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Issues . . .
The
word “issues” is a bit of an overworked buzz word these
days. The term seems to apply to problems,
disagreements and even troubled relationships. While we
hope that there are not many fire service related
matters in the latter two categories, we as members of
the Colorado State Fire Chiefs’ Association do have
“issues”. Here are some that merit your thought,
concern and action.
1.
We
recently laid to rest a young fire officer and family
man, Captain Shane Stewart, as a result of a line of
duty death. The issues that are the root cause these
tragic events are well known to all of us. Safety is a
management responsibility and we as individuals are
ultimately responsible for our own safety. We as a fire
service in the whole must continue to address these
issues.
2.
The
health of our Colorado Forests is an issue now and it
will be for many years in the future. This significant
“powder keg” that we sit upon in terms of the dry
wildland fuel load holds a potentially devastating blow
for us as well as the ecology and economy of the State.
The problem is not just for our forested lands and
interface areas, but also threatens the water supply for
the entire Front Range and Plains. We must continue to
draw attention to this situation in government forums
and among our citizens, now and in the future.
3.
The
built environment is an issue. We live in a world where
conveniences are paramount regardless of the hazard that
they may represent. Balancing proper built-in fire and
safety systems with the desire for and cost of our
conveniences will always be a challenging issue for us.
4.
Age
is an issue. You won’t get much argument from me on
that. However, we are all seeing the impacts of an
aging population upon our workloads. Older citizens
have always had special service needs and the number of
these types of calls will increase dramatically with the
aging of the “baby boomer” generations. We need to find
creative and cost effective ways to serve our older
citizens with the type of compassionate and helpful
service that is the trademark of the fire service.
5.
The
proper flow of information and the sharing of ideas
among our peers is an issue. With many of Colorado’s
smaller fire departments absent from our membership
roles, the flow of valuable information and its
subsequent feedback remains a challenge for the Colorado
State Fire Chiefs’ Association and its members.
Encouraging our peers to participate and share both at
our Association level and at the local association level
is a responsibility of all of us.
Your
Association is very much focused on these and other
important issues. Your help, input, opinions and
compassionate concern are needed. So, next time you
hear someone say that they have “issues”, you can that
we have issues as well. In the case of our issues,
let’s all work together to address them.
Be safe.
Sincerely,
Douglas P. Forsman, President
Fire Chief,
Union Colony Fire Rescue Authority
Posted 4/16/08 |
