When
you were growing up, like many young boys, did you dream of being a
fireman or a policeman?
"My interest in public
safety started as a young child because my father served for more than a
decade as a volunteer fireman. He retired as a lieutenant in the early
60s.
"It was great for us kids. My brother Tommy and I spent hours and hours
riding in parades on the fire trucks with Sparky the Fire Dog and
sliding up and down the poles in the fire stations.
"While we had the fun, my dad had all the work and responsibility of the
job. The fire radio was conveniently and prominently displayed on the
top of the refrigerator. Every morning it would sound the alarm and
announce 'Engine Company Ten cleared for service!' - We didn't need any
alarm clock! It was their 24/7 communications link between the station
and the volunteer team.
"When it would go off for an emergency call, I remember my father would
just drop everything and he'd be gone, responding to that call. Whether
he was washing the dishes, washing the car, raking the leaves, cutting
the grass, he'd just drop it and he'd be out of there in a flash.
"I can also remember as a child hearing him explain in detail about some
of the calls he'd responded to - burning buildings or auto accidents. He
impressed upon me the seriousness of the job and how dedicated the men
and women in public safety are who put their lives on the line every
day.
"Firefighting has been a way of life for my family. Between my father,
uncles, and cousins, my family has logged about 150 years with the
volunteer fire service. I'm extremely proud of that tradition."
How did you
build on that tradition as a member of the Maryland General
Assembly?
"Working on
bills that related to public safety was some of my most
satisfying work as a member of the General Assembly.
"I served on the House Judiciary Committee from 1991 to 1999.
I've debated public policy covering the gamut of public safety
issues, and my legislative record in support of public safety
initiatives is longstanding and clear.
"I'm proud of the work I did on behalf of victims of crime. It
boiled down to victims wanted respect in the courtroom. I
sponsored legislation that gave victims the stature they
deserve. [Phil noted that it was informally called the "Bissett
Bill."]
"The organ donor bill I was involved in had a significant
impact. Before that, we had several conflicting laws related to
the issue. Society wanted to supplement the supply of healthy
donor organs - but the law prevented it from happening. We
worked to combine the legislation into one cohesive bill. After
my term in office, it ultimately became the Bill Amos Organ
Donation Bill. I helped get the process started, and it was
personally very rewarding.
"I also worked to combat the problem of drunk driving, leading
the effort for better drunk driving legislation. It earned me an
award from the Maryland State's Attorneys' Association and
Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
"I was also recognized by the Maryland Department of State
Police and the Maryland State Fire Marshall for supporting law
enforcement and fire service legislation.
"Looking back, I'd have to say that early connection with the
fire service, through my father, had a profound impact on me as
an adult. I was able to relate those experiences that my father
went through to the process of developing effective public
safety policy in the legislature. It enabled me to be a voice of
reason on the committee." (back
to top)
You sat down
recently to talk face to face with public safety personnel from
across the county. What did you take away from that
conversation?
"I have always found our public safety personnel to be caring
and responsive. I put them on a pedestal. They are very
dedicated professionals.
"When I sat down with a number of them in the same room, I was
most impressed with the level of dedication of all of these
individuals. First and foremost, safeguarding and serving the
public is what they do and what they believe in. That came
through loud and clear.
"I was struck by their desire to be part of a bigger team.
Police, fire, emergency personnel - they said they had never
been brought together and given that kind of opportunity to
interact with each other. I heard the frustration. They have a
real desire to better communicate with and work more
cooperatively with the other branches of public safety. And from
my perspective, it makes it a whole lot easier at the end of the
day at the negotiation table if police know what fire needs and
fire knows what police need." (back to top)
In this time of
heightened security, and more demand on public services, what
measures will you take as county executive to assure county
residents that, in an emergency, county government will be there
for them?
"We need a security
preparedness coordinator in this county. We don't need a new
position necessarily. My administration will make some
organizational changes to address that communication and
coordination need.
"You're going to see us assess the operation and the structure
and response capability of our security preparedness team. I
think you'll see a whole new structure develop as a result of
that. First and foremost, we need to have our public safety
personnel across departments working together as a team.
"Under planning and strategy -- we need a functional contingency
plan in place so that we are fully prepared for any emergency. I
ran tabletop drills when I headed up MARC trains. 'What if
terrorists capture a car?' 'What if a train goes off the track?'
'What if a car is bombed?' That's where the security
preparedness coordinator comes in. We've historically focused on
post-event mitigation, mostly related to natural disasters.
We're going to augment that with pre-event strategies for all
kinds of scenarios. After all, we've got more high-level targets
in Anne Arundel County than any other county in the state.
"It comes back to the wise utilization of resources. It's going
to be up to leadership internally to devise the correct
priorities.
"Recruitment, retention, training, sound budgeting, realistic
and fair contract negotiations, retirement benefits, affordable
housing - they're all part of the solution to ensure that we
have a quality public safety program in Anne Arundel County.
"The needs of 40 years ago when my father was a volunteer
fireman are significantly different than our needs today. We
must work for today's realities and assess and adjust
accordingly for the future." back to top)
Check back soon for the next in
the series "Talking with Phil" -- his candid comments on the issues facing our county
and his goals as county executive.
More Talking with Phil:
