New England Association of Fire Marshals

Keeping the New England Fire Marshal and Prevention Community Linked by Education and Networking

By Laws

NEW ENGLAND ASSOCIATION OF FIRE MARSHALS
CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS

ARTICLE I - Name

Section 1.  The name of this organization shall be the New England Association of Fire Marshals.

ARTICLE II - Objectives and Purpose

a. Establish more effective communication with fire service professionals.
b. Proactively represent our membership in federal, state and local legislation, regulations, and codes. 
c. Support membership needs through education.

ARTICLE III - Membership

Section 1.  Membership in the New England Association of Fire Marshals shall be open to:
a. Federal, State, and Local Fire Marshals and their deputies, the staffs of Fire Prevention Bureaus, Fire Department personnel of all ranks with a primary interest in fire prevention, and officials of state, County, and Municipalities charged with the duty of investigating the cause and origin of fires; and
b. Individuals who support fully the efforts of the fire service and this Association to bring about a reduction in the loss of human lives and the destruction of property by fire and the suppression of arson.
c. Applications for membership shall be made by written application on forms provided by the Association and submitted to the Secretary/Treasurer. The Board of Directors shall, at its sole discretion, determine any applicant's qualification for membership.
   The Board of Directors may also, at its sole discretion, revoke or suspend for just cause the membership status of any member.
Section 2.  Dues for membership in the Association shall be set by the Board of Directors.  Dues will be payable on or before the first day of January and shall be for the calendar year.
a. Any member who is in arrears for dues for one year shall not be entitled to vote at any meeting of the Association. Any member who is in arrears for two consecutive years shall be dropped from membership.
Section 3.  Honorary Life Membership may be conferred upon any member in good standing of the Association retiring from office after ten or more years’ service as a Federal, State, County, or Municipal Fire Marshal, or as full-time members of the staffs of these officials, or who has rendered outstanding service to the Association.
Section 4.  Nominations for Honorary Life Membership shall be submitted in writing to the Secretary.  A favorable report by the Secretary to the Board of Directors with a favorable vote is necessary to elect.

ARTICLE IV - Officers and Board of Directors

Section 1.  The officers of the New England Association of Fire Marshals, all of whom shall serve without salary, shall consist of a President, Vice President, Secretary/Treasurer, and a State Vice President for each of the six New England States and the Board of Directors.
Section 2.  The term of office for the officers of the Association shall be:
a. President – One year and can succeed himself/herself for 3 consecutive terms.
b. Vice President – Same as President
c. Secretary/Treasurer – One year and can succeed himself/herself.
d. State Vice Presidents – one year and may succeed him/herself, and shall      be the contact for the State that they represent, be responsible for recruiting new members and report to the secretary/Treasurer.
Section 3.  The Board of Directors shall consist of the present officers of the Association, the six (6) State Vice Presidents, plus one (1) seat for each fifty (50) members or fraction thereof from each of the six (6) New England States for a term of one (1) year and he/she may succeed him/herself.  There shall also be one (1) member from outside of New England for a one (1) year term and he/she may succeed him/herself.  Each State shall be entitled to one (1) member in good standing to represent industry, where such a member is available and shall serve a one (1) year term and may succeed him/herself, and the Immediate Past President willing to serve.
Section 4.  Board of Director Emeritus status shall be awarded to a member who:a. during his or her three year term no longer meets the requirements of Article V due to retirement or any other reason, and b. makes application for such status within one year of the end of his or
her three year term.
Members who have been awarded the status of Board of Director Emeritus shall have a voice at all Board meetings but shall not have a vote in matters before the Board.

ARTICLE V - Election of Officers and Board of Directors

Association officers and the Board of Directors shall be elected at the annual meeting of the Association and shall be effective at such meeting.  In the case of a vacancy in office, the Board of Directors shall have the power to fill the vacated position until the next annual meeting.  In the election of officers and Board of Directors, active State and Municipal Fire Marshals or their Deputies or Inspectors or Officials of Fire Prevention Bureaus or members of their staffs and the fire- fighting service in general shall at all times be represented.  Current officers shall be allowed to finish their term and shall not be replaced until such office becomes vacant.
Exception: A member who is in the process of progressing through the chairs may continue the process only at the option and support of his or her State which he or she represents.  This exception shall apply to any member holding the office of state Vice President or higher.

ARTICLE VI - Standing Committees

There shall be the following standing committees appointed by the President:
Section 1.  An Auditing Committee
Section 2.  An Exhibit Committee
Section 3.  Conference Committee
Section 4.  Additional standing committees may be as deemed necessary by the President and/or the Board of Directors.
 
ARTICLE VII - Annual Meeting/Conference

The date and time of the annual meeting of the NEAFM shall be held in either of the month of August or September each year.  The date of the annual meeting may be changed by a majority vote of the Directors.

ARTICLE VIII - Ratification

Section 1.  The Constitution and Bylaws shall be submitted to all members and shall be ratified by a two-thirds (2/3) majority of the members voting at the annual meeting.Section 2.  Amendments to the Constitution or Bylaws of the New England Association of Fire Marshals shall be made by the Board of Directors only in the first year and thereafter only at the Annual Meeting by a two-thirds vote of the members present.  No proposition to amend shall be acted upon unless written notice thereof has been given to the Secretary at least sixty (60) days prior to the meeting.  A copy or summary of such proposition shall be sent to every member of the Association at least thirty (30) days before the date of the next Annual Meeting at which the amendment is to be voted on.

