Pen SAFE-D. Paperwork. ... With SAFE-D help, AG Dept. takes one last filing from ESDs. Set sail for Galveston and SAFE-D 1Q 2018

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1 SAFE-D Pen Official Newsletter of the State Association of Fire and Emergency Districts 1Q 2018 Paperwork... With SAFE-D help, AG Dept. takes one last filing from ESDs SAFE-D will collect the final staterequired ESD reports to be submitted to the Texas Department of Agriculture. The 2018 reports were due January 1, and about 166 ESDs of the 330-plus in the state made the deadline. SAFE-D will continue collecting reports through January and early February. Check the SAFE-D website, to submit your ESD s report. Many ESDs wait to file their information to allow for appointment of new Board of Commissioners members and for election of new Board officers. Unlike the Senate Bill 625-required reports (see accompanying story), there is no penalty for late filing or failure to file. Under legislation passed last spring, ESDs reports due Jan. 1, 2019 will be filed with the Texas Division of Emergency Management, an arm of the Department of Public Safety. The legislation transferred other ESD support functions from the Dept. of Agriculture to TDEM beginning Jan. 1, The reporting function remained with the agriculture department for one final year to allow TDEM to prepare. The Dept. of Agriculture had ESD CONTINUED PAGE 13 REPORT Set sail for Galveston and SAFE-D SAFE-D s 17th Annual Conference sets sail for Galveston Feb at the Moody Gardens Hotel and Convention Center in Galveston. The Annual Conference hits the beach on Thursday afternoon with a special preconference ESD101, which will give you the foundation you ll need for the training you ll receive for the rest of CONTINUED PAGE 10 CONFERENCE TENTATIVE SCHEDULE Pages While Comptroller awaits new reports Texas ESDs will have to file a new report with the Comptroller of Public Accounts, thanks to a bill passed by the Legislature last spring. If an ESD fails to file the report, it could face fines up to $2,000. Senate Bill 625, authored by Sen. Lois Kolkhorst of Brenham, requires political subdivisions of the state to provide records to the Comptroller so his office can create a Special Purpose District Public Information Database. Smaller ESDs may be able to avoid the chore. If an ESD, in the most recent fiscal year, did not have bonds outstanding, didn t have receipts from CONTINUED PAGE 4 SB625

2 i Letter from the Executive Director Nobody said it was easy By Cliff Avery Executive Director If you re like me, you re probably sick of hearing about politics. For what-seems-like forever, it s been One. Thing. After. Another. The only light at the end of this tunnel is an oncoming freight train, loaded with explosives, and it s going off the rails. Then, all of a sudden, there comes a reminder that, yes, public policy is hard, but you gotta keep going. Nobody said it was going to be easy; if they did, they were lying through their teeth. The latest reminder was Gov. Greg Abbott s plan to stabilize property taxes, by imposing an artificial 2.5 percent limit on any increases by local governments. If a local governmental body (that actually knows what s ABOUT SAFE-D SAFE-D, the Texas State Association of Fire and Emergency Districts, is the only association dedicated to meeting the needs of Texas emergency services districts. Through SAFE-D, member districts work smarter and work better to provide fire protection and emergency medical services to the people they serve. PO Box 676 Pflugerville, TX Fax: safed@texas.net President: Scott Morgan, Harris County ESD No. 29 Vice President: Liz Cargile, Medina County ESD No. 5 Secretary: James Kelly, Montgomery County ESD No. 8 Treasurer: Paula Barr, Travis County ESD No. 6 Board of Directors: Jim Carter, Denton County ESD No. 1 Bob Janusaitis, Harris County ESD No. 9 Mark Jack, Parker County ESD No. 1 Thomas Nanninga, Williamson County ESD No. 2 Billy Ted Smith, Jasper County ESD No. 1 Don Wagner, Comal County ESD No. 3 Executive Director: Cliff Avery, GCP Association Services Asst. Executive Director: Clay Avery, GCP Association Services To advertise: Contact SAFE-D safed@texas.net going on in its community) dares to go above the governor s limit, then the governor wants an automatic vote of the People (who show up) to approve. Get this: The governor wants the vote to pass with a two-thirds majority. Of course, it s election time, and the governor has rattled this saber before. Last summer, a similar measure was his top priority, but it didn t make it out of the special session. Before the bill died, SAFE-D was able to work with municipalities to amend and exempt small governments (virtually all ESDs) from the automatic vote requirement. The 2019 session may be different, though. House Speaker Joe Straus won t be at the helm, and he managed to tamp down some of the more radical anti-local government impulses of the Legislature. So, here s the thing. As hard as it s going to be, we in the ESD community are going to need to get involved in dare I say it?...political stuff. There s a primary coming up March 6 (interestingly, the same day that the Alamo fell), and we need to talk to the candidates for CONTINUED PAGE 12 AVERY The CARLTON Law Firm p.l.l.c. John J. Carlton Kelli A. N. Carlton Jessica S. O Connor 4301 Westbank Drive, Suite B-130 Austin, Texas (512) john@carltonlawaustin.com kelli@carltonlawaustin.com jessica@carltonlawaustin.com 2

