Leading with Purpose
I am honored and privileged to serve in the role as President of the Progressive Firefighters Association Charities. Just as the old African proverb says “It takes a village to raise a child”; as President of the Progressive Firefighters Association Charities (PFAC), I truly believe it takes the collaborative effort of the entire organization and outside partnerships to help build strong communities and to model the type of leadership required of our profession. We must continue to exemplify resilient leadership and positive role models for our kids so they can believe that they, too, can achieve greater.
PFA Charities' Legacy of Unity and Progress
The organization was built upon the courageous shoulders of its founding fathers, Charles U. Phillips and David C. James. These men made PFA Charities a thriving entity in the community during its earlier years. Because of their endurance and intolerance of racial discrimination and unfair working conditions on the job, our organization’s existence began with leaders and colleagues who believed in the spirit of the saying, “united we stand, divided we fall.” We, the current members of PFA Charities, would like to continue with that mantra as well.
Paying Tribute to Our Founding Fathers and Charting a Path Forward
The PFAC organization continues the journey began in 1978 under the leadership of our founding fathers David C. James and Dr. Charles U. Phillips. I am deeply grateful for their vision, leadership and outstanding contributions to our organization. Our growth has been propelled collectively by all the past presidents, Board and Executive Committees. They, along with the dedicated members of the organization, have made the PFAC a thriving entity in the community. We continue to strategically invest our talents and resources to achieve goals geared at maintaining the legacy of our founders.
Building Stronger Communities
Today, proud and with a great sense of humility, we work to initiate, collaborate and participate in meaningful efforts that enhance the conditions of the men and women in our Fire Services; as well as the quality of life for so many others in the communities that we serve. It is our duty, and we are honored, to continue to carry the torch of justice and equality begun by our forefathers.
Many of us who watched our founders lead as role models and mentors in our communities are now firefighters today. We must continue to reach out to help those who dream of being a part of our profession and offer the guidance needed to make their dreams a reality. Our efforts will continue to evolve and reflect our passion and determination to make meaningful, systemic change for the members of our organization, the youth and others in our communities. We will demonstrate the desire and ability of our predecessors to build the foundation for future leaders with dogged strength of character.
Throughout my tenure as President, we have provided our members training, mentoring, career opportunities and much more. We vow to give back to the communities that we serve through our back to-school initiatives, Turkey give-away, CPR, AED and First Aid training, Halloween party, and Senior Citizens Christmas Dinner. Most importantly, there are two key initiatives that will drive our efforts:
The PFAC Swim Safety Program and the Disney Volunteering Reward Program. Our swim program began in 2013 out of a great need to reduce the number of drownings of children. Reports show that Florida leads the country in drowning deaths of children between the ages of 1-4 (https://www.floridahealth.gov). And, between 1999-2010, the drowning rate for minorities was significantly higher across all ages (https://www.cdc.gov). This year, because of our continued efforts, the success of the program, and the generous support of The Children’s Trust, we have plans to partner with an internationally known swimming organization to expand the program and save more lives.
We know that bettering our community is a group effort and that is why we plan to reward those that volunteer on a consistent basis with tickets through our Disney Volunteering Reward Program. The more volunteers participating in this project, the more tickets we can earn.
Together, let us continue to set the example that hard-working members of the PFAC are a visible, viable and supportive part of our communities. We are here to serve and help keep our neighborhoods thriving by providing future successors who will continue to represent the successful men and women in our society. This is our organization and our community! As always, we believe that our commitment, collaborative efforts, hard work and dedication will bring hope and promise to those we serve. Our members have joined this organization out of a sense of responsibility and pride. Therefore, if you are not a member, I encourage you to reflect on our shared responsibility and ask yourself “Am I doing all that I can”? By increasing our membership, we increase our capacity to do more for those whom we serve.
With warm regards,
Captain Keith Bell