by Richard Marinucci
A few years ago, Tom Peters and Robert Waterman wrote a business book entitled, In Search of Excellence. The premise was to find companies and corporations that were very successful and try to determine the characteristics that contributed to the success. It was sort of a benchmarking exercise—not just to compare but to look deeper into the contributing factors that elevate an organization to the top of its profession. Someone could probably do the same for the fire service and identify contributing factors.
I am not so inclined to get too far into details about this or do enough research to write a book. What I would like to do is note a couple of opinions I have solidified through some recent travels. I have been to the Fort Worth, Texas, and Hong Kong Fire Departments in the past few months. I have had a chance to visit their training facilities. Both are incredible. I am not sure of the cost of the Fort Worth complex, but the one in Hong Kong cost more than one-half billion dollars!!! First, this tells me that training firefighters in these communities is very important, and the competence of the fire service is valued. This is not just those in the fire service but the policy makers and community must be very supportive to provide not only the initial capital but on going expenses to staff and maintain.
Almost everywhere, people express support for the fire service and their local agencies. But, how many actually put their money where their mouth is? These training centers are testaments to the leadership of the organizations who had to convince their community to spend the money. It also shows that there are politicians who value their fire service enough to make the investment. When there is a demonstrated commitment to excellence by the entire community, there is no doubt that the end product will be much better. I realize there are many other organizations with great training facilities around the country and world. I cannot list them all and only mentioned the two above because of recent visits and how impressed I was by the dedication to training that was obvious. My point is that there are particular signs and symbols that go beyond mere words to express support. Just talking to people doesn’t say it all. Looking at how communities invest in their fire departments says so much more.
Speaking of support, I hope all communities do as much to help firefighter health and wellness, especially in the area of cancer and mental well-being. Research continues to show that firefighters are more susceptible to certain types of cancer. I don’t think the risk of contracting cancer can be eliminated based on what we know, but there are things that can be done to reduce the risk. Again, it comes down to a jurisdiction being committed to helping and showing that commitment with the necessary funding. It can be easily argued that PPE needs to be cleaned after every exposure. This means that departments need washing machines or extractors and a second set of gear for personnel. What does that say if monies are denied for equipment that can improve the prospects for a healthier life? It is one thing to say that firefighters are our most valuable resource. It is another to financially commit.
As I write this, wildfires are raging again in California. Obviously, conditions are just right to allow this devastation. My hats off to all the firefighters putting themselves in harm’s way to help minimize the damage and save as much property as they can. This reemphasizes to me the willingness of firefighters to do whatever it takes to help the community. Recent years have seen some places take shots at firefighters. Here in Michigan, the Sta