The fireside chat was President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s series of radio conversations in which he spoke to the American people about his policies and reassured them about the state of the country.
There is a small group of passionate, dedicated and knowledgeable individuals representing various fire service organizations that meets monthly in Washington, DC, to discuss laws, regulations, policies, bills and politics that impact your ability to provide service and stay safe. Interestingly, it is also called the fireside chat. I am not sure the name of the present-day fireside chats has anything to do with FDR’s chats, but perhaps one of the original members or longtime attendees like Steve Austin could let us know. As an individual who gets to attend that meeting every now and then as a guest, let me assure you that you are in good hands, and I am very thankful to the national fire service organizations that commit the resources and talent to represent the fire service in these meetings.
Ready to revitalize?
In every state that I visit, there are political issues that require the most delicate of diplomacy. In a recent speech, Firehouse Editor-in-Chief Tim Sendelbach said, “Politics is about communication, relationship and influence. How good are we at collaborating and accepting the charge of the American citizen?” The present political environment is challenging us to reevaluate the needs of our citizens.
When FDR was delivering his fireside chats, it was one of the worst economical and political times since the Civil War. To help escape these difficult times, many programs were implemented to revitalize America. Risks were taken. Some would be successful and some would not, but all were focused on revitalizing America.
Are we focused on programs that align with the current political and economical times? What is the future of the FIRE Act grants? What is the future of the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA)? What will we do to ensure that we deliver the proper service given the amount of funding we have to work with?
What are we doing about data, research, training and prevention? Are we focused on preserving current programs, or are we focused on revitalizing our service? The current political and economic times require a refocus to ensure that we are still focused on the mission.
It is time to document the federal fire programs and prepare for what’s next. Federal funding isn’t about a federal breadline, it’s about utilizing the resources that do not exist at the state or local level. Why don't we fund the USFA as recommended in America Burning? Is it time? Beyond time! Is this our chance? Are we willing to do some horse-trading or will we bang our fist on the table to ensure our individual needs are met? The time for prevention is now. We must prevent the current political and economical environment from compromising life safety.
In order to ensure that federal fire programs are adequately funded, we must ask whether we are prepared to compromise. Will we ensure that data, research, training and prevention are funded? These four issues are represented by the four stars between the wings of the eagle in the USFA logo. Can we use federal programs to stamp out fire in America? Can federal programs help state and local governments minimize the impact of fires in America? They can and they should. We must help ensure this by having a unified voice, seeking relationships and being prepared to compromise.
Get involved
Volunteer, career and combination departments; governmental departments, such as Labor, Transportation, Justice, Agriculture; issues related to communications, EMS, wildland, hazmat, training, fire sprinklers, fire alarms, fire equipment, interoperability, etc.—it all comes up at almost every meeting.
These issues and agencies are all at the forefront of the associations that you are and should be a part of. These issues may feel very distant to you as you provide service daily in the streets, but they are actually very close and have a significant impact on your citizens and responder safety.
Please get involved in your local, state, national and international associations. Support your foundations and get involved in the advocacy groups that represent and support the fire service. Don't wait until it’s too late to have a fireside chat of your own. We know how to prevent future tragedies, but it requires diplomatic political engagement to make the changes. Get involved and stay focused!
Shane Ray
SHANE RAY has been a volunteer firefighter since 1984 and a career firefighter since 1994. He has also served as a mayor for six years and the Tennessee Fire Chief’s Legislative Chairman for 12 years. Ray’s love for politics started as fire chief of the Pleasant View Volunteer Fire Department in Tennessee, where he served 13 years. He then served under Governor Nikki Haley in South Carolina as superintendent and state fire marshal. He currently serves as the president of the National Fire Sprinkler Association and is a lifetime member of the Pleasant View Volunteer Fire Department. Throughout his career, he has been committed to public service with a “Do It Different” mentality and that all stakeholders are important.
