The Official Magazine of the International Association of Fire Chiefs Leadership in Action Advancements in Technology Page 4 Beyond Fighting Fires Page 7 Legislative Update Page 14 And much more! Winter 2023-24Published For: INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FIRE CHIEFS 8251 Greensboro Drive, Suite 650 McLean, VA 22102 Tel: 703.273.0911 www.iafc.org CEO and Executive Director Rob Brown Director of Marketing & Communications Rosario Ortiz Davis, MBA, CAE Published By: MATRIX GROUP PUBLISHING INC. 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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE 3 A Message from the IAFC President and Board Chair COVER STORY 4 ‘Nothing Is There Forever’: Tech Advancements in the Fire Service FEATURES 7 Beyond the Flames: The Role of Fire Departments 9 Training the Next Generation REPORT FROM WASHINGTON 14 Legislative Update: The Time to Act Is Now WHAT’S HAPPENING AT THE IAFC 18 A Message from the IAFC CEO and Executive Director 17 INDEX TO ADVERTISERS 04 09 07and educational institutions to enhance our service to our communities. INCLUDE Inclusion is a special word for me because I am an immigrant.I was born in Liberia, Africa. When I was a preteen, the country fell into a political coup with widespread executions and arrests. My family escaped to the United States and settled in Maryland. One day, we stopped at a fire station for directions. Years later, that fire station is where I would serve as a recruit firefighter, a paramedic, fire officer, and my last field assignment as a battalion chief. Whether as an immigrant, or during my Marine Corps infantry experience, or my fire and emergency services tenure, my path to this moment has been graced with countless people who have opened their doors to me, both personally and professionally. They provided opportunity, challenged me, encouraged me, and corrected me. The power of these interactions has propelled me to where I am today. We all have this power to build inclusive teams and inclusive organizations. This power means building teams that may not look like a fire department of yesterday, but a fire and emergency services department that is made up of individuals who are willing to give their best no matter their race, sexual orientation, gender, or religion. Please join me as we embrace these goals and work together during this 150th anniversary year of our IAFC. Fire Chief John S. Butler President and Board Chair LEAD The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) is the preeminent advocate for fire and emergency services on leadership, policy, management, and service delivery. We need to ensure our organizational brand is fortified by the highest level of integrity and uncompromising loyalty to our core values. Where we fail, we learn. Where we learn, we grow. Where we grow, we encourage accountability, and that allows us to lead effectively. EDUCATE Education is the cornerstone of everything we do. Academies and ongoing technical training are essential to preparing and sustaining a workforce to fulfill our mission. We also need to invest more in the professional development of our leadership and the public. On an individual level, be curious. Challenge assumptions about the old ways, open your mind to new ideas, and encourage critical thinking that produces decisions that are beneficial to all. On a community level, get involved! Engage with your local community, schools, and businesses. SERVE Each day firefighters, company officers, and chief officers work hard to give service above self. We must continue to encourage aligning our assets to community needs, incorporating data analytics, creating community risk reduction models, as well as embracing partnerships and coalitions with health care, social service, I AM SO proud to serve as your President and Chairman of the Board of Directors for the next year! I look forward to strengthening the relationship between all fire and emergency services organizations. Leveraging our common interests is vital to recruiting and sustaining an exceptional workforce to serve the public. One of our priorities is wellness. Our focus will continue to be on early detection programs for cancer and cardiovascular disease, as we know this save lives. We must also raise awareness about sleep hygiene, work/ life management, and physical and mental health to ensure our career and volunteer firefighters and EMS providers feel supported. We cannot lose sight of the need to be vigilant about building and sustaining healthy organizational cultures, strengthened by behavioral best practices, in which everyone can thrive. We must also be an active partner in the campaign on environmental impact for addressing the horrific wildfire threat across North America and other world regions. As chief officers, we will no doubt have various challenges ahead of us. We need to continue the work of the Labor-Management Alliance (LMA) to enhance the working relationship between fire service leadership and the labor organizations that represent the workforces of fire departments of all sizes. In our strategic initiative plan, the association frames its relationship with the membership and related organizations based on four goals: Lead, Educate, Serve, and Include. I look forward to embracing and enhancing our progress in these areas. Achieving Goals Together // A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENTfirefighters and leaders must better understand how elements of fire-scene operations have evolved so the service can best serve communities. “Technology takes big leaps about every six months right now,” says Dulin. “That timeframe is going to get shorter and shorter for certain types of technologies.” This fast pace highlights the necessity for leaders in the fire service to voice their needs to vendors, and to be clear