tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11603169682540070962024-03-05T03:14:24.148-08:00Uncommon SenseObservations, essays, ramblings, thoughts and more from a slightly reformed New Yorker who has returned home to Ohio. A spiritual person having a human experience, writer, photographer, and public safety professional. Christopher Blake Carver http://www.blogger.com/profile/07138232963426428085noreply@blogger.comBlogger182125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1160316968254007096.post-77509975682746230282023-05-21T19:49:00.001-07:002023-05-21T19:49:30.728-07:00At What Cost?<p>This world can be a better place. </p><p>More equitable. More fair. More true. </p><p>Our demons and fears, foibles and distractions can be, in fact, neutered. We can wake in the morning and not be hostage to who or what we went to bed with. Whether that is a memory dark or a person cruel. But the freedom will not come without a price. The opportunity will not be provided silver spoon or golden ticket style. Remember, even Charlie had to find the path to his ticket. Paved with faith and hope and luck. But of what of our path? Is luck enough. Probably not. We will have to say no, often. We will have to yes even more. We will have to go through the pained process of figuring out when to say which. And we will get it wrong. Dreadfully, horribly wrong. But we have to at least be willing to try. Again and again. When it is easy and when it is not. That is true of our own personal orb and this bigger one we all share. Too many want to do none of the work. They will stand no moment of discomfort. No fact out of place from their carefully constructed narrative. Not even an errant leaf on the manicured lawn. Is it any wonder they ban books, ideas, and even humanity when they can. The irony is they claim to also want a better world. But how can that ever be so? Perhaps for them better means easy. And do we not know where that leads, in a world that has known faith, and power, and wealth in their easy forms. That approach is not for me. I will take the adventure and the challenge. The in vain I love you’s. The mistaken investments which will show not on any ledger. For I know that just showing up is task one. Just risking yourself is task two. And nothing else of worth can ever happen without passing chance at least once and risking losing it all. Least of all making this world just a little bit better for all. </p>Christopher Blake Carver http://www.blogger.com/profile/07138232963426428085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1160316968254007096.post-29507628062045064902023-05-06T07:34:00.001-07:002023-05-07T10:39:33.604-07:00Happy Saturday! (what time are the cartoons on?)<p> It is one of those mornings here in Ohio. The spring air is still crisp, but it is warming. The birds still seem shocked that winter is gone. And it is early enough in May that the abundance of green and pink and purple are almost un-nerving. </p><p>There are other shocking things today, as there always seem to be. Shootings here and everywhere. The wars continue. Our political system seems in peril. The entire world still feels broken in the way it did during the height of the pandemic, but it seems we have put a fresh coat of paint on the walls. Nothing to see here. </p><p>A couple of doors down lives a family. They are not friends of ours. Only a handful of words exchanged over the years. They have a dog that long ago mastered escaping the yard, but I have not seen him in a long while. Come to think of it, have not heard his impossibly enthusiastic barking either. But this family does have a couple of kids. Who are, I confess, incredibly adorable. </p><p>The older child is at this moment “mowing” his front yard with that toy mower that I think every child between three and six had at some point. Our coronation toy from the time we value the pomp and circumstance of doing grown up things. Of play. And of make-believe. His conviction in his actions are far more sincere than many of my own, even if the danger for the grass is more of being trampled than trimmed. </p><p>Jesus is a man of instruction and guidance. Or at least those who wrote down his words wanted him to be. What those instructions were may come as a shock to some of his most ardent believers today. In fact, its fair to assume those folks don't bother to read the users agreements on their iPhones either. </p><p>But one thing that is said, clearly, is for us to be more like Children in how we approach the world. To view ourselves and others with the eyes of wonder and amazement and faith is what I think that means. Or perhaps I missed out on many years of justification to put gum in my sister’s hair or use markers on the wall. Ehh, Im pretty sure its more the wonder part. </p><p>I can not help consider that wonder, that faith, as I watch the little boy mow the lawn with all the conviction he can muster. And the joy. And the spirit so buoyant I can feel it from two houses away. God bless his faith, which cares not for the calamities of the newspaper front page. </p><p>Maybe he has the right idea after all. </p><p>If you will excuse me, I think there are some cookies and chocolate milk in the kitchen somewhere. </p>Christopher Blake Carver http://www.blogger.com/profile/07138232963426428085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1160316968254007096.post-28630848034195647062022-04-09T10:23:00.000-07:002022-04-09T10:23:15.327-07:00Trying to Keep Up Hope<p>We are broken. Politically our democracy is hanging on by a sliver of a thread. The combined impacts of social media, the death of journalism, money in politics, apathy, gerrymandering, and our inability to meet in the middle is destroying the American experiment before our very eyes. </p><p>Our environment is on the brink of a change that we will not be able to turn back. You can not take things that were in the earth for millions of years, burn them, fill the atmosphere with them, and then not expect consequences. But here we are with a warming planet and that means.</p><p>Our rights are under threat. Rest assured the trends to roll-back abortion rights will lead to more roll-backs as well. Gay rights are on the list and in my lifetime I may win the right to marry my partner- and lose it. </p><p>Economically, we are creating an unsustainable bubble that may be worse that 08/09. Workers are scarce which drives up labor costs. Supply chain issues are also causing scarcity which…drives up costs. With our population barely growing, this pattern is not likely to reverse anytime soon unless we embrace legal immigration and revisit our City on the Hill history to become the destination nation for the 21st Century. </p><p>And in terms of Equity and Equality we are witnessing the creation of laws that make it easier to ban books, ban the discussion of “uncomfortable topics” and ignore what America’s historical story means for many of its people. </p><p>And, of course, we are dying. Humans right now in Ukraine, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East are dying in political violence that is frequently a form of genocide. In 2022. </p><p>In 2022 we are seeing everything go backwards. Back to the 1800s; back to pre-stonewall, back to pre-Brown v Board, back to pre-Loving, back to… </p><p>I wish I had an intelligent end to this post. I wish I had a solution to offer to make this all better. But I don’t. I don’t know how to shake a planet into awareness or even a country. I don’t know how to get people to turn off the noise and Understand their fellow citizen. Understand how risky a position we are in. Understand why we must start making smarter choices. Now. </p><p>All I can do is pray. All I can do is meditate. All I can do is share my gift and hope maybe someone listens. And in this Easter Week, perhaps thats the best we have any right to expect. </p>Christopher Blake Carver http://www.blogger.com/profile/07138232963426428085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1160316968254007096.post-47443494256987386442022-02-28T07:39:00.004-08:002022-02-28T07:39:34.633-08:00Maybe the End of the Beginning... <p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Since last Thursday, the images from Ukraine have been mesmerizing, inspiring, terrifying, sad, but also, in a way, hopeful. We should never forget the amazing resolve of the Ukrainian people to fight for their homes, their families, their County. As Americans, we would do well to learn from them and their display of genuine leadership in the face of this crisis which is a much needed reminder of what that word really means and what it looks like in action. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">But looking ahead beyond the hopeful coming end of this terrible war, I want to share another potential lesson about the future of these types of conflicts, gleaned from what we have watched in Ukraine in real time on Twitter, Facebook, and cable news. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">With smart phones, social media, satellite communication, and all the other technologies we now have at our disposal, maybe, just maybe this is one of the very last times we are going to see this type of conflict.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The old style "sneak attack" is pretty much impossible when every citizen has a smart phone and can share the exact whereabouts of enemy positions for targeting by smart weapons. When commercially available satellite imagery can track whereabouts of soldiers and materials, and when dating apps can provide the location of individual soldiers, the information age is also bringing forward an awareness age that makes major, long duration, military campaigns nearly impossible to undertake without the opposing forces knowing exactly what you are up to. