Birthdays and anniversaries traditionally are good reasons to look back and look forward. Whether it's your birthday, a wedding anniversary or service anniversary, it's worth it to go back to the beginning, acknowledge the present and ponder the future.

This month Fire Chief celebrates its 50th anniversary with a timeline of articles and events covered over the years in our pages. In the first issue of The Volunteer Firefighter, “we proudly set our sights high, for we feel that the traditions and vastly expanded field of volunteer firefighting will tolerate nothing less.”

The magazine has survived a name change and several editors, publishers and corporate owners, but one thing has never changed — the high standards set in that first issue by the founding publisher Thomas M. Higgins and later carved in stone by our longtime editor Bill Randleman. Our mission is to provide accurate and timely information and to support chiefs, officers and aspiring officers through every means available — in print, on the Web and in person.

As we look forward to the next 50 years, I'm really inspired by the individuals who are taking the fire service to new levels. Several years ago at an International Association of Fire Chiefs' Strategic Planning meeting, attendees were asked for one word that would describe the role of fire chiefs in 10 or 15 years. After careful consideration, I chose the word “extinct;” I believed the role would be assumed by another public safety position. However, in several separate conversations this summer, I was confronted by a new look at the emergency services. If this isn't the new direction, then the coincidence is amazing.

First, during the Large-Scale Incident Evacuations program at the Chicago Fire Department's Life Safety Conference in August, two instructors emphasized the need to do a walk-through of a stadium or arena prior to a large-scale event. Both chiefs advised that the walk-through should take as long as necessary for each person on the team — fire, law enforcement, security, hazmat, emergency medical personnel, emergency managers and others specific to the venue — to survey and anticipate possible threats or hazards to the event.

Later that day, I spoke at length with Chief Jay Reardon, Northbrook (Ill.) Fire Department about the Illinois Mutual Aid Box Alarm System and the inter- and intrastate agreements that are being created.

A week later Tulsa, Okla., Chief of Homeland Security Dennis Beyer wrote to me of his efforts to express to fire officers across the state their role in the area of intelligence, “a word that scares fire folks off even though they've done building surveys and inspections for years.”

During a visit to Arizona last month, I spent time with Glendale Fire Chief Mark Burdick and his staff and talked about issues with large-scale events. Then Division Chief Chris DeChant took me to the state-of-the art Phoenix Dispatch Center to watch how they dispatch for 25 local fire departments. At the Arizona Counter Terrorism Information Center, I learned about TLOS, or terrorism liaison officers. Asst. Chief Scott Ferguson and staff from the Peoria Fire Department told me about their wildland training.

Most recently, I met with Chief Mark Bogenschutz of the Egg Harbor (Wis.) Fire Department. Several of his volunteers go by the title of “first responder/firefighter,” not just firefighter.

What struck me about each conversation was that each of these chiefs and departments is beyond fire; there's planning for bigger pictures.

Of course, there still will be problems to overcome: The current lack of candidates for battalion chiefs will require new resources for fire chiefs and the retirements of experienced fireground commanders could result in an increase in firefighter fatalities. But Fire Chief will continue to help the fire service face those problems for the next 50 years.

As we celebrate 50 years, we thank our advertisers and partners in supporting our efforts to provide the best publication we can to a targeted readership. We don't try to be everything to everyone. Our goal is to respectfully serve every department, every leader, and to continue for the next 50 years.