Time to unite
William Dryburgh
Fire Chief
City of Punta Gorda (FL) Fire Department
A few years ago when I was running for second vice president of the Florida Fire Chiefs, I noticed as I drove around the state the large number of volunteer fire departments protecting small communities throughout the state. Those same communities did not have police protection and, in most cases, were protected by the County Sheriff`s Office or the State Highway Patrol.
That means that the fire service has its presence in almost every city, county, or special district in the entire state. With such a strong presence, why doesn`t the fire service have a major role in what goes on in this state and every other state in the nation? Could it be that the people in power know we`re not united?
Police agencies work together every day to apprehend criminals, pass on vital information, and share new ideas pertaining to law enforcement. This is accomplished in an atmosphere of trust and mutual respect. But, this is not always the case in the fire service.
Police have learned a long time ago that to carry out their mission they need to communicate with their neighboring departments and the state and the nation. When was the last time you talked with your neighboring chief (monthly chiefs` meeting and state conferences don`t count) about fire or personnel problems within your area?
For some reason, if a neighboring chief shows a little too much interest in your department, you automatically ask, “What`s he up to?” Suspicion rears its ugly head, and the defense mechanism goes into effect. For some unknown reason, a lot of chiefs “covet thy neighbor`s territory.”
If there was ever a time for the fire service to be united, it`s now! There is usually some rationale for a department`s wanting to take over another, but the plain truth is that unless the merger is mutual, the only people who win are the media. Each side uses the media to point out the other`s weaknesses. When all is said and done, the real loser is the fire service. All the fire service would do well to remember the words of a well-known hymn that says, “Kings and kingdoms shall all pass away.” Our mission has been, and always will be, to save lives and property. Bigger is not always better!
Just look back to 10 years ago, and try to remember hearing the words “downsizing,” “rightsizing,” “flattening of the organization,” and “layoffs.” During the past 10 years, that`s exactly what we`ve experienced. Federal and state governments continue to provide major funding for law enforcement and “crumbs” for the fire service. The National Fire Academy continues to be the least funded academy in the United States.
Animal experts tell me that lions hide in the tall grass waiting for male impalas to start fighting to see who will lead the herd. The lions do this because they know that the two fighting males become so preoccupied with fighting each other that they do not see the danger coming until it`s too late. How tall is your grass?
I believe the threat to America`s fire service from outside forces will continue to grow. If we continue to fight among ourselves, that threat will become a reality. Cooperation between each other–no suspicion–would go a long way to bring about the strong, influential force we should be. The infrastructure is already in place. We already have our presence, large and small, throughout this entire country. All that`s needed now is that we in the fire service quit fighting among ourselves and UNITE.
