October 27 – November 1, 2020
Hosted by Box 55 Association Nashville, TN
and the
Middle Tennessee Rehab Alliance
August 17, 2020
IFBA Member Clubs and Associate Members:
IFBA Chairman Paul Schaetzle and IFBA President Rick Short held an Emergency Meeting of the IFBA Board via video conferencing tonight. Due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, Firehouse Expo has changed their meeting to a virtual format and the various fire services have withdrawn their support for an in person meeting in Nashville due Covid-19. Our local club, Box 55 is unable to support an in person IFBA Convention and IFBA Business Meeting this year. The Board members on the call expressed their understanding of the club’s decision and support the decision to not hold an in person Convention and Business Meeting.
Nashville Box 55 will refund all registration fees previously submitted by the registrants. Paul Schaetzle, Gerry Mahoney, and Wally Banks waived their refunds and asked their refund money be given to Box 55 to cover any loss by the club. All registrants should contact the hotel or Marriott to cancel their reservations.
Chairman Schaetzle, President Short, and Executive Vice President Banks will discuss our options and prepare proposals for the Executive Board’s consideration. The consensus plan at the meeting was to hold a virtual 2020 IFBA Business Meeting on a Saturday in October or later to comply with the IFBA Constitution and By-Laws via video conference.
We expect to hold another IFBA Executive Board video conference soon to discuss our options and make decisions which will include a new Notice to Clubs and members regarding a Business Meeting date and time to be held by video conference.
President Elect Carolyn Wignall stated that the 2021 Ottawa IFBA Convention will be held starting Sunday September 12, 2021 through Thursday September 16, 2021.
Please share this information with your members.
Wally Banks
Executive Vice President IFBA
CW76X
Jan 7, 2020 -
This is Nat Whittemore of the Boston Sparks Association. For over a year I have been working with Wayne Miller, author of “Burn Boston Burn” the true story of the arson epidemic that swept the Boston area in the early 1980s. Mr. Miller is the ATF Case Agent (lead investigator) in this investigation. Nine men were eventually convicted of setting 264 building fires in five Massachusetts counties. For more information about the book go to: BurnBostonBurn.com.
The book was introduced to the Boston Fire Community at a joint meeting of the Boston Sparks Association and the Box 52 Club last September. The book has been quite a success. So far over 3000 copies of the book have been sold. WCVB-TV (Boston) devoted a half hour program to the book. I was involved in the fires through my job as a TV News Cameraman. I had saved videos of a number of the more serious fires and we have been putting on numerous programs about the book in several of the New England states.
We would be very happy to travel to Nashville to put on a program for your convention. The only thing we request is permission to also sell the book.
For a reference to us I suggest you contact the Chief Gerry Mahoney of the Cambridge,MA Fire Department (a member of the IFBA).
Ian Duke
Jan 8, 2020 -
Good day Nat, I have forwarded your comments to the Nashville 2020 Convention planning committee for consideration. Thank you for reaching out.