cffca-new

U.S. Flag with CFFCA Logo
Welcome to the Central Florida Fire Chiefs' Association Web Site for your browsing pleasure. We hope you find our award winning web site informative and useful to your particular needs and interests.

Current News and
Special Announcements

CFFCA Meeting and Program
Thursday, November 9th, 2023

The CFFCA held its monthly meeting and program at the Hilton Altamonte Springs on Thursday, November 9th, 2023.

Forty-nine [49] attendees were present for the After-Action Report presented by Orange County Fire Rescue Department on their Fireworks Warehouse Fire Incident.

[Click on Below Images to Enlarge]

CFFCA Meeting
3rd Alarm Partner Showcase
Thursday, October 12th, 2023

The CFFCA held its Annual 3rd Alarm Partner Showcase at the Hilton Altamonte Springs on Thursday, October 12th, 2023.

Twenty-four [24] 3rd alarm partners participated in the showcase with ninety-one [91] in attendance consisting of twenty [20] Fire/EMS agencies.

Please visit our Gallery Page to browse the showcase photos...

[Click on Below Images to Enlarge]

CFFCA Meeting and Program
Thursday, September 14th, 2023

CFFCA Business Meeting and Program held at the Hilton Altamonte Springs on Thursday, September 14th, 2023.

[Click on Below Images to Enlarge]

The program was the Annual Agency Chiefs' Round Table Briefing on the current state of affairs of each reporting agency. Forty-seven were in attendance with 15 agencies participating in the annual briefing presentations.

Meeting photos can be found on our Gallery Page.

CFFCA Meeting and Program
Thursday, August 10th, 2023

CFFCA Business Meeting and Program held at the Hilton Altamonte Springs in the Royal Palm Ballroom on Thursday, August 10th, 2023. Fifty-Seven [57] attendees were present for the meeting.

Program presented by Edward Maerkl [OFD Bomb Squad] and Daniel Easter [CFIX Supervisory Analyst] on the Central Florida Intelligence Exchange [CFIX] and its many resources available to area fire departments within our region.

Special congrats and acknowledgements were extended to Retired Chief Jim White for his numerous years of CFFCA Board service and Chief LePere with Reedy Creek FD who is retiring on August 31st after 38 years of total career service.

[Click on Below Images to Enlarge]

[Click on Above Images to Enlarge]

CONGRATS ARE IN ORDER

Our CFFCA District 2 Director [Seminole] Fire Chief Michaeal Johansmeyer was elected as the Florida Fire Chiefs' Association East Central Regional Director at the FFCA EDC in Naples.

Mail Link

[Click on Above Image to Enlarge]

July 16th Luncheon at FFCA EDC Naples

[Click on Below Images to Enlarge]

The CFFCA hosted its Annual July Lunch Social in Naples [FL] on Sunday, July 16th at the Florida Fire Chiefs' Association's Executive Development Conference.

Forty-one [41] attendees were present , including FFCA Presidnet, FFCA Executive Director, FFCA EC Regional Director, Jim White FFCA Foundation Chair, and many others.

Special THANKS are extended to our lunch co-sponsors consisting of Bennett Fire Products, Co., Inc., CORE, Municipal Emergency Services, Municipal Fire Equipment Company, and REV RTC.

The regular CFFCA lunch/program meetings will resume on Thursday, August 10th, 2023 at our host site - Hilton Altamonte Springs.

CFFCA Meeting and Program
Thursday, April 13th, 2023

CFFCA Business Meeting and Program held at the Hilton Altamonte Springs in the Royal Palm Ballroom on Thursday, May 11th, 2023. Fifty-One [51] attendees were present for the meeting.

Program presented by Osceola County Fire Rescue Department on an After-Action Report "Large Nursery Supply Fire" operations and lessons learned.

[Click on Below Images to Enlarge]

[Click on Above Images to Enlarge]

VOTING LINK: https://www.ffca.org/ffca-2023-board-elections

[Click on Above Image to Enlarge]

CFFCA Meeting and Program
Thursday, April 13th, 2023

CFFCA Business Meeting and Program held at the Hilton Altamonte Springs in the Royal Palm Ballroom on Thursday, April 13th, 2023. Fifty-Seven [57] attendees were present for the meeting.

All outgoing CFFCA officers were recognized for their Board Service with a special service plaque award. Chief Will Watts was presented with his retirement plaque from the CFFCA for 22 years of service at Maitland Fire Rescue Department.

The program presentation was on Peer Support 3rd Alarm Toolkit Project with Tina O'Brien coordinating the presentation with Jeff Orrange and Dr. Kellie O'Dare of the 3rd Alarm Toolkit Project.

