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February 23, 2012

Advisory committee meeting time change

Please note that the start time for the March 8, 2012 fire fighter advisory committee has changed to 8:00 a.m.

January 27, 2012

Texas Forest Service announces upcoming wildfire academies

The Texas Forest Service will conduct several wildfire academies throughout the state in the coming months, including the Central Texas Academy in Brownwood, Feb. 17-20, and the East Texas Interagency Wildfire & Incident Management Academy in Lufkin, May 15-25. For more information, please visit the Texas Interagency Coordination Center's training page . (Please note that the Central Texas Academy will also host a "Courage To Be Safe" program.)

January 13, 2012

Commission seeks fire school liaison

Chief Mike Hunt, the commission's liaison to the TEEX-ESTI Fire School Advisory Board, has recently resigned his commission position. The commission is soliciting applications for his replacement.

The commission's liaison attends both the Fire School Advisory Board's quarterly meetings and the commission's quarterly meetings to facilitate communications between the two entities.

To apply, the commission would like to see a letter of interest expressing your qualifications, your fire service resume, and a letter of support from your fire chief (or city manager if you're currently serving as a chief). The liaison position is an unpaid, volunteer position.

The commission will review applications for the position at its next quarterly meeting in April 2012. Thanks!

November 3, 2011

Commission appoints Don Wilson as executive director

On Oct. 28, 2011, the Texas Commission on Fire Protection appointed Don Wilson as the agency's new executive director, effective Dec. 1, 2011. Wilson has served as the agency's deputy director of compliance since January 2011.

The commission thanked all the candidates who competed for the position. "We had great candidates," said Chris Connealy, the commission's presiding officer. "We appreciate their ongoing support of the agency and of the Texas fire service."

Jake Soteriou, who has been serving as the agency's interim director since September, will retire Dec. 31, 2011.

September 26, 2011

New CTBS reporting module available

The module for department administrators to report their employees' completion of the Courage To Be Safe program is now available in the Department Management section of FIDO. In accordance with §435.25 , all certified personnel must complete the program by Dec. 15, 2015. (Employees hired after that date will have one year from the date of their appointment to complete the training.)

September 21, 2011

Comptroller highlights Texas emergency response efforts

As drought has battered our state this year, Texas fire departments have battled thousands of wildland fires across the state, including the massive Possum Kingdom fire back in April and September's Bastrop Complex fire. When wildfires get moving in Texas, fire departments -- paid and volunteer units combined -- are on the front lines battling to save lives and property. Learn more about the men and women behind those efforts as well as the funding, training and personnel challenges facing fire departments, in a special preview edition of the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts' September 2011 Fiscal Notes publication, Texans on the Fire Line .

September 15, 2011

Lawmakers provide additional funding for volunteer fire departments

COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Gov. Rick Perry, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and Texas House Speaker Joe Straus requested that Texas Forest Service expedite the distribution of $27 million for the Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program and made an additional $5 million available to pay for firefighting equipment and other expenses resulting from the unprecedented wildfire season this year.

"Due to the extreme drought conditions and destructive wildfires that have burned millions of acres across the State of Texas this year, we believe it is vitally important to provide volunteer fire departments with the critical resources they need to save lives and protect property when dangerous wildfires threaten their communities," the three state leaders said in a letter sent Wednesday to the director of Texas Forest Service.

The funds will be administered by Texas Forest Service and distributed via grants to volunteer fire departments. As directed, the grant applications will be screened to prioritize funding for volunteer fire departments hardest hit by this year’s wildfires.

"Volunteer firefighters are our first line of defense here in Texas so we're thrilled to hear about the additional funding set aside for them and we are thankful to Gov. Perry, Lt. Governor Dewhurst, Speaker Straus and the Legislature for their continued support and leadership. We'll make these emergency grants a priority," said Texas Forest Service Director Tom Boggus.

Texas Forest Service will be getting more information out to volunteer fire departments within the next few days.

