Milligan, Cline work to bring joint convention of LFCA & LSFA to Marksville

    Fire chiefs work alongside firefighters every day, but this week is the first time the two are meeting together in their state conventions-- thanks to the efforts of two Avoyelles Parish firefighters who also lead the two state organizations.

    The Louisiana State Firemen Association and the Louisiana Fire Chiefs Association are at the Paragon Casino Resort in Marksville for a week of training and conducting association business. This will be the 110th LSFA conference and the 42nd LFCA conference, but the first LSFA/LFCA joint convention.

    It is fitting that Avoyelles Parish be the site for this historic union of the two state organizations. Donald Milligan, parish 911 director and a Mansura volunteer fireman, is president of the state firefighters association. Bordelonville VFD  Fire Chief Adam Cline is president of the state chiefs association.

    It is also believed to be the first time the presidents of the two organizations have been from the same parish.

It is not exactly coincidental that the joint convention occurs at this time. Both Milligan and Cline said they worked hard to make this joint convention a reality in Avoyelles Parish.

 

    “They tried in the past and just were not able to get it done,” Milligan said. “Others wanted to do it, but now that we have done it, it may have set a pattern.”

     Cline said the theme of his efforts this past year has been “Together As One.”

    “Whenever there was an issue that affected Louisiana fire service, Don and I would get together with Chad Major ( Baton Rouge assistant chief), the president of the Professional Firefighters Association, and discuss it,” Cline said. “That’s the direction we have to go -- working together.  We have to support each other’s efforts and, if we disagree on an issue we just have to agree to disagree and continue working  together for the betterment of fire service throughout the state.”

    Marksville Fire Chief Jerry Bordelon will deliver a welcome to the conventioneers during the conference’s official opening ceremonies at 6:30 p.m. Thursday.

    About 1,200 chiefs and firefighters began arriving Monday. Vendors of all sorts of firefighting equipment set up displays in the Paragon’s Earl Barbry Sr. Convention Center.

    Training courses began Tuesday.

The week will not just be work and study, however. After all, it is a convention.

   A golf tournament is set for Thursday at the resort’s Tamakha Trails golf course. For the non-golfers, there will be a bowling excursion to Alexandria.

   The parish’s 15 fire departments will be a good host and display their culinary skills in the “Food Fest” for conventioneers from 6-8:30 p.m. Friday.

   There will also be activities for wives and husbands of firefighters and chiefs while their spouses are busy learning how better to protect the public when they return home.

   The awards banquet and closing ceremonies will be Saturday night.

   LSFA will elect new officers Saturday night. The LCFA has already elected its officers, with Mark Stewart of Prairieville and other officers to be sworn in during closing ceremonies Saturday.

   Milligan said the central location of Avoyelles Parish, combined with the fact that it will be a joint convention of two organizations, should result in a large turnout.

    “In 2010 the LSFA met in Marksville and had almost 1,100 firefighters attending,” he said.

    Cline is also expecting a good attendance.

   “The convention is a time for firefighters and fire chiefs to come together in one place -- and thankfully it is Avoyelles Parish -- to share ideas on how to improve fire service in this state,” Cline said.