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.
Interoperability Impact
Story Hour
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.
The First Act
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.
Lighter Side
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.
Mission Statement
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 who shared his table at a small dinner in Sioux Falls, S.D. The following evening at the company’s formal celebration, he repeated the story for all the dealers, media and others in attendance.
In Honor
The haunting sound of the lone bagpipe lingers in my ears. There isn’t a dry eye as I watch the final hugs at the cemetery. I am miles away at the studio of WKRC-TV in Cincinnati trying to add a firefighter’s perspective to the procession.
Free for All
How many free baseball caps, buttons or thermal cups do you really need? Trade show freebies are nice, but one company came up with a different approach to attract show attendees to their booth.
Cultural Change Vs. Risk Management
What better gift is there than to pull a structure fire on your birthday? It was a warm summer evening and I was straddling the roof peak of a single-family residence, looking out over the lights of south-suburban Denver.
Problem Solver
Fire safety education. That idea doesn’t give the same adrenalin rush as the wail of a siren or the sight of black, billowing smoke, does it? I’ve been around the fire service long enough to remember when the most memorable things about fire-safety education were the animals: Sparky the Fire Dog or Smokey Bear.
Trip to the Mall
Firefighters and fire trucks bring out the child in adults. There’s just something about those big red (or yellow or white) fire trucks that draws people like bees to honey.
The Congressional Fire Services Institute couldn’t have come up with a better way to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the annual National Fire Services Dinner than to take over the National Mall on Wednesday, April 2, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., to display fire and emergency service personnel and apparatus.
