Massachusetts Fire Chief 2009

FIRE CHIEFS’ ASSOCIATION OF MASSACHUSETTS LEADS THE WAY ON BY CHIEF ROBERT DIPOLI, FCAM GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS DIRECTOR CAPITOL HILL “Tip” O’Neill often said “all politics are local.” It is much easier to Leadership began to transform the organization from a fraternal and gain support for a particular issue when you can make the connecsocial organization into a highly effective professional development tion to how it will impact the legislators’ constituents. The advent of and well-respected Legislative Advocacy Group at the State Capitol. the Fax Network and later the internet improved the communication The effort began as the elected ofﬁcers developed a more active role in between the FCAM Leadership and the member chiefs, telling them the association’s legislative activities. The advent of the Executive Fire when to make contact with their State Senators and Representatives. Ofﬁcer Program at the National Fire Academy and better ﬁre service This interaction led to many successes in passage of legislation that communications played a prominent role in the professional developprovided needed funding for the Massachusetts Fire Service as well ment of many of the association’s ofﬁcers and exposed these leaders to a more global prospective. For many years, the organization sent a representative IT IS MUCH EASIER TO GAIN SUPPORT FOR A PARTICULAR ISSUE WHEN YOU CAN MAKE to the State House to conduct business, but the role of the THE CONNECTION TO HOW IT WILL IMPACT rank and ﬁ le membership was limited. The leadership team THE LEGISLATORS’ CONSTITUENTS. in the early nineties began to travel on a frequent basis to the State Capitol to augment the efforts of the association’s part time paid lobbyist. A short time later, the organization honed its skills with grass roots lobbying. This highly effective pracas the creation of many effective programs to save lives and improve tice involves utilizing the power of the member Chiefs who lobbied response to large scale incidents. their individual State Legislators on a particular issue. The late and While the Fire Chiefs’ Association developed some very producgreat Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Thomas tive relationships with members of the State Legislature, contact M A SSA C HUSE TTS FIRE CHIEF 2009 | Twenty years ago the Fire Chiefs’ Association 15

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Massachusetts Fire Chief 2009

Massachusetts Fire Chief 2009 Contents A Message from the FCAM President Code of Ethics/Vision Statement Bonds of Service Legislative Report The Fire Chief for 2009 and Beyond Leading a Combination Fire Department Remember When Fighting for Code Change Leadership Matters Fire Risk Management - Fire Chiefs - Codes The Current Economy and its Effect on Fire Departments Statewide Fire Mobilization Plan Beware of the Truss Index of Advertisers

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