FACILITY FIRE BRI FIRE AND EMERGENCY SERVICES INS FIRE PROTECTION, DETECTION, AN
FIRE SERVICE HYDRAULICS AND WATER SUPPLY HAZARDOUS MATERIALS TECHNICIAN PRINCIPLES OF PASSENGER VEHICLE EXTRICATION GROUND COVER FIRE FIGHTING FOR STRUCTURAL FIREFIGHTERS
One example of this can be found in the State of Pennsylvania. According to the Pennsylvania State Department of Community and Economic Development, in 1975 there were an estimated 360,000 volunteer firefighters in the state. A more recent study conducted in 2018 showed that number had decreased to 38,000, a nearly 90% total decrease. The results would likely be similar in any state or province that were polled. What this meant to IFSTA/FPP is that in that one state alone, there was an 90% decrease in the potential for sales of Essentials and other manuals. Declining sales are not because of the quality of our product or growth in the popularity of our competition. It is simply because we were operating in a shrinking market. Even if communities switch from volunteer to career departments and continue to use our manuals, there will likely be a substantially a smaller number of career firefighters serving those communities than there were when they had volunteers. This this impacts the demand for Essentials and other manuals. What Makes IFSTA/FPP Unique? IFSTA is not an organization where a single person plays the leadership role. IFSTA is its members. Their network of support spans the globe, with a common vision to foster better communication, develop safer practices through our materials, and a commitment to do the right thing. These values have carried us for many years and will help to carry us for years to come. We are proud of our relationship with OSU, our rich heritage and tradition, and the strong relationships and partnerships we have and continue to nurture. Unlike our competitors, publishing fire service training materials is all we do. It is not just another product line in a broad corporate strategy; it is all that we do . Many of our employees served long careers in the fire service, some continue to volunteer, and even those who did not come from the fire service have completed firefighter training courses to learn more about the field in which they now work. We walk the walk. As a non-profit, university-based, educational organization, IFSTA/FPP does not answer to corporate executives and stockholders. They answer to the customers: the fire and emergency services. Our customers have told us that they want the highest quality, most technically sound, training materials at a fair price. Meeting that expectation has been our goal for 90 years. We do this by operating the most comprehensive material validation process in the emergency services publishing industry. We take extraordinary measures to ensure that the information in our manuals is reflective of all walks of the fire service and truly are best practices. IFSTA/FPP’s home base within CEAT at OSU also distinguishes us from commercial publishers. We operate in the public sector, just like our customers do. We are surrounded by endless resources in the latest educational technologies and research. FPP has conducted and participated in formal research projects with organizations such as the United States Fire Administration (USFA), Home Safety Council, ProLiteracy Worldwide, NFPA, Oklahoma State Department of Education, and the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. The knowledge gained from this research goes directly into IFSTA manuals so that you can base your practices on verifiable research, not someone’s opinion or age-old fire service lore. IFSTA/FPP is not “dipping its toes” in the fire service market, as our competitors have done. We have been fully immersed in the fire service for 90 years. Our member and customer loyalty to us and our loyalty to them is the cornerstone of nine (9) decades of success. When you are as truly committed to firefighters as we are, loyalty cannot be bought. Credibility must be earned, and that commitment is not dependent on profit. All IFSTA manuals ( THE “Red Books,” including THE Essentials of Fire Fighting ) are written by firefighters for firefighters. So, when it really comes right down to it, it’s about values and relationships, like the ones we share with our staff, our IFSTA partners, and our customers. When it comes to responder safety and expertise, there’s no question where we stand. Over the years, in both good and bad times, we have not deviated from that course. We’ll be here for emergency responders now and in the future as well.
IFSTA/FPP: THE FIRST 90 YEARS 35
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