Although the world may be getting smaller, the fire service is becoming more global. While the third engine on your next fourth-alarm assignment won't be coming from Auckland, you may be using a tactic developed in New Zealand during that incident. In this age of nearly instantaneous communications, when battlefields come to us on satellite-linked cell phone cameras, progressive chief fire officers are looking beyond their city, state and even country borders to determine the best practices available for their fire departments.

More than one person over the years has challenged people to “think globally, but act locally.” While this phrase has significance on several levels, what does it mean to the average fire chief? Mind you, some will believe it's a stretch to talk to, let alone visit, the chief in the next jurisdiction, while others may believe there's no intelligent life beyond the interstate. But to a true “global” chief fire officer, this phrase means it's worth looking throughout the world for the best models or success stories that could be applied to his or her fire department.

That process has had a head start in the wildland firefighting community, where the lessons and practices of the fire and forestry services in Canada, New Zealand and Australia have been considered for use from California to Connecticut during the U.S. wildland fire season. Often other areas of the world that have a wildland fire season opposite to ours can provide a test bed for new tactics and equipment, such as a proposed 747 super air tanker that soon may darken the skies and subsequently darken forest fires. If proven successful, such ideas could become standard practice throughout the world.

Sure, you say, that concept may work on wildland fires, but our community has special needs, and so we provide a special type of firefighting only we can deliver. Well, if that's the case let's approach the global fire service from a more historical perspective.

In the late 1980s the International Association of Fire Chiefs launched ICHIEFS, a private computer network designed for the rapid exchange of fire information and data. The concept was so avant-garde and successful with early fire service computer users that to this day the name ICHIEFS is synonymous with the IAFC. With the convenience and availability of the Internet, the ICHIEFS networking system became too expensive to continue. In its day, however, it opened a window for many to a truly international fire service community.

Growth of globalism

Networking is a well-known concept that initially applied to getting to know other people with similar vocations or interests, and then calling on their expertise when needed. Now networking also can include those we meet via the Internet or other electronic means. But the best part of networking is the one-on-one experience of meeting someone and taking the time to discuss common issues or problem areas before brainstorming possible solutions.

One such international group that meets annually is the U.K./U.S. Fire Service Symposium. This group was the result of after-hours chats between Chief Fire Officer Dennis Davis, recently retired as Her Majesty's Chief Fire Inspector for Scotland, and former Fire Chief Magazine Career Chief of the Year Bill Peterson of Plano, Texas.

Nearly 10 years ago, these two visionary chief officers discovered that the fire service in both the United Kingdom and the United States shared common interests, goals and, probably most important, a common language. The symposium usually has about 40 participants, but the invitees vary from year to year according to the topic. The group's most ambitious project was Vision 2010, a White Paper undertaken in 1999 and published as a supplement to the February 2001 issue of Fire Chief. Some of the elements of this work have already been generally accepted in both countries, while others have taken a new direction due to the increased responsibility of the fire service as a first responder to acts of terrorism.

Another growing trend in the global fire service is the exchange of personnel between international fire service agencies. Formal exchanges are those set up by the fire service to accomplish specific educational needs. For example, when I was the Ohio state fire marshal, Asst. Chief Fire Officer Peter Craig of the Northern Ireland Fire Brigade spent several weeks at the marshal's office observing both fire training and fire investigation techniques. While he was with us, Craig discussed the tactics employed by his brigade during previous periods of civil unrest or bombings. More than a year before Sept. 11, 2001, we were discussing how the tactics employed by the fire service must change during a terrorist attack.

A less-formal exchange included three French fire officer candidates who were completing their studies at the University of Bordeaux and spent the summer observing the training of hazmat, urban search and rescue, and heavy-rescue teams to complete their theses.

Six opinions

To put this networking concept to the test, I asked via the Internet six highly respected international fire chiefs a series of questions on the global fire service. By way of a brief introduction, here are the participants:

• Director Anthony Lam Chun-man, Hong Kong Fire Service.
• Deputy Commandant Krzysztof Biskup, Main School of the Fire Service, Warsaw, Poland.
• Deputy Chief Fire Officer Murray Frank Binning, Waitakere City Fire District, Auckland, New Zealand.
• Chief Bill Peterson, Plano (Texas) Fire Department, international president-elect for the Institution of Fire Engineers.
• Dennis Davis, Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Fire Services for Scotland (Ret.), chair of the IFE board of directors.
• Fire Commissioner Greg Mullins, New South Wales Fire Brigade, Sydney, Australia.

