Fire Service Programs

Support a Child
by Volunteering

Comfort Zone Camp in partnership with the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation

The CZC/NFFF partnership is unique. It stands out.
And, it stands UP for each and every camper. When I asked my campers what their Big Buddies meant to them, they replied, ‘I don’t know where I would be without my Big Buddy.’ ‘My Big Buddy is always available to talk to me.’ ‘My Big Buddy is like a father to me.’ ‘My Big Buddy came to my graduation.’

What is Comfort Zone?

Comfort Zone Camp (CZC) is a national nonprofit organization that provides a safe and fun place for grieving children. In partnership with National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, our camp programs serve those who have lost a parent, guardian, sibling, or significant person. All programming empowers participants to grieve, heal, and grow in healthy ways.

About CZC Virtual Volunteer Training

During this four-hour virtual program, you will meet Comfort Zone staff, campers, and volunteers who will explain what to expect at camp and how our program impacts grieving children and teens. You will receive education about childhood bereavement and we’ll give you tips on how to be successful in whichever volunteer role you are selected to fill.

Volunteer Roles Include:

• Big Buddy Mentor
• Camp Nurse (Medical Professional)
• Healing Circle Leader (Mental Health Professional)
• Camper Screener (Mental Health Professional)
• Photographer
• Logistic Support During Camp
• Junior Counselor

* You must attend both sessions in order to complete the training.

All volunteers must be 15 years or older, complete volunteer training, and pass a background check.

Register for the CZC Volunteer Training 2024

For more information, please E-mail [email protected]
or call (804) 377-3430

or visit comfortzonecamp.org.

Support a Child
by Volunteering

Comfort Zone Camp in partnership with the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation

The CZC/NFFF partnership is unique. It stands out.
And, it stands UP for each and every camper. When I asked my campers what their Big Buddies meant to them, they replied, ‘I don’t know where I would be without my Big Buddy.’ ‘My Big Buddy is always available to talk to me.’ ‘My Big Buddy is like a father to me.’ ‘My Big Buddy came to my graduation.’

What is Comfort Zone?

Comfort Zone Camp (CZC) is a national nonprofit organization that provides a safe and fun place for grieving children. In partnership with National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, our camp programs serve those who have lost a parent, guardian, sibling, or significant person. All programming empowers participants to grieve, heal, and grow in healthy ways.

About CZC Virtual Volunteer Training

During this four-hour virtual program, you will meet Comfort Zone staff, campers, and volunteers who will explain what to expect at camp and how our program impacts grieving children and teens. You will receive education about childhood bereavement and we’ll give you tips on how to be successful in whichever volunteer role you are selected to fill.

Volunteer Roles Include:

• Big Buddy Mentor
• Camp Nurse (Medical Professional)
• Healing Circle Leader (Mental Health Professional)
• Camper Screener (Mental Health Professional)
• Photographer
• Logistic Support During Camp
• Junior Counselor

* You must attend both sessions in order to complete the training.

All volunteers must be 15 years or older, complete volunteer training, and pass a background check.

Register for the CZC Volunteer Training 2024

For more information, please E-mail [email protected]
or call (804) 377-3430

or visit comfortzonecamp.org.

Overcoming Institutional & Interpersonal Resistance to Change in the Fire Service

The essay competition is not about reiterating known problems in the fire service, restating current doctrine, or drafting theoretical essays; it’s about offering original thought and identifying actions to address the specific root causes of institutional and interpersonal resistance.

Thought-provoking essays will ignite discussions and challenge readers to understand & embrace their roles in a diverse and evolving fire service. We encourage new ideas to help foster a culture within the fire service that embraces both change and curiosity. Authors and readers of this essay should be motivated and challenged to act beyond the status quo using critical thinking concepts.

We encourage participants to focus on the substance of their ideas and put personal experiences in context without spending too much of their essays on personal stories. We also encourage you to address impactful change at every level of the organization so that the proposed solutions have a broader reach and contribute to overall organizational improvement.