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Beyond that, the globally interconnected nature of our economies today, may bring forth (finally) the dreams of the post WW2 community. The visionaries and dreamers who saw the United Nations and a common set of human rights as well as an interconnected community of nations, as key elements of preventing wars. To date, in so many places, that collective approach has failed to prevent war. It did not prevent the war here either, but the world has now seen the power of a shared response and perhaps this will change forever what we are willing to tolerate and empower our shared responsibility and resolve to act BEFORE the bombs fall. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Now, this is not a perfect scenario by any means and these days are not here yet. The people of Grozny and Aleppo and Darfur and Burundi and so many other places still bear the scars of our global inaction and inattentiveness. This better future is also dependent on the technology available to local citizenry and their governments, meaning that there are countries in the world still very vulnerable to armed conflict and populations that will still face the horrors of war. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">But here in the last week, maybe just maybe we have our roadmap to a more peaceful planet. Where the combination of resolve and technology, information and analysis, and a global community committed to action in the face of conflict can bring us to a more peaceful age. Time, as with all things, will tell. And we are by no means at the dawn of a fully peaceful era, but progress is sometimes slow and almost always too slow when it comes to ending the scourge of military conflict, but maybe that sight is on the far horizon. And that is something we can all be inspired by. </span></p>Christopher Blake Carver http://www.blogger.com/profile/07138232963426428085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1160316968254007096.post-43875632961904923162022-02-23T15:53:00.001-08:002022-02-24T06:24:16.865-08:00Hanging with an Ex<p>I did it. Maybe I should not have. Perhaps it is a bit disrespectful to my partner of five years. But in the face of the pandemic’s never ending slog, my need to rediscover myself, and a desire to feel alive again, I took a risk. I opened a door I slammed shut seven years ago. Once opened, I walked in. Cooly, calmly, and with a certain degree of determination. </p><p>I walked down the jet bridge and did not even connect. I went back Non-Stop. I landed in LGA. I found the MetroCard vending machine, boarded the Q70, transferred to the R train and found myself back in the arms of one of my greatest loves. </p><p>The City of New York. </p><p>NYC in all of its altered Subway routes, rats on the platform, noisy hotel room, never ending siren glory. </p><p>I took in museums. I perused an amazing exhibition at the NY Public Library, and I sat in one of my favorite bars and watched golf, made new friends, and ate about 3/4 of the clam strips and even some of the french fries. Type 2 diabetes be damned. </p><p>I ventured to Bay Ridge and cried a genuine tear about how so much was different about my old neighborhood and none of it for the better. I GOT the words of Iris DeMent’s Our Town, a song I have loved but never felt. By the third closed restaurant, I was right there with her</p><p>“And just like they say, nothing good ever lasts…”</p><p>But it was certainly was not all that. Or even all bad. New York’s greatest feature is also its worst. The ability to be two opposing things at once. The beauty of the Occulus and the “new” Penn station; the art at the Whitney, the designs at the Cooper Hewitt, and the spirit of some of the folks you meet. </p><p>Thats why its never all bad. That is why I loved it when I lived there. A new experience was always available. You were never stuck to one thing. </p><p>Time has gone on. I am happy where I am. I am content with where I am. I am even happier with who I am now (most of the time anyway). But I am also proud and happy of who I was and the love affair I had with that amazing place. No regrets, but no returns. Maybe a drink once in awhile. Perhaps a wonderful walk down Pigeon crowded streets of shadow, but what was- was. And I am okay with that. </p><p>Isn’t that the best thing we can say about an ex?</p>Christopher Blake Carver http://www.blogger.com/profile/07138232963426428085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1160316968254007096.post-54224756919821740182022-02-23T15:40:00.002-08:002022-02-23T15:40:52.770-08:00The Second Worst Part<p> <span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">When you are trying to get yourself back on track the second worst part, after whatever situation made you realize there may be an issue, is that horrible terrible shame and disgust filled moment when you realize how obvious it was that you got off track. Not when the derailment was underway of course, but with the clarity and magnification of the rear view mirror.</span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"> </span> <span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">A device which does not have in its matrix the ability see a damn thing ahead of time or even in progress. How much time and energy would that save us all?</span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"> </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"> Next come questions. How did you miss the road signs? <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Didn’t you notice the letters spelling out WRONG WAY? How about those spiky things that you are never ever supposed to drive over or severe soul damage may result? </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Nope, it is now crystal clear we just drove right over those. How did I miss the sound of the tires popping? <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>How did I not notice the car driving as though it had no tires? Oh whats that you say? <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>My blood glucose got to 368? <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>I was shedding muscle like a steroid user kicking the needle? My grandmotherly slot machine habit evolving to more of <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>a meth-friendly cousin, 3AM at waffle house kind of “issue?” How about the underlying current of frustration and anger and disappointment. The melancholy mornings…. Noons… and nights. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>The 15 extra pounds and my fit-bit giving up the ghost from boredom? Those warning signs were not good enough? <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>The ER for chest pains. Yeah not a clear indication there either. I don’t know what you are saying exactly. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Some things to work on? <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>The TV is a bit static filled. Lets work on those bunny ears. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"> I do not want to know what message was going to be on the side of the Goodyear blimp obviously scheduled to crash in my backyard next week. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"> I would still wonder. “Whats the meaning of it all”. Blissfully in more denial than early 60s Female Rock Hudson fans convinced he was hollywood’s most eligible bachelor. Well yes, but actually, no. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"> It is not just the shame that makes now the a hard time. Its not just the feeling of being stupidly unaware of wasted time, wasted energy, wasted talents. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"> It is more that it all feels like being cheated on. By yourself. And feeling you must fix and make up for it: NOW. The cure for perfectionism is, of course, perfectionism. right? .Its having to fight the desire to make up for it all in a day. Shed 35 pounds on the elliptical in 45 minutes. Let’s see, 350 strides a minute should do the trick. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">For a certain kind of person it is also realizing you must, for the sake of pure survival, take</span><span style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"> a step back and look at the painting on the wall and breathe. Not once. But ten times. Deeply. Closing your eyes. And then moving.</span><span style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"> Moving is so damn important. Rocks do not have to move, neither do tables. But people must. Often. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"> True story, my doctor just prescribed me… breathing… in response to my chest pain event. Is it that obvious? <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Or did he just hear and see the ticking timer attached to the TNT stick I have been chewing on like Bugs Bunny’s carrot. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"> I know what it was all trying to say. In our perpetually crazy always on always GO and CONNECTED world, it is more critical than ever to stop. Take this all in. Accept the fact the train derailed. And then deliberately, carefully consciously put it back on the track. And first run true. Then run slow. Then pick up a little steam. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"> <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>But we can not fix the train at all if we don’t know where it is. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>We have no hope of getting to the destination stuck in a mire of endless lets do this about that right now damn it! <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>No, I must stop. I will stop. 10 times. The start of every hour. Breaths. Deep and real. