WCFA ByLaws

WCFA

Washington Contract Firefighters Association

Bringing Unity to Washington States Professional Contract Firefighters

Bylaws

Article I: Name

The name of this nonprofit incorporated association is the Washington Contract Firefighters Association and will henceforth and herein be referred to as the WCFA. The WCFA is recognized by the State of Washington Secretary of State as a nonprofit corporation and will retain that status until the WCFA is dissolved. The WCFA is recognized by the Pacific Northwest Wildfire Coordinating Group (PNWCG) as a firefighting contractor association and has a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the PNWCG. WCFA will maintain that understanding with the PNWCG for the duration of the existence of the WCFA. The Executive Board of the WCFA will assure that all documentation is updated and accurate with these and any other governing agency it takes to maintain active status on an annual basis.

Article II: Scope

These Bylaws shall encompass all firefighting contractors in good standing with the WCFA (members) and will be used as a guideline for conducting all normal activities of the WCFA. The WCFA may make itself available to become a Governing body or elected Over-site organization for all contractors in Washington State or outside Washington State if requested to do so by any government agency and approved by the WCFA Board of Directors.

Article III: Purpose

The purpose of the formation of the WCFA is to provide the individual Washington State contract firefighter with a means to become united in voice and purpose for the betterment of all contractors who provide firefighting services to the various government agencies in our state and region. The WCFA will provide a central contact between Government Agencies and other Associations and its membership. Providing adequate professional (government approved) training, will be a main goal of this association. The purpose of these bylaws is to guide the membership body and its governing board as individuals and as a group during meetings and any other activities involving the normal day to day business of the WCFA.

Article IV: Structure

IV.1 Executive Board (E-board)

The executive board of the WCFA shall consist of a President, Vice President, five (5) Board Members, one (1) non-voting Treasurer and (1) non-voting Secretary (see following descriptions). The secretary and treasurers positions may be combined into one at the discretion of the E-board. All voting positions will be filled at the first regularly scheduled meeting after the first of each year for those positions that need to be filled. The function of the E-board is to assure that all aspects of the WCFA are maintained in a professional, respected and thorough manner.

IV. 1.a) President

The President of the WCFA shall hold the office for a term of two years and will be elected by a majority vote of the membership after being nominated by the body. This term will be staggered with that of the Vice President to provide continuity to the leadership. The President shall be the chairperson at every meeting held and will co-ordinate all activities during any meeting or event. The President shall oversee and maintain all assets, records and functions of the WCFA. The President will keep all board members informed of the status of all aspects of the activities of the WCFA. The President will not operate outside the guideline of these bylaws without consent of the Board of Directors. The President will set dates for meetings and appoint chairpersons and committees with the approval of the E-board. If the President cannot attend a meeting or function outside the WCFA he/she will appoint a member (usually the Vice President) to attend and report back to him/her with the approval of the E-board. The President may delegate some of his/her responsibilities to Vice President or E-board members with board approval. The President is a voting member of the E-board and of the body

IV. 1.b) Vice President

The Vice President shall hold the office for a term of two years and will be elected by majority vote of the membership after being nominated by the body. This term will be staggered with that of the President to provide continuity to the leadership. He/she will assist the WCFA President with all aspects of the functioning of the WCFA and will fill the position of President in the absence or departure of the President. If the President departs from that position, the Vice President will assume the position of President and appoint a board member to fill the open Vice President and Board Member position until the next scheduled election, that selection approved by the E-board. He/she will not operate outside the guideline of these bylaws without the consent of the President and E-board. He/she will assist with all committee work assigned or delegated by the President. He/she will attend all scheduled WCFA meetings. The Vice President will be a voting member of the E-board and of the body.

IV. 1.c) Board Members

Five (5) Board Members will be elected from and by the membership in good standing and will hold the position for a term of 3 years. The terms of the Board Members will be staggered to assist in providing continuity to the E-board. The Board Members will each carry one vote and will be a member of the Executive Board. They will attend all meetings and assist in all decision making of the E-board. They will assist with all committee work assigned or delegated by the President. Board Members will frequently be contacted by the President by whatever means possible (telephone, e-mail, fax, mail) to assist with WCFA matters and decision making. Board Members may be asked to attend impromptu or unscheduled meetings or events if situations should so warrant. Board Members will be voting members of the E-board and of the body.

