My name is Gerard "Jerry" Naylis and I am a 45-year IAAI member. I've been an IAAI President, Committee Chair, member of the Board of Directors, and IAAI Foundation President. I currently serve on the NFPA 1033 Fire Investigator Professional Qualifications Technical Committee. Throughout this work, I have consistently heard that the IAAI's CFITrainer.Net has profoundly impacted the practice of fire investigation and advanced the careers of many of us. As a lifetime member and beneficiary of CFITrainer.Net, I am making an ongoing donation and challenging each of you to help support the future of CFITrainer.Net.

During my work with the IAAI, I pushed to develop online and virtual training in the field of fire investigation. During my IAAI Presidential year, the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (AFG) was passed. I represented the IAAI in meetings to map a course for how AFG funds could be used. Training was high on the agenda and directly led to CFITrainer.Net.

CFITrainer.Net has had unparalleled success. The fact that CFITrainer.Net now has 150,000 registered users speaks volumes for the project, and the quantity and quality of the training it delivers. We've all come to rely on CFITrainer.Net. But we cannot rely on continuing to receive AFG federal grants. If CFITrainer.Net was no longer able to create new training modules and features, it would leave a great void in training in this industry. We, as beneficiaries of CFITrainer.Net, need to step forward and begin to give back for the benefits we have received through our use of CFITrainer.Net.

The fire service and the fire investigation field have been great for me. Following some life-changing personal circumstances, I was moved to pledge financial support for the things that have had a positive impact on my life, including a $1,000 annual donation to the IAAI for the specific use of CFITrainer.Net and virtual training. Working with the dedicated members of the CFITrainer.Net project team and the IAAI Foundation, we have resolved to raise $100,000 annually to support CFITrainer.Net.

I am asking my CFITrainer.Net and IAAI friends to join me in this endeavor. Every donation — no matter the size — moves us closer to the goal. Between the CFITrainer.Net user base and the IAAI membership, we could easily exceed the $100,000 goal if everyone contributed just $10 a year. So I am asking you to please consider making a donation to CFITrainer.Net. Your contribution may be tax-deductible, depending on the laws in your location. The future of our professional community is ours to nurture.

Collegially,

Gerard "Jerry" Naylis

For entities in the United States: The IAAI Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Your contribution is tax-deductible.

Monies donated to the IAAI Foundation do not constitute an exchange of any goods or services.