Bylaws

Section 1This organization shall be known as the "Louisiana Fire Chiefs Association"


Article II: Purpose 

Section 1. The purpose of the Association shall be to promote the profession of the fire service, to improve the methods of fire prevention, training, protection, and extinguishment and to maintain high standards of professional ethics among the Fire Chiefs of Louisiana.

  1. To obtain and circulate information of fire administration, prevention, protection, training, and suppression.

  2. To encourage study, research, and analysis of all matters relative to the protection and saving of life and property from the perils of fire and other disasters.

  3. To encourage the active co-operation and exchange of information among the members.

  4. To secure the co-operation and assistance of other organizations in the field of fire prevention and protection.

  5. To render whatever assistance possible to other members, individuals, or organizations interested in fire prevention and protection.

  6. To promote the fire service in the highest degree of professionalism and promote the welfare of all Louisiana firefighters.

  7. To render to the citizens the most efficient service possible.

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Article III: Membership

Section 1. All applications for membership shall be submitted to the Executive Board for approval or disapproval.

Section 2. Membership of this Association shall consist of:

Active Members  Active members shall include the person in charge of a Fire Department (Fire Chief, Director, Superintendent, etc.), including the head of an Industrial Fire Brigade, and all other chief officers (deputy chief, assistant chief, district chief, battalion chief, division chief, etc.), as designated by the chief of the department, of a regularly organized public, private, governmental or industrial fire department and one, and only, person representing the Louisiana Municipal Association (LMA), who shall be exempted from pay dues. Active members, who maintain current dues paying status shall be entitled to hold elective office, serve on the board of directors and vote on all matters requiring a vote of the general membership unless otherwise prohibited herein. New active members shall be entitled to voting privileges once voted into the association by the board of directors. Annual dues shall be set by the board of directors.

Associate Members – Associate Members shall include those fire department officers not eligible for Active Member Status. Associate Members shall not be entitled to vote on matters requiring a vote. Associate members are not eligible to hold elective office or serve on the Board of Directors. Once an Associate Member has been voted into the association, they may remain a member if their annual due is paid. Annual dues shall be set by the Board of Directors.

Past President Life Membership Past President life membership shall be conferred upon all past presidents of the association with all the privileges of active membership. Past President Life members are not required to pay annual dues, unless they are going to hold elective office or serve on the Board of Directors.

Life Members Life members shall include active or associate members or a combination thereof, which has been a member of the Association continuously for ten (10) years and no longer holds a position in a fire department which would qualify them as an active member or associate member status. Life membership shall not be conferred or continued for individuals who are eligible for either Active or Associate membership through their involvement or employment with the fire service unless approved by the Board of Directors. Life members are not required to pay dues but may be charged for association services. Life members shall not be entitled to vote on matters requiring a vote.

Ex Officio Membership - The following persons shall be Ex Officio members of the Association: the Louisiana State Fire Marshal and their second in command, Director of Training of the Louisiana State University Fire & Emergency Training Institute and their second in command, Director of Training of Delgado Fireman Training and their second in command, Director of Louisiana State University - Eunice Fireman Training and their second in command, President and First Vice-President of the Louisiana State Firemen’s Association and Head of Property Insurance Association of Louisiana and their second in command. Ex- Officio members shall be exempt from dues and shall not be entitled to vote on manners requiring a vote. If an Ex Officio member is also an Active Member, then they shall have all duties and obligations of Active Membership including the right to vote and the obligation to pay dues.

Honorary Membership - Honorary membership may be bestowed upon individuals by the Executive Board. Honorary Members shall be exempt from dues and shall not be entitled to vote on manners requiring a vote.

Corporate Membership - Any Corporation that is engaged in legitimate business activity, may be bestowed this classification by the Executive Board. Corporate Members shall pay dues as set by the Board of Directors, but shall not have a vote. Their incentives for paying dues will be the ability to participate as a vendor at the annual conference by purchasing a booth, use of the association’s logo, a listing on the LFCA website, a link on the LFCA website for an additional fee and advertising in the quarterly periodical for an additional cost.

