Wildfires are dangerous beasts that consume acreage at massive speeds. They not only threaten citizens and their property, but also those firefighters tasked with getting the fire under control before anyone is hurt. Southern California has been battling multiple wildfires this year that have threatened lives and property. Firefighters throughout the state have done their best to protect people and property. And I was saddened to learn that on Sunday, two firefighters gave the ultimate sacrifice. They lost their lives near Acton, Calif., when their vehicle rolled down a mountain side.

Fire Capt. Tedmund Hall, 47, of San Bernardino County, and firefighter Specialist Arnaldo “Arnie” Quinones, 35, of Palmdale, were killed in the crash, the department said in a statement. Authorities did not give a cause for the crash. Hall was a 26-year veteran, and Quinones had been a county firefighter for eight years.

I just returned from Fire-Rescue International, where many sessions focused on supporting and raising money for fallen firefighters. It’s what makes the fire service a community, not a job. So let’s do our best as a community to support these family members who lost their loved ones in the California wildfires and remember them in our prayers.

The first general session at Fire-Rescue International certainly had plenty of good — and even some history-making — news.

Fire Chief magazine announced the winners of the 14th annual Fire Chief of the Year awards. The Career Chief of the Year Award was presented to Chief Randy Bruegman, Fresno (Calif. Fire Department and the Volunteer Chief of the Year was presented to Chief James P. Seavey Sr., Cabin John Park (Md.) Volunteer Fire Department. Co-presenting the award with me was Wilson Jones, president of Pierce Manufacturing, sponsor of the awards.

Bruegman, a 30-year veteran of the fire service, began his career as a volunteer in Nebraska and progressed to serve as chief in California, Illinois and Oregon. He is author of three fire service text books and served in a variety of national leadership roles for the past 18 years, including past president of the IAFC. In addition to his role in Fresno, Bruegman currently serves as president of the board of directors for the Center for Public Safety Excellence.

Seavey began his career as a junior member and volunteer in 1976. He has served as chief of Cabin John Park Fire Department since 1992. Seavey has served on the board of the National Volunteer Fire Council, IAFC’s Eastern Division and as chairman of the Maryland State Fireman’s Association.

Following the Chief of the Year awards, Motorola Vice President Kelly Kirwan presented the Ben Franklin Award for Valor. Kirwan told the moving story of how Firefighter Nicholas DiGiacomo, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, risked his own life to save of two people trapped below deck in a burning boat. DiGiacomo offered his own SCBA and suffered injuries while trying to extricate the two.

Miami-Dade’s Special Operations Chief Ray Barreto placed the medal around DiGiacomo’s neck, while the audience gave a standing ovation.

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano was on hand to thank the fire service for its commitment to their communities. “When something happens, they are not going to call Washington, D.C.; they’re calling you and their local departments.”

Napolitano said DHS is now the third-largest agency in the federal government with over 210,000 employees from what used to be twenty-two separate agencies. She acknowledged that fire and emergency services are experiencing hardships and stated that since 2001, over $4 billion has been appropriated for the Assistance to Firefighters and SAFER Grants.

Napolitano also asked for “input and assistance” from the U.S. fire service for a quadrennial review within the government and created a Web site specifically for input: homelanddialog.org.

“This is a place to input comments or thoughts about DHS,” Napolitano said. “We’re at a level where we’re sculpting the strategy for the future.”

Napolitano also made history at the conference by swearing in the new U.S. Fire Administrator Kelvin Cochran. Cochran, former chief in Atlanta and Shreveport, La., took the oath of office to “…support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies.”

In his address, the new U.S. fire administrator recognized and thanked the USFA staff for their work and efforts for the fire service. Cochran then recognized the staff of the Atlanta Fire Department, the Shreveport Fire Department and then introduced his family in attendance.

Cochran will be the keynote speaker for Friday morning’s general session.

The attendance appears to be down at the individual sessions, but the exhibits open Friday morning and traffic is likely to pick up.

By Corey Landry

Traditionally the fire service maintains several items: red fire trucks, rank structure and leather helmets to name a few. Tradition is an important part of the fire service, but at the same time we need to evolve and grow as our members evolve and grow. We have to be cautious of what we call tradition. A wise fire chief once told me that, “Tradition is what we call something that we do when we don’t know why we do it.”

