A New Year of Service, Purpose, and Gratitude
Hopefully everyone had a wonder Christmas holiday, filled with cherished time and memories spent with family and Friends.
As the calendar turns and a new year begins, we as the Nebraska Volunteer Firefighter Association (NVFA), pause—not to slow down, but to reflect. Another year has come and gone, marked by long nights, blaring pagers, icy roads, summer heat, and countless moments when Nebraska volunteers dropped everything to answer a call. For Nebraska’s volunteer firefighters, the new year is more than a change of date. It is a reminder of why we serve and how precious each day truly is.
Life in the fire service has a way of putting time into perspective. We witness both tragedy and resilience up close. We see how quickly circumstances can change and how moments—ordinary moments—can suddenly matter most. Those experiences carry a powerful lesson: life is short, and none of us are promised tomorrow.
That understanding fuels the NVFA’s commitment as the new year begins. It is a call to embrace every opportunity—to serve better and support one another more fully. It is also a reminder to appreciate the quiet moments at home, the shared meals, the laughter in the station, and the camaraderie that binds volunteer firefighters across the state.
The coming year will bring challenges. It always does. There will be emergencies that test skills and strength, training sessions that push limits, and decisions made in seconds that carry lifelong impact. But there will also be victories: lives helped, properties saved, and communities made safer because volunteers chose to show up.
As we, Nebraska’s volunteer firefighters, step into the new year, we do so with gratitude—for our families who support us, for the communities that trust us, and for the fellow firefighters who stand beside us. We also step forward with purpose, knowing that each call answered is a chance to make a difference.
The new year is an invitation. An invitation to live fully, serve selflessly, and never take a single moment for granted. For the Nebraska Volunteer Firefighter Association, that invitation will be answered the same way it always is—with dedication, courage, and heart.
I look ahead to 2026 and the opportunity to continue working with you and your departments to strengthen Nebraska’s fire service. The NSVFA Board is currently reviewing, updating, and clarifying our bylaws, which will be shared with the membership through the Nebraska Firefighter newspaper and presented at our annual conference. Also on the horizon are the new ADA Title II digital accessibility requirements, which will be phased in over the next several years. Larger public entities—communities with populations over 50,000—must comply by April 24, 2026, while smaller communities (populations under 50,000) must meet the requirements by April 26, 2027. These rules require government websites, mobile apps, and digital content, including official social media used to provide public information and services, to meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA accessibility standards. The NSVFA is in the early stages of reviewing these regulations and developing informational one-sheets and training videos to assist departments, and we will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available.
As always, if you have a meeting or event, you would like me to attend, please reach out and I will make every effort to be there. Below are the upcoming events you don’t want to miss:
- Legislative Breakfast: January 20, 2026, 8:00 am in Lincoln, NE – Nebraska State Bar Foundation, 635 S 14thStreet, Suite 130, Lincoln, NE 68508
- Nebraska Fire Chiefs Leadership Symposium: March 21, 2026 , 8:00 am – 4:30 pm in York, NE – Holthus Convention Center, 3130 Holen Avenue, York, NE 68467
- NSVFA Fire School: May 15 – 17, 2026 in Grand Island, NE at Fonner Park.
Until next time, stay safe and healthy.
Brenda Jenny
President, NSVFA