The Fire Department Safety Officers Association (FDSOA) is pleased to announce the application period for scholarships to the 30th annual Health & Safety Conference is now available online.
The 2020 Health & Safety Conference will be held in Scottsdale, Arizona, January 13-16, 2020. Prior to the Health & Safety Conference, a two-day Incident Safety Officer Academy and a Health & Safety Officer Academy will be held on January 13-14.
“This scholarship is a great opportunity for a fire or emergency services member to attend our conference if their organization is not able to fund their attendance,” Eric Valliere, FDSOA Chairman and Assistant Fire Chief, Scottsdale, Ariz. “We are so excited to offer this experience and education that is so important to our Safety Mission.”
The FDSOA Health & Safety Conference scholarship includes registration to the conference, January 15-16, one pre-conference seminar (Incident Safety Officer or Health Safety Officer), airfare or mileage, and lodging.
VFIS, a division of Glatfelter Insurance Group, America’s Leading Insurance Provider for Emergency Organizations, is the Platinum sponsor of the FDSOA’s Safety Conference Scholarship.
VFIS Executive Vice President Bill Jenaway stated, “VFIS is extremely proud to work with FDSOA in sponsoring attendance at the annual conference and providing safety officers with the opportunity to grow and develop.”
Criteria for the scholarship application includes current uniformed member with a minimum two years’ experience in a fire or emergency services organization and never attended a Health & Safety Conference or in the past five years. Department approval for attendance must accompany the application. The application is available at https://www.fdsoa.org/fdsoa-safety-officer-scholarship-award/
The Health & Safety Conference Scholarship program was initially proposed by Dave Dodson, a charter member of FDSOA and former Board Vice President, to introduce new safety officers to the educational opportunities at the Health & Safety Conference.
“I’ve been very fortunate in my fire service life and feel it is time to pay it forward,” said Dodson. “Many individuals have influenced and assisted me along the way, so now it is my turn to assist others.”
Dodson is a 40-year fire service veteran, serving up to the position of Battalion Chief. His Art of Reading Smoke class has been presented to over 70,000 firefighters in the USA and Canada. He recently completed a ground-breaking project with John Mittendorf – The Art of Reading Buildings (Fire Engineering Books and Video). Dave’s best-seller, Fire Department Incident Safety Officer the updated 3rd edition released in 2015.
Concurrently, the FDSOA Fire Apparatus Safety and Maintenance Conference will be held January 12-15, 2020. Pre-conference programs are scheduled for Sunday, January 12th and a new post-conference, hands-on aerial maintenance program is scheduled for Wednesday, January 15th.
For more information visit: www.fdsoa.org.