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.

Firefighter Day on the Hill Scheduled

Firefighter Day on the Hill and the Chili Cookoff will be Monday, March 23rd…

Please plan to attend if at all possible. It would be fantastic to see the rotunda full of firefighters! If you or your department are interested in participating in the chili cookoff please contact Bill Halleran at bhalleran@iafireassn.org . Read more…

Forming a 501c3

In light of the recent events that have taken place in some towns, and the highly publicized case in Shelby, IA, there has been a great deal of controversy about fundraising and whether those funds raised belong to the department or the city. The Iowa Firefighters Association has, for quite some time, promoted the idea that fire departments should form a separate 501c3 association for the purpose of fundraising. If your department has not formed a separate entity for fundraising it would be worth looking into the benefits and things to consider when doing so. You can read more information on this here….Public Benefit Non Profit Corporation for Fire and EMS Volunteers

Date and location has been set for the 2015 Mid Year Meeting

Friday, March 27th and Saturday, March 28th, 2015 – West Des Moines Marriott, 1250 Jordan Creek Pkwy, West Des Moines, IA 50266. Phone 866-202-9771. Rooms are $99 each. Ask for the Iowa Firefighters Association group discount when calling. Rooms must be reserved before March 5, 2015 to receive the discount.

The Mid Year Banquet will be Saturday evening, March 28th. Cocktails at 6 p.m., dinner at 7 p.m. with a program to follow the meal. Tickets are $35 per person. Please complete and return registration form for the banquet by Friday, March 20th, 2015 to: IFA Mid Year, c/o Denise Yeager, 445 West J St, Forest City, IA 50436.

If you are unable to attend the 2015 Mid Year meeting but wish to vote absentee please read the absentee voting information. Proposed Resolutions that will be voted on are all related to drill rules.

Volunteer Firefighter and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Personnel and Reserve Peace Officer Tax Credit for the 2014 Tax Year

Effective January 1, 2013 the Volunteer Firefighter and EMS Personnel Tax Credit was available for volunteer firefighters and volunteer EMS personnel. Effective January 1, 2014, the Reserve Peace Officer Tax Credit will be available for volunteer reserve peace officers. In order to qualify for the credits 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.
A paid firefighter who volunteers for another fire department is eligible for the credit, effective January 1, 2014.

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.
A paid EMS personnel member who volunteers for another department is eligible for the credit, effective January 1, 2013.

For Reserve Peace Officers:

Must be a volunteer, non-regular, sworn member of a law enforcement agency who serves with or without compensation, has regular police powers while functioning as a law enforcement agency’s representative, and participates on a regular basis in the law enforcement agency’s activities including crime prevention and control, preservation of the peace, and enforcement of the law.
Must have met the minimum training standards established by the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy.

Amount of the Tax Credit

For tax year 2014, the tax credit equals $100 if the volunteer serves for the entire calendar year 2014. If the volunteer does not serve the entire year, the $100 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	$8	7	$58
2	$17	8	$67
3	$25	9	$75
4	$33	10	$83
5	$42	11	$92
6	$50	12	$100

If an individual serves in more than one position as a volunteer firefighter, volunteer EMS personnel, and reserve peace officer, the credit can only be claimed for one volunteer position. One credit can be claimed on the IA 1040.

Written Statement Requirements

Taxpayers claiming the tax credit are required to have a written statement (tax credit template)from the fire chief, the chief of police, sheriff, commissioner of public safety, 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 included with a filed return, but must be produced by the taxpayer upon request by the Iowa Department of Revenue (IDR). It is recommended that the statement contain the following information: Volunteer Name, Fire Department or EMS Service Name or Police Department, 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 recommended that volunteer fire departments, EMS services, or police departments 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.

Volunteer Firefighter Tax Checkoff

The Firefighter Check-off is now combined with the Veteran’s Fund Check-off

All donations to this combined check-off will be split evenly between the two funds
Taxpayers can donate $1 or more to this fund
May contribute to the check-off regardless of whether you are entitled to a refund or owe additional taxes, but your contribution will reduce your refund or add to the amount owed
Check-off can be found on Line 55c of the Iowa 1040 tax return
Contributions will qualify as a charitable contribution on next year’s return
If you file an amended return, you cannot change your contribution
All funds raised through this check-off will go strictly for the training of volunteer fire departments in the state of Iowa
A Press Release, Information Sheet , Flyer , Ad and Small Classified Ad are available to download. Consider asking tax offices to post the flyer or asking local paper to run the ads.

For more than 40 years, California Casualty’s Auto and Home Insurance has been providing firefighters with unique coverage that is tailored to your needs at competitive rates. A wide range of personal insurance products are available for IFA members. Casualty’s coverage offers exclusive firefighter features not available with other big name companies, such as: Vehicle Vandalism and Collision Reduced Deductible, $500 Auto Personal Property Coverage, Fallen Hero Benefit and Free Identity Theft Resolution Services. To learn more about California Casualty, please call 877-999-8947.

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:

$2500 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.

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 .