CFSA Blog
CFSA President's Holiday Message
Author: Anthony Rago
Season’s Greetings! As we approach the end of 2023, I find myself reflecting on the incredible journey we've shared as the CFSA community. It's hard to believe that the year is drawing to a close, yet the momentum at CFSA continues to push forward.
Our Technical Seminar Committee had a busy fall, holding two events. The September Technical Session was sponsored by Victaulic who gave our members a live interactive demonstration at their Mississauga facility. Thank you to Victaulic for their support. Our final Technical Session was held at Seneca College with the topic being Oxygen Reduction System. A heartfelt thank you to our sponsor, Seneca College, and SSI Fire Canada. With their generosity the CFSA was able to open this event free of charge to all Seneca College Fire program students. A sincere thank you to all those that have sponsored a Technical Session in 2023, we would not be able to provide these education opportunities without your support.
The CFSA Newsletter Committee also had an extremely busy year. At the end of 2022 the newsletter committee started the year with an ambitious plan to issue monthly newsletters. I am happy to report that the committee was successful and has issued all monthly newsletters to date. We are always looking to support our members by giving them a forum to share their research and knowledge. If you have an article you would like to share, reach out to us through our website.
As mentioned in my last President’s Message the CFSA Board of Directors voted to conduct a strategic plan for the association in 2023. While the majority of the strategic plan is complete, we have one final planning meeting later this month. I look forward to providing a comprehensive overview of our strategic plan in the Quarter 1 of our President’s Message.
Building upon our three-decade legacy of providing educational opportunities, to the engineering/architecture, insurance and AHJ communities, the AEF committee is charting new territory. For the first time ever, the AEF will be a multi-day event and tradeshow. Day 1 will consist of half a day of seminars and an evening tradeshow. Day 2 will have technical presentations throughout the day and all-day access to the tradeshow. If you are looking for information on this year’s event, please visit our website.
This has been another whirlwind year for our association and none of our achievements would be possible without the unwavering dedication of our fully volunteer Board of Directors and the incredible support of our partners at Association Concept. Thank you all for the hard work and support this past year. To our members and sponsors, thank you so much, we could not do it without you!
In what has become somewhat customary for me I will close my President’s Message with a few safety tips. While I hope you all have a very relaxing Holiday Season, I hope you stay diligent and focused on fire safety during this time:
- Make sure your carbon monoxide and smoke detectors are working properly;
- Share fire escape plans with your over-night guests;
- Water your Christmas trees daily; and
- Keep lit candles away from children, pets, and other combustible materials; never leave lit candles unattended.
On behalf of the CFSA, I wish you all a very safe and joyful Holiday Season and a healthy and prosperous New Year.
Warm regards,
CANADIAN FIRE SAFETY ASSOCIATION
Anthony Rago
CFSA President
