11/17/09

President’s Message 11-17-2009

It was great seeing a good turn out this year at the State Fire School and the AZIAAI Annual General Chapter meeting. As I begin my year as President I wish to thank you for your support and the support of the members over the past years. I also would like to congratulate Julie Evert for moving up to First Vice President, Troy Duncan on his election to Second Vice President and welcome to our two new Board members Jon Spezzacatena and Melissa Bishop. We have an excellent board to serve the members and keep this chapter the best in the Nation. I challenge you all to become more involved. Each year this chapter has accomplished a lot with the hard work of the Officers and our members. I thank you all for that! Dedicated efforts will improve the quality of this Chapter.

Bret will get the list of Arizona CFI’s on our website. Many times the question comes up, is somebody a CFI and when did they become one.  This would encourage many to apply or take addition classes to obtain CFI. Bret will be putting on a CFI preparation class and informational class on the new IAAI-FIT, Fire Investigation Technician- a path to professional recognition for beginning Fire Investigator. This class will be in Phoenix December 8-10, check our website for more information if you would like to attend.

Melissa Bishop has done a great job working on our membership. Please contact her if you have someone interested in becoming a new member or have questions or problems regarding your membership. Welcome to the new members and new investigators. Our chapter has a lot to offer through our chapter website and seminars.  Times are tough out there, arsons our increasing and our organization is dedicated to reducing arson.  Join us in the fight.

Virginia Holtzclaw is chair of ACAP (Arizona Committee on Arson Prevention). We are dedicated to fighting arson. Please nominate witnesses out there for rewards if they provide good information for solving your investigation. Let Virginia know that you have nominated someone and please contact her for information on ACAP. ARSON HOTLINE 1-800-352-7766

Josh Friedman is forming 2010’s Education Committee and has many seminars scheduled for 2010. Contact Josh or check out or website for more information on our 2010 seminars. Arson III went well with 81 students attending. We thank Flagstaff Fire Department and Erick Caputo for hosting Arson III. Thank you Josh, your team of mentors and helpers for there hard work setting that up and there dedication for the week. Seymore Builders Inc. did another fantastic job building the burn buildings and cooking another good meal! Thank you, Craig Seymore and your staff for all your help and continued support and dedication to the AZIAAI. Josh has stepped down from the AZIAAI Board as an Officer in order to allow our members to serve on the board.

I am pleased to announce I have appointed Phoenix Fire Investigator Willie Nelson as the new AZIAAI Board member to finish Josh’s term until September 2010. Welcome Willie, we look forward to working with you and what you can offer to this organization. You’re a great addition to our Board!

Our Chapter Store is doing great and did well in Flagstaff at Arson III. Jon Spezzacatena, thank you for all you hard work, sales and dedication to the AZ Chapter store.   

As many of you have heard Board member NY Bob Laubacher was in a motorcycle accident breaking his pride and his leg. He is now on the road to recovery. We pray for a speedy and complete recovery so he may be back in action soon. Thanks to the members that have helped him during this time.

Troy Duncan has done a superb job with maintaining our website and keeping us all informed. Keep checking our site for the latest information and seminars.

Secretary/ Treasurer Ted Campagnolo is doing a fine job keeping track of our finances and providing treasurer’s reports on a regular bias. 

As you can see the Arizona Chapter is a busy one! We are always looking for help in all areas of this Chapter, so please contact any of us and let us know where you would like to become involved.

Please keep me informed of activities or needs in your committee areas. We want to fulfill the needs of our members. If I can be of any assistance during the upcoming year, or if you wish to discuss a concern or issue, please contact me by phone or email. Together we can make a difference. I would like to wish you all a Safe and Enjoyable Holiday Season.

Jeff Flocken

Arizona Chapter President