[Click on Below Photos to Enlarge]

[Click on Below Photos to Enlarge]

[Click on Below Photos to Enlarge]

CFFCA Meeting and Program
Thursday, March 9th, 2023

Installation of New CFFCA Officers 2023
Presentation of CFFCA Fire Chief Craig Haun Leadership Awards for 2021 and 2022
and FFCA East Central Regional Meeting

The CFFCA hosted the FFCA East Central Regional Meeting Update on March 9th at the Hilton Altamonte Springs. Meeting was very well attended with ninety-six [96] present.

[Click on Below Photos to Enlarge]

The Program consisted of Installation of New CFFCA Officers; Presentation of the 2021 and 2022 CFFCA Fire Chief Craig Haun Leadership Award; and FFCA EC Regional Update.

CONGRATS are in ORDER for our new 2023 Officers as sworn-in by CFFCA Chaplain Rick Spence: President – Chief Jim Walls; Vice President – Chief Mike Peters; District 1 Orange Director – Chief Sean Wylam; District 2 Seminole Director – Chief Mike Johansmeyer; and District 3 Osceola Director – Chief Larry Collier.

[Click on Below Photos to Enlarge]

[Click on Photos to Enlarge]

[Click on Above Photos to Enlarge]

A very SPECIAL CONGRATS to our CFFCA Chief Craig Haun Leadership Award recipients: CFFCA President Retired Chief John Miller – 2021 and Fire Chief Jim Dickerson Lake County Office of Fire Rescue – 2022. Awards were presented in the presence of Maria Haun, Chief Johansmeyer [Award Committee Chair] and Retired Chief Matt McGrew as the 2020 Award recipient.

CFFCA President John Miller handed the podium gavel to FFCA EC Director Chief Chuck Bogle who facilitated the EC Regional Report. Updates were presented by FFCA Board Officers and Section Chairs.

See our Gallery for all meeting photos.

CFFCA Rivership Dinner Cruise Social
Saturday, February 18th, 2023

The St. Johns Riverboat Co. located in Historic Downtown Sanford, Florida was our host for the evening. Situated on Lake Monroe, the Barbara-Lee Rivership is docked on Marina Island.

[Click on Below Photos to Enlarge]

[Click on Above Photos to Enlarge]

Fifty [50] were in attendance... Cruise included live entertainment and a multi-course meal consisting of appetizers, salad, your choice chef-prepared entrée, dessert, coffee and iced tea, along with a well-stocked bar and expert bartenders able to prepare whatever drinks were requested.

Please give a big SHOUT OUT of thanks to our sponsoring corporate partners Ten 8, CORE, United Badges, and Fisher Safety for their gracious contributions to significantly lower our event costs!

CFFCA Retiree Round-Up
and Election of New Officers 2023

CFFCA Business Meeting and Program held at the Hilton Altamonte Springs in the Royal Palm Ballroom on Thursday, February 9th, 2023. Forty-nine [49] attendees were present for the meeting.

Twelve [12] retirees were present and each gave a background on their fire service career and current happenings in retiree. The below group photo represents over 450 years of career service.

[Click on Below Photos to Enlarge]

A clean Slate of New Officers 2023 was presented by the Elections / Nominations Committee Chair. No opposing nominations were presented from the floor. Election of New Officers as follows with installation of each at the March 9th, 2023 meeting:

President: Jim Walls, Fire Chief Kissimmee [Running for Election];
District 1 Director Orange: Sean Wylam, Fire Chief Apopka [Running for Election]; District 3 Director Osceola: Larry Collier, Fire Chief Osceola County [Running for Election]...

Immediate Past President: John Miller, Fire Chief Retired [No Vote Needed]; Vice President Interim Appointment: Michael Peters, Fire Chief Longwood [Board Endorsement and Vote of Approval by Membership]; District 2 Director [Seminole] Interim Appointment: Michael Johansmeyer, Fire Chief Lake Mary [Board Endorsement and Vote of Approval by Membership]. CONGRATS to our New incoiming officers.

CFFCA Meeting and Program
Thursday, January 12th, 2023

Fentanyl Exposure FFs Down

Monthly CFFCA Meeting and Program held at the Hilton Altamonte Springs...

Program: Fentanyl Exposure FFs Down After-Action Report by Lake County Fire Rescue. Presenters were: Fire Chief Jim Dickerson, Division Chief Stephen Davis, Lieutenant Jeremy Searcy, and FF/Para Justin Scribner.

Forty-nine [49] were in attendance at this important "lessons learned" discussion opportunity...