ARTICLE IX - Officers and Duties

Section 1.  President - It shall be the duty of the President to preside at all meetings and to enforce all regulations relating to the administration of the Association.  He shall be Ex-Officio Member of all committees.  
Section 2.  Vice President - In the absence of the President from any meeting of this association, the  Vice President in his absence shall have all the powers and prerogatives of the President.  In the absence of both, the members of the Board of Directors present at the meeting shall select a President Pro Tempore.
Section 3.  The Secretary-Treasurer shall perform such duties as may pertain to his/her office or as directed by the Board of Directors.  He/She shall report the minutes of each Annual Meeting and transmit them promptly to the Board of Directors.  He/She shall conduct such correspondence and issue such notices of meetings as may be required or directed by the President or Board of Directors.  He/she shall keep a register of the members of the Association.  He/She shall keep a true account of all monies received and disbursed and pay all bills upon approval of the Board of Directors.  At the Annual Meeting of the Association he/she shall make a full and correct report of the same. Section 4.  Board of Directors – Seven (7) Directors shall constitute a quorum.  The Board of Directors shall determine the amount of monies needed to operate the office of Secretary/Treasurer at the Annual Meeting.

ARTICLE X - Conference Meetings

Section 1.  In addition to the Annual Meeting as provided in the Constitution, there shall be three (3) Board of Directors Meetings held each year which shall be completed within a period of one (1) work day.  The Board of Directors meeting shall be held at such time and place as the Board of Directors shall decide, and all officers and members of the Board of Directors shall make every effort to be present.
Section 2.  The President, at any time, on his/her own initiative or at the request of a majority of the Board of Directors or fifteen (15) members, may call a special meeting.
Section 3.  In order to transact business in any meeting of the Association, at least twenty-five (25) members shall be present.

ARTICLE XI - Nomination and Election of Officers and Board of Directors

Section 1.  A nominating committee shall consist of the Board of Directors. Section 2.  The nominating committee shall present a slate at the Annual Meeting for the following officers:  President, Vice President, Secretary/Treasurer, and each member of the Nominating Committee representing the New England States shall announce to the membership those members elected to the positions of State Vice President and Board of Directors.  The member of the nominating committee representing the States outside of New England shall announce to the membership the name of the person elected to the Board of Directors to represent those States.  Additional nominations may be made from the floor.Section 3.  The term of office for all officers with the exception of the Secretary/Treasurer, shall be for a period of one (1) year commencing at the annual meeting and may succeed him/herself for a maximum of 3 consecutive terms.Section 4.  Election shall be by secret ballot only when there is a contest for office.  When there is no contest for office, the Secretary may be directed to cast one ballot for the slate nominated.  In the event of balloting, three (3) tellers shall be appointed by the President to receive the ballots for each officer candidate for the Board of Directors.  They shall canvass the ballots so cast and announce the result to the presiding officer, who thereupon shall declare the members receiving a plurality of the votes cast elected to the respective offices.

ARTICLE XII - Rules of Order

Section 1.  The rules of parliamentary procedure as described in Roberts' Rules of Order (revised) shall govern all rules of the Association. Section 2.  The presiding officer shall preserve order and decorum.  All questions of order shall be decided by him/her subject to an appeal by any member.
Section 3.  Every member, when he/she wishes to speak or offer a motion, shall raise his/her hand.  The member shall only speak when he/she has been recognized by the Presiding Officer.  When ruled out of order by the Presiding Officer, the member shall immediately cease speaking on the question before the house and shall not resume until the matter before the house has been resolved.
Section 4.  When two (2) or more members raise their hands to be heard, the presiding officer shall decide who shall have the floor.
Section 5.  The order of business shall be:
a. Opening
b. Pledge of Allegiance
c. Reading of the minutes of the previous session
d. Secretary/Treasurer's report
e. Correspondence
f. Sickness and distress of members
g. Reports of committees
h. Unfinished business
i. New business
j. Bills against the Association.
k. Good of the Association 
l. Adjournment
6. The Board of Directors are permitted to promulgate rules, regulations, policies, directives, standard operating procedures or guides, and orders in addition to this constitution and bylaws to ensure the safe, efficient, and orderly operation of the association. The promulgated rules, regulations, policies, directives, standard operating procedures or guides, and orders shall not be in violation of this constitution and bylaws.

ARTICLE XIII – IFMA Requirements

Section 1.  The New England Association of Fire Marshals has established itself as a Chapter of the International Fire Marshals Association (IFMA), a membership section of the National Fire Protection Association.
Section 2.  When the New England Association of Fire Marshals conducts business related to IFMA, they shall comply with and adhere to all applicable requirements and restrictions of the Constitution and Bylaws of the International Fire Marshals Association as such pertain to chapters thereof.  Including without being limited to, those requirements set forth in Article 7 of the Bylaws of the International Fire Marshals Association or any successor article thereto.
Section 3.  The New England Association of Fire Marshals will hold harmless and indemnify the National Fire Protection and/or the International Fire Marshals Association from and against any and all suits, damages, loss, costs, or other liabilities which may threaten or accrue to the International Fire Marshals Association or the National Fire Protection Association, as a result of the acts or activities or failure to act by the New England Association of Fire Marshals.

ARTICLE XIV

Section 1.  In the event of the dissolution of the NEAFM, Inc., all property and assets of the corporation remaining after satisfaction of all financial obligations shall be disposed of as provided for by any instrument which originally conveyed such property or assets to the corporation or shall be disposed of in such manner as the Board of Directors shall decide, which will most nearly carry out the purpose of the Corporation, or turned over to the USA or State of Connecticut as their respective interests equitably require.

Adopted 09/12/2005
Modified 09/08/2006

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