Fire Marshal Certifications and Qualifications

[mtlogcabin]

Unfortunately a lot of fire departments treat their prevention bureaus as the bastard step-children of the department

This is so true

the overcharged adrenaline crazed basement savers do not truly understand or appreciate how and what fire prevention does in assuring first respondents don't have blocked exits, storage in stair ways, hazardous and flammable materials stored improperly or excessive quantities and the list goes on and on.

From ICC

"A First Preventer may go under the title of building inspector, fire chief, fire inspector, building official, code enforcement officer, structural engineer, plan reviewer, electrical inspector, structural safety official, plumbing inspector or simply building safety official. But the labels merely obscure their common mission: to prevent harm by ensuring compliance with building safety codes before a disaster occurs. From hurricanes to tornados, floods, wildfires and earthquakes, building safety codes administered by First Preventers play a major role in saving lives, protecting property and reducing recovery costs often paid for by taxpayer dollars. It is a cliché of modern health that it is far more beneficial and far less costly to prevent disease then to treat it. “An ounce of prevention,” as the old saying goes, “is worth a pound of cure.”

 

[steveray]

First time I have heard "First Preventer"....I like it....

 

[tmurray]

This is so true the overcharged adrenaline crazed basement savers do not truly understand or appreciate how and what fire prevention does in assuring first respondents don't have blocked exits, storage in stair ways, hazardous and flammable materials stored improperly or excessive quantities and the list goes on and on.

The other issue is that you go from an environment where the general public sees you as a hero, then on the prevention side you are sometimes treated like you are ruining someones life when writing up deficiencies. The higher ups can sometimes see prevention as a punishment for this reason. With two drastically different ecosystems like this it's a wonder that anyone on suppression goes to prevention. Like building officials, FPOs are a special breed.

 

[Truck3capt]

They're not nearly as happy to see us as the big red fire truck, that's for sure. Many do see it as purgatory or they have the perception that it's a good place to go hang out and coast till retirement. My days are pretty darn busy, I'm not sure where that idea comes from. That mindset and perception with the leadership makes things tougher. Especially when most all of the Chiefs of Department come from the suppression/operations side.

The guys and gals that have spent even a short amount of time here in the bureau get it. Most of the others don't. I try to make my buddies still riding rigs understand that my job is as much about protecting them as it is about the general public. They've been conditioned for an emergency response and the bulk of their training revolves around that. I have to admit I still catch myself falling back into a pre-arrival thought process when I hear a working fire dispatched in the city. I'd never wish a fire on anyone given the outcomes I've seen in over 20 years in the fire service. However, I would say that most firefighters would quietly admit that if it's going to happen anyway, it might as well be on their shift in their first-in area. That's a tough mindset and culture to change.

 

[mtlogcabin]

The guys and gals that have spent even a short amount of time here in the bureau get it

When the rig riders have to go on light duty due to an injury suggest to the powers to be that they be assigned to fire prevention. Nothing like a hands on experience to appreciate someone else's job and how it relates to theirs

 

[Truck3capt]

When the rig riders have to go on light duty due to an injury suggest to the powers to be that they be assigned to fire prevention. Nothing like a hands on experience to appreciate someone else's job and how it relates to theirs

We get them sometimes, but the training division and operations staff get first crack at them usually. They only come to us when no one else has a project for them to work on.