BY BOBBY HALTON
I HAVE A CONFESSION: ALTHOUGH I HAVE BEEN IN THE fire service for my entire adult life, I have not been as interested, involved, or active in the code development process as I should be. I have never served as an inspector or a fire marshal and, in hindsight, deeply regret not spending some time in that critical pursuit. I would have been a better firefighter had I spent the time and energy required to function competently in code enforcement, inspections, and plans review.
Today we are faced with a double-edged crisis: First, we are not educating enough of our members in fire protection safety, engineering, or technology. Second, we are virtually absent in the process of code and standards development. We have had an embarrassing history of allowing civilians to speak for our profession. This is unacceptable given the character, quality, and talents within the American fire service. No more. Now we are taking back our “voice.”
Those noncombatant critics lack the experience of those who have sworn to give their last full measure as firefighters. In 1910 Theodore Roosevelt said, “It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes short again and again, who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause, who at best knows achievement and who at the worst if he fails at least fails while daring greatly so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.” We no longer need civilians to tell our story or fight our fights. We are entering the codes and standards arena, ready to fight for what is right.
Had I not had the incredible experience of working with a fire marshal in Texas who had a fire protection degree, I truly would not understand how important focused industry education is to the fire service. My friend, although a certified firefighter, does not fight fire with his hands; he uses his head. He does not save firefighters’ lives by making the right calls at fires; he makes the right calls in plans review and council hearings. He is a graduate of the Okalahoma State University’s Fire Protection degree program.
I mean no disrespect to the excellent well-trained and well-versed fire marshals and inspectors who do the job but do not have the comprehensive education the fire protection degree program graduates receive; they have my respect. However, construction features are continuously evolving. Now we have modular and lightweight construction; hybrid buildings; tilt-up buildings; exterior curtain wall construction; foam blocks filled with concrete; and green buildings constructed with 12 or more inches of dirt on a roof, such as the new “green” fire station at Chicago O’Hare International Airport. The builders and architects are constantly looking for new methods and designs to maximize space and materials, often compromising, albeit unintentionally, firefighter safety and survivability when the systems fail-and fail they will.
The current committee working for DHS to review the FIRE Act grant effectiveness cannot ignore this recommendation for consideration: to fund fire service industry specific education, particularly certified firefighters, as fire protection engineering students. Today, sadly, I must report that enrollment in fire protection programs is down. This is a national tragedy and one that we were largely ignoring. “We” must fill places such as the University of Maryland, which has the nation’s first and one of our most respected accredited degree programs in fire protection engineering.
If we really want to lower firefighter fatalities and protect our customers more comprehensively, then we need a lot more educated firefighters representing “us” in code and standards hearings and meetings. Fire codes and building codes are usually updated every three years by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the International Code Council (ICC). This updating ensures the codes are current. Our voices are needed here where decisions that directly affect the survivability of firefighters in the hazard zone are made.
The ICC is a “membership organization.” We can vote. Your department’s annual member dues are based on population and range from a low of $100 to a high of $280. Your fire department then designates four to 12 voting representatives (based on population) who are members actively engaged. Our votes can direct the ICC code development process to support and defend firefighters operating in the hazard zone when engineered dynamic systems predictably fail. We have only to show up and vote, and an educated voter with a stake in the outcome is the most powerful voice in the universe.
Recently, the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) had directed a member to attend, observe, participate, and report on code hearings. This is a commendable advance, but much more is needed. We must stop the misguided and flawed push to allow significant reductions in passive fire protection in lieu of active protection. The National Association of State Fire Marshals, the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the IAFF, and the National Volunteer Fire Council must collectively support increased participation in the codes and standards processes.
The threats posed by “advances” in the construction industry necessitate that the fire service have multiple approaches to control fires. We need the maximum redundancy available in active and passive protection possible in buildings today. We need a strong presence at all code and standards meetings to ensure the voices of safety and fire protection are clearly heard.
We are determined to reduce the probability of catastrophic loss of life to fire. We have too many examples of multiple-fatality fires that resulted from poor code enforcement, development, or interpretation. We are no longer blind to our own lack of involvement. We are paying attention to the problems. We are the solution. We will not fail. We understand we cannot mitigate all risks to zero, but where we can lower the risk and where we can improve safety, we will. In this arena where we make the difference, we are committed as one fire service, as one irresistible force.