As the Pepsi-generation and Generation Xers evolve into our firefighters and mid-managers, we need to adapt and evolve to serve their needs and identify with them. If you think that we have too many group hugs now just wait just wait for the next generation of firefighters who have the helicopter parents.

Today’s management needs to work as a group with everybody on the day to day operations. These generations need to know what is going on, what is in the big picture and how it affects them individually. Can we continue the way of “because I told you so”? The answer is yes we can, but it will ultimately result in higher turnover and lower morale. Mangers today have to identify and change this.

Does this mean serious changes? Not for the vast majority. Simple items like asking the most junior firefighter his opinion outside the earshot of anybody else and be sincere. Involve people that will be affected by any change, simple things like picking a room color for the day room, true we are not going to make everybody happy and yes we are not going to get everybody to agree on one color, but subordinates always appreciate a true and sincere attempt to hear them, maybe as simple as a paint color.

The fire service is constantly compared to the police service. Why are we different? My response is simple; a police officer does 99% of their job alone and a firefighter does 99% of their job with somebody else. It is the nature of the business; firefighters need to be that one cohesive team. We need to encourage that team concept from the top to the bottom.

One large change we have implemented in an effort to build toward a better team concept, although it may be perceived as a direct attack on the tradition of the fire service, is the shirt color for all officers. Our primary shirt color for all personnel is dark blue. This change was met with some resistance from firefighters and officers. I’m pleased to report it is been about six months now and it is like we have been doing this forever. Some concerns were that the public would not know who was in charge. Looking at this it was realized that the majority of the fire calls an officer responds to they are wearing turnout gear with their white helmet identifying their rank. A substantial number of our calls are medical and on those a firefighter paramedic is in charge and neither of the two firefighters wear a different color shirts. For the last 20 plus years this has never seemed to be a problem.

Seeing the interaction of the firefighters and my chief officers it is clear that the relations have improved; the subtle difference in the shirt color has dropped that stigma. You don not see or feel the tense condition in a room when a “shirt” would walk in wearing a white uniform. I agree, there are times when a chief officer needs to be in a white shirt, absolutely, such as a council meeting, discipline hearings, etc. The fact that the white shirt only comes out occasionally allows it to draw greater attention as intended.

Baseball has the ideal team approach; there is no way for a team to win without teamwork. From high school through the major leagues the coaches and managers wear the same uniform as all the players. The players, the other team, the fans and the umpires know who is in charge.

This is a small step but a positive non-verbal step in communicating with all the members of your fire department that we are all on the same team, we are all working toward the same goals and we are all in it for each other.

A few names always pop up as the respected sources on emergency vehicles. Among the elders of fire apparatus, Bill Darley of Darley, Bill Foster of Spartan Chassis and Bob Barraclough still can be found answering questions and solving apparatus problems at industry shows and conferences.

This month, Barraclough celebrates 50 years in the fire service industry. He is the son of a volunteer firefighter, grew up across the street from a firehouse and owned a Dalmatian. Barraclough joined his hometown DuBois (Pa.) Volunteer Hose Company #1 at age 18 and became an apparatus operator at 21.

Barraclough joined the Navy in 1963, where he was assigned to the U.S.S. Enterprise as a fire marshal. Eventually, he became an instructor at the Naval Damage Control Training School and participated in research on a new foam agent called Light Water with the Naval Research Lab. After the military, Barraclough joined National Foam and continued to promote foam with fire departments.

Barraclough’s interest in the NFPA standards process began with the NFPA 414, Crash Truck, and he devoted more than 22 years to NFPA 1901. Passionate about foam and fire trucks, Barraclough first spoke at FDIC in Memphis in the late seventies and started his writing career with Firehouse in 1978.

Barraclough moved from sales positions with National Foam and Hale Pumps to vice president at E-One, Span Instruments and Class 1. His wealth of knowledge has served him well as a consultant, instructor, writer and instigator.

Yes, I said “instigator.” Barraclough is not afraid to take on issues or even create a few new ones in the interest of improvements. He has a penchant for looking out for those who can’t or won’t speak up.

In the early eightiess, Barraclough, Foster, Boyd Cole and a couple other fire chiefs approached the IAFC to host a focus group on safety and maintenance issues for fire mechanics. The result was the IAFC’s Apparatus Maintenance Section. Barraclough also convinced Executive Director Mary McCormack and the Fire Department Safety Officers Association to start an Apparatus Specification and Maintenance Symposium — now in its 21st year.

