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May 30, 2013

Reminder: exam requirements for ISO and wildland are waived through Aug. 31, 2013

We would like to remind Texas fire protection personnel that the commission has waived the exam requirement for the commission's voluntary incident safety officer (ISO) and wildland certifications through Aug. 31, 2013 (please see External link §457.3 for ISO, §455.3 for basic wildland, and §455.5 for intermediate wildland requirements). If you have completed the required training, you can apply for these certifications by submitting TCFP-002 Link to PDF file , along with any required documentation and the $85 certification fee. After Aug. 31, 2013, applicants for these certifications will be required to pass the commission exam. For more information, please contact the commission's certification section at (512) 936-3829.

May 1, 2013

Commission appoints Swindle to fire fighter advisory committee

At its April 25, 2013 meeting, the Texas Commission on Fire Protection appointed Chief Ken Swindle of the Krum Fire Department to the fire fighter advisory committee. Chief Swindle has over 35 years of fire service experience in a variety of roles. The commission noted that 52 people applied for the committee's position, and selected Swindle from seven finalists invited to address the commission at its April meeting. The commission thanked all of the applicants for their ongoing commitment to the Texas fire service.

The commission also welcomed its newest member, Commissioner Joseph Gutheinz, who replaced Commissioner Art Pertile. The commission also elected Commissioner Jody Gonzalez as assistant presiding officer, and appointed Commissioner John Green as chair of its strategic planning subcommittee. The commission also re-appointed Mike Hunt of Duncanville to serve as its liaison to the Texas Fire School Advisory Board.

The commission reviewed the 2012 Fire Fighter Injury Report and approved a motion to send the report to the State Fire Marshal's Office (SFMO) for inclusion in the SFMO's annual report. (The report is also available on this website.)

The commission scheduled its next quarterly meeting for July 11, 2013 at 10:00 a.m.

April 26, 2013

Commission dismisses executive director

At its April 25, 2013 meeting, the Texas Commission on Fire Protection dismissed Executive Director Don Wilson and appointed Tim Rutland as Interim Executive Director. Rutland has served as the commission's certification program manager since July 2007; prior to coming to the commission he served 25 years with the Corpus Christi Fire Department.

April 22, 2013

Commission will meet on Thursday, 4/25

The commission's April 25, 2013 meeting is scheduled for the same day as the West, Texas memorial (see the next article below); although we cannot reschedule the meeting, Presiding Officer Steve Tull has stated that the commission will make every effort to expedite its business so that those who wish to attend the memorial can do so.

April 19, 2013

West, Texas: helpful information

Our thoughts and prayers are with the citizens and first responders of West, Texas. The Office of the Governor's Disaster Center has published a list of resources for those seeking to help with the recovery effort. Thank you.

Update, 4/22: The Texas Line of Duty Death Task Force has announced a joint memorial service on Thursday, April 25, 2013 at 2:00 p.m. at the Ferrell Center on the Baylor University campus. (Please see the Texas LODD Task Force's Facebook page for more information.)

March 28, 2013

Governor appoints one new commissioner, reappoints three current members

Governor Rick Perry has reappointed Commissioner Jody Gonzalez, Commissioner John McMakin and Commissioner Lenny Perez for terms ending February 2019. The Governor also appointed Joseph Gutheinz of Pearland to replace Commissioner Art Pertile, who did not seek reappointment when his term ended. For more information about the new and reappointed commissioners, please see the appointment release External link from the Governor's Office.

We wish Commissioner Pertile a fond farewell, and congratulations to our new and re-appointed commissioners!

March 28, 2013

Commission to close early on March 29

The Texas Commission on Fire Protection offices will close at noon on Friday, March 29. Normal business hours will resume on Monday, April 1, 2013.

