America Still Burning
EDITOR’S OPINION
If it is allowed to grow, is fed and nurtured, adopted and supported by the fire service and related agencies, America Still Burning promises to be the guiding light of the fire service as it surges into the 21st century.
So indicated Clyde A. Bragdon, administrator of the U.S. Fire Administration. His message of encouragement was delivered to more than 70 fire service experts, building and industrial technologists, educators, and media members gathered by invitation at Tyson’s Corner, Va., in early December. Their work, it was hoped, would follow up the 1973 effort of 18 dedicated individuals—America Burning.
Outlining 91 action points, the original report was to guide the federal government as it joined the effort to solve the national fire problem and to fill public fire protection needs. The overall goal was to reduce fire death in America.
For 14 years, those efforts-—though understaffed and grossly underfunded—have been successful. Fire death and incidence are down, and we have the U.S. Fire Administration and the National Fire Academy in place. Now what?
Answering that question was the goal of the 214-day December conference. Task groups formed and brainstormed areas defined as the fire problem, fire operations, management, the built environment, wildland fire, fire prevention, and the future of the fire service. A great deal was accomplished, and there were some common problems identified by all the workshops.
Education to reduce public and governmental apathy was foremost. Leadership development, it was felt, would create imaginative and forceful managers who would help the fire service evolve. These dynamics would (and must) come from within the service with public and government support.
New horizons in land use codes, building occupancy monitoring, personnel and operational standards for fire departments, and the emergence of congressional proaction (see “A former fire chief rallies a fire service caucus during his first year as a member of Congress,” in Dispatches, page 16) were only some of the ideas.
Criticism came from some of those intimately involved with the 1973 report. The problems, they argued, were already outlined before. Well, maybe it’s time for reidentification. The problems have existed since before Rome burned. Perhaps a new translation of old problems, still unsolved, will work.
If there’s a valid criticism, it’s time. Too little time to do so much. The report that evolved at the end of the few days was a compromise to time. Seven task forces tried to do in 2½ days what it took 18 fire service experts 2 years of meeting once a month to prepare.
The initial report of activities will be out in a few weeks. Additional fire service input will be encouraged. This is your calling. Make it evolve from within—but take the additional time to do it right.