Barraclough’s travels to the German mega-fire show Interschutz resulted in a series of popular presentations to American fire departments on European ideas for emergency vehicles — simpler pump panels, lighting, storage and ergonomically designed vehicles.

Perhaps one of the best-loved roles that “Sweet Old Bob” has perfected with age is his ability to bring together a wide-range of people. Barraclough seeks out the newcomers to the industry and offers insight and wisdom. If Barraclough takes you under his wing and invites you to one of his intimate dinners for 20 or so of his friends, it’s like receiving an imprimatur.

Anyone who knows Barraclough knows that the fire service and its industry are Bob’s life. His wife, Betts, would agree, as would his children, Scott and Holly. Hopefully, grandson Will and granddaughter Samantha will understand their grandfather’s life passion once they older. I hope they do, because many of his friends in this industry understand and appreciate Bob Barraclough mentoring and influence and thank him for 50 years of commitment to the fire service.

Out of all the host cities for the International Association of Fire Chiefs’ Fire-Rescue International, Dallas just might be my favorite. It’s certainly not because of the 100-plus-degree temperatures, but rather because I’ve been to Dallas the most for FRI. I like the Dallas Convention Center (especially the sculptures in front of the building) and I like the easy atmosphere of the Big D.

Next week’s FRI program promises an interesting array of programs and activities, and it’s been tough for me to choose my top-five “Don’t Miss” programs for 2009. But here goes:

1. 1] Presentations by DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano and FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate and the swearing-in of the newly appointed U.S. Fire Administrator Kelvin Cochran during Thursday’s general session, beginning at 8:30 a.m.


2. 2] The presentation of FIRE CHIEF’s 2009 Fire Chief of the Year Awards, also during Thursday’s general session. This is the 14th year of the Chief of the Year awards, sponsored by Pierce, and the editorial advisory board selected well-deserving recipients.


3. 3] “WK50: International Solutions for Tough Times,” on Thursday featuring speaker Chris Gannon and presented by the Institution of Fire Engineers and the IAFC. Gannon has been characterized as a “fire mercenary” and an international Robin Hood for the fire service for his ability to establish and develop fire departments where none existed before. According to IFE Coordinator Bill Kehoe, Gannon’s presentation is applicable to chiefs of any size department. “Gannon will inspire everyone going through some tough times to gain a new appreciation for what they can do.”


4. 4] Newly added programs throughout the conference. Topics include “Point and Counterpoint on Presumption Laws and the National League of Cities’ TriData Report: Assessing State Firefighter Cancer,” “Maintaining First-responder Capabilities During H1N1 Pandemic,” and “What does Ricci v. DeStefano Mean to Your Department?”


5. 5] The IAFC Foundation’s Fit-to-Fight 5-kilometer run on Saturday. There will also be a 2-kilometer walk or a 1 mile fun run. Proceeds will support the foundation’s scholarship program for chiefs and officers to further their education. The event is sponsored by FIT, ARA Safety.

And, of course, don’t miss stopping by to see the FIRE CHIEF staff at Booth 1602.

If you jumped at the opportunity to apply for one of the Department of Homeland Security’s Assistance to Firefighters Fire Station Construction Grants,you were not alone in your excitement.

Earlier this year, Congress appropriated $210 million for this fiscal year 2009 program as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The SCG was designed to provide financial assistance directly to fire departments on a competitive basis to build new or modify existing fire stations and be better prepared to respond and protect the communities served.

According to Brian Cowan, director of the FIRE Grants program, 6,025 applications for SCG funding were received for a total of $9.9 billion. Billion! While the number of applications were about what I would have guessed, the dollar amount was staggering. I asked Cowan if he thought the response was successful.

“What constitutes success? I think it is characteristic of the application period,” Cowan said. “As long as we receive enough applications we’re happy and we obviously reached that goal. The real success is if we can have effective grant awards and the presumption that with 100 or so [grants] we will be.”

Cowan added that technically the funds are available until Sept.30, 2010, but of course, the program was designed to stimulate the economy now and the AFG is moving as quickly as possible to disperse funding. The initial reviews were completed last month.

