MARYLAND STATE FIREMEN S ASSOCIATION Representing the Volunteer Fire, Rescue and Emergency Medical Services Personnel www.msfa.org Report of President Johnie Roth, Jr. to the MSFA Executive Committee September 19, 2015 Sandy Spring, Volunteer Fire Department Johnie F. Roth, Jr. President 19104 Treadway Road Brookeville, MD 20833 Home 301-774-4901 Cell 202-215-2954 Johnie.roth@bccrs.org First Vice President Davis, Second Vice President Bilger, Chairman Seavey, Executive Committee Members, Officers, Committee Chairman, Officers of the LAMSFA, Past Presidents of the MSFA, and Guests. I would like to welcome you to Montgomery County and the Sandy Spring Volunteer Fire Department and thank you for spending your weekend with us as we conduct the business of the Maryland State Firemen s Association. Since becoming your President in June I have logged 10,675 miles. My travels have taken me to; 10 County Association Meetings, 9 MSFA Committee Meetings, 4 Out of State Conventions, 10 Partner Meetings, 9 Memorial Services and Funerals, 6 Fundraisers, 4 Parades, 10 Banquets and Installations, 4 Company Meetings, 8 MSFA Related Conference Calls and 35 Miscellaneous Events (a detailed itinerary is attached at the end of this report). Since the annual convention I have attended both the Maryland Municipal League and Maryland Association of Counties Conventions, Virginia and West Virginia Firefighters Conventions, Cumberland Valley Convention, and partner meetings with MFRI Director Steve Edwards and MIEMSS Director Dr. Seaman. Meetings with Major General Singh, MEMA Director Russ Strickland, MSP Helicopter Division Major Frank Lioi, R. Cowley Shock Trauma Center Vice President Karen Doyle and Maryland DNR Fire Supervisor Monte Mitchell have or will be scheduled after the submission of this report. Although my cris crossing the state has been rewarding and fulfilling I must acknowledge those friends and colleagues that have left us since the Convention. We will never forget Pat Cross wife of PP Fred Cross, Chief Deamond husband of Past LAMSFA President Pat Deamond, George Hanna father of Nancy Cox, President Donald Patch Aker, Firefighter Nick Hemmingway, Paramedic JR Harrison, and VCAF Guru Patricia Pat Bowser. Gone but certainly not forgotten. Congratulations go out to Charlie Wills who is celebrating his 60 th year of Active Service, Bel Air Volunteer Fire Company Celebrating their 125 th year, the Silver Spring VFD celebrating their 100 th Anniversary, Prince Frederick Volunteer Rescue Squad celebrating their 50 th Anniversary, and the Cecil County Ladies Auxiliary celebrating their 75 th Anniversary. Finally, congratulations are in order to the Huntingtown VFD and Rescue Squad on the dedication of their New Pumper and Ambulance to Charter Member and Past Chief Ricky Ward and Charter Member and Past President Kenneth Wells.
This has been a very exciting and yet very busy first few months as your President of the MSFA. There continues to be many challenges that plaque this organization ranging from the National Registry EMT Program difficulties, to some jurisdictions within the State of Maryland that feel the necessity to challenge the Residential Sprinkler Law regarding construction of New Single Family Homes, to ways to improve the way we recruit and retain members and how we can do a better job of leading and mentoring those new members. All of these challenges are attainable but MUST be accomplished expeditiously and in a unified coordinated fashion. At the conclusion of the convention I requested a small group of MSFA leaders, EMT Instructors, and Paramedics to meet and look at the current dilemma of the EMT Program from the background up to and including recommendations. That group has since met and presented me with the document that I have embraced entitled Maryland State Firemen s Association Position Paper-Educating Maryland s EMT s which I have distributed to the Executive Committee recently. Since presenting and discussing the document with MIEMSS at our officers annual meeting with MIEMSS several other meetings (MSFA EMS Committee Meeting, SEMSAC Meeting, and EMS Board Meeting) have taken place where this topic was discussed at length. A meeting has been scheduled between Dr. Seaman, Director Edwards, and myself this week to discuss and hopefully rectify the