Fire Service Leaders Share International Ideas

Fire Chief Michael P. Neuhard, Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department, recently hosted a meeting with George Mayumbelo, Strategic Executive for Emergency and Disaster Management of Windhoek, Namibia. The meeting came at the request of Mr. Mayumbelo to share and discuss ideas related to building community trust between firefighters and the citizenry, fire and life safety programs, physical fitness, and health and safety programs for firefighters.

The country of Namibia is located along the southern coast of Africa. Windhoek, the capital city, has a population of approximately 250,000 and houses government offices, hotels, and restaurants, as well as banks, shopping centers, hospitals, and residential homes.

Chief Neuhard outlined various safety programs that have proven to be successful in Fairfax including fire prevention open house and school-based fire safety such as the NFPA Risk Watch initiative. Additionally, public-private partnerships and mentoring programs were discussed. In the arena of firefighter health and safety, an overview of the Candidate Physical Abilities Test (CPAT) was provided, as well as suggestions on maintaining career-long employee health and fitness through annual medical physicals and work performance testing.