that those needs may change. “We try and stay very closely connected to our technology vendors so that we can be lockstep with them as they’re developing something, so they don’t go build something that’s designed for a round hole and we have a square peg,” Dulin says. “Those technology companies can say, ‘OK, there’s the blueprint to where we want to go. Now let’s reverse-engineer it to get to where we need it to be.” THE LARGEST LEAPS Dulin categorizes the advances in three main areas. The first are developments to existing products, such as better turnout gear — for example, the development of new nanofiber technology has W hile there seems to be a new technological advancement every day — from a new way to track your workout to a new way to regulate your home’s temperature from afar — these breakthroughs haven’t always been applied specifically to the fire service. “For many years, the fire service was kind of the second tier — we didn’t get things developed for us; rather, we had to adapt on how to use what already existed,” says Jeff Dulin, Strategic Advisor for the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) and Staff Liaison with IAFC’s Technology Council. But this has changed in the past decade. “Now, technologists are looking to us and saying, ‘Hey, before we build this, let’s talk to the fire service. Let’s work with the IAFC to get opinions of chiefs about what they truly need and how it should work for them,’” Dulin says. These advancements are changing the way the fire service approaches fire suppression and prevention. Both COVER STORY \\ By Kaitlin Vitt, iCHIEFS Staff Writer ‘Nothing Is There Forever’: Tech Advancements in the Fire Service As Staff Liaison with IAFC’s Technology Council, Chief Jeff Dulin looks into new and emerging technologies applicable to the fire service. and emergency services, including by keeping up with tech advances. The IAFC’s Technology Council, which Dulin is a part of, is made up of about 75 chiefs who represent fire departments of all sorts, including volunteer, combination, large, small, and so on. The council’s role is to look at new and emerging technologies and make recommendations on how the fire service can best adapt emerging technologies. The council is a valuable resource for departments and is always available to chiefs and leaders for guidance on tech and to put them in touch with others who have gone through similar developments. In addition to looking to the IAFC and its Technology Council, attending webinars, reading articles, and working alongside vendors, the IAFC’s Technology Summit International is another place leaders and fire chiefs can learn about the latest in tech. “If you’re interested in technology, if you’re a fire chief that oversees technology, if you’re someone in a department who wants to get involved with the latest technology developments for the fire service, you need to be there to see what’s happening now,” Dulin says. “More importantly, we will talk about what’s going to be coming out in the next two to five years.” The summit is open to anyone and takes place December 5 to 7, 2023, in Irving, Texas. To learn more about the event and to register, visit https://tsi23.eventscribe.net. WHAT’S NEXT FOR TECH Dulin thinks one of the biggest upcoming tech developments for the fire service is artificial intelligence (AI). “AI will change everything from a 911 call, to a unit responding to a call, to an incident commander on and adjust as needed. Even more importantly are the instantaneous changes in the systems.” As an example, Dulin gives a scenario where a fire inspector goes into a building, marks down on their tablet what chemicals were in the location, and identifies exits, among other key observations. “They hit send, they leave, and five minutes later, there’s a fire in the building. The company responding to the fire pulls up their computers and can see all the notes the fire inspector made five minutes ago,” Dulin says. “Before they arrive, they’re seeing the latest information that was just entered five minutes ago by somebody on a different platform, but the platforms are interconnected.” Compared to a decade ago, there isn’t as much resistance to tech advances, Dulin says. “The people we have coming on as firefighters today are much more technologically in tune,” he says. “Chiefs and leaders have learned they have to adapt to the new culture of workers that they’re hiring.” One way the fire service has adapted to these changes is through its training process. While new hires used to be trained by a simple slideshow presentation, now it’s much more interactive. “That’s the generation we’re in today. They don’t learn by you talking to them. They learn by them interacting with something and reading and taking online tests and seeing graphics.” HOW TO KEEP UP WITH TECHNOLOGY As IAFC’s Strategic Advisor, Dulin looks at the horizon to find paths for the IAFC to better position the association as a global leader in fire created lighter turnout gear with better protection. Another example is the use of geographic information systems (GIS) that place things at an X, Y, and now Z coordinate. Anything and everything that happens is in the three axis points. Fire departments have learned how to harness this data for spatial relationship and data comparison. The second are technologies that are starting to come on the market and are being developed to work specifically for the fire service. An example is technology that provides capability for better communications, whether that’s online, using satellite, or otherwise. The final area of technologies are those that are emerging and haven’t quite hit the market but will be here soon, and by working closely with the tech industry, the fire service can shape what it’s going to look like. For example, augmented reality, which puts computer-generated