******************************************************************************************************************************************

VFIS Clients/Customers,

     Will April Showers bring May Flowers as we start the month of May we have been very busy with Training for this year both conducting classes and planning for classes so far in 2026 we have conducted 15 open class with 467 attendees from 223 agencies. The open classes in or near your Training Zone will be attached to my monthly training update in 2026 and all open classes scheduled in NYS for the next 2 months will also continue to be listed in the body of the update. I will keep you updated on classes when they are confirmed open classes will also be posted on the VFIS website VFIS.com on our training calendar the Training + Resources tab please monitor our training calendar for upcoming training. If you have interest in a class please contact me there may be one in planning near you, if you would like to host a class please contact me and we can work to schedule a class to meet your needs and those of your neighboring agencies. In reference to VFISU our On-Line Training we continue to see a large number of classes being completed by NYS clients/customers we now have over 70 classes available. As you see I have streamlined the attachments to my monthly training update with the development of the “2025 VFIS Risk Quick Link List” which provides the primary training tools we offer such as the VFISU Flyer, Responder Help Link our Education and Training Resource Catalog and much more. The new segment that was added in the February update has been well received “Hot Topics on Safety” to hit on the hot topics of conversation in Emergency Services. If you have questions on using VFISU or other Training that we offer you can go to the VFIS website, contact VFIS client services or give me a call. 

                                                                                                     VIRTUAL TRAINING

      Pod Casts/Virtual and Webinar training classes planned and scheduled can be found on the VFIS.com website go to the Training Calendar tab to find all upcoming training.

                                                                                                CLASSROOM TRAINING

   We are busy planning and scheduling classes for 2026 and will keep you posted as classes are confirmed classes that fill to capacity are not posted. We see a number of requests coming in for our Emergency Vehicle Driver Training Instructor class with the release of our program update/revision that came out in 2025 if your agency is interested in hosting a class please let me know. We have 2 other classes that are being requested by a number of clients/customers our Emergency Responder Safety class the info on all of the classes we offer can be found in our ETC Resource Catalog which is attached to this email and our Risk Control class. We are also preparing for the release of an update to two other very popular classes Trailer and Utility Vehicle Operations (UVO) which is been renamed from UTV/ATV to address a broader group of vehicles being used for off-road purposes. VFIS clients/customers that would like to host a class in your region please contact me at tboel@vfis.com.  I hope my periodic and monthly training emails have been helpful to you with classes that are coming up and VFIS Training Tools. You will also see other advancements in VFIS training coming with our Learning Management System LMS which will have a number of new training resources and advancements especially for those that have VFIS instructor authorization. If you have any questions on this or other training needs please let know.  

                                                                                                VFIS Training Calendar https://education.vfis.com/fire-ems-training

Open in person classes scheduled in NYS so far for May-June 2026

                                                      Emergency Vehicle Driver Training Instructor Class June 6-7,  2026 at the Huntington Manor FD in Suffolk Co.

                                                                                          TIPS Training Adams FD in Niagara Co. May 18,  2026 in Training Zone 6 

                                                           If anyone is interested in attending this upcoming regional TIPS class please contact me directly     

                                                                          ON-LINE TRAINING ON VFIS UNIVERSITY (VFISU)

      VFISU our On-Line Training was very busy in January and February 2026 with agencies utilizing the programs available 24/7 365 to help meet not only annual refresher training but training agencies would like their personnel to have. VFISU has many of the classes agencies are looking for annually now with over 70 classes available and we will be adding and updating more classes in 2026. Those that are utilizing VFISU classes to help meet the need for annual refresher training in 2026 please remember to use the compliance documents we have on VFISU for some of the annual training classes that we have. They are needed to document competency such as donning and doffing PPE, BBP, Hazard Communications and Sexual Harassment Prevention. Attached as a reminder is the PESH Compliance 2015 letter from the NYS Dept. of Labor that outlined the removal of hours for initial and annual refresher training and the need for competency training. Also attached is the guide of the training required and recommended for annual refresher training which stresses the need for proficiency. If you do not already have a VFISU User or Training Officer and Org Administrator Guide they can be downloaded from the VFISU site vfisu.com, the guides can be found on the HELP Tab. Agency training officers and organization administrators manage personnel using VFISU and are the key to agency personnel using VFISU efficiently. Agency personnel can be assigned classes by a training officer or agency personnel can self-enroll to take a class. If agency personnel retake a VFISU class that they have already taken previously and a Green Retake Button is displayed to take it again they must select the GREEN Retake button to take the class another time to receive another certificate with the date on it that they are taking the class. If I can help you with this or other VFIS training let me know.  

                                                                                OKTA SINGLE Sign-On Notification/Email

All VFIS users should have received an email that VFIS/GIG University is moving to a Single Sign-On solution, OKTA to help enhance security and user
experience beginning Monday, April 27th. Please look for a new activation email from "no-reply-okta@vfis.com". *PLEASE NOTE* - ALL users will need to open up this email, click on the link and then follow the steps to set up a new password. You will also see this information on the VFISU login page when you go to log-in, If you have any questions, please email csapps@vfis.com and they will respond to emails in the order they have been received.