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"> Maybe then I will do a list. With only 2 or three things on it. Maybe then I will take a moment to meditate. I actually managed to do it last weekend. For five whole minutes I sat on the couch and did nothing. I kept a pad beside me and managed to have the most productive two hours of the last two years right after. Just from five minutes of calm focused presence. Im not going to fix everything. I am not even going to try. Im just going to do my best to do the right thing, to treat myself with the same love and patience I so easily give away to others. And <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>that is not a bad thing at all. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>In truth, it may be the most essential thing I have ever needed to do. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Not bad at all. </span></p>Christopher Blake Carver http://www.blogger.com/profile/07138232963426428085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1160316968254007096.post-80189350096567427132022-02-18T05:56:00.203-08:002022-02-19T14:48:29.837-08:00A New Oath<p>T<span style="font-family: trebuchet;">he last three jobs I have held featured the title of “Director”. One in the Fire Department, one for a Non-Profit, and, currently, for a software company. I have taken that title and my roles seriously in each case, as I have with every job I have ever worked, starting with Baseball umpire at age 14. For 33 years, I have thrown my entire being into elevating my skills, taking classes, attending conferences, reading books, getting certificates and using every other available avenue to help me and the organization I serve(d) succeed. I like to think that I more often than not have been effective at those roles. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">But in recent days, in the face of articles on the Great Resignation, the aftermath of Covid-19, a wonderful sermon from Pastor Amy, and some really impossible situations, I have begun to truly evaluate what that drive to succeed has cost me in return for success. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">You might say I can be a touch compulsive. Or that I am at times a perfectionist. You would probably be right. You may also correctly observe that my childhood featured echoes of the great depression by way of my parents and their own upbringings. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">“Your job is your life.” </span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"> “You must have stability and be the best at your job because if you don't you may starve.” </span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">"Don't stand up to your employer, they might get mad at you and take away your job and then where will you be?" </span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">That was the base layer. It was understandable, but far from healthy. Especially when that focus on work and determination was not accompanied by encouraging a side order of balance and boundaries and appreciation for the human needs of… being human. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">When you add in an extra entrée of “must be best little boy in the world syndrome” is it any wonder I have been in some form of solid tea kettle boil since the age of about seven? For the unaware, that syndrome refers to us gay kids who grew up with a constant undercurrent of a terror that if anyone- a parent, friend, preacher, teacher knew who we REALLY were we would be rejected like a donated kidney and sent to live with really bad people in the woods or an orphanage, followed by an eternity in hell. Or Michigan. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Our Faustian bargain was to think that if we were perfect (about everything) then we could overcome our original sin (shame) and possibly earn our way to tolerance. Not acceptance. That was out of the question. But tolerance. Sort of a Tiny Tim existence where our shameful self would at least be given some table scraps on major holidays and perhaps be allowed to have a supporting role in the family production of Christmas Day. Likely while sitting in a closet. Forever and alone. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">For far too many of my LGBTQ sisters and brothers, even that modest goal proved unattainable and the exile became very real. And incredibly painful, horrible, and complete. Thankfully, my own exile lasted only a few months. But the wound caused by a knife is more about location than duration. And the scar does not tell the difference in time. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">That leads me to today. And that word: Director. As well as the accompanying realization that for far too long I have been all about perfecting the wrong words on my business card. I have looked at my job and my role with all the passion and commitment of someone whose worth was found in his ability to live up to the <b><u>Title</u></b>.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">That was the result of an early electric connection between my shame and fear of being openly who I was and the ability to "make up for it" through work. Thinking that I did not deserve grace and acceptance, just like with trying to be the perfect child to earn some form of tolerance, work offered the same possibility. If I was great, well, maybe I could make up for my shortcomings. I could earn something close to that which I thought I could never ever have. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">That was my own vow or oath. When my work became not the bottom couple of lines on a email signature, but something so much more than it should. That’s at least partially ok when you <i><b>have</b></i> taken an oath, when lives depend on getting it right. It is no less dangerous for your psyche to seek perfection in that case but there can be found some logic in the quest. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">But what happens when grace and peace become a prize to be earned through that work rather than a gift already sweetly and perfectly given? </span><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"> </span><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">When salvation connects itself to how far above your quota you were? How many hours you extended yourself beyond a normal schedule? How well did you put on a smiling face and not say what needed to be said because of fear of scarcity</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"> or rejection? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Welcome back to the Christmas closet, workplace edition. </span><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Realizing that along the way the comma between the name, my name, and the title was replaced by an equal sign.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">And if that happens, when it happens for some of us, the question becomes, how in God's name do we stop? How do we put some distance back between what we do and who we are? That question may become our most important and hardest job of all. Being fully, completely, honestly one's self in an integrated way, focused first on our humanity, not our title. </span><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">How do we get back to being, Joe or Joanne, “who happens to be for awhile serving as a ___________” </span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Anytime I forget that truth I lose my way. It is always impossible to find your way home if you know not where you are, or where you are going. Those are essential bits of information for even the most ambitious of GPS systems. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">I do suspect where the road back begins. It starts with asking: who am I always? No matter what. What brings me joy and peace even when the tempest boils? Where can I find myself again, even if I lost me along the way. It continues with an understanding. I am the only me who has ever been or ever will be. I am an original work of the creator. I am a recipient of grace and love and peace not as a reward for winning a prize, or meeting a quota, but as a result of being here, alive, and human. The best of our friends, family and counselors remind of this. On our best days we remind each other. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">If you can find that, then you can begin to find it all again. And that my friends is another form of grace. A beauty which comes from hearing your own name in your own ears not as an afterthought to your past or your title or your shame or your success. But on its glorious own. Serving as the reminder of whom you were made to be and who you are. No matter how you earn your pay. No matter what you are called. No matter who you love. No matter what those before you did or did not have. No matter what room you occupy on Christmas or any other day </span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">My forever oath is to do better at remembering that it is not an equal sign, but a comma. That much of our entire life is a blank line with words written in pencil following after a name that is ours forever. A name that reflects my purpose above by position and the grace given to me and never earned, because it did not have to be. My oath is to be the best Christopher Blake Carver there is, or ever will be. And that should always be more than enough. </span></p>Christopher Blake Carver http://www.blogger.com/profile/07138232963426428085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1160316968254007096.post-29675163012954067642022-02-05T07:24:00.002-08:002022-02-05T07:24:21.600-08:00Innovation Missed: Why our best future demands safer communities. <p>This weekend marked my first ever visit to the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan. I could go on for days about the collection and content. It checked the boxes of nearly every interest I have. Diners to Airplanes, 1970s and 1980s television to trains and fascinating cultural references. From roadside architecture to a 1986 Ford Taurus similar to the one my family drove off a lot in December of 1985 thereby becoming, for a time, the coolest family in town. It was all