list of monitored items.

Guest speakers included several members of Congress and other high-ranking officials. During the Capitol Hill Kick-Off on the meeting’s opening night, Reps. Bob Etheridge (D-N.C.), Sam Graves (R-Mo.) John Larson (D-Conn.) and Dave Reichert (R-Wash.), along with Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.) addressed the NVFC Board and pledged their continued support of the volunteer fire and emergency services.

The spring meeting reception on March 28 featured several prominent guests, including U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters; Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator R. David Paulison; and Liz DiGregorio, acting director, Office of Community Preparedness, Office of Grants and Training, Department of Homeland Security, Citizen Corps. Peters expressed her thanks to volunteer emergency responders for their service and discussed the steps DOT is taking to strengthen the safety of both responders and civilians. "Every one of you is in the same business as I am — safety," Peters said.

Paulison took the opportunity to address the challenges FEMA has faced and assured the audience that recent changes and adjustments will make FEMA a new organization that is more nimble, responsive and unbureaucratic. He also encouraged all departments to take advantage of the Fire Corps program and to ensure that each department and community is ready to respond to emergencies.

DiGregorio spoke about the history and importance of Fire Corps, from its inception to its current status of having almost 600 programs with 8,000 volunteers. The speech marked DiGregorio’s final speech before she retired from the Department of Homeland Security and her position with Citizen Corps. “I can’t think of a better way to round out my career than to speak to the heroes here tonight,” she said, later adding, “I could not have had the successes without you.”

Elections were held for each NVFC office as well as the Executive Committee. The leadership for the 2007–2009 term is:

• Chair: Philip C. Stittleburg, Wisconsin State Firefighters Association
• First Vice Chair: Norm Hoeft, Nebraska State Volunteer Firefighters Association
• Second Vice Chair: Jack Carriger, Oregon Volunteer Firefighters Association
• Secretary/Treasurer: Allen Metheny, Delaware Volunteer Firemen’s Association

The executive committee is composed of:

• Jeff Cash, North Carolina State Firemen’s Association
• Pat Hlavaty, State Firemen’s and State Fire Marshals’ Association of Texas
• Phil Sayer, Fire Fighters Association of Missouri
• Paul Wilcox, Michigan State Firemen’s Association
• Jim Williams, Firemen’s Association of the State of New York