PARTNERSHIPS WITH LOCAL INDUSTRY
BY GENE P. CARLSON
As fire department and industrial organization budgets get tighter, it becomes beneficial to review the goals of each in the areas of fire suppression, fire prevention, rescue, hazardous materials, emergency medical, disaster planning, and mitigation. Often, the local fire department and a local industrial organization have the same or overlapping needs. In many of these cases, interagency cooperation and the pooling of resources can cut costs for both while improving the level of service.
Some examples of interorganizational cooperation that have worked for the benefit of all participants include the following:
Probably the most commonly shared activity involves automatic or mutual-aid responses between a civilian and industrial fire department. Such an arrangement enhances staffing and equipment availability during emergencies. It is especially helpful where specialized equipment is concerned: The fire department (city), for example, can provide an aerial device; industry foam supplies (these industrial companies often have large supplies of foam on hand) or heavy equipment and operators during a disaster.
Also, a large industrial facility may have water supplies (the fire pond or tank storage for the private protection system, for example, when there is ample water for both operations) that the fire department can use, with permission, for firefighting operations in adjacent structures. Private hydrants (intended for and capable of supplying pumpers) also may be made available in some situations, such as when the industrial property becomes an exposure.
Special teams and equipment can be shared. Either party can supply the hazardous-materials team while the other handles high-angle or specialized rescue. In some cases, joint teams have been formed to provide an adequate response over a large regional area. The agencies involved find it is cost-effective to cooperate on meeting OSHA and Canada`s WHMIS requirements in areas such as hazardous materials, confined space, rescue, and other safety issues.
Facilities, staff, and resources can be shared in the training area. An industrial site may have an excellent fire extinguisher training area or facilities for practicing high-angle rescue. The fire department may have a unique self-contained breathing apparatus maze, training tower for hose evolutions, or burn building for live exercises. These sites and instructors can be “traded” to provide an exceptionally high level of training in specialized subjects for both organizations. Perhaps a joint training site can be constructed with resources from several agencies, resulting in a superior facility without duplicating props and structures. In some cases, even educational agencies can be brought into the consortium.
A fire department with a breathing air compressor, cascade, and repair bench can fill cylinders and perform minor maintenance for smaller local industries. Industry can reciprocate by providing supplies or in-kind services–a printer, for example, might prepare some of the fire department forms.
The fire department easily can perform fire extinguisher training for industry, and industry can provide the recharging supplies for both organizations.
Industry might have a remote location where props can be built and burn exercises conducted, or it may have unused automatic sprinklers, special systems, fire detection equipment, or fire pump equipment that can be transferred to the fire department`s training facility. The fire department might reciprocate by teaching classes on this equipment for the industrial facility`s maintenance department and fire brigade or fire department at no cost.
The fire department can contract to provide instruction/training for areas such as fire drills and evacuations, first aid, safety (fire and other), hazardous-materials awareness, and public education.
In the testing of fire equipment and fixed systems, the fire department can provide the expertise to test apparatus, fire pumps, and private water systems or it may assist with or witness routine automatic sprinkler or fire alarm system testing. Industry can reciprocate with goods, funding, training materials, or a variety of other resources.
Where appropriate, the fire department may be able to test products made locally by a manufacturer and suggest ways to improve the product or its safety. This service would benefit the company`s research division and improve the morale of the fire department.
The fire department can assist in disaster planning and disaster drills to the mutual benefit of both organizations. Many problems can be worked out before an incident occurs, reducing hazards to personnel, facilities, and the environment as well as property damage.
OTHER COOPERATIVE ARRANGEMENTS
Among the successful cooperative ventures I have observed are the following:
A brewery provided an apparatus and personnel to respond to the local community.
Industry donated a boat to the local fire department, which then retrofitted the unit for water rescue and firefighting.
Members of a local fire department also serve as a plant`s fire brigade. Special plantwide signals designate fires in the facility and those in the community. Employees are allowed to leave work to respond to fires. The fire department has a choice reserved parking place and vehicle for responding to the fire station when alarms are received. In-plant alarm procedures assign a number of responders to the incident location and others to the station to get the apparatus. Members of the fire department work on all three shifts, so in essence personnel are available to provide protection to the plant and the community around the clock. Training costs are shared, and this “win-win” cooperation benefits the fire department, the community, and the industrial facility.
In some instances, industry will “give back” to the community for the sake of good will by sponsoring fire department awards banquets; donating computer equipment, especially for hazardous-materials units; and providing money or materials for fire prevention projects. Several fire safety houses in the United States and Canada are the result of joint cooperation between the fire department and industry, and ALCAN has provided Learn Not to Burn materials for French-speaking Canada.
These are only a few examples of what can be done when individuals make a commitment to work together for the good of all. The partnerships are limited only by the participants` imagination and innovation. Invite local industry to the table, discuss mutual problems, and apply some team management principles and your department will be able to develop viable, workable partnerships with industry. The rapport and relationships that result will prove beneficial for solving current and future problems. n
GENE P. CARLSON, a fire education and training specialist, is the director of international marketing of Oklahoma State University`s Fire Protection Publications, representing IFSTA nationally and internationally. Carlson is a member of various committees of the National Fire Protection Association and the International Association of Fire Chiefs. He served on the staff of the National Fire Academy, the University of Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute, and the University of Illinois Firemanship Training Program.
