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 | FAHN BYLAWS
4. Regional Directors shall have voting rights.
3. In addition to regular meetings, the President or his/her designee, may ask for a vote via e-mail or other electronic method of his/her choice. It is understood that this method will be used to expedite the regular operation and business of the association.
SECTION 14 AMENDMENTS 1. The Constitution and/or Bylaws of this Association may be amended by a qualified member presenting a resolution, in writing, to the Association President, who shall ensure the proposed changes are posted on the Association’s web site, or by any other manner as prescribed by the Executive Board, at least thirty (30) days prior to the annual conference. A two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of voting members in attendance at the business meeting held during the conference is required to amend the Constitution and a simple majority vote of voting members attending the business meeting held during the conference is required to amend the Bylaws. A qualified member is one whose dues are current and is in good standing with the Association. 2. Effective date of amendments and resolutions: All amendments/resolutions passed and adopted by this Association, in accordance with the rules set forth in the Constitution or Bylaws, shall be in force and effective upon the adjournment of the conference wherein considered and adopted, provided an exception to this effect is not otherwise contained in the language of the amendment/resolution itself. 3. Revisions will be posted on the association’s web site in a timely manner. SECTION 15 RULES OF ORDER 1. The Rules of Order of the Florida Association of Hostage Negotiators shall be Robert’s Rules of Order, Revised, in all instances not covered by the Constitution or By-Laws. SECTION 16 ETHICAL CONDUCT 1. Each individual member shall, at all times, conduct himself or herself with integrity, and in a manner to reflect credit upon the criminal justice profession, as well as the Florida Association of Hostage Negotiators. SECTION 17 ELECTIONS 1. Candidates for President-Elect and Vice President-Elect shall meet or exceed the minimum qualifications listed below. a. Be an active member of the Association in good standing. b. Candidates for President shall have served at least one year in an elected Executive Board position. 2. Elections process/procedures: a. Elections will be held during the general membership business meeting of the FAHN’s annual conference. In the event that exigent or extenuating circumstances occur (to include, but are not limited to, a natural or manmade disaster), which prevent the annual comference and/or business meeting from taking place, the current President, in concurrence with the simple majority of the voting board members may decide to keep the current board members in their positions until the next annual conference/business meeting can be held. b. Only members in good standing and present at the time of elections are permitted to cast a ballot. There will be no absentee ballots. c. A member may vote for the Executive Board positions and ONLY for the Regional Director position in their respective region. Ballots which are not properly completed (i.e. someone votes for more than one person in any category) shall make the entire ballot null and void. Failure to vote for at least one candidate in any category will not invalidate a ballot. d. Members seeking a position on the Executive Board must be present at the time that elections are conducted, unless extenuating circumstances preclude it. Such circumstances must be approved by a majority of the current Executive Board in order to be excused from this provision. In the event that a candidate for an Executive Board position is not present and/or the absence is not excused by the Executive Board, then the candidate will be disqualified. e. Candidates for Regional Director Positions do not have to be present during the election process. f. Once ballots are cast, the ballots will be tabulated by a committee, to include all past Presidents present at the annual conference or any designee, excluding those who are running for office. Ballots which are not properly completed shall be considered null and void. Ballot election results will remain confidential until released at the time designated by the current President. g. Once the ballots are tabulated, they will be secured with the Association Secretary, until the time they are validated. h. The ballots will be retained for a period of six months from the closing date following the conference. i. Any protest or challenge of the election results must be submitted to the Secretary in writing, by the aggrieved party, no later than thirty (30) days after the closing of the annual conference. 1) Contested results will be resolved by the Executive Board at the first quarterly meeting after the grievance is filed. 2) The aggrieved party may elect to be present at the meeting and during the validation process. 3) Once the Executive Board arrives at a decision, the President will notify the aggrieved party in writing, within thirty (30) calendar days. j. In the event of a tie vote: 1) In the case of a Regional Director’s position, the Executive Board will appoint a candidate. 2) In the case of an Executive Board position, the Past Presidents, in attendance, will appoint the candidate. SECTION 18 DECLARATION OF CANDIDACY 1. Candidates for any Board position, to include the Executive Board, shall submit a declaration of their candidacy, in writing, to the Secretary by the end of the regularly scheduled session the day prior to the scheduled elections, the year they are seeking election. SECTION 19 TERMS OF OFFICE 1. Members of the Board shall serve from the time they are installed in office until their successors are installed in office, unless they officially resign in writing, or are suspended or removed from office. 2. Officers shall be installed in office during the Association’s annual conference, unless exigent or extenuating circumstances exist. 