Still ‘Room to Talk’

I feel compelled to respond to a letter to the editor published in the March issue of FIRE CHIEF. So much about the letter “No Room to Talk” is off base that one wonders why it was even published.

In his ineloquent prose, Darrell Graf attempts to explain his opposition to a statement by International Association of Fire Fighters General President Harold A. Schaitberger.

President Schaitberger made his statement after President Bush once again tried to cut funding for the FIRE Act and zero out SAFER grants. This president's cuts to those two programs have become so routine that it's nothing short of jaw-dropping that Mr. Graf would attempt to defend Mr. Bush's clear disdain for the federal programs that fund our nation's fire departments. The president took office with record surpluses, but his fiscal ineptitude has thrust our nation into enormous debt. In an attempt to close the gap, he tries to cut popular, useful programs.

Lawmakers didn't magically conclude that funding for FIRE and SAFER needed to be restored, as Mr. Graf believes. That naïve attitude is laughable. Our union has scores of allies on Capitol Hill, on both sides of the political aisle, and the legislative efforts of the IAFF once again persuaded lawmakers to restore funding for the FIRE Act and SAFER grants. To date, there have been over 300 grants, totaling in excess of $20 million awarded to North Dakota fire departments alone. It's unfortunate that we have to work so hard to rebuff an obtuse president, but that's the hand we've been dealt.

I'm also concerned that Mr. Graf misrepresents himself. There is no record of Mr. Graf ever having been a member of the IAFF, yet he claims he was a union member while serving on a paid department. His misleading claim erodes his credibility. So does his claim that he is a chief of the Fire Academy of North Dakota. While the Fire Academy of North Dakota sounds nice, it certainly isn't a state-sanctioned training facility used by North Dakota firefighters. As far as I can tell, it's an academy of Mr. Graf's own creation with a title he gave himself.

Misrepresenting oneself and making a bitter, ill-informed attack on the general president of the union that represents people on the front lines nauseates me. The next time Mr. Graf wants to pick up his crayons and put his opinions on paper, he should have the strength to author an honest, fact-based letter.
— Edward Grossbauer, President
Professional Fire Fighters of North
Dakota

Following Traditions

Chief Ronny Coleman's latest article, “Keep Time with Tradition's Tune,” certainly hit home with me. I recently was assigned the task of developing a draft SOP on memorializing what traditions our department practices. My chief also asked me to seek out what other departments are doing to look at adoption of other successful practices.

Chief Coleman and my old chief from the 80s were close friends. Coleman would visit our department and lecture about various subjects. Later, when the two chiefs would get together, they would smoke cigars and discuss what was behind the traditions in the fire service. As a young firefighter, I was entranced hearing about the Knights of Malta and other information on customs used by the fire service. I have long since lost Chief Coleman's address and wanted to inquire if there was a book that explained many of the traditions of the fire service, as well as appropriate speeches for the occasion of a recruit graduation, officer promotion and other such events.

These books might be added to your suggested list in “A Leader's Book Club.” The idea presented in the article talked about how the Marine Corp used different books for different levels of command. That would be wonderful to have in existence for the fire service. Perhaps your magazine could ask for suggestions and compile a honed list to share with your readers.
— Mick McKinley, Assistant Chief
City of Bremerton Washington