Dallas Firefighters Distraught Over Department's Proposed Name Change

[gunnyv]

I'm all for tradition, but isn't this much ado about nothing? The one guy really cracks me up-

"We give the citizens more credit than that," Mr. Buehler said. "We don't have to change the name to explain what we do."

-Then why do I have to explain why we bring an engine to medicals all the time? And ours have FIRE RESCUE EMS on the side!



Dallas Firefighters Distraught Over Department's Proposed Name Change

............
TANYA EISERER
The Dallas Morning News


What's in a name?

The name Dallas Fire Department carries with it the proud tradition of a 133-year history. But a proposed charter amendment that would legally change the department's name to Dallas Fire-Rescue has some firefighters fuming.

"We've protected the city under the banner of the Dallas Fire Department for more than 130 years," said Mike Buehler, president of the Dallas Firefighters Association. "There is no reason to change now. Major departments - Chicago, New York, Phoenix - none of them are changing their names."

With the turmoil surrounding a proposal to alter the power dynamic among the mayor, City Council and city manager, city leaders had viewed Proposition 10 as merely a housekeeping matter.

"I looked at it as simply making the language in our charter consistent with the way we operate today," council member Gary Griffith said.

"It seemed to be very in line with the structure, nature and capacity of the fire department."

But city leaders might have underestimated the emotional attachment to a name. In 1872, a group of volunteers organized the Dallas Fire Department.

The organization grew from a 14-member volunteer "Company Number 1" to about 1,700 firefighters, nearly 300 civilians and 55 fire stations.

"To some members of the department, it's their link to the past and the history of the department," said Lt. Joel Lavender, a fire department spokesman who says he is conflicted by the issue. "But Dallas Fire-Rescue gave a new meaning to what we do."

The name Dallas Fire-Rescue came into use during Steve Abraira's tenure as fire chief. He had been an assistant chief of Miami Fire-Rescue before his arrival in Dallas in 2000.

Shortly after assuming command, the former chief decided - without consulting rank-and-file firefighters - to change the department's name, Mr. Buehler said. The former chief argued that the new moniker better reflected the department's overall mission, which includes responding to emergency medical calls as well as house fires.

Mr. Abraira ordered that departmental-issue clothing bear the new moniker. The department's Web site became dallas firerescue.com. The name was placed on all rescue vehicles and on newer fire engines and trucks, but all the department's engines, trucks and rescues still carry the traditional DFD logo.

Not wanting to provoke the former chief's ire, Mr. Buehler said, the firefighters association didn't publicly oppose the name change.

"This was one the chief was adamant about," he said. "We weren't going to pick that battle with him when we had so many other things to focus on."

City Manager Mary Suhm forced Mr. Abraira to resign in September.

He could not be reached for comment.

With Mr. Abraira gone, Mr. Buehler and other firefighters now are asking voters to defeat the charter amendment and to consign the name Dallas-Fire Rescue to the dustbin of history.

"We give the citizens more credit than that," Mr. Buehler said. "We don't have to change the name to explain what we do."

E-mail teiserer@dallasnews.com

[PattyV]

We are called the Queensland Fire and Rescue Authority. I dont see whats so bad about it. It is still the same brigade, just a different name.

[CaptainS]

Fire Department

The next thing to go will be engine and truck company for EMS company.

Call me old school but every kid knows the fire department, not the fire-rescue department.

Call me an archaic b-stard if you will.

[quint6captain]

If city managers and council members would devote as much time and study to solving manning problems as they do to name changes, We'd all be in better shape. I wouldn't care what they called us. We went(without any consultation by the way)from FD to FR after 121 years. We still however, have to take an engine or truck company out of service most of the time to roll a Rescue or Haz-Mat unit to a scene. I'm sure it's the same for the most of you, so I'll quit my bitching

Q6cap

[stillPSFB]

Hehe - down here in SE Oz the forestry and environment department is a regular name changer. In early 2003, in the middle of a three month campaign fire that burnt over 2 million acres of (mostly) their land, with thousands of firefighters from several countries including the U.S. assisting because it was so damn big, they decided to change their name to the "Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE)" I think it took all of about 2 seconds after it was announced before one of our wags in the regular fire services who was helping fight the fire asked "DSE - that would stand for Department of Scorched Earth wouldn't it?" They've been haunted by that nickname ever since.

