Click icon for Profile Link and Login |
IDAHO FIRE CHIEF’S ASSOCIATION
2026 - 56th Annual Conference & Tradeshow, Coeur d'Alene
Preliminary Schedule of Events
Please Note: This schedule is in draft form and subject to change
Conference Registration>>
Conference Lodging>>
Golf Registration>>
April 30-May 3, 2026
9:30 am 1:30 pm
7:00 am-8:00 am 8:00 am-8:30 am 8:30 am-10:30 am 10:30 am-11:00 am 11:00 am-12:15 pm
12:15 pm-1:20 pm 1:20 pm-2:30 pm 2:30 pm-3:00 pm 3:00 pm-4:00 pm
7:00 pm
8:30 am-10:30 am 10:30 am-11:00 am 11:00 am-12:00 pm 12:00 pm-1:00 pm 1:00 pm 1:00 pm-2:15 pm 2:15 pm-2:30 pm 2:30 pm-3:30 pm
8:00 am | event detailsThursday, April 30 Chiefs Roundtable - Resort Convention Center Bay 2 Mike Sheets Memorial Golf Tournament - Coeur d'Alene Resort Golf Course Tradeshow Vendor and Apparatus Setup – Resort Convention Center Bays 3-6, City Parking Lot Friday, May 1 Continental Breakfast with Vendors - Convention Center Bays 3-6 Welcome and Opening Ceremonies - Convention Center Bay 2
State, Regional and Federal Agency Reports
Break with Vendors - Convention Center Bays 3-6 Division Breakouts - All Chiefs Welcome and Encouraged to Participate -FPO- Bay 1 Lunch with Vendors - Bays 3-6 Breakout Sessions - -“You are Not JUST a Volunteer”, Tom Merrill - Bay 1This fast-paced, highly interactive program challenges volunteer firefighters to eliminate the phrase “we’re just volunteers” from their mindset—and their vocabulary. Too often, that statement becomes an excuse for inadequate training, poor preparation, substandard service, or organizational dysfunction. This presentation refocuses attention where it belongs: on the individual firefighter and the professional standards they personally control. Designed specifically for professional volunteer firefighters, this engaging session examines what true professionalism looks like in the volunteer fire service. While departments may face limitations, obstacles, and distractions beyond their control, every firefighter maintains complete control over the attitude, preparation, conduct, and level of service they deliver. Participants will leave motivated, accountable, and equipped to raise their own standard—regardless of circumstances—because being a volunteer is not an excuse; it is a responsibility. -Career Fire & EMS Department Breakout - Bay 2 Charlie Butterfield, Deputy Chief of Administration, Meridian Fire Department. “Leading The Unleadable”. Most leadership presentations, books and literature inherently conclude that the people to which the leader is entrusted to lead are interested and engaged in following the leadership practices which the leader espouses. The reality, particularly in the career fire service, is that a percentage of employees are usually unengaged, uninterested or actively opposed to a leader’s effort in providing good leadership. Most fire service organizations have their share of malcontents, rebel rousers, and disgruntled employees that work tirelessly to thwart a good leader’s effort in progressing an organization forward. This presentation addresses how to engage with those members that are most opposed to the leader’s best efforts to lead effectively. “Executive Presence”. The concept of ‘command presence’ is commonplace in the fire service. From very early in firefighters’ careers, they will observe ‘command presence’ principles in their company officers and chief officers. These traits are particularly observable on emergency scenes when incident commanders are focused, communitive, calm and decisive in high-risk environments. Those who have been promoted to chief officer positions are very aware of the importance of good ‘command presence’. This presentation will move beyond the ‘command presence’ of the fire scene to the ‘executive presence’ of fire administration. We will review the importance of fostering collaboration, empowering teams and building trust through competence and authenticity. The day-to-day activities in fire administrations generally require more charisma and empathy than decisive decision making under time constrained emergency conditions. While command presence is important in short duration events, executive presence is paramount to long term sustainability and progression of an organization’s goals and objectives. Break with Vendors - Bays 3-6 General Session: "Forged by Fire: Appreciating History, Honoring Legacy, Remembering Sacrifice", Tom Merrill - Bay 2 Far too often, lost in the day-to-day routine calls, firehouse drama or daily grumbling, is the fact that we are all part of something very special – we are part of the great American Fire Service! Rich in tradition together with a strong heritage and endless stories of honor and sacrifice. But, way too many in our ranks have no idea how the fire service has evolved to where it stands today. And, if you happen to mention Hackensack, Keokuk, Waldbaums or Adams Avenue you can be met with blank stares. So, every now and then we need to step back and pay homage to the past and talk about our roots and where we come from. We need to understand that our history is full of useful information and valuable lessons that need to be preserved and passed on so the new generation of firefighters don’t have to re-learn them. Properly telling the stories and sharing the lessons also honors the lives of our brothers and sisters who have made the ultimate sacrifice. Legendary FDNY Chief Vincent Dunn summed it up best: “There are no new lessons to be learned from a firefighter’s death or injury. The Cause of a tragedy is usually an old lesson we have not learned from or have forgotten along the way.”This is a fast moving and exciting presentation that ensures those lessons are not forgotten and the traditions, customs, fires, stories, names and sacrfices from yesteryear, all forged by fire, are not lost to the dust of time. General Session: Update on Multi-Partner MOU, IFCA, IDL, ISFM and IOEM - Bay 2 We will also be discussing building capacity around wildfire response in Idaho, Incident Management Teams, and participating in the national deployment system under the ICMA. Networking Dinner Reception with Vendors & Auction Viewing - Bays 3-6, Bay 2 Trosky-Johnson Scholarship Auction - Bay 2
Breakfast Buffet with Vendors - Bays 3-6 Annual Business Meeting - Bay 2
Break with Vendors - Bays 3-6 General Session: GEMT Updates, PCG; Legislative Session Recap - Bay 2 Lunch with Vendors - Bays 3-6 Tradeshow Vendor Teardown General Session: They Already Googled It-Now What? Leading the Learning Shift in Today's Career and Volunteer Fire Service, Travis Myklebust - Convention Center Bay 2 Today's firefighters enter the station with smartphones in their pockets and answers at their fingertips — so why does so much of our training still look the same as it did twenty years ago? This session challenges chiefs and officers to rethink how training is designed, delivered, and measured. Walk away with practical strategies to build credibility, shift from compliance to competency, and create training that respects your people's time while actually preparing them for the street. Break - Convention Center Foyer General Session: Legacy, Leadership, and Life After the Fire Service, Stephanie White - Bay 2 General Session Panel: Succession Planning in the Fire Service, Mark Niemeyer, Fire Chief (Retired), CEO, Western Fire Chiefs Association; Travis Myklebust, Fire Chief (Retired), Fire Service Technology, Lewis Clark State College, and Kirk Carpenter, Fire Chief, Nampa Fire Department with Stephanie White - Bay 2 Chiefs Dinner Cruise - Marina Dock - Ticket Required to Board - Register Dinner Guest Online>> Sunday, May 3 Networking, Coffee bar and light breakfast - Casco/Kidd/North Cape |
Idaho Fire Chiefs Association
P.O. Box 2133 Boise, Idaho 83701-2133