I remember my first week at the firehouse like it was yesterday, getting acclimated with everyone, filling out my paperwork, and talking to the fire chief. I was so excited to start this new career and I had a few ideas ready to go, but I wondered how I was going to fill a 40-hour work week. I needed to get some plans together, make some contacts, and really get some buy-in from many different people and organizations. I was very fortunate that some of the colleagues from my neighboring departments contacted me. They reached out and offered their assistance and really helped steer me in the right direction. One good thing to remember is that there is never a need to reinvent the wheel. Don’t be afraid to reach out and ask for help. In fire prevention, we are always willing to share. My relationship with those colleagues still exists today and is stronger than ever.
Find your audiences
Here in Gates, NY, one of the first things I needed to do was determine who my target audience would be. Many times when we associate fire prevention and safety education it seems to lean towards school children. Although that is true, there are so many other groups that need our help as well. How about the local businesses and senior citizen groups? I needed to start somewhere. I needed to come up with a game plan and needed it to be legitimate. The days of bringing the fire truck to school and having the kids jump up on it and walk around are over. There has to be a benefit to our visit. You have to think to yourself, if I am a business or school why am I going to take time away from my day and lower productivity to allow the fire department in here? The answer was simple; we have three main objectives, education, prevention and protection.
No matter who you are working with, they need to be educated by helping them understand the risks they are facing, giving them the tools they will need to protect themselves, and most importantly, how to stop an issue before it starts. It all boils down to one simple thing, life safety!
Develop various lesson plans
One of the first things I did was to attend classes at the New York State Fire Academy. I would recommend this for anyone who is new who will be teaching in the fire service. I took Fire Instructor I and II. These classes should be available in any state fire academy. They taught me how to create and deliver a lesson plan. They really went in-depth, certainly not easy classes, but very worthwhile. A lesson plan will lay out your program step-by-step so there is consistency each time the lesson is delivered.
Over the course of my career I have also attended many classes at the National Fire Academy (NFA). Two classes that really stood out are "Community Education Leadership" and "Changing American Family at Risk." Not only are these college level classes, but they really helped me identify the risks in my community and begin to come up with the solutions to these risks. I have found the instructors at the NFA to be the best; they are a wealth of knowledge and bring their professional experiences to the classroom. Even after the class has ended, I continue to stay in touch and swap ideas with these classmates and instructors. They are an endless resource and you can’t put a price tag on that! There are so many positive takeaways and all it takes is your time. At the NFA you are strongly encouraged to succeed—starting at the top with the superintendent!
No matter what, you will always need money to support your programs. You will need to budget for items you need to purchase. This is where your lesson plans will come in handy. Your lesson plans will help to determine what you will need to purchase. You don’t have to start with all the expensive props right away. Lesson plans help with gaining organizational equity. It is so important to have buy-in from your main stakeholder, the fire chief. For me, it has always proven true that when I justify what I want to do, I am more likely to get approvals for funding. You don’t have to go searching very far. Work with your neighboring departments to see what programs they may have. If it works for them, it may work for you. Another easy way to get funding is to obtain data of your community to prove what problems they face. Then prioritize what the risks are. Ultimately, you want to show that you will be a successful community risk reducer and focus on behavioral change and this will bring in the dollars you need. No one can argue with facts!
Neighborhood equity
Now that your lesson plans are complete, how do you obtain neighborhood equity? First let’s understand the term. This is the ability to obtain support from groups, schools, organizations and businesses from around your community for fire prevention and risk reduction. This does not happen overnight, but you must begin to work with them and understand what their issues are. They must trust you without any doubt. They must also be willing to help themselves as part of the process. Without all this, you will not be successful in building the relationship, sustaining it, and reducing the risk. One other benefit from this type of equity is money. If they believe in your program as much as your boss, you may be able to obtain some funding from them. Recently, we were able to obtain some funding to help purchase a fire safety trailer for our fire department.
Now it’s time to bring this all together. How do we roll it out and can I do this alone? I am fortunate enough to work in a department where the firefighters are just as adamant as I am in making sure we do not experience loss of life. As the fire prevention officer for the Gates Fire District, it is my responsibility to coordinate and deliver all the lessons throughout the community; however, it can’t always be done alone.
Remember the organizational equity we talked about earlier? It needs to be with more than just the fire chief. Although I do not need the firefighters to accompany me on every single detail, I alone cannot reduce every risk and teach every lesson. This is not a one-man show. Don’t make the mistake of taking all the credit, because you will not gain that organizational equity and your programs will ultimately fail. When out on a lesson introduce them and make everyone a part of it. There are many times when I would not be able to provide a lesson on my own; who better to have alongside me but the firefighters I work with each and every day who are out on the streets and know the issues. They bring a wealth of knowledge to the table, and I am glad to be able to utilize them. They believe in the program, understand the risks our community faces, and are willing to help. Work with your members and get that needed organizational equity you need to make your program succeed. Help them understand what your objectives are and get their input and buy-in.
For example, when working with your school district, you will need to bring lesson plans along. Schedule some time with the school principal. Show them what you would like to present. If you come prepared, they are more likely to take you seriously and know that you are not only trying to meet some type of standard, but you are trying to build a relationship with the students, engage them, and also reduce any possible risks. Your lesson plan will go a long way. Also encourage the staff to give you input. This will help you present to specific groups.
Be prepared and confident
Finally, you need to recognize your role; you are a leader for taking on this job. Many people will look up to you and trust that you will have the correct answers to their issues. Always be honest and professional, because you are representing your fire department. It doesn’t matter if you are career or volunteer, always put your best foot forward. Be patient, this will not happen overnight. It takes time to build all these relationships and see the results. In my community we have seen a steady decline in serious fires. It’s hard to say how much of it was the programs we run, but I am sure it certainly contributed. Remember that education, prevention and protection are the building blocks to a safer community.
JOSEPH MANUSE has been the career fire prevention officer for the Gates, NY, Fire District since 2008. He has been a volunteer firefighter with the Gates-Chili Fire Department for almost 28 years, holding the ranks of lieutenant, captain and assistant chief. As the fire prevention officer, he is responsible for providing various fire prevention and fire safety lessons through community outreach programs within the Gates-Chili School District, local businesses and senior centers. Manuse regularly conducts fire extinguisher/fire safety programs with many local businesses, assists with fire evacuation drills and conducts a Junior Fire Academy every summer for middle school students. He regularly attends training classes at the New York State Fire Academy and the National Fire Academy to maintain his certifications. In addition to his regular job responsibilities, Manuse has obtained certifications as a Building Safety Inspector, Fire Instructor I and Fire Instructor II and is currently enrolled and working toward a fire protection associates degree.