[quint6captain]

[QUOTaptainE=CS]Fire Department

The next thing to go will be engine and truck company for EMS company.

Call me old school but every kid knows the fire department, not the fire-rescue department.

Call me an archaic b-stard if you will.[/QUOTE]

We beat everyone to the punch. All of our new apparatus are emblazoned with "Paramedic Company" on the front of the cab near the light bar. We(actually the city powers)kaiboshed the FD EMS/Ambulance service about 6 years ago, and now contract with a local hospital for EMS. Supposedly a money saving move. We have been re-structered as first responders. So now we take a a 1/2 million dollar quint, or engine that gets about 5 miles to the gallon of diesel, and go out on ALL EMS calls. Gotta love the brain trust that runs things! LOL! Nothing archaic about you at all. Just glad that the lunacy hasn't made it up your way yet.

Q6cap

[Steamer]

Let's see. If the change is to better reflect what the department does, do they do hazmat, code enforcement, fire safety education, investigation, and disaster mitigation services?

Damn....this is gonna take a bigger truck to squeeze all that on there. Not to mention the problems with the letterhead design.

[Weruj1]

LOL @ Steamer ...........we also changed our name to Fire-Rescue......no big whoop !

[martinm]

Most of the Fire Brigades in the UK have changed their name to Fire & Rescue Service, which better reflects the range of operations we undertake. Don't see how a simple name change will remove the years of tradition that the DFD has under its belt.

[firepics]

The name Dallas Fire-Rescue came into use during Steve Abraira's tenure as fire chief. He had been an assistant chief of Miami Fire-Rescue before his arrival in Dallas in 2000.

Shortly after assuming command, the former chief decided - without consulting rank-and-file firefighters - to change the department's name, Mr. Buehler said. The former chief argued that the new moniker better reflected the department's overall mission, which includes responding to emergency medical calls as well as house fires.

Mr. Abraira ordered that departmental-issue clothing bear the new moniker. The department's Web site became dallas firerescue.com. The name was placed on all rescue vehicles and on newer fire engines and trucks, but all the department's engines, trucks and rescues still carry the traditional DFD logo.

Why'd they wait for five years after EVERYTHING was changed to the new name to start making a stink? Methinks it's too late to do anything about it now.

[FHandz15]

Big Deal.

There are several places around here that actually go by.....

XYZ EMS and Fire District.

EMS before Fire....mmm....

The truth stings, but you get used to it.

[NonSurfinCaFF]

Fire / Rescue, Fire & Emergency Services (FES sounds like one of those fully little hats), Fire services whatever.

I agree Fire Department is what most people know it as, if there are issues with the public not knowing what the FD does that is a public education issue, I bet if you went and polled the public 90%+ would think it said fire department on the truck regardless of what it actually said. This sort of reminds me of the whole slime green vs red fire trucks argument, if you cnat see all the lights and hear the sirens I don't really think the color of the truck is going to make a difference between someone pulling over or plodding along in front of you.

People are going to call 911 for fires, medicals, spills of nastiness etc, all that really matters is that the dispatcher knows who to call.

If they want a department name that actually says what the FD does then how about

"XYZ if everybody else has said its not their job call us department"

[emtcsmith]

Did you ever check and see between the two which was making money? Did you ever check between the two who had the most runs? Did you ever check to see on future projections who will be doing the most work?

[FyredUp]

If changing the name to Fire Rescue is all the Dallas firefighters have to worry about they are far better off than most fire departments in the country.

MY career FD is still a Fire Department, my volly FD is a Bureau of Fire. I rarely think about either name really. I have far more important issues to think about like budgets and job security.

FyredUp

[Halligan84]

Did you ever check and see between the two which was making money? Did you ever check between the two who had the most runs? Did you ever check to see on future projections who will be doing the most work?

