Do more with less...

"Do more with less." We're hearing that cliche a lot these days, especially in emergency services as elected officials have found ways to justify cutting core services - like fire protection - and making the claim that such cuts will not have an impact on public safety.

Take, for example, the recent story on CNN about cuts in firefighters and the impact it had in Flint, Michigan and Alameda, California.

LINK:
http://www.cnn.com/video/?/video/politics/2009/07/06/meserve.budget.firefighters.cnn

Firefighting is dangerous and labor intensive work. Almost everything done on an emergency scene requires a team of four or five firefighters. Cutting down the size of the team has an impact. Elected officials can live in their denial if they wish, but it will show in the performance and in the consequences.

This is easy to see if you apply an example that is less emotional. In this case, a professional baseball team. The dialog goes something like this:

Owners: "Sorry guys, it's tough economic times. We're going to have to layoff some players and you're going to have to play the game with less players... 8 instead of 9."

Players: "Does the other team still get to have nine?"

Owners: "Yes, we're afraid so."

Players: "How are we supposed to win the game if we're outnumbered liked that?"

Owners: "You'll have to learn to do more with less."

This mentality assumes there are expendable positions on the team. Hmmm... who shall we cut.

The catcher? No... too important.
The pitcher? No... too important.
The first baseman? No... too important.
The center fielder? Yes! We'll cut the center fielder.

There won't be an impact. We'll just tell the left fielder and right fielder to run a little faster toward center field when the ball is hit there. We'll win as many games.

You know... and I know... this team is being set up for failure by myopic and dilusionary owners.

The problem is, baseball is just a game and no one is going to get hurt or killed if a team plays bad because they have less players. But firefighting isn't a game and there are real and lasting consequences when emergency services budgets are cut and firefighters are told to find a way to "Do more with less."

Richard B. Gasaway, PhD, EFO, CFO
http://www.richgasaway.com/
http://www.woppyjawed.blogspot.com/

Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!

You remember that famous line from the Wizard of Oz. The mere thought of the existence of these scary creatures was enough to mortify the characters of the movie. The problem is, the were so fearful of unknown that they worked themselves into a frenzy over it. This is what happens sometimes when leaders are asked to look at doing business in a new or different way... to go down a new road... a proverbial "yellow brick road." There's lots of danger and suspense. Bad things can be waiting around every corner. Indeed, that could be the case.

But great new opportunities could be waiting around the corner as well and if the leader is not willing to venture down the road, they'll never know what could await them. Go on... live life a little. Take some risk and try new things. Conservative leaders may survive, but they surely will not thrive!

Richard B. Gasaway, PhD, EFO, CFO
website: http://www.richgasaway.com/
Another Blog: http://www.woppyjawed.blogspot.com/
E-mail: RBG3100@aol.com

Hyper Vigilent... it can save your life.

2009 Fire/EMS Safety, Health and Survival Week is June 14-20. The purpose of this week long event is to get fire and EMS personnel thinking... and talking... about safety. Don't take your safety for granted. More than 100 firefighters die in the line of duty each year. I bet not one of them thought it would happen to them, but it did. Today's buzz phrase... is hyper vigilent. To be hyper vigilent is to be extra perceptive of your surroundings and pay attention to the things that you might otherwise take for granted and overlook. When you go a long time without having an accident or a near-miss event you can became overly confident and complacent. Don't let that happen... become hyper vigilent.

Richard B. Gasaway, PhD, EFO, CFO
website: http://www.richgasaway.com/
Another Blog: http://www.woppyjawed.blogspot.com/
E-mail: RBG3100@aol.com

The importance of scientific research

At the National Fire Protection Association Conference, I attended a presentation about a study that is being funded by the FIRE Act grant program and is focused on firefighter staffing levels. The preliminary findings were presented and, for the fire service people in the room, the results were a blinding flash of the obvious. A firefighting crew of three can accomplish more than a crew of two; a crew of four can accomplish more than a crew of three; and, you guessed it - a crew of five can accomplish more than a crew of four. Now why (you might be thinking) would we use FIRE Act grant money to fund research that tells us what we already know?

Studies like these are absolutely essential research. They're not designed to convince firefighters and fire chiefs that staffing levels impact quality of service. These studies are designed to prove to elected officials, who for the most part, do not understand or appreciate how important it is to get tasks accomplished quickly and safely at emergency scenes. Studies like these provide the evidence to back up the statements made by fire service leaders... so it's FACT and not OPINION.

Hat's off to the researchers and the sponsoring agencies, which includes the International Association of Fire Chiefs, International Association of Firefighters, National Institute of Standards & Technology, National Fire Protection Association, the United States Fire Administration and more.

Richard B. Gasaway, PhD, EFO, CFO
www.RichGasaway.com