The Fire Department Safety Officers Association (FDSOA) recently announced that Michael Johnson, battalion chief, Loudon County (VA) Fire and Rescue, and Lance Vinson, safety captain, City of Amarillo (TX) Fire, have both been re-elected to the board of directors for another two-year term. Additionally, Trevor Shea, deputy fire chief, City of Woodstock (OH), was elected to his first term.
Johnson, an eastern director, and Vinson, a western director, were elected to their second terms on the board. Shea was elected to his first term as international director.
Part of the fire service for 25 years, Shea spent most of his career in southern Ontario with the Mississauga Fire and Emergency Services (MFES). While there, he became a certified safety officer and has been involved in health and safety ever since.
Currently with the City of Woodstock, Shea’s goals as a director with FDSOA are to create safe environments on the fire ground, as well as to increase the visibility of mental health issues in the fire service. “Firefighters are five times as likely to have a mental health issue as a regular citizen. As health and safety officers we need to have the resources to assist them,” he said.
Current ISO and HSO class schedules can be found at www.fdsoa.org.