Section 3. Elected office holding shall be limited to ACTIVE MEMBERS. Members holding the office of Secretary and/or Treasurer can be re-elected to their office if their status changes to Associate or Life Member, provided they maintain their dues as an Active Member. Voting rights shall be limited to ACTIVE MEMBERS and PAST PRESIDENT LIFE MEMBERS. A voting member will have only one (1) vote, even if serving in more than one (1) fire department.

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Article IV: Officers, Committees, & Members
Section 1. The elected officers of the Association shall be:

A. President shall be the Chief Officer of the Association. They shall preside at all meetings, maintain order during the transaction of business, put motions to a vote when seconded, decide questions when vote is equal, and such other points of order. They shall appoint all committees, as stated in Article IV, Section 5 & 6. They shall sign all certificates of membership and all other lawful documents that may require their signature. They shall be ex-officio chairman of all committees. All property of the Association shall be under their control during their time in office.

​B. First Vice-President in the absence of or the inability of the President shall perform all the duties of the President and when the President is presiding they shall assist the President in every way possible and should a vacancy occur in the office of President, they shall assume all the duties of the President.


CSecond Vice-President shall assist the President and First Vice-President in conducting the business of the Association and in the absence or inability of both the President and First Vice-President, they shall assume all the duties of the President.


D. Secretary shall keep the records, collect the dues or other moneys belonging to the
Association. They shall provide an annual report of all expenditures of their office. The Secretary shall also maintain a current inventory of all property of the Louisiana Fire Chiefs’ Association. They shall, upon vacating their office, turn over all records and other belongings of the Association they have to the President of the Association.


E. Treasurer shall keep the records, collect the dues or other moneys belonging to the
Association. They shall provide an annual report of all expenditures of their office. The Secretary shall also maintain a current inventory of all property of the Louisiana Fire Chiefs’ Association. They shall, upon vacating their office, turn over all records and other belongings of the Association they have to the President of the Association. Upon vacating his office, the Treasurer shall turn all records, including bank account records and receipts, to the incoming President of the Association.


F. Board Members, (one from each of the nine (9) LFCA Districts, one (1) representing Industries and one (1) representing the Louisiana Municipal Association (LMA).

 

Section 2. The elected officials shall perform those duties relative to their titles.

Section 3. The Executive Board shall consist of the elected officials, Immediate Past President, and one (1) member from each of the LFCA Districts (to be elected by representatives of that District), one (1) member from the Industrial Section (to be elected by members of the Industrial Section state wide), and one (1) representative from the Louisiana Municipal Association (elected by the LMA). Districts are to be divided according to district outline of attached map of Louisiana which will be called LFCA Board Member Districts. Fire Department headquarters will determine LFCA district affiliation.




Section 4. Whenever a vacancy occurs in the office of the President, the First Vice-President shall succeed to the office for the unexpired term. In cases of a vacancy of any other office, the Executive Board shall make the appointment.

Section 5. The President shall appoint the following committees of not less than three (3) members of whom the first named shall act as Chairman: Auditing, Resolution, Nominations/Election, Governmental Affairs, Public Relations, Past President's Advisory and Constitution & By-Laws. The Chairman or their designee shall be granted the rights to represent and/or act on the behalf of the LFCA on matters concerning the Association.


Section 6. The President shall appoint members to each committee that has been established by Louisiana statutes. These appointments shall be ratified by a majority of the Board of Directors.

Section 7. Elected Officers and Board Members that Retire or change membership status to Associate or Life may complete the term of their elected office.

Section 8. Executive Director
The Executive Director may serve at the pleasure of the LFCA Board of Director’s. Upon cancellation of services, all records and documentation relating to LFCA business will be turned over to LFCA for their use. 


