Sunday, July 5, 2009
From Janet's Notebook
From the Command Post
Janet Wilmoth's observations from Command Post, a weekly e-mail newsletter for fire service leaders, are displayed below.
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Congrats are in Order
Pierce Mfg. sure knows how to attract attention. On Thursday at the Fire Department Instructors Conference, the company unveiled one of the best-kept secrets in the industry — the Pierce Ultimate Configuration. ...
Foaming the Windy City
A couple months ago, I had breakfast with Chicago Fire Department Commissioner Raymond Orozco Jr. Discussion soon turned to Orozco’s efforts to upgrade Chicago’s turnout gear, train with positive-pressure ventilation and test Class A foam for fighting residential fires....
'Wood' You Know?
Recently I took a road trip with two safety officers to the National Fire Academy for a meeting. During the trip, we had a discussion about new construction materials that pose serious threats to firefighter safety — threats that are increasing rather than decreasing....
36 Hours in D.C.
Every year an increasing number of organizations and associations schedule meetings around the Congressional Fire Services Institute's Annual National Fire and Emergency Services Dinner. ...
We Heard You!
Chief Sam Chapman of Goose Creek, S.C., wanted more information about training rooms in fire stations and how "not to build an ugly station." Tom Neary of the Mill Creek (Del.) Volunteer Fire Company wanted us to change the location of the conference each year and to tour different fire stations, while many others attending our Station Style Conference last year wanted the pre-conference session broken up into "starting from scratch" and "beginning construction" sessions for more individual time with architects....
Seeing Red
Driving through Downers Grove, a suburb of Chicago, I pulled over for a fire truck coming down the street. As I waited for the truck to pass by, I checked to see if the crew was wearing seatbelts. Sure enough, I saw red! The bright red seatbelts strapped across the turnout gear of the officer and on the driver made me smile. ...
Thoughts from the Safety Summit
Last weekend, the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation's second National Line-of-Duty Death Safety Summit brought together 225 leaders of emergency services organizations and associations to review the 16 Life-Safety Initiatives and recommend specific actions to stop firefighter deaths. ...
An Administrator and a Gentleman
Charlie Dickinson, acting U.S. fire administrator, is probably one of the most passionate speakers we have in the fire service. He speaks straight from the heart, and you can always count on him to tell it like it is — no flowery political stuff here. If you need a kick in the butt, he'll give it, but ever the gentleman, he does it without profanity. ...
Never Enough Money
President Bush recently submitted his FY 2008 federal budget to Congress. The budget proposes only $300 million for the Assistance to Firefighters Grant program and zero dollars for the Staffing for Adequate Fire & Emergency Response Act Grant program. ...
What About Fire?
What if the White House called a last-minute press conference? Imagine President George W. Bush standing at the podium before the media and stating: "Tonight, I am issuing an order mandating every fire and emergency department in the United States to review and reinforce their citizen education programs for their community." ...
