It's a presidential election year, the U.S. economy is struggling and the housing market is in disarray. The fire service doesn't exist in a bubble, so these and other issues promise to create new challenges. Areas to keep a watchful eye on in 2008 include:

Environmental issues

The fire service isn't immune to the trend toward environmental consciousness. Look for more recycling programs, green buildings, and stricter run-off water and contaminant disposal regulations.

Terrorism

Public health threats will pose the biggest issues, and dealing with the community will dominate emergency services' efforts. Think about it. Are people really going to wait obediently for decontamination or medical processing?

Global response

As more American emergency responders travel overseas, either by serving in the military or in some other capacity, the global emergency services will continue to shrink. Knowledge of metric equipment and exposure to global diseases and cultures should be considered.

Volunteers

Specialized training and standards compliance will increase the demand for full-time coverage. Creative ways to attract and retain volunteers include insurance, fitness club memberships, online training and tax-incentives.

Budgets

Shared services will continue to be the best way to stretch a shrinking budget. Shared facilities and multipurpose apparatus and equipment can help extend the budgets of some departments, and designing facilities to LEED standards can provide eventual cost-savings.

Liability

It's not Big Brother watching you — it's every citizen with a camera phone or recording device. Fire and emergency service personnel are under constant scrutiny and are more vulnerable to lawsuits, job termination or even prison sentences. Enforcing SOPs and documenting incidents are critical.

Health and fitness

Increasing costs of insurance premiums will continue to strangle departments. According to the U.S. Fire Administration's provisional report on 2007 firefighter fatalities, there was a slight decrease in firefighter heart attacks. Departments can respond with proactive employee assistance programs, preventive health monitoring and mandatory fitness programs. Cancer also should be tracked and reported.

Apparatus

Decreased production from U.S. apparatus manufacturers coupled with a weak U.S. dollar has European apparatus manufacturers targeting the U.S. market. In many ways, Europe's history of tight budgets and environmental issues has given them an edge in emergency technology and equipment.

Prevention

Take residential fire sprinklers to the next level of awareness. Promote and advertise sprinklered fire stations to the community. Dispel myths that residential sprinklers flood the entire house.

Training

The continued decline in fires coupled with the loss of experienced fireground officers will result in an increase in fireground injuries and fatalities. Simulators and live-fire training programs must address these problems. Also, the use of robots on the fireground and in hazardous situations must continue.

Statistics

Statistics for reported injuries requiring medical attention need to be tracked and reported on a timely basis.

Safety

Prevention, personal responsibility and common sense are sexy. Courts of law support this. Irresponsibility on the fireground must not be tolerated or financially supported.

PPE

Less is more. Firefighters are becoming overloaded with too many items hooked and carried on their turnouts. The risk of these items catching or weighing them down will evolve into multipurpose gear or items built into their turnouts.

Note: FIRE CHIEF would like to welcome the newest members to the editorial advisory board: Chief Mark Burdick, Glendale (Ariz.) Fire Department; Chief Chris Hecht, Sister Bay/Liberty Grove (Wis.) Fire Department; Chief Ian Laing, Mississauga Fire & Emergency Services, Ontario; Chief Laurie Mooney, Longwood (Fla.) Fire Department; Cortez Trotter, vice president and director, midwest region, Global Options Group; and Chief Mark Wallace, McKinney (Texas) Fire Department.