Learn more about the Contest

“Darley Essay contest is one way to bring out critical thinkers who will examine specific issues and challenge the fire service to do something that might upset the status quo. The nominees are all practitioners who may actually be working through some of the issues identified by the papers. Each of the authors did complete significant research to validate their paper in a very limited time.”

Judge John Buckman

Prizes

• 1^st place – $3,000
• 2^nd place – $2,000
• 3^rd place – $1,000

Recognition on Inside Darley video series, Darley Times newsletter, Darley media distribution, partner publications, and the InService Podcast

Essay Format

• 3 pages maximum / 1500 word maximum
• 12-point, Times New Roman
• Double-space
• Submit as a PDF (preferred) or Word Document
• PLEASE do not include your name on the essay!

Recognition on Inside Darley video series, Darley Times newsletter, Darley media distribution, partner publications, and the InService Podcast

Grading Rubric

1. Specific Solutions Offered – Do you present specific recommendations for change? How innovative, impactful, and viable are the proposed solutions?
2. Potential Impact on the Fire Service – Can this impact the fire service in the short and long term? Can this concept move the fire service forward in a positive manner?
3. Quality of Writing – How is the essay structure, vocabulary, readability, and overall authorship?
4. Intangibles – Is this exciting? Does it challenge preexisting assumptions? Does it invoke a thought-provoking discussion? Is the core message courageous?

Download Contest Details

The Detroit Fire Department will collaborate with the Detroit Public Safety Foundation and the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation to host their first-ever Professional Development Conference on July 10-12, 2024.

The Professional Development Conference features a wide range of educational sessions, workshops, and demonstrations that cover various topics that influence todays’ fire service. Experienced professionals who are experts in their respective fields will lead these sessions. Attendees have the opportunity to learn about the latest techniques, technologies, and trends in emergency response, management, and leadership including:

• 
  Keynote presentation by Dr. Daniel Kistner, regarded as an industry leader and innovator on a variety of high impact topics including firefighter safety and health, adaptive leadership, professionalism, and prehospital medical services. He will deliver an inspiring and informative address on the challenges of culture change in the fire service. The keynote session sets the tone for the conference and motivates attendees to strive for excellence in their profession.
• 
  Exhibitions where companies and organizations highlight their latest products, services, and technologies related to fire safety and emergency response. This provides attendees with the opportunity to explore and learn about the latest advancements in the industry.
• 
  Networking with fellow professionals to exchange ideas and build relationships that can lead to future collaborations and partnerships.
• 
  Social events, creating a friendly and inclusive atmosphere for all participants.

The Detroit Fire Department will collaborate with the Detroit Public Safety Foundation and the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation to host their first-ever Professional Development Conference on July 10-12, 2024.

The Professional Development Conference features a wide range of educational sessions, workshops, and demonstrations that cover various topics that influence todays’ fire service. Experienced professionals who are experts in their respective fields will lead these sessions. Attendees have the opportunity to learn about the latest techniques, technologies, and trends in emergency response, management, and leadership including:

• 
  Keynote presentation by Dr. Daniel Kistner, regarded as an industry leader and innovator on a variety of high impact topics including firefighter safety and health, adaptive leadership, professionalism, and prehospital medical services. He will deliver an inspiring and informative address on the challenges of culture change in the fire service. The keynote session sets the tone for the conference and motivates attendees to strive for excellence in their profession.
• 
  Exhibitions where companies and organizations highlight their latest products, services, and technologies related to fire safety and emergency response. This provides attendees with the opportunity to explore and learn about the latest advancements in the industry.
• 
  Networking with fellow professionals to exchange ideas and build relationships that can lead to future collaborations and partnerships.
• 
  Social events, creating a friendly and inclusive atmosphere for all participants.

The Detroit Fire Department will collaborate with the Detroit Public Safety Foundation and the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation to host their first-ever Professional Development Conference on July 10-12, 2024.