3. Officers may be installed in office at such time as may become necessary due to the filling of a vacancy or other cause. SECTION 20 VACANCIES 1. A vacancy in the office of the President shall be filled by the advancement of position, as previously stated in Section 2. Such advancement shall be in an “acting” capacity only until the next regular election of officers. 2. A vacancy in the office of any Board position shall be filled by an appointment made by the President and shall be subject to confirmation by a majority of the remaining members of the Executive Board. 3. Once appointed, the “acting” Board member assumes all duties, responsibilities and privileges the position holds. 4. Officers who were either advanced in position due to a vacancy or appointed by the President may declare their candidacy for the office in which they are “acting” at the next regular elections of officers and if elected, shall be eligible to serve a full term in office. SECTION 21 REMOVAL/SUSPENSION FROM OFFICE 1. Any Board member may be removed from office only for reason of malfeasance of duty, misfeasance of duty, nonfeasance of duty, for being arrested, or for committing an act that significantly effects the good order or brings discredit to the Association. 2. If an act of aforementioned conduct is brought to the attention of the Executive Board, a vote to remove said board member may only be made by a motion and second by an Executive Board member, which includes at least one Past President (either to make the motion or to second the motion). 3. Executive Board members entitled to a vote, in accordance with Article III of the FAHN Constitution, shall be entitled to vote on the matter. The votes shall be recorded by the association Secretary. Electronic voting and/or a telephone conference call may be utilized to obtain such a vote. 4. A 2/3rds vote by Executive Board members entitled to vote shall be sufficient to relieve the said board member. 5. A board member who is the subject of such a procedure shall not enjoy a vote in the matter. 6. A member who is arrested or it is learned that they are the subject of an internal investigation, may be suspended from their position/duties by a majority vote of the Executive Board until such time as the matter is closed. At that time the Executive Board can decide to reinstate the member or proceed with removal. SECTION 22 OFFICERS AND DUTIES 1. President - In addition to other duties as may be required, the President shall: a. Appoint committees in accordance with the mission of the Florida Association of Hostage Negotiators. b. Keep members appropriately informed of Association activities. c. Make appointments to fill vacancies in office, subject to confirmation by the Executive Board. d. Ensure that the FAHN policies are adequately maintained and properly adhered to in day-to-day functioning of the Association. e. Set goals, policies, and procedures for the Association to follow. f. Present any proposed amendments to the FAHN budget in effect during the term of office for consideration and approval by the Executive Board. g. Represent, or appoint a designee to represent, the Association at the scheduled NCNA meeting(s) and/or other official meetings or proceedings where FAHN representation is required or desirable. h. The president shall review all contracts, agreements or other legally binding documents for which FAHN is considering entering into before the contract or agreement is executed, or in cases where a contract is currently in place and is being considered for renewal. The president shall indicate in writing, either on the contract itself or in a separate letter and attached to the contract, that he/she has reviewed the agreement and approves of the contract/agreement. For instances in which the contract was agreed upon by vote of the executive board without the support of the president, the president shall still indicate in writing that he/she has reviewed the contract and that it meets with the desire and intent expressed by the board through the voting process. The president shall brief the board at each quarterly meeting regarding any contracts entered into, or renewed, during the previous quarter. 2. Other Officers – a. Duties: The other officers shall serve in the same manner and for the same purposes as the President and shall in good faith support and carry out the mission of the Association. In such manner, they shall serve in the absence of the President and/or any of themselves in the order of their rank/position. SECTION 23 FUND EXPENDITURES 1. Specified Expenses: The Treasurer shall be authorized to spend necessary funds to fulfill the requirements of his/her office as outlined in the Constitution and/or Bylaws of the Association. 2. Unspecified Expenses: The Board shall be authorized to approve all other expenses not specifically outlined in the Constitution and Bylaws of this Association. 3. Authorizing Funds Expenditures: Expenditures of Association funds shall be governed by the Executive Board. Major expenditures of organization funds, which exceed $2500, shall be approved by the Executive Board. 4. Expenditures of Association funds, which do not exceed $2500, may be authorized by the president or his Board designee. SECTION 24 LIABILITY 1. Bonds: The Executive Board shall require persons in the Association, who are identified as those handling significant amounts of the Association’s funds, to be adequately bonded. 2. Liability: The Executive Board shall be responsible for having the Association adequately covered by liability and other necessary insurance. 3. Costs: The Association shall bear the costs associated with the provisions of this Article. SECTION 25 MEMBERSHIP CLASSIFICATIONS 1. Active Member: (Previously Defined in Bylaws) Active membership is limited to current, and/or retired Law Enforcement Officers, Corrections Officers, Parole and Probation Officers, and Criminal Justice Support Personnel of municipal police departments, sheriff’s offices, State Attorney Offices, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. This will also include federal, state, county or local agencies having law enforcement jurisdiction and/or responsibilities in crisis incidents. 