VFIS of Texas & TEXAS MUTUAL INSURANCE CO. Distribute $228K in Grants to Texas First Responders2/16/2017 VFIS of Texas and Texas Mutual Insurance Company recently awarded $228,000 in grants to 90 emergency responder organizations across Texas. Funds awarded through the 2017 Emergency Responder Safety, Training & Wellness Grant Program will reimburse these organizations for 2017 individual member certification dues, as well as health and wellness programs, and travel costs to attend training.
Grants of up to $5,000 have been awarded based on financial need and are intended to encourage all departments to participate in certification, training and health/wellness programs to prevent emergency responder deaths and injuries. This is the fourth consecutive year of this grant program sponsored by VFIS of Texas and Texas Mutual Insurance Company. Since 2014, close to $500,000 has been distributed to emergency service organizations across the state of Texas. This program has been recognized nationwide among the insurance industry and emergency service community (Insurance Journal). Grant Recipients: Alabama Coushatta Indian Nation VFD Aledo VFD Alvord FD Apple Springs VFD Ata Bexar VFD Beasley Community VFD Ben Bolt VFD Bergheim VFD Black Jack VFD Blackjack VFD of Robertson Co Bovina VFD Bowman Community VFD Brazos Co Precinct 4 VFD Burkburnett VFD Calvert VFD Campbell VFD Cash Fire Dept Castroville Vol Fire Company Cat Spring VFD Central Community VFD Chapel Hill VFD Chatfield VFD Chisholm Trail Fire Rescue City of San Diego FD Coleman FD Cookville VFD Coryell City-Osage VFD Cottonwood Shores VFD Coupland VFD Cove Fire & Rescue Davis Mountains Prop Owners VFD DCBE-Acton VFD Dixie VFD Douglass VFD Eastside VFD Edwards Co EMS Elm Mott Fire Rescue Flint-Gresham VFD Flynn VFD Frelsburg VFD Grand Saline VFD Harleton FD Hughes Springs VFD Indian Creek VFD Iowa Park VFD Iredell VFD Jefferson Co Water District #10 VFD Justin Community VFD La Junta VFD Lakeside City VFD Littlefield FD Malone VFD Mico VFD Morgans Point VFD Mustang VFD Needville VFD Newark VFD Noonday VFD Ore City VFD Overton VFD Peaster VFD Penitas VFD Plum Grove VFD Point VFD Poolville VFD Possum Kingdom Westside VFD Poteet VFD Potosi VFD Prairie Hill Rocky Hill VFD Prairie View Vol FF Assn Preston Vol EMS Punkin-Evergreen VFD Ralls VFD Retreat VFD Rhome VFD Rusk Co Rescue Unit Sandia VFD Silver Creek VFD Socorro FD South Ector Co VFD South Polk Co VFD Southside Henderson Co VFD Southwest Bell Co VFD Springtown VFD Sunset VFD Tanglewood VFD Tolar VFD Tulia VFD Turnersville FD Wayland VFD
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Our VFIS of Texas training program has grown tremendously with the addition of Roy Mercer as our Director of Safety, Training and Education in 2012. Annually, we provide over 80 classes and teach more than 1500 students. In order to continue to provide our quality training programs and to reach as many emergency responders as possible, starting in 2016 we are going to schedule Regional Train-the-Trainer classes in specific regions across the state. The following classes will be available: • Emergency Vehicle Driver Training (16-hour) • Emergency Vehicle Response Safety (4-hour) • Highway Safety (4-hour) • UTV/ATV (4-hour or 8-hour) • Firefighter Safety (4-hour) • POV (4-hour) The Regional Train-the-Trainer classes will be open to anyone and flyers will be provided to promote the class. The cost for each trainer participant will be $100 for VFIS insureds and $300 for non-VFIS insureds. There will be no cost to the host department. The host department will provide the classroom, parking lot, cones and apparatus/ambulance. If your department is interested in hosting a regional training class, please contact Roy Mercer at rmercer@vfistx.com. We will also continue to offer on-site Student-level classes as we have done in the past. However, there will now be a $500 flat fee (per day) for VFIS insureds and a $1,500 flat fee (per day) for non-VFIS insureds. These costs may be eligible for reimbursement under HB2604. Click Here for a list of available classes. We hope that you have taken the opportunity to attend one of our training classes. Our goal is to educate and train emergency personnel to better protect themselves and to reduce their risk of injury or death. Click Here for more information on our training programs or contact Roy Mercer at 832-473-5414. VFIS of Texas and Texas Mutual Insurance Company Award $150k in Grants to Texas Emergency Responders3/7/2016
VFIS of Texas and Texas Mutual Insurance Company recently awarded grants of up to $5,000 to 71 emergency responder organizations across Texas. Funds awarded through the 2016 Emergency Responder Safety, Training & Wellness Grant Program totaled more than $150,000 and will enable these organizations to participate in a certification program, attend critical workplace safety training, and implement training/wellness programs to prevent on-duty deaths and injuries.
