The National Fire Academy Alumni Association is not "just another" fire
service organization.  In part, this is evident in how the association
intends to achieve its goals, which represents a paradigm shift from how the
fire service has operated for years: It intends to form a firefighter
grassroots coalition with businesses; political and legislative bodies;
associations; media; colleges and universities; nonprofit and charitable
institutions; trade magazines; fire and EMS equipment manufactures,
distributors and dealers and other fire service  organizations, at the local,
state, and national levels.

We are now actively promoting our associate/booster membership to those who
support what the fire and emergency services does for them on a daily basis.
Each year, 4,000 to 5,000 civilians die and many thousands are injured, some
horribly burned, in fires.  Fire destroys some $30 billion in US property
each year.  The US ranks second in the industrialized world in per capita
fire losses.  One hundred thousand firefighters are injured each year in the
line of duty.

The Pew Research Center for People and The Press national survey appeared in
the Washington Post on May 4, 1997, and again in the USA Today's USA Snapshot
on September 12, 1997.  The survey, “Whom do you trust?”, identified the
highest percentage of adults trusted their local fire service “a lot.”  The
percentage was 78—far more than any other entity in the country.  What the
taxpayers do not know is the challenge we have nationwide with inadequate
funding, especially in the areas of training and education, therefore, they
believe everything is OK and we know it is not.

The NFAAA will work with the trust our nation's taxpayers have in their local
fire departments.  We will provide them with educational information to help
them when they contact their congressional legislators to support fire
service bill like the F.I.R.E Bill (H.R. 1168) that will put $1 Billion
dollars each year towards the fire serve efforts. The NFAAA officially was
established on March 18, 1998. We now have over 11,500 members. It is the
fastest growing organization involving the fire and emergency services and
has a potential membership in excess of one million.  NFAAA members hail from
every state and represent the diversity of the fire service. Our membership
includes career and volunteer personnel from the rank of firefighter to fire
chief.  We cross ethnic and gender barriers.  We are an association of the
fire service's present and future leaders.  Our diversity is our greatest
strength: It makes NFAAA the truest, most representative fire service voice.

Our mission is clearly focused on training and educational opportunities for
firefighters and EMS personnel at the national, state, and local levels. As
fire departments continue to expand their services to meet the growing need
of the American public and businesses; as America ages; as US businesses
continue to grow; and as our population rises in conjunction with increased
migration to both small and large urban areas, this education will become
ever more critical. To that end, NFAAA seeks to pursue both legislative and
creative funding measures that will help firefighters/EMS meet the challenge.

The NFAAA firefighter coalition will bring together the 32,000 fire
departments and 30 nationwide fire service organizations. From the local
department level, the coalition will spread upward and outward to the
counties and states, and, ultimately, to a national coalition to provide
training and educational opportunities for our 1.2 million paid, part-paid
and volunteer firefighters.  Together, we can make a positive difference in
the fire service's mission to preserve and protect American lives and
property. Hopefully, we can bond a coalition that will bring together the
nation's fire and emergency service associations, organizations and agencies
at the federal, national, state and local levels to further training and
educational opportunities for the fire and emergency services.

Would you mind spreading the word to your friends, associates and department
members that membership in the NFAAA is open to ANYONE.  Yes, anyone can
become an ASSOCIATE/BOOSTER MEMBER even if they have never attended one of
the high quality courses or, even if they have never been in the fire
service. All they need is a special spot in their heart for what we do.
Membership is FREE to everyone.  Please pass this on to those in your e-mail
address book and ask them to join, even if they are not in the fire and
emergency services.  All they need is to support for what we do.

To join on-line simply add our address to your web browser and enter our Web
site. Upon entering our home page, http://www.Nfaalumni.org
 simply click on "Join the NFAAA" and it will take
you to the NFA page. All that is now needed is to complete the application
process. When you get to the last box of the application, "Name/Date (mo/yr)
of Last NFA Class" simply enter: ASSOCIATE/BOOSTER MEMBERSHIP.  DO THIS ONLY
IF THE APPLICANT DOES NOT QUALIFY AS A REGULAR MEMBER.  HOWEVER, IF THEY DO
QUALIFY, LIST THE COURSE AND DATE IF KNOWN. The application is then on it's
way for data entry.

Sincerely,

Frank Livingston, EFO
Chair, National Fire Academy Alumni Association
TOP ASSISTANT
224 Pinedo Drive
Titusville, FL 32780

E-mail address:  Nfaalumni@TopAssistant.com
877 854-3473 (Toll free)
Web site: http://www.Nfaalumni.org