IV. 1.e) Secretary

The Secretary will be a non-voting member of the E-board. He/she will be nominated by the President and approved for the position by a majority vote of the E-Board. He/she will attend all meetings and inform and update the WCFA and its E-board of the record updates of the WCFA. He/she will assure that all WCFA bills are paid in a timely manner and maintain documentation of all WCFA financial transactions. He/she will forward monthly bank statements to the Treasurer and/or when requested by the Treasurer or the President. He/she will record, maintain and have available all minutes from all meetings of the WCFA. If unable to attend a meeting, he/she will contact the President who will assign those duties at the meeting. He/she will collect and record all membership dues and keep a record of monies to be given to the Treasurer. He/she will conduct any business of the WCFA assigned by the President or the E-Board. He/she will hold the position of Secretary until it is mutually agreed by him/her and the E-board to vacate the position. If vacating the position, he/she will assist in every way to make the transfer to the new Secretary as smooth as possible. Note: Large expenditures >$500.00 must have the approval of the Treasurer and the E-Board. The Secretary will be compensated monetarily on a case by case basis at an amount determined by the E-Board and accepted by the membership. Payment for Secretary labor will be made by the President.

IV. 1.f) Treasurer

The Treasurer can be a non-voting member of the E-Board. He/she will be nominated by the President and approved for the position by a majority vote of the E-Board. The Secretary, at the discretion of the E-Board, may also serve as the Treasurer. The Treasurer will disperse, distribute, record and handle all monies of the WCFA in collaboration with the Secretary under the direct supervision of the President and the E-Board. He/she will make all records of funds available to the President and/or the E-Board. The E-Board will assign an auditor to audit those funds twice annually, at the discretion of the E-Board. All funds will be maintained in an accredited banking institution, approved by the E-Board. He/she will conduct any business of the WCFA assigned by the President or the E-Board. He/she will hold the position of Treasurer until it is mutually agreed by him/her and the E-board to vacate the position. If vacating the position, he/she will assist in every way to make the transfer to the new Treasurer as smooth as possible. Note: Large expenditures >$500.00 must have the approval of the E-Board. The Treasurer will be compensated monetarily on a case by case basis at an amount determined by the E-Board and accepted by the membership. Payment for Treasurer labor will be made by the President. The Treasurer needs to coordinate all fund raisers and be involved in all money allocations. If a money shortage is foreseen the Treasure will initiate fund raising activities, under direction of the President.

Article V: Function

V.1) Responsibility

It will be the responsibility of the Executive Board to see that the WCFA functions in a proper, professional, efficient and legal manner using these bylaws as a guideline in the pursuit of that endeavor. It is the responsibility of the membership to guide the E-Board by attending meetings, voting and participating whenever possible. It is also the responsibility of each member of the WCFA to conduct business in a professional, safe, honest and courteous manner, following all set rules, regulations, laws and standards of State and Federal agencies. To maintain professional courtesy, members will not hire employees who are currently carded with another member’s company without their knowledge.

V.2) Voting

Voting of, for and by the membership will be by majority and will follow Roberts Rules of Order as a guideline. When an issue is considered to be of unusual importance by the majority of members present at a meeting or by the President, all of the membership will be contacted and allowed to vote in person, by phone, by mail or by e-mail. This will be conducted by the President or his/her assigned elections official and approved by the E-Board. All issues voted upon will be documented and records will be maintained by the Secretary. All normal issues and decisions will be decided by majority vote of the members in good standing present at any given WCFA sanctioned meeting. Proxy voting can be conducted when deemed necessary by the President or the membership with approval from the E-Board. Only one vote will be accepted from each member in good standing on each issue. If voting is done by mail, all votes will remain sealed until no less than 3 members are present to open ballots and at least one of those members present will be an E-Board member. All ballots will be held for record and Secretary notified as soon as possible with the results. Secretary is responsible for notifying all membership of election or issue outcome and results approved by the E-Board.

V.3) Meetings

Roberts Rules of Order will be abided by at all meetings and all meetings will be held in the most democratic fashion attainable by the membership. The President of the WCFA will preside over all meetings and minutes will be recorded by the Secretary. The minutes from the previous meeting will be read out-loud to the membership prior to proceeding with the current meeting. A minimum of two (2) meetings will be held each year, one in early spring and one in the fall, initiated and set by the E-Board. A special meeting may be called for by the majority of the E-Board or the membership for any emergent or special circumstance that may arise at anytime during the year and sufficient notice shall be given to all membership of such meeting. Minutes from any meeting may be attainable by a request given to the Secretary from any member in good standing. Every attempt will be made to provide copies of meeting minutes to all members in good standing as soon as a meeting has concluded. Attempts will be made to hold meetings in a centrally located place within Washington State for the convenience of the membership. Four (4) members or more of the executive board shall constitute a quorum, in or out of the presence of the membership, with at least one being the President or Vice President.

A date for the next meeting of the WCFA will be set at the end of each meeting.

