24.02.10

Well it’s been a strange couple of weeks with regard to working with other fire related bodies.

Many years ago I ran a fire protection business in Houston, Texas that supplied systems to the petrochemical and offshore industries,  many of which were installed by Resident Aliens (RAs).  Indeed I was an RA myself – great name eh? like something out of ET – although I can assure that I don’t yet have a bike that flies!  RAs have the right to reside and work in the USA but don’t get a vote.

One day a bunch of fellow RAs showed up in the warehouse and tried to buy material without the sales tax, quoting the talismanic saying from the US Revolution by the Bostonian Jonathan Mayhew –  "No Taxation Without Representation!"  Having disabused them of the notion that we could sell product without sales tax they duly paid up and went on their way, but it got me thinking of whether they had a point?

The talismanic saying raised itself to the higher levels of my consciousness late last week when I discussed with one of our board members an e-mail that I had recently received from the Chair of a fire-related ‘quango’. This informed me that my “kind offer” of supplying a representative to give a view from the fire trade wasn’t welcome as “the current membership is adequate”. The thing that really made me laugh was that the board member in question mentioned that the quango had recently contacted his company asking for some financial support!

So my message to all companies in the fire trade is:  Don’t support any quangos without proper representation and if you do and don’t get it, then remember 1776, storm their premises and chuck all their Typhoo into the harbour!

But on to more encouraging news of collaboration with other parts of the fire world, namely a coming together of the FIA with the sprinkler gang (aka BAFSA) and both Hants and Dorset Fire and Rescue to put on a well received free fire seminar for the hotels and guest house sector  (I’d thought of asking the aforementioned quango for support money but suspected that the irony of the situation might have been lost on them). This success confirmed my view that trade associations are at their best when they get out to the grass roots and work with them.  I’d rather do this any day that sit in yet another darkened room focusing  on government targets and working with other relevant government departments and related organisations to help shape and join up the agenda.

Now off down to Halfords to see if the flying bikes have arrived.