“There’s a lot of interest and we’re trying to get through with the financial review process on the business side.” Cowan added that no final decisions have be made on any of the applications at this time.

It is going to be interesting to see how the final numbers on the SCG break out. Will small, rural departments seeking less than six figures be well-represented in disbursement versus larger departments seeking $5 million? When there are so many departments in need, how do you effectively spread $210 million to help fire departments? How much does community risk weigh in the SCG’s decision? Is there any possibility there will be a second appropriation of funds for Station Construction Grants in the future?

FEMA’s Assistance to Firefighter Grants program continues to be one of the best federal programs in the United States Government. While there are no easy decisions and no easy answers, Cowan and his team are certainly aware that the needs of the U.S. fire service far exceed dollars available.

Deciphering need versus want is never an easy decision even when you’re sitting on $210 million.

By Dave Murphy

I am not a huge fan of modern television. My mindless wandering of non-fulfilling channels drives me crazy and I usually give up and go on to bed. However, I recently watched (for the third or fourth time) the History Channel’s presentation of “Band of Brothers,” which details the exploits of the U.S. Army 101st Airborne — specifically the men of Easy Company — during World War II. Tom Brokow labeled these great warriors and those steadfast Americans who supported them the “greatest generation.” Brokaw was correct in bestowing this distinction.

I had the privilege of knowing one of these men — my uncle, Master Sgt. Wallace Hornsby. He went ashore at Utah Beach on D-Day. He wore the uniform proudly during the war and never hesitated to stand up for the patriotic values that he held so dear even after. Wallace died in 1968 at age 56. Other than a few faded memories, his pictures, bronze stars and a purple heart, I have very little memory of him.

Good soldiers and good firefighters share some traits. First of all, they believe in what they do and do so with willing hearts and firm resolve. My uncle was all about heart. He would call you out on any matter relating to respect of a lady or national security. If he were alive still, he would not approve of the general lack of concern regarding national security.

FIRE Act money is slowly decreasing. Federal grant money has provided for many needed and long overdue equipment upgrades in fire stations across our nation. And now those funds are drying up. But who will be the first called when the next cowardly act of terrorism is perpetrated? The U.S. fire service. And the fire service will be there to mitigate the incident long after CNN has left the scene. It is proper and fitting those federal funds are appropriated to provide safe and efficient equipment for those that must respond.

Regardless of funding, and while the bureaucrats argue over who is in charge, it is us, the new Band of Brothers, who are on the front lines. We must stand together, just as those gallant Americans did not so long ago. The fire service must continue to maintain a firm resolve and rise to the challenges that we will ultimately face. What can you do you ask? Be accountable and ready to do your part. Maintain a state of physical, mental, and professional readiness — demand that our politicians recognize that we are the first line of defense.

Dave Murphy retired as assistant chief of the Richmond (Ky.) Fire Department and currently is an associate professor in the fire-safety engineering technology program at the University of North Carolina–Charlotte. He is a past eastern director of the Fire Department Safety Officers Association.

The recent appointment of former Atlanta Fire Chief Kelvin Cochran as the new U.S. Fire Administrator might not have had stirred much excitement among some chiefs and officers who are busy struggling with budget, staffing and training issues. What difference can this administrator make in three years that could help fire departments across the nation?

Well, hang on to your helmets, because Cochran has quite a track record and a strong vision for the national fire service.

Cochran made up his mind to become a firefighter when he was a little boy. He achieved that goal in when he joined the Shreveport (La.) Fire Department in 1981. Cochran became that department’s chief 19 years later, a position he held until he became chief in Atlanta in January 2008. Cochran attended Wiley College and holds a master’s degree in industry/organizational psychology from Louisiana Tech University. He also attended the National Fire Academy.

Three years ago, the Chicago Fire Department invited Cochran to be the keynote speaker at its Life-Safety Conference on Large-Scale Incident Evacuation. Cochran gave a passionate and empowering speech about the lessons learned after hurricanes Katrina and Rita, to which Shreveport responded.

Cochran didn’t hide his frustration in his address. “We realized that the lack of knowledge of the National Response Plan and the lack of knowledge of the NIMS in the state and local level contributed to where it should have been,” Cochran said. “I believe we had plenty of time to be a little further ahead of the game to implement NIMS. We have been dealing with communication [issues] since Oklahoma and the Murrah building.” He said first responders saw it again on Sept. 11, 2001, as well as last year when Katrina hit. He encouraged awareness of three Cs — communication, coordination and cooperation — and encouraged attendees to conceptualize their city’s planning.

