Funding & Staffing

Some visitors to the site or readers of TSL think that we are trying to eliminate risk. That's ridiculous. This is a risky job and some risks must absolutely be taken. Additionally, some LODD"s are not avoidable and those who perform those are as heroic as anyone can get. That's not the ones we are talking about. We are talking about the unnecessary risks, the ones where firefighters and officers did things that resulted in nothing other than to get themselves hurt or killed.

Why in the hell do we have such strict regulations like clean driving records, no convictions, no drug use, random drug tests...How come we are held to a higher standard only to be replaced by some convicts. I will tell you why. We are held to a higher standard because we are firefighters. We have to be trusted by the public. We cannot afford to have our citizens worrying about whether or not they can trust us. We are firefighters...not convicts.

As a fire service, we have a duty to make sure every attempt is made to utilize these grants. If we do not, the funding might not be there next year. Plus, free money? Who doesn't want that. Maybe you don't even know where to begin when writing a grant. There are several grant writing firms out there. Some offer customized grant writing, others offer samples of successful grants. What is $50 - $2000 (the higher for custom grant writing) when you could recieve thousands and maybe tens of thousands of dollars in grant money?

Firefighter Dan was created by volunteer firefighter and educational animator Tim Saguinsin. He is looking to raise funds for Firefighter Dan's Safety Tips through Kickstarter which is an online community funding platform. The community is based on offering rewards as incentives to give.

HUH? Speak for yourself. You are not talking about my department...not our firefighters. That is where some of this got personal. That the IAFC would allow this guy to come back and give a similar talk to 2007. Maybe I am missing something. Maybe I don't have a clue about firefighting at all. Maybe all of the great instructors in the American fire service don't have a clue and we need a wake up call from a Dr. in Sweden.

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This is not a new debate...This debate is as old and as tired as smooth vs. fog, vollie vs. paid, and the chicken vs. egg. The debate is just in a new place, and it is the beancounters debating it. Why are so many "Fire Departments" called "Fire Departments"? Here is the answer: because in most places it has been the "Fire Department" for 100+ years and everyone knows the name. When the shit hits the fan...they call us and we go to work...

That number is so low, maybe because over time we have altered the criteria of what a "structure fire" actually is. In a sense, we have done a great job with fire prevention via the old No.2 pencil!

Silberberg's article is a well written piece meant to get people to their feet. To educate them that cuts to public safety can effect anyone and everyone. That public safety cuts are not the answer and that cuts MUST be made elsewhere! Mahnoney's article is meant to get firefighters to stand up. To educate the poorer communities that public safety cuts show that their governement does not care about them if they are willing to cut their services.

It took around 2 years for the Cape Coral Fire Department (Florida) to learn a very costly lesson about brownouts. Firefighters don't need to look any further for proof that brownouts don't make sense and are unfair and unsafe for citizens. As a firefighter, I really want to say "We told you so", but that isn't professional. Indeed, firefighters have been pointing to brownouts being unfair and unsafe for citizens, but in this case it might have cost someone their life.