Chief Forum - July 2010

We learn at others expense

Firefighting is an unusual business.  Many businesses learn from their mistakes like if they order to much or too little of the needed materials, the next time the business can simply order more or order less material.  In firefighting, if you order, or don’t have on hand, enough material or the right materials to fight the fire, someone can get hurt or the loss of property might increase.  In times of responsible financial stewardship, we are often challenged by the nagging questions in the back of our minds “do we really need it” or “can we get by without it”.

There is no easy answer.  With new and more advanced equipment and firefighting technology being crafted and designed daily, when is the right equipment or material available and what is the best to buy the equipment or material available?  If we buy and don’t use, it may be considered a waist.  If we buy and use efficiently, we are considered “masters”.  If we don’t buy and we need the material, we are putting others in danger.  Fire administrations are facing these questions daily.  As our support needs change, sometimes our equipment and materials purchases do not change as fast.

This is not because we do not want to meet the demands; it is because tomorrow the needs will change again.  Asking for more, different or not yet created solutions to extinguish, suppress, control or manage the fire resource demands.  If we ask “why we need it”, it is not that we don’t want to support the need; it is that we need to manage the support we can offer and be responsible financial stewards managing life, safety and property with the resources dedicated to our call.

Chief Breunig

 

 

Chief Doug Breunig

Doug Breunig was elected Chief in 2009 after being active in the department since 1979.  Doug had held other ranking positions, such as, 1st. Assistant Chief and 2nd Assistant Chief within his span of service.

Doug understands that the demands of the chief come from many directions.  He has the leadership responsibility of the department, the social aspect to the community and the administrative role to the common Board's and communities the department serves.

Contact Chief Breunig - SCFDChief@merr.com