3 YOU RE HERE FOR US. WE RE HERE FOR YOU. FIND OUT HOW WE CAN HELP YOU. REQUEST A FREE INSURANCE QUOTE AT SINCE YEARS OF SERVICE $500K IN TRAINING & WELLNESS GRANTS AWARDED 99% CUSTOMER RETENTION RATE 100+ $10M 100+ ANNUAL TRAINING CLASSES IN CLAIMS PAID ANNUALLY RISK CONTROL RESOURCES VFIS OF TEXAS PROUDLY INSURES OVER 1,500 EMERGENCY SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS IN THE STATE OF TEXAS. IN FACT, OVER 320 OF THOSE ESO S HAVE BEEN WITH US FOR OVER 25 YEARS. YOU'LL APPRECIATE OUR PACKAGE POLICY, WHICH ADDRESSES THE REAL ISSUES YOU CONFRONT AS EMERGENCY RESPONDERS. OUR SPECIALIZED INSURANCE PRODUCTS ARE DEVELOPED WITH YOU IN MIND & BEST MEET THE NEEDS OF YOUR EMERGENCY SERVICE ORGANIZATION. CONTACT US TODAY VFISOFTEXAS@VFISTX.COM SAFE-D Pen 1Q

4 SB625 continued from Page 1 Delivering design solutions that reflect our clients vision, objectives and aesthetic preferences. SlatteryTackett.com studio@slatterytackett.com operations, loans, taxes or contributions above $250,000, or didn t have cash or temporary investments in excess of $250,000, then it doesn t have to report. If you re not sure whether your ESD has to comply with the new law, the Comptroller s blast urges you to consult with a legal or financial professional... Agency staff are unable to advise you in this regard. In the Jan. 1 blast, the Comptroller s Office said the reporting period will begin Jan. 31 and close May 1. If the ESD fails to report, the Comptroller is required to send a notice of noncompliance. If the ESD does not file the report 30 days after the date of the notice, it s subject to a penalty of $1,000. If it doesn t file for another 30 days, it can be subject to another $1,000 penalty, and the attorney general can sue to collect. For more information, you can click to the Special Purpose District Financial and Tax Reporting on the Comptroller s website: sb625/ or you can call Register at SAFE-D Annual Conference Feb Moody Gardens, Galveston 4