[Click on Below Photos to Enlarge]

[Click on Below Photos to Enlarge]

CFFCA Corporate Partner Appreciation
Thursday, December 8th, 2022
Christmas Holiday Luncheon

Annual CFFCA Corprorate Partner Appreciation / Christmas Luncheon held at the Hilton Altamonte Springs.

Sixty-seven members and guests were present. Holiday musicial provided by Katie Pinder Brown, Piano Party.

Each corporate partner present was presented with a CFFCA custom ceramic tile w/ logo and year.

[Click on Below Photos to Enlarge]

CFFCA Leadership
Friday, October 14th, 2022
"LEADERSHIP IN TODAY'S FIRE SERVICE "

[Click on Below Photo to Enlarge]

Annual CFFCA Leadership Development Class "Leadership in Today's Fire Service presented by Tenzinga Performance Management Group.

Forty-six [46] personnel representing 16 agencies were in attendance at this day long professional development class held at the Altamonte Springs Hilton.

CFFCA Meeting and Program
Thursday, October 13th, 2022
"Annual 3rd Alarm Partner Showcase"

[Click on Below Photo to Enlarge]

Annual 3rd Alarm Partner Showcase held at the Altamonte Springs Hilton on October 13th, 2022.

Sixteen [16] 3rd alarm corporate partners were present to showcase their products and services. Seventy-eight [78] were in attendance for this very sucessful venue...

October 8th and 9th, 2022

CFFCA Meeting and Program
Thursday, September 8th, 2022
"Agency Chiefs Round Table Forum"

The monthly CFFCA business meeting and program held at the Hilton Altamonte Springs with 48 in attendance.

Program: Agency Chief Round Table Forum with 17 Agencies reporting past year accomplishments and future plans for the coming operational year.

Special Recognition of Chief John Williamson's Retirement from Orlando International Airport [OIA].

[Click on Below Photo to Enlarge]

CFFCA Meeting and Program
Thursday, August 11th, 2022
"Safe Haven for Newborns"

The CFFCA monthly luncheon and program held at the Hilton Altamonte Springs on Thursday, August 11th, 2022 with 29 in attendance.

PROGRAM: Safe Haven for Newborns Update
Presenter: Retired Fire Chief Lars White, Safe Haven for Newborns Fire Rescue Service Coordinator.

Chief White presented a brief overview of the statewide program including its history, milestones in newborn saves, current state stautes, and resources available to each agency.

See our Gallery for all meeting photos.

[Click on Below Photos to Enlarge]

Lars White - Safe Haven for Newborns 2022

Lars White Presentation of CFFCA Tile 2022

[Click on Below Photos to Enlarge]

CFFCA July Luncheon
FFCA EDC Naples Venue
Sunday, July 17th, 2022

The CFFCA July Luncheon was held on-site at the FFCA EDC in Naples, FL at the Naples Grande Beach Resort venue. Thirty-four [34] were in attendance to enjoy the good fellowship.

Informal presentations and greetings were given by CFFCA President Miller, FFCA President Doug Riley, FFCA East Central Director Chuck Bogle, Foundation Chair Jim White, FFCA CEO Ray Colburn, and FSFMO Director Julius Halas.

Special thanks were extended to Ngoc Huynh at FFCA, Hospitality Staff at Naples Grande, and special acknowledgments to our lunch co-sponsors: Bennett Fire Products, CORE, Municipal Emergency Services, Municipal Fire Equipment Co., and REV RTC.

All special guests and lunch co-sponsors were presented with a CFFCA logo tile...

[Click on Below Photos to Enlarge]

[Click on Below Photos to Enlarge]

CFFCA Business Meeting and Program
June 9th, 2022
"Emergency Management Operational Update"

The CFFCA monthly luncheon and program held at the Hilton Altamonte Springs on Thursday, June 9th, 2022 with 44 in attendance.

PROGRAM: Emergency Management
Presenter: Alan Harris, Seminole County Emergency Manager

Several EM managers were in attendance from City of Orlando, City of Altamonte Springs, Seminole County, and Lake County...

[Click on Below Photos to Enlarge]

Alan Harris, Emergency Manager Seminole County

[Click on Below Photos to Enlarge]

CFFCA Business Meeting and Program
May 12th, 2022
"Trench Rescue Operational AAR"

The CFFCA held its monthly business meeting and program on Thursday, May 12th, 2022 at the Hilton Altamonte Springs with 45 in attendance.