problems (this report was submitted before that meeting transpired but I hope to have an update at the September meeting). The MSFA continues to have Conference Calls with Katherine Kelly of the Maryland Military Office every few weeks to discuss any problems or concerns about the VCAF program. These calls have proven quite beneficial and helpful to both organizations. Chairman Harmon will have more to report later. The SAFER Oversight Committee, the Legislative Committee, and the Recruitment and Retention Committee have been very busy over the summer and will give their respective updates as well. I would like to thank them as well as all the MSFA Chairman and Committees for all their hard work to date. And the last two items, I would like to make everyone aware that I have asked the MSFA Cancer Support Committee to plan the 1 st Annual MSFA Cancer Support Walk to be held on Sunday, April 24, 2016 in historical Annapolis, Maryland to support and expand the work of our Committee. More details to follow. And finally, I would love to have as much support as possible from the MSFA and LAMSFA for the 20 th Annual MSP Polar Bear Plunge on Saturday, January 30, 2016 to be held at the Sandy Point State Park. I would challenge everyone to either join me in the Plunge and/or support the Maryland Special Olympics Programs. Respectfully submitted, Johnie Roth, Jr. President Maryland State Firemen s Association
President Roth s Travel Itinerary JUNE 2015 6-24-2015 6-25-2015 6-25-2015 6-25-2015 6-26-2015 6-28-2015 6-29-2015 6-30-2015 MSFA 123rd Convention 4rd Session and Parade MSFA Executive Committee Meeting MSFA Officers Meeting Fire & Rescue Appreciation Night at Shorebirds Baseball Game First Pitch Ceremony MSFA Golf Tournament National Fallen Firefighters Foundation Survivors Conference Maryland Municipal League Convention Maryland Municipal League Convention Salisbury Annapolis JULY 2015 7-1-2015 7-2-2015 7-2-2015 7-2-2015 7-3-2015 7-5-2015 7-6-2015 7-7-2015 7-8-2015 7-8-2015 7-9-2015 7-9-2015 7-10-2015 7-10-2015 7-11-2015 7-11-2015 7-12-2015 7-14-2015 7-14-2015 7-15-2015 7-15-2015 Marland Fire and Rescue Memorial Foundation Boat Trip Baltimore SEMSAC Meeting Baltimore MSFA Conference Call Olney PGVFRA Auxiliary Meeting Greenbelt Walkersville Volunteer Fire Department Carnival Walkersville Bethesda Big Train Badseball Game First Pitch Ceremony Bethesda Carroll County Association Meeting Westminster Pink Heals Tour Emmitsburg Viewing Pat Cross wife of MSFA PP Fred Cross Jarretsville PGVFRA Meeting Capital Hgts Pat Cross Funeral wife of MSFA PP Fred Cross Pikesville Thurmont VFC Parade and Carnival Thurmont Pall Bearer Chief T. Deamond husband of LAMSFA PP Deamond North East Harford Cecil Firefighters Association Meeting Chesapeake St. Mary s County ALS Unit Banquet & Installation Leonardtown LAMSFA & MSFA President s Joint Open House Bethesda Allegany-Garrett Firefighters Association Meeting Ellerslie MSFA Residential Sprinkler Committee Meeting Millersville MSFA/Maryland Military Department Conference Call Olney Set-Up Firehouse Expo Baltimore Sandy Spring Volunteer Fire Department Membership Meeting Sandy Spring
7-16-2015 Frederick County VFR Association Meeting, Election, Memorial Service, and Installation of Officers Ceremony New Midway 7-17-2015 BCC Rescue Squad Alumni Crab Social Kent Island 7-17-2015 MCVFRA Ladies Auxiliary Meeting Barnesville 7-18-2015 Lexington Park Volunteer Rescue Squad Banquet and Installation Baden 7-19-2015 Montgomery County VFRA Tag Day Bethesda 7-19-2015 Hollywood Volunteer Fire Department Carnival Fundraiser Hollywood 7-20-2015 Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rescue Squad Membership Meeting Bethesda 7-20-2015 MSFA Legislative Team Meeting Annapolis 7-21-2015 MSFA/MFCA Oversight Committee Meeting Sykesville 7-23-2015 LODD Funeral Nick Hemingway Baltimore 7-23-2015 Mount Airy Volunteer Fire Department Parade & Carnival Mt. Airy 7-26-2015 Charlie Wills 60 th year of Active Service Celebration Indian Head 7-27-2015 Southern Maryland Volunteer Firemen s Association Meeting Clements 7-28-2015 Meeting with MFRI Director Edwards & Deputy Diretor Preston Annapolis 7-28-2015 Memorial Viewing George Hanna (Father of Nancy Cox) Bel Air 7-29-2015 Virginia State Firefighters Association Memorial Service Hampton,VA 7-30-2015 