The November issue of Firehouse® is typically our Apparatus Issue, focusing on the most important piece of equipment in the firefighting arsenal. Whether the incident is a fire, a medical emergency or a specialized rescue, we need to reach the scene as quick and as safely as possible. Our apparatus must be multi-purpose and efficient, adhere to numerous standards, and transport personnel inside complete with seatbelts, hearing protection and the latest in communications and GPS technology.
This issue features our annual Apparatus Showcase and the newest, most technologically advanced vehicles now in service. In The Apparatus Architect, Tom Shand and Mike Wilbur offer a tutorial on matching apparatus specifications to the needs of the response area. And Ed Ballam conducts a roundtable of apparatus manufacturers examining trends in the market, this time focusing on designing and purchasing multi-purpose vehicles capable of responding to a variety of emergencies. The coverage is intended to help the fire service make sound purchasing decisions in the design and purchase of the safest, most effective and economical apparatus. These tough times affect both the fire service and the emergency apparatus industry. We’re sorting through all the available information to give the fire service the knowledge it needs to make sound purchasing decisions as governing bodies scrutinize budgets more closely than ever.
Recently, I attended the 50th anniversary of the FDNY Emerald Society Pipes and Drums Band. The celebration was held at CitiField in Queens, where the New York Mets usually play baseball. A large American flag was draped from two rear-mount aerial ladders at the entrance to the stadium. A reception was held on the warning track all the way around the stadium. The band entered the field through the centerfield wall to a spot just short of second base, playing numerous songs.
As I walked around the stadium, I met a woman whose father was a firefighter and who had been a union official before he passed away. She asked if I thought she could go into the dugout to get a picture. I said I just passed that area and many people were doing just that. The dinner and ceremony was held upstairs in a special room. Many of the band’s original members were in attendance. In the past 50 years, the band has played all over the world, in stadiums and in parades and on TV. A startling fact was that the entire band, many members or a few members played at every 9/11 funeral or memorial service. Some days, there were 15 funerals spread around the metropolitan area.
The top of the 102-story Empire State Building tower is lit in special colors for numerous occasions during the year. A few years ago, there was a controversy when the tower was not going to be lit in honor of Mother Teresa. On Sept. 15, 2012, however, the tower was lit up green, white and green for the band’s 50th anniversary. It was quite a celebration in honor of an organization whose members lead with pride and prestige at numerous events during each year.
After the 2004 wildland fires in San Diego, CA, while I was conducting interviews, a ceremony to thank all the firefighters and their families who fought the fires was held at Qualcomm Stadium, where the Chargers play football. The firefighters marched in and were honored. It was nice to see that so many people care about those who put their lives on the line. These types of ceremonies or just the inclusion of fire and emergency responders take place all over the country.
We wish this type of giving thanks would be carried through all year long, not just after a major tragedy. With the economic crisis getting people crazy about taxes, spending, pensions and a whole lot more, we have to work every day to get the word out about what we do and how important we are when the worst day of our taxpayers’ lives occur. The fire and EMS services are under attack in all 50 states, 365 days a year. In the past two years, the ISO reports, the fire service has lost 18% of what we once had. Elected officials and the public are asking questions about everything we do, why we do it and why it costs so much. For us, life is a lot easier when times are good.
For comments and suggestions, please contact us at [email protected].
