NU Online News Service, MAY 19, 12:48 p.m. EDT
BOCA RATON, FLA.–A survey of U.S. fire departments finds they lack adequate training gear and funding, which impacts insurers, the chairman of Fireman's Fund is warning.
In an interview with National Underwriter, Charles "Chuck" M. Kavitsky, chairman of Fireman's Fund and president, chairman and chief executive officer of Allianz of America, said among a variety of information in the poll, he found most alarming the lack of equipment and training firefighters need to do their job.
He said insurers and firefighters are in the same business of protecting homes and lives, and firefighters are at the forefront of this effort.
"We rely on the insurance company to bring us back together; we rely on the fire service to save us from that harm initially," said Mr. Kavitsky.
Novato, Calif.-based Fireman's Fund, which has a long-standing history with the nation's fire departments, sponsored a poll seeking information on how the current economic crisis is impacting fire departments. It said almost 9,500 fire departments took part–30 percent of the fire departments in the country.
Among the findings, the top three challenges for fire departments are:
o Lack of budgets.
o Old or outdated equipment, gear and apparatus.
o Staffing, recruiting and retaining qualified firefighters.
More than half of all the departments said they have had to increase fund-raising efforts or grant writing due to budget cutbacks.
Fifty-five percent of the respondents said that if the economic crisis continues for another 12 months it will have a negative impact on their service to the community.
The study was conducted online by Ipsos Public Affairs, based in New York. More than 17,500 firefighters from nearly 9,500 departments participated; 61 percent of respondents hold the rank of fire official (chief, captain or lieutenant).
The survey found that one out of five departments say they do not have adequate equipment to safely and quickly remove someone after a vehicle accident.
Seventy-six percent of those responding said they believe they have not been adequately trained to deal with terrorism or weapons of mass destruction.
Fifty-two percent of firefighters responding said they do not feel they are adequately trained to handle hazardous materials incidents, and one-third don't have the protective equipment for all of their personnel to respond to such calls.
Close to the same percentage, 50 percent, said they don't have the equipment to handle wildfires, and 41 percent don't have at least one thermal imaging camera.
On the positive side, only 17 percent of departments felt the quality of service provided has declined, and 90 percent feel they are adequately trained to handle structural fires.
Fireman's Fund has supported fire departments for the past five years with a grant program, The Heritage Program, which allows agents to submit grants to the company for their local fire departments to cover the costs of equipment, training and community education.
Mr. Kavitsky noted that his company and its distribution force want to be identified positively in their communities, and the connection with firefighters has had the benefit of aiding the community while branding themselves a little differently from others.
He said the company has validated its philanthropic position financially through increased customer loyalty, better agent relationship and a workforce that takes pride in its charitable work.
Mr. Kavitsky, who is set to retire from the company in July, said he is hopeful that the program will continue and that there is every indication from management that this
© Arc, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to TMSalesOperations@arc-network.com. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.