She's not a firefighter, but now she gets it!.
Last week, Fire Daily shared a video forwarded us in which Palatine Council members spoke glowingly about the time they shared on a Saturday with their village’s firefighters.
Now we have the video of the actual Fire Ops program these council members and others attended in northwest suburban Chicago. This particular Fire Ops 101 program was offered by Palatine, Rolling Meadows, Arlington Heights, Mount Prospect, and Des Plaines Fire Department’s IAFF locals in an attempt to enhance the relationship between firefighters and those who make decisions for them.
After watching this video, be sure to check out how those who hold the purse strings reacted to their time spent with their firefighters. You will be blown away at what they have to say.
Here’s another video from north suburban Evanston, Illinois recorded last year, courtesy of Evanston’s Local 742. It also includes the immediate reaction reaction (read: payoff) of many of the local administration who attended. Again, time well spent.
Many of us have made the visits to schools, churches, and community centers during Fire Prevention Week . We talk to our citizens about the importance of smoke detectors, and we teach children how to stop drop and roll. We hope this type of fire prevention will save property and lives.
Now we should add one other cog to the fire prevention machinery- getting a message across to those decision-makers about what we need to do what we do on a daily basis.
Like teaching kids how to crawl on the floor and feel the door, our fire prevention message to those who hold our purse strings can be just as important as it relates to our ability to effectively save property and lives.
This type of program is an absolute must if we desire the equipment, the staffing, and the training necessary to provide a vital, top-notch service to our communities. Let’s work to bring public safety back to where it belongs- off-limits to the budget axes swinging these days.
To find out more on this much-needed and highly successful program, please visit the IAFF’s website here, or google Fire Ops 101 for more information including success stories and videos from across the nation.
Stay stoked!
-J
Also on Fire Daily…
- Video: Worst Fire Department in the United States? – January 19, 2012
- Video: Fire officials tell public to “SHUT UP!” at meeting. See how well that went over… – January 12, 2012
- WARNING: This video is graphic and depicts a man being rescued from his burning home. – January 30, 2013
- Listen to the Firefighter Netcast’s Stand Down for Behavioral Health- Part 1 – February 3, 2012
