Happy New Year to all NSWAFI members, and good wishes for the year ahead. Below is an update on the Association's activities and our plans for the coming year.
Education Nights
Our first education night is Thursday, 4/2/16 at Sutherland Shire Football Association. The committee has not decided yet on the remaining presentations for the year. If you have a topic that the Association will find interesting, please contact us with your suggestions - all welcome! The remaining education nights for 2016 will take place on the following dates:
Thursday 7/4/16
Thursday 2/6/16
Thursday 4/8/16
Thursday 1/12/16
Please note there will be no education night in October due to the AAFI conference in September.
Membership Fees
Fees are now due. Last year, the Committee decided to increase the fees. One year membership is now $60, two years is $110, and three years is $150. You can pay by credit card (excluding AMEX), cheque or EFT. Please make payment out to:
Fire Brigade Employees Credit Union
BSB: 802825
Account name: NSW Association of Fire Investigators Inc
Account number: 114123
Please add your full name to the comments section if you are paying by EFT so we know who has paid. If you would like to pay by credit card and don’t want to write it down, please contact the Treasurer.
AAFI Conference 12-14 September 2016
This year, NSWAFI is hosting the Australasian Association of Fire Investigators conference to be held at the Crowne Plaza Coogee. More information will be forthcoming including a website for the event. A call for papers will occur shortly, so if you have a presentation, this is your opportunity to present it in front of your peers from all over the country. The guest speaker will be Steve Carman, a world leader in Fire Investigation training. One day will consist of a burn program which will be conducted at Londonderry and then there will be a two day conference at Coogee. More details to follow.
Vale Bob Kellet
The Committee was informed this week of the passing of Bob Kellet, who was a member of our association. I had not met Bob, but Neville Wearne informed me that well in excess of 100 people attended his funeral, with a large contingent of RFS members. My condolences to his friends and family.
Recruitment Drive
The committee is always looking to increase our membership and so we would like all of our current members to encourage others who they live or work with, in or around the Fire Investigation industry, to join. Our association survives on membership fees as its primary form of income, so the more members we have, the more can survive into the future.
IAAI Update
The IAAI (of which we are a chapter) continues to grow as an international organisation. There are 8,361 members worldwide. If you would like to join, visit the IAAI website. Their certification programs continue to grow. There are now 1,356 Fire Investigation Technicians (IAAI-FIT), and 2,101 Certified Fire Investigators (IAAI-CFI). Please consider applying for these certifications if you have been a fire investigator and given testimony in court before. IAAI members are encouraged to use postnominals to indicate their membership in the IAAI – the world’s largest professional group of fire investigators. On business cards, email signature blocks and letters/correspondence, IAAI members made include “MIAAI” after their name (i.e., Tom Smith, MIAAI). This can also be done for NSWAFI (i.e. Tom Smith, MNSWAFI).
Ross Brogan – Now Fully Retired
Ross has now fully retired from all things fire investigation. Ross has had a long association with the NSWAFI and the IAAI. He was the IAAI Liaison officer since 2000, and the CFI Manager since 2002. He has promoted the IAAI and the CFI program in that time and there are more CFIs and FITs in Australia as a result. This is due to the work Ross has done. I would like to thank Ross for all of his work for the NSWAFI and his dedication to this association and the industry over many years. The vacant position will be filled shortly.
Don't forget that we have a Facebook page! Please visit it and give it a like ;)
This will be a big year for the NSWAFI. We look forward to meeting new members and further growing the Association into a group of like-minded professionals.