September 12, 2011

Recent changes to the state requirements for inspectors

As of September 1, 2011, anyone performing code enforcement must be a commission-certified inspector. Please see HB 3866, 81(R) for details about this change. This new requirement does not include those performing pre-fire planning, but does include those performing code inspection and enforcement tasks. This is a change that will impact all departments and fire marshal offices in the state.

The commission librarian recently published a newsletter with links to educational materials for both pre-fire planning and code enforcement. Please see A Volume From the Library, Sept. 7, 2011 - Inspectors & Inspections .

September 7, 2011

Attention: Chief training officers and coordinators

We have created a new TCFP-030, Training Prior Approval Application (TCFP-030) form. The new form streamlines the instructor reporting requirements for certification courses. You will no longer have to list your instructors, but instead will attest that your instructors are qualified to teach the applicable certification discipline. If you have any questions regarding the new form or reporting process, please contact Mollie Clakley , training approval and testing program supervisor, at (512) 936-3815.

September 1, 2011

Commission seeks applicants for two new ad hoc committees

The Texas Commission on Fire Protection is seeking applications for a new Structure Ad Hoc committee and for a Fire Officer III and IV committee. Each committee will consist of about six members.

The committees will meet about four times per year at commission headquarters in Austin. Committee members are not reimbursed for their travel expenses. Committee members will be actively involved in either the intense review and development of Basic Structural Fire Fighting training issues, or the creation of new curricula and training programs for Fire Officer III and Fire Officer IV certifications. Committee meetings typically last two to three days.

Applicants must hold, as a minimum, the following qualifications:

Structure ad hoc committee

• TCFP-certified Instructor I.
• Demonstrated teaching experience in a TCFP-approved Basic Fire Fighter certification program.
• Active participation in training programs is preferred.
• (Structure ad hoc committee application form .)

Fire Officer III and IV ad hoc committee

• TCFP-certified Fire Officer II (completion of Fire Officer III and IV training preferred).
• Company or Chief Officer experience preferred.
• Active participation in training programs is preferred.
• (Fire Officer III-IV ad hoc committee application form .)

To apply for membership on either committee, a letter of support from the applicant's fire chief is required. (If the applicant is a fire chief, a letter of support from either the mayor or city manager is required.)

Please submit the letter of support along with a completed committee membership application by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 31, 2011. Applications should be mailed to the attention of Grace Wilson, Texas Commission on Fire Protection, PO Box 2286, Austin, TX 78768-2286. Applications may also be submitted by e-mail to Grace Wilson or by fax to (512) 936-3808.

The curriculum and testing committee will review applications at its scheduled meeting in November 2011.

August 3, 2011

Executive director retires; standards director to serve as interim director

The executive director of the Texas Commission on Fire Protection, Gary L. Warren Sr., has announced his retirement from the agency effective Aug. 31, 2011. The commission has appointed the agency's standards division director, John (Jake) Soteriou, as interim director effective Sept. 1, 2011 while it conducts its search for Warren's replacement.

Warren has served as executive director since October 1995. At the Aug. 1, 2011 commission meeting at which he announced his retirement, Warren thanked the commissioners and the Texas fire service for their support throughout the years.

"I would like to thank you once again for the opportunity to have served the fire service of the State of Texas in such a special way...this place will be burned into my memory forever," said Warren.

"Thank you for your service," said Presiding Officer Chris Connealy, "and thank you for your passion for the Texas fire service...you've built an agency with some very good people around you that has certainly advanced the Texas fire service. Where we are today, and more importantly where we progress in the future, all comes from the foundation that you have created. That's something to take great pride in."

The commission has posted the executive director's position and will begin reviewing applications at its Oct. 5, 2011 meeting.

August 2, 2011

Commission sets fees at $85

At its Aug. 1, 2011 meeting, the Texas Commission on Fire Protection approved an increase to the certification, renewal and test application fees. Beginning Sept. 1, 2011, these fees will increase to $85. The fee increase resulted from changes to the commission's FY 2012-13 budget enacted by the 82nd Texas Legislature.

