IDAHO FIRE CHIEF’S ASSOCIATION
2023 - 53rd Annual Conference & Tradeshow, Sun Valley

Preliminary Schedule of Events

Please Note: This schedule is subject to change

Conference Registration>>
Conference Lodging>>
Golf Tournament is Cancelled due to weather

Thursday, May 18 – Sun Valley Resort

1:00 pm                      Registration Opens - Sun Valley Inn Board Room/Promenade

1:00 pm Tradeshow Vendor and Apparatus Setup – Sun Valley Inn Limelight Ballroom

1:00 pm-4:30 pm Chiefs Roundtable - Sun Valley Inn Continental Room  New Time!

Friday, May 19 – Sun Valley Resort

7:15 am-8:00 am Continental Breakfast with Vendors - Limelight Ballroom

8:00 am-8:15 am        Welcome and Opening Ceremonies – Continental Room

                                    Color Guard and Flag Ceremony - Sun Valley Mall Bus Turnaround
Welcome - Continental Room

8:15 am-10:15 am Opening General Session  - Continental Room

"Pardon the Disruption: Forecasting the Future of the Fire Service" - Jeff Buchanan, Las Vegas Fire Department (retired), and Bob Horton, Deputy Director, Western Fire Chiefs Association.

Join Chiefs Jeff Buchanan and Bob Horton as they discuss the current headlines, highlights, and happenings in the fire service and how it could change the future of the industry. Bob and Jeff will guide a conversation that examines emerging trends and share their perspectives on the disruptions that we should expect in the upcoming years.

Chief Bob Horton has worked in public safety for over 22 years with a third of that time in an executive leadership role. Bob is currently the Deputy Director of the Western Fire Chiefs Association and leads the Western's Applied Sciences Center for Resilience Studies. Prior to joining the staff of the WFCA, he was the Fire Chief Jackson County Fire District 3. Prior to moving to Oregon, Bob was an Assistant Fire Chief for Las Vegas Fire & Rescue.  In addition to his role as Fire Chief, Bob served as a Board Director for the Oregon Fire Chiefs Association where he served as Chair of the OFCA’s Legislative Committee. Bob was elected as the Oregon Representative and later as Vice-President of the Western Fire Chiefs Association, serving on the Public Safety Technology, Wildfire Policy and Legislative Committees. Chief Horton was appointed by Governor Kate Brown to serve on the Oregon Governor’s Fire Service Policy Council.

Dr. Jeffrey L. Buchanan is a retired Fire Chief with more than 21 years of public safety and government experience, and now is a consultant and principal at The.Buchanan.Group LLC and a Senior Operations Advisor with the Western Fire Chiefs Association. As the Fire Chief for Las Vegas Fire and Rescue (LVF&R), Jeff had oversight of day-to-day operations for more than 800 employees and a total budget that is in excess of 200 million dollars. Jeff began his public service career with the North Las Vegas Fire Department (NLVFD) in 2001 where he was promoted through the ranks. In 2013, he was appointed as the fire chief for the NLVFD, and 7 months later accepted a dual role when he was named the interim city manager. 

Jeff is a Professor of Practice in the Master of Urban Leadership program at UNLV and an instructor at the College of Southern Nevada, where he has taught for 12 years. Jeff is a published author and conference speaker presenting on topics that include executive decision-making, communications, negotiations, emotional intelligence, and leadership. He holds the qualifications of Executive Fire Officer (EFO) and Chief Fire Officer (CFO). Jeff is committed to education and holds a Master of Business Administration, Master of Public Administration, and a Doctorate in Public Policy (DPP). Jeff is a member of the fire emergency service higher education (FESHE) committee and various other advisory boards and groups that impact the fire service. 

10:15 am – 10:45 am      Break with Vendors - Limelight Ballroom

10:45 am-12:00 pm State and Federal Agency Reports

-Idaho Department of Lands

-Office of Emergency Management

-Idaho State Fire Marshal

-Fire Service Training

12:00 pm-1:00 pm     Lunch with Vendors - Limelight Ballroom

1:00 pm-3:00 pm Networking with Vendors in Tradeshow

Division Breakouts - All Chiefs Welcome and Encouraged to Participate

-EMS - Sage Room (Chris Way, Division President)
-FPO - Arrowhead Room (Joe Bongiorno, Division President)
-Training - Continental Room (Bill Deruyter, Division President)

3:00 pm-3:30 pm Break with Vendors - Limelight Ballroom

3:30 pm-4:15 pm General Session -  Continental Room

"Grant Opportunities and Funding Sources" - Crosby Grindle, Sourcewell/Western Fire Chiefs Association; Richard Dunne, FEMA Region 10 

"Red Cross Presentation" - Scott O'Connell, ID-MT Regional Disaster Officer

4:15 pm-5:00 pm General Session - Continental Room - Sponsored by Grail Bio

"From Provider to Patient, My Journey Through the Healthcare System" - Chris Way, Fire Chief, Kootenai County Fire & Rescue.