                                                                                                   OSHA 1910.156 UPDATE

    As we look to see the outcome of the OSHA 1910.156 proposed changes all those that gave testimony did a tremendous job. The leaders of the agencies of NYS that worked very hard on this NYS Chiefs, FASNY, NYS Association of Fire Districts and NYS Association of Fire Coordinators who partnered to address the proposed changes and testified on this and how it would impact the ESO’s of NYS continue to work on it.

                                                                                         CONFERENCES AND SEMINARS

  VFIS has a series of seminars and conferences we take part in annually which gives use the opportunity to present training programs and to meet with many clients and customers to answer questions that they have and help them to meet their needs. We look forward to seeing many of you at the 2026 conferences and seminars that are planned like the Upcoming 2^nd Annual FASNY Training Symposium May 15-17, 2026 Lake George and the NYS Fire Chiefs 120^th Annual Conference and Fire 2026 Expo in Syracuse NY June 10-13,  2026, I will keep you posted as events we will be at come up.

                                                                                                 HOT TOPICS ON SAFETY

   In reference to the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) adopted updated regulations (10 NYCRR Part 800) that mandate the installation of camera systems on Emergency Ambulance Service Vehicles other than an Ambulance. There has been clarification to the DOH requirement of Part 800 agencies should review the update to see if it applies to them. As we know pictures speak 1,000 words below is a link to the VFIS Driver Monitoring Standard Operating Guideline sample SOG it is also attached to this monthly training update

https://education.vfis.com/fire-ems-resources/content/driver-monitoring-standard-operating-guideline-sample

Why Fire Engines Get into Traffic Accidents | Firehouse

Tire Aging: Is Seven Years Really Seven Years? Please take a moment to read the below link to a recent Fire Apparatus & Emergency Equipment Magazine article.

https://digital.fireapparatusmagazine.com/fireapparatus/february_2026/MobilePagedArticle.action?articleId=2109867#articleId2109867

                                                                                                RISK TRAINING TOOLS

   Just a reminder of our link to Risk Training tools RiskTools.VFIS.com. to access tools such as VFISU/Responder Help/VFIS Safety Central and HR Help to help clients/customers having one button access to tools. These are all great tools to use and Responderhelp.com is a great resource you may be looking for to answer everyday questions and administrative or operational needs. Another tool that has become very popular our Don’t Risk It Podcast series which is on the attached quick link and can also be found on the VFIS.com web site they are a series of brief and very informative training topics and segments. I hope the 2025 VFIS Risk Quick Link List helps with questions and needs you may have.

                                                   VFIS Assistance Resources steps that can be taken to reduce the cost of loss

     2026 is here but we will continue to see the issues we faced in 2025 the cost of vehicle repairs, long lag times in acquiring new vehicles and the legal landscape are all contributing to higher losses in the emergency services insurance industry. Higher cost of losses leads to increasing rates and premiums. It might seem like there is nothing we can do to address this, but collectively we can have an impact if we all take steps to control our cost of loss.

Would you be surprised if I told you that the majority of emergency vehicle crashes are preventable? We can help prevent crashes by taking a fresh look at who is driving our vehicles, the guidelines we have for operating them, and what training we are providing them. VFIS is more than just an insurance company and can help in each of these areas. Follow the links provided to find sample guidelines and training resources.

Sample Emergency Vehicle Response Guidelines Emergency Vehicle Response Guidelines

Driver/Operator Requirements Emergency Vehicle Driver/Operator Requirements

Training Resources Education, Training + Risk Resources for Emergency Responders | VFIS

            (Click on the ETC Resource Catalog at the bottom of the page)

Reinforcing these established best practices on each and every response will help your organization reduce the potential for a loss to occur.

If you have questions, or would like additional assistance, feel free to contact me

Tim Boel 518 560-0437

tboel@vfis.com

  This monthly training update is published to keep everyone informed on training tools and updated as classes are scheduled to give everyone the time to be aware of upcoming training and register to attend. In addition to my training email your agency may also receive this information from other VFIS representatives or agents we want to ensure everyone is aware of VFIS Training Resources to use and classes that are available for you to attend.

Remember Safety is No Accident as you Protect Your Communities be careful always using situational awareness,  if you have questions or other training needs don’t hesitate to contact me.

Stay Safe                        

Tim

Tim Boel
Education Specialist
VFIS Risk Control & Education

183 Leader Heights Road | York, PA 17402

800.233.1957  |  c: 518.560.0437

tboel@vfis.com  |  vfis.com  |  Join the conversation

VFIS (CA Insurance Producer License #0B39073)
Glatfelter Underwriting Services, Inc. (CA Insurance Producer License #0B17046)

Confidentiality Notice: The information contained in this communication, including all attachments, is legally protected information, confidential or proprietary information, or a trade secret intended solely for the use of the intended recipient. The information may also be subject to legal privilege. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any use, disclosure, dissemination, distribution, forwarding, or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify the sender by reply Fax or e-mail stating the communication was "received in error" and delete or destroy all copies of this communication, including all attachments.communication.