2/17/2011-- FIRE 20/20, a non-profit organization that helps Fire/EMS connect with their multicultural communities, is pleased to announce the first annual Tony Pini Awards for Diversity & Inclusion in the Fire Service. Named in honor of the late Santa Rosa Fire Chief Tony Pini, the awards acknowledge the efforts of departments that have excelled with diversity and inculsion initiatives.
The 2011 Tony Pini Awards are co-sponsored by FIRE 20/20, the International Association of Fire Chiefs, and Lion Apparel, in partnership with: International Association of Black Professional Fire Fighters (IABPFF), International Association of Women in Fire and Emergency Services (iWomen), National Association of Hispanic Firefighters (NAHF), National Native American Fire Chiefs Association (NNAFCA), National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC), Volunteer Chief Officers Section (VCOS) and the Human Relations Committee of the International Association of Fire Chiefs.
The nomination period for the 2011 Tony Pini Awards for Diversity & Inclusion in the Fire Service opens on February 28, 2011, and runs through April 30, 2011. Nominations may be completed online or a PDF nomination form may be downloaded and returned to FIRE 20/20 by mail or fax. For complete nomination and selection criteria, as well as links to the online and PDF nomination forms, please visit www.fire2020.org.
Award Specifications:
Honorees: The Tony Pini Diversity & Inclusion Award will be presented annually to four departments - two career and two volunteer - that demonstrate leadership and success in diversity and inclusion initiatives.
Nominations: Diversity and inclusion initiatives need to have been in place for at least one year, demonstrate sustainability, and show measurable results. Nomination criteria is in two categories:
1) initiatives or programs within a department that build and foster a diverse and inclusive culture, and
2) initiatives or programs that build and foster proactive working relationships between a fire department and the multicultural communities it serves.
Selections: The award-winning departments will be selected from the pool of nominees by a committee comprised of leadership from FIRE 20/20, the International Association of Fire Chiefs, and members of the award partnering organizations.
Recognition: Each of the four award recipients will be presented with etched-glass plaques at the Diversity Breakfast at Fire Rescue International Conference (FRI) on August 25, 2011.
Chief Tony Pini retired from the Santa Rosa Fire Department in September 2003, after 33 years in the California fire service.
Throughout his career, Chief Pini emphasized the need for greater diversity and inclusion in the fire service. He was a founder and an active member of the International Association of Fire Chiefs’ Human Relations Committee, helping to craft its vision, mission, and values. He was a member of the IAFC Ethics Task Force, and a past chair of the California Fire Chiefs’ Cultural Diversity Committee.
In 2005, Chief Pini was a founding member of the FIRE 20/20 Board of Directors. He was influential in establishing the core values and scope of work for this nonprofit committed to helping fire and EMS departments recruit and retain a new generation of qualified, diverse, inclusive, safety-conscious men and women firefighters.
In recognition of Chief Pini’s unwavering dedication to building a diverse, inclusive fire and emergency service, we’ve named this prestigious award, to be presented annually to four departments that excel in diversity and inclusion initiatives, in his honor.