there. </p><p>Most striking to me though, was a hall that attempted to define and describe innovation. Highlighting key innovators over the last hundred plus years in a variety of fields as well as core concepts, it did what all great museums do. It inspired but also challenged. It made you think about your own view of the world and the who behind things we take for granted. </p><p>It also got me thinking about organizations and communities and the role our environments play in our ability to innovate. In the possibilities we do or don't have to take our lives to the next level, or to any level at all. </p><p>The question then becomes: How we can create the environments in which the next one hundred years of innovation can happen? From where will the next George Washington Carver, Amelia Earhart, or Jonas Salk come from? And how can we ensure that the solutions to our problems of today and tomorrow are brought to light and not squandered because of a missed opportunity. How many brighter futures can we help make happen? </p><p>Where does it begin? That better future for yourself and your community. I believe it has to start with safety. If you do not feel safe and you are not safe, it is nearly impossible for you to become an innovator. Can it be done, perhaps. But the best possible future will have the best possibility of succeeding in the safest possible environment. Yes, a flower will grow sometimes in barren sand. But far better are its chances in fertile soil, a temperate climate, and with the tender and watchful care of a gardener or two. </p><p>If you do not know where your next meal will come from, if you have no permanent housing, if your community is ravaged by violence or drugs how safe can you be? If your drinking water is contaminated by lead or if climate change leads to your community being destroyed by an increasingly destructive weather pattern or you suffer from emotional and/or physical violence at home, how safe can you be? How well are you set up to innovate, much less thrive? In many ways it may be next to impossible just to survive. Imagine having a justice system that does not afford you the same protections as others, or which does not believe you are entitled to equal rights because of your skin color or sexual orientation. </p><p>Once you have a safer environment in which to grow, we can talk about the potential to thrive. That is where educational opportunities, training opportunities and lifelong schooling come in. The importance of access to quality versions of those systems and institutions can not possibly be overstated. </p><p>This is one reason, however, why our current "us versus them" climate is so incredibly destructive. We seem to have forgotten that the vast majority of people want and need the exact same things. That fears and concerns surrounding these issues have been manipulated to highten differences and exacerbate fears are just another tragedy of the current age and every inch we stray from the common ground that forms our universal basic needs, we fall farther away from who we can be as individuals, communities, and a nation </p><p>Take as an exmaple the interaction between any law enforcement agency and the community it serves. Too often, both the citizen and the police officer are seen as antagonists. There are certainly reasons why this occurs, but both need each other. The citizen needs a police force that truly practices the carriage of justice and concern for every member of the community they serve and protect. But the community needs the police as well. When the 9-1-1 call is made to report a crime, potentially a violent one, those in peril need to know they will receive assistance in a timely and professional manner. </p><p>If we are to have our next Henry Ford Museum celebrating advances in innovation that change our lives for the better, then we have to focus on the foundation of the house. There is a reason that our greatest period of American History (at least in some ways) can be said to be the Second World War. Although not perfect by any means for all people, it none-the-less gave an indication of what was possible when America focused in energy and creativity on a problem and got to work. Imagine what we could do with today’s technology and capabilities focused on our present day problems. From improving education to solving climate change, the possibilities are incredible. </p><p>But you have to walk before you fly. And we have to get the basics right for all Americans- starting with their safety, their access to health care, and their education. From that, anything is possible. </p><p><br /></p>Christopher Blake Carver http://www.blogger.com/profile/07138232963426428085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1160316968254007096.post-56365575993880852352022-02-05T07:08:00.002-08:002022-02-05T07:08:36.980-08:00Chest Pains & Wake Up Calls<p> It is a story as old as a 70s family drama on ABC, CBS, or NBC. Remember kids, only three networks for those kind of shows back then. A middle aged man in the midwest feels a crushing chest pain for about a week and finally decides to venture out to the ER in the aftermath of a winter storm. </p><p>This requires digging the car out, chipping off the ice, and determining the exact right moment to tell his partner the exact right thing (by text) so that he is sharing valuable information but not contributing to said partner’s discomfort or anxiety. </p><p>As with all things at all times, it is about minimizing the discomfort of others you know. (If the midwest had its own coinage that very phrase would be stamped on the back, probably surrounding an image of a heroic parent holding a screaming toddler, books for her/his doctoral program, a bible, and the meals they just cooked for the incapacitated neighbor). </p><p>The journey, although arduous, was successful. Two hours later I was sitting in Bob Evans (on brand, right?) having comfort food and thinking about just what a crazy person I was. Had it been a real cardiac event the stress of digging out the car would have left me like Luke Skywalker on Hoth, but with no warming animal carcass for safety. Just the barren frigid flatness of my driveway. Perhaps with enough energy to beckon a squirrel for some cuddles. I doubt the squirrel would have obliged, especially if the squirrel had seen the Empire Strikes Back. </p><p>And what was the verdict? A side effect of covid had led to swelling and inflammation surrounding my lungs. Making it super painful to… well…. anything. Other than some medication, there was nothing else to really do. Other than rest, relax, and let my body calm down from whatever stresses it. </p><p>Let’s see. In this day and age. Working in sales. More attuned than I should be to the events of the world, politics, and in the middle of a major house renovation already teetering on weeks off schedule, you want me to… relax and de-stress? </p><p>Probably should just print the memorial service invitations now. At least I will know they got the order of services and the music right. </p><p>Alas, here I am. I made it to the next day. Not dead yet. Yes. It still hurts. And no, the bathrooms are not done yet. And yes, our nation is still in quite a bit of a pickle. </p><p>But last night brought a glorious dinner with a new neighbor friend. My partner and I, by virtue of the car having been dug out earlier, were able to provide transportation to one of local favorite spots for food, wine, and conversation. </p><p>Conversation about fears, frustrations, the challenges of love, and the possibility of it all. The hard work of making anything work- love, a career, an ominous snowman in the yard. We ordered the desert, swore we would only eat a bit and take the rest home. But at the end the desert plates were clean. The only thing left to take was the memory of the conversation and of the joy of being present in each other’s lives and sharing this crazy thing that is our life today. </p><p>It was fear of missing out on that which motivated my perhaps misdirected efforts to get to the hospital a few hours before. It was that fear that made me tell jokes and entertain the hospital staff making them more comfortable even when it was their job to do that for me. The ER physician complimented me on my “pleasant disposition”- something I am embarrassed to admit may have happened a few times before in situations where I perhaps should have been a bit more freaked out and less focused on the feelings of strangers. </p><p>It was fear of not doing those things to be done that lingers behind, just like this aching pain behind my right lung. Maybe I can do something about that fear, even if I can’t do much about the pain. </p>Christopher Blake Carver http://www.blogger.com/profile/07138232963426428085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1160316968254007096.post-42014156440373963322022-01-20T14:17:00.002-08:002022-01-20T14:17:59.408-08:00Its not about the damn chicken<p>One of the great Carver family travel stories centers around our first trip to Florida in the early 1980s. From out first view of the “ocean”, okay, “Gulf of Mexico” to Manatees, tornado damage to a K-Mart store and the fascinating Shell Factory, a notable part of the trip also included an experience at a particular McDonald’s near Walt Disney World. </p><p>The service was so slow and indifferent and the order so wrongly prepared that we coined a phrase for it: “The Kissimmee Shuffle”. That phrase would become shorthand for any sort of customer service that was not just subpar, but which actually made you feel unwelcome for darkening the door in the first place an establishment that had totally lost its way in its core mission </p><p>I think about that experience whenever I see a commercial for a new McDonald’s chicken sandwich. They always look the same. Words like “southern” or “homestyle” will be prominent and the images will look not unlike a chicken sandwich belonging to another fast-food joint of prominence. Right