[Click on Below Photos to Enlarge]

The Program was an Operational Incident After-Action Report on a Trench Rescue incident that happened on a road construction site in Lake County. The presenters [pictured above] were LCFR Division Stephen Davis [Special OPS and Training] and Special OPS Lieutenant Andrew Boris. Presentation consisted of a short video as a visual incident overview, operational methods and techniques employed, challenges faced and lessons learned.

President John Miller [pictured below with Ocoee FD Command Staff] was recognized on his recent retirement serving 7 years as the Fire Chief. of Ocoee Fire Department.

[Click on Below Photos to Enlarge]

Retired Chief Miller with Ocoee FD Command Staff

Please browse our Gallery Page to view all photos...

CFFCA Business Meeting and Program
April 14th, 2022
"Autism Awareness for First Responders"

The CFFCA held its monthly meeting and program on Thursday, April 14th, 2022 at the Hilton Altamonte Springs.

The Program was "Autism Awareness for First Responders" presented by Daniel Morales, City of Orlando Fire Department. Twenty-five were present for a very informative program overview on how first responders should deal with incidents involving autistic patients.

[Click on Below Photos to Enlarge]

[Click on Below Photos to Enlarge]

Please browse our Gallery Page to view all photos...

CFFCA HOSTS FL-USAR-TF4
AFTER-ACTION REPORT
SURFSIDE CONDO COLLAPSE
March 24th, 2022

The CFFCA hosted the FL-USAR-TASK FORCE 4 TEAM for a 3-hour presentation of their After-Action Report on operational overview and lessons learned on the Surfside Condo Collapse.

Sixty-seven [67] chief officers from throughout the Central Florida area were present at this very informative AAR overview. The presentation speakers were District Chief Walter Lewis [OFD] and Retired Fire Chief Dave Downey [Statewide Deputy Coordinator SERP].

Key Topics of Discussion consisted of Initial OPS Considerations, Sustaining Long-Term Events, What Can the FL-USAR System Do?, and How Fire Chiefs Can Make the Difference?

[Click on Below Photos to Enlarge]

[Click on Below Photos to Enlarge]

See PHOTO GALLERY to view all photos...

CFFCA / FFCA
Joint East Central Regional Meeting
March 10th, 2022

The CFFCA and FFCA held its joint East Central Regional Meeting at the Hilton Altamonte Springs on March 10th, 2022 with 80 attendees present.

Meeting Highlights were as follows:

Installation of New CFFCA Officers with Oath of Office administered by FFCA President Douglas Riley [Chief Will Watts - Vice President; Chief Sean Wylam - District 1 Director ORANGE; Chief Michael Peters - District 2 Director SEMINOLE; and Retired Chief Matt McGrew - District 5 Director RETIREES.

CFFCA President presented the CFFCA Chief Craig Haun Leadership Award for 2020 to Retired Fire Chief Matt McGrew. See Media Release.

FFCA East Central Regional Meeting facilitated by FFCA EC Director Chief Chuck Bogle with State Officials and FFCA Officers providing informative updates from their areas of responsibility.

Many THANKS to our co-sponsors: Ten 8 Fire & Safety, LLC, Public Consulting Group, and United Badges Insurance Services.
Date(s): March 10th, 2022. Album by Central FL Fire Chiefs' Association. Photos by Bruno. 1 - 84 of 84 Total. 2 Visits.

[Click on Below Photos to Enlarge]

[Click on Below Photos to Enlarge]

Please visit our Gallery Page to see all photos...

CFFCA Meeting / Program
Election of New Officers, Award Presentations,
Retirees Round-Up, and HAZ MAT Awareness
February 10th, 2022

The monthly CFFCA Business Meeting / Program was held on February 10th at the Hilton Altamonte Springs with 62 in attendance.

New 2022 Officers were elected as follows: [Chief Watts - Vice President; Chief Peters - District 2 Director representing SEMINOLE; Chief Swanson - District 4 Director representing LAKE; and Retired Chief McGrew - District 5 Director representing RETIREES. CONGRATS are in order with their official installation and Oath of Office being administered at the March 10th General Meeting. Two-Year Term of Office is effective April 1st, 2022.

Distinguished Service Eagle Award was presented to Seminole County FD for achieving ISO Class 1 status effective February 1st, 2022.. CONGRATS are in Order! See photo below.

Retirement and Outgoing Board Member Plaques were presented to Chief Cornier. CONGRATS and many THANKS for your service! See photos below.

PROGRAMS:

Annual CFFCA Retiree Round-Up with 13 present collectively representing well over 400 years of career service. Each retiree was recognized and given an opportunity to share highlights of their career [and retirement]. See Group Photo below.

Haz Mat Awareness for Chief Officers was presented by Bob Coshignano, Retired Lieut OFD. Many thanks for an informative presentation.

