CONSTITUTION

ARTICLE I – NAME
Section 1.

This organization shall be styled and known as the Mississippi Fire Fighter’s Association. Hereinafter in the Constitution and By-Laws the word “Association” shall mean the Mississippi Fire Fighter’s Association.

ARTICLE II – MISSION STATEMENT
Section 1.
The Mission of the Association shall be to establish harmony of action in the cultivation of professional development, work with various agencies to help insure fire protection and prevention for all citizens, support the various needs of fire service personnel throughout the world who have suffered through disasters and personal injury and promote the best interest of the fire service of the state and nation.

ARTICLE III – MEMBERSHIP
Section 1.
Membership in this association shall consist of four classes: Active, Associate, Honorary, and Lifetime.

 

Section 2.
Active members: active or retired members of all regularly organized fire departments, regardless of whether paid, volunteer or private, Salvage Corps, Fire Prevention and Protection Associations, State Fire Marshal, including assistants or deputies, City Fire Wardens and Fire Marshals, Fire Commissioners, State Fire Academy Director and Instructors, Mississippi Forestry Commission Firefighters, U.S. Forest Service Firefighters and Mississippi State Rating Bureau, shall be eligible for membership in this Association. Any member of the Association entering the Armed Forces of the United States shall remain a member in good standing, without further payment of dues until 90 days after release from active military service. Association members leaving the fire service may remain members as long as they pay their dues through their former department.

Section 3.
Associate Members: All representative of organizations dealing with apparatus, equipment, supplies, or services used by the fire service may become associate members.

Section 4.
Honorary members must be qualified citizens of this state, and of good moral character, and must have demonstrated their interest in the fire service. They must be recommended by an active member of the Association. Each fire department of 50 or less members shall be allowed up to 10 honorary members; departments having over 50 members shall be allowed 5 additional honorary members for each additional 50 members or fraction thereof. Honorary Members may attend all meetings, and participate in all celebrations of the Association, but shall not have a vote.

Section 5.
Life membership may only be bestowed on fire fighters who have distinguished themselves in the fire service and the affairs of the Association. Recommendations for life membership must be submitted by the originating department to the Executive Committee for a determination of eligibility and approval or disapproval. If approved, the President will present the name for vote under New Business at the next annual meeting. Each president leaving office in good standing shall be granted life membership in the Association. Lifetime members shall be accorded all privileges of the Association, including the right to vote and hold office. Any Member of the Association, convicted of a felony shall not be considered for Lifetime Membership and any Lifetime Member convicted of a felony, shall have this honor revoked.

Section 6.
An appropriate membership card shall be issued to each member of the Association, including Honorary and Lifetime members.

ARTICLE IV – OFFICERS
Section 1.
The officers of the Association shall consist of a President, a Vice-President At-Large, eight District Vice-Presidents, and the Secretary-Treasurer. One Vice-President shall be elected from each of the eight districts, i.e., Northeast, Northwest, Northwest Central, West Central, East Central, Southwest, Southeast, Southern. The President, Vice-President At-Large, and Secretary-Treasurer may be elected from any anywhere in the state.

The Northeast District shall consist of Alcorn, Benton, Chickasaw, Clay, Itawamba, Lee, Monroe, Pontotoc, Prentiss, Tippah, Tishomingo, Union, and Webster Counties.

The Northwest District shall include Calhoun, Coahoma, Desoto, Lafayette, Marshall, Panola, Quitman, Tate, Tunica, and Yalobusha Counties.

The Northwest Central District shall include Bolivar, Carroll, Grenada, Holmes, Humphreys, Leflore, Montgomery, Sunflower, Tallahatchie, and Washington Counties.

The West Central District shall include Hinds, Issaquena, Madison, Rankin, Sharkey, Warren, and Yazoo Counties.

The East Central District shall include Attala, Choctaw, Kemper, Lauderdale, Leake, Lowndes, Neshoba, Newton, Noxubee, Oktibbeha, Scott, and Winston Counties.

The Southwest District shall include Adams, Amite, Claiborne, Copiah, Franklin, Jefferson Davis, Jefferson, Lawrence, Lincoln, Marion, Pike, Simpson, Wathall, and Wilkinson Counties.

The Southeast District shall include Clark, Covington, Forrest, Greene, Jasper, Jones, Lamar, Perry, Smith, and Wayne Counties.

The Southern District shall include George, Hancock, Harrison, Jackson, Pearl River, and Stone Counties.

Section 2.

