Thousands gathered at the 133rd Fire Rescue International at the Dallas Convention Center this week, the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) rotating Expo and Conference. The ever-present scars of 9/11 and hurricanes Katrina and Rita drove a lot of the classroom discussion and was the theme of the Friday General Session
FRI has changed its three-city rotation, moving next year's site to Atlanta in place of New Orleans. The question remained whether the still recovering New Orleans had the ability to host a show of this size.
For what was thought to will be the first time in the nation, key representatives from all three 9/11 events came together for the attendees to be able honor during the recognition ceremony.
Among the honored guests attending were:
- Mrs. Kathleen Ganci, the widow of Chief of Department Peter Ganci (FDNY)
- FF Peter Ganci and FF Chris Ganci (sons of Chief Ganci and FDNY firefighters)
- Mrs. Elizabeth Burns, the widow of Chief of Operations Donald Burns (FDNY)
- Former Fire Commissioner Thomas Von Essen (FDNY)
- Former Deputy Fire Commissioner Thomas Fitzpatrick (FDNY)
- Fire Chief Ed Plaugher (Ret.), Arlington County Fire Department (VA)
- Fire Chief Jim Schwartz, Arlington County Fire Department (VA) Supervisory Special Agent Chris Combs, Federal Bureau of Investigation
- Mr. John Jester, retired director of the Pentagon Force Protection Agency
- Ed Mann, Pennsylvania State Fire Commissioner
- Fire Chief Terry Shaffer, Shanksville Fire Department (PA)
The Katrina/Rita effect at FRI was evident in the announcement of Mutual Aid System Task Force (MASTF), an IAFC generated plan for interstate mutual aid as the result of catastrophic incidents. There were over 150 federally declared disasters in the U.S. in 2005, but it was the scope of Katrina/Rita and the resulting response that propelled IAFC to create the task force, and move toward a national plan.
Richard Boudreaux, West Baton Rouge Fire Department and Vice Chairman of the Louisiana Fire Service Response Committee illustrated it best when he told a classroom of attendees studying mutual aid programs that Louisiana's state mutual aid program disappeared as both hurricanes hit the state. It was easier he said to receive assistance from departments 1500 miles away then within his state or the state next door. Louisiana has now completed a new Intrastate Mutual Aid System mentored by and modeled after a plan in Florida. The national Mutual Aid System is encouraging states to get such plans in place and create the framework need to make a national system function correctly.
And for R. David Paulison, FEMA Director who spoke to the crowd at the general session, it is the sort of work he is counting on from the fire service. He said it was his responsibility to set a vision for FEMA. "I want FEMA to be the nation's preeminent emergency management agency. To achieve that vision I need your support."
"I am focusing on our new strengths as opposed to our past failures." He is focusing on restoring national confidence in FEMA. He is working to capitalize on the local and state partnerships. "We will bring value to the table."
The two great failures coming out of Katrina/Rita Paulison said were communications and logistics. He has now purchased 20,000 GPS units to place on vehicles so he knows exactly where all the assets are for future rescue efforts.
He has established a new victim registration system saying that victims from the Gulf storms ended up in all 50 states. "We didn't know who they were, where they were or what their needs were."
New leadership is coming on board, he said, the people "who have been there and done that." "My job is to provide the tools; you are the experts and have the community trust." "We will meet the expectations of the nation."
"There in no member, no member, no member of the first responder community more capable of taking a leadership role in preparing our communities for disaster then you are sitting right here in this room. You are the experts. And more importantly you have the trust of the communities you serve."
Fire Rescue International will by in Atlanta in 2007, August 23-25.
Related