Seminole County FD Special OPS Squad 2 and Mobile Lab Support Unit were on display. Many thanks to the crews for bringing these units to the meeting for all to see the units and equipment.

Please go to our GALLERY TAB to browse all meeting photos...

[Click on Below Photos to Enlarge]

[Click on Below Photos to Enlarge]

[Click on Below Photos to Enlarge]

[Click on Below Photos to Enlarge]

[Click on Below Photos to Enlarge]

[Click on Below Photos to Enlarge]

[Click on Below Photos to Enlarge]

[Click on Below Photos to Enlarge]

[Click on Below Photos to Enlarge]

CFFCA Program on Human Trafficking from a Personal Perspective
January 13th, 2022

The CFFCA held its monthly business meeting and program at the Hilton Altamonte Springs with 39 in attendance.

The program was "Human Trafficking from a Personal Perspective" presented by Tina Kadolph, Co-founder and President of Love Missions Global.

Chief Craig Radzak [CFFCA VP] was presented Board Appreciation plaque and Fire Chief Retirement Plaque by CFFCA President John Miller. Chief Will Watts, CFFCA Vice President and Chief Sean Wylam, CFFCA District 1 Director were also recognized by President Miller for their interim Board appointments.

A special thanks was extended to our corporate partner CORE for restocking us with hand sanitizers for the tables...

Please visit our Gallery Page to browse meeting photos...

[Click on Below Photos to Enlarge]

Tina Kadolph, Human Trafficking Presenter

[Click on Below Photos to Enlarge]

[Click on Below Photos to Enlarge]

Annual CFFCA Corporate Partner
Holiday Appreciation Luncheon

On Thursday, December 9th, the CFFCA held its Annual Corporate Partner Holiday Appreciation Luncheon at the Hilton - Altamonte Springs with fifty-eight [58] in membership attendance.

Each corporate partner was presented with a custom ceramic logo tile in recognition of their partnership level: 1st Alarm, 2nd Alarm, and 3rd Alarm.

Christmas holiday music was provided by PianoParty LLC with Katie Pinder Brown as the pianist. A slide show was also presented CFFCA 2021 Year in Review.

Please visit our Gallery Page to enjoy all meeting event photos.

[Click on Below Photos to Enlarge]

CFFCA Program Presentation on NFPA 1851 PPE and the Impacts of Changes 2020 Edition

Monthly CFFCA Meeting / Program held at the Hilton Altamonte Springs with 35 in attendance including a special visitor from Phoenix FD [AZ] - Jason Miller, Captain, who was accompanying our program speakers.

Chaplain's message was about Thanksgiving and Veterans Day followed by the invocation and Pledge of Allegiance. All Veterans in attendance were given a complimentary lunch pass at the door with an anonymous donor underwriting those costs.

Distinuished Service Awards were presented to Maitland FR [ISO Class 1], Lake Mary FD [Accreditation], and Mount Dora FD [Accreditation]. CONGRATS are in Order!

PROGRAM: NFPA 1851 PPE and Impact of Changes in the 2020 Edition presented by Tonya Herbert, Florida PPE Services and Jim Davis, NFPA Tech Committe [DECON].

Please go to our GALLERY TAB to browse all photos...

[Click on Photos to Enlarge]

[Click on Photos to Enlarge]

[Click on Photos to Enlarge]

CFFCA Reinstates
Annual 3rd Alarm Corporate Partner SHOWCASE

[Click on Photos to Enlarge]

The CFFCA reinstated its annual 3rd Alarm Partner Showcase on Thursday, October 14th at the Hilton Altamonte Springs.

Fifteen [15] 3rd Alarm Corporate Partners participated in the showcase marketing their services and products.

Showcase was very well attended with eighty-three [83] present...Go to the GALLERY to browse all showcase photos.

9-11 Twenty Years of Remembrance
Memorial Rededication

[Click on Photos to Enlarge]

[Click on Photos to Enlarge]

[Click on Photos to Enlarge]

[Click on Photos to Enlarge]

[Click on Photos to Enlarge]

The CFFCA in conjunction with the Hilton Altamonte Springs held a 9-11 Memorial Rededication Ceremony "Twenty Years of Remembrance" on Thursday, September 9th at its regularly scheduled meeting at the Hilton.

Numerous agencies, officials and dignitaries were present at this special event. We Shall Never Forget that "All Gave Some and Some Gave All".

Special Thanks to the Seminole County FD Honor Guard and Orlando Firefighters Pipe & Drum. Our gratitude is also extended to our 9-11 Memorial Rededication Ceremony lunch sponsors:

CORE Construction Services
Municipal Equipment Company [MECO]
Municipal Emergency Services [MES]
United Badges Insurance Services

Please see our GALLERY for all photos...

