Big World....Small Fire Service Family

Global Fire Service Leadership Alliance Meeting in Brussels, Belgium

Three years ago, the idea emerged at the IAFC that it might be valuable to try to bring together the leaders of fire leadership associations from around the world to share issues and lessons learned.  Meeting arrangements were made, invitations were sent, and the very first Global Fire Service Leadership Summit was convened in Zurich, Switzerland, hosted by the IAFC.  I didn't get to go to that one, but I attended last year's edition in Sydney, Australia hosted by the Australian Association of Fire Chiefs (AFAC).  It was fascinating to visit Sydney and learn more about how fire protection is provided in Australia.  This year, the Chief Fire Officers Associaton (CFOA) of the United Kingdom hosted the 3rd Annual Global Fire Service Leadership Summit in Brussels, Belgium.  As I write this edition of the blog, I'm flying home and, on reflection, it was another extraordinary week.

In attendence this year, in addition to the IAFC, were representatives of the NFPA, the South African Emergency Services Institute (SAESI), the Federation of European Fire Officer Associations (FEU), the Chief Fire Officers Association (CFOA), the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs (CAFC), the Australasian Fire Authorities Council (AFAC), and the International Association of Fire and Rescue Services (CTIF).  We also had speakers from the Belgian Fire Service that joined us periodically throughout the meeting.  The Russians were supposed to join us, but we learned that their delegate was hospitalized at the last minute and was unable to respond.

The format of the meeting is a very informal roundtable discussion.  A month or so out, the host sends out a request to all of the associations asking what issues we want to discuss.  This year, as with the last two, it was fascinating that the issues brought up by us as individuals crossed almost every border.  Among other things, we discussed:

-  The impact of the economic downturn on the fire service.  The UK is still facing major reductions.  There are 46 fire agencies for all of the UK, but they are funded mostly with national government dollars with a small piece of local funding.  The national government is drastically reducing funding for emergency services and local governments are having to put up more local money or drastically reduce service.  Every nation has struggled through the downturn and we had a great discussion sharing approaches that work and those that don't.

-  Hazardous materials and pipeline safety were a hot topic for CTIF and the FEU.  We were able to share out experiences in West, Texas and the CAFC was able to share their experience with the railroad derailment, fire and explosions in Lac-Megantic, Quebec.  The Belgians shared a disaster that occurred with a high pressure natural gas pipeline.  As it happens, I'm attending the first meeting of an Emergency Service Advisory Board being created by the American Petroleum Institute next week and the discussions have given me much food for thought.

Oil Train Derailment in Lac Megantic, Quebec

-  We had a great presentation from a young fire officer from Antwerp, Belgium about the use of social media by emergency services.  For me, this was one of the most interesting because I normally think of social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc) as a way to get information OUT to the public.  He talked a lot about using social media as a tool to gain intel about what's going on out there in the world - even before we get emergency services personnel on scene.  As fascinating concept that I want to explore more.

Anyway....it was two full days of very interesting discussions with fire officers from around the world.  Although our uniforms and out apparatus may look different, many if not most of our issues are very, very similar.  It was also great to make new friends and expand our networks of chief fire officers that we can reach out to when we need help.

I should mention that the meeting was held in Brussels, Belgium.  It is an old European City......I believe it was founded in the 10th century by Charlemagne.  Beautiful old architecture....they don't build them like that any more!

Old City Hall in the Gran Plaz (Grand Plaza).  Built in 1627

The Gran Plaz is surrounded by these ornate "Guild Houses" which are decorated with gold leaf.  The picture doesn't do them justice!

Today it is known as "The Capitol of Europe" because it is home to the European Union.  There is also a big UN and NATO presence in the area.  During our down time, we were able to wander the old town, visit the huge Cathedral of St. Michael, and sample some of the local food.  Of course, Belgium is known for beer, chocolate, and waffles, so we managed to sample those also.

If you're going to be in Belgium, you should probably sample the Belgian Waffles!

 A couple of us also squeezed in a visit to the local Harley-Davidson dealership.  Gotta expand that T-Shirt collection!

I was also reminded how close together everything is in Europe.  The folks from the UK traveled by Eurostar train and got there in 2 hours from London through the Chunnel.  The folks from France and Switzerland were able to get there in an hour or so.  I guess that's what makes the whole area such a great tourist destination....you can cover a lot of ground very quickly.

Language wasn't a problem at all.  In Belgium Flemish, French, and Dutch are spoken, depending on the region you are in.  But 99% of the folks all speak English as a universal language.  Everything from street signs to menus to the meeting room signs at the hotel are all in multiple languages and they always include English.  And all of the folks at the hotels, restaurants, taxi drivers, etc were all fluent in English.  They also drive on the same side of the road as we do in the US.

The only downside is that it is a long plane ride - especially from San Diego!