Is there any relevance for the fire service to think globally when approaching new issues or new methods?

Mullins: Most definitely! There are very few problems or issues which have not been faced and dealt with by somebody else.… There are numerous examples of how the fire services have benefited from thinking and acting globally. These include the development of ICS, development of international standards for personnel protective equipment, sharing of building code information and exchanges of personnel.… It is imperative for fire services to think globally, form partnerships and networks, and to pool their intellectual capital for the good of the various communities they serve.

Davis: … If we are to advance, then we must come out of our respective silos and exchange professional views. There are global threats of a natural and manmade kind, and learning in this open way is a positive and assertive action on behalf of all communities.

Biskup: … Many countries face the same problems, which are sometimes already solved in another.… It is much wiser to ask colleagues from other countries for ready solutions which can be adopted. Besides, disasters and other emergencies do not respect any administrative borders and as a practice show cross-border cooperation is and for sure will be necessary in the future.

Peterson: The issues we face are universal and transcend county, state, national and international boundaries. We can gain and benefit through experience, good or bad, of others and not have to make similar mistakes.…

Lam: The modern fire service can no longer hope to find solutions to the many problems faced by them just by conducting domestic research.… Any responsible senior executive of emergency service would start to look and learn outside of his realm, with a view to sharing experiences and benchmarking their performances against international practices and standards.

Binning: The world we live in is becoming much smaller due to information technology. There is no point in reinventing the wheel. Let's learn from each other.

Does a fire or life-safety incident in Chicago, for example, have relevance or provide for discussion in Berlin or Melbourne? Is such an incident relevant to the global fire service?

Lam: There is a relevance in that people from different cultures and nationalities can learn by looking at the strengths and weaknesses of each other's methodologies and achievements, thereby providing themselves with fresh perspectives and insight.

Peterson: More often than not, the lessons to be learned have a universal application. We are all dealing with people and social issues, and it has been my experience that people are the same all over the world.

Biskup: … If it is an incident well-covered by the media or very serious in terms of the number of casualties, it will be analyzed and discussed [universally]. Sometimes it can lead to a revision of procedures.

Davis: The outcome of a real learning experience, such as a fire, is to any professional not just interesting but confirmatory and informing. The uniqueness created by events to which the fire and rescue service responds adds constantly to the overall body of knowledge. It is not a static environment.

Binning: Fundamentally the lessons are the same irrespective of where the incident may occur.

Mullins: … A fire in a Chicago nightclub can lead to fundamental changes to fire safety legislation and building codes, as well as operational practices on the basis of the lessons learned from the fire and subsequent investigation. That is why it is so essential to develop ways and means of sharing information when such events occur.

With the fire service's expanding role, does a review of response or tactics used for a terrorist attack in Madrid or Tel Aviv provide lessons?

Davis: No one knows all the answers. New threats rely on professional people sharing and learning. For example, think not just of fire, but health. SARS was and remains a real health threat globally. Learning from experiences in China improved human survival in Canada.

Biskup: It is quite a new situation for most fire services in democratic countries…. In Poland we revised our response procedures after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in the United States. Terrorist attacks in Madrid or Tel Aviv cast a shadow to the Polish State Fire Service. Much more attention is paid to coordination among emergency services as well as the personal safety of the rescuers. More terrorist exercises are now planned [for the fire service].

Peterson: … Learning from the terrorism experience of others will allow us to replicate successful response strategies more quickly.

Mullins: A prime example at present is the ongoing review of the events of 9/11 in the United States. Fire services throughout the world are watching and listening, … waiting to see if there are opportunities for improvement to emerging consequence-management capabilities and overall emergency management. We should not underestimate the possibility of criticisms if lessons learned elsewhere are not heeded locally and lives are lost as a result.