down to the pickles! </p><p>I imagine that every year or so, the leaders at McDonalds review some industry reports and realize anew that sales per unit for Chick-Fil-a are out of this world, as well a host of other performance metrics which reveal it is only a matter of time before Chick-fil-A takes over the fast food world </p><p>“We Must Do Something!” </p><p>That spreadhseet or powerpoint review then leads to a frenzy of development sessions, brainstorming slogs, focus groups and high-level zoom calls where the topic must be, has-to-be: How do we beat these people? </p><p>I hate the be the one to say this, but you can’t. Not with the food anyway. It is not fair to expect any fast food chain to gain massive marketshare by adjusting the metrics of sesame seeds to bun or dehydrated onion pieces to burger weight. Fast food has long ago, in my opinion, gone the route of the easiest college classes: pass or fail. Am I going to be okay with the food? Is it ever a hell yes? Probably not. Ever a hell no? For most Americans nope. They are not going to care that much. </p><p>However, what do we really want? What can really distinguish a fast food joint to the point of sitting in a fifty car line? Its when the food is a pass (or better) and the experience adds value above and beyond your expectations. </p><p>Chick-fil-A is the only fast food chain that has to have a complex multi-line staging area set up for their drive through. That is the first and best clue of what is going on there. What would motivate someone to get INTO the longest drive through lane ever? </p><p>They know the wait will be worth it. The smiles and warm greetings will be real. And the feeling of being welcomed will be genuine. And the order will be right Every time </p><p>The wait is longer. The prices a bit more expensive. But the experience wins every time. That is the lesson for those trying to beat Chick-Fil-A or any niche competitor taking share out of the consumer pie. </p><p>Don’t waste time in the research kitchen. Spend time creating, developing, and supporting a workforce who will be the difference. People who will not shuffle their way to handing you a big mac, but who understand that success and growth come from making the stop for lunch the most exciting part of their day, but something more than a pass fail quiz. Understand what people want and how you can meet those needs in a way that will get people go towards the things they often avoid Teenagers? Fast food? Long lines? How well does your organization do at this? It is bad enough to chase our own tail, even worse to chase someone else’s </p><p>Hey- I said no ketchup!</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Christopher Blake Carver http://www.blogger.com/profile/07138232963426428085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1160316968254007096.post-55934532357535214332022-01-19T08:28:00.005-08:002022-01-19T08:28:55.668-08:00Transitions: Under-Appreciated Leadership Fundamental <p><span style="font-family: georgia;">There are many skills and attributes proclaimed to be "it". The <b><i><u>one</u></i></b> thing that if mastered, or at least practiced with diligence, will help you succeed no matter what the situation. To find a good list of these sort of "it factors" just review the covers of Harvard Business Review or the titles of the last 50 books by John Maxwell. Both, among others, seem to have created a cottage industry out of surfing the latest leadership/management/supervision/self-help fad word. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">That is not to say that some of it is not helpful. But it can also be exhausting. If every trip to the bookstore non-fiction section or skim of virtual magazine articles reveals another area we need to absolutely focus on lest our career, personal lives, relationships, and utter being collapse into a burning hulk of irrelevance, that can be more than a touch overwhelming. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">When you pile on the challenges associated with the pandemic and economic upheaval, is it any wonder that leaders wake up each day feeling more exhausted than they did when they went to bed? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I think it may be better, easier, and more realistic, to focus on a few key abilities that if we understand and practice will (potentially) make everything else much easier to manage. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">My nominee for the first on this list is the ability to transition effectively. Somewhere back in the day I read a few articles on the topic, but it never seemed to achieve the prominence in mind, thought, and Ted Talk Agenda that it should have. Further, it is this ability, or lack thereof, which has caused me most of greatest challenges in my working life and personal life and from random observation, the lives of many of my friends and colleagues as well. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The stat I recall from a long ago article was that the average person goes through 14 professional transitions in their career. Lord only knows how many we go through in our non work life. Each time we change a career, job title, role, shift, working location, or anything else there is something significant demanded of us. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">We may be working with different people, or the same people but now we are the boss. We may be working from home for the first time, or working in an office for the first time. However we approached our situation before does not fit our new situation the same way. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Each of these transitions demands we slow down, assess our surroundings, and adapt to whatever the new situation is. If nothing else, the last two years have been one global and continuous Sherman March to the Sea through endless fields of transition. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">But how to do it well? I do not know the full and complete answer. But I know it starts with carefully assessing the new place we find ourselves. Like any good novelist-- understand the scene. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Until that is determined, the only wise and safe play is to making sure that we are on solid ground with basic needs met. Values come into play here as well, especially those which form our core. What about our approach to the world stays the same, no matter where we are? How do those values related to where we now find ourselves? There is a reason why a compass is such a valued tool for those at sea and why the metaphor of a compass is so effective for humans, it offers the starting point for wherever we go. Likewise, they are one reason why establishing your core values is such an essential part of being a successful leader. If you don't have a solid core or foundation that you can always touch, then you will never have a safe, secure, and solid position from which to understand or grow. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Once we have that initial position established, we can begin to figure out who else is on the journey with us. Are we alone? Are we following others (who have hopefully charted the course) or are others following behind us? Those expecting us to be the lighthouse on roller-skates in the fog? How many are on either side? Those right next to us also inching forward. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Once we have an idea of the scene and the people and starting position, we can start to think about where we are going. Again, best to move slow and steady, especially when blanketed in the fog of a stressful time, uncertain situation, or, perhaps, a pandemic. Remember at all times though, that many others are in the same position as you, in the fog, clamoring for a light, and likely reaching for something or someone else to hold on to in the uncertain fog of the situation. The best leaders understand this. The worst use to fog to write their own horror novel with you as the victim, but we will save that for another post. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">To be able to transition well is to be able to find your place and your position each time you are deposited in that unfamiliar place. To be able to figure out who is around you and envision those first tentative steps in what may be the pitch black of uncertainty. To offer some comfort and support to those around you and to be able to position you and those you lead to take advantage of the clarity and opportunity to move forward when they come, or react to the threats which demand you move when they arrive. Most likely, it will be both scenarios that appear, too often at the same time. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">And then the real journeys will begin and the compass needle will spin, but that, my friend, is just the start of another transition. </span></p>Christopher Blake Carver http://www.blogger.com/profile/07138232963426428085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1160316968254007096.post-65170965423032405882022-01-01T11:58:00.003-08:002022-01-01T11:58:45.414-08:00A New Year's Not Resolution Post<p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Every year. Every single year. I checked, so you can trust me. Every year I have written down the same resolutions. Five years running. Or is it ten? You know what they are. Yours are probably the same. The vast majority of them are about doing less of this thing or that thing. Stopping this other thing all together. Trying to lose the other thing. Always the same. Blah blah. It is almost as boring to type as it is to read. And the kicker is all this writing, all this resolving, it does not do any damn bit of good. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">And so we now come to what I am trying to do in my life. Not just because its 1/1/22 and a great excuse, but because I have reached the point of being pissed off about the things I love to do that I do not do enough of. And that is my "resolution", more! Simply one word: <b><u>MORE!