WACO, Texas (FOX 44) – The 2023 Texas Fire Chief Association’s Annual Conference is happening in Waco this week.
The event brings together chiefs, assistant chiefs and fire service directors from around the state of Texas. The goal of the conference is to make improvements to the fire service, as well as to make things safer for firefighters. One of the main topics of conversation is leadership through adverse conditions – how to lead through chaos.
The conference is also focused on diversity inclusion to better understand recruiting more demographics.
“Educating our leaders on how we recruit, how we train, how we change some of our mindsets, all that inclusiveness, says Texas Fire Chief Association President Paul Henley. “We’ve also had a wellness track on mental [and] physical health. We also have an M.S. track on how we provide the best EMS service.”
For firefighters, its more than just the current emergency – but also preparing for the next.
The Association’s purpose is to ensure all members are trained to the utmost level for any potential incident. Waco will be home to the conference for the next three years – as it is centrally located to bring in more fire chiefs from around the state.