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Fire Department Survival Inventory

We really need to be going out of our way daily for the public, the elected officials and the media to make sure they fully understand the good we are doing

FireFighterCloseCalls.com

The fire service has been taking some very hard “public opinion” hits lately.

While some of the “hits” may be fair and deserved (such as firefighter arson, firefighters stealing from scenes, substance abuse, beating people up, assaulting each other, sodomy in the firehouse, driving like idiots, stealing days off and sick time abuse scams, etc.), nationally and clearly the vast majority of FD’s do not deserve the hits ... by any stretch of the imagination.

Unfortunately, for a variety of local political issues, valid (and invalid) fiscal issues and the rapid ability of the Internet to share info “now” — we are taking some nasty hits on a large scale.

One writer in Canada recently wrote that he felt that the issues of Firefighter line of duty deaths as being overblown. Too much “pomp and circumstance” when we get killed.

From our perspective, it is one of the most misguided editorials we’ve read — with a significant missing ingredient: perspective and balance. He misses the mark that when all the other “professions” get in trouble, it is us who bail them out — with little time to spare.

We do our best to fix “their” accidents, errors, ignored risk and stupid. Do we cause accidents and errors? Do we ignore risk? Sure — but we are getting better as the numbers show.

Are we done? Hardly, but the culture we live within today is significantly improved than the culture we lived with 10-15 years ago — and of course, even further back. We are getting better at minimizing the unnecessary risks, injures and deaths.

The writer completely misses the mark when he fails to understand that our job is to respond to the folks that he talks about — when they do stuff. Taxi drivers having a more risky job than firefighters? Stay off the phone, stop texting, stop reading, obey traffic laws, stop speeding, stop drinking, stop doping and that number can be reduced. How about that? And they won’t even need a Federal grant to study the problem — we just solved it for them.

But, in the case of that editorial, the hits just keep on coming. HERE is that editorial.

THEN THERE IS that Santa Clara County (California) civil grand jury that has called for a wholesale rethinking of fire & EMS response, arguing that sending “Firefighters” to what are now “mostly” medical calls is outdated and wasteful.

The report comes as area Firefighters face public scrutiny for perceived high salaries and pensions. This is a really good example of civilians (perhaps by non-fire service EMS providers. I said perhaps) who have not looked at the bigger picture of firefighters being EMS providers, multiple calls, staffing required on runs such as a cardiac arrest and the need for “real” response times that matter to those having “their” emergency.

Is some of it wasteful? Sure — but so is paying your insurance premium and never having a claim. You pay for what you might need in the worst case scenario-and it is never important unless it is YOUR scenario.

Again, in the case of this article, the hits just keep on coming. HERE is that article (including FD comments).

‘COURSE UP IN MAINE, there is the elected official in Auburn who followed the Firefighters around and video taped them as they “wasted” time. Then the Secret Squirrel posted an 11-minute video (below) that shows Auburn Engine 3 driving around the southern part of the city. Acting Fire Chief Geoff Low said the June 6 trip that the elected official recorded has a simple explanation: His firefighters were touring the route of a drill that was scheduled for June 14 involving multiple fire agencies.

“I really think all of this comes down to a large misunderstanding on the part of some councilors (elected officials) and a lack of communication,” Acting Chief Low said. “What they need to understand is that my door is open. If they have any questions, they can bring them directly to me.”
HERE IS LOTS MORE.

AND NOW in Illinois, the 183rd Illinois Air National Guard Fire Crew is facing a shut down. On Friday, the State Journal Register newspaper of Springfield (IL) published a cartoon by Chris Britt in regard to the FF’s at the 183rd.

The cartoon is a clear “hit” ... against the Firefighters. The good news is that a coalition of Illinois state legislators, representatives of congressmen, firefighters and the military met with representatives of Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon’s office last week to look at ways to keep firefighters with the 183rd Fighter Wing in on the job.

There are currently 15 FF’s at the Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport who work around the clock in shifts of four — providing on and off site fire rescue service. It was announced last year that they would be laid off after the 2008 loss of the 183rd’s F-16 flying mission. The firefighters were given a one-year extension through Sept. 30, 2011.

Unfortunately, in their mission to provide facts to the public, the paper failed to research how many calls they have done annually, how much training they do to stay proficient to respond to any emergency at the airport or the neighboring communities and specifically, what all their job entails.

They didn’t explore what that FD is now doing, since the planes aren’t flying in and out as much. They are not aware (or choose to ignore) the mutual aid they provide, the training they deliver, the numerous “major” fires they are called out to.

Instead, THIS cartoon is what appeared in the newspaper.
Another one on the hit parade: A “picture” to the unknowing and uninformed citizen/taxpayer-is worth a thousand words and can immediately set the negative tone, and has.

There are several common denominators in all these issues:

  • Firefighters
  • Tax Dollar Use (and understanding value, usage, waste and perceived waste)
  • Public Image (perception, reality, etc.) Of What We Do

Amongst these recent “hits,” the issue of the public, elected officials and the media truly understanding what we do...that is the biggee.

We can go about our business “normally” or we can make sure that the public can’t live without us. We can make sure that any hit to THEIR fire department is unacceptable.

There are FD’s like that out there, FD’s that are NOT being targeted — and in many cases it’s because they were ahead of the game, so to speak. They were proactive and they were “driving the bus” in understanding that, in order to be “needed,” they willingly and positively accept doing stuff such as:

  • EMS
  • PubEd
  • Mrs Smith stuff (blood pressure checks, school visits, community support, stinky the fire dog, etc.)
  • Daily Training
  • Daily Hands On Training.-Daily Inspections
  • Pre-Planning Every Building/Home Safety Checks
  • Hydrant Details
  • ...and other “non fire” services is part of the job in 2011.

Now to be clear — these comments are NOT specifically reflective on the above cases ... however, the above cases are excellent examples and warnings that NO fire department should rest on our laurels.

We really need to be going out of our way daily for the public, the elected officials and the media to make sure THEY fully understand the good we are doing. We should conduct an FDSI (a Fire Department Survival Inventory) to show all our FD is doing — and how we are communicating all of that outstanding “value” to the “customers” — as well at us honestly looking at what services “other” FD’s are providing — and asking why “we” are not providing those services as well.

Conducting an FDSI (and planning to implement the needed changes) will help City Hall dwellers, Management/Labor leaders, Chiefs, Officers and Firefighters understand how “needed” they/we are in the community — and how loud the community will or will not “scream” if anyone “dares” to touch THEIR fire department.

An FDSI allows us to compare priorities, time availability, staffing and run volume against the additional “customer” services we may need to implement to bring the most “value” of the FD to the public. An FDSI isn’t a fireground survival tool — it’s a fire department organizational survival tool.

The other option is that we can just do nothing, be sitting ducks and simply await the hits — because in 2011, they are coming — right or wrong, factual or not, fair or unfair — as we are being targeted like never before. Mission: Give Them Nothing To Shoot At.

Chief Billy Goldfeder, EFO, a firefighter since 1973, serves as deputy fire chief of the Loveland-Symmes (Ohio) Fire Department. He also serves as Lexipol’s senior fire advisor and is a member of the Fire Chief/FireRescue1 Editorial Advisory Board. Goldfeder is a member of the Board of Directors for several organizations: the IAFC, the September 11th Families Association and the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF). He also provides expert review assistance to the CDC NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program. Goldfeder is the recipient of numerous operational and administrative awards, appointments and recognitions. He has served on several NFPA and IAFC committees, has authored numerous articles and books, and presented several sessions at industry events. Chief Goldfeder co-hosts the website www.FireFighterCloseCalls.com.
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