GIVE ‘EM A CALL
EDITOR’S OPINION
The office is simple, neat, freshly painted but no-frills. On a couple of the walls they’ve left the original red brick showing, the way it was before this former warehouse was converted into office spaces. There’s a couch near the front door and an end table next to it piled with relevant reading material of the fire service, legislative, and industrial kind. The windows on the west side look out over Union Station and the Washington, D.C. railroad yards, and the trains run slowly in and out. Inside there’s a bustle of activity: phones ringing, a copier blinking, a videotape rolling, a fax machine buzzing, pamphlets and envelopes being stuffed for tomorrow’s mailing to fire departments and fire service groups around the country. Welcome to the CFSI. Or rather, the CFSI welcomes you.
You’ve probably heard and read quite a bit about the Congressional Fire Services Institute. Many of you are probably still wondering what it’s all about and what it really means to you. You may be skeptical. You may be less than well-versed in Washington politics. You may be wondering who’s in your corner.
Let me tell you, the CFSI is in your corner. I spent some time there a couple of months ago and l can vouch for the fact that this small group of professionals is committed to big things. Iliey take their mission to serve the fire service and Congress very seriously.
For your sake and for theirs, remember this: The CFSI is a nonprofit organization that exists to educate federal lawmakers on fire and life safety issues—your concerns—and then report back to you on what Congress is or isn’t doing with that education. It’s your golden opportunity to step into the federal legislative process, your voice on Capitol Hill —all it needs is for you to tell it what song to sing.
After 1 had the pleasure of witnessing President Bush’s historic signing of the National Fire Prevention Week Proclamation, I visited the CFSI offices. My talks with John McNichol, Bill Jenaway, Marko Bourne, and Karen Cook left me with a real positive attitude about the spirit they take to their fire service and legislative business. They do it with enthusiasm, integrity, and commitment.
I hadn’t planned on attending the CFSI advisory board meeting the next morning even though I was invited. Quite frankly, I felt I needed a few more issues under my belt as editor before I was going to start advising. But for reasons better left unsaid, I went and I’m glad for it: I got a chance to experience firsthand just what the CFSI is all about. Here were more than 40 leaders of fire service groups interacting with each other, giving and taking freely; there was the CSFI staff, listening, directing, cooperating, writing down the ideas. It was refreshing. No lobbying. No egos. No special interests. Just one interest —making the fire service better. See, people can talk until they’re blue in the face but oftentimes you don’t get a good feel for something until you see or hear for yourself, and I had the opportunity to see and hear for myself that day. So I’m convinced that in the CFSI the fire service has one of its most viable mechanisms for growth and positive change. It seems to me to be one of the best ways available to help make the fire service what you want it to be.
The CFSI staff has done quite a lot already for the fire service. It’s obvious they want to do a lot more. I think they’re capable of it if you work with them. They have to know what you want. Give ’em a call. You’ll be glad you did.