</u></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Let me get just a little bit preachy here. Every species on earth is evolving out its differences. Over time, natural selection is ensuring less variation in almost everything you see. Except for humans. Somehow, even though there are more of us than ever before, we are still unique. Every one of us a specific human with certain characteristics which have never been repeated before and never will be again. But why? Wouldn't it make sense that over time we all become about 6 feet tall, smart about the things which help us survive, and missing the traits that take us away from our potential? Or is that exactly what is happening and our humanness just gets in the way of our being HUMAN with all capital letters and living into the best of what that means? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">So, this is my goal today. This hour. Not on a list for me to check off (the hidden love language of all Virgo ENFJs) but rather to lean into and strive for. I want to do MORE of being the human I have been made to be. The unique one of a kind soul in a body that is Christopher Blake Carver. The only one who will ever be. (A fact which some people are no doubt quite thankful about...) MORE of the things that bring me peace and pleasure, somewhat closer to sanity, and in alignment with the people and places that help me know joy. More of what brings me closer to God. More of what brings me closer to me. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">What does that mean in practice? It means more grace and kindness for others and myself. It means more writing and photographs. It means more diners and road-trips and museums. It means more talking to strangers and finding new friends in crazy places. It means more thinking and reflecting on what works and what does not. It means more loving in every sense of the word. It means more cuddling with my partner. It means more time with my Dad, Sister, and Nieces. It means more physical activity and more eating quality food that helps me have the energy to do all this. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I am absolutely not going to focus on cutting things out. That does not work. That just causes a loss of focus and a long decent into the headspace where nothing gets done but generating fear, regret, and ulcers. Nearly every guru, leadership consultant, and late night talk show sage says at some point we should focus on what you are good at and stop fighting the parts that don't work right. Just move right past them and stay as much as you can in the spaces which work, whether physical, mindset or both. Well, lets give that a try shall we? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">So here we are. My list. More of the good stuff. Perhaps with more of the good, it will crowd out some of the bad. Or maybe it will just put me in a better place to deal with the bad when it comes. Whatever it means, I think this is the best possible evolution into the most unique and special kind of human, the one that is me. And if you can do more of what it is that fills your spirit and soul, maybe you can evolve towards the better version of you. And maybe if we all could do that, so much of this crazy dengue fever that plaques our world would break just a little. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Wouldn't Darwin be proud. </span></p>Christopher Blake Carver http://www.blogger.com/profile/07138232963426428085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1160316968254007096.post-68979232887625335352021-12-28T07:39:00.001-08:002021-12-28T07:39:34.771-08:00Christopher Blake Carver: Distraction Addict <p><span style="font-family: georgia;">There. I said it, out loud. Or at least on a screen for myself and others to read. Funny thing is, I do not think this actually makes me unique. There is a cottage industry built around figuring out just how short our human attention spans have become in this digital age. But what I do know is that in my own way, the nature to get distracted has caused me more harm than just about anything else. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Not physical harm in the sense of a missing limb or auto accident caused by texting, but spiritual and emotional harm. The sense of distance from who I could be be compared to the person I am, both in terms of situations and the overall arc of my time on this planet. As I sit here now in the throes of my 47th year, I can not help but think of the things I have not accomplished which I could have by now. And just how much I have missed out on because I was paying attention to, enthralled by, or wrapped into something else. A something that was not important. Relationships, jobs, friendships, or worries that were as permanent as vapors, but which somehow still left scars. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">There are more important examples. The books and articles not written or read, the weight not lost, the trips not taken, the memories not made, the life not lived. It is difficult not to look back and think of what I missed when, as the song goes, "I was making other plans." The opposite is also true. The best things have happened, almost always do happen, when I am in the moment, when I am focused, when I am reading the room and know it is where I should be. When I can and do separate the wheat from the chaff. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Is this any less true for our communities and our nation? Distracted by Social Media, political machinations, slanted news, gadgets, and a myriad other forces we are unable to address the vast majority of issues which truly harm our fellow citizens and the ability of our world to thrive. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">How can we address systemic racism, social economic issues, climate change, sustainability, educational reform, public safety, infrastructure, a pandemic which has killed 800,000 people and so much more when as a people we follow the bright, bouncing, shiny ball wherever it may lead. And that is never, ever, to someplace where better paths and ideas are found. Too often, it is to places designed to validate our distractions and encourage our distance from the things that truly matter. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Maybe I am being too hard on myself. Maybe I am just one more cog in a giant wheel that is desperately, passionately designed to make it impossible for us to grow and move forward collectively or individually. The world demands stasis. It loves consistency. It abhors change. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Or the other take. My inspiration needs to be the ones who avoid the distractions, stay focused on what matters, and ensure progress in their own lives and those of their communities. So often, the most inspirational of people are able to do that very thing. Not all the time, but often enough to make a difference. My own life tells the possibilities contained in even small does of less distraction. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I know that I personally can not and will never be perfect in this department. But I can strive to be better. I can acknowledge that this is something I will work on in 2022 and beyond and commit myself to the opposites of distraction: <b><i>attention and presence</i></b>. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Perhaps that would be a good resolution for individuals and communities in the face of all that is going on in our world today and in our own personal lives. I can not help but think of the incredible possibilities inherent in us meeting just a little bit more of the potential we have as humans and communities and of the fact that such a dream may be what is essential for us to meet any of the biggest challenges we face. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">It's hard to walk a tight rope or build a cathedral when watching Tik-Tok. </span></p>Christopher Blake Carver http://www.blogger.com/profile/07138232963426428085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1160316968254007096.post-67279835967143689742021-12-25T18:43:00.005-08:002021-12-25T18:43:50.850-08:00An Early Happy New Year! <p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Hello everyone. I hope your holiday season is going well and that you and your friends and family are staying safe, especially in these challenging times. I would like to invite you to subscribe to this Blog. One of my major goals in the coming months is to share content here on a regular basis-much more so than I have been. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Posts will focus on the topics I am passionate about, from Leadership to Urban Geography and Development, to Faith and the wonders of Travel. There will likely be some public safety related content as well and maybe even a poem or two. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I started this site over ten years ago and have often found it to be a great way to share ideas and thoughts with the world in a manner that can be more thoughtful and nuanced than a Facebook/Linked-In Post or a tweet. It has achieved its greatest potential when it has served to start conversations, stimulate additional thoughts, and better connect the author and the reader. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">So, please consider signing up, reading what pops up and sharing it on your own social media if you find what appears here to be worthy of consideration. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Happy New Year!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Christopher </span></p>Christopher Blake Carver http://www.blogger.com/profile/07138232963426428085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1160316968254007096.post-27550689859240047932020-12-01T04:36:00.003-08:002020-12-01T04:36:36.319-08:00Just a small rant...who is 9-1-1?