Current Shreveport Chief Brian Crawford worked with Cochran for 25 years and refers to him as his mentor. Crawford joined the department in 1984, but didn’t have contact with Cochran until he became a training officer.

“From the very beginning as a firefighter, I was very impressed with Cochran’s knowledge and cordialness,” Crawford said. “Kelvin brings the highest level of credibility and is so well-known through his presentations and as president of the IAFC’s Metro Chiefs’ Section.”

According to Crawford, “When he was the chief of Shreveport, Kelvin had command and control, but the reality was his empathy for the job and for the people in the fire service.”

In 2000, Crawford became the assistant to the chief and the mentoring got tougher. “I’m a very analytical person, whereas Kelvin looks at the human side and the psychological part of being a fire chief,” Crawford said. “I wouldn’t have learned that in the classroom.”

Cochran had an order of priorities that were instilled in everyone in the department and referred to “Anytime you have to make a decision in the community or in the office always think:

1) The citizen always comes first

2) The department is right behind the citizen

3) The groups in the department — firefighters, paramedics, EMTs, division of labor,

4) … then “yourself.”

“A lot of time when people make decisions that chart is flipped upside down,” Crawford said. “When things happened in the department, they found that chart got inverted and people were thinking about themselves and not the citizens and the department.”

Crawford said that Cochran also believed that the Shreveport Fire Department had equity in the community and deserved to be number one. “Kelvin would remind us, ‘Don’t risks that because once you lose it, it takes a long time to recover,” Crawford said.

“People gravitate to him because they have messages of hope and inspiration. Kelvin has a vision for the national fire service and he’s not going to be deterred.”

Over the past several years, there have been many good, constructive changes to the U.S. Fire Administration, but I’d bet money on the priorities Administrator Kelvin Cochran and Deputy Administrator Glenn Gaines set for the U.S. fire and emergency services.

What does it take to be nominated for FIRE CHIEF’s Career Chief of the Year Award? Here’s what fire service members had to say about the nominees for the 14th Annual Career Chief of the Year Award.

Chief Timothy Bosman, Riverview (Mich.) Fire Department, “is by far, the best chief I have been associated with,” wrote Deputy Chief Mitch Jensen. “He is diligent, dedicated and always puts his men and the city of Riverview foremost in his life.”

Chief Herman Brice, Palm Beach County (Fla.) Fire-Rescue, “is a fire service leader who sets the standard for integrity, honesty, commitment and passion concerning our mission,” wrote 2005 Chief of the Year Chief Smokey Dyer.

Chief Rob Brown Jr., Stafford County (Va.) Fire & Rescue, “is a visionary leader who sees beyond the confines of his own department and feels compelled to act when he sees a need or an opportunity, even when it requires additional time and effort on his part,” wrote IAFC EMS Section Chair Chief Gary Ludwig.

Chief Randy Bruegman, Fresno (Calif.) Fire Department, “is an individual that has demonstrated uncommon leadership initiative that includes service as fire chief in four different jurisdictions, an accomplished author and lecturer, and member of numerous professional organizations whose primary purpose is to continuously develop and improve the fire service,” wrote 1997 Career Chief of the Year Cliff Jones.

Chief Joseph Florentino, Little Elm (Texas) Fire Department, has a “calm demeanor [that] guides us through decisions of the effective use of our funds and that includes his constant question of ‘Is there value added to this project?’” wrote IAFC Volunteer & Combination Officer Section member and 2000 Volunteer Chief of the Year Fred Windisch.

Chief Ronald David Fowler, Monroe (N.C.) Fire Department, “has secured grants to increase fire service, and has been a tireless advocate of fire prevention and the importance of smoke detectors … also took the department from a 5 to a 3 on the ISO rating scale,” wrote Monroe Police Chief Debra Duncan.

Chief Dennis Jones, Tampa (Fla.) Fire Rescue, “diligently looked to every facet regarding emergency management, fire and EMS operations to ensure reliable safety elements for the citizens of Tampa,” wrote Asst. Chief Scott Ehlers.