Over $600,000 in grant requests were received. VFIS of Texas and Texas Mutual Insurance Company partnered with the State Firefighters' & Fire Marshals’ Association of Texas (SFFMA) to manage the application process and select the grant recipients. “Cardiac events are the leading cause of death among firefighters,” said Martin Ritchey, President of Mid-County Volunteer Fire Department. “Our department wants to be an example for our region in stressing the importance of fitness. We presently lack funds to provide the necessary equipment to achieve our fitness goals. Your grant dollars will be used along with our funds and “sweat equity” to build out a training space at our station #2. Without your funding we could not afford to acquire the equipment necessary for this important task." Each recipient submitted an application outlining a specific need or project the grant would fund. This is the third consecutive year Texas Mutual and VFIS of Texas have awarded these grants to emergency responders across the state. “These grants directly impact our emergency responders by improving their safety and wellness, better preparing them to serve our communities,” Barbara Marzean, President of VFIS of Texas, said. “The more we can do to support safety, training and wellness for these emergency service organizations, the more we can reduce and prevent emergency responder injuries and deaths.” Grantees will be recognized at the SFFMA Annual Conference June 25-29, 2016 in McAllen, Texas. See a full list of 2016 Emergency Responder Safety, Training & Wellness grant recipients below: VFIS of Texas and Texas Mutual Award $144k in Grant Money to Texas Volunteer Fire Departments2/16/2015 AUSTIN, TX – VFIS of Texas and Texas Mutual Insurance Company recently awarded grants of up to $5,000 to 86 volunteer fire departments across Texas. Funds awarded through the Firefighter Safety, Training & Wellness Grant Program totaled more than $144,000 and will enable these departments to participate in a certification program, attend critical workplace safety training, and/or set up training/wellness programs to prevent firefighter deaths and injuries.
Over $300,000 in grant requests were received. VFIS of Texas and Texas Mutual Insurance Company partnered with the State Firefighters' & Fire Marshals’ Association of Texas (SFFMA) to manage the application process and select the grant recipients. “This award will serve as valuable funding that will enable us to better serve our community,” said Dennis Bailey, Lieutenant & Training Coordinator of Sunset Volunteer Fire Department. “This grant, I can assure you, will allow our members to actively pursue formal certification that will develop them into safer firefighters. Thanks again for your contribution to making our community safer." To see a full list of 2015 Safety, Training & Wellness recipients, CLICK HERE. Grantees will be recognized at the SFFMA Conference June 12-17, 2015 in Galveston, Texas. The 14th Annual Central Texas Wildfire Academy is Feb 11-15 in Brownwood, Texas. The event is sponsored by the Texas A&M Forest Service and hosted by the Dam Volunteer Fire Department.
Sign Up By Feb 6th By CLICKING HERE. Training tuition grants are available through HB2604 and TIFMAS. The 14th Annual Central Texas Wildfire Academy DATE: February 11 - 15, 2015 LOCATION: Camp Bowie Training Site 5611 FM 45S Brownwood, TX 76801 COST: All courses are $20/day This event will provide training to volunteer and agency wildland firefighters. The Central Texas Wildfire Academy is striving to offer a variety of training for all those dedicated to protecting lives and property. The Texas Interagency Wildfire and Incident Management Academies provide training to wildland firefighters from Texas and through the United States to meet National Wildfire Coordination Group Standards. The Capital Area Academy, held in Bastrop, Texas during the month of October, and the East Texas Academy, during the month of May in Lufkin, Texas, provide classroom and “hands-on” training to more than 800 students in firefighting, supervisory, and prevention techniques. AUSTIN, TX – VFIS of Texas and Texas Mutual Insurance Company recently awarded grants of up to $2,500 to 39 volunteer fire departments across Texas. Funds awarded through the Firefighter Safety & Training Grant Program will enable these departments to participate in a certification program and training to support critical workplace safety training.