Binning: The same type of risk should involve the same type of risk management. While there will always need to be allowances made for local conditions, there will be similarities that can be used internationally.

Lam: There are always lessons to be learned. Although the prevailing circumstances may be different and tactics may not appear relevant at the outset, the mental and physical processes that have gone into the preparation of the principles of response, contingencies and logistics support are pertinent information that may be intuitive for applications to emergencies in other regions.

What groups should evaluate these incidents and pass on their findings?

Binning: Senior fire service management … and any other like-minded organization that has a membership and can assist to spread the word.

Lam: There are many regional, national or international associations and institutions whose members comprise senior executives of fire services, such as the … International Fire Chiefs Association of Asia, National Fire Protection Association, etc. It makes sense to coordinate the efforts of these organizations in collating and analyzing useful data for sharing among the world's fire service.

Biskup: It should be a group of national experts, of course, strengthened if necessary by international ones.… As the fire service in Poland is centralized, all information and analysis is collected at the National Center for Rescue Coordination and Protection of Population. It is also our national point of contact.

Mullins: This is a difficult question. Organizations such as the International Association of Fire Chiefs and the Institution of Fire Engineers have global membership and may be able to fill the gaps. However, as non-governmental agencies, they will not have access to the amount and type of information they will require, and indeed, some members may be constrained in terms of what they can share.

Davis: Group management of information has mixed blessings. Ownership of knowledge is an individual matter, but organizational management through governments, non-government organizations, professional associations and a variety of formal and informal links can enhance that process. The Internet is probably the best library for the least-sensitive information.

Peterson: National and international organizations and conferences are an excellent way to share solutions to common issues and problems.

For years, the military throughout the world have fostered exchange programs, but in the fire service our exchange programs have been largely informal. Is it time to consider a more formal program as part of chief officer development?

Binning: Yes; however, this may be very difficult to organize. There can be a lot of learning by rubbing shoulders with international colleagues.

Lam: … Bearing in mind the many challenges that present-day chief officers and CEOS have to face, the benefits in building a network for mutual support and information supply should be an appealing proposition.

Biskup: Exchange programs are surely very beneficial, but I do not think it is necessary to foster official exchange programs.

Peterson: Whether it is formal or informal is not critical, but in today's changing world international exchange of information and solutions is critical to being prepared for the future.

Davis: Practical expert exchange systems already exist between countries in the European Union through the Civil Protection Programme and less formally between fire services in the U.K., U.S.A., New Zealand and Australia. They are a welcome and useful way of observing another approach in practice.

Mullins: My own experience is that such programs are essential.… My participation in the EFO program at the U.S. [National] Fire Academy was also a watershed in my personal development, as I was exposed to many different ways of “doing business.” In Australia we have an active exchange program at the firefighter level both between [Australian] states and with oversees fire services.… However, opening up such programs to the decision-making level would expand the horizons of the very people who are expected to lead and manage fire services into the future.

Does it make sense to share instructors internationally among fire or chief officer academies?

Peterson: This is a good way to exchange “best practices” and help each other benchmark our organization against industry leaders nationally and internationally.

Lam: There may not be tangible benefits in sharing international instructors for general training activities, … but there is apparently potential for pooling the talents of instructional staff and experiences for specialized subjects….

Mullins: We regularly import instructors from the U.S., Canada, the U.K. and Europe to help us develop and grow.… This helps to become versatile and open to new ideas, which is an essential ingredient in ensuring that the fire service meets community needs and are seen by government as adding value.

Davis: … Instructors do make exchanges, and a very recent example occurred [at] Texas A&M when U.K. “new dimension” terrorist instructors received input to help shape up the U.K. training in this subject area.

Biskup: I am sure that each academy would benefit from an exchange of instructors…. The group of students from Poland each year goes to Hamburg, Germany, and serves at the fire stations together with German colleagues — these contacts are very beneficial. They constitute excellent opportunities for experience exchange, learning different procedures, becoming familiar with other equipment and establishing contacts.

Binning: The value of shared experiences and skills can only benefit the entire global fire community.

Progressive chief officers have been networking for many years. What methods do you use and find most successful?

Biskup: I use the Internet as well as direct contact, including visits, conferences and joint international projects.

