If you want to go to a conference to look at equipment vendors and go drink beer then any of the conferences certainly allow for that, but for a wide variety of seminars, informations and opinions, go to FDIC. It is April 8 - 14 in 2002.

While I have tried to be as positive as possible in this forum, I did come away from FDIC with a disturbing feeling. I suppose I have had it before, but it has really hit home to me and I want your opinions and some positive or negative answers.

Here is the basis for my commentary this week:

The fire service does not really care about firefighter safety.

We want to talk about safety. That's it! Talk, not do anything.

We talk about Incident Command, Safety Officers, vests and B$#@ S&*(^, but then we actually continue to operate on the fireground the way we always have.

We give medals and rewards for risks, we give sarcasm, criticism, and scorn for that "sissy" safety stuff.

"What do you mean you went defensive on that vacant last night, if your crew had any balls we wouldn't have been there all night!"

It's that simple! We want to talk about it, but our attitudes and cultures really have not changed.

Have a seminar on "hands on" training and the house will be full. Have a seminar on safety and accountability on the fire ground and no one will be there.

Don't get me wrong, those that know me, know that I have done my share of "high risk" controversial training and I am a firm believe in hands on training so that we can keep our basic skills sharp, but how come with all of this back to basics and safety focus of the past view years we are still killing 95 members every year, and injuring about 90,000.

I am going to make it my business to try to change some attitudes and see if I can make some small difference.

Send me an e-mail to tell me what you have done in your own department that has really had some meaningful effect on firefighter safety. Look inside yourself and tell me what you have done to make a difference.

Stop talking and start doing !