Virginia State Firefighters Associoation 129 th Convention Hampton,VA 7-30-2015 Cumberland Valley Vol. Firefighters Association Barbecue Delaware City, Del. 7-31-2015 Cumberland Valley Vol. Firefighters Assoc. Presidents Meet. Delaware City, Del. AUGUST 2015 8-1-2015 Prince George s County VFF Association Tribute Brandywine 8-2-2015 MSFA Training Committee Meeting College Park 8-2-2015 Memorial for Pres. of Kentland VFD Donald Patch Aker, Jr. Bowie 8-3-2015 Funeral Service for President Donald Patch Aker, Jr. Bowie 8-4-2015 Conference Call Maryland Military Dept. and VCAF Update Olney 8-4-2015 Community National Night Out Olney 8-6-2015 Council of the Academies Meeting Annapolis 8-6-2015 Anne Arundel Volunteer Firefighters Association Meeting Riveria Beach 8-7-2015 NFF Memorial Weekend Planning Meeting Emmitsburg 8-8-2015 Prince Frederick Volunteer Rescue Sq. 50 th Anniv. Banquet Prince Frederick 8-9-2015 Huntingtown VFD & RS Ambulance & Wagon Dedication Huntingtown 8-10-2015 Calvert County Volunteer F&RAssociation Meeting Prince Frederick 8-12-2015 Maryland Association of Counties Convention 8-13-2015 Maryland Association of Counties Convention 8-14-2015 Maryland Association of Counties Convention 8-15-2015 EMS Training Class BCCRS Bethesda 8-15-2015 Maryland Fire Chiefs Association Quarterly Meeting Lisbon 8-15-2015 Cobb Island VFD & EMS Banquet & Installation Cobb Island 8-16-2015 Montgomery County Tag Registration Day Sandy Spring 8-16-2015 MSFA Volunteer Company Assistance Fund Meetying Damascus 8-17-2015 MSFA Convention Committee Meeting Convention Critique Odenton
8-18-2015 MSFA Leadership Meeting with Dr. Seaman Director MIEMSS Baltimore 8-18-2015 MSFA Executive Committee Conference Call Olney 8-19-2015 West Virginia Firefighters Association Convention Ripley, W.VA. 8-19-2015 MSFA Residential Sprinkler Committee Conference Call Ripley, W.VA. 8-20-2015 West Virginia Firefighters Association Convention Ripley, W. VA. 8-21-2015 West Virginia Firefighters Association Convention Ripley, W. VA. 8-22-2015 Washington County Volunteer Firefighters Association Picnic Funkstown 8-22-2015 Dentsville Volunteer Fire Company Crab & Shrimp Social Dentsville 8-23-2015 Carrol County Training Academy Re-dedication Ceremony Westminster 8-25-2015 Meeting w/ Chiefs & Presidents Caroline County Association Denton 8-25-2015 Denton Commissions Meeting on Residential Sprinkelers Denton 8-26-2015 MSFA Recruitment and Retention Meeting Brandywine 8-28-2015 Funeral for Paramedic JR Harrison Hagerstown 8-28-2015 Graduation Service for Anne Arundel FD Class #53 Brooklyn Park 8-29-2015 Memorial Service for Patricia Pat Bowser Friendsville 8-30-2015 MSFA EMS Committee Meeting Westminster 8-31-2015 MSFA Residential Sprinkler Committee Conference Call Olney SEPTEMBER 2015 9-1-2015 MSFA Tag Registrations Sandy Spring 9-2-2015 Maryland Memorial Foundation Meeting Millersville 9-3-2015 SEMSAC Meeting Baltimore 9-4-2015 SSVFD Auxiliary Meeting Sandy Spring 9-5-2015 DC Firefighter Burn Center Pig Roast Fundraiser Woodbione 9-7-2015 Gaithersburg Labor Day Parade Judge Gaithersburg 9-8-2015 EMS Board Meeting Baltimore 9-8-2015 MSFA Officers Meeting Annapolis 9-9-2015 BCCRS Alumni Meeting Bethesda 9-9-2015 Meeting w/leslie Knapp of MACO on Sprinkler Bill Annapolis 9-9-2015 Meeting w/delegate Holmes Annapolis 9-10-2015 Cecil County Ladies Auxiliary 75 th Anniversary Banquet Elkton 9-11-2015 Anne Arundel County Convention Meeting Pasadena 9-12-2015 Washington DC Region Stair Climb National Harbor 9-12-2015 Anne Arunbdel County Convention Bull Roast Passadena 9-14-2015 Conference Call Maryland Military and MSFA VCAF Olney 9-14-2015 Conference Call MSFA Residential Sprtinkler Committee Olney 9-14-2015 Cabin John VFD Meeting Potomac 9-15-2015 Meeting with General Singh Baltimore 9-15-2015 Prince George s County VFRA Convention Memorial Service Riverdale 9-16-2015 Prince George s County VFRA Past Presidents Dinner Forestville 9-17-2015 Meeting with MIEMSS Dr. Seaman & MFRI Director Edwards Baltimore 9-17-2015 Meeting with MEMA Director Russ Strickland & MSFA Officers Pikesville 9-17-2015 Montgomery County Volunteer Fire & Rescue Convention Sandy Spring
9-18-2015 Delaware Volunteer Firefighters Assoc. Convention & Luncheon Dover, Del. 9-18-2015 MSFA Executive Committee Meeting Hospitality Gaithersburg