FireFighterNation

Economic challenges aren’t improving and many communities are calling for more sacrifice from public services. Jim Crawford suggests that fire management must be creative and courageous when confronting the demands of the public and the needs of their peers.

Jane Jerrard reports on the closure of the 128-year-old Santa Ana (Calif.) Fire Department, and its consolidation with the Orange County Fire Authority. She also discusses the importance for other departments to consider consolidation when budgetary issues arise.

The public’s perception of the fire service is crucial to the fire service’s survival. But many people aren’t aware of just how much firefighters do in a day and/or as part of their job. Stephen Marsar explains how to overcome negative public perception, and how to get out into the community to educate the public about the many responsibilities of their local fire department.

The FDIC session “Issues and Challenges in Today’s Fire Service” honed in on a range of controversial topics dominating fire station kitchen tables.

Weeks before Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa releases his budget for next fiscal year, Los Angeles Fire Commission members pressed Tuesday for the full restoration of funding to the Los Angeles Fire Department, which has lost about $90 million during budget cuts in the last three years.