CSFA President's Message

The two purposes of CSFA

As I write this I have just returned from our 96th annual CSFA Conference in Rancho Mirage. As always the CSFA Conference provides an opportunity to network and to caucus about the issues facing California’s firefighters. It is also a prime opportunity to reflect on all that CSFA does for its members.

Below is a summary of the remarks I gave at the Conference to the voting delegates that were in attendance.

CSFA essentially has two main purposes: To provide benefits to our members in the form of having partners that provide special pricing on products and services for things such as travel, estate planning, identity theft, auto and homeowner insurance, and life and disability insurance, to name just a few.

In addition CSFA members receive free digital subscriptions to Fire Engineering and Firehouse magazines, free use of the CSFA Exposure Reporting System, a 10 percent discount at Firefighters’ Bookstore, a 50 percent discount at FireCareers.com, and through the CSFA Historical Society, eligibility for college scholarships for children and grandchildren of CSFA members. We are always adding to our suite of benefits, so check-in often at www.csfa.net to see what is new.

The second main purpose of CSFA involves our political and Legislative efforts in Sacramento, which benefit members of the entire California fire service. CSFA has representatives on many State Boards and Commissions such as: Governor's Valor Board, State EMS Authority, FIRESCOPE, State Board of Fire Services, STEAC, and the Los Angeles County EMS Commission to name just a few. In addition we have representatives to national standards-making bodies of the National Fire Protection Association, and a Washington D.C. presence through the National Volunteer Fire Council. All of these boards and commissions shape the direction of the fire service, and CSFA has direct influence and participation on the decisions they make.

CSFA has our Legislative committee and PAC as well as our Legislative Advocate Afrack Vargas working on issues at the State Capitol. CSFA is also a member of both the DRiSC coalition that was working this last session to secure funding for pre-positioning and wildfire prevention, and the Labor Coalition. Turn to page 18 of this magazine for a special message from Political Action Committee Chair Vern Losh. Vern wants to expand the number of politically active members through committee work.

Speaking of committees, please visit the website or turn to page 14 of this magazine to explore all the details and find out about our standing committees. These committees study issues in specific areas and serve as advisor to our legislative team. Please look the over and volunteer your skills with one of them by contacting the committee chair or your local CSFA Board member for more information.

Finally, as I mentioned to applause at the CSFA Conference, we are happy to report that CSFA’s Executive Director Gene Gantt has recovered from his recent health challenges and is back in his Sacramento office and working tirelessly
for the membership.

Until next issue, stay safe!

Mike Shrout CSFA President