July 20, 2011

August 1 commission meeting materials posted

Links to the agenda and notebook materials for the Aug. 1, 2011 commission meeting are now available on the calendar page.

July 1, 2011

Commission rolls out new public website and FIDO application

The Texas Commission on Fire Protection has rolled out a new public website and FIDO application effective 1 July 2011. This new roll out is done to make finding information on our websites/applications easier and to implement the state directive of being part of the texas.gov domain. Please update any bookmarks you have to the new URL addresses. A link to the FIDO application is provided in the menu at the top of this website.

June 7, 2011

Continuing education (CE) requirements for October 31, 2011 renewals

Please note that you cannot submit your application for renewal, fees or CE until Sept. 1, 2011.

The annual continuing education (CE) requirement to renew all certificates held is 20 hours (except for hazardous materials technician). If you also hold a Hazmat Technician certificate, an additional 10 hours of Hazmat Technician-level CE is required (for a total of 30 hours).

This year, the agency adjusted the annual renewal date for "individual certificate holders" from April to October. To make this change, the agency issued "pro-rated" renewals to individual certificate holders, which kept the certificates active from April 2011 through October 2011.

• If you received one of these "pro-rated" renewals for the period between April - October 2011, you will have to submit 10 hours of CE completed after May 1, 2011 when you renew in October 2011.
• If you got your INITIAL certificate after Nov. 1, 2010, or if your last certificate renewal covered the period of Oct. 31, 2010 through Oct. 31, 2011 (in other words, you did not get a "pro-rated" renewal), you will have to submit 20 hours of CE completed after Nov. 1, 2010 when you renew in October. (If your department pays for your certificate, you are NOT an "individual certificate holder," in which case this second option likely applies to you. An "individual certificate holder" is an individual who pays for his or her own certification. Most certificate renewals are paid for by employers.)

The commission will mail renewal reminders in August 2011. If you are unsure when you last renewed your certificate, or what period your previous renewal covered, please call (512) 936-3829.

May 27, 2011

Commission votes to publish fee increase proposal

On Friday, May 27, the Texas Commission on Fire Protection voted to publish a proposed increase to the certification, renewal and testing fees to $85. The meeting notebook and recording are available on the commission's calendar archives page. The proposed increase will come to the commission for final adoption on Aug. 1, 2011.

May 20, 2011

Commission to hold special meeting on fee increases

On Monday, May 16, the 82nd Legislature's Budget Conference Committee voted to adopt the House Appropriations budget proposal that has a contingency rider requiring the commission to generate $3,373,385 for the 2012-13 biennium to go into the general revenue fund, predicated on the commission raising the fees to $85.

At the April 28, 2011 commission meeting, commissioners voted to set the certification fee up to $65 in the spirit of trying to minimize the impact of fee increases on the fire service. However, the $65 fee limit will not meet the requirements adopted by the conference committee on House Bill 1.

The commission will have a special meeting on May 27, 2011 at 10:00 a.m. in the William B. Travis State Office Building in Room 1-104 to vote on raising the fees to $85.

May 6, 2011

Commission approves renewal fee increase of 'up to' $65

At its April 28, 2011 meeting, the Texas Commission on Fire Protection approved an increase in the fees for certifications and renewals. The increase will help keep the commission in operation through the next biennium.

The commission adopted rule language under Chapter 437 that will allow it to raise certification and renewal fees to a maximum of $65. The new fees should be in effect starting with the next renewal cycle in October 2011.

In March the commission published a proposal to increase the fees from the current $35 to $85. The commission received many comments during the public comment period on the proposed change. Significantly, the chiefs of the state's six largest fire departments, while generally supportive of the commission, objected to the increase.

After several hours of public testimony and debate at its April meeting, the commissioners voted to approve an increase, although lower than the proposed $85.

