Article I - Name and Mission
Section 1. Name
This organization shall be known as the Safety, Health and Survival Section,
herein called the “Section,” of the International Association of Fire Chiefs, Inc.,
herein called the “Association,” or “IAFC.“
Section 2. Mission
The mission of the Safety, Health and Survival Section of the IAFC is to support
and provide leadership for the advancement of occupational safety and health
within the fire service and in the greater emergency response community.
Article II – Membership and Dues
Section 1. Membership Categories
Two categories of membership are established within the Safety, Health and
Survival Section; “Regular” members and “Affiliate” members.
A. Regular section membership is available to those individuals who are
Regular or Associate members of the IAFC. Regular section members are
eligible to hold office in the section and to vote on all section ballots.
Failure to maintain Association membership will result in the loss of regular
section membership.
1. Regular section membership is also available to IAFC Life
members. IAFC Life members do not pay section dues. These
members of the section are eligible to vote on all section ballots but
may not hold office.
B. Affiliate section membership is available to those individuals who are not
eligible to become Regular members of the IAFC, but who wish to join the
section to participate in the mission and advance the cause of the section.
Affiliate members will pay the same section dues as IAFC members plus an
administrative fee for IAFC services. These members of the section are
eligible to vote on all section ballots, but may not hold office in the section.
Section 2. Dues
The annual dues shall be set by the section’s Executive Board in an amount no
greater than $50.00. Section dues for IAFC members shall be payable in
conjunction with the member's Association dues. Section dues for affiliate
members shall be payable upon receipt of a section invoice. Any IAFC member
wishing to join the section prior to the date of Association dues renewal shall pay
the section dues upon joining and, thereafter, when the Association membership
dues are paid.
Article III – Section Officers
Section 1. Elected Officers
The elected officers of the section shall consist of the section chair, vice-chair,
secretary and treasurer. Each officer shall have a term of office of two (2) years
or until his/her successor is elected. The eligibility requirements for elected
officers are set forth in Article V, Section 4.
Section 2. Board of Directors
The Board of Directors of the section shall consist of:
(A) The section’s four (4) officers and nine (9) at large members. Upon
formation of the Section, three at large directors shall be elected for a term
of three (3) years, three at large directors shall be elected for a term of
two (2) years, three at large directors shall be elected for a term of one
(1) year. In each subsequent year, three directors shall be elected for a
term of three (3) years. The eligibility requirements for elected directors
are set forth in Article V, Section 4
(B) Additional liaison representatives may be appointed to the Board of
Directors. Each liaison member shall be appointed for a one (1) year term
by a majority vote of the elected members of the Board of Directors.
Liaison members shall have a voice, but no vote, on matters before the
Board of Directors. Liaison members of the Board of Directors may include
one (1) representative from each of the following organizations and from
any other organization with which the Board of Directors determines that a
liaison relationship is appropriate:
Fire Department Safety Officers Association
National Fallen Firefighter’s Foundation
International Association of Fire Fighters
United States Fire Administration
(C) If at any point the Section, by virtue of its membership, is granted a seat
on the IAFC Board of Directors, the representative of the Section will be
appointed by the Section’s Board of Directors to serve in this capacity at
the pleasure of the Section’s Board of Directors. This representative, if not
already a member, shall become an ex-officio member of the Board of
Directors of the Section.
Section 3. Vacancies
In the event of a vacancy occurring in the office of the chair, the duties of the
office shall devolve upon the vice-chair who shall serve for the unexpired term. In
the event of a vacancy occurring in the office of the vice-chair, secretary,
treasurer, or member-at-large, a majority vote of the Section’s Board of Directors
shall determine the election of an individual who shall serve until the next annual
election, when the unexpired term shall be filled by a vote of the members.
In the event that a member retires or leaves the fire service while holding an
elected office in the Section, the member may continue to hold said office until
the next annual election, at which time the unexpired term shall be filled by a
vote of the members.
Article IV – Duties of the Officers
Section 1. Duties of the Chair
The chair shall:
A. Be the official representative and spokesperson for the Section.
B. Serve as the chair of the Section’s Board of Directors.
C. Preside at the meetings of the Section and at the meetings of the Board of
Directors.
D. Appoint committees as deemed necessary to conduct the business of the
section.
E. Call special meetings of the Board of Directors and the Section as deemed
necessary to accomplish the business of the section.
Section 2. Duties of the Vice Chair
The vice chair shall:
A.Assume the duties of the chair in the absence or inability of the chair to
perform his/her duties.
B. Assist the chair in conducting the business of the Section.
C. Perform such other duties as prescribed by the Board of Directors.
Section 3. Duties of the Secretary
The secretary shall:
A. Record the minutes of the Section meetings and Board of Directors
meetings.
B. Distribute the minutes in a timely fashion to the members of the section’s
Board of Directors and to the IAFC headquarters.
C. Be responsible for appropriate handling of any amendments to these Bylaws.
D. Prepare ballots as necessary for elections.
Section 4. Duties of the Treasurer
The treasurer shall:
A. Maintain records of the monies of the section that are collected, deposited
and disbursed.
B. Prepare an annual budget, consistent with the format of the IAFC budget,
for submission to the section’s Board of Directors.
