Happy New Year to all of You! I hope this year brings good times, good health and more opportunities for a quality life for each of us. At CFMA, we hope you can all come back around to the meetings and the academy, that is what keeps us going and makes all the work worthwhile. Thank you to everyone that supports us through the year, vendors, members and Departments. Once again, we will host he academy on July 30th through August 3rd. Make plans to be there! We introduced what I hope will be an ongoing program to the Colorado State Fire Chief’s conference in Breckenridge in November, and with their cooperation we will begin to train new mechanics to enter the fire service. The apprentice program should help us to maintain a high level of quality in the departments we serve, in Colorado and all the other states we have the honor of attendees to the academy. I look for this to be a program that will be followed nationwide, whether it is a success or not. I had inquiries about the method as soon as we mentioned the possibility of starting such a program. There is a proven shortage of mechanics nationwide, and that has inevitably spread to the fire service. I believe our mechanics associations are qualified as no other institution to continue the development of entry level mechanics to come into the fire service and continue to provide quality service to all fire departments. Of course, we have to begin in our own back yard, and the CFMA will concentrate on Colorado and our neighbors. As this program gains momentum, I hope it will be adopted elsewhere, and we will continue to concentrate on Colorado to keep our state supplied with mechanics that will be well rounded and capable individuals. As most of you know, we have a wide range of needed skills in our jobs, and the expectations of the departments we work for are high. We have to continue to do the work right the first time, and continue to gain knowledge of the new systems that are now flooding our market. The manufacturers are utilizing new technologies, implementing them into apparatus that is already a complicated mass of mixed systems. As technicians, we have to continue to keep the old rigs running, and keep up with the newest technology to keep the new ones on the road too. We have to continue to provide training for ourselves, and continue to add new talent to the pool of new hires. I believe we could employ 10 to 15 new fire mechanics in Colorado in the next year, and that would lead to more hiring in more departments. That is my goal, and I hope it is a goal the Fire Chiefs will help us to realize. This should be an exciting year, a lot of work and hopefully a lot of rewards also. The CFMA is making plans now for the academy, we have the flier just about ready to be mailed out, and we will send it electronically to every address that we have. If we don’t have an email address for someone that you feel we should, please drop us a note or call one of the officers, we can add their email to the list. That is quickly becoming the preferred method of sending these communications out. If it comes to your email, at least it doesn’t sit on an empty desk for two months before you notice it. It is most cost effective also, that has helped relieve some of the financial burden to the association from the print and mail costs. As we continue into this New Year, take the time to stop and enjoy what we have, this is a great country and a beautiful place to live, even with three feet of snow everywhere.........see you in Greeley, no snow. Jay

.…..Jay Powell

www.co-fma.com
COLORADO FIRE MECHANIC'S ASSOCIATION
P.O. BOX 17961 DENVER, COLORADO
80217

Chairman: Jay Powell, 303-972-0734,jpowell@co-fma.com

Hello to everyone,

Here we are in 2007 already! I hope everyone had a good holiday season. Although if your wallets are like mine, they’re glad that it’s behind us! As Jay mentioned in his Chairman’s Corner there is a lot potential for growth in our field. It’s going to take some help from everyone to one extent or another. Speaking of help, if you could help us out with giving us valid updated email addresses, it would be greatly appreciated! We do realize that if you are using a business address to receive email that some security parameters are set up not to accept certain types of mail either due to size or content. So be sure to give an address that will of good use to you, thanks. The Academy Flier is out and there are some changes to the Management courses as well as some changes to the Welding courses. These changes were done due to input from attendees & instructors of what would be more beneficial for all. So YES, your input does matter! ‘07 will bring some significant changes with engine and transmission technology. Be sure to sign up for the upcoming classes to keep up!

Thanks,
Ken Roland
Association Secretary

Meeting Notes:

Meeting called to order @ 8:30 am
Old Business: Academy Report: Cost Analysis
Small Engines Class— discussion of having students bring or donate engines for repairs
Welding Classes— more emphasis on MIG & TIG welding
Change Academy and Membership applications to include email address, new patch
Tool Inventory
New Business: Apprentice Program
Job Descriptions for Program Wages, Equipment Vehicles Worked On
Interview Committee— with students recommended by their instructor
FMCC Meeting— January 27, 2007 in Jacksonville, FL in conjunction with EVTCC Meeting
Fire Rescue International Truck Wash
Elections: Vice Chairman— Chris Nelson appointed as acting Vice Chairman
Treasurer— Jay Powell will continue as Treasurer
Academy Business: Instructor Contracts to date
Academy Flyer Update
History and Pictures
Twentieth Anniversary of CFMA
Meeting Adjourned @ 10:15 am


Next CFMA Meeting— February 28, 2007
Black Hawk Fire @ 9:00 am Sam Sitzman will be the host
Everyone should park in the Bullwhackers parking lot, the station is one block west of the upper end of the parking lot.
Allen Sarkosy of the Dana Corporation will be providing training on driveline angles & troubleshooting
Your attendance would be greatly appreciated!

Ken Roland

Larry Thompson

I would like to invite all members and all departments to attend the 20th anniversary of the CFMA in 2007. In 20 years we have grown, advanced and taken great strides to continue and build it’s success. It is our hope that our 20th year will be the biggest ever. We are working on some new and exciting event to commemorate this great achievement. We look forward to celebrating this event with all past students and instructors as well as new enrollees.....

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