"This is one of the most difficult issues the commission has ever faced," said Presiding Officer Chris Connealy.

The 82nd Legislature has not yet finalized the state's appropriations bill for the upcoming biennium, so it is not yet certain whether the agency will raise the renewal fee to the newly approved maximum of $65. The new rule language states that the commission may collect "up to" $65 for the renewals, which will give the commission flexibility to adjust the renewal fee to an amount high enough to cover its expenses and to meet its obligations to return revenue to the state's General Fund - but the commissioners were adamant in their desire not to raise the fees any higher than necessary to keep the agency in business.

As the current legislative session draws to a close, the agency should have a clearer picture of how high it will have to set the certification and renewal fees. We will provide more information as it becomes available.

March 23, 2011

Commission library receives $3,500 grant from State Farm Insurance

On March 17, 2011, the Texas Commission on Fire Protection's Ernest Emerson Fire Protection Resource Library received notice that it was awarded a grant from State Farm Insurance under its Safe Neighbors: Home Safety Grants Program. State Farm Insurance gave $3,514.66 to the Emerson Library to support its P3 Collection Development Program – Prevention, Planning, and Preparedness for Texans.

"This grant will assist in the purchasing of new, high-quality fire and emergency prevention audio visual resources aimed at the children and senior citizens of Texas," said Laura Bucaro, the agency's librarian.

Across the nation in 2009, fires and burns were the third leading cause of unintentional fatal injuries to children age 14 or younger. The relative risk of individuals aged 65 and older of dying in a fire is 2.5 times greater than the general population. Parents, teachers, caregivers, senior groups and local fire departments make up the usual fire prevention and planning instructors for children and seniors. These training resources will be marketed directly to these instructors, with an emphasis on smaller rural locations throughout the state. The library will follow up with borrowers to determine the usefulness and later effectiveness on the served populations. Additionally, State Farm Insurance and the Emerson Library will coordinate an outreach program during Fire Prevention Week (October 2-8, 2011) to educate the citizens of Texas about these resources and their importance in keeping their communities and families safe. Organizations interested in participating in the outreach program should contact Laura Bucaro for more information.

The Texas Commission on Fire Protection thanks State Farm Insurance for its support of the library's collection and its dedication to keeping Texans safe from fires and other emergencies.

March 14, 2011

Commission approves proposal to increase fees

The Texas Commission on Fire Protection held a special meeting on Monday, March 14, 2011, to discuss raising all fees (certification, testing and renewal) from $35 to $85 . The commission approved the fee increase for publication. The proposal will now go to the Texas Register for a 30-day comment period, and the commission will consider it for final adoption at its April 28, 2011 meeting. (A recording of the meeting is available on the commission's calendar archive page: March 2011 AM .

February 9, 2011

Governor and legislature recommend changes to the commission

As the 82nd Legislative session opens, the Governor and the Texas Legislature have proposed several cost-saving reforms throughout state government. The Texas Commission on Fire Protection is among many agencies slated for changes.

Both the House of Representatives and the Senate have proposed eliminating the agency's indirect administration functions (payroll, accounting, HR, IT, etc.) and attaching the agency's administrative functions to the Texas Department of Insurance. The Governor's budget, on the other hand, proposes merging the fire commission with the Commission on Jail Standards and the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officers Standards and Education to create a new public safety licensing agency, with similar reductions to the agency's indirect administrative budget. Both proposals appear to leave most of the agency’s primary functions (i.e., certifications and inspections) intact. (Specifics regarding the budget proposals are available from the Legislative Budget Board and Governor's Office .)

Commissioners and agency staff will be attending a series of hearings before the House Appropriations Committee and Senate Finance Committee throughout the legislative session, which closes at the end of May. The agency encourages members of the Texas fire service to attend the hearings and provide feedback on the budget proposals to the state's leaders.

