MEMO: To The City Administrator
A group of city administrators got together to discuss their local fire departments. Their views and suggestions (left), published in our August issue, drew considerable comment from readers. One letter, however, we wanted to share with all of you.
To: City Administrator .
From: Fire Chief
I received your memo the other day about little things that seem to bother you about the fire department. I have to respond to each item mentioned to give you the other side of the story.
You are correct that we respond at a moment’s notice in our best suits and that our small annual checks don’t make up for the cleaning bills. I was sworn in as chief a number of years ago and, yes, public safety is my reason for being.
The annual bean supper that you complained we had alcohol at, so far has raised in excess of $10,000 over the years. That money has bought six turnout suits, two 2 1/2-inch nozzles, a few salvage covers and a generator—all at no cost to the taxpayer. This could become a losing venture if we rent a hall.
You are correct, sir, that we started to ask for a new pumper as soon as the last one was delivered. You seem to have forgotten, though, that the last one took seven years of fighting to get the city to buy it. Also, our population has increased by 25 percent and so, presumably, will fire calls.
An equipment seminar is training, and we implemented seven ideas from that show we attended to make our department work smoother. Oh, about our wives accompanying us to that seminar; in this city, we have no dispatchers. My wife and the three other women have all put forward hours of time to dispatch. They, like all fire fighters’ wives, I’m sure, have served us coffee at fires, and have had to face that possibility of taking that dreadful trip to the hospital, not knowing whether their husbands will still be alive when they get there. If you don’t remember, the city council voted down a proposal to pay dispatchers for their work. However, if you insist, I’ll send a check for the wives’ expenses.
You have informed me about cliques. Now, let me inform you about volunteers. Some join to have their names on a list. Others to ride the truck. Others for excitement. Whatever the reason, about one-third of my volunteer department does the “nasty” jobs. About one-third of the department attends training regularly. About one-third of the department will help to clean up after a fire. And about 100 percent will show up to collect their pay.
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I believe the turnover is so large in the department because I expect so much of everyone who accepts the badge. I would much rather have one of those 10 to 12 names behind me at a fire than 10 of the others. And the team that works hard together plays hard together.
Let’s go on. We have “always done it that way” because we find that way has worked the best. Those state instructors you speak so highly of are the ones that told us we didn’t need a 21/2inch preconnect on our pumper. And you people listened to them. So, for the cost of the preconnect, we lose two to three minutes on the initial attack. Also, remember that we did listen to them, studied our situation, implemented some ideas and turned down others. That is the way we work. I think it is fair.
“All those air bottles” are used on every house fire where the danger of collapse is not apparent or when rescue is to be performed. You do not have to go to a fire fighter’s wife and tell her that her husband was killed trying to save a house worth $30,000. Is that all our lives are worth? We used those air bottles to rescue four people from a burning house two months ago. You seem to have forgotten that. We have had three working fires this year. One was a house where 16 air bottles were used. The other two were barn fires, which are so open it is dangerous to enter. Ask any fire chief around (including your state instructors) and they will tell you barns collapse very quickly. But you people come down and say it is my fault if someone gets hurt. Judgment is necessary in being a chief. One can only judge once he has all available facts. You seem to be missing the facts in making those accusations.
In a fire, seconds count. If I want my men out of an area, I want them out immediately. Those radios will pass on my orders immediately. If a hose line bursts and is flopping around, again I want that line closed down immediately. We are not bureaucrats. We are fire fighters. We use radios because they work. If they help me or any fire fighter at a fire even once, they are worth the cost.
The line foreman that I jumped for taking too long to cut power had gone for coffee before he came to our fire. Usually the line crews are very good and respond quickly and I can have my fire fighters concentrate on their own jobs. Please remember that the union people complained that the line crew would lose four hours callback time if we did their job.
The use of the word faggot for the ambulance attendant that threw up after treating the burn victim may have been a little harsh. But the problem was that after he threw up, he would not perform any more first aid. I have stated before and will state again that if you have to be sick, be sick, but get your butt in gear once it’s done and help out. There were other seriously injured people at that call, and without treatment they could have died. Fire fighters performed that treatment because that ambulance attendant could not do his $20,000-a-year job. I understand, however, that this was not his first time at an incident. If he can’t hack it, he should get out.
Lastly, the township fire chief does not hold any regular training sessions with his department. 1 have seen them at fire calls and I feel this statement, though exaggerated, is somewhat correct: he doesn’t understand fires.
I am not loudly criticizing you, nor am I going to mention this letter to my men.
I am glad you asked how you can help. Enclosed is an application for the fire department. I am truly glad to have you aboard!
—J. Bruce Griffin Fire Fighter
Osgoode Township Fire Department,
Ottawa, Ontario
