Grant writing is a daunting task for fire departments of all makeups; however, dangling funds, ripe for the picking, prompt savvy departments to reach for them to ease budgetary concerns. While some reap grant success others have sidelined themselves, deeming … Continue reading →
Communities ask a lot of their members of law enforcement. They want them to be able to respond at a moment’s notice when something goes awry, and officers are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner at all times. … Continue reading →
A council-manager form of local government can yield great rewards, according to one Iowa mayor. Within this type of framework, the city administrator, or manager, is the chief administrative officer and appoints all officers other than the attorney and municipal … Continue reading →
The grass is perennially greener on the other side of the fence, so it’s little wonder that much thought — and even more indignation — has arisen regarding who has it better: employees of state and local governments, or those … Continue reading →
In maintaining and managing a municipal fleet operation, fleet managers can take a page from the private sector’s use of vehicle equivalency units to calculate the ratio of technician-to-vehicles. Put simply, using VEUs means adding up how many sedans and … Continue reading →
A favorite quote of Joseph Clark, fleet management director for the city of Durham, N.C., is from the French poet Antoine de Saint-Exupery: “A goal without a plan is just a wish.” With the city’s blessing, Clark puts that motivating … Continue reading →
John Maczko, winner of the City Engineers Association of Minnesota Municipal Engineer of the Year Award for 2015, has labored in several different types of engineering throughout his career. He began in traffic signal timing in 1985, later working as … Continue reading →
Ever since a derailment and fire that occurred in Lynchburg, Va., on April 30, 2014, Battalion Chief Robert Lipscomb has been traveling across the U.S. giving talks about what the Lynchburg Fire Department learned from the experience. In that incident, … Continue reading →
There’s no denying that incidents of train derailments containing hazardous materials have increased. The distinction to note, however, is between derailments of hazardous material and other derailments. According to the National Transportation Safety Board, there are on average three train … Continue reading →
On the surface, it appears to be routine. A family member panics as their loved one struggles to breathe or slips into a state of unconsciousness. He or she does the first thing that comes to mind in an emergency … Continue reading →
Most modern-day communities were founded by individuals and were named after their founder. Davidson, N.C., follows about half that tradition. The lakeside town of 11,750 was named after its founder, Davidson College, which was named after Brigadier General William Lee … Continue reading →