V.4) Elections

Elections for office will be held once annually at the first meeting after the 1^st of the year for the positions whose term will expire. Positions will be filled using an open format of voting by majority using Roberts Rules of Order as a guideline. Nominations will be heard and seconded prior to voting for the individuals by the membership present. The President will conduct the elections and tally all votes assuring that Secretary documents all proceedings. If a tie cannot be broken by a revote, the E-Board will then vote on the candidates for the position in question electing the individual with their odd number of votes. An individual leaving a position shall hold that position until the newly elected person has been informed and accepts that position and responsibility.

V.5) Removal From Office

If, for any pertinent reason, a proposal to remove any one or more of the E-Board members is brought to the attention of the E-Board, that board member may be removed with a majority vote of the remaining members of the E-Board after investigation of the allegations brought against that board member. If deemed necessary by the E-Board, a committee may be appointed by the E-Board to investigate any allegations of misconduct. If for any reason, a member wants to remove him or herself from office, a formal written statement of resignation will be prepared by that individual and be presented to the E-Board at least 20 days in advance of the requested removal date. Secretary will document all such proceedings and maintain any records pertaining to these activities.

Article VI: Membership

A WCFA member with full membership rights (as opposed to being an Associate Member) will be entitled to vote on those WCFA decisions that call for a member vote under these bylaws, be entitled to pay reduced rates (as and when set by the WCFA E-Board) for WCFA trainings, have access to the WCFA training and experience database, and be permitted to attend and participate in WCFA meetings, seminars, and other events of the WCFA when and if the member pays all required fees (if any) for said events . The WCFA may act as a liaison between a WCFA member and government agencies to help resolve conflicts regarding firefighting contracts, dispatching procedures, or other issues as deemed appropriate by the E-Board.

VI.1) Membership Qualification

A person or business may qualify for full membership with the WCFA by meeting the following criteria:

(a) Have or plan on obtaining a pre-season agreement or contract with a government agency at the highest level or standard available for the service provided to the government for firefighting suppression or support activities. (USFS, BIA, BLM, DNR, ODF, CDF etc.);

(b) Meet and follow all pertinent criteria for acquiring and maintaining the agreement or contract with the appropriate government agencies; and

(d) Must pay annual association dues to WCFA in the amount set by the governing body of the WCFA payable to the Secretary, Treasurer or the President of the WCFA.

(e) Must be willing to be involved in the activities of the WCFA for the betterment of all its membership and firefighting related contracting.

(f) Must agree to abide by all State, Federal and WCFA rules and regulations that affect the activities of wildfire suppression and related contract activities.

(g) Must be willing to provide documentation/records to the WCFA to show proof of qualifications at the level of service provided to government agencies. WCFA will maintain records for all its membership.

(h) Must be accepted into membership by a majority vote of the membership and approved by the E-Board after meeting all set criteria. If unaccepted, an appeal can be made at the next WCFA meeting.

(i) Successfully complete a probationary period of one year during which time they enjoy all benefits of membership. At the end of the probationary period the executive board will review the activities of the member. If the board determines the member has adequately met requirements of membership the member will be awarded full membership status. If not, the member can be removed from membership by a majority vote of the board members present.

VI.2) A person or business that does not meet the requirements of paragraph VI.1, sections a through c, may apply for an Associate membership. Associate memberships will be non-voting and must meet the requirements of paragraph VI.1, sections d through h. Associate members are permitted to attend and participate in WCFA meetings, seminars, and other events of the WCFA when and if the member pays all required fees (if any) for said events.

V.2) Membership Dues

Dues are due Jan. 1^st of each year. Dues are delinquent after January 31st of that year and the prospective member will not be allowed to be involved in any WCFA activities until those dues have been paid in full. The E-Board will set the annual dues amount for full and associate members before the beginning of each year at the fall meeting and provide the membership with that information. You must have paid your annual dues and be a member in good standing to attend, at the member rate, any training classes offered or sanctioned by the WCFA. Members not in good standing will pay the nonmember rate for training. Dues can be paid to the President, Secretary or the Treasurer. If dues are not paid by January 31st, the member shall be recognized as not in good standing and must be voted back into membership by the body to maintain active status. After your payment has been received, you will be provided with a receipt, by the Secretary, in a timely manner. Equipment / crew assessments, if in place, are due 30 days following the award, by the appropriate agency, of an agreement or contract.

V.3) Loss of Agreement

Should any member in good standing with the WCFA lose their pre-season agreement or contract with any of the government agencies we contract with, this may jeopardize the membership qualification. The E-Board of the WCFA will hear all the reasoning for the loss of agreement and ask all parties involved for documentation and/or cause. The E-Board may form a committee to look into the matter. After fact finding and all evidence and testimony has been reviewed in a timely manner, the E-Board or committee will make a decision on what actions should be taken by the WCFA. Further information may be requested, the member can be removed from WCFA or the WCFA may assist the member in an appeal to reinstate the contract if the contract was unjustly removed. We will stand behind our members when deemed necessary.

