Tag Archives: fire service

America’s Fire Service is not a Family – Opinion

Editor’s Note: The following from my fire service colleague, John Murphy, was originally published on LinkedIn and is presented here with his permission. By: John K. Murphy, Esq., Veteran, PA-C, Chaos Manager and Attorney The American fire service is frequently described using familial language. Firefighters call one another “brothers” and “sisters,” departments are referred to as “families,” and leaders often ...

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Fire Service BrotHERhood: A Story

The tragic deaths recently of two members of the Kansas City, Missouri Fire Department shook the fire service community and reminded us once again of the hazards of the job. In the aftermath, there have been many displays of the brotHERhood of the fire service in action, and none more touching than this.

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Looking Back on Leadership Beliefs

Now that I'm a grandmother looking back on my fire service career, I feel as if I have something to share that I believe will help other public safety leaders to never lose faith in people and their organization. This is the best job in the world and my enthusiasm 36 years later is stronger than ever! I'm going to speak from the heart because I've always been a compassionate person who loves people.

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Be Proactive: Marketing Fire and EMS

The reality that's "hitting" home with many Fire & EMS organizations today, however, is that their citizens do have a choice. In the current economic climate, where most local governments are having to make tough fiscal decisions, elected officials and their constituents are making "buy" or "no buy" decisions regarding the public safety services for their community. Don't believe it? Look at how many cities, towns, and counties are laying off personnel, closing fire stations, cutting back on non-emergency services, etc.

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Thoughts on Changing Fire Service Culture

Changing our culture? I saw this piece from Chief Robert Avsec on LinkedIn and I couldn't help myself so I posted my comments on the LinkedIn Group. Chief Avsec (the author) contacted me and asked me to use my comments as a Guest Blogger, so here I am.

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Fire Camps for Girls & Young Women

Summer fire camps provide a great opportunity for girls and young women to discover what an exciting and rewarding experience being a firefighter can be. Camps also provide fire service organizations an equally great opportunity to begin "growing" the next generation of women firefighters.

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