Ten years ago, municipalities opened emergency operations centers and citizens purchased portable generators and stockpiled water and cash in anticipation of Y2K global computer failures. Nothing happened on Jan. 1, 2000, at 12:01 a.m., and the world breathed a collective sigh of relief.
It wasn't until Sept. 11, 2001, that the United States faced the unimaginable. The events of that day would lead to the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, and citizens soon learned about Ready Kits, white powder and new uses for duct tape.
Y2K almost seemed like a rehearsal for post-9/11 actions.
Now, this century is one-tenth over. Did you accomplish what you expected in the last decade? Is your current outlook half-empty or half-full?
January traditionally is FIRE CHIEF's forecast issue. This time, we asked some of the most insightful leaders in the fire and emergency services for their perspective on the decade ahead. (The story begins on page 66.) They all agreed that those in the fire and emergency services can expect significant changes — some good, some bad.
For example, U.S. Fire Administrator Kelvin Cochran emphasized fire-department consolidations and amalgamations. I felt compelled to ask him if the country was heading toward a nationalized fire service. Cochran said a “federalized fire system is decades away or impossible.” He does believe, however, that the fire service needs a national mutual-aid deployment strategy to fill the gaps of local capabilities. “Who would have ever thought something could occur and 15,000 firefighters wouldn't be enough,” Cochran said about 9/11.
Indeed 9/11 — along with hurricanes Katrina and Rita and an economic downward spiral — has drilled into every U.S. municipality and public-service sector and has impacted the lives of individuals. We have been forced back to the basics and have had to ask ourselves what's really important in our careers and in our personal lives.
The 11 contributors to our forecast feature all had several concerns, but two words jumped out at me: challenge and opportunities. Most of you already are familiar with the challenges: baseline budgets, attrition rates of experienced officers and leaders, and increased liability and discrimination lawsuits. But they saw opportunities in some unlikely places, as well: aging baby boomers, the greening of emergency services, inexperienced young officers — and baseline budgets.
After compiling the forecast, I spoke at length to a fire chief from the northwest. His department recently added EMS-equipped motorcycles for quick response to auto accidents on crowded freeways during rush hours. His most innovative programs, however, come from the statistical analysis his department completed on activated fire alarms in commercial facilities and on unique EMS calls in their area. The chief envisions employing a full-time doctor to interact with responding paramedics and an increasing use of paramedics to augment the strained health-care system.
Persistence and innovative thinking like that will be integral to emergency services' future. You have two choices: You can be down in the dumps about the challenges or you can get energized about the opportunities that face emergency response.
Note: FIRE CHIEF welcomes three new members to its editorial advisory board, each known for their vision and dedication: Chief Robert A. Creecy, Richmond (Va.) Department of Fire and Emergency Services; Chief David B. Fulmer, West Licking Joint Fire District, Pataskala, Ohio; and Chief Shane Ray, Pleasant View (Tenn.) Volunteer Fire Department. Volunteer Voice columnist Robert Rielage has been named a contributing editor.
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