“Whether it’s seeking appropriations to assure the best possible preparedness for a county of 1.8 million people, mentoring young professionals in the fire service so they may be prepared to assume leadership roles in the future or comforting an individual who has come to need the services, Chief Joseph Lello [Broward (Fla.) Sheriff’s Office Department of Fire & Emergency Rescue] instills his spirit to better humankind in all those he touches,” wrote Weston (Fla.) City Manager John Flint.

Chief Larry Mullikin, Salina (Kan.) Fire Department, “is doing more than just managing his department — he’s developing other leaders within it,” wrote his director of human resources. “On more than one occasion I have heard him reference the importance of giving his employees opportunities to learn and to lead.”

“In addition to the tremendous impacts Chief John O’Hayre [North Metro (Colo.) Fire Rescue] made for North Metro Fire Rescue District, he also made notable contributions to the advancement of the fire service on a regional, state-wide and national basis,” wrote Deputy Chief Joseph Bruce.

Chief Randall Olsen, Midwest City (Okla.) Fire Department “is always more than willing to mentor our young leadership students and spends an unprecedented amount of time with these young people,” wrote Midwest City Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Bonnie Cheatwood.

Chief Daniel Qualman, South Metro (Colo.) Fire Rescue Authority, “has built a legacy of ethical leadership that transcends the organization that he now leads,” wrote Colorado State Fire Chiefs Association President Christopher Riley. “He continues to serve the kind of leader that others wish to emulate; a blend of personal humility and professional will.”

Chief Dave Ralston, South Whatcom Fire Authority, Bellingham, Wash., possess abilities “to inspire, build consensus and bring individuals and communities together [that] were chiefly responsible for the successful synthesis of four diverse agencies into one effective, efficient fire authority,” wrote Fire Commissioner Paul Guy.

Chief Gary Weaver, Department of Public Safety, Sylvania, Ga., “donates time annually to work with the burn survivor children at Camp Oo-U-La,” wrote Mayor Margaret Evans.

Chief Jaimie Wood, Navy Region SW Regional Fire & Emergency Services Department, San Diego, shows out “superb management and oversight of one of the region’s top “customer service” programs, [which] has resulted in fire personnel receiving more awards and recognition for services than any other region,” wrote Rear Adm. L.R. Hering for the IAFC’s Federal & Military Fire Section.

The 2009 Career Chief of the Year will be named at the opening session of the International Fire-Rescue International in Dallas, Aug. 27.

It seems that newspapers, magazines and Web sites are announcing budget cuts by local governments practically every day. Public-safety and fire departments in particular are seeing their share of the budget crunch with layoffs, brownouts, station closings and training cutbacks. Other agencies are seeing the postponement of apparatus or equipment replacement and there is a nearly universal curtailment of travel and outside training.

At the same time, our residents — who also are feeling the pinch of the current economy — are adamantly opposed to new taxes. Their frustration is felt mostly at the local level because that is the only place they feel any semblance of control.

At least one of my neighboring fire departments is facing brownouts now and possible layoffs in the future. Most of its non-operational budget already had been decimated, and now it appears that fire and EMS operations won’t be spared. How did we get here? Obviously this stems primarily from the economic downturn, but why does it seem the first thing cut to balance any budget are safety services? Are politicians using the fear factor to scare voters into accepting more taxes? Sound cynical? Here’s an idea that may be worth considering in the near future.

In the greater Cincinnati area, the Hamilton County auditor W. Emerson “Dusty” Rhodes has proposed that legislatively all property taxes should expire on the same date. He believes that would provide voters an opportunity to clearly support whatever they believe is important and oppose what they believe to be superfluous. That may sound crazy, but it would allow voters collectively to prioritize where they’d want to spend their tax dollars and eliminate services they no longer wish to support.

If a person believes fire, EMS, police, schools or libraries take priority, then those taxes pass and those services are funded — there would be no general operating funds. I have the feeling that most citizens would want to adequately fund essential safety services such as fire and EMS, while looking to cut those service they may deem more frivolous.

While we live in a republic where our representatives are elected to speak on our behalf, would any of us in the fire service dread the outcome of an election where fire and EMS operations were put head to head with other money issues? If we have any reservation on the results, then what do we need to do now to provide better, more efficient service with the resources we already have today to ensure we will have adequate funding tomorrow.