The Arizona Fire Chiefs Association Conference was a hot one — 113°F hot, and exactly like what you’d expect July in Arizona to feel like.
The five days of programs were geared toward the more than 330 chiefs and officers in attendance, with a group of young fire cadets listening in the back and waiting to assist. The group was intense and energized, seemingly solar-powered by the Arizona sunshine.
Last week I told you about the area’s SHARE initiative, but other areas also are worth mentioning.
Fire departments in the Valley of the Sun have worked hard to form partnerships. Phoenix and other valley fire departments share a regional dispatch center and created a model for automatic aid. Fire chiefs throughout the state are reaching out for help with their rapidly expanding communities, staffing demands, EMS needs and station planning.
Ina Wintrich, the director of the Arizona State University Fire Service Institute Program, facilitated a discussion among some 90 chiefs and officers at the Fire Chiefs Issues Forum. She is an amazing facilitator who coaxed and challenged the group to discuss what was great about their departments, their opportunities and challenges, and where they might need help.
Tempe Fire Chief Cliff Jones said two things have been successful for his department: automatic aid and accreditation. “That peer assessment group has come back with great recommendations,” he said.
Many of the chiefs face issues of growth and staffing. “We’re growing faster than we can keep up with,” said an officer from Buckeye. With that growth comes more fire department positions and promotions than ever before. According to an EMS officer from Mesa, 45% of department members are new to their position. Several officers commented on the need to tap into retiring fireground officers and somehow inject that experience into new firefighters.
A chief officer from Phoenix commented that it was his first time at the chiefs’ conference and that he appreciated “being able to re-engage with a number of other chiefs. We’re not a bottomless pit of information.” I was truly amazed at the energy and openness I found among the members of the Arizona Fire Chiefs Association.
Staffing, budgets and training issues are common concerns across North America. The difference I found was that in this region, a good majority of the city managers and mayors understand this growth and invest in developing public services, particularly fire and EMS.
No wonder Arizona is the fastest-growing state in the country.
August 6th, 2007 @ 11:17 am
I was so impressed with the different topics and seminars offered at this conference that I wrote an article for our local newsletter describing each element I was able to attend. I spoke with others from the Tucson Valley about the content of the conference and they we equally impressed. I’ve been in the fire service 38 years and I can say unequivocally that there is so much going on in our profession that we must continue to get everyone involved at every level. That includes people from inside and outside the fire service. Not just to reduce firefighter fatalities, but to also enable us to deal with the demand for services provided by public safety agencies.