Lessons Learned
CFAI Accreditation Deferment Process

The CFFCA monthly business meeting and program was held at the Hilton - Altamonte Springs on Thursday, August 12th, 2021. The program presentation was "Lessons Learned - CFAI Accreditation Deferment Process". The program was presented by Maitland Fire Rescue Fire Chief Will Watts, Deputy Chief Chris Morton, and special guest CPSE director Karl Ristow [pictured below]. Forty-four [44] chief officers were in attendance with 18 agencies represented . Our FFCA East Central Regional Director - Chief Chuck Bogle was also in attendance for the presentation.

Please visit our Gallery Page for ALL meeting photos...

[Click on Photo to Enlarge]

[Click on Photo to Enlarge]

[Click on Photo to Enlarge]

Dr. Jimmy Knott Speaks at July 8th, 2021 CFFCA General Membership Meeting

[Click on Photo to Enlarge]

[Click on Photo to Enlarge]

Dr. Jimmy Knott, Teaching Pastor - First Baptist Church Orlando, delivered a dynamic audience-engaged message during a presentation on "It's All About Leadership"! His message was: Be a leader that is worth following. Topics discussed included General condition of leadership in America, the importance of leadership, ability to lead and its impact on influence, success, and effectiveness.

Please visit our Gallery Page for meeting photos...

CFFCA HOSTS
FFCA East Central Regional Meeting

[Click on Photo to Enlarge]

On June 10th the CFFCA hosted the FFCA East Central Regional Meeting at the Altamonte Springs Hilton.

Fifty-four were in attendance for this regional update. Due to COVID-19, this was the first face-to-face meeting with our FFCA officers and State Officials since 2019. The update included reports from the FFCA leadership, FFCA Foundation, State Fire Marshal's Office, State Fire College, and SERP.

Many thanks to the FFCA meeting sponsors Ten 8 and United Badges Insurance Services.

Go to our Gallery Page to browse meeting photos...

CFFCA Meeting / Program May 8th, 2021

The CFFCA monthly "mask to mask" meeting was held on-site at the Altamonte Springs Hilton. The program "Best Foot Forward - Pedestrian Safety" was presented by Roni Wood, Community Outreach Specialist, with 30 in attendance.

[Click on Photo to Enlarge]

CFFCA Meeting / Program April 8th, 2021

The CFFCA monthly "mask to mask" meeting was held on-site at the Altamonte Springs Hilton. The program was presented by the Central Florida Disaster Medical Coalition with 25 in attendance.

[Click on Photo to Enlarge]

NEW CFFCA OFFICERS INSTALLED

The Newly Elected CFFCA Officers for 2021 were given their Oath of Office during an installation ceremony held March 11th, 2021. The CFFCA Chaplain Rick Spence officiated the installation ceremony and administered the Oath of Office. The new officers, effective April 1st, are as follows:

[Click on Photo to Enlarge]

Chief John Miller - President
Chief Will Watts - District 1 Director [Orange County Rep]
Chief Jim Walls - District 3 Director [Osceola County Rep]

CONGRATS are in Order!

CFFCA outgoing District 1 Director [Orange County Rep] Chief Matt McGrew was recognized for his distinuished Board service 2019-2021.

[Click on Photo to Enlarge]

Outgoing Director Award - Chief Matt McGrew

MARCH 2021 UPDATE

It has been going on a very long year since we last met face-to-face at the Hilton due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is now time to come back together under a "new normal" set of health and safety protocols.

In this regard, please MARK and SAVE the date of March 11th, 2021 for on-site "Mask-to-Mask" meeting at the Hilton. Meet and Greet the newly appointed Fire Chiefs here in Central Florida.

Two-Part Program: Installation of Newly Elected CFFCA Officers and CFFCA Agency Chiefs Roundtable Updates.

More detailed information will be forthcoming via membership email notice.

FEBRUARY 2021 UPDATE

The February 11th, 2021 CFFCA Business Meeting at the Hilton has been CANCELLED. The Board will be discussing a more realistic restart date of March 11th, 2021. Please MARK and SAVE the date of March 11th, 2021 for on-site meeting at the Hilton, dependent on the pandemic situation and vaccination progress.

DECEMBER 2020 UPDATE

Greetings and hope this finds all our members, their families and organizations safe and well...

The annual December Christmas social luncheon has been cancelled with great disappointment, but it is best to just ride out 2020 and start fresh in 2021...