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6 ESD commissioners should take time to think about strategy questions By Steve Ferguson DSF Advisors, LLC Have you ever noticed that when you ask someone in your district, How are you? they are more likely to answer Busy! than Very well, thank you? That is because the norm in most organizations is that you are supposed to be very busy or otherwise at least pretend to be because otherwise you can t be all that important. However, that you are very busy all the time can be a bit of problem if you are responsible for your district s or organization s strategy and responsible for implementing it. Because it means that you don t have much time to think and reflect. And thinking is in fact quite an important activity when it comes to assessing and developing a strategy. If you can t find time to think, it probably means that you haven t led or managed your district or organization very well, and you are busy putting out fires all the time (pun intended). It also means that you are at risk of leading your district astray. Much of strategy is often not the result of a strategic plan just being implemented, but driven by opportunistic responses to unexpected events. Stuff happens. Organizations often engage in new activities, in response to external events and lucky breaks. But this also means that leaders need to make ample time to reflect on the configuration that has emerged. They need to systematically analyze and carefully think it through, and make adjustments where necessary. Many leaders don t make that time at least not enough of it. If you are an ESD commissioner, you are in a leadership position. Force yourself to have regular and long stretches of uninterrupted time just to think things through. When you do so and you should here are four guiding questions that could help you think about the big picture. 1. What does not fit? Ask yourself whether the various activities and operations that your district does make sense together. Individually, each of them may seem attractive, but can you explain why they would work well together; why the sum is greater than the parts? If you can t explain how the sum is greater than the parts, reassess its components. 2. What would an outsider do? Districts often suffer from legacy operations, practices or beliefs the things you do or deliberately have not done. Some of those things can CONTINUED PAGE 9 STRATEGY Your Budget Your Vision Our Expertise Architecture & Construction Services Your one stop for Design and Build Solutions. We have been in business since, and serve all parts of Texas. Check out our website at For Design or Construction Consultations Call info@grossmandesignbuild.com Above: Liberty County ESD##

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8 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 22 1 pm Registration Opens/Exhibitor Move-In 2-5 pm ESD hours 6-8 pm Meet & Greet Reception in the Exhibit Hall Ticket Required FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 23 7:30 am Breakfast 8:30-9:30 am SAFE-D 17th Annual Conference Tentative Schedule General Session: Legislative Review/Outlook TRACK: BASICS FINANCIALS ADMIN/GOV T OPERATIONS ADVANCED 9:45-10:45 am How an ESD Works Financing for ESDs Service Provider Relations Who Owns What (CASE Study) Dispatching What ESDs Should Know Facilitating Fundamental Change 10:45 am Refreshment Break in Exhibit Hall 11:15 am- 12:15 pm Financial Reporting Investing ESD Funds: An Overview of the Public Funds Investment Act The ESD PIO/ Community Involvement TIFMAS: An Overview ISO: A Benchmarking Study 12:15 pm Luncheon with Keynote Speaker Ticket Required 1:30 pm Visit Exhibits 2-3 pm Audits The Taxation Process Open Meetings Act Training Cancer Awareness for the Fire Industry Texas County and District Retirement System 3 pm Refreshment Break in Exhibit Hall 3:30-4:30 pm Robert s Rules of Order Grant Programs Public Information Act Training TFCA Best Practices Award Program Board Dynamics/ Working Together 4:30 pm Recess: Evening on Your Own 8

9 SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 24 7:30 am Breakfast TRACK: BASICS FINANCIALS ADMIN/GOV T EMS BASICS PLUS 8:30-9:30 am Ethics for ESD Commissioners Maximizing Your ESD Sales Tax Legal Concerns in Disaster Planning/ Response Becoming the Ambulance Provider VFDs: A to Z Part 1 9:45-10:45 am Strategic Planning Banking 101/Fraud Prevention and Protection Best Practices for Maximizing Department and Community Buy-In EMS Session #2 VFDs: A to Z Part 2 2 hours 10:45 am Refreshment Break in Exhibit Hall 11:15 am- 12:15 pm Records Retention Legislative Planning for 2019 Apparatus Purchasing EMS Session #3 12:15 pm Conference Adjourns Strategy continued from Page 6 be the result of what is called escalation of commitment. We have committed to something, and determinedly fought for it perhaps for all the right reasons but now that things have changed and it no longer makes sense, we may still be inclined to keep doing them. A good question to ask yourself is: What would other, external people do, if they found themselves in charge of this district? 3. Do I understand why we do it this way? When I am getting to know a new district or organization, I make it a habit to not only find out how they do things, but also explicitly to ask why. Why do you do it this way? You d be surprised how often I get the answer that s how we have always done it (while shrugging shoulders) and everybody in the fire/ems service does it this way. The problem is that if you can t even explain why your own district/department does it this way, are you sure it could not be done better? Take time to think it through, and ask yourself: Do I really understand why we (still) do it this way? If you can t answer this question, I am pretty sure it can be done better. 4. What might be the long-term consequences? The final question to ask yourself, when carefully reflecting on your district s strategy and organization, is what could possibly be the long-term consequences of your key strategic actions. Often we judge things by their short-term results, since these are most important, and if they look good, we keep on our course of action. However, for many strategic actions, the long-term effects may be different. Actions often have different effects in the short- and long run. Sit down and think them through. Strategy, by definition, is about making complex decisions under uncertainty, with substantive, long-term consequences. Therefore, it requires substantial periods of careful, thought and consideration. Don t just accept the situation you have arrived at. Leadership is not just about doing things, it is also about thinking. Make time for it. Steve Ferguson, PhD is president of DSF Advisors, LLC, a Texas-based, professional services firm focused on ESDs. SAFE-D Pen 1Q

