The editorial was certainly thought-provoking. The image that formed in my mind as I read the words was of a kid, astride his bike, with his ear up against the bricks of the fire station wall, listening to the conversations inside and not liking what he`s hearing.
I can only surmise that instead of the word “customer,” you prefer “victim” or “they” (as opposed to “us”). Instead of “service,” you prefer “run” or “inconvenience.” Instead of “Integrated Emergency Management System” (IEMS), you`d rather hear, “Don`t ever embrace partners–stay heaped in tradition …). “Paradigm shift” get your goat? Like “Business as usual” better?
Americans suffer the highest losses from fire in the industrialized world. Half of our firefighter line-of-duty deaths, year after year, are the result of health-related causes. The seven percent of our homes without smoke detectors suffer 50 percent of our fires. Americans care less about preventing fires and know less about protecting their families from fire than any industrialized society on earth. Satisfied with the status quo? I`m not.
I agree completely that words don`t put out fires. But 14 centuries ago, Confucius observed that “Without knowing the force of words, it is impossible to know more.” There might be a lesson there somewhere ….
If Americans are to be safe from fire (and other risks that the fire service is well “positioned” to address, oops, sorry), then things–and thinking–have to change. Call it what you want, but the concepts, beliefs, and values behind the words “customer,” “service,” “integrated,” “system,” “risk,” and “prevention” are the keys to our survival and our future, I think. Many have already taken these “lessons learned” to heart.
When you put your hand to your forehead and peer into the fire service`s future, if you see blaring red fire engines, smoke eaters, “jobs,” macho musclemen bulling through walls and spectators, and suppression, suppression, suppression, you might just be facing in the wrong direction. Turn around, Bill, before the future bites you in the butt.
Steve Willis
State Fire Administrator
Maine Fire Training & Education
Southern Maine Technical College
South Portland, Maine