To say the year 2020 has been a very challenging and stressful time for us all would be an understatement, but we stayed the course in a gallant effort to provide those mission critical services to each of our communities here in Central Florida in an exemplary manner. Although we have not been able to meet for our monthly meetings since this past February due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we did successfully hold four [4] ZOOM meeting presentations for our membership and we hope that those virtual gatherings served an informative purpose to all who were able to join and participate.

In light of the above, the Board will be considering the restart of our monthly business meetings on site at the Altamonte Springs Hilton on Thursday, January 14th, 2021 at 11:30am so please MARK and SAVE on your calendars for your attendance – pending final Board approval. The CFFCA and the Hilton will provide a safe meeting environment following all CDC guidelines for social distancing, face coverings, food prep, banquet services, and sanitation practices.

Until our “Mask-to-Mask” January meeting, CFFCA President John Miller and the Board extends a warm and safe Christmas/New Year holiday season to all... Stay well and safe, and God Bless!

NOVEMBER 2020 UPDATE

Our intent to restart our on-site business meetings at the Hilton did not pan out due to mass gatherings and social distancing guidelines were still in place. The Board of Directors will revisit this subject matter under the State’s COVID-19 Phase 3 Re-Opening Plan to determine when to consider a safe restart of our monthly meetings on-site at the Hilton. This has caused us to cancel the Annual 3rd Alarm Partner Showcase and potentially our December Christmas Social and Corp Partner Appreciation. The Year 2020 has certainily been challenging time for us all and continues to be a moving target at this point.

Once determined by the Board, please rest assured that on-site meetings will be conducted in strict accordance with the most current CDC or local authority guidelines concerning group gatherings and social distancing. The Hilton is and remains well-prepared to offer a venue that is safe with the utmost social distancing compliance measures in place.

[RECENT ACTIVITES RECAP]

The CFFCA held a ZOOM Tele-Conference "State of Florida and Regional COVID-19 Update" on June 11th. It was well attended with 61 conference call attendees. State, Regional, and Local officials provided an update as to the COVID-19 impact on operations, current status, and future plans.

On July 16th hosted a virtual tele-conference ZOOM meeting which focused on COVID-19 lessons learned and best practices within our 4-county area of Orange, Seminole, Osceola, and Lake. Each District Director reported out on their respective county districts concerning COVID-19 operations, including special “best practices” presentations from Orange County Fire Rescue, Orlando Fire Department, Lake County Fire Rescue, and Groveland Fire Department.

On September 10th, The CFFCA hosted another ZOOM virtual presentation on “Coping with Stress and Anxiety During COVID-19” with the presenter being Kendra Davies from Stellar Life Coaching.

STATE OF THE STATE AND REGION
COVID-19 UPDATE TELE-CONFERENCE
JUNE 11TH, 2020 [11AM - 12:30PM]

On June 11th, 2020 the CFFCA, in comjunction with the Florida Fire Chiefs' Association and Valencia College School of Public Safety, is hosting a 90-minute Tele-Conference on the State of the State and Region COVID-19. This virtual meeting via a ZOOM LINK will provide for a safe social distancing environment for the CFFCA / FFCA participating members. The tele-conference informational flyer with LINK will be emailed to the CFFCA membership and the FFCA East Central Region members on or about Friday, May 29th, 2020. This virtual meeting will serve as the FFCA EC Regional Update that was cancelled this past March due to COVID-19.

As we move forward with ramping back up our monthly business meetings, we will do so in a safe and responsible manner in cooperation with the Hilton.

For planning purposes, the membership should anticipate another virtual meeting during July with hopes that our on-site business meetings at the Hilton starting back up in August, but only if safe to do so and in accordance with any CDC or local authority guidelines.

CFFCA PRESIDENT SUSPENDS ALL CFFCA MONTHLY MEETINGS AND RELATED GATHERINGS INDEFINITELY
Effective March 12th, 2020

The CFFCA hopes and prays that our agencies, their personnel, and family members remain safe and vigilant during this unprecedented time in our history. God Bless all of you for your front-line valor and tireless service to your communities. The illustrative graphic above speaks for itself without any further editorial needed. We also appreciate our corporate partners for the continued assistance with special needs and keeping the supply chain moving wherever possible.

In response to the COVID-19 national pandemic, CFFCA monthly meetings and other related group gatherings, including the COLS-II symposium that was scheduled during the month of May, have all been indefinitely suspended.

The BOARD will continue to meet monthly via Go To Meeting conference call method to insure that CFFCA business matters are carried out. The Board will determine a very measured approach following all subsequent CDC guidelines on how the CFFCA may conduct business safely in the future once this pandemic is behind us.