10 Conference continued from Page 1 Providing Innovative Solutions Since 1976 Operational/Organizational Efficiency Analysis Shared Services/Mergers Standards of Coverage Executive Recruitment & Professional Development Master/Strategic Planning Administrative Support info@esci.us Honesty Integrity Service Advertise in the SAFE-D Pen Tracy Wagner, tbwager@texas.net ó Strengthening Leaders ó Comprehensive Budgets & Forecasts ó Millennial Recruitment & Retention ó Strategic Planning & Implementation ó Building Community Support dsfadv.com com the conference. And there s plenty of training to be had: SAFE-D has applied to the V.G. Young Institute of County Government for certification of up to 14 hours of ESD Commissioner Training Credit. The conference officially kicks off at 6 p.m. Thursday evening with the annual Meet-and-Greet reception, offering light refreshments and beverages. Tickets are required for the Meetand-Greet, and for the Friday luncheon. Friday and Saturday both offer plenty of training in breakout sessions, including topics such as How an ESD Works, Financial Reports, Records Retention, Fraud Prevention and VFDs from A to Z. Sessions on Friday also offer Open Meetings Required Training and Public Information Act Required Training, allowing you the unique opportunity to get the statutorily required training while earning ESD Commissioner Training Credit at the same time. A copy of the tentative schedule appears on Pages 8 and 9 of this issue of the SAFE-D Pen. As we continue to tweak the conference schedule, keep an eye on your inbox and on for updates. The easiest way to register is online. Visit for the link to register for the conference. 10