Fifty-eight volunteer fire departments applied for the grant and the 39 grantees were selected based on their financial needs and the impact the funds would have in their safety and training efforts. VFIS of Texas and Texas Mutual Insurance Company partnered with the State Firemen’s & Fire Marshals’ Association of Texas (SFFMA) to manage the application process and select the grant recipients. “We are very fortunate and thankful to VFIS of Texas and Texas Mutual for this grant, which will help us pay our 2014 annual membership dues to SFFMA,” said Jack K. Rymer, Fire Chief of Possum Kingdom West Side VFD. “This is a very important association that greatly benefits volunteer fire departments such as ours by providing certified training courses and other training programs to make our department safer and more professional. Like many volunteer fire departments, our department is short on resources and this grant money goes a long way in helping us meet our budget.” In addition to Possum Kingdom West Side VFD, the following volunteer fire departments were awarded grants: Bowman Community VFD, Boyd Fire Rescue, China Spring VFD, City of San Diego FD, Clint FD, Cookville VFD, Cottonwood Shores VFD, Crafton VFD, Cresson VFD, Daingerfield FD, Indian Creek VFD, Jamaica Beach VFD, Kaufman VFD, LaRue-New York VFD, Levita FD, Lone Star VFD, Mico VFD, Nevada VFD, Paducah VFD, Pleasant Grove VFD, Rising Star VFD, Rocksprings/Edwards County VFD, Sand Hills VFD, Santa Rosa VFD, Santo Fire and EMS, Six Mile Community VFD, Somervell County Fire, South Ector County VFD, Sunset VFD, Terrell VFD, Tolar VFD, Trout Creek VFD, Turnersville VFD, Village of Pleak VFD, Wayland VFD, Westminster VFD, Whitney VFD and Windthorst VFD. Grantees will be recognized at the SFFMA Conference June 6-11, 2014 in Lubbock, Texas. The importance of proper education & training for fire and emergency personnel can never be understated. The potential risks are just too high to ignore it. Of course, some mishaps are unavoidable, but the better prepared you are to handle any potential calamities, the more likely you are to overcome them and survive them.
The most recent case of an avoidable catastrophe was in Phoenix, AZ where firefighter Brad Harper was killed at a mulch pile fire scene two months ago after he became pinned between an engine and an ambulance. According to the report, this was a horrible -but preventable- accident. Three errors played a role in what happened: By policy, the Firefighters should have had a spotter when the fire apparatus backed up, and they didn't. The firefighter driving the fire truck should have noticed Harper on the road before moving the rig. And Harper should have seen the fire truck moving towards him. Trapped in such a narrow space, firefighters were afraid to move either truck and hurt Harper even more. It took rescue crews 13 minutes and 22 seconds to extricate Harper, who later died. More info about the incident can be found HERE. VFIS of Texas provides education & training to fire and emergency stations all over Texas. Many times, these classes are offered for free and or can be fully reimbursed by grant. Our goal is to educate and train personnel to better protect them and to reduce their risk of injury or death. VFIS of Texas offers the following courses: Emergency Vehicle Driver Training (1-2 Days) Emergency Vehicle Response Safety (3-4 Hrs) Dynamics of Emergency Vehicle Response (3-4 Hrs) Highway Safety (3-4 Hrs) Intersection Safety (3-4 Hrs) Rollover Prevention (3-4 Hrs) Privately Owned Vehicle (POV) Operations (3-4 Hrs) Sexual Harassment and Discrimination Prevention Training (2-3 Hrs) Art of Reading Smoke (2-3 Hrs) To learn more about offered training courses and to sign your department up, please visit www.vfistx.com/training. |
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