If you have spent any time around a volunteer fire department over the last few decades, you might have heard sayings like, “Put the wet stuff on the red stuff” or “We have never lost a foundation.”
It is sad to say that for many years, statements like those were the culture of many organizations and, right or wrong, there was some truth to those statements. With limited resources and staffing, old equipment and lack of water, many organizations truly hoped to save just the foundation.
Fast forward a decade or two, and the volunteer fire service finds itself in a rapidly evolving position. New fire science, higher expectations from growing communities, better equipment (thanks to FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grants program and other sources) and rapid information and training outlets have provided today’s volunteer fire service a competitive edge that it hasn’t seen in a century. Read More…