The Professional Development Conference features a wide range of educational sessions, workshops, and demonstrations that cover various topics that influence todays’ fire service. Experienced professionals who are experts in their respective fields will lead these sessions. Attendees have the opportunity to learn about the latest techniques, technologies, and trends in emergency response, management, and leadership including:

• 
  Keynote presentation by Dr. Daniel Kistner, regarded as an industry leader and innovator on a variety of high impact topics including firefighter safety and health, adaptive leadership, professionalism, and prehospital medical services. He will deliver an inspiring and informative address on the challenges of culture change in the fire service. The keynote session sets the tone for the conference and motivates attendees to strive for excellence in their profession.
• 
  Exhibitions where companies and organizations highlight their latest products, services, and technologies related to fire safety and emergency response. This provides attendees with the opportunity to explore and learn about the latest advancements in the industry.
• 
  Networking with fellow professionals to exchange ideas and build relationships that can lead to future collaborations and partnerships.
• 
  Social events, creating a friendly and inclusive atmosphere for all participants.

The NFFF is returning to Detroit, Michigan after a successful 2023 event.

Join us at this year’s National Fallen Firefighter’s Foundation (NFFF) High School Fire & EMS Cadet Program Symposium. Learn from and be among colleagues specifically interested in sharing general information and effective practices with their peers from across the nation.This is the 5th event in a series dating back to 2019. Stakeholders from 22 states and the District of Columbia have joined us in the past, spending two days learning from and networking with learning professionals, subject matter experts, and leaders of successful programs. Outcomes were impressive:

• 
  100% of attendees agreed that the symposium provided them with tools, resources, and best practices that could be put to use in their current program.
• 
  100% said the event provided a networking opportunity that enabled them to meet and interact with their peers.
• 
  100% planned to continue engagement with fellow attendees (via the group’s social page, direct communication, or other means) to share ideas and best practices.

Attendees will experience a highly interactive agenda. Topics will address:

• 
  The fire service culture and what it means to cadets
• 
  First person success stories and why they matter
• 
  Expanding your program to make the students more marketable
• 
  Supporting a program from an administrator’s view
• 
  Mental health considerations for building resilient emergency workers
• 
  Strategies to reduce bullying
• 
  Reflecting society in today’s fire service
• 
  NFFF training resources
• 
  And many more informative topics!

There is no registration fee to attend!

Register Now

Please register by June 12, 2024.

Funding for this program has been provided through FEMA’s Grant Program Directorate for Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program – Fire Prevention and Safety Grants

The NFFF is returning to Detroit, Michigan after a successful 2023 event.

Join us at this year’s National Fallen Firefighter’s Foundation (NFFF) High School Fire & EMS Cadet Program Symposium. Learn from and be among colleagues specifically interested in sharing general information and effective practices with their peers from across the nation.This is the 5th event in a series dating back to 2019. Stakeholders from 22 states and the District of Columbia have joined us in the past, spending two days learning from and networking with learning professionals, subject matter experts, and leaders of successful programs. Outcomes were impressive:

• 
  100% of attendees agreed that the symposium provided them with tools, resources, and best practices that could be put to use in their current program.
• 
  100% said the event provided a networking opportunity that enabled them to meet and interact with their peers.
• 
  100% planned to continue engagement with fellow attendees (via the group’s social page, direct communication, or other means) to share ideas and best practices.

Attendees will experience a highly interactive agenda. Topics will address:

• 
  The fire service culture and what it means to cadets
• 
  First person success stories and why they matter
• 
  Expanding your program to make the students more marketable
• 
  Supporting a program from an administrator’s view
• 
  Mental health considerations for building resilient emergency workers
• 
  Strategies to reduce bullying
• 
  Reflecting society in today’s fire service
• 
  NFFF training resources
• 
  And many more informative topics!

There is no registration fee to attend!

Register Now

Please register by June 12, 2024.

Funding for this program has been provided through FEMA’s Grant Program Directorate for Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program – Fire Prevention and Safety Grants

Save the Date – October 8, 2024

The U.S. Fire Administration will host the Summit on Fire Prevention and Control on October 8, 2024. This is exclusive event, hosted by the U.S. Fire Administrator, includes the top leaders and decision makers in the industry.