Recently I read an email article from one of the more innovative, forward thinkers of the fire service – Chief Billy Goldfeder. He is a tireless advocate of eliminating line of duty death and injuries and I, as a former line fire fighter, really respect everything he has done toward that end!
In this article, he highlighted the history of his email newsletter, The Secret List, and the Close Calls web site. He also went on to highlight the need to continue to reduce all unnecessary line of duty death and injury and made several observations on how we could accomplish this. On the IAFC Safety, Health, and Survival web site, he lists 12 steps to accomplish this goal. ALL GOOD stuff!
The Chief hit just about every possible solution and all encompassed the Nat’l Fallen Fire Fighters Foundation (NFFF) Everyone Goes Home Initiatives except for one - #14 Public education must receive more resources and be championed as a critical fire and life safety program.
Needless to say, as a life safety educator, I was extremely disappointed to find no mention of the critical role life safety education can play in the reduction of line of duty death and injuries. Let me be blunt: if we educate folks to not start fires, and thus reduce the number of fire incidents, we will not be sending fire fighters to fires where they can become hurt or, worse, killed. Every time a fire engine or ambulance goes out their doors on an emergency response is an opportunity, in my view anyway, for someone to NOT go home!
While I simplified the issue above, as there are other causes of death and injury that do not necessarily relate to fires, the fact remains that this particular component of the 16 FF Life Safety Initiatives is largely ignored and not even acknowledged by the vast majority of the fire service. WHY?!
Are we afraid that we will be putting ourselves out of business? Afraid that local politicians will take the 4th person from an engine company and assign him/her to public education duties thus losing the valued 4 person minimum staffing level? Whatever the reason one thing is very clear to me – public education, for the vast majority of the fire service does NOT receive appropriate resources and is it NOT championed as a critical program. There are very few Fire Chief’s across the country right at this very moment who can claim otherwise. They may talk the talk but when it comes time to walk the walk they do not – PERIOD.
As many of us are all too painfully aware, budget times are rough again. We like to say that history repeats itself and we again are finding that fire and injury prevention staffing and programs are bearing the brunt, nationwide, of reduced funding and staffing.
The ugly fact of the matter is that we, as a fire service, are a reactive and not proactive entity. When someone has to call 9-1-1 to report their home on fire we should view this as a potential failure on our part. After all many departments around the country have some form of the word prevention and education in their Mission and/or Vision Statements. Heck, many fire fighter job descriptions have prevention and/or public education listed as a job responsibility.
Yet, proactive public education staffing and programs are treated more as an after thought by a majority of the fire service. As one colleague so astutely observed; fire and injury prevention education is to the fire service what music and arts programs are to the school systems. Another words, we’ll minimally fund and staff you when we can and look to cut and reduce you when times are tough as you really are not viewed as a necessary, or important, part of the overall fire service mission.
I am not suggesting that we close fire stations or reduce staffing all in the name of public education. What I am suggesting is that it needs to be an equal partner and viewed as such in the US fire service family. Because of folks like Chief Ron Siarnicki of the NFFF, Chief Goldfeder, and many others too numerous to mention, we are beginning to ride a wave of positive cultural change in the fire service. My great fear is that a critical component of this, public education, is currently not on the surf board riding this wave and that is a very tragic mistake.
In this article, he highlighted the history of his email newsletter, The Secret List, and the Close Calls web site. He also went on to highlight the need to continue to reduce all unnecessary line of duty death and injury and made several observations on how we could accomplish this. On the IAFC Safety, Health, and Survival web site, he lists 12 steps to accomplish this goal. ALL GOOD stuff!
The Chief hit just about every possible solution and all encompassed the Nat’l Fallen Fire Fighters Foundation (NFFF) Everyone Goes Home Initiatives except for one - #14 Public education must receive more resources and be championed as a critical fire and life safety program.
