Page 23 - Nov-Dec 2019 Vol37 No5
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Middle Branch Meets in Nashville TCAPWA EVENTS AND HIGHLIGHTS
By Klair Kimmey
The Middle Tennessee Branch and NOTE: The info in italics,
Director Cody Osborne welcomed below, is contained in a link
approximately 25 attendees on Tuesday, shared by Chief Reeves.
October 8 to Metro Nashville for lunch
and a presentation about a system for National system to help
coordinating equipment resources. After firefighters quickly locate
a brief update about upcoming TCAPWA nearby resources
events, including the TCAPWA/SWANA By Stephanie Kanowitz
Conference scheduled for Nov. 5-7 in https://gcn.com/
Chattanooga, Osborne opened the lunch articles/2018/02/23/national-
line. The barbeque lunch was sponsored mutual-aid-database-fire-
by CMI Equipment. fighters.aspx
Osborne introduced the guest speakers. The cloud-based National
Chief Ken Reeves, Middle TN Mutual
Aid Coordinator and Goodlettsville Fire Mutual Aid System (NMAS) Left to right: Rocky Robinson, Metro Nashville; Ken Reeves, Fire Chief,
Chief, and Chris Johnson, TEMA Middle modernizes the 10-year- Goodlettsville Fire Department; Cody Osborne, Middle Branch Director;
TN Region. Reeves and Johnson spent the old Mutual Aid System and Chris Johnson, Middle Region Director, TEMA.
next 45 minutes speaking and answering created by the International
questions about the National Mutual Aid
System (NMAS). Tennessee is one of Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC). It merges manually or through a batch import process
four states who have so far adopted this
valuable system. Reeves discussed how data and mapping by marrying Intermedix’s for Microsoft Excel. The data format is based
the system benefits the fire departments
that utilize it, but emphasized that it could WebEOC crisis management software with on the National Incident Management
be equally beneficial to Public Works
Departments particularly in their rolls Esri’s ArcGIS platform to help fire officials System, which standardizes equipment types
as first responders during emergency
situations. quickly search for and find additional nationwide, giving stakeholders common
resources -- whether that be personnel, definitions and processes for their mutual
teams, facilities, equipment or supplies -- aid planning, according to the Federal
from across the country. Emergency Management Agency. This
To use NMAS, fire agencies register with means that a fire official can query NMAS
IAFC, which grants them access to the tool. for Type I engine, and every fire service in
They enter their inventory into the system the country knows what that means.
Save the Date MEMPHIS IN 2020
TCAPWA/SWANA NOVEMBER 16-18
ANNUAL CONFERENCE
View online at tnpublicworks.com 23