Should any of our firefighters or members contract COVID-19, please know that they will remain in our daily thoughts and healing prayers for a full and healthy recovery. Our CFFCA Chaplain stands ready to assist if and when called upon or the need arises.

God Bless America!

Sincerely,

John Miller
CFFCA President

CFFCA/FFCA JOINT EAST CENTRAL REGIONAL MEETING 03/12/2020
CANCELLED

In response to the dynamic and changing COVID-19 pandemic and in an abundance of precautiom for our members and guests, this meeting has been CANCELLED until further notice. Further information will be forthcoming through membership email concerning future meetings and events.

2020 CFFCA Retiree Group Photo
[Click on photo to enlarge]

Photo collectively represents over 447 years of career service. Thank you for your selfless service to our Central Florida Communities.

CFFCA MEETING / PROGRAM

February 13th, 2020

The monthly meeting of February 13th served as our annual CFFCA Retiree Round Up [photo above], Election of New Officers, and a very informative program by CORE on Clean Public Safety Building.

Newly Elected Officers in accordance with bylaws are:

Vice President - Chief Craig Radzak [re-elected]
District 2 [Seminole] - Chief Frank Cornier [re-elected]
District 4 [Lake] - Chief Mike Swanson [re-elected]
District 5 [Retirees] - Retired Chief Charlie Chapman

The above officers will be duly sworn-in and installed at the CFFCA March 12th, 2020 General Meeting.

The program "Clean PSB" presented by CORE focused on the industrey collaborative that is addressing the design and construction needs of fire stations to safeguard fire rescue personnel from the exposures of bio-hazard waste and carcinogens.

[Click on photo to enlarge]

CFFCA MEETING / PROGRAM

AGENCY ROUND TABLE BRIEFINGS
January 9th, 2020

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!

The CFFCA's first business meeting / program of the new year, January 9th, 2020, was held at the Hilton Orlando/Altamonte Springs. This meeting served as an Agency Round Table Briefing for the membership. Each Agency Chief or their Represenative orally presented an update briefing on each of their organizations.

Eighteen [18] agencies provided a very informative update on their respective agencies to the 48 members in attendance.

[Click on image to enlarge]

Thank you to the following agencies that participated:

Sanford FD
Kissimmee FD
Lake Mary FR
St. Cloud FR
Orlando FD
Clermont FD
Seminole County FD
Apopka FD
Ocoee FD
Winter Garden FR
Orange County FR
Forrestry Services
Maitland FR
Lake County FR
Eustis FD
Mount Dora FD
FFCA SERP
FSFMO FF Safety Section

Remaining meeting / program photos can be found on the GALLERY page.

CFFCA MEETING / PROGRAM

Corporate Partner Appreciation
December 19th, 2019

The CFFCA held its Annual Christmas Luncheon and Corporate Partner Appreciation on December 19th, 2019 at the Hilton Altamonte Springs with 53 in attendance.

[Click on image to enlarge]

Each Corporate Partner was recognized by CFFCA President John Miller and presented with a custom CFFCA logo ceramic tile for their gracious support throughout the year.

[Click on image to enlarge]

CFFCA LEADERSHIP SEMINAR

"Maintaining Leadership Credibility"
October 22nd, 2019

Dr. Larry Ritcey - Presenter

The CFFCA held a 1-Day Leadership Seminar at the Hilton on Tuesday, October 22nd, 2019 with 47 officers in attendance and 21 agencies represented.

Thank you to our Seminar Co-Sponsors:

Tony Apfelbeck
Fisher Safety
CORE Construction Services
North American Fire Equipment Company

Please visit our Gallery for all seminar photos...

[Click on photos to enlarge]

[Click on photos to enlarge]

CFFCA 9-11 Memorial at the Hilton
Updated with the addition of the
Florida FF LODD art piece entitled:

"The Final Alarm"

Go to GALLERY PAGE to view all photos

Florida Fallen FF Memorial Unveiling
State Capitol Building - Tallahassee
April 1st. 2019

FFCA/CFFCA President John Miller attended the Fallen FF Memorial Ceremony at the State Capitol where the newly dedicated Fallen FF Memorial was unveiled in the presence of hundreds of fire officials, dignataries, and surviving family members of the fallen.

[Click on photos to enlarge]

[Photo L to R: Ray Colburn - FFCA CEO, Chief John Miller - FFCA/CFFCA President, Chief Julie Downey - FFCA Fire Chief of the Year, and Chief Otto Drozd - 2nd Vice President IAFC.]

Please browse ALL PHOTOS on our Gallery Page...

[Click on photos to enlarge]