FFMIA

Mission Statement

To serve the people of Florida by providing leadership for superior life safety strategies through inspection, investigation, public education, and code management.

A Little History

On March 23, 1977, the first letter to announce an organizational meeting was mailed out to fire departments in the State of Florida. As a result of the letter, on April 23, 1977, forty-five fire prevention personnel met at the Florida State Fire College in Ocala. A committee consisting of 6 people from across the State was formed to organize and draft a charter for the Florida Fire Marshals Association.

On June 18, 1977, the committee met with the drafted charter that was to be registered with the State and the first President, Vice President, and Secretary/Treasurer were elected. The Officers, later in that year decided to divide the State into four regions, with each region having representation, and to move the annual meeting to the annual statewide Fire Prevention Conference. Operational By-Laws were drafted and prepared to present to the membership for approval.

In October of 1977, thirty-four Charter Members voted on the Charter and By-Laws at the Annual Fire Prevention Conference. On October 19, 1977, the first official letter of membership was mailed out to fire departments across the State. In September of 1982, the Association filed for non-profit corporation status, and bylaws were distributed to the members. In October of 1982, the Association assumed the responsibility of the Annual Fire Prevention Conference. In May of 1985, the Association was awarded a chapter membership in the Fire Marshals Association of North America which was the third in the Nation.

The Fire Marshals Association continued hosting the Annual Conference with volunteer members and a host of sponsors. In 1998 the Board of Directors decided a change of the current business model was necessary and created an executive director position. The position was responsible for organizing the annual conference, recruiting new members and taking training opportunities to the membership.

In 2001 the Florida Fire Inspectors Association, a group primarily based in South Florida, dissolved. The Florida Fire Marshals Association decided to add inspectors into the name of the organization to invite further membership growth. The State of Florida approved of this recommendation and the name was changed to Florida Fire Marshals and Inspectors Association (FFMIA). This endeavor sparked a new era as inspectors were now designated and recognized as members.

Over the next decade the association welcomed section memberships and the Florida Association of Fire and Life Safety Educators (FAFLSE) and the Florida Fire and Explosion Investigators (FFEIA) sections were created. The FAFLSE and FFEIA joined forces and host a joint conference each June.

The annual fire prevention conference is still held each November and is documented as the longest continuous fire prevention conference in North America.