Editorial: Reinventing the Wheel

By the time you read this editorial, Election Day will be over. Whoever the winners are in the national, state and local elections, the fire service once again must meet with elected officials to define our needs and plan to work with these politicians to move fire service issues forward. Many of those running for public office probably were reelected. Others were elected to office for the first time. You have to work with the officials who are in a position of being powerful decision-makers regarding items important to your fire, rescue and EMS services. If you don’t, then you will be making a terrible mistake. You must have the confidence to tell the public officials the truth, to paint a picture of your current and future needs, and show them the problems first-hand inside your fire stations and on your apparatus so they can make accurate decisions in your favor.

When I became fire chief in my department in 1988, within my first two or three weeks on the job I had to compile an operating budget, a capital budget and a five-year plan. I read a book on fire service management and leadership. Inside the book, it noted that a fire chief cannot just walk in and tell your governing body, “I need a $500,000 elevating platform today.” Except for emergency situations, there has to be some future planning for the budget people having jurisdiction over your purchases. Having all the equipment and apparatus in the world doesn’t matter if they won’t help you by approving your budget and letting you buy these important and necessary items.

Recently, I received a letter from the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program. It said that it could not fund my department’s request for two grants. The grant program’s administrators received over 20,300 applications for a total of more than $2.6 billion in requested assistance from fire departments across the country. Only $750 million is available. Many departments in true need of personal protective equipment and training will not be funded. It is really a shame when they discuss billions and trillions during debates, yet America’s Bravest cannot even get a little more. Apparently, Washington is telling us to be prepared to receive less federal funding in future years. It seems like the threats of terrorism are rising, especially around the upcoming elections as this is being written. Only time will tell who is prepared and what the effects will be after something happens.

This month, we present several topics relating to fire and emergency apparatus. The latest in new technology from the apparatus manufacturers is featured in our “Apparatus Showcase” feature begins on page 50. You look at some of these units and wonder why no one ever incorporated many of these ideas before. Time marches on – I guess anything more than one, two or three horsepower was a real improvement in its day.

Tom Shand and Mike Wilbur present another installment of “The Apparatus Architect,” this time continuing their discussion of designing ladder company apparatus. Mike Smith discusses driving apparatus safely and Billy Goldfeder focuses on how firefighters are injured and killed on their own apparatus in his Close Calls column, “Firefighters Vs. Apparatus: We Lose Every Time.” Speaking of safety, on page 74 Ron Baran presents some “tricks of the trade” in this issue to provide valuable lessons in firefighter survival. It’s an important review that every firefighter should read.