By Glenn Gaines
More than 19,000 Americans were either killed or injured in fires last year. For the thousands of Americans seriously burned, many believe those who did not survive were the fortunate ones.
Serious burns last a lifetime. They leave ugly scars, both physically and mentally. I have to wonder what people are thinking when they say, “Well, chief, we are not seeing the number of fires we used to see. So we have decided to reduce your budget.”
As a pragmatist, my first instinct is to come back with a response like, “Wait. Let me understand. You want to disinvest in a high-performing organization that is exceeding its primary mission of mitigating, if not preventing, the pain, suffering and death caused by fire and fire-related incidents?”
I wonder if a police chief would be asked to cut the number of officers on the street if the murder rate was reduced under his or her command. I am thinking it will not happen.
The American fire service has performed magnificently over the last two decades. Most unwanted fires are down, civilian deaths and injuries (overall) are down and firefighter deaths and injuries are down.
Yet, this is no time to be satisfied.
Reasons for concern
In fact, what we are seeing is an upswing in the number of residential fires during the past three years. Cooking fires and cooking-fire injuries are also up markedly.
And the important fact is that while the number of fires and fire deaths has pretty much been leveled off, the wildland-urban fire risk is a growing threat to everyone who lives there.
The remarkable reality is no one cares but us — the American fire service. Sorry, but, as I travel around this country, I find that the following influential Americans pay little attention to the national, regional or local fire problem.
- Well-financed people of various standings.
- Local, state and national political leaders.
- Government agencies heads at the federal, state and local levels.
- Homebuilders who own the distinction of constructing the buildings where most Americans die or are injured as a result of fire and fire-related incidents.
We own this
We are at checkmate. We are dead in the water. What we have accomplished is not good enough. Here are four troubling facts that show why.
- The population is growing
- The population is aging rapidly.
- Social equity is a thing of the past; the impoverished demographic is growing.
- Fire grows at an alarming rate and speed in residential buildings.
The challenge for America’s fire service leaders is: What are we going to do about it?
It is under our watch. We own this. We are responsible and will ultimately be held culpable.
Those who follow us will be the beneficiaries of our successes or the victims of our failures.
Leadership 2.0
On the positive side of this challenge, I am encouraged by the next generation of fire and EMS leaders. This new breed is academically educated, politically savvy and is seekers of new opportunities.
The new normal for the next generation is a continuation of change at a break-neck speed in communications technology, transportation and building design. New fuels and power generation will continue to provide new challenges for the new breed along with shifts in demographics.
Out of hospital care for the aging population bring new challenges. The recruiting, training and managing the millennials will demand new strategies to motivate and lead the new normal fire and EMS systems.
So there is much on the plate for the next generation of executive fire and EMS professionals. However, given what we see in this new breed, I am one member of the old breed who is confident and encouraged about the state of the American fire and EMS professions.
We, the old guard, do not expect this new breed to be perfect, just better than we were.