For the past seven years, my wife and I have been involved with several organizations that involve public safety, but until the past few years, we were at a distance. For the past two years, we’ve been actively involved in the development of public safety education and fire safety training materials. It is a daunting, but rewarding position to be in.
I think the first thing that comes to mind relative to this work is how important it is to reach adults through children. I am amazed at the lack of interest many adults have when presented with issues of personal or home safety, only to show genuine interest when the same issues are brought home by their children. And make no mistake, nearly all of us can benefit from some form of education on fire, earthquake, heart attack and other matters.
Many of our clients are about performance and return on investment. It’s a money thing. Totally understandable – and part of what we all do. When working in public safety, it seems that there is never enough money, and the rewards are related to saving a life, rather than making a profit. For some, that would be a no-win scenario. For both my wife and I, however, it is something that we feel strongly about. And, with every new DVD, online video, or training website, we feel more connected to the community and to the people we live around.