VFPA Spring Legislative Up-date / Petition Support Needed! 

The VFPA Legislative and Code Committee found itself  working overtime (just not getting paid the overtime rate!) this past  legislative session.  Many bills were presented before the House and Senate that not only directly effected the fire and ems community, but also the world of fire and building related code enforcement.  VFPA took many positions and attempted to communicate either the negative or positive impact on the code enforcement community should these bills move forward.  While successful in some attempts, others did not prove fruitful. 

Recently, the 2015 edition of the Statewide Fire Prevention Code (SFPC) was published in the Virginia Register on April 30, 2018.  This marks the beginning of final action phase, and the beginning of a 60-day final adoption period.  VFPA has worked with our fire and ems stakeholders to identify potential concerns in this process.  These concerns have been listed on the homepage of our website for your review.   The VFPA Legislative and Code Committee wishes to encourage Virginia’s Fire Service and Code Enforcement Communities to remain involved in this process and encourage those concerned with the proposed regulations to provide a written comment to the BHCD (the regulatory authority) via their agency contact person Kyle Flanders, Senior Policy Analyst, Department of Housing and Community Development, at  kyle.flanders@dhcd.virginia.gov  or mailing address:  Main Street Centre, 600 East Main Street, Suite 300, Richmond, VA 23219.  VFPA has started a online petition for interested parties to sign in support of stopping this process.  This was discussed at length at the 2018 Annual Conference and Meeting in VA Beach.  A copy of the presentation, petition and support materials can be found below.   To sign the online petition, please visit:   View and Sign the Online Petition Here

legislative update 2018.pdf

VFPA Petition.pdf

VFPA Spring Legislative Update.pdf

Additionally, after a 2014 mulch fire at an apartment complex that caused more than $1 million in damages, the city of Harrisonburg passed an ordinance requiring any combustible landscaping material, including mulch or wood chips, to be removed at least 18 inches away from a building. The ordinance was opposed by business owners, who said it would impose financial and operational hardships.  After the General Assembly passed a bill that would have invalidated the ordinance, the city reworked it to prohibit reapplying mulch or other flammable materials. The current Harrisonburg ordinance was upheld in a court decision.

Two bills were proposed in the House and Senate this past session which would allow any previously existing apartment, condominium, business, school, or hotel to continue to add mulch to an existing landcover, regardless of how close it is to a building.  We are pleased that the Governor has vetoed this bill!  

National Fire Academy Announces Virginia Weekend 

To learn more, click the link below: 

NFA State Weekend VA TN 2.pdf

VFPA Welcomes the Newly Appointed VDFP Executive Director 

Governor-Elect Ralph Northam has selected Mike Reilly to join his administration as the next Executive Director of the Virginia Department of Fire Programs.

Michael T. Reilly previously served over 36 years with the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department, retiring in February 2015 at the rank of Deputy Chief. As Deputy Chief, Michael held command level positions as Operations Chief, Chief Training Officer and Chief of the Fire Marshal’s Office. In addition, Michael also served for over 25 years as the Safety Officer with FEMA and the Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance’s U.S. Urban Search And Rescue Team. As Safety Officer, he responded to missions around the world including: the Pentagon on 9/11, the 1999 Taiwan and Turkey earthquakes, the U.S. Embassy bombing in Kenya, among many others. In April of 2015, Michael was recalled to Active Duty, retiring in April 2017 from reserve military duty at the rank of CWO-4, and was the Senior Reserve Special Agent with the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS) with 30 years’ experience. He conducted criminal investigations and protective service operations as the CGIS small arms instructor and liaison with I.C.E. and the NOVA Environmental Crimes Task Force. While the Fire Marshal for Fairfax County, Michael provided expert testimony to legislative bodies on the impacts of bills and resolutions. He also served on the Virginia Fire Services Board for eight years after being appointed by Governor Mark Warner in 2004 and Governor Kaine in 2008.

The VFPA is looking forward in working with Chief Riley and wishes him the best of luck in this endeavor!

Jack A. Proctor VBCA Releases 2018 Training Schedule 

The Jack A. Proctor Virginia Building Code Academy (VBCA) just released it's 2018 training  schedule.  View Schedule Here

All classes are posted and open for registration on the VBCA On-Line Registration System at https://dmz1.dhcd.virginia.gov/BFR/Main/LogOn.aspx. To meet the increased demand the VBCA has increased the Core offerings to six times a year. Core will run once every eight to 10 weeks with classes offered twice in each semester location. In addition the VBCA is pleased to announce its newest certification class, Elevator Inspection, to the permanent schedule. This three-day class is specific to those seeking certification as an elevator inspector however is open to all  looking to increase their knowledge of this area. For more information on this or any other class please contact the VBCA office at VBCA@dhcd.virginia.gov or visit the VBCA On-Line Registration System https://dmz1.dhcd.virginia.gov/BFR/Main/LogOn.aspx.