| Grassroots Roundtable Forum in Texas |
Fire Corps hosted its final two Grassroots Roundtable Forums at the San Antonio Fire Training Academy in Texas on February 5 and the Hermiston Fire Department in Oregon on February 12. These forums concluded a series of four meetings which were held to identify best practices, challenges, effective retention and recruitment practices, and recommendations and feedback for Fire Corps from the grassroots level.
At both events, representatives from local Fire Corps programs, the Fire Corps State Advocate Network, Citizen Corps, and other key stakeholders were present.
"We received tremendous feedback from local programs and other key agencies about how the national office can help strengthen their efforts," said Lori Moon, Fire Corps Deputy Director. "These forums provided an opportunity for all involved, from local volunteers to the Federal Emergency Management Agencies' regional coordinators, to network and discuss how together we can better support Fire Corps initiatives at the local, state, and national level."
Fire Corps appreciates the support and assistance of the Fire Corps State Advocates from Texas, Washington, and Oregon and the Texas Association of Regional Councils who helped plan and prepare for both forums. Fire Corps is also grateful for the cooperation and efforts of the San Antonio (TX) Fire Training Academy and the Hermiston (OR) Fire Department for their generosity in providing the meeting sites for the forums. Additionally, Fire Corps would like to thank all who attended and whose ideas, experience, and input made these forums a success.
Fire Corps will release a synopsis and a final report of the information gathered through the four events. The report will include challenges, innovative practices, and recommendations to improve the Fire Corps program. The data gathered from these events will help identify future Fire Corps activities and resources and will be available to local Fire Corps programs to allow them to learn and benefit from the experience of others. The final report will be posted on the Fire Corps web site.