Chief Way, through humor and humility, will describe his recent experience with a life changing cancer diagnosis. He will describe what it is like to go from being in charge of everything to completely relying on the healthcare providers and systems that he had worked around for years. This discussion will demonstrate the importance of relationships and friendships developed over many years, as well as how important a positive attitude means while receiving care.

5:00 pm-5:30 pm Optional Individual, Couple & Group Class A Uniform Pictures - Limelight Promenade

5:30 pm Networking Dinner with Vendors - Limelight Ballroom
Sponsored by  Hughes Fire Equipment/Emergency Technical Decon

7:00 pm Live Scholarship Auction - Limelight Ballroom

Saturday May 20 – Sun Valley Inn

7:30 am-8:30 am Breakfast Buffet with Vendors - Limelight Ballroom
Sponsored by Graham Fire Apparatus

8:30 am-10:00 am Annual Business Meeting - Continental Room

-Call to Order - President Travis Myklebust

-State of the Association - President Travis Myklebust

-Financial Report & 2022 Meeting Minutes - Vice-President of Operations Travis Smith

-District Report Highlights-

-New Member Introductions (District Directors & President Myklebust)- Pinning and Challenge Coin Ceremony

-Election Results and Announcement of Officers and Directors

-Other Business

10:00 am-10:30 am Break with Vendors - Limelight Ballroom

10:30 am-12:00 pm General Session - Continental Room

"The Art of Small Department Strategy and Tactics: Short Staff Fire Operations" - Travis Smith, Deputy Chief, McCall Fire Department, and Greg Timinsky, Fire Chief, Middleton/Star Fire Departments.

This interactive panel discussion will offer background on what Chief Timinsky has done to build the Middleton/Star Fire Districts.  He will talk about what they have done with staffing to try to meet NFPA standards, as well as creative management of short staffed fire departments, and how to build neighboring resource relationships.  He will also discuss extension of an IC, tips and tricks will be covered in the interactive Q&A portion of this session.  Expect a little bit of presentation and a whole lot of conversation and inspiration.

12:00 pm-1:30 pm Barbeque Lunch Buffet with Vendors - Limelight Ballroom & Limelight Terrace

                                       Apparatus Demonstrations – Sun Valley Inn Parking Lot

1:30 pm Tradeshow Teardown

1:30 pm-2:15 pm       General Session - Continental

"Wildland Preparedness, Statewide Resource Response Plan and Agreements" - Mike Maltaverne, Fire Chief, Teton County Fire Rescue & IFCA Wildland Fire Division Vice-President, Mike Johnson, Forest Fire Management Officer, U.S. Forest Service.

2:15 pm-3:00 pm General Session

"Changes to State Hazmat Plan" - Mark Niemeyer, President, Western Fire Chiefs Association & Fire Chief, Boise Fire Department, along with representatives from IOEM and others will discuss reworking the master agreement, building an ops plan, and an annual training schedule.

3:00 pm-3:15 pm       Break - Limelight Promenade

3:15 pm-5:00 pm       General Session - Continental

“Early Detection, Early Response, Early Control, Early Coordination – The Future of Wildfire Response” - Dan Munsey, Fire Chief, San Bernardino County Fire Department.  

For over 100-years, our goal has been to keep wildfires at 10-acres or less 90% of the time.  With technology could we achieve an “impossible” higher goal?  Ten-square feet or less 90% of the time?  Achieving an unachievable goal may be possible with emerging wildfire technology.  Chief Munsey has been on the forefront of these thoughts and is working with teams of individuals to ensure earlier detection, earlier (and faster) response, quicker control, and massive-scale resource coordination.  This session will open your mind to emerging technologies that are slowly shaping our future for wildfire response.

Fire Chief Dan Munsey (EFO, CFO, MPA) has been active in the fire service for over 27 years, rising through the ranks of the County of San Bernardino Fire Protection District from firefighter-paramedic to fire chief. Chief Munsey is a Center for Public Excellence, Chief Fire Officer, is an Executive Fire Officer, possess a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Grand Canyon University, is a graduate of the California Special Districts Leadership Academy, and holds a California State Fire Training Chief Officer Certificate. In addition, Chief Munsey is the International Fire Chiefs Association, Technology Council chairman, a FIRESCOPE Board of Director, and served for many years on California Incident Management Team 11 in the operations section. In these unique roles, Chief Munsey is exposed to a lot of thought leaders and innovation in the space of wildfire and emerging technology.

6:30 pm Installation Reception and Fun Photos! - Limelight Ballroom
Sponsored by III-A

7:30 pm Installation Banquet - Limelight B
It's a Hawaiian theme and casual fun attire is not only enouraged but mandatory!  NO TIES ALLOWED!

Keynote address presented by Chief Mark Niemeyer, President, Western Fire Chiefs Association.

"Think The Unthinkable" - Mark Niemeyer, Fire Chief, Boise Fire Department.

Sunday, May 21 - Sun Valley Inn

8:00 am-10:30 am Closing Chiefs Plated Breakfast and Working Roundtable Session - Limelight B

This session will follow up on Thursday's Roundtable with group assignments and a ranking of actionable items to focus on in the coming year.