Article VII: Discipline

If it is determined by a simple majority vote of the E-Board that the standards as outlined in Article VI are not met by a member, the member’s WCFA membership will be terminated.If deemed necessary by the E-Board, a committee may be appointed by the E-Board to investigate any allegations of misconduct.

When finding a member guilty of infractions or rule violations the following will be considered:

A minor infraction will carry a documented verbal warning.

A serious infraction will carry a written warning that will be disclosed to the membership. The accused may appeal this decision.

A major infraction will involve a fine and/or termination of membership and forfeiture of all dues paid. This action is final with no chance of appeal. The government agency or agencies involved will be informed of the action taken.

The E-Board of WCFA will be the deciding body of the initiation and distribution of what level of action to be taken.

Article VIII: Training

VIII.1) Explanation of Training

Providing adequate, professional training to the membership of the WCFA will be a primary goal of this association.

VIII.1.a) Each member is responsible for acquiring and maintaining up to date training and records of training required to conduct the business or service they provide to the government.

VIII.1.b) The WCFA will require that all documentation of training and or task books for the position qualifications be on file with WCFA and up to date for each member and their employee, before an official annual Incident Qualification Card can be issued.

VIII.1.c) The WCFA will provide as much training as time and money allows each year. The WCFA will provide and acquire instructors qualified to teach the various types of courses. The WCFA will acquire and provide its membership with the materials to assure proper quality approved training is being conducted.

VIII.1.d) Adequate notice will be provided to all members as to the course title, time, date, place, required prerequisites, materials needed and instructors name(s).

VIII.1.e) All members (and their employees) in good standing are allowed to attend as many WCFA classes as time and space allows each year. A basic firefighter class (red card class) will be held at least once each year and more advanced classes will be administered as needs are recognized.

VIII.1.f) The E-Board and an assigned Training Coordinator will determine and prioritize the course needs based upon membership requests and government requirements.

VIII.1.g) Instructors from within the WCFA will be utilized whenever possible and must have attended a WCFA approved instructor trainer course or has otherwise been approved by the WCFA. Whenever an outside instructor is utilized, he/she will meet or exceed all criteria or qualifications set forth by the PNWCG or appropriate government agency and the WCFA.

VIII.1.h) Any extraordinary costs of training will be offset by charging an equal amount (to each member student) to break even for all training provided of sponsored by the WCFA. Any non-member attending will be charged for any training materials provided to them in addition to the offsetting cost. These costs will be determined prior to commencement of the class or classes.

VIII.2) Training Coordinator (TC)

The E-Board of the WCFA will select and assign a Training Coordinator (TC) to oversee all aspects of the WCFA training program. Whenever possible, this person will be a member of the WCFA.

VIII.2.a) TC will follow all directions given to him/her by the E-Board and will answer directly to the President. TC will keep the President informed of all training activities.

VIII.2.b) TC will make recommendations to the E-Board on a frequent basis in regards to needs of training, needs of training materials, instructor acquisition of changes to current programs or policies.

VIII.2.c) TC will set up and coordinate all training activities of the WCFA. He/she will be responsible for obtaining instructors, training facilities, materials and equipment for all WCFA training.

VIII.2.d) TC will collect and maintain all training records, course rosters, certificates, task books and any other associated training paperwork or computer files for the WCFA.

VIII.2.e) TC will inform any and all government agency training officials or coordinators of all training activities associated with the WCFA when necessary. He/she will be the training coordination representative between the WCFA and any other agency or association.

VIII.2.f) TC will inventory, maintain, acquire, handle, package or distribute any or all of the WCFA training materials and equipment. TC will make a bi-annual report to the E-Board on the status of the materials and equipment.

VIII.3) Training Committee (TCOM)

VIII.3.a) The TC will assign three or more qualified TCOM members to form a board that will assist he/she with all matters of training for the WCFA.

VIII.3.b) The TCOM members will fulfill a three year commitment and will be replaced as needed by the TC. Any TCOM member may resign prior to the three year commitment by showing justification in writing to the TC. The TC may relieve you if he/she feels it is necessary.

VIII.3.c) All TCOM members will adhere to all training requirements stated in the WCFA MOU with Region 6.

Article IX: Amendments

It is recognized by the WCFA, that these bylaws are open to interpretation and are to be used as a guide for its governing body and membership. Amendments can and will be made to this document throughout the life of the WCFA. Recommendations for these changes, deletions or additions to this document will be considered and acted upon by the E-Board of the WCFA when warranted. Changes to the bylaws will be made with a 75% vote of the E-Board members present.

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