images onto a real-world view, can provide visualization inside burning buildings that firefighters can’t normally see. With augmented reality, you might now be able to see walls, the floor, furniture, hallways, and so on to provide valuable building information for fighting fires. ADAPTING TO THE TIMES With so many changes, it can be overwhelming to stay up to date with it all. Dulin says about seven to 10 years ago, there was more pushback against tech advancements from those in the fire service. “They wanted to keep things the way they were. They were reluctant about technology. They weren’t sure if they could trust it.” One of the biggest tech hurdles for the fire service was cloud computing, Dulin says, an advancement that has been a big benefit to the industry. “I no longer have to rely on having my servers in a back room that I pay an IT person to manage every day,” he says. “All that much more fire department operations are being put into the cloud because it’s dynamic, it’s elastic, it can grow and stretch “Chiefs and leaders have learned they have to adapt to the new culture of workers that they’re hiring.” — Chief Jeff Dulinthe scene making decisions, and then also after actually reporting for lessons learned about that incident,” he says. “If you’re an incident commander on the scene, you’re trying to listen to multiple radios. You’re trying to look at visualizations of data that are coming across tablets. But you can’t see and comprehend and do analysis on all that simultaneously.” With AI and machine learning, which is an application of AI that teaches computers to learn from experience and make decisions on their own, all the data that comes in can be filtered, so only the necessary information is displayed to the user. Plus, the data displayed will adjust as the situation changes. “Fire chiefs today really need to stay abreast of the latest technology changes, look at where they want to go, develop a plan, and also understand that technology changes and that nothing is there forever,” Dulin says. “It’s going to be different in the next year, so plan for the change to come about quickly.” “It’s going to be different in the next year, so plan for the change to come about quickly.” — Chief Jeff Dulinduty. This is because of the many dangers encountered routinely at the scene, during training, and across the spectrum of all-hazard responses. EMS EDUCATION As the largest provider of EMS, the fire service naturally plays a significant role in EMS education. Many of the over 700 accredited paramedic programs are run by the fire service, plus the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) and the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) hold multiple board seats on the Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the EMS Professions (CoAEMSP), the standard setting organization for paramedic programs. 5 The IAFC has also long maintained an active role on the board insurance reimbursement, and regulations governing EMS. Fire departments offer a wide variety of emergency medical services in their communities. About two- thirds of fire department responses are for EMS or rescue. 4 These consist of ambulance transport, Basic Life Support First Response (BLSFR), Advanced Life Support First Response (ALSFR), and specialized technical rescue such as hazardous material and tactical medical services. Even fire departments that do not regularly provide EMS response typically have EMS-trained firefighters readily available and equipped to manage injuries that occur to members on O f the 43 million emergency medical services (EMS) calls answered annually in the United States, the fire service is the largest responder, answering well over half of these calls. Other providers comprise much smaller shares, including private services (13%), government/municipal services (10%), and hospital-based services (5%). 1,2 Since there were only 1.35 million fires in the U.S. during 2021, which was the last year data were available, it should come as no surprise that EMS is the key focus for almost all U.S. fire departments. 3 It is no wonder the fire service has actively participated in every aspect of EMS, including education, By Chief Mike McEvoy, Past Chair of the IAFC EMS Section // FEATURE Beyond the Flames: The Role of Fire Departmentspreviously used 911 for a variety of non- emergent conditions. Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD), the standard for handling emergency calls, originated in fire service call centers and then extended to 911 centers around the world. As the population ages, EMS needs will increase and the fire service will continue to be the leading responder. The need to innovate in healthcare has never been greater due to personnel shortages, including EMS. The fire service also holds the greatest ability to address the healthcare needs of our communities in novel and creative ways since it is the largest provider. EMS is the primary function we do in our communities, despite the fact that we go by the name of firefighters. Mike McEvoy is the EMS Coordinator for Saratoga County, New York, and immediate past chair of the IAFC EMS Section as well as the chair elect of the National Registry of EMTs. He is the chief medical officer and firefighter/paramedic for West Crescent Fire Department and actively involved in fire and EMS advocacy. departments on overdose prevention efforts, first aid and CPR educational needs, fall prevention, bicycle safety, and a wide range of other community risk reduction initiatives. Given the very successful outcomes of fire prevention efforts, it seems quite logical that the fire service will be able to translate this work into community risk reduction programs that ultimately improve the health and welfare of their communities, thereby reducing emergency EMS responses. The fire service has led some of the most progressive EMS initiatives including making Seattle a community where cardiac arrest survivors are most likely to receive bystander CPR, San Antonio a community where critical trauma patients get prehospital blood, and places such Columbus and Salt Lake City communities where refractory cardiac arrests are treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). The fire service has spearheaded community paramedic programs nationwide, diverting patients to more appropriate care destinations and preemptively checking on underserved members of the community who of directors of the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians, the nation’s EMS certification organization. 