I wanted to take a few minutes and reach out to all Fire Officials, to introduce myself and share some thoughts with each of you on the new Life Safety/Community Risk Reduction (LS-CRR) Section of the Virginia Fire Chiefs Association (VFCA). In the fall of 2017, the LS-CRR Section was established as part of the VFCA. Chief Robby Dawson served as the first President of this section. During the 2018 Virginia Fire Rescue Conference, this section met and I was elected to serve as the 2018 President of this section.

A little background on myself and my career. I started my fire service career in the US Navy as a Ship Board Firefighter, Gulf War Veteran, and worked at the Charlottesville Fire Department for over 24 years. I graduated from the University of Richmond with my Bachelor of Emergency Management. In 2014, I completed the Executive Fire Officer (EFO) program from the National Fire Academy (NFA). I currently serve as the Assistant State Fire Marshal- Field Operations at the Virginia Department of Fire Programs.

One of the primary goals of the LS-CRR section of the VFCA will be to establish better communication for local fire officials and to ensure a safer Commonwealth through our combined efforts. The Virginia fire service has seen many challenges over the past few years with the fire code adoption process, the need for better training for fire marshals and concerns for safety in school buildings, just to name a few. I would like to see this section be a stronger voice in the Virginia code change process, and work with our partners to bring a clear and professional voice to fire safety concerns in Virginia.

Some of the goals that we continue to work on include:

• Establishing this section as a unified group to provide clear and concise communication and to serve as a resource to the Virginia Fire Chiefs Association members and assist partner groups/agencies in fire prevention efforts.
• Host a summit for local fire officials, to bring all fire marshals together to discuss concerns and opportunities. This will provide an opportunity for local fire marshals to hear information on topical subject matters, to build new partnerships, and work together to have a positive impact on our communities
• Out of these discussions, we will work to identify key concerns and establish work groups to help research and make recommendations. Such as define community risk reduction for the fire service, establish fire code adoption standards, increase preparedness for active shooters in schools and assist with safety for students.

Yours In Service,

Joshua “Jay” Davis, EFO, CFO
Assistant State Fire Marshal, Virginia Department of Fire Programs
1005 Technology Park Drive Glen Allen, VA 23059
joshua.davis@vdfp.virginia.gov