<p> First: I am so happy to see a dramatically increased level of focus on the profession of working in 9-1-1. It is long past time for those who work in this incredibly demanding field to get recognition for what they do. </p><p>However, I also feel it is terribly important to acknowledge that 9-1-1 is a team sport. Even for those who work in single seat operations, they are part of something much bigger. The others who work in the center, the field responders, the community, every other public safety professional, and even vendors are all part of the system the ensures that someone gets help when the phone call comes. Putting one person at the center of that sends a false message- that you can do it alone, that you should do it alone. With the challenges so many organizations and communities face, if ever there was a time to acknowledge when we are connected and even dependent on each other, that time is now. </p><p>So forgive me when I say, “<b>WE are 9-1-1.”</b></p>Christopher Blake Carver http://www.blogger.com/profile/07138232963426428085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1160316968254007096.post-71606615721100432352020-11-27T17:13:00.000-08:002020-11-27T17:13:22.912-08:00Wounded Bake Sales<p> It seems they are constant this time of year. Requests for donations to the Wounded Warriors Fund. Let me say first that I support these American Heroes completely. That they volunteered to serve and sacrifice their health and well-being to protect their fellow warfighters and our nation is one of the best examples of America. But that we need a wounded warriors organization to take care of them— that, in my opinion is one of the worst things about America. </p><p>The approximate annual budget of Wounded Warriors is about 1/5th of a single aircraft carrier. Or about the cost of (2) F35s. For the cost of two combat aircraft, the veterans administration could take care of the needs of these American Heroes. And they would not be dependent on the kindness of strangers. And, truly, they should not have to be. The issue of their long term care and support should be a source of national and government pride and one of our sincerest duties and obligations as a nation.</p><p>It reminds me way too much of firefighters after 9/11, who had to engage in an epic political battle for years to get the costs of their care funded. How is this right? How can any politician be happy when we leave so many who sacrifice so much to struggle, wonder, and suffer through even a moment’s worry about who will take care of them and for how much?</p><p>I guess its the way these days. Bake sales for kids to have supplies for schools; tv commercials to beg for help for veterans. </p><p>Where are our priorities as a nation. Where are our priorities as humans? </p>Christopher Blake Carver http://www.blogger.com/profile/07138232963426428085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1160316968254007096.post-13085931718312383852020-11-22T09:17:00.003-08:002020-11-22T09:17:38.580-08:00Time for a Return<p>Wow. What a year. Between politics and Covid-19, failures in the relationship between law enforcement and communities, economic calamity for far too many, and the underlying sense that America’s fabric is torn, we now come to the time of year reserved for joyous celebrations of family and friends. The time for trees and tinsel and bells and lights. </p><p>Somehow though it all feels a bit different doesn’t it? The air does not seem to support the carols and the lists bound for the North Pole. The commercials where people give each other bow adorned luxury cars seem particularly tone-dead when so many have been lost and so many more struggle for breath or food. </p><p>But maybe that is what is about. Thanksgiving seems to mean more when have reason to be grateful for the basics. The religious holidays ring more true when we can identify more completely with the possibility of a new birth and, ultimately, a resurrection. The simple act of gratitude takes on a new meaning when the events of this year have so clearly reminded us of just what our lives are for and what they are worth. </p><p>Maybe even the purpose of our nation can be illuminated by the trials of our current political season. What was this country founded to be? When have we been at our best, or our worst. And what role does each of us have to play in writing and living the answers today— for our time and those to come? </p><p>So here we all are. Together whether we want to be or not. Facing Covid-Christmas 2020 and so many other difficult challenges right along beside. It is going to be hard and it may not be easier for awhile. But I do think there is cause for hope, maybe even celebration in ohr collective ability to know love and hope. To acknowledge our shared history even though we do not have a shared perspective. To accept the gift of still being here. </p><p>In November 2020, that is no small gift at all. </p>Christopher Blake Carver http://www.blogger.com/profile/07138232963426428085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1160316968254007096.post-88608324859540128172018-08-18T12:07:00.001-07:002018-08-18T12:07:19.583-07:00Lessons in Leadership: Deutsche Bank <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It does not take someone long to realize from my stories that my FDNY career was full of crazy events. Some funny, some tragic, a couple down right weird. But perhaps none was so reflective of all of the lessons in one eight hour period as the fire that happened 11 years ago today. I have written about it before, so I will not belabor the details.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Today, I would just like to offer some of the highlights. I encourage you to think about people you know who exemplify these traits and those who you know who may not. For those of you who may have to deal with ineffective leaders today, I do not think that this list will fix them. The only thing that can "fix" anyone is their internal decision to commit to doing better, learning, and adjusting how they practice their leadership and management skills. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Till they do, and remember it is possible they never will, you must remember it is about you! Well, at least in the sense that our worst leaders sometimes help grow our best leaders. Must like the burning down of a forest is necessary for a new generation to sprout there, sometimes those who illustrate how not to do things manage to inspire a single or whole group of new leaders to start a journey of mastery which will positively impact themselves and all those whom they encounter. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So, in a way, we should always be thankful for the challenging souls we are led or supervised by for without them we might never be forged into the person we were created to be. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In that spirit, here are a few items for your "great leaders" list: </span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>How you perform on the slow day when things are not crazy will set the stage for how you will perform on your worst day. You will never find a missing talent, only elevate an existing one to a higher gear. </i></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>If you are a supervisor, leader, dispatcher, director, etc. never ever stop learning. Know your job frontwards and backwards, upwards and downwards. Whenever you hear something you do not know about-- whether a policy, a unit, or a person-- ask who it is and what it does. Knowledge is power. </i></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Never be afraid to make a bold decision based on your intuition and the information at hand. On that day, based on one phone call, we sent an entire first alarm assignment and special units (HazMat). Could we have gotten in trouble if we were wrong? Maybe. But we knew what the potential severity of the incident was and we acting accordingly and we were right. </i></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Trust your people. When it is hitting the fan you do not have time to check everyone's homework. As a supervisor, you need to develop the skills of those you work with to get to the point where you trust them to do their jobs. If they cannot, that is on YOU, not them. This means taking the time to get to know them, establishing what your expectations are, and ensuring that every member of the team is on the same page!</i> </span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>If you are in-charge of the entire organization, make sure EVERYONE is on the same page. From day one to day 10,000 every employee should know what success means-- what they are expected to do-- and how they are a VALUED member of bigger team with an important mission. If you do not show them this by example-- if you do not ensure that they see their place on the team-- then you will always be at the mercy of your weakest performer and the team will as well. You will not accomplish as much as you could and you will be left to wonder-- why? </i></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Ask questions-- but know which ones to ask. Questions are the key to understanding an incident or a person. In a stressful situation, you need to MINIMIZE your instructions. The more you bark and balk the more it stresses out those who are doing the work. Take a step back and ask yourself, does what I want to say really need to be said right at this moment? Maybe it can wait, maybe a hand gesture will do. Or maybe someone just needs you to make a joke or pat them on the back. Whatever works. </i></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Sometimes the most important thing is HOW you say it. As a leader, you must be aware that if you yell or come off as a jerk you can undermine the entire operation. So stop the yelling! Also stop the interrupting and the ranting. It serves no purpose on any day, much less when things are crazy. </i></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Finally, realize that to lead people is a gift. To be put in the position of looking out for them and the public and your organization is a great privilege. Not because of the massive paycheck (humor intended) or the great power (humor also intended) but because the higher power put you in a place where you will have an enormous impact on others. Whether that is a positive or negative impact is entirely up to you but at the same time, it is not about YOU. It is about them-- all of them. You will make some mistakes, you will not be perfect. But if you always remember your first obligation is not to a spreadsheet or a stockholder but to the people who are going to get the work done-- then you will do a pretty decent job as a leader. </i></span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I am sure there are more and I will share them someday in the not so distant future. But to the (2) FDNY members we lost that day and the over 100 who were injured as well as the many FDNY Dispatchers who processed and transmitted alarms, maintained fire coverage, and proved yet again they are the best of the best, I say God Bless and Thank You for your dedication, your service, and the many ways you taught me and the many more you still do. </span></div>
