Most people point to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks as the prompt for homeland security in the U.S. But that prompt came more than six years earlier, with the April 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. That blast killed 168 people — including 19 children under the age of 6 — injured more than 680, and destroyed or damaged 324 buildings within a 16-block radius. That single act of domestic terrorism sparked the expansion of terrorism training and exercise topics across North America.

The more-devastating events of 9/11 introduced foreign-born terrorism to the U.S. That day prompted the creation of both the Department of Homeland Security and the National Incident Management System, the funding of emergency operations centers at state and local levels, and the development of fusion centers. While fire and emergency response departments always have prepared and responded to emergencies, 9/11 made disaster preparedness everyone's responsibility.

In the nine years since 9/11, emergency-response leaders have been inspired by corporate buzzwords and phrases to think bigger and outside the box. But the box has caved in on many departments in this economy, putting vertical limitations on raising the bar.

So, it's time to look for a new buzzword. Perhaps an appropriate one for emergency-response leaders is "vigilance," the ability to maintain caution, attention and alertness over a long period of time.

The concept of vigilance in firefighting is as old as the American fire service. In 1733, Ben Franklin wrote that Boston fires were being fought "by active men of different ages, professions and titles who, as of one mind and rank, apply themselves with all vigilance and resolution, according to their abilities, to the hard work of conquering the increasing fire." Fire was the most devastating threat in Franklin's day.

That's not necessarily so today. Since the Oklahoma City bombing, sophisticated response systems have demonstrated that no training or exercise scenario is too abstract to consider by America's public-safety responders.

While receptive to growth, the economic downturn has hit hard in many departments. Consequently, chiefs must be vigilant in their search for potential working relationships with other local agencies and neighboring departments to enhance resources and services. In addition, the Internet offers an opportunity to be proactive in learning new ideas and sharing methods from departments across the country and around the world.

The chief of a fire and emergency response department today has a responsibility to be vigilant in terms of being open to every staff member, the community and peers to restructure public-safety services as we have known them.

Get out of the office and listen to each member of the department, particularly the next generation of officers, and tap into their knowledge of research and data-gathering. Ensure that your officers are open to ideas that close the generation gap. Meld experience with technology whenever possible and encourage dialog — listen and perhaps they will listen to you.

As always, I encourage open communications with apparatus technicians, mechanics and contractors who constantly network with their own peers on new technology and money-saving ideas. These men and women have different skills sets and can bring much to the table.

And this year, more than ever, be vigilant and prepared to respond — without compromise — regarding firefighter safety issues in your department.

Happy New Year.