As Firehouse Sees It: The Realities of Today's Fire Service
Editor's note: Find Firehouse.com's complete coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic here.
As I write this month’s editorial in mid-March, the fire service has had a tough few days collectively. A firefighter from Mount Holly Springs, PA, was killed when a porch collapsed at a structure fire. A North Carolina firefighter was injured critically when she was struck by a vehicle at an automobile fire. Several Arkansas firefighters were hurt when a tractor-trailer plowed through a scene and destroyed their pumper.
Firefighters at numerous departments were put into quarantine after encountering suspected and confirmed COVID-19 patients, and a few tested positive themselves. Fire departments were working with other groups at local and national levels to establish response procedures as the Coronavirus was named a pandemic by the World Health Organization. Some departments cancelled community events and station tours to curb any unnecessary contact between emergency responders and the public, particularly children, as firefighters were on the front lines with this outbreak.
These are just a few reminders that the fire service is an all-hazard mitigation agency but also who government agencies and citizens call on when they don’t know what to do with a situation.
In this issue, we cover myriad topics, from traditional tactics, EMS and leadership, to more advanced subjects. Marc Aloan looks at the “doing more with less” scenario that both career and volunteer departments face. He says departments need to be prepared to do the most that they can with available resources, instead of trying to do it all.
Another topic that we have received requests to cover is what you need to do when it’s time to retire from the fire service. Former Fire Chief Richard Kline reflects on his first few years of retirement and shares what he learned from his own experiences and from others who left the station for the last time. He touches on some great points, including what being busy means versus having a fulfilling retirement.
The root of America’s fire service—the volunteer department—is facing a personnel shortage at departments from coast to coast. Numerous efforts to bolster the ranks of volunteer stations, from grants and tax rebates to live-in programs, are being offered, but departments continue to struggle. I would like to thank the staff and members of the National Volunteer Fire Council for working with us to publish the recruitment and retention supplement for volunteer fire departments in this issue. Be sure to learn about the latest in recruitment and retention and find stories from departments that bolstered their ranks.
Firehouse Expo update
We’re excited to announce that Brian Brush, who is the chief of training for Midwest City, OK, Fire Department, will deliver this year’s Firehouse Expo keynote address. Brush’s presentation, “Lead It Better than You Found It,” will be part of the opening ceremonies on July 23, beginning at 8 a.m. When he takes the stage, Brush will share why attendees should stop thinking about their impact after they complete their last day at the station and instead focus on the now, encouraging the fire service to prepare today’s firefighters and officers to be better in the future.
Don’t miss out on this year’s hands-on training (HOT), including several new classes. Paul Hasenmeier will lead a school bus extrication program. Lt. Brian Brandon will lead “Rescue Task Force Concepts for Fire Departments,” which will cover skills and tactics for active-shooter responses. In “Pillars of the Fireground,” instructors Kevin Lewis and Sean Gray return to lead a blended-learning experience with a lecture and hands-on focus on fire attack, fireground search and how to successfully carry out Vent Enter Search operations. Trey Nelms will cover preconnects, bulk beds and leader lines in “Long Lines for the Win,” which is a HOT class that will focus on engine operations.
Battalion Chief (ret.) Mike Noyes, who co-authored our January 2019 report on Incident Command, will lead the “Managing the Multi-Alarm Fire” preconference workshop. He will use a new simulation lab, which will allow officers and chiefs to run major fire emergencies in a realistic environment while receiving guidance from several veteran incident commanders.
Visit FirehouseExpo.com for the latest and register now to take advantage of savings.
Peter Matthews | Editor-in-Chief/Conference Director
Peter Matthews is the conference director and editor-in-chief of Firehouse. He has worked at Firehouse since 1999, serving in various roles on both Firehouse Magazine and Firehouse.com staffs. He completed an internship with the Rochester, NY, Fire Department and served with fire departments in Rush, NY, and Laurel, MD, and was a lieutenant with the Glenwood Fire Company in Glenwood, NY. Matthews served as photographer for the St. Paul, MN, Fire Department and currently is a photographer for the Fort Worth, TX, Fire Department.
