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The Institution’s 2009 Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Conference will be held on 1-2 July 2009 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Glasgow. The hotel overlooks the River Clyde and is ideally situated close to the city sights and a range of accommodation to suit all budgets. I am grateful to members of the Scottish Branch, and Jim Mann in particular, for assistance in researching suitable venues. I would also like to thank chief fire officer, Brian Sweeney, for the ongoing support of Strathclyde Fire and Rescue Service.
We look forward to welcoming you to an excellent programme, organised by international president elect, Bill Stewart FIFireE, CFO, CMM, AdeC, which will aim to appeal to private fire sector members, as well as members working within fire and rescue services. Bill was honoured recently with the award of Full-Time Fire Chief of the Year by the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs, and our warmest congratulations go to him for this award.
International visitors
The international president of the Hong Kong Institute of Engineers (HKIE), Ir Peter Wong, recently visited the UK, and I was delighted to join him for his welcome reception in London and to speak with members of the UK Chapter of the HKIE.
John Judd, chairman of the IFE Board, and IFE staff recently welcomed Mr Deshmukh FIFireE, director of state fire services for North West India, to the Institution’s offices in Moreton-in-Marsh. Membership in India continues to increase, with two further branches inaugurated earlier this year.
IFE branch activities
A meeting of the UK Working Group, which includes all UK members of the Institution’s International General Assembly, is to be held on 19 November at the IFE offices in Moreton-in-Marsh. Hong Kong will be the location for the next meeting of the International General Assembly, which will take place on 12-13 February 2009 and will present an excellent opportunity to share ideas and explore opportunities for further international collaboration.
The Midlands and North East Midlands Branches have joined forces to organise an evening event on 13 November. Particular recognition should be given to the enthusiasm and energy of Richard Woodward, Chris Bilby and Andrew Brown in taking this forward. The evening will focus on risk to operational fire crews, and qualifications. Please see www.ife.org.uk for further details.
Throughout our branches worldwide, many excellent continuing professional development (CPD) opportunities are offered to members. Event listings can be found at www.ife.org.uk/events and all branches are urged to e-mail helen.ross@ife.org.uk to ensure that events are publicised as widely as possible, and jenny.angus@ife.org.uk for assistance in obtaining IFE-approved CPD hours, which can be used for certification.
US Branch: Vision 20/20
Through the excellent efforts of Bill Kehoe and other US Branch members, a major initiative was funded to develop a range of strategies within the United States, aimed at reducing loss of life and property as a consequence of fire. The resultant report, National Strategies for Fire Loss Prevention, makes a series of recommendations and has now been published. It can be viewed at http://www.ife-usa.org/
International president elect
Nominations are currently being sought from members of the Board of Directors and International General Assembly for election to the office of international president elect, to replace Bill Stewart when he becomes international president at next year’s AGM in Glasgow. The successful candidate will be announced as the new international president elect at the AGM on 1 July 2009.
Louise Craig, acting chief executive officer, IFE
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