After returning from the West Coast, I checked in with Firehouse.com. Having been busy with meetings, I wanted to check up on the latest in the fire/rescue/EMS world. Wow, was I shocked when I saw the headline and story about President Bush unveiling his new budget plan during his first address to Congress and the nation. Bush's budget plan phases out "an 'unneeded' fire grant program, saving $100 million" in 2002 - in actuality, $300 million as authorized by Congress. The plan states the program "was authorized for only two years and does not represent an appropriate responsibility of the federal government." This action does not impact the $100 million already appropriated for the fire service for fiscal 2001, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) intends to move forward with disbursing those funds. As Hal Bruno reports in his column on page 22, the fire service's first contact with the Bush administration was like a swift kick in the stomach.
How many times must we fight the same battles? In my 12 years as a fire chief, I worked with my mayor and council in preparing my budget. We worked it out so that big-ticket items were purchased over a period of time. The town fathers could spread out their funding and I could get what I wanted. But I told them I didn't want to have to come back and fight the same fight for the same equipment every year, so I would remind them, for example, that "this is phase two of a three-year plan."
The federal government wastes so much money that this entire episode is laughable. How about the recent article contending that the Army National Guard's Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Teams are not ready to respond to nuclear, chemical or biological attacks. The story was based on a Pentagon review. The fire/rescue/EMS services are the first responders who will be on the scene within a few minutes. Three years and $143 million later and apparently the National Guard teams still can't help, according to the Pentagon report.
The top fire service groups are huddling, as are top political leaders who represent the fire service. More about this appalling topic as it becomes available. We can't walk away from this challenge. It was a team effort to get the FIRE Act passed last year. If we all stick together, maybe we'll just change their view and get the money the fire/rescue/EMS community so desperately needs.
We are pleased to present the recipients of the Firehouse® Magazine Heroism and Community Service Awards, the largest program of its kind in the nation. We congratulate all the nominees. We thank our corporate sponsors: V.H. Blackinton & Co., The Charles Evans Foundation, Code 3 Collectibles, the Alfred E. Ronaldson Fund, The Foundation for American Firefighters and Waterous Fire Pumps. We thank all of those subscribers who donated money by checking off the appropriate box on the Firehouse® subscription card.
We are proud to present an interview with Mesa, AZ, Fire Chief Dennis Compton. From his 29 years in Phoenix, now Mesa, to chairing the National Advisory Committee of the Congressional Fire Services Institute - just about anything this chief touches turns to gold. He's a great thinker, leader, problem solver and dynamic individual. Please read this interview on page 72, in which he talks about where he has been and where his department and the fire service are headed.
A tip of the helmet to good friend and Firehouse® Contributing Editor Michael Smith, who was just promoted to deputy fire chief, director of safety in the District of Columbia Fire Rescue Department. Congratulations.
Many of you may have heard about problems associated with NFIRS Version 5 data. Apparently, many years of data have been lost and the number of changes to the new software have skyrocketed. This data belongs to the fire service and should be available for our use. When you e-mail your incidents reports to your state, just enter [email protected] on the cc: line and FirePrograms will automatically get a copy. If you don't upload your incidents to your state, just e-mail them to the same address. FirePrograms will make the data available to fire service publications. This will demonstrate what can be accomplished with the current NFIRS Version 5 data.
