IAFC Welcomes New President
Chief Tom Jenkins of the Rogers, Arkansas, Fire Department, was installed July 27 as president and chairman of the board. He has promised to better lead, educate, and serve fire chiefs across the world, saying IAFC "will do this through improved outreach, better social media interaction, strategic political advocacy, and by continuing to elevate our annual conference, Fire-Rescue International."
Chief Tom Jenkins of the Rogers, Arkansas, Fire Department, was installed July 27 as president and chairman of the board of the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC). He will lead the association's 18-member board of directors, serve as IAFC's primary spokesman on national and international issues, and testify on behalf of the organization at congressional hearings, among other duties.
During his inaugural address at Fire-Rescue International 2017, Jenkins promised that, during the next year, IAFC will try to better lead, educate, and serve fire chiefs across the world. "We will do this through improved outreach, better social media interaction, strategic political advocacy, and by continuing to elevate our annual conference, Fire-Rescue International," he said. "Research, data, and technology are tools that must be harnessed by fire chiefs to be successful. We cannot be allergic to change and evidenced-based decisions. Therefore, our association will push forward in finding ways to harness, disseminate, and improve these cutting-edge initiatives."
The 2018 FRI conference is scheduled for Aug. 8-11, 2018, in Dallas.
Jenkins has been fire chief in Rogers since 2009 and previously was deputy chief for the Sand Springs, Oklahoma Fire Department. He has a bachelor's degree in fire protection and safety engineering from Oklahoma State University and a master's degree in public administration from the University of Oklahoma and is a 2006 graduate of the Executive Fire Officer Program at the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, Md., according to IAFC.
Chief Gary Curmode of the Copper Mountain (Colo.) Fire Department was installed as the association's first vice president and Chief Dan Eggleston, fire rescue chief for Albemarle County Department of Fire Rescue (Va.), was installed as second vice president. Chief John Sinclair, IAFC president 2016-2017, will continue to serve on the IAFC executive committee and board of directors for 2017-2018 as immediate past president.