Section 9. Establish SECTIONS under the LFCA banner. Members of these sections must be members of the LFCA, in accordance with Article III of the Constitution. These LFCA SECTIONS will be provided education and training to professionals who have no other venues and will consist of:

(1) Fire Instructors Section
(2) Hazardous Material Section
(3) 
SAR Section
(4) 
Arson & Fire Prevention Section
(5) 
Public Information Officers Section
(6) 
Honor Guard & Chaplain’s Section
(7) EMS Section
(8) 
Company Officer Section

Members of the above shall pay section dues to the LFCA. They shall also set and maintain their own dues, charters and rules for their respective sections.

Section 10. Removal and/or Suspension for Officers and/or Members of the Association:

A. In the event that an Officer is convicted of a felony while holding office, that Officer shall be deemed to have forfeited his/her their office, and shall be removed from that office, in addition to being expelled from the Louisiana Fire Chiefs Association;
B. In the event that an Officer becomes impaired physically or mentally to such an extent that the office holder is unable to discharge the powers and duties of said office, that Officer shall be suspended from office if a minimum of 75% of the Board of Directors vote in favor to suspend the officer; and
C. In the event that any Member, as stated in Article III, Section 2 of the Constitution, is convicted of a felony, they shall be expelled from the Louisiana Fire Chiefs Association.​

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Article V: Meetings

Section 1. There shall be at least one (1) meeting of the Association each year. The Annual Conference Meeting shall convene at such a place as the previous Annual Meeting designated and upon such dates as the Executive Board, after consultation with the Chief of the Host City, may fix. 

A. Registration Fees - Members of all classifications shall pay conference registration fees, except for all Past Presidents’ who retired and are not active in any Fire Department, along with their spouse or guest, who shall register at no cost. Such fees are to be set by the Executive Board at least thirty (30) days prior to the conference. 

Section 2. Other meetings, either an in-person meeting or a tele/video conference, may be called by the President or by a majority of the Executive Board, where a vote may be taken. The Executive Board shall meet upon the call of the President or any five (5) Board Members. An attempt to contact all Board Members shall be made. Eight (8) members shall constitute a quorum.

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Article VI: Elections

Section 1. Elections shall be held on the last day of the Annual Meeting. Voting rights shall be limited to Active Members and Active Life Members. The term of newly elected officials shall begin at the close of the meeting and end at the close of the following conference. The President and Vice Presidents shall not succeed themselves and shall serve that office for only one (1) year. Member holding the office of Vice President shall be considered incumbent for the next office in progression after serving a full one (1) year term. If the First Vice President assumes the office of President due to the inability of the President not being able to perform his duties, he will be allowed to seek the office of President for a full one (1) year term in addition to the amount of time he assumed the office for the previous President.

Section 2. Any member of the Association in good standing, pursuant to Article III Section 2 A of the Constitution, can be a candidate for the Office of President, First Vice President, Second Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, or LFCA District Representative. All current board members wishing to run for re-election shall be considered in good standing if they have attended at least two of the four quarterly board meetings within the previous board term. Candidates shall convey to the Secretary, in writing, their full name, the district that their department is located in, and the name of the office that they shall be a candidate for, no later than January 31st of each year and the Nominations shall be closed at that time.

Section 3. In the event a vacancy occurs for any Elected Office of the Association at the Business Meeting, during the Annual Conference of the Membership, nominations can be accepted from the floor. 

Section 4. During elections, if a tie occurs on the first ballot, a second ballot shall be taken. If a tie still occurs on the second ballot, the President shall flip a coin to decide the election.

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Article VII: Amendments

Section 1. The Association shall have full power at any Membership Meeting to alter, amend or revise this Constitution. Recommended alteration, amendments, or revisions must be submitted to the Secretary in writing via electronic mail or regular mail (if electronic mail is not available) at least sixty (60) days prior to any Membership Meeting in which the changes are to be voted upon. Each member shall be notified in writing via electronic mail or regular mail (if electronic mail in not available) of the proposed changes at least thirty (30) days before any Membership Meeting in which the changes are to be voted upon. Votes on Constitutional changes shall be limited to Active Members present at any Membership Meeting to cast the votes. No absentee ballots will be accepted for Constitutional changes.

Section 2. The Constitution & By-Laws Committee may propose, and the Board of Directors approve, grammatical and non-substantive changes thereto, provided that such changes shall be published in a manor that provides for member review prior to the Annual Conference. 

