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The Iowa Firefighters Association is the Voice of Iowa’s Firefighters

The Iowa Firefighters Association was organized in 1879. There are now approximately 15,500 volunteer and career firefighters from across Iowa that make up the membership of the I.F.A. The Iowa Firefighters Association is dedicated to the improvement of Iowa’s Fire Service and protection of the general public through legislation, better training, minimum standards for apparatus and equipment, fire prevention, public relations and information.
Members receive a monthly issue of the Iowa Firefighter, benefits of State and Federal legislative lobbying, networking opportunities through annual convention and meetings and the chance to help improve the Iowa Fire Service.

 
Senator Danielson: Respect and do more to support EMS volunteers

Click on the video above to see Senator Jeff Danielson’s floor rebuttal to the article about EMS that was in the Sunday, April 7th Des Moines Register.

 
New Benefit for IFA Members:

The Iowa Firefighters Association has partnered with American Income Life Insurance Company to provide a NO COST Accidental Death or Dismemberment Program for our members.

Features:

  • $2000 AD&D Benefit
  • Health Services Discount Card
  • Child Safe Kits
  • And More.

You will be receiving a letter in the mail notifying you of these benefits. Please fill out the enclosed response card or fill out the online card on the web site mentioned in the letter. Once your card is returned an AIL representative will contact you to deliver your no cost benefits and explain additional insurance coverage available on a voluntary basis.

You must be an Iowa Firefighters Association member to receive these Benefits.

 

Volunteer Firefighter & Emergency Medical Services Personal Tax Credit Information for   Tax Year 2013 (returns filed in 2014)

For tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2013  the Volunteer Firefighter and EMS  Personnel Tax Credit will be available for volunteer firefighters and volunteer  EMS  personnel. In order to qualify for the credit the taxpayer must meet the conditions  listed below.

Qualifying Conditions

For Volunteer  Firefighters:

  • Must be an active member of an organized volunteer fire department in Iowa.
  • Must meet the minimum training standards established by the Fire Service Training Bureau, a division of the Iowa Department of Public Safety.

For Volunteer  Emergency Medical Services Personnel:

  • Must be trained to provide emergency medical care, certified as a first responder, and been issued a certificate by the Iowa Department of Public Health.

Amount of the Tax  Credit

The  tax credit equals $50 if the volunteer serves for the entire calendar year  2013. If the volunteer does not serve the entire year, the $50 credit will be  prorated based on the number of months that the volunteer served. If the  volunteer served for a portion of a month, that will be considered as an entire  month. The table below provides the qualifying amount of tax credit by months  of service for the year.

Number of Months of Service        

Amount of Tax Credit

Number of Months of Service

Amount of Tax Credit
1
$4
7
$29
2
$8
8
$33
3
$13
9
$38
4
$17
10
$42
5
$21
11
$46
6
$25
12
$50

If  an individual is both a volunteer firefighter and volunteer EMS personnel, the credit can only be  claimed for one volunteer  position.

Written Statement  Requirements

Taxpayers  claiming the tax credit are required to have a written statement (tax credit statement template) from the fire  chief or other appropriate supervisor verifying that the individual was a  volunteer for the number of months that are being claimed. These letters do not  have to be attached to a filed return, but must be produced by the taxpayer  upon request by the Department of Revenue (IDR).  It is recommended that the statement contain the following information: Volunteer  Name, Fire Department or EMS Service  Name, Number of Months of Service for the Year, Amount of Qualifying Credit,  and the Name, Title, and Signature of the official authorizing the credit.

Recordkeeping  Recommendations

It  is also recommended that volunteer fire departments and EMS services maintain a record of the  letters that are authorized in the event that IDR  requests a list of authorized credit recipients. It is recommended that these  lists be kept for at least three years.

 

The Application Period is Now Open for the IFA Scholarship

The Iowa Firefighters Association is now accepting applications for the 2014 Iowa Firefighters Association Scholarship.

This scholarship is in the amount of $500 and will be awarded to a high-school or college student wishing to pursue educational commitment in the field of fire science.

The applicant must submit an application and an essay of 500 words or less about their goals, community service, hobbies and why he or she wants to receive a degree in fire science, to the IFA Board of Directors by the application deadline. The applicant must be planning to attend an accredited Iowa college to obtain a degree in Fire Science.

The application process will remain open from October 1st to December 15th. Scholarships will be paid to the student when they complete the first semester with a 3.00 GPA or better. The student shall submit the proof of the GPA to the Executive Director of the IFA. The check would be made out to the student for the scholarship to be used for tuition, books, housing, or whatever the student needs.

The IFA Board of Directors would be responsible for choosing the winning applicant at the January work session. The winner will be announced at the Annual Mid-Year meeting.

IFA Scholarship Application

Applicants must send completed forms to:

Iowa Firefighters Association
Executive Director
PO Box 67
Humboldt, IA 50548

 

Lighthouse Uniform Company’s Bereavement Uniform Program

The Lighthouse Uniform Company, long known for its Fallen Fire Fighter Dress Uniform Program, has dropped the LODD requirement and has expanded the program’s scope to make a dress uniform available to any firefighter’s family wanting one for burial purposes.

The Program, being called the Bereavement Uniform Program, is a collaborative effort. It calls for departments and firefighters to check the ‘closet’ for uniforms ‘retired’ or no longer fitting and to send them in to the Lighthouse.

The Lighthouse cleans, refurbishes, reconfigures to rank and makes them available to any family requesting one for burial purposes, overnight if necessary, at ’no cost’ to the family. The only charge is for freight which will be billed to the affiliated department.

Access to the Bereavement Uniform Program is at http://bereavement.lighthouseuniform.com .