GRAIN OF SAND OR MOUNTAIN OF GRANITE?
EDITOR’S OPINION
Fighting bureaucratic mazes and climbing stairs to nowhere, unselfishly seeking funds from sources identified only by a vivid imagination, and accomplishing mammoth tasks when there is no one to care or help are not new problems to our firefighting brotherhood.
From time to time, we momentarily give up hope that one person can make a difference. My opinion to those who believe that way for more than just a moment has always been “Bull!”
Here comes one more significant other!
As his small fire protection district began to grow to unmanageable proportions risk-analysis-wise, Bill Weigle began to act and react. New, lightweight wood construction was expanding the protection responsibilities of his volunteer department—one of the smallest in Massachusetts—to the limit. Water supply problems, ISO insurance ratings, and the state’s mini/maxi fire protection code were formidable barriers to responsible control.
Egremont’s fire department began successfully experimenting with draft hydrants for static water supply and, combining this with the use of largediameter hose, lowered its ISO rating by three points.
Since 1986, Weigle realized that the life-safety concerns had to be resolved with residential sprinkler system installations. The builders refused to cooperate and the state code in effect prevented their installation.
He retrofitted his own home by himself as an example of his commitment and concern. Still thwarted by the legislature, he continued to use the old firefighter trick—imagination. He compiled a list of municipalities, 60 in all, that did not have hydrant water supply and set about making them an exception to the code.
Enlisting the help of friends, concerned officials, and fire service experts, he pushed forw ard. The result is an amendment to the law that recognizes the right of those municipalities to exceed the minimum requirements of the code—to mandate residential sprinkler installation.
To all those who said that it couldn’t be done, Egremont’s Bill Weigle left a hole in the bucket of water when he withdrew his hand. He made a difference!
Congratulations.