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12 Avery continued from Page 2 state representative and state senate about ESDs. Here s what we need to tell them: We are the local folks tasked with deciding how to provide fire protection or emergency medical response (or both). The commissioners who serve on ESD boards are volunteers who know their communities and know the community s needs. The commissioners are also taxpayers in their ESDs. Our property tax levies are already stabilized because of the constitutional cap on every ESD s ad valorem tax rate. A home on the ESD s tax rolls for $100,000 pays $100 a year in taxes, less than $9 a month. Two people can t get out of Starbucks for that much. But we can have trained firefighters and EMTs at that home s door in minutes when there s an emergency. So: ESDs are a bargain. We will need to do more than play defense next session. There are relatively noncontroversial items that would be good changes to current law. For example, it would be nice if ESDs were not required to file reports to every state agency that sends a car with an Exempt license plate through a district. (That s an exaggeration, but if you read our front page, you ll get it.) Continued on the following page Meet Your Regional Coordinator See scheduled Classes and Area Schools or view the Course Request System at teex.org/extension Program Overview Receive professional training delivered to your location Courses meet or exceed El Paso Loving the requirements of the Hudspeth Culberson Reeves NFPA, SFFMA, and/or TCFP Jeff Davis NFA field, direct delivery, and Presidio fee-based courses are also offered Many courses are delivered at no cost to personnel within Texas Brewster Winkler Ward Parmer Bailey Pecos Gaines Andrews Ector Crane Lamb Terrell Dawson Martin Midland Upton Hale Borden Howard Glasscock Reagan Floyd Crockett Sterling Irion Val Verde Gray Donley Hall Motley Wheeler Childress Cottle Cochran Hockley Lubbock Crosby Dickens King Yoakum Dallam Sherman Hansford Hartley Oldham Deaf Smith Castro Terry Moore Potter Randal Swisher Lynn Hutchinson Carson Armstrong Briscoe Garza Ochiltree Roberts Kent Scurry Coke Tom Green Schleicher Sutton Lipscomb Hemphill Rockwall Collingsworth Stonewall Fisher Edwards Kinney Maverick Hardeman Runnels Foard Knox Haskell Jones Concho Menard Kimble Real Uvalde Zavala Dimmit Coleman Wilbarger Baylor Throckmorton Young Jack Shackelford Mitchell Nolan Taylor Callahan McCulloch Mason Kerr Bandera Webb Brown San Saba Gillespie Medina Frio LaSalle Zapata Wichita Archer Stephens Eastland Comanche Mills Llano Kendall Bexar Hamilton Lampasas Blanco Atascosa McMullen Jim Hogg Starr Duval Clay Palo Pinto Erath Burnet Comal Hays Coryell Bosque Bell Williamson Travis Guadalupe Wilson Live Oak Jim Wells Brooks Hidalgo Montague Parker Hood Karnes Caldwell Bee Kenedy Hill McLennan Bastrop Gonzales Willacy Goliad San Patricio Nueces Klegerg Cooke Wise Denton Collin Tarrant Johnson DeWitt Cameron Ellis Falls Milam Lee Fayette Lavaca Refugio Grayson Dallas Aransas Navarro Limestone Victoria Somervell Robertson Burleson Kaufman Freestone Brazos Washington Colorado Jackson Calhoun Fannin Hunt Austin Van Zandt Henderson Leon Madison Grimes Wharton Harvie Cheshire, Training Director harvie.cheshire@teex.tamu.edu Delta Rains Anderson Waller Lamar Hopkins Houston Walker Cherokee Montgomery Fort Bend Matagorda Franklin Wood Red River Smith Trinity San Jacinto Harris Brazoria Titus Camp Morris Upshur Gregg Rusk Shelby Nacogdoches San Augustine Sabine Angelina Newton Polk Liberty Galveston Bowie Cass Marion Harrison Panola Tyler Hardin Chambers Jasper Jefferson Orange Gulf of Mexico REGION 1 Mike Terry mike.terry@teex.tamu.edu REGION 2 David Rosier david.rosier@teex.tamu.edu REGION 3 Dallas Renfrew dallas.renfrew@teex.tamu.edu REGION 4 Darren Smith darren.smith@teex.tamu.edu REGION 5 Ben Kennedy ben.kennedy@teex.tamu.edu REGION 6 Michael Cole michael.cole@teex.tamu.edu REGION 7 Jeff Rhoads jeff.rhoads@teex.tamu.edu REGION 8 Ken King ken.king@teex.tamu.edu HB2604 & TIFMAS Grant Approved Training EMERGENCY SERVICES TRAINING INSTITUTE Toll Free esti@teex.tamu.edu 12

13 From the preceding page Your SAFE-D Board will have some suggestions, but we want to hear from you. What legislation would make your life a little easier and, more importantly, what would help you keep the people you serve safer? We at SAFE-D want to begin that discussion now, well in advance of the 2019 session. To that end, we ll have a special break-out session at 11:15 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 24, at our Annual SAFE-D Conference. Out of that session, we want to identify participants in a Legislative Task Force who can reach out to candidates in March and victors in November and lawmakers in Nobody said it would be easy. But it s necessary. Report continued from Page 1 support dropped in its lap in 2011, when the Legislature folded the old Texas Department of Rural Affairs into Agriculture. The Legislature never appropriated any money for ESD support, and Agriculture officials contracted with SAFE-D to provide, at no charge, the functions outlined for Agriculture in statute. SAFE-D has offered to work with TDEM, the third agency tasked with ESD support in seven years, in any way it can to provide assistance. THANKS, Y ALL. Frost is proud to support the Texas State Association of Fire and Emergency Districts. And we d be proud to help you along your financial journey, too. frostbank.com Scott Anderson 100 W Houston Street, T-3 San Antonio, TX (210) scott.anderson@frostbank.com MEMBER FDIC WHEN IT S TIME TO RENEW... Choose America s Leader in Emergency Services Insurance 25 YEARS OF LEADERSHIP IN SPECIALIZED INSURANCE We are who we insure ESIP.com