2. Associate Member: Those persons not meeting the requirements for any other class of membership and are from law enforcement agencies outside the State of Florida or employed in the educational or mental health field and not directly in a criminal justice support role are eligible for this class of membership. Associate members may not vote and may not hold office, but may serve on special and service committees. 3. Honorary Member: a. Those persons who have made significant contributions to the objectives of FAHN. b. This membership is limited to those individuals who may have no incentive to obtain membership in any category but, by virtue of their position or accomplishments. c. The Honorary member shall not vote or hold office in any capacity, except that they may serve as Ex Officio members of any committee. d. Eligibility for this category may only be initiated upon a recommendation by a member to the Board of Directors. e. Honorary Member status must be approved by a majority vote of the Executive Board. 4. Life Member: a. Members of FAHN, who have made significant contributions, by actions or deeds beyond the normal call of duty toward the successful attainment of the FAHN objectives. b. This membership status is different from the lifetime active membership granted to founding members. This highest level of membership may be awarded only to those persons currently holding another category of membership in the Association. c. This honor may only be bestowed upon nomination by and 2/3rds vote of the Executive Board. d. The title of Life Member, when bestowed, shall be in addition to the regular membership title of member. He/she shall enjoy all of the privileges and benefits of his/her regular membership classification and shall be exempt from the payment of any association dues for the life or resignation of such member. The privileges of a Life Member shall be determined by the class of membership for which the member would otherwise qualify. 1) The criteria for eligibility: a) Been a member of FAHN for a minimum of 5 years; and b) Served at least five years on the Executive Board or completed at least five major accomplishments which have contributed significantly towards meeting the needs of the Organization. c) This honor shall be bestowed in the following manner: (1) The nomination shall be accompanied by documentation of eligibility and forwarded to the Executive Board at least 30 days prior to the convening of the Annual Conference at which the nomination is to be bestowed. (2) A favorable 2/3rds vote of the Executive Board is required. SECTION 26 FAHN INDIVIDUAL OR GROUP CITATION AWARD PROGRAM 1. It shall be the goal of FAHN to recognize the outstanding achievements or actions of individuals or teams in the field of crisis negotiations. This recognition will be in the form of an award and will be referred to as the “FAHN CITATION.” The purpose of allowing an individual to be nominated is to allow for recognition in cases where a person acts alone or achieves a personal accomplishment worthy of recognition, but that did not involve other persons. When other persons are involved in the incident or achievement, the entire group of those involved should be recognized. 2. Any person can nominate an individual or team for a citation. Nomination will be made by submitting the attached nomination form to the current president by any method (hard copy, hand delivered or mailed, e-mailed, etc.) Any person other than the president who receives a nomination form shall forward the form to the president. The nomination form may be accompanied by supporting documentation if the submitter so desires, such as newspaper reports or articles, department documentation, etc. It is acceptable for a person to nominate another person or team from their own agency, or if the nominator is a team member, it is acceptable to nominate their own team. 3. Nomination forms shall be reviewed at each quarterly meeting and prior to the business meeting at the annual conference. The president shall present the nominations to the board for discussion, after which a majority vote will determine whether to award the citation. Voting shall be in accordance with procedures set forth in the constitution and bylaws for all other issues (Board members present with voting rights shall cast their vote, and the president will only vote in case of a tie.) Board members should consider the following factors in making their decision, and should indicate such considerations on the nomination form: a. Did the nominee perform or act in accordance with accepted or approved methods, or did their actions or achievement go “above and beyond” what is expected of a person or group in their situation? b. Did the actions of the nominee result in lives or property saved? c. Was the incident or accomplishment exceptionally challenging or unique to the level that special recognition is justified? 4. Criteria for consideration of the citation award are as follows: a. Action/activity/accomplishment must have occurred within the state of Florida b. The nomination must be made within one calendar year from the incident or achievement 5. Presentation of the citation will take place at the banquet of the annual conference, and will be presented by the president or his/her designee. The presentation of the citation will consist of a summary of the incident or achievement and a presentation of an award to be determined by the board (such as commemorative plaques, trophies, challenge coins, etc.) to each person being recognized, or in some cases of a group or team accomplishment, a single award may be presented to an entire team as determined on a case by case basis. 6. Acceptance of the citation will require the nominee to agree to make a presentation regarding their incident or achievement at the following conference if requested by the board to do so, providing there is no pending litigation that precludes a presentation.
REFLECTS CHANGES RATIFIED @ 2021 CONFERENCE
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