Your Department's Development SOP

Your department has Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) to avoid unnecessary risks, accident, injuries and unintended consequences. SOPs are updated as regulations and circumstances change, as well as in response to lessons learned. SOPs provide a baseline for strength in fire department operations.

How do you make sure that you expand your department's resources in the same responsible, organized way? How do you ensure all board responsibilities and your responsibility to the public in being entrusted with nonprofit work is honored at all times? What baselines exist for your fire fighting association and other philanthropic efforts?

The Larned E. Waterman Iowa Nonprofit Resource Center and the Iowa Secretary of State's Office are among the leaders in an effort entitled Iowa Principles and Practices of Nonprofit Excellence. You can download this helpful 3o-page guide here.

What are you waiting for? Download your SOP for making your development efforts even stronger today. Consider requiring your members review the material and place it on your agenda for potential formal adoption. In doing so, you will take important steps towards the same nonprofit industry excellence you already apply to your fire service.

An Ongoing Mission: The Continued Need for Fire Prevention Week

Happy Fire Prevention Week!

Firefighters across the country are to be comended for your substantial forward progress in the last decades in terms of fire prevention education, strengthened building codes and fewer fire incidents. My late father used to say as a firefighter, he was involved in the only industry where the less business came in the door, the better off everyone would be. Although the fire calls have decreased, the 38 fire deaths in Iowa alone (as tracked by the Department of Public Safety as of August 31, 2009) underscores and solidifies that the need for Fire Prevention Week continues.

In an age where we are even more overwhelmed with information and "clutter" to cut through than in this 1969 Decorah Fire Department picture, what is the best way to get this critical message out?

The continued outreach to thousands of Iowa students is an excellent start. The earlier and more repetitive critical safety messages are, the more likely they will be recalled and acted on in the event of the unthinkable. Kudos to the Sioux City Fire Department for coming up with an innovative way to demonstrate the unthinkbale destruction of fire to members of the public who haven't trained at least 24 hours on fire fighting this year. I hope their demonstration guests continue the story through the great power of social media.

As you all know, this week only means larger public awarenes around the mission your pursue the other 51 weeks of the year too. Thanks for the difference you make in protecting your community's life and property!

What new ways to cut through the clutter are working well for your department this Fire Prevention Week?