IAFC Call to Action for 2023 Section Elections
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Meet the Candidates
Missouri Valley Division Candidate
Kevin McCaw, Assistant Chief
Lee’s Summit Fire Department
My name is Kevin McCaw and I am requesting to continue to be your Missouri Valley representative of Emergency Vehicle Management Section’s, Board of Directors for the IAFC. I have been in the Fire Service for 30 years. I am currently an Assistant Chief in Support Services with the Lees’ Summit Missouri Fire Department where I have been a member going on 28 years now. We are part of the Kansas City metropolitan area, and have been an Internationally Accredited Agency since 2016.
On the professional side, I’m currently responsible for purchasing and maintaining our fire department fleet including ALS ambulances. I have many years of experience with truck repair, maintenance and annual testing. Writing specifications and vehicle acceptance is also my responsibility. This is just some of the experience I can bring to the EVMS Board. I have also worked for two different fire truck manufactures; I have sat on both sides of the apparatus-purchasing table. I believe that gives me a unique perspective of the critical and expensive equipment that we rely on so much. I have been the lead instructor for our departments’ driver certification. This includes operating ambulances, pumpers and our aerial apparatus. On the personal side, I am a self-proclaimed gear head and hot rod enthusiast.
After encouragement from other Missouri Valley members I decided to run again for this position. If you have any question or concerns please contact me at kevin.mccaw@cityofls.net. It truly would be an honor to be your representative, STAY SAFE!
Southeastern Division Candidates
Cooper, Steven, Deputy Chief
Spotsylvania County Department of Fire, Rescue & Emergency Management
I am writing to express interest in the Southeastern Division’s position on the EVMS Board. I am interested in this position because I feel that I have valuable insight into trends in apparatus design, maintenance and use and seek to network with likeminded individuals and collaborate on issues related to these topics.
I am currently the Deputy Fire Chief of Operations for Spotsylvania, Virginia. I began as a volunteer in 1991 in Stafford and was hired by Spotsylvania in 1998. Both have afforded me the opportunity to serve my local communities for over 30 years. Spotsylvania is located along Interstate 95 and is situated in the middle of the nation’s capital and the capital of Virginia. We are a combination department of approximately 350 members serving a population of nearly 145,000 residents.
Throughout my tenure, I have served in multiple capacities including apparatus operator (pumper, aerial and heavy rescue), company officer and chief officer. My interest in apparatus began early in my career and led me to seek appointment to my department’s apparatus committee. In 2001, I was selected to the committee and remain active in the specification and selection of all fire apparatus purchases. It also helped foster ongoing relationships with dealers and manufacturers. During this time, I also spent four years as a sales representative for a fire apparatus and ambulance dealership in Virginia. Serving as a vendor provided invaluable insight in sales and design, which has helped my department better specify and purchase apparatus.
Shivers, Robert Jason, Division Chief
Forsyth County Fire Department
I currently sit on the EVMS committee and serve as the southeastern representative, holding the seat as vice-chair. I would love to continue my work in this position so as to make progress on the matters regarding emergency vehicle standards and practices for the fire service. Unfortunately, the last few years have not been kind to group dynamics and the committee has never had the opportunity to actually meet one another. I hope that we can move forward out of this stalemate and begin to make forward progress on these issues brought to our attention and to which we have been charged to address. We have done great work with the constraints that fate has placed upon us but continuing to serve in a more active capacity would certainly help me feel like I have better fulfilled my obligations. With that, the fire service apparatus industry is undergoing an enormous adjustment. With more and more strict emissions regulations, trade and supply constraints, inflation, and a perceived push toward alternative fuels and electrification, bodies like the EVMS will become increasingly more important. I hope to continue serving my beloved fire service in this role as we navigate these new challenges. I am honored to have served in my position for the last few years and deeply appreciate the opportunity to apply once again for this post. Thank you