14 Medina County ESD #1 currently hiring Asst. Chief of Administration adv. Resumes can be sent to the address on the end of this notice. If you need to contact someone regarding the job posting, please contact this address: About the Job Assistant Chief of Administration Medina County Emergency Services District #1 (MCESD#1) is seeking qualified applicants for the position of Medina County Emergency Services District #1 Assistant Chief of Administration (Administrator). MCESD#1 is located in the eastern portion of Medina County Texas and is experiencing rapid population and business growth which is expected to be sustained into the future. It currently contracts with 4 local volunteer fire departments, a nationwide EMS contractor and one smaller county EMS provider, to provide emergency services. The District contractors provide fire, rescue, first responder and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) to a 254-square-mile area with a population of approximately 15,000. Current daily support includes a full-time Administrative Assistant and contracted clerical support on an as-needed basis. Job Description: The Administrator is a full-time, FLSA exempt position. The Administrator will be appointed by and take direction from the Medina County Emergency Services District #1 Board of Commissioners or their designated appointee, and maintain a professional appearance, attitude and working environment for the District at all times. The Administrator assumes management duties for: directing, managing, and overseeing the activities of the district, including strategic planning, governmental purchasing, and oversight of Fire & EMS coordination; overseeing the administrative activities of the district fire departments, Emergency Medical Services, and/or contracted service providers/departments as assigned, including fire prevention, fire suppression, emergency medical service, emergency management and fire & EMS coordination. Salary Range: The salary range may be between $65,000 and $80,000 annually, dependent upon relative experience. Part-time options may also be negotiated. Qualifications: - Excellent organizational and interpersonal skills. - Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelors degree in fire science, emergency management, public or business administration or a closely related field is preferred, or any equivalent combination of education and experience; - Ten (10) years of progressively responsible municipal and/or rural fire service experience with a minimum of five 5 years of experience managing multiple organizational units is preferred; - Certification issued by Texas Commission of Fire Protection Masters Certification is preferred; expired certification may be accepted. - Valid Texas Class A or B operators license required. The position will be full time. The District will provide a competitive salary and benefits package commensurate to the experience, education, professional abilities and job skills the successful applicant brings to the District. The most qualified candidates will be invited to personal interviews with the Medina County Emergency Services District #1. Individuals interested in applying for this position or that wish to obtain the essential job functions for the positions should send their letters of interest, resume, certifications, references, and salary requirements to the attention of: Medina County ESD#1 CO MCESD#1 Administrative Coordinator P.O. Box 1037 Castroville, TX Construction Manager at Risk for Leading Emergency Service District Facilities DUROTECH BUILDERS OF INTEGRITY Ph: Contact Bob Richardson bobr@durotechgc.com 14

15 SOUTH TEXAS OFFICE Casco Industries, Inc. 705 South 8th Street LaPorte, Texas Local Office No Toll Free NORTH TEXAS OFFICE Casco Industries, Inc W. Carrier PKWY, Suite 118 Grand Prairie, TX Local Office No Toll Free USA SAFE-D Pen 1Q

16 1Q Newsletter 2018 State Association of Fire and Emergency Districts PO Box 676 Pflugerville, TX PRESORTED FIRST-CLASS MAIL U.S. POSTAGE PAID AUSTIN, TX PERMIT NO. 1 Texas Most Experienced Fire Finance Specialist FINANCING SOLUTIONS 20 Year Fixed Rates No Down Payment Required Re nancing Analysis Flexible Op ons Government Capital is a leading provider of nancing for Volunteer Fire Departments and Emergency Services Districts. We serve as the administrator of the Texas Fire Facili es Program info@govcap.com Government Capital Corporation ( GCC ) is providing the information contained herein for informational purposes only. In providing this information, GCC: (i) is acting for its own financial and other interests that may differ from yours; (ii) is not acting as your municipal advisor or financial advisor and has no fiduciary duty to you in connection with these materials; and (iii) is not recommending any action with respect to the information contained in this document.