MSFA Weekly Report for County Associations and Partners

PDF: MSFA Weekly Report week ending 3.18.22

Week ending 3.18.2022

 *UPDATE*

MSFA Proposed Name Change *UPDATED TO INCLUDE THIRD PROPOSAL
In addition to the two recent proposed name changes, a third proposal has been sent in by
the Rockville Volunteer Fire department in Montgomery County. The following names
will be on the ballot for voting in June:

Maryland State Firefighter’s Association
Maryland State Fire & EMS Association
Maryland State Volunteer Fire, Rescue, and EMS Association

We continue to share this information with the intent to have every member company
aware of the proposed name changes so equal opportunity is afforded to everyone to vote
on such an important endeavor in June. If you or your Association have any questions or
concerns, please feel free to reach out to any of the Presidents or Chairman of the
Legislative Committee, Bob Phillips.

Reminder: MSFA Executive Committee Meeting This Weekend; March 19-20
President Joel McCrea has scheduled his next meeting of the Executive Committee of the
Maryland State Firemen’s Association for Saturday, March 19 and Sunday, March 20,
2022. The meeting will be held at the Community Volunteer Fire Department of
Bowley’s Quarter, 900 Bowley’s Quarter Road, Middle River. MD. The meeting will be
called to order at 10:00 a.m. Committee reports are available in the Members Area of the
MSFA website, www.msfa.org.

There will be a welcome reception for all to attend on Friday evening at the White Marsh
Volunteer Fire Company from 1800-2000 hrs.

VCAF Application Opens

The VCAF online application period will open on April 01, 2022. No new VCAF
applications will be opened after June 25, 2022. All applications opened between April
1st and June 25th must be finalized and submitted by July 23, 2022. The next VCAF
committee meeting (in person) will be held on August 07, 2022. We do not have a
meeting location at this time. If your company would like to host our meeting, please let
Chairman Joe Antoszewski know by the beginning of April 2022.

Please let your area companies know the dates of our upcoming VCAF application
period. Encourage companies who are thinking of applying to do so before the June 25th
deadline. Also, be sure to tell companies that all local government funding letters must be
dated on or after July 1, 2022.

MSFA 2022 Convention and Conference

PLEASE NOTE WHAT’S NEW FOR THIS YEAR:

-Exhibit Hall times will be:
Sunday, June 19th 11am – 3pm
Monday, June 20th 9am – 4pm
Tuesday, June 21st 9am – 3pm

-There will be no Basket Bingo on Monday night.
-There will be no golf tournament this year.

-The parade will take place on Wednesday, June 22 at 1pm.

-Jolly Roger Family Night is Monday June 20. See pricing and buy tickets on convention
website under “Events”

-Discounts will be available for Splash Mountain and the Inlet Amusement Park
-LAMSFA will hold their Business Meetings in “D” Hall

-Voting will begin on Monday immediately following the Nominations Session
-With multiple candidates for office, a second voting ballot may be needed.
-Flea Market tables will be available in the PAC Lobby on Sunday
-Fire and EMS Apparatus Parking during Convention week will be at the Jolly Roger
parking lot and not at the Convention Center

**All Educational Seminars are now listed on the convention website under “Education”.
Please encourage participation among your members. There are over 55 classes to choose
from in all categories.

REMINDERS:

Reminder to Departments: Please be sure to get your online credentialing completed for
the 2022 Convention. Emails for both the President of the Department as well as the
Delegate Chair will now be a required field on the form to ensure that we have the correct
information for the emailing of ballots for the online voting process. Submit your
credentials at: https://convention.msfa.org/registration/department-credentials/
Reminder to Departments: Please be sure to take the opportunity to submit your Program
Book Ads! Convention Program Book Ads are a great way to showcase your
department’s milestones or achievements, new apparatus, or even to thank your members
for their dedication and hard work! Submissions can be made online at:
https://convention.msfa.org/sponsors/advertising-opportunities/

Reminder to Businesses and Partners: Please be sure to register for booth space early!

They are filling up fast! Please note the following changes:

–Registration and Move in for booth vendors will be SATURDAY 8am-11am
–Registration and Move in for apparatus will be 11am – completion

This will allow for the exhibits to open on SUNDAY from 11am-3pm to capture the
increased weekend traffic through the Convention Center.

**For those vendors who cannot get into Ocean City until Saturday evening or early
Sunday morning, we will have additional move in times available from 7am-1100am on
Sunday morning prior to opening the exhibit hall.

–Move out would then be moved to Tuesday at 3pm at the close of the Exhibit Halls.
Prices for Early Bird submission are through *May 1st and with the expansion of the
Convention Center, you won’t want to miss the opportunity to be one of the first vendors
in the updated exhibit space! Spaces are filling up so register today at:
https://convention.msfa.org/registration/exhibitors/

PLEASE BE AWARE THAT WE CANNOT ALLOW ANY PARKING OF
APPARATUS IN THE CONVENTION CENTER PARKING LOT(S) DURING
CONVENTION WEEK, INCLUDING OVERNIGHT PARKING.

Please be sure to visit the convention website, www.convention.msfa.org, often for up-to-
date info on the MSFA 2022 Convention! If you or someone you know would like to join

the Convention Committee, please contact Chairman Ron Siarnicki at
rsiarnicki@aol.com.

MSFA Statewide Mental Health Awareness Training

The newly-appointed Mental Health Awareness Taskforce, put in place by 1st Vice
President Ben Kurtz, has held several meetings to discuss the need for statewide training
on Mental Health and resources that are available to first responders. It is the taskforce’s
intent to hold this training in each region in the months of April, May, and early June.

Reminder: Statewide Volunteer Recruitment/Open House Weekend

–PLEASE NOTE DATE CHANGE: Due to the Easter holiday, the date for the 2022
Statewide Recruitment/Open House Weekend has been changed to April 23th and
24th, which closes out National Volunteer Week! If your department plans on holding a
recruitment Open House, please send your information to MSFA SAFER Program
Manager Heather Gorski at hgorski@msfa.org to be announced on MSFA’s social media
platforms and the marylandvolunteer.org website. We would also love to highlight your
open houses and events in our publication, the “Volunteer Trumpet,” so please send any
photos and write-up to Editor Jonathan Dayton at jonathan.m.dayton@gmail.com.