6 Combined, these assure fire service input and oversight by the primary provider of EMS care nationwide. The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) long ago began offering EMS programs at their academy virtually and through outreach classes. 7 In fact, it is often said that the USFA’s free and low-cost training programs are among the best- kept secrets in the fire and EMS worlds. The USFA has significantly increased its focus on EMS under the direction of Fire Administrator Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell by participating more actively in EMS at the federal level, increasing the number of EMS courses available, and preparing to connect national fire reporting to the National EMS Information System (NEMSIS), the largest and most comprehensive prehospital medical record system in the world. 8 The fire service leadership had the foresight to see that today’s fire service has evolved well beyond simply putting out fires. The fire service is in a unique position to innovate and take the lead in future advances in the provision of EMS in our communities, the training of EMS personnel, and EMS leadership at all levels of government. While EMS was not a priority for the fire service many years ago, it is now their main focus. Leaders in the fire service who neglect to prioritize, invent, and support EMS are missing their best chance at long-term viability. A practical knowledge of EMS at the local, regional, state, and federal levels is also very necessary for aspiring company officers and future fire service executives. This includes being aware of EMS billing and compensation, a topic on which the IAFC EMS Section frequently sponsors courses. LEADING THE WAY Fires have steadily declined because of well-planned, deliberate, and expertly carried out fire prevention efforts. Fire departments across the nation are using their expertise in fire prevention, code development, inspections, and safety education to improve health and well-being of the residents in their communities. EMS data collected by the fire service has helped inform REFERENCES 1. National Association of State EMS Officials (NASEMSO). “2020 National EMS Assessment.” May 27, 2020. https://nasemso.org/wp-content/ uploads/2020-National-EMS-Assessment_Reduced-File-Size.pdf. 2. United States Fire Administration. “Specialized Services by State as of January 2023.” January 2023. www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/xls/registry- special-services-2023.xlsx. 3. National Fire Protection Association. “US Fire Loss in 2021.” December 7, 2022. www.nfpa.org/News-and-Research/Publications- and-media/NFPA-Journal/2022/Winter-2022/Features/Fire- Loss#:~:text=NFPA%20Journal&text=Published%20on%20December%20 7%2C%202022.&text=In%202021%2C%20local%20fire%20 departments,14%2C700%20reported%20civilian%20fire%20injuries. 4. United States Fire Administration. “Fire Department Overall Run Profile as Reported to the National Fire Incident Reporting System (2020).” June 2022. www.usfa.fema.gov/statistics/reports/firefighters-departments/fire-department- run-profile-v22i1.html#:~:text=At%20a%20Glance&text=Nearly%20 two%2Dthirds%20(64%25),department%20runs%20were%20fire%20related. 5. Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Services Professions. “Board Members.” 2023. https://coaemsp. org/coaemsp-board-members. 6. National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians. “Board of Directors.” 2023. https://nremt.org/Team/Board. 7. United States Fire Administration. “National Fire Academy.” 2023. www. usfa.fema.gov/nfa. 8. National EMS Information System. 2023. https://nemsis.org.the most impactful. It was even more impactful when we had the opportunity to do live fire training in an acquired structure or do extrication and rescue on an acquired vehicle. We also ran a local firefighter certification academy. What didn’t work as a volunteer recruit and was disappointing to me was when we had a training officer who would not put the time into preparing training programs, arranging instructors, and sometimes COWGER: I’ve been in the fire service since 1993, and I have been the fire chief at my department for 23 years. I have been with the department for a total of 30 years. iCHIEFS: WHEN YOU JOINED THE FIRE SERVICE, WHAT WORKED AND DIDN’T WORK WITH HOW YOU WERE TRAINED? YANCEY: When I started receiving training in the volunteer department, I believe the hands-on training was Y ou’ve overcome one hurdle — recruiting new workers — but now comes another obstacle: training them. How can leaders in the fire service best train the upcoming generation of firefighters? We talked with Chief Al Yancey from the Minooka Fire Protection District and Chief Rich Cowger from the Columbus Fire Rescue for their insight. iCHIEFS: HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A FIRE CHIEF? YANCEY: I joined the fire service in 1988, and I’ve been a fire chief for 25 years. I’ve been the chief at the Minooka Fire Protection District for 20 years.Continued on page 12 Training the Next Generation “The days of ‘because I said so’ do not work.” — Chief Al Yancey // FEATURENext >