BY-LAWS
Section 1. Each new member must pay individual membership dues (cannot replace another member on the roster). Dues for all Members, shall be paid in full, prior to the start of Annual Meeting.

Section 2. No member in arrears shall be eligible to vote or hold office. Any member in arrears for one (1) calendar year shall, after due notice, shall be removed from the Roll of the Association.


Section 3The Executive Board shall have the power to adopt By-Laws consistent with the Constitution to govern the conduct of its meetings and business of the Association, consistent with the Charter and applicable State Laws.


Section 4. Annual Dues as set out in the Constitution will cover a membership period that will begin on the first day of March and end on the last day of February the following year. The LFCA Secretary shall send out Annual Dues Notices to all members via electronic mail or regular mail (if electronic mail is not available), to allow all members sufficient time to maintain continuous membership.


RULES OF ORDER

Section 1. All business of the meetings of the Association shall be conducted under provisions of the “Robert’s Rules of Order”.

Section 2. On the first day of the Annual Conference, the President will conduct an Opening Ceremony, which shall include a Memorial Service for member(s) who have passed away since the previous Conference and the Announcement of the appointments of the Standing Committees.

Section 3. On the last day of the Annual Conference, the President shall conduct a meeting of the membership prior to the close of the conference as follows:

A. Reports of Ex Officio Members
B. Business Meeting for Members Only (Active, Active Life, Associate, Life)

1. Approval of Minutes from previous meeting
2. Report of Officers

3. Report of Committees

4. Unfinished Business

5. New Business

6. Election of Officers and Board Members
7. 
Selection of Conference City
8. 
Installation of Officers and Board Members
9. Adjournment

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Article VIII: Funds

Section 1. The funds for carrying out the purpose of this Association shall be obtained from Annual Membership Dues; Donations; Annual Conference Fees, less Conference Expenses and other moneys collected from the sale of merchandise. The funds obtained shall be applied to defray the expenses of the Association as follows: 

A. Elected and Appointed Officers of the LFCA will receive reimbursement when accurately documented expenses are received from performing the duties of their office/position elected or appointed as follows:

1. TRAVEL: Reimbursement for the use of private vehicles for LFCA business travel that are not paid for or reimbursed by their department, shall be in accordance with the IRS allowable published rates per mile. This mileage allowance is provided to cover the vehicles operating expenses (such as fuel, oil, repairs, tires, maintenance, insurance, depreciation, etc.); therefore, expenses of this nature are only reimbursable on a mileage basis. Tolls and parking fees shall be reimbursed. All other travel expenses, such as air travel (Economy Class or lowest logical airfare), rental cars, taxi, shuttle, etc., shall be approved by the Board and should be considered on a case by case basis before travel has occurred.

2. LODGING: The Official must have
traveled at least 100 miles from their domicile and/or was required to attend multiple-day meetings authorized by the Board.


3. MEALS: Reimbursement shall be on the allowable GSA Per Diem as follows:

a. Breakfast: Eligible travel beginning before 6:00 AM and extending beyond 9:00 AM on the last day;
b. Lunch: Eligible travel must extend overnight or leave before 10:00 AM on the first day of travel and extends beyond 2:00 PM on the last day of travel;
c. Dinner: Eligible travel beginning at or before 4:00 PM on the first day of travel and extending beyond 8:00 PM on the last day of travel.

B. Expenses such as stationary, long distance telephone calls and other expenses related to and incurred in carrying out the Duties as elected officers of LFCA.

C. 
The Secretary shall be compensated $599.00 yearly. The Treasurer shall be compensated $300.00 yearly.

D. Any other expense of the Association that the Board deems necessary to carry out the day by day operations of the LFCA.


E. Exceptions to these guidelines may be warranted and reimbursement may be approved by the LFCA Board. 

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Last amended April 27, 2023.


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The Louisiana Fire Chiefs Association represents the needs of the Louisiana Fire Service. Protecting our lives and rights from Baton Rouge to Washington, D.C.