The Metropolitan “Metro” Fire Chiefs Association, a Section of the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) held its 2021 annual meeting virtually on May 10, 2021. More than 85 Metro chiefs attended the meeting and elected the Association’s 2021-2022 officers and board members.
The officers are:
- Chief Don Lombardi, President; West Metro Fire Protection District, Lakewood, Colo.
- Chief Robert Rocha, Vice President; Corpus Christi Fire Department, Corpus Christi, Tex.
- Chief Edward “Loy” Senter, Jr., Secretary; Chesterfield County Fire and EMS, Chesterfield County, Va.
- Chief Ernest Malone, Treasurer; Indianapolis Fire Department, Indianapolis, Ind.
The new board members are:
- Chief John Butler, Board Member; Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department, Fairfax County, Va.
- Chief (retired) Dr. Denis Onieal, re-elected as the Senior Board Member for a second year; Jersey City Fire Department, Jersey City, N.J.
- Chief Trisha Wolford, alternate board member; Anne Arundel County Fire Department, Anne Arundel County, Md.
- Chief John Lane, immediate past president; Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service, Winnipeg, Man., Canada
Outgoing Metro Board Member Chief Mike Duyck issued the oath of office to the new officers and board members.
The Metro Chiefs bestowed the following 2021 Metro Awards and Honors:
- Chief Mary Cameli of the Mesa (Ariz.) Fire & Medical Department was named Fire Chief of the Year.
- Chief (retired) Mike Duyck, Tualatin Valley (Ore.) Fire & Rescue, received the Russell E. Sanders Lifetime Achievement Award.
Motions of Interest
2023 and 2024 Metro Conferences will be hosted by the Columbus (Ohio) Division of Fire and the Tulsa (Okla.) Acting USFA Administrator Chief Tonya Hoover, NFPA President and CEO Jim Pauley, Acting IAFC President and Chair of the Board Chief Ken Stuebing, and IAFC CEO and Executive Director Chief Rob Brown addressed the membership.
Motions of interest include the endorsement of Chief John Butler for the position of 2nd Vice President of the IAFC, and donations to the Canadian Fallen Fire Fighters Foundation, the Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition, and the National Fallen Fire Fighters Foundation.
Program Presentations
A comprehensive education program is traditionally held in conjunction with the annual business meeting, but due to the pandemic, the 2021 Metro Education Program will be presented virtually. The education program will include six, one-hour presentations delivered by a distinguished group of international experts both from within and external to the fire service. The program, which will begin on June 10, 2012, and will conclude on July 15, 2021, will focus on three major themes: COVID-19, DEI, and Labor/Management Relations.
The COVID-19 presentations will address Research – Scope and Intent, Best Practices/Lessons Learned, and Economics. The DEI presentation will address Intent vs. Perception, Unintended Bias, and Understanding Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI). The final series of presentations will include updates from the Secretary of the DHS, the FEMA and USFA Administrators, and a live discussion with IAFF General President Ed Kelly and Metro President Chief Don Lombardi. This final presentation will include both chiefs and local union presidents and will include a variety of topics including Building Strong Labor/Management Relations at all Levels, the Long-Term Impact of COVID-19, Dwindling Revenues, and more.
Thank you note
A special thank you to Metro President Chief John Lane and the entire Metro Executive Board for providing outstanding leadership during a time of unprecedented challenges. The 2022 Metro conference will be hosted by Chief Gina Sweat and the Memphis Fire Department. The conference is scheduled for May 14-19. The 2023 and 2024 Metro Conferences will be hosted by the Columbus (Ohio) Division of Fire and the Tulsa (Okla.) Fire Departments respectively.
The Metropolitan Fire Chiefs (Metro) Association brings together fire chiefs from large metropolitan fire departments to share information and focus on major issues affecting policy changes in the U.S. and abroad. Its members belong to the IAFC and NFPA and are the fire chiefs of jurisdictions with minimum staffing of 350 fully paid career firefighters.