A Focus on the Mission … And why some succeed, and some fail
There is currently a lot of discussion nationally regarding volunteer fire departments. Just recently, USA Today ran a front page story on the subject of VFD membership and respons, and in NY, on Long Island, the newspaper Newsday is running a week long in-depth series about the VFD’s on Long Island.
Volunteer FD’s. Some are very successful and provide good SERVICE to those who dial
9-1-1 … and others simply do not. Generally, the BOTTOM LINE is staffing, timely response, training, leadership amongst other serious challenges. After all, saving money with a VFD may be good but if the VFD has poor response times, poor turnout, little or inadequate training or poor leadership — all issues facing some volunteer FD’s (and some non-volunteer FD’s as well), the money savings is B.S. The community “feels” like they are protected … but are they? The true answers are always known by those who carry the fire pagers.
Join Radio@Firehouse.Com’s Through The Smoke radio program with host Billy Goldfeder and his guests this week: Former Chief, Dr. Bill Jenaway, a nationally-recognized authority on the volunteer fire service, Chief Randy O’Donnell of West End Fire & Rescue in Shippensburg, PA and Former Chief Crawford Wiestling, President of Investigative Loss Control, Inc., in Minneapolis, MN, for an intimate discussion on why some volunteer fire departments succeed … and why some fail.
Related Links
• IAFC VCOS Red and Blue Ribbon Reports on the Volunteer Fire Service
• PA’s SR 60 Legislation for the Fire Service
• West End Fire & Rescue Company
• National Volunteer Fire Council “Cost Saving” Calculator
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