February 8, 2011

Safety notice regarding Blaze-Fighter gloves

The commission has recently become aware of a safety issue involving the "Blaze-Fighter" glove manufactured by The Glove Corporation. On Jan. 14, 2011, The Glove Corporation issued a safety notice regarding the gloves, and on Feb. 3, 2011 the New York Times published an article regarding the issue as it affected the FDNY. A follow-up article appeared on FireRescue1.com on Feb. 7, 2011. The commission advises Texas fire departments to take appropriate actions to protect their personnel.

February 1, 2011

Attention individual certificate holders - important

The commission is changing the annual certification expiration date for individual certificate holders to October 31 of each year. If your certification(s) expire Apr. 30, 2011, you will pay a one-time pro-rated fee to renew your certificate for six months (until October 31).

All individual certificate holders should review the renewal FAQs and certification notices and alerts for important details regarding the fees and documents that you will submit to the agency for your renewal.

January 11, 2011

Governor Perry appoints McMakin to Texas Commission on Fire Protection

Gov. Rick Perry has appointed John T. McMakin to the Texas Fire Protection Commission for a term to expire Feb. 1, 2013. McMakin is fire chief of the LaRue-New York Volunteer Fire Department Inc. and vice president of the Henderson County 911 Communication District. He is a member of the State Firemen's and Fire Marshals' Association, and a member and past president of the Henderson County Fire Chiefs Association. He is also a past member of the Texas Fire Chiefs Association and the National Volunteer Fire Council. McMakin attended the University of Texas.

January 7, 2011

Online certificate printing now available

Beginning Jan. 7, 2011, the Texas Commission on Fire Protection has put into production the ability for fire departments and individuals to print certificates and seals electronically. This includes all fire protection personnel certifications, IFSAC seals, and training facility certifications. Individuals and departments can print certificates and seals on demand:

• To print an individual certificate or seal, login to your individual FIDO account.
• To print a training facility certificate, FIDO administrators should login to their department accounts.

The commission will no longer print or mail certificates or seals. For more information or assistance, please contact the commission’s certification section at (512) 936-3838.

December 3, 2010

Duty change process available in FIDO

The ability to appoint to duties, to make changes of duty and to change employment status is now available in FIDO for department administrators. Department administrators can now perform these functions without having to send paperwork to TCFP. Only appointments to Head of Department or Arson Investigation still require agency staff to process them.

December 1, 2010

Training facilities renewal available in FIDO

Departments with training facilities should generate and print their training facility renewal invoice in the "department management" section of FIDO.

November 10, 2010

Attention ARFF training facilities: rule change

The state performance evaluation skills from Chapter Two of the Curriculum Manual (Basic Aircraft Rescue Fire Suppression) have been revised. The skills now reflect the recent rule change that was passed at the Oct. 20, 2010 commission meeting. Please refer to §427.7 .

October 22, 2010

Commission welcomes two new members

At the October 20 meeting of the Texas Commission on Fire Protection, Presiding Officer Chris Connealy swore in two new commissioners: Chief Lenny Perez of the Brownsville Fire Department, and Tony Cortes of San Antonio.

During the meeting, commission staff member Jeffrey Morales, who recently returned from an active duty deployment, presented the commission with a US flag that was flown over Iraq. The commission thanked Morales and all members of the military for their service.

Also at the October meeting, the commission approved updates to four curricula: Driver Operator , Inspector and Fire Officer I and II . (A presentation highlighting the changes in the curricula is also available.) The commission also approved for publication a new rule requiring Texas fire fighters to complete the Courage to be Safe program by Dec. 1, 2015. The proposal will come up for final adoption at the Jan. 26, 2011 commission meeting.

The commission is seeking applications for a new member for the fire fighter advisory committee. An application form is available; the deadline for applications is Dec. 17, 2010. The commission will appoint the new member at its January meeting.

Audio recordings of the October commission meeting are available on the calendar archives page.