All officers shall be elected at the annual meeting of the Association. Officers will be elected to two year terms. The successful candidates must receive only a simple majority of the votes cast. Each district, acting and voting as a separate body, shall make nominations for and elect the Vice-President from their district. Candidates must be registered and present at the conference to be eligible for election, unless providentially hindered and this requirement waived by the conference assembly. Any member of the Associaton convicted of a felony shall not be considered for candidacy for office. Any officer convicted of a felony during their term shall be removed from office.

Section 3.

The Executive Committee of the Association shall consist of the President, Vice-President At-Large, Immediate Past-President, and all district Vice-Presidents, Secretary-Treasurer, and the following named representatives: President of the Mississippi Fire Chief’s Association, President of the Mississippi Professional Fire Fighter’s Association, a representative for Retired Fire Fighters, President of the Volunteer Fire Fighter’s Association. Vice-President from Volunteer Fire Fighters in North Mississippi and the Vice-President from South Mississippi with dividing line U.S. Highway 80 being in the North section, and President of the Mississippi Fire Service Instructors Association.

ARTICLE V – VOTING
Section 1.
Only active members with current dues paid and registered as delegates at the conference shall be eligible to vote. Members not attending a conference may vote by oral proxy, but no one delegate may cast more than 10 votes, including their own.

ARTICLE VI – MEMBERSHIP DUES
Section 1.
Annual dues for membership in the Association shall be $20.00. Persons desiring to become a member of the Association shall make application to the Secretary, with the entrance fee of twenty dollars ($20.00). If the applicant is eligible, membership shall be granted.

Section 2.
The membership year shall extend from the first day of January through the thirty-first day of December. However, any person paying dues after the Annual Conference in any calendar year shall be given credit for the remaining months of the year in which the dues are paid. After the first year of membership, dues are payable on the first day of each year.

Section 3.
The Association fiscal year shall be from June 1 each year through May 31 of the following year.

ARTICLE VII – ANNUAL MEETINGS
Section 1.
The annual meeting of this Association shall be limited to three calendar days. The date and location of the annual meeting shall be designated by a majority vote of the general membership session. Special meetings may be called by the President, with the consent of a majority of the members of the Executive Committee. In all cases of special meetings the items to be considered must be stated in the call.

Section 2.
A failure to hold an annual meeting shall in no way work a dissolution of the Association.

ARTICLE VIII – DUTIES OF OFFICERS AND COMMITTEES

Section 1.
The President shall be the Chief Executive Officer of the Association and preside at all meetings, appoint all committees, and sign all orders duly granted by the Association or Executive Committee.

Section 2.
The Vice-President shall assist the President in the performance of his/her duties. They also shall perform such duties as may be required of them by the Association in conference assembly. The Vice-President At-Large shall assume the duties of the President in event of death, disability, or other inability of the President to serve.

Section 3.
The Secretary-Treasurer shall attend all meetings; keep a complete record of the proceedings; issue all calls pertaining to the Association or Executive Committee; collect all money due the Association, and keep an accurate record of all monies received or disbursed in a form that meets generally accepted business practices. He/ she shall execute a Surety bond in the amount of $500,000.00. He/she shall receive for services rendered a sum as approved by conference assemble. The Treasurer shall provide a statement of the financial condition of the Association to the annual conference. He shall turn over to his successor in office, all books and papers belonging to the Association.

Section 4.
The duties of the Executive Committee shall be to have published the proceedings of the Association, and transact all business of the Association during the time intervening between the annual meetings. The Executive Committee shall be responsible for the general management of the affairs of the Association, and shall suggest to the Association, at its annual meeting, such rules and regulations as it may deem to it’s best interest. A majority of the Executive Committee shall constitute a quorum, and a majority of such quorum may determine all questions.

Section 5.
The President shall appoint the following committees, which shall consist of no fewer than three members each nor more than ten, to-wit; Legislative, Credentials, Resolutions, Finance, Public Relations, Membership, Constitutions and By-Laws, Conference and Fallen Firefighters Memorial Committee. The standing chairperson for the Fallen Firefighters Memorial Committee shall be the Executive Director of the State Fire Academy.

Section 6.
The Executive Committee shall meet at such times and place as they decide, or on a call of the President. If any vacancies shall occur, by reason of death, disability other inability or unwillingness to serve, the vacancy may be filled by the Executive Committee, for the unexpired term.