February 20, 2013

Commission seeks applicants for new head of department ad hoc committee

The Texas Commission on Fire Protection is seeking applicants for a new Head of Department ad hoc committee. The committee will review the newly adopted head of department curriculum, as well as the rules, definitions and guidelines for the head of department certification. The commission is seeking a diverse applicant pool for this committee, including paid and volunteer chiefs of small, medium and large departments; heads of a variety of departments, including suppression/prevention and prevention only departments; city managers or county judges and administrators; and fire service leaders with in-state and out-of-state experience. (The commission discussed the proposed ad hoc committee's goals at the January commission meeting Link to audio file ; the head of department discussion begins at approximately 56:00.)

If you are interested in applying for this committee, please mail, fax or email a completed application Link to PDF file to: Deborah Cowan, TCFP, PO Box 2286, Austin, TX 78768-2286, FAX (512) 936-3814, deborah.cowan@tcfp.texas.gov Send e-mail . (If you need more space than the form provides, please feel free to attach additional pages.)

The commission will accept applications through April 19, 2013. The curriculum and testing committee will review the applications at its May 9-10, 2013 meeting.

February 15, 2013

Update on new certifications - Fire Officer III and IV, and Hazmat Incident Commander

Three new certifications will be available soon. The commission has adopted the rules for the new certifications, and the agency is preparing them for publication in the Texas Register. (We anticipate that this will occur on or about February 28.)

When the rules have been published, the commission will make the exams for these new disciplines available, and we will update the application for certification form.

The curricula and the TCFP-006 Training Facility Application for Certification are currently available; training facilities may apply for approval to teach these courses at any time.

February 11, 2013

Commission to appear before Senate Finance and House Appropriations Committees

The Texas Commission on Fire Protection is scheduled to appear before the Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday, February 12, 2013 Link to PDF file and the House Appropriations Committee's Subcmmittee on Articles VI, VII, & VIII on Wednesday, February 13, 2013 . (The commission is not listed separately on the House Appropriations Committee's agenda, but it is anticipated that the commission will be discussed in conjunction with the Texas Department of Insurance.)

January 2, 2013

New curricula and skills available

The commission has updated the Certification Curriculum Manual with a new curriculum for Incident Safety Officer Link to PDF file (Chapter 10) and new curricula and skills for Fire Officer III, Fire Officer IV (Chapter 9) and Basic Wildland Fire Fighter (Chapter 11). The commission has also published new Basic Fire Suppression Skills (Chapter 1). Separate skills manuals for the new sections are also available in the Curriculum Skills Manual Link to PDF file .

December 11, 2012

Governor Perry appoints Moore, Poynter to the commission

Governor Rick Perry has appointed Robert Moore of Bryan and Ronald Poynter of McKinney to the Texas Commission on Fire Protection for terms to expire Feb. 1, 2015.

Moore is director of the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) Emergency Services Training Institute. He is a member of the American Society of Safety Engineers, National Fire Protection Association, Board of Certified Safety Professionals, State Firemen's and Fire Marshals Association (SFFMA), and SFFMA Industrial Emergency Services Board. He is also a former assistant fire chief and paramedic for the Channelview Volunteer Fire Department. Moore received an associate degree from Blinn College, completed his Emergency Medical Technician and Paramedic certification at Lee College, and is a graduate of the TEEX Leadership Development Program. Moore will replace former Commissioner Les Bunte as the commission's fire service instructor.

Poynter is a regional sales manager at Sklar Instruments and served for more than 23 years as a U.S. Army Medical Service Corps Officer. He is a former fire fighter and paramedic with 8 years of service in Missouri, and a former safety officer and rescue team member of the Missouri Urban Search and Rescue Task Force 1. Poynter received a bachelor's degree from Sam Houston State University and a master's degree in management from Webster University. Poynter will replace former Commissioner Tony Cortes as one of the commission's public members.

December 4, 2012 (updated Dec. 5, 2012)

December fire fighter advisory committee meeting cancelled

The Dec. 6, 2012 fire fighter advisory committee meeting has been cancelled due to a scheduling conflict. The committee has rescheduled the meeting for Jan. 8, 2013 at 9:00 a.m. in Room 1-100.

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