Section 5. Duties of the Board of Directors
The Board of Directors shall:
A. Have general charge of the affairs of the section.
B. Review the work of the Section and develop policy for the Section.
C. Amend or approve the budget prepared by the treasurer for submission to the IAFC Board of Directors.
Article V – Meetings and Elections
Section 1. Meetings
The annual business meeting of the Section shall be conducted at the Annual
Conference of the International Association of Fire Chiefs. Other meetings may be
held at the call of the chair or a majority of the Executive Board of the Section or
at the call of the Board of Directors of the IAFC, provided that at least ten (10)
business days notice of such meeting has been given to all members of the
section.
Section 2. Voting
A simple majority of the eligible voting members who are present shall constitute
a quorum for the transaction of business at all meetings of the Section.
Section 3. Nominating Committee
Not later than one hundred and twenty (120) calendar days prior to the annual
meeting of the Section, the chair shall appoint a Nominating Committee of three
(3) members, all of whom shall be regular members of the Section. The chair or
vice chair may not be appointed to the Nominating Committee. Members wishing
to be placed in nomination for the chair, vice chair, secretary, treasurer or at
large member positions shall submit their names to the Nominating Committee no
later than ninety (90) days prior to the annual meeting of the Section. The
Nominating Committee shall forthwith submit the list of nominations to the
secretary.
Section 4. Eligibility for Office
Officers and at-large members of the Section’s Board of Directors must be
current, Regular Section members at the time of their election and must maintain
IAFC and Section membership for the duration of their appointment.
Section 5. Elections
The officers and at-large members of the Section’s Board of Directors shall be
elected by mail ballot or electronic ballot, as determined by the Board of
Directors. For each contested office, the individual receiving the greatest number
of votes from eligible members responding to a vote shall be declared as elected.
When electing at-large members, the individuals equal in number to the number
to be elected, receiving the greatest number of votes from eligible members
responding to the vote shall be declared as elected. In the event of a tie, the
incumbent chair shall cast a deciding vote.
Article VI – Compatibility with IAFC
Section 1. Inconsistencies of By-laws
In any inconsistency between these By-laws and the Constitution and By-laws or
policies of the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the latter shall apply. If
such inconsistency is in question, the matter shall be referred to the Constitution,
By-laws & Resolutions Committee of the IAFC and if necessary, to the IAFC Board
of Directors for a final resolution.
Section 2. Position Statements
Any position statements prepared by the Board of Directors or Executive Board
must be submitted to and receive approval from the IAFC Board of Directors
before the position can be released outside the Association.
Section 3. Setting Policy
The IAFC Board of Directors has the responsibility and authority to set policy for
the Association. The Section shall adopt procedures for the conduct of its
business, which must be consistent with, and not in conflict with policies
established by the IAFC Board of Directors or IAFC Executive Committee. The
Board of Directors of the Safety Health and Survival Section shall have the sole
authority for implementing all Section policies, procedures, staff assignments and
expenditures.
Article VII – Amendments
Section 1. Amendments to the By-Laws
The Section shall have the power to alter, amend, or revise these By-laws,
provided :
A. The amendment has been presented in writing by the Board of Directors of
the section or by a member of the Section and filed with the secretary at
least one hundred and twenty (120) days prior to the annual meeting.
B. The amendment has been sent to the chair of the IAFC Constitution, Bylaws & Resolutions Committee at least ninety (90) days prior to the annual
meeting.
C. The secretary shall arrange to prepare and send a mail ballot or electronic
ballot notification to all members eligible to vote.
D. The ballot shall be sent at least sixty (60) days prior to the annual meeting.
E. The ballots shall be returned, as directed, at least fifteen (15) days prior to
the annual meeting to be tabulated by the secretary and the Nominating
Committee at the annual conference of the International Association of Fire
Chiefs.
F. The results of the vote shall be presented at the annual meeting.
G. A two-thirds (2/3) majority of the eligible voting members who submit
ballots within the designated time period shall be necessary for the
adoption of any such alteration, amendment, or revision.
H. All changes will become effective upon adoption unless otherwise provided.
I. All amendments to these By-laws must comply with Article VI, Section 1.
Section 2. Amendment at Conference
Nothing contained in the preceding section shall prevent the Section at the annual
meeting, from amending any section of the By-laws upon a four-fifths (4/5)
majority vote of the members entitled to vote and who are present and voting,
provided that notice of such action shall be given in writing and printed copies
made available to all section members present at least forty-eight (48) hours prior
to the time when such amendment is considered. All such amendments are
subject to compliance with Article VI, Section 1.
Article VIII – Section Operations
Section 1. Order of Business
The following order of business shall govern all meetings of the section unless the
order is suspended by majority vote of those members present and voting:
A) Call to order
B) Officer‘s reports
C) Committee reports
D) Old business
E) Elections (if necessary)
F) New business
G) Good and welfare of the section, and
H) Adjournment
Section 2. Rules of Order
The rules contained in the current Robert’s Rules of Order shall govern the
Section in all cases to which they are not inconsistent with the By-laws of the
section or the Constitution and By-laws of the International Association of Fire
Chiefs.
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