ARTICLE IX – AMENDMENTS
Section 1.
All motions to alter, amend or repeal the Constitution and By-Laws of the Association, or any portion or section thereof, must be made in writing at a regular meeting of the Executive Committee, motions approved by the Executive Committee shall be presented to the next meeting of the Association for action. Amendments can only be adopted by a two-thirds majority vote of those present and voting.

Section 2.
The consideration of any proposed amendments to the Constitution, By-Laws, or Rules of Order, which have been acted upon by the Executive Committee, shall be the first item of business at the opening of the evening session of the first day of the Conference, or if no evening session is held on that day, then at the opening of the next succeeding session.

Section 3.
All amendments, alterations or revisions of any part of this Constitution, ByLaws or Rules of Order shall take effect upon their adoption by the Conference, unless otherwise specified in the amendment.

Section 4.
All business of the Conference shall be conducted in accordance with Robert’s Rules of Order.

BY-LAWS

ARTICLE I – MEETINGS
Section 1.
This Association shall hold its annual meeting in such place, and at such time, as designated by the Conference. If no place is selected at the annual Conference, the Executive Committee shall secure a meeting place. A special meeting may be held at such time and place as the interest of the Association may require but they shall be confined to the business for which they were called.

Section 2.
The President, or in his absence, the Vice-President, may call such meetings, with the consent of a majority of the members of the Executive Committee. Meetings may be conducted through the use of electronic media to include email, internet-based meetings and conference calls. Any business conducted through this manner shall be recorded by the Secretary in writing and placed in the next meeting minutes for approval by the Executive Committee.

ARTICLE II – DUTIES OF THE PRESIDENT
Section 1.
The President shall be the chief executive officer of the Association. He shall preside at all meetings and maintain order during the transaction of all business. The President shall appoint all committees and sign the minutes of all meetings, after they have been approved.

Section 2.
The President shall sign all certificates of membership and all other necessary documents. The President shall be ex-officio chairman of all committees. All property of the Association shall be under the control of the President.

ARTICLE III – DUTIES OF THE VICE-PRESIDENT
Section 1.
The Vice-President shall assist the President as directed. In the President’s absence or in the case of inability or refusal to act, the Vice-President At-Large shall become acting President.

ARTICLE IV – DUTIES OF THE SECRETARY-TREASURER
Section 1.
The Secretary shall attend all meetings of the Association, and when requested, the meetings of its committees. Should he be unable to attend an Annual Conference he shall have a Representative present and arrange for all necessary books and papers to be available.

Section 2.
The Secretary shall keep a correct record of the proceedings of the Association, keep such books and perform such duties as may be required by the Executive Committee. The Treasurer shall make payment of approved bills ordered paid by the Executive Committee, or the Association and keep records that meet generally accepted business practices.

Section 3.
The Treasurer shall, at each annual meeting, make a statement, in writing, of all sums of money received and disbursements made by him, showing the balance, if any, in the treasury. He shall maintain a list of all paid members and shall issue proper notification to delinquent departments and members.

Section 4.
The Treasurer shall, before entering office, give a bond and surety in the sum of two hundred thousand dollars ($500,000.00), for the faithful discharge of these duties, if such bond is available. The Executive Committee shall have the authority to increase the amount of the bond as desired. The bond must be satisfactory to and approved by the Executive Committee.

Section 5.
All books, vouchers, papers and property of the Association shall at all times be at the disposition of the Executive Committee, for examination, within forty-eight hours after due notice. In case the Secretary-Treasurer should, through sickness or absence, or some other unavoidable cause, be unable at any time to perform the duties of that office, a competent person shall be designated to act in the position. The designation of the person to act in the vacant position shall be subject to the approval of the surety and the Executive Committee.

Section 6.
Upon retiring from office, the Secretary-Treasurer shall deliver to the Finance Committee all the books and papers in his/her possession appertaining to his/her office. The books shall be properly checked and balanced. If found correct, the Finance Committee shall approve them, and turn them over to the Executive Committee, who shall cancel the Secretary-Treasurer’s bond and turn the books and papers over to his/her successor in office.

Section 7.
The Secretary-Treasurer shall deposit in such bank or banks so designated by the Association, all monies received by him that belong to the Association, over and above the amount of fifty dollars. These deposits should be made in the name of the Association, and can only be drawn by check against the same.

ARTICLE V – DUTIES OF DISTRICT VICE-PRESIDENTS
Section 1.
Each District Vice President shall hold at least one (1) meeting inclusive of a membership drive within their assigned district per term of office. The Association will provide up to $300.00 per district for expenses related to such meetings.

 

Back to top of page