http://blog.firechief.com/mutual_aid Leadership Issues from Fire Service Chiefs and Officers Fri, 16 May 2008 15:26:24 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en As a still-grieving Charleston, S.C., prepares for a memorial next month to honor the nine firefighters who died last year, the analysis and fallout continue. Last week, the National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health released its draft report on the fire. Earlier this week, Chief Rusty Thomas retired. And ... http://blog.firechief.com/mutual_aid/2008/05/16/errors-and-omissions/ In 2000, my oldest son, Dale, now a commander in the U.S. Navy, and I wrote a two-part series for Fire Chief magazine entitled “Wave of the Future.” (Click here for parts one and two) We compared and contrasted certain historical developments and organizational characteristics that simultaneously developed within the ... http://blog.firechief.com/mutual_aid/2008/05/14/welcome-returning-vets/ Next month, the American fire service will remember the nine Charleston, S.C., firefighters who died in the Sofa Super Store fire on June 18, 2007. The local media will carry reports and tributes. The fire service media, however, will be asking questions. In the immediate aftermath of the fire, ... http://blog.firechief.com/mutual_aid/2008/05/08/lingering-questions/ I’m currently a member of the ranks of the unemployed in the United States. I had retired from Chesterfield (Va.) Fire & EMS Department, my employer for more than 25 years, to pursue a second career in the private sector managing a small EMS service in southeastern Ohio. I’d been ... http://blog.firechief.com/mutual_aid/2008/05/07/21st-century-job-hunt/ This past week, FIRE CHIEF hosted its third Station Style conference in Phoenix. And I’m pleased to say that it was a success. Phoenix Fire Department Executive Asst. Chief Steve Kreis welcomed the chiefs, officers, commissioners and architects. “Probably some of the most expensive things we do in the fire service, ... http://blog.firechief.com/mutual_aid/2008/05/02/trusted-advice/ A couple of weeks ago, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate coordinated a demonstration of voice interoperability between six different manufacturers’ systems using a new Bridging System Interface. During the demonstration, gear from Motorola, Scitec, Valcom, Cisco Systems, Clarity Communications Systems and Twisted Pair Solutions were ... http://blog.firechief.com/mutual_aid/2008/05/01/interoperability-impact/ It had been a long, hard winter, but finally Chicago has spring fever. Temperatures have reached the 70s five days in a row. It’s the perfect weather to sit outside with a good book. In my February FIRE CHIEF editorial, I suggested that fire chiefs form a book club similar ... http://blog.firechief.com/mutual_aid/2008/04/25/story-hour/ On the evening of April 1, after two very productive days of intense brainstorming and in-depth discussions, the curtain finally came down on the first act of the Vision 20/20’s National Strategic Agenda for Fire Loss Prevention. This forum gathered more than 170 participants who represented the who’s who of ... http://blog.firechief.com/mutual_aid/2008/04/22/the-first-act/ April is a strange month. It starts off lightly with April Fools’ Day, becomes stressful midway through the month with tax day, and ends with anticipation while waiting to see if all those showers will give way. For the fire service, April is a full month of meetings and conferences ... http://blog.firechief.com/mutual_aid/2008/04/18/lighter-side/ Apparatus manufacturer Rosenbauer recently held a 10th anniversary celebration. One of the company’s U.S. partners is Kevin Kirvida, who is president of General Safety Equipment in Wyoming, Minn. He was on a mission — he wanted everyone know about three fellow Minnesotans. He told their story to those of us ... http://blog.firechief.com/mutual_aid/2008/04/16/mission-statement/