August 24, 2010

Appropriations process for next session begins

Commission Presiding Officer Chris Connealy, Commissioner Micheal Melton, Executive Director Gary Warren and other agency staff attended a Joint Budget Hearing (Real Media file) on Friday, Aug. 20, 2010. The hearing was the first step in the state leadership's review of the agency's Legislative Appropriations Request for FY 2012-2013 .

July 29, 2010

Important notice: New certification renewal procedures for departments

The agency will NOT mail certification renewal statements to departments this year.

Beginning early September 2010, the commission will make available a new web-based renewal process in the FIDO system. Regulated entities will be able to get their renewal invoice by following the procedure below.

The designated person in a department (Level 1, Level 2 or Level 3 account holders) will:

• Log on to the fire department's FIDO account.
• Review the information regarding the department's personnel and make necessary employment changes.
• Review the continuing education (CE) for certified employees and validate CE.
• Validate that the information is correct and accurate.
• Generate and print the invoice that will appear.
• Obtain the head of the department's signature on the invoice.
• Mail the invoice, with EXACT payment, to the commission.

In late August, the commission will mail each regulated entity a "time to renew" notice. The notice will include general information regarding the new procedures. The FIDO renewal module will include specific step-by-step instructions.

Please contact a member of the certification staff at (512) 936-3838 if you have any questions about the upcoming renewal process. Thanks!

July 6, 2010

Attention training facilities: performance skills changes

Due to recent rule changes in Chapter 439 of the Standards Manual, some skills had to be revised:

1. Driver Operator: Routine Inspections, Maintenance and Documentation Skills 1, 2 and 3, were revised and are now called Preventive Maintenance Skill 1 and General Skill 2. There is not a Skill 3.
2. Fire Officer I: Human Resource Management Skills 3 and 4 were combined to become Human Resource Management Skill 3. There will not be a Human Resource Management Skill 4.
3. Fire Officer I: Community and Government Relations Skills 6 and 7 were combined to be Community and Government Relations Skill 6. There will not be a Community and Government Relations Skill 7.
4. Instructor II and Instructor III skills: Some wording has been removed or revised on the first page of some of the skills in these chapters.

For more information, please contact Larry Whitis , curriculum and test development supervisor, phone (512) 936-3822.

June 1, 2010

Governor appoints Cortes to commission

Gov. Rick Perry has appointed Tony Cortes of San Antonio to the Texas Commission on Fire Protection for a term to expire Feb. 1, 2015. Please join us in welcoming our newest commissioner!

Feb. 26, 2010

Attention fire chiefs and heads of departments:
Please assign an "online account owner"

In order to meet new online information-gathering requirements (including online injury reporting), the commission is implementing several changes to its website security. The commission recently mailed a letter to the heads of all regulated entities requesting the assignment of a "department online account owner." In the letter, the commission has asked department heads to mail a letter on the department's letterhead to the commission designating an "online account owner."

(UPDATE 9/23/2010: The agency has published a form, TCFP-019, FIDO Account Owner Designation , for departments to request re-assignment of the department's Account Owner.)

Originally posted Jan. 25, 2010. Reposted Feb. 16, 2010

Commission passes mandatory fire protection personnel injury reporting rules

During the 81st Legislative session, the Texas Legislature passed a law (Texas Government Code, §419.048) requiring the Texas Commission on Fire Protection to begin gathering and analyzing fire service injury data. At its January 2010 meeting, the commission adopted new rules (Texas Administrative Code, new section §435.23 ) requiring regulated entities to report injuries to the commission. Agency staff will mail instructions to fire chiefs about how to set up online departmental accounts and how to access the online injury reporting form within the next few weeks.

Originally posted Dec. 3, 2009. Updated Jan. 6, 2010.

Important notice regarding criminal history checks

Beginning Jan. 1, 2010, two important changes went into effect for criminal history background checks for prospective fire protection personnel. These changes affect WHEN and HOW criminal history checks are performed. For detailed information, please see:

• Overview for fire departments appointing personnel to duties .
• Overview for individuals applying for their first certification with the commission (for personnel not currently employed by a fire protection entity).

