The Boston Fire Department has a proud tradition of saving lives, protecting property and putting the safety of others ahead of their own. Whenever we ask them to run towards danger, as when called to respond to the Marathon bombing, they do. Every time they put on their equipment, they know it could be the last time. Boston is extremely grateful for their service. Despite our appreciation, I believe more can be done for our firefighters to keep them safe and with our firefighters to ensure the safety of all Bostonians.
The Boston Fire Department is justifiably proud of its 300-year history of service. Pride in the department’s history, though, should not blind BFD personnel to the fact that 300 years of change has occurred in our city and the citizenry that we ask the department to protect. Over the last decade, resistance to modernizing the BFD has stymied opportunities to make improvements to the department, even improvements that could improve firefighter safety. In 2010, the firefighters’ union requested that a report be conducted to review the department’s health and safety procedures. That report, conducted by FACETS Consulting, a firm with broad expertise applying public management best practices to fire and EMS organizations, found the Boston Fire Department to be out of compliance with many of the National Fire Protection Association’s Standards on Fire Department Occupational Safety and Health — the industry standard for basic firefighter safety and health. Among other things, the report uncovered glaring inadequacies in the department’s training, readiness and equipment, and recommended enhanced and continuous trainings in basic firefighting, hazardous materials containment, and disaster response techniques.
The department claims that these national standards do not apply to Boston because of, among other things, the age of our buildings and the narrowness of our streets. This begs the question as to why other major American cities — like New York, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, and Chicago, which have neighborhoods with old structures and narrow streets — make use of these standards to develop their policies and practices?
It also raises questions about how the BFD makes decisions about firefighter and resident safety.
At a recent City Council hearing, a BFD commander suggested “The Boston Way” means adhering to policies developed 300 years ago. While I believe he may have been indulging in hyperbole, I submit “The Boston Way” does not mean being so
captivated by our history that we are unwilling to change. I believe “The Boston Way” means taking pride in Boston’s rich history, and recognizing that it has been a history of innovation, a history of being on the cutting edge of change and discovery. It does not mean waiting 20 years to update a department’s operating procedures; it means continually looking for ways to improve and innovate. It does not mean failing to meet national standards; it means setting the standard.
As mayor, I will appoint a panel to take a comprehensive look at the Boston Fire Department, examining the 2010 review and investigating compliance with national standards, services offered and how they are provided, staffing levels, number and size of station houses required for Boston today, whether management staff should be part of the same union as the rest of the uniformed staff, the negotiation procedures of contracts, and how BFD integrates or needs to integrate with Emergency Medical Services.
I will work with commanders and firefighters to modernize the BFD and to create systems long needed to bring the department into the 21st century, including: creating a professional development program for all department members, creating a comprehensive risk management and health and safety plan, and establishing a training schedule that ensures that all BFD members update their skills annually, not only in standard firefighting techniques but also hazardous materials and disaster response procedures that meet – and exceed – national standards.
Additionally, in order to ensure effective training, our firefighters need premiere facilities and equipment. The BFD members need and deserve a state-of-the-art training facility on Moon Island and cutting edge equipment. I will make it a priority to construct a facility that meets and exceeds national standards and provides our firefighter workforce with a professional training facility. I will also ensure that we provide our firefighters with the best personal protection outfitting and cutting edge equipment.
I believe firefighters will be safer under these new policies, as will Boston. With proper training and equipment that meet national standards, these changes have the potential to save both money and lives. Proper training for all hazards and disasters makes for a more professionalized firefighting force and a safer city.
The move to modernize the fire department is not a move to negate the proud history of the BFD. I have deep respect for the BFD and its history. I am motivated by a desire to ensure the safety of its members and the residents of Boston, and to have the best Boston Fire Department possible.
Under the Walczak Administration, not only BFD, but all city agencies will be challenged to take a bold step forward. Efforts by the BFD to achieve meaningful compliance with the National Fire Protection Association’s standards (NFPA 1500) would be an excellent start. Change is difficult but necessary so that our first responders are running ahead of the challenges that will confront a 21st century city.