Since when should the FD care about generating money for the city? We are a public service, how much money do the trash men bring in?. If EMS makes so much money, why do firefighters get cut to pay for EMS? Since when do runs and work projections have anything to do with worth? We run more alarm systems than working building fires, which are more important? Don't get me wrong, EMS is important, but the Fire duty provides for public safety on a larger scale and should remain the primary focus in vision and name. EMS incidents are by and large incidents that affect a single person at a time and most medical emergencies are anything but. Fires have the ability to ill and injure many, destroy tax bases and drive away business. You tell me what is the better insurance policy.

[ChicagoFF]

Did you ever check and see between the two which was making money? Did you ever check between the two who had the most runs? Did you ever check to see on future projections who will be doing the most work?

I think they said something about an ems site opening up - sell your line there. EMS is just what you do between fires to kill time. This is FIREhouse.com not an episode of ER.

[DeputyChiefGonzo]

Maybe we should our names to...

When the S*** hits the fan and the experts panic, they call us, the (insert community name here) Fire Department.

Appropriate, no?

[emtcsmith]

We are a public service yea but last I checked you didn't get a check that said "thank you" in it everytwo weeks and "well done" didn't pay for your last ladder truck did it? I'm more then happy to allow you to be stuck in the fire service of the past twenty years but you know yourself the future of the fire service is changing and to provide the best and fastest care to the people things need to change. How many saves has FDNY had running an AED on there CFR calls? How many people were saved because an ALS Engine arrived and started care or took a BS call so a transport unit could handle an urgent assignment?

Both Fire and EMS need to work together for the common good, John Q Public doesn't understand what goes into the process and it isn't a problem til a little white girl dies in a fire or waiting for the paramedics. If we can't work together then we might as well not work at all because nobody else is going to look out for each other on the street and last I checked it was all still one family no matter what your patch said.

[ChicagoFF]

We are a public service yea but last I checked you didn't get a check that said "thank you" in it everytwo weeks and "well done" didn't pay for your last ladder truck did it? I'm more then happy to allow you to be stuck in the fire service of the past twenty years but you know yourself the future of the fire service is changing and to provide the best and fastest care to the people things need to change. How many saves has FDNY had running an AED on there CFR calls? How many people were saved because an ALS Engine arrived and started care or took a BS call so a transport unit could handle an urgent assignment?

Both Fire and EMS need to work together for the common good, John Q Public doesn't understand what goes into the process and it isn't a problem til a little white girl dies in a fire or waiting for the paramedics. If we can't work together then we might as well not work at all because nobody else is going to look out for each other on the street and last I checked it was all still one family no matter what your patch said.

Are you a fireman?!?!? I'll bet not. And what was the "little white girl" crack supposed to mean? So you are a racist as well as a fireman hater? You're pathetic!

[DeputyChiefGonzo]

We are a public service yea but last I checked you didn't get a check that said "thank you" in it everytwo weeks and "well done" didn't pay for your last ladder truck did it? I'm more then happy to allow you to be stuck in the fire service of the past twenty years but you know yourself the future of the fire service is changing and to provide the best and fastest care to the people things need to change. How many saves has FDNY had running an AED on there CFR calls? How many people were saved because an ALS Engine arrived and started care or took a BS call so a transport unit could handle an urgent assignment?

Both Fire and EMS need to work together for the common good, John Q Public doesn't understand what goes into the process and it isn't a problem til a little white girl dies in a fire or waiting for the paramedics. If we can't work together then we might as well not work at all because nobody else is going to look out for each other on the street and last I checked it was all still one family no matter what your patch said.

Listen up, "pal"...

Your comment about who paid for your last ladder truck is way off base. The taxpayers paid for it, just like they pay for EMS services whether they be run by the FD, the community or a private company.

How many private EMS services do you see running in the poor neighborhoods? Slim to none... No money, no service, yet my Brothers have been risking their lives "in the hood" doing the job and saving lives regardless of skin color or creed of the victims.

Your comment about "little white girls" leads me to believe you are black and a racist... and just proves that racism exists regardless of color.