Oct. 30, 2009

Former commissioners honored

At the Texas Commission on Fire Protection's October meeting, Amy Baillargeon of the Governor's Office and Presiding Officer Chris Connealy presented former Presiding Officer Kelley Stalder and former Assistant Presiding Officer Juan Adame with plaques and letters honoring their service to the State of Texas. Both commissioners began their service with the Texas Commission on Fire Protection in 1995.

"In the fire service, I'm always impressed by those individuals who go beyond expectations," said Presiding Officer Chris Connealy. "We're expected to go to our job, we're expected to put in a hard day's work, but we're not necessarily expected to get involved with other issues surrounding the profession. These two gentlemen...are heroes of mine; they epitomize service above self. They've given so much to the Texas fire service. I don't know that any of us truly know the level of service that they've provided to make our profession better, safer...when people of this caliber donate their time and sacrifice family, time and other pursuits to serve the needs of the greater good - being the Texas fire service - you've got to admire the heck out of them."

June 8, 2009

Governor appoints four new commissioners, re-appoints two

Governor Rick Perry's office has announced the appointment of four new members of the Texas Commission on Fire Protection: John W. Green of San Leon, Carl Gene Giles of Carthage, Kimberly A. Shambley of Dallas, and Steven C. Tull of Valley Mills. The Governor also re-appointed Les Bunte Jr. of Bryan and Yusuf Farran of El Paso. Congratulations to the new and returning commissioners!

Jan. 20, 2009

Governor appoints new presiding officer

On Jan. 15, 2009, Governor Rick Perry designated Commissioner Christopher M. Connealy as Presiding Officer of the Texas Commission on Fire Protection. Connealy is replacing Commissioner Kelley Stalder of Parker as presiding officer.

Dec. 4, 2008

Governor appoints three to Texas Commission on Fire Protection

Governor Rick Perry has appointed Art Pertile of Katy, Micheal Melton of Gilmer, and Rhea Cooper of Lubbock to the Texas Commission on Fire Protection. Pertile was re-appointed; Melton replaces Commissioner David Abernathy, whose term has expired; and Cooper replaces Commissioner Juan Adame, whose term has also expired. The new terms will run through Feb. 1, 2013. Please see the Governor's appointment announcement for more about the newly appointed commissioners.

Oct. 20, 2008

Commission ends wallet cards

At the Oct. 16, 2008 commission meeting, the commission decided that the agency will no longer provide printed certification renewal cards (wallet cards) to departments or individual certificate holders. Certifications may be verified as needed on this website on the certification verification page.

UPDATE: Individuals can now print their own certification cards from their FIDO accounts.

May 1, 2008

Texas Forest Service launches fire department directory

Fire departments are the primary responders to emergencies and disasters; however, because there has been no central registry for fire departments within Texas, it can be difficult to assess the state's overall capacity to respond. In response to this the Texas legislature enacted HB1915 during its last session to "develop a complete list of fire departments and fire fighting resources within this state."

The listing, or Fire Department Directory (FDD), is a cooperative effort involving the Texas Forest Service, Firefighters' Pension Commission, Office of Rural Community Affairs, Texas Commission on Fire Protection, Texas Engineering Extension Service, Texas State Fire Marshal's Office of the Texas Department of Insurance, State Firemen's and Fire Marshals' Association of Texas, Texas Fire Chiefs Association, Texas Fire Marshals Association, Texas State Association of Fire and Emergency Districts and the Texas State Association of Fire Fighters.

The Texas Forest Service has published a handout and presentation about the new directory. The FDD is currently available as an online, web-based system to capture the essential information on fire departments across the state. The system is available to fire departments, agencies and associations. Fire departments are encouraged to participate directly and can request access online at http://tfsfrp.tamu.edu/fdd or by email at fdd@tfs.tamu.edu .