Forward Progress
Wilson (N.C.) Fire Rescue often has served as a beta-test agency for new GIS technology. On a recent road trip, I visited Wilson and found that GIS isn’t the mid-sized suburban department’s only innovation.
Chief Don Oliver offered to let me stay in the fire department’s VIP suite, a new concept to me. Oliver said that when the central fire station was flooded several years ago during a hurricane, the department turned an office into a small guest suite. The suite has given Oliver an economical way to invite instructors and chiefs from all over the country to visit and teach a course. Staying in the station also offers informal time with department personnel. The suite’s guest book includes signatures of Chief Billy Goldfeder, NFFF Executive Director Ron Siarnicki and Chief Ron Coleman.
Staying in the station also gave me a chance to see for myself exactly how Wilson’s GIS technology works for the department. The department first showed interest in GIS after a hurricane flooded many areas of the city. Department leaders were surprised to hear that the city’s planning department knew ahead of time what areas would flood. They began discussing options to share the information among the city’s agencies; consequently, ESRI became involved and began using Wilson as a test site.
I noticed a couple things during my tour of the station that I had not seen in other stations: a round conference table (“Works better for staff meetings,” Oliver said), signage on doors prohibiting turnout gear in living quarters; and security systems on doors to both living areas.
Another purpose of my visit was to see Wilson’s new Fire & Life Safety Adventure House for a future article. The department purchased a small house next to its central station and converted it to a multi-purpose education facility. Firefighters did the work themselves, and the facility offers a broad range of instruction for youngsters, senior citizens and the community at large. In fact, Oliver had local businesses visit the house, including members of a homebuilders association, and said they were blown away by the live-fire demonstration that is extinguished by a working sprinkler head.
Wilson runs a tight training program in conjunction with a local college and offers students an opportunity to stay in fire stations and attend classes to continue their education. He told me they have students from across the country attending the training programs.
Dinner in the station with the B shift also offered an opportunity to talk to the firefighters about their work. No visit to a fire station is complete without a firefighter prank. This one involved an unsuspecting baker’s pineapple cake and liquid soap. The frosting, however, was perfect.
While I have my own scanner and I’m used to the tones, I must admit I did a good job of falling back asleep after the tones went down for several calls during the night.
There is a 30-minute overlap in shift change and for morning checks of each vehicle and the equipment, including the testing of each saw on the rigs. “If we don’t test each one, how can we trust it will start when we need it on a call?” a young lieutenant said.
On a tour of the other four stations and the training facility, I asked the firefighters if they realized how progressive Wilson really is? Based on their response, I don’t think they knew. I do.
October 15th, 2009 at 9:48 pm
We use the Wilson GIS CD at the National Fire Academy during the FPSEO (Fire Protection Systems for Emergency Operations) class to expose our students to the benefits of GIS use in preplanning as well as day to day operations.
It helps to encourage those in the fire service to seek out other city or county departments for information available in GIS for their use for incidents.
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