By Jamie Thompson
FireRescue1 Editor
DALLAS — IAFC safety head Chief David Daniels questioned how many departments are truly relevant to their communities during a session at Fire-Rescue International on Saturday.
Chief Daniels, chair of the Safety, Health and Survival Section, said many organizations have shifted away from what should be the number one priority of serving the “customers” in their districts.
“Now it’s about us,” he said. “In my view, we have gotten to the point in our industry where we believe what the papers say, that everybody loves us.
“Maybe it is true, but do you want to be loved or do you want to be necessary? I would rather be necessary.”
The Chief/Emergency Services Administrator in Renton, Wash., said organizations were wrong to continue to call themselves “fire departments” because of the ever-evolving range of services many now provide.
“When I interviewed for the job in Renton, they asked me to prioritize what the number one service was that I should provide, and I said EMS,” Chief Daniels said. “That’s my number one business. That’s a growth industry. People always get sick.”
He cited General Motors, which accounted for 40 percent of the auto sales in the United States and was arguably the most popular auto dealer in the world just a few years ago, as being an example of a group that failed to evolve.
General Motors filed for bankruptcy in June, and is now 60 percent government owned after a bailout.
“The world kept on moving, people kept on moving, their needs changed,” Chief Daniels said. “But GM kept doing the same thing.”
Chief Daniels said public agencies are perceived by many “customers” as being too slow to change and inflexible, with public employees being protected even in the face of unethical behavior.
“Should you have a job for life if you aren’t contributing? You hear it all the time — ‘We can’t get rid of so and so,’” Chief Daniels said. “Trust me, you can. If you’re not performing and not meeting the job requirements, I don’t have to keep you forever.”
Departments should be continually looking to get input from their communities on the services they offer, Chief Daniels said, and recommends conducting regular services of their needs and expectations.
In emergency services, the only real contact comes during an emergency but it is vital customers are kept engaged, he said.
“We often respond to people’s worst moments and do a great job, taking care of them,” Chief Daniels said. “But what happens to them next week?
“Does anyone follow up to see if they are doing OK? Do you go back and tell them how the fire started?”