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Firefighters have for decades been doing jobs well outside their core fire safety duties – road incidents, flood response and even rescuing cats in trees come to mind. But a US initiative is breaking new ground by enlisting firefighters to help consumers in the switchover from analogue to digital television across the country.
Before the protests start about treating them like glorified TV engineers, the United States Fire Administration justifies this decision on the basis that the analogue frequencies being freed up are to be used to upgrade the communication network used by US emergency services.
Under the scheme, firefighters will visit the homes of people who need help to connect their digital converter boxes and to adjust their set-top antennas. The initiative will focus on groups most affected by the move away from analogue, including low income individuals, minority communities, senior citizens, consumers with disabilities and those living in rural areas. Firefighter involvement comes after an agreement between the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) and the Federal Communications Commission.
“The USFA [United States Fire Administration] would like to applaud the efforts of the IAFC and our nationis firefighters for joining in this effort to ensure a successful national conversion from analogue to digital technology,” said Glenn Gaines, acting US fire administrator. “Firefighters know first hand the importance of citizens being able to access critical preparedness information before, during, and after community emergencies. It is critical to fire service and emergency management officials that residents of this nation are prepared, and able to access on their televisions, important life safety messages from all fire, EMS, emergency management, and health care agencies.”
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Firefighters have for decades been doing jobs well outside their core fire safety duties – road incidents, flood response and even rescuing cats in trees come to mind. But a US initiative is breaking new ground by enlisting firefighters to help consumers in the switchover from analogue to digital television across the country.
Before the protests start about treating them like glorified TV engineers, the United States Fire Administration justifies this decision on the basis that the analogue frequencies being freed up are to be used to upgrade the communication network used by US emergency services.
Under the scheme, firefighters will visit the homes of people who need help to connect their digital converter boxes and to adjust their set-top antennas. The initiative will focus on groups most affected by the move away from analogue, including low income individuals, minority communities, senior citizens, consumers with disabilities and those living in rural areas. Firefighter involvement comes after an agreement between the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) and the Federal Communications Commission.
"The USFA [United States Fire Administration] would like to applaud the efforts of the IAFC and our nationis firefighters for joining in this effort to ensure a successful national conversion from analogue to digital technology," said Glenn Gaines, acting US fire administrator. "Firefighters know first hand the importance of citizens being able to access critical preparedness information before, during, and after community emergencies. It is critical to fire service and emergency management officials that residents of this nation are prepared, and able to access on their televisions, important life safety messages from all fire, EMS, emergency management, and health care agencies."