FDIC Conference Director Diane Feldman recently spoke with Jack Murphy, Fire Marshal (Retired)/Former Deputy Chief, Leonia (NJ) Fire Department, the recipient of the Tom Brennan Lifetime Achievement Award, to be presented during the General Session, about the whole FDIC “experience.“
DF: What does receiving this award mean to you? What is the award’s significance?
JM: I am humbled and honored to receive the Tom Brennan Lifetime Achievement Award. To be among the outstanding names in the fire service is beyond one’s wildest dream of just being nothing more than a good firefighter. I am privileged to receive this prestigious award in Tom’s name. It was Tom who challenged me to write, while I was attending the John Jay College graduate program, only to have my first article rejected. It was a humbling experience in earning one’s stripes in this business. Later, our camaraderie developed over the years though the FDIC. It has been a rewarding experience and for that I am grateful to have known him and thankful for his having faith in me.
DF: How long have you been teaching the fire service? How did you get into instructing?
JM: I have been teaching for 27 years. In 1985, New Jersey adopted a statewide uniform fire code (UFC). Prior to this adoption, the public schools were not required to have an annual fire inspection. Some districts voluntarily allowed the fire department to conduct an inspection while others locked them out. To help overcome these barriers, I developed an educational program for all the New Jersey counties, educating the local school administrations and encouraging them to reach out to their Bureau of Fire Prevention to develop a working relationship. This program helped to foster good relations between the two public agencies.
DF: How many years have you been attending FDIC? What do you look forward to at FDIC each year?
JM: I have been attending for 17 years. The quality of fire service training from the H.O.T. evolutions and workshops, main program features, the many classroom subject matter selections, and the exhibits offers me a well-rounded educational experience that makes you want to come back for more. You couldn’t get a better job-related networking tool anywhere in the United States.
DF: What message would you like to give to a first-time attendee or to someone who has never been to FDIC?
JM: Within the fire service there are many solution seekers. The firefighters who attend this conference are among them; they come to the FDIC beyond what the job has to offer. The attendees are more “into the job”than just being “on the job.”In life, we all have choices; being at the FDIC should be one of them.
DF: What do you think is the most pressing issue in the fire service, why, and what can be done about it?
JM: The future is rapidly changing around us within milliseconds of informational exchanges. The fire service needs to fully embrace the dimension that we are more than the public perception of suppression units. Training, codes, prevention, and public education equally need our intention for us to become a full public service entity. At this time, the tools we have at our disposal make it easier than ever before to achieve that goal.
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