Editor's note: A group of educated, knowledgeable and articulate fire service people met in St. Louis and put aside organizations' agendas and personal beliefs to come up with solutions to some big problems facing the fire service. Many thought it might not happen, but what follows is a compilation of those efforts.

Quotes and comments. Can we agree on one thing? The last time the fire service agreed on anything, it was the creation of the USFA. James Lee Witt, the director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) who oversees the USFA, said, "I'm willing to listen." Don't miss the opportunity. America Burning should have been a beacon for the fire service, not a taillight. Go back to the law – many of the requirements in the Fire Control Act were never followed. The NFA has never been funded at the necessary level. Change the name of FEMA to the Fire and Emergency Management Agency.

It's a fact that fire service organizations must devote most of their attention to the specific problems and concerns of their individual memberships. For that reason, issues facing the fire service as a whole have not been addressed, even though meetings , summits and conferences of fire service organizations have been held.

Recently, however, problems have been identified at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) and National Fire Academy (NFA) that spurred p eople in the fire service to call for a national summit. Through the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), a summit was convened in St. Louis Aug. 9-10, 1998. Invited were: Aircraft Rescue & Firefighting Group (Department of Defense), Fire Apparatus Manufacturers' Association, Fire Department Safety Officers Association, Fire Equipment Manufacturers and Services Association, Fire Marshals Association of North America, International Association of Arson Investig ators, International Association of Black Professional Fire Fighters, International Association of Fire Chiefs, International Association of Fire Fighters, IFSTA/Fire Protection Publications, International Society of Fire Service Instructors, National Association of Hispanic Fire Fighters, National Association of State Fire Marshals, National Fire Protection Association, National Volunteer Fire Council, N ational Society of Executive Fire Officers, North American Fire Training Directors and Women in the Fire Service.

Two major issues emerged. The first was how to be more effective as a group of organizations and influence change when they can agree. The second was to forward a list of concerns to the blue-ribbon panel convened by FEMA Director James Lee Witt to look i nto problems at the USFA and NFA.

Among the trouble areas that were identified:

• Funding, the law, terrorism, NFA operation, technology, distrust, prevention and education, grants, the America Burning report and research.
  
• The groups determined they should be advocates for USFA efforts. They identified a need for a fire service voice on platform issues and firefighting needs in general. And while they recognize that fire service organizations have varying agendas at ti mes, there are platform items on which they can agree. The group agreed to support the efforts of the blue-ribbon panel:
  
  • The USFA is expected to be the advocate for fire safety.
    
  • More fire service leadership is needed at FEMA.
    
  • The USFA/NFA organizational climate needs mending.
    
  • Funding for USFA and NFA needs to be greatly improved.
    

Elements for the future. The groups determined that such summits should take place twice a year, and that elected officers should attend, along with fire service media. They established agenda items, set up methods of year-round communication and d eveloped a forum for advocating points of view.

1. The groups agreed that the summits should:

• Form a consensus on issues.
  
• Look at issues and build relationships.
  
• Share organizational issues and plans among the participants, Congressional Fire Services Institute, etc., as needed.
  
• Provide reporting as appropriate for various issues.
  
• Remain ad hoc and informational.
  
• Be coordinated by the IAFC.
  
• Utilize appropriate technical resources as needed.
  

2. Agenda items were established:

• Organization requests an item to be added to agenda.
  
• Agenda items must include amount of time to be allotted.
  
• Discussion occurs after the presentation.
  
• Allot time for issues that are not pre-scheduled.
  

3. Year-round communication methods:

• Internet, via Web sites and e-mail.
  
• Sharing of newsletters among participants.
  

4. Advocacy on fire service issues:

• Organizations are free to form coalitions as necessary.
  
• Conceptualize and write new laws.
  
• Fire service disaster reimbursement.
  
• Fire service marketing plans.
  
• Utilize local contact to be advocates to elected officials.