Don't Reinvent the Wheel

How often have we heard that statement?  Sure all of our organizations are special, diverse and autonomous but we all fight fire, respond to haz-mats, and even make EMS calls.  That makes us more alike than we ever consider.  We all need vehicles, equipment, supplies, and people.  It might just be that we deal with these in a different way than our neighbor or the larger or smaller department across the country.  But we all must meet both our needs and requirements to make things work in the best interest of our communities.This deals with all of that.

If we personally want to buy something new we can check at local merchants, ask our friends, or cruise the internet.  During the information gathering phase we get tips and tricks that help our cause and some that divert our attention from its original focus.  Yet all of it helps with our knowledge base and comfort factor and have some bearing on our final decision making process.  Why not take advantage of that process and availability of information  if we are having trouble with a specific part of our job?

I'm sure that others have faced many of these same problems or opportunities that we are now staring down.  Possibly they have posted their findings or decision making process on the internet for our review.  Or better yet they are willing to share directly with us by phone, e-mail or letter.  This shortens our process builds on our community and allows us insight into how others operate and face their own issues.

Use what's available.  Give credit to those that saved you time.  Honor the wishes of your resource if they are reluctant or unwilling to share their information.  There are often compelling reasons for their unwillingness.  Most importantly complete your due diligence and confirm the information that you find.   Along that same line, one of my favorite quotes is "You can't trust everything that you read on the internet."  by Abraham Lincoln. Although Honest Abe probably never said that,  using a trustworthy source is paramount in looking for and finding good helpful material.

What does this have to do with anything?  Well I am using my own advice to write our next installment.  Now that you have the background please check back for the real story.  Stay Safe.