Indianapolis, Indiana:
Indianapolis Fire Department
Congratulations Indianapolis Fire Department (IFD) Chief Ernest V. Malone on his selection as the Metropolitan Fire Chief’s Association “Fire Chief of the Year.” Chief Malone was presented with this honor, at the closing ceremonies for the annual Metro Fire Chief’s Association Conference in Memphis, TN. The award is voted on by the nearly 200 chiefs that are active and/or senior members of the Metro Fire Chiefs Association.
Chief Malone was surprised and honored to have been selected as the recipient. His acceptance included in part “I would like to thank our firefighters and administrative staff for all they do, each and every day. They are the ones who make things happen in our department and I am privileged to serve with them. This award will proudly take its place at IFD Headquarters, as a reminder of all that we have achieved and that we received this award collectively, as a department. I am truly humbled by this recognition and your support.”
About the METROPOLITIAN FIRE CHIEFS ASSOCIATION:
“The Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association (Metro), was founded in 1965, for the purpose of bringing fire service professionals together to address the challenges of large-city departments that were becoming increasingly complex. Today, Metro brings together Fire Chiefs from all over the World including Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, Mexico, the Netherlands, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Metro members belong to both the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and membership is exclusive to the single highest-ranking uniform officer (Chief of Department/Commissioner) of jurisdictions with a minimum staffing of 350 fully paid career fire fighters.
International membership is an option available to economically disadvantaged cities with populations greater than 750,000 residents. The Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association is the preeminent Section of the IAFC and NFPA, and works closely with our partners in the Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council (AFAC), the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs (CAFC), the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF), the International Association of Fire and Rescue Services (CTIF), the Mexico Fire Chiefs Association (MFCA), the National Fire Chiefs Council of the UK (NFCC), the South African Emergency Services Institute (SAESI), and many other agencies and organizations to identify solutions and best practices for current and emerging fire and life safety challenges. The Metro also works with our research and training partners, FM Global, the Fire Protection Research Foundation, the International Public Safety Data Institute, and Underwriters Laboratory Firefighter Safety Research Institute, to identify and apply the latest science, technology and data to short, medium, and long-term planning for metropolitan communities. Emergency Medical Services continue to impact Metropolitan Fire Departments and new ideas, such as Community Paramedicine and the utilization of Whole Blood Transfusions for trauma victims, are moving the Fire Service into new frontiers.
It has been an extremely busy time for Metropolitan Fire Departments with the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the resulting negative economic impact to property and sales tax revenue that has affected General Fund budgets that fund personnel costs, equipment, and programs. Further, the civil unrest that impacting many cities in the United States and abroad has forced public safety entities to look introspective as to how business is conducted. The Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association prides itself on the diversity of our organization. The Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association is truly a leader in the international fire service, serving as an educational resource for large-jurisdiction departments, and providing valuable services to the fire service industry by sharing and promoting best practices for members to follow. Firefighter safety continues to be a primary focus for the Metro Chiefs, as we reach around the globe to promote safe practices. This past year the Metro promoted this fire fighter safety message to Latin America and at the 2019 Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Conference we signed a partnership agreement to promote firefighter safety between the two associations. Five Fire Chiefs from Mexico joined the Metro including the President of the Mexico Fire Chiefs Association. The strength of the Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association resides within the many dedicated members (both active and retired) from the largest Fire Departments in the world who come together to solve the most pressing issues facing the fire service.”
Rita L Reith, MPIO
