In this issue we continue our series of in-depth interviews with chief officers from around the nation. This month’s installment features Chief William “Shorty” Bryson of Miami-Dade, FL, Fire Rescue. Having previously served in the City of Miami, Bryson – who spoke during the Chiefs/Commissioners Panel at the recent Firehouse Expo in Baltimore – moved practically right next door to his current assignment within Miami-Dade County. The other participants on the panel were Chief Robert Ray of Anne Arundel County, MD, and Chief Mike Myers of Las Vegas, NV. The session was moderated by Chief Dennis Compton. Myers’ interview was published in the July issue. Some amazing things are going on with EMS treatment of patients, especially with the survival rate of heart attack victims in Las Vegas, which is many times above the national average.
Speaking of numbers, Insurance Services Office, (ISO) statistics show a more than 20% increase since 2009 in fire department “retrogressions,”meaning lesser Public Protection Classifications. This is generally due to reductions in firefighting personnel available for responses, reductions in the number and type of apparatus responding and reduced or lack of training. These negative numbers can affect the fire insurance rates that owners of homes and commercial property pay. These numbers are alarming, but are a factor of these uncertain economic times. With fire departments and particularly pensions of career members constantly under attack nationwide, one can only expect bad things to happen to civilians and firefighters alike. As I have said before, despite some departments adding personnel to make up for those who recently retired, much of what the fire service gained in the past few decades has been lost. These numbers don’t lie.
To deal with varied problems and keep up with today’s politicians, fire chiefs need to read our continuing Fire Service Leadership series on page 70 on “20 Tough Questions for the Fire Chief: Are You Prepared to Answer Them?” by Dr. Richard Gasaway and Richard C. Kline.
Call-for-papers applications for Firehouse Expo 2013 are now available. Click on the link ADD LINK and follow the directions. We are looking for new programs that never before have been presented in Baltimore. If you have any questions, please email me at [email protected].
For comments and suggestions, please contact us at [email protected].
