Here’s a question for you: What will the long-term effects of COVID-19 have on the fire service?
There have definitely been many changes and adaptations directly related to the virus. But the questions that I have not heard much discussion about are the consequences of a virtual elimination of many fire-prevention plans and a change in priorities of training. Being a firm believer that prevention efforts work, whether inspections or public education, I have concerns that there will be an uptick in fires due to the lack of attention in this area.
From my unofficial surveys, the majority of fire departments greatly scaled back or eliminated routine inspection programs and public fire safety presentation due to “social distancing.” In the real world, this change doesn’t lead to an immediate increase in fires or their severity. But it is reasonable to ask if there will be a negative impact on those communities that cut back. And when will that change be realized? There are other questions that should be asked, too.
There should be some concern as to the viewpoint of the policy-makers and politicians. Will there be a reduction in budgets and/or personnel if there is no immediate increase in fires? Some of those folks don’t look too far down the road and may question the value if there is nothing changing. In their view, why pay for something that doesn’t change the outcomes? The leadership of the fire service, particularly, those with a passion for fire prevention must begin to think about this and have a strategy to counteract those who want to take advantage of this situation.
The same sorts of questions need to be asked internally of many departments. There has been a reduction of training and, in some cases, a change in priorities. Maybe there has not been as many hours committed to fire training, especially those intended to address preparation for low-frequency events. There have also been few in-person conferences, seminars, and workshops. I am also a big believer that good training programs make good fire departments. This includes regular and routine practice with sets and reps along with learning new things to stay current.
With fewer “live” options, will there be a decline in performance and/or errors made due to a lack of current information? Again, leadership needs to be prepared. If one could argue that nothing has changed and departments are just as competent, then there is no need to reinstate previous training programs. How will you answer that if asked?
Speaking of conferences, the FDSOA just completed its annual safety conference in Scottsdale. While attendance was down a bit due to COVID issues, the attendance was good, and the program well-received.
One thing that I found interesting was the participation by members of FDNY and little participation by other large, metro organizations. Obviously, FDNY has resources in-house to train their personnel. They have more incidents than anyone, so their experience is more than others. They also, in my opinion, have a greater variety and more unusual incidents than almost anyone in the world. Yet, the attitude of those who attended was that they can learn from others and need to get out of their comfort zone. It was very refreshing and sets a great example for others. I am not sure why other large organizations did not send anyone (with the exception of San Diego Fire).
Was it financial? Was it a lack of awareness of the conference? Is it a belief that they can learn best internally? I am not in a position to speculate other than to say that the largest fire department in America thought it important enough to send a crew to see what was available. And, after talking to the attendees, they all said they got a lot out of the conference.
Recently I was a panelist to interview candidates for promotion to the position of fire chief. I have done many of these over the years yet am still puzzled by the lack of preparation of many who are seeking the position. In this case I am talking about being prepared for the interview; though it would also be easy to discuss overall preparation. Why do people show up and not have any idea of the type of questions that will be asked and have good answers ready?
And those that have done a little preparation by going to the internet (the new answer to everything) are not prepared for any follow-up questions. If you are seeking a promotion, regardless of whether it is for chief of department or any other rank, be prepared. Don’t just wing it. Ask around your network and get ready for the opportunity.
