My “office” at the firehouse is in a corner of the conference room. I have a desk against one of the walls. On the wall in front of my desk is a bulletin board that has all the current 2010 new clippings from press the department has received. It’s just about full, and that’s both good and bad. Good for the press we have received on stories concerning fire prevention, community award ceremonies, parade appearance and member recognition but bad for those clipping that resulted in devastating fires and MVA’s or loss of life.
Yesterday we held a meeting in the conference room. I am a member of the departments training committee. During the training meeting one of the Chiefs looked at the board and commented on how full it was. I was surprised that the Chief had not noticed the board many times in the past, and in that there is a lesson to be learned.
For a number of years I ran a major special event on Long Island know as the Long Island Festival of Trees to benefit the United Cerebral Palsy Association of Nassau County. Each year over 50,000 people would come to see hundreds of designer decorated Christmas trees, gingerbread houses, holiday entertainment, gift shops and children’s rides and activities. It was a wonderful event with a great hard working committee.
It always amazed me that at times the committee chair people looked at their areas as the central hub of the Festival. The ladies who chaired the gift shops thought of the event as the Festival of Gift Shops, the group who handled the children’s area thought of the event as the Festival of Children etc.
Although each of these areas was crucial to the success of the overall event, they were not the event, simply a slice of a whole pie. If was difficult for many to understand that they had to do the best job possible to make their area a part of a bigger enterprise.
I should have learned from my own Festival experience. Although the Public Information Office is a major part of the overall function it is not the only thing on the Chiefs mind. I know some of my fellow officers look at their responsibilities as the Fire Department of Rescue or the Fire Department of Fire Police etc.
I’m proud of what I do but sometimes I have to put it back in perspective. I ‘m just a planet revolving around a larger Fire Department Sun.
Also on The Fire PIO…
- How do I Address a Judge? – November 18, 2010
- Even the Walls have Ears – November 24, 2010
No Comments