Steven Byers

The meeting included Unfinished Business, specifically the Discussion and Consideration of the WV Fire Prevention and Control Plan. This involved a discussion led by Chairman Gunnoe regarding the WV Fire Death Rate. No New Business items were addressed.

The meeting included a general discussion on Recruitment and Retention, featuring a report from ASFM Bradley Scott regarding a Kanawha County Recruitment and Retention meeting that included a representative from the House of Delegates.

The WV State Fire Commission meeting included reports from the Inspections and Plan Review, Services and Investigations, and Operations divisions. The Fire Department Services Committee discussed temporary fire officer certifications, fire chief applications, departments receiving 180 days to achieve compliance, and fire department recertification, including those with perfect evaluations. They also considered the dissolution of Smithers VFD and AFFF disposal. The Disciplinary Committee addressed several FDC cases, recommending no action from the Fire Commission. The Training Committee approved the WVU FSE curriculum submission for Firefighter 1 and Firefighter 2 and discussed upcoming training events and the possibility of a Jr Firefighter camp. The full commission addressed unfinished business, including the WVU FSE curriculum and FDC cases, and new business such as temporary fire officer certifications, fire chief applications, and the recertification of various fire departments. The commission also moved to suspend the operation of Smithers VFD and start the process of decertification.

The meeting included a report from the State Fire Marshal's Office covering staffing, legislative updates, and upcoming stakeholder meetings. The Disciplinary Committee presented findings on multiple complaints, recommending actions for the full Fire Commission. Discussions involved probable cause determinations for specific cases, including concerns related to underage juveniles at emergency scenes and failures in providing fire protection services. The commission also considered applications for Fire Officer 1 certification and reviewed potential updates to the Fire Department Funding Application, focusing on apparatus service questions. Additionally, the International Code Council addressed the commission regarding building code adoptions.

The meeting included reports from Deputy Mark Stewart regarding Operations and Unit activities in Marshal Tyree's absence. Discussions covered the NERIS switch and a review of Fire Department State Funding amounts. The Fire Department Services Committee addressed temporary fire officer certifications, fire chief applications, and fire department recertifications. The Recruitment and Retention Committee discussed the Recruitment and Retention Program. The Training Committee covered updates from Public Service Training, WVU-Fire Service Extension, and updates to the Training Standards, including curriculum submissions for Firefighter 1 and Firefighter 2 in NFPA 1010. The Disciplinary Committee addressed several cases with recommendations for handling by the Fire Marshal's Office. Tyer Olsen with ISO introduced Breanna Fitzwater as the field representative for Jefferson, Berkeley, and Morgan counties.