Fire Administrative Support Section
Mission Statement
The objectives of th
is Section shall be to further enhance the education of all Fire Service Administrative Support by conducting workshops and seminars; to increase the proficiency of Fire Administrative Support by establishing a network sharing of information systems through various channels of communication, and to facilitate a statewide standardization wherever possible in all phases and aspects of the Fire Administrative Support field for the benefit of the Fire Service.
A Note from the WFAS Chair -
As we are starting to see some signs of Spring’s arrival, slightly longer days and bulbs starting to poke out of the flowerbeds, rest assured that your WFAS Board and Committee members are hard at work! Most of us will be traveling to the site of the 2023 WFAS Conference at Icicle Village in Leavenworth in early March to hammer out the conference schedule and a myriad of details. The planning team is very dedicated to delivering speakers who inspire and educate, activities that nurture networking and an environment and delicious meals that revive your spirit and invigorate you for your return to your department with a backpack of tips, tricks and newly acquired contacts.
First of all know that your input via surveys is highly valued and comments are taken into consideration when planning the annual event. Thank you to everyone who took a moment to fill out and submit a survey. It is difficult with such a diverse section, large urban departments to tiny volunteer only departments, from HR Specialists, to Finance Managers, Receptionists, Training Admins, Ops Admins and so on. We are trying to provide something for everyone so your input is so important for us to succeed in doing so!
Next, keep an eye out for information on registering and booking hotel rooms. That will take place in May and our amazing Communications Liaison, Kim Waxler (Paine Field Fire) will get the word out any way she can. Consider learning how to read smoke signals… We will have space for 125 attendees and rooms on site as we hope you can park your car upon your arrival in October and not need it again until it is time to head home. There are scholarships available (thank you to everyone in years past who bought raffle tickets!) so if that is your only obstacle, indicate what you need on the registration form and we will accommodate you as best we can.
And, the WFAS Facebook page is a great way to connect with other Washington State Fire Admins, to ask for resources (work smarter, not harder) and to communicate with others who do what you do or something similar. You are welcome to suggest other Fire Admins who aren’t already part of our closed group to join. Just remember, they must currently work as an administrative assistant in a Washington State Fire Department to join. We are also working with the WFC to return the question and answer section to our Section’s page on the WFC website. It unintentionally disappeared when the WFC upgraded their website. Hopefully, that will be up and running soon!
Lastly, be sure to reach out to any Administrative Support folks who might not have attended the Conference in the last few years or ever and make sure it is on their radar! I can promise you that the 2023 WFAS Conference in Leavenworth will be one not to be missed! Any questions? Just reach out to any of us and we are happy to help!
Take care,
Caity Karapostoles