Needless to say, as a life safety educator, I was extremely disappointed to find no mention of the critical role life safety education can play in the reduction of line of duty death and injuries. Let me be blunt: if we educate folks to not start fires, and thus reduce the number of fire incidents, we will not be sending fire fighters to fires where they can become hurt or, worse, killed. Every time a fire engine or ambulance goes out their doors on an emergency response is an opportunity, in my view anyway, for someone to NOT go home!
While I simplified the issue above, as there are other causes of death and injury that do not necessarily relate to fires, the fact remains that this particular component of the 16 FF Life Safety Initiatives is largely ignored and not even acknowledged by the vast majority of the fire service. WHY?!
Are we afraid that we will be putting ourselves out of business? Afraid that local politicians will take the 4th person from an engine company and assign him/her to public education duties thus losing the valued 4 person minimum staffing level? Whatever the reason one thing is very clear to me – public education, for the vast majority of the fire service does NOT receive appropriate resources and is it NOT championed as a critical program. There are very few Fire Chief’s across the country right at this very moment who can claim otherwise. They may talk the talk but when it comes time to walk the walk they do not – PERIOD.
As many of us are all too painfully aware, budget times are rough again. We like to say that history repeats itself and we again are finding that fire and injury prevention staffing and programs are bearing the brunt, nationwide, of reduced funding and staffing.
The ugly fact of the matter is that we, as a fire service, are a reactive and not proactive entity. When someone has to call 9-1-1 to report their home on fire we should view this as a potential failure on our part. After all many departments around the country have some form of the word prevention and education in their Mission and/or Vision Statements. Heck, many fire fighter job descriptions have prevention and/or public education listed as a job responsibility.
Yet, proactive public education staffing and programs are treated more as an after thought by a majority of the fire service. As one colleague so astutely observed; fire and injury prevention education is to the fire service what music and arts programs are to the school systems. Another words, we’ll minimally fund and staff you when we can and look to cut and reduce you when times are tough as you really are not viewed as a necessary, or important, part of the overall fire service mission.
I am not suggesting that we close fire stations or reduce staffing all in the name of public education. What I am suggesting is that it needs to be an equal partner and viewed as such in the US fire service family. Because of folks like Chief Ron Siarnicki of the NFFF, Chief Goldfeder, and many others too numerous to mention, we are beginning to ride a wave of positive cultural change in the fire service. My great fear is that a critical component of this, public education, is currently not on the surf board riding this wave and that is a very tragic mistake.
3 comments:
Even in a neighboring county to your north, fire prevention is viewed as something that no one wants to do. I am a volunteer fire fighter at an all volunteer station and for the past three have handled all of the fire prevention on my own with little to no help. The line officers have helped out as much as their schedules allow them. But from the rest of my fellow fighters, I have received no help. And for much of last year, I worked a full time job, took my fire classes and did fire prevention. But every one complained because I was not running calls. There are sadly too many in the fire service who do not understand that teaching fire prevention to all age groups is to our benefit. I hope it gets better soon.
Mia,
Hang in there!! I wish I could say you were in a unique situation but, sadly, you are not.
Are there service groups, community leaders, or organizations in your area that you could get to help you out? You might be able to do a train the trainer and get some folks helping outside the normal channel. Just a couple of thoughts to try and help anyway.
Know that you are doing the right thing and are making a positive difference with those you are able to touch. There are probably a few of the fire fighter's who actually want to help but are afraid they will be ridiculed like you have been. It is all about leadership, or the lack thereof, setting the cultural attitude.
The sad part for your VFD is Pub Ed is also a great PR tool and could result in more donations to the department. Keep on doing what you are doing and hopefully it will get better soon!
-Bill
Mia,
People who believe in public education are smarter than the rest of the fire service! You are intrinsically motivated to do the right thing and other educators are behind you all the way. Keep up the good work and remember that you are making a difference. Perhaps you are a role model for others in your department. Hopefully, your colleagues will eventually grow to understand this and see the error of their ways. One can only hope that they wake up...eventually.
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