Binning: Personally, I am not an Internet freak; however, I do acknowledge its value and ability to bring people together. I guess that I prefer a more personal approach, contacts, conferences, etc.

Mullins: Personal contact is by far the best, and this takes a lot of time and effort…. I believe that it is also essential to remain abreast of the latest trends and developments by attending conferences regularly.

Lam: For specific or less-extensive information — for instance, seeking comments and experiences on particular issues — informal exchanges like the Internet and personal contacts have been very effective. Whereas formal conferences, symposiums or seminars would be more appropriate avenues for the exchange on more global and longer-term matters.

Peterson: Good networking connections are started by personal contacts at meetings or conferences and built upon over time with ongoing communications through the Internet or telephone.

Do you have an example of one or more ideas that you took back to your organization from a visit to the fire service of another country?

Peterson: The Plano Fire Department has used high-visibility vehicle markings on the rear of our apparatus and ambulances and similar high-visibility [lime-green] personnel vests to increase the safety of our personnel while working motor vehicle accidents. This practice has shown to be very effective in the United Kingdom.

Lam: … It follows logically that in drawing up our many operational and administrative procedures, we would make reference to internationally proven good practices, for example the Incident Command System and breathing apparatus procedures…. Every year, the [Hong Kong] department would send out senior officers to participate in international conferences and symposiums with a view to updating themselves on worldwide developments and cross-fertilizing our policies and practices.

Binning: The concept of high-pressure fog attacks for structure fires originated out of the United States and Darley pumps. In New Zealand, 90% of all structure firefighting uses this method.

Davis: The starkest U.S./U.K. Symposium process was the joint development of the Vision 2010 document on the future development and skill set needs for chiefs. This has already been reproduced and used many times in both the U.S. and U.K. It informs and influences, forcing people to think and so create a more positive and optimistic outlook on the role of the fire and rescue service.

In addition, at an individual level I have benefited from discussions on community safety, equality and diversity practices, intelligence assessments of terrorism, wildfire tactics and hazardous materials approaches to name but a few…. Within the IFE the exchange is constant and enduring at all levels of fire science, understanding of the built environment, improving management practice and continued personal development.

Biskup: We brought back to Poland from the Swedish Rescue Services the concept of flashover training, and from the German governmental disaster relief organization [Technishes Hilfswerk], the organization and training system for search-and-rescue groups and rescue dogs.

Mullins: … In Australia we initially adopted the NIIMS model for ICS in 1984, but found it was too cumbersome for urban operations. In 1995, I attended one of Alan Brunacini's IMS Symposiums in Phoenix and upon my return developed “Urban ICS” to suit Australian conditions.

[Also] compartment fire behavior training: The Swedes and the Devon Fire & Rescue Service in the U.K. pioneered gas-cooling techniques, and we have recently rolled out the training statewide.

Always more to learn

The global fire service may be in its infancy, but it is very much alive among progressive chiefs throughout the world. Just last month, the International Conference of the Institution of Fire Engineers, “Fire Engineering for the Global Village: Sharing Solutions on an International Basis,”was held in Dublin, Ireland. Representatives of 26 countries looked at new and innovative ways of idea and data exchange among the fire service.

Benjamin Franklin, who is considered by most to be the father of the American fire service, traveled extensively in Europe during the late 18th century. Surely he brought back many ideas, including some that advanced the fire service in the early years of our republic.

Franklin once said, “When you finished changing, you're finished.” I would think that if Ben were still alive, he'd wholeheartedly endorse the exchange of information in the global fire service. Maybe you should consider it, too.

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Robert R. Rielage, CFO, EFO, MIFireE, is the chief of Wyoming (Ohio) Fire-EMS, a full-service combination fire department bordering Cincinnati. A former Ohio state fire marshal, he was a member of the State of Ohio Security Task Force and a delegate to the National Governors' Association on Homeland Security. He also served as a contract consultant for FEMA in New York following Sept. 11. A graduate of the Kennedy School's Program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government at Harvard University, Rielage holds a master's degree in public administration from Norwich University and is currently the president of the Institution of Fire Engineers, USA Branch. He is a member of the Fire Chief editorial advisory board.

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