inspections, staffing, equipment-it's all inconsistent across the country. Many people with disabilities have no idea that not every building is inspected every year, or that there isn't necessarily somebody out there looking out for them, or that not every fire department has the same response capabilities. How can these communication and awareness issues be addressed? We've found that providing opportunities for people in the fire service to sit at a table and talk with people from the disability community is valuable. It's about bringing the groups together to discuss expectations, the experiences of people with disabilities, and what the fire service can really deliver. Planning with people with disabilities really raises the awareness of the disability community that 'Hey, maybe we need to be more proactive. Maybe I need to reach out to my building manager to say that this isn't being maintained.' There are a lot of really good partnerships that can start with very small actions. A little bit of time invested by the fire service could get an awful lot of advocates on your side. Where would you recommend someone from the fire service go to make these connections? We have a number of examples of things that fire agencies and advocacy agencies have done together already. The NDRN website (ndrn.org) also has contact information and links to every state and territory's protection and advocacy group. If you're wondering what's going on in your state, calling your state protection and advocacy group would be a good place to start. If they don't know, they know who does. NFPA .ORG/JOURNAL * NFPA JOURNAL | 27 GETTY IMAGEShttp://www.ndrn.org https://nfpa.org/journal