IPonder

Ray McCormack, Publisher and Editor

This past Saturday, Apple® released its newest product: the IPad®. This latest, very impressive invention is sleek, amazing, and another push towards our technological future. It was developed to compete with other “readers” on the market, and recently opened to the awaiting crowds everywhere. After waiting to examine this new portable technology and playing with it for a few minutes, you can’t help but be impressed with the “tricks” it performs.

Like anything else in our society, a new product or service’s faults inevitably needs to be highlighted by someone, or many. While toying with a very large flat screen monitor, I read a blog that was critical of the IPad®: “It won’t do this,” “and be careful of that;” apparently some among us can’t ‘contribute’ comments or anecdotes unless they come from negative decorum. No machine does everything, and no machine does everything well; just like the fire service.

Here was this amazing machine that does things that not only make you shake your head in disbelief, but ponder how we ever got along without all this “stuff”. Criticizing this machine because it may be missing a feature you thought should be there, or because it misses a beat on certain applications, is really reaching when you take in the whole picture, or I should say image.

The fire service has many ‘distracters’ that like to examine our collective ‘features’ with a very critical eye. We can definitely take it, but that’s not the point. You can do everything seemingly right, and some will still find fault(s) with your effort.

Why is there not only a rush to criticize, but a coupling of “new sage” advice added in for good measure? Part of the reason is due in part to the available technology that allows you to read this wherever you are. Instantaneous information, along with instantaneous criticism, makes for good cyber fire reporting, or does it? Many solutions don’t hold water, but provide the needed ‘apps’ for those that demand something new.

There should always be good technique incorporated into fire extinguishment and tactical operations. Okay, you put the fire out, but did you take care of the little things that could come back and haunt or disable your effort, or result in a catastrophic outcome?

This new ‘reader’ took care of the little things ,and came out beyond cool. We need to step back and make a detailed examination of our product and service, and not be so quick to highlight our alleged shortfalls along with prescribing unproven remedies for fire service ills. What the fire service needs perhaps is an IPill.