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<br />Christopher Blake Carver http://www.blogger.com/profile/07138232963426428085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1160316968254007096.post-85814659167167197732018-08-14T19:07:00.004-07:002018-08-14T19:07:51.387-07:00Lessons in Leadership: Memories of Sandy<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">I still know how I felt. If I close my eyes and hold the image in my mind the anger will boil from somewhere deep. From an even deeper place will well the sadness and the frustration. It will rise up and pool just behind my eyes and without knowing it I will clinch my fists. Then I will sigh, shake my head, smile just a little, and breathe deeply with the sweet and bitter tingle of memory. Strong. Severe. But, as I look back now, just another stop on the gameboard. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">The superstorm had past. In its wake billions of dollars in damage, dozens of lives lost and a community crippled. Not just any community—the largest city in the United States. Among the damage left by that October storm—over twenty fire dispatchers with no homes—and over 80 fire dispatchers who had worked through the disaster, non-stop, for three days. These were my colleagues—my friends—my family. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">We asked to get help for them—physical and emotional. PTSD was a “thing” then. When I mentioned it I was told I was not a psychiatrist. My pleas to go outside to help start the long process of physical recovery for those who lost their everything was met with a snotty look and a flicked wrist. “I survived 9/11 just fine, they do not need any help now.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">I stormed back to my office, slammed the door and realized right then a few truths that have always stuck with me. Just because someone is supposed to do the right thing does not mean they know how to. Just because someone is supposed to care does not mean they will. Sometimes those whose job is to care for you will, at the worst possible time, fall into their personal cauldron of whatever makes them tick and you will be left to wander and wonder. Alone. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">I do not think the terrible reactions of those in-charge meant they were bad people. It just meant there was danger of their ignorance hurting something far bigger than themselves. With their callous disregard for the wellbeing of the people they were supposed to serve, they risked finding ways to make a terrible disaster even worse. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">What happened next is important in my life story. And maybe a day like it will be important in yours as well. Perhaps it was emotional fatigue or exhaustion or the spirt of a higher power that took me over completely. Maybe a mix of all three. Whatever it was, I knew what I had to do, roadblocks be damned. There was a right and there was a wrong and I knew what side I wanted to be on. I knew what side those whom I served wanted me to be on. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">I made the calls anyway. I sent the emails anyway. Others stood up to and the help eventually arrived. Seven months later I replaced the first of the roadblocks, nineteen months later I replaced the other one. Along the way I tried to show others the way things can and should be. What it means to look out for those who need a little extra help every day and maybe a great deal of help on the worst days.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">How the rest of the story unfolded is full of lessons about how to manage change, how to communicate, how to engage others in a mission to improve the world, or perhaps a small part of it. Some of the times I succeeded, some of the times I failed. Every time I learned. But no matter what, I know that from that terrible morning after onward, my best days and hours have been when I remembered the feeling of knowing things can and should be better and when I accept my responsibility to make that “better” a reality. And even more when I remember it is not about me—ever. To serve is about others. First, foremost, always. To lose sight of that in the field of public safety is to risk losing it all, and hurting people in the process. Maybe without even knowing it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">I hate to admit I know that you too will have a day like that. Maybe it is the context of a personal event or maybe it is part of you facing something much larger. Whatever it is, I pray that you find the strength and the passion to forge your anger into resolve and your frustration into progress. We will all be better for it if you do. Especially those who depend on you to do nothing less. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Christopher Blake Carver http://www.blogger.com/profile/07138232963426428085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1160316968254007096.post-72103885160606936672018-08-07T07:22:00.003-07:002018-08-07T07:22:20.514-07:00The Scariest Power of All <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I have this friend. She is truly brilliant in her profession and, honestly, <b><i>most</i></b>other endeavors she chooses to pursue. At least for a little while. The pattern is familiar. Extreme excitement at the “new thing”. Enthusiasm. Engagement. Sharing. And then, not very much longer—silence. No more shared stories of progress or how this great new thing is going to radically change everything. It is as though some meteor brilliantly sailed by, then passed into dust. In its wake is left the echo of the fleeting memory of something wonderful, now completely distant but unfortunately not totally forgotten. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The oddest part is that this is not the way it is for everything. Her professional success is constant. And growing. But she never takes any credit for making it happen. Success at the job is an accident. She is only a willing bystander as she reaches number one in her company out of thousands. Red runs in her cheeks as she proclaims it has nothing to do with her. Ever. Each new advancement is described as just another “happy accident.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It took me awhile to realize that, for her relationships are much the same way. They are a play in which she serves only as an extra. Whatever happened is largely due to the other person. If they decide to stay, or make the first move all the better. If they never call, well then there will be no call. The end result is she lives in a constant place of remembrance. As her mind, like everyone’s, glosses over the valleys and the peaks and transfigures the past into one gallery worthy painting. But like so many great paintings, the truth is in the eye of the beholder and a distant eye can affix whatever truth it wishes to see in the brushstrokes or the memory of a love thought true. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It took me longer to see the challenges of my friend more clearly in myself. Realizing that the affliction of my friend is often an affliction for us all. It was and is a reminder of just how terrified some people can be of the dreaded word:<b><i>Accountability</i></b>. If we never acknowledge that we have the power to be good, that is us who earned the promotion or lost the weight or held it together during a crisis, then we never have to admit it is us who pulled the lever on the slot machine, took the drug, or gained the weight. Once responsibility is absolved—then so is blame. But so is power. Power to make the same mistake—or power to make a better choice. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I thought about that this morning as I was jogging around my hotel parking lot. Mid stride of my attempt to lose weight—again. Every once in a while, I get a clear view of myself in a mirror and an argument ensues somewhere deep in my psyche. One voice saying: you lost it before and gained it back, why will this be any different—why bother? The other voice saying: you know you can do this—just keep at it longer this time and it will become a habit and you CAN keep the weight off. This morning I caught a glance of a young woman walking out of the hotel. In her hand a large coffee/milk/sugar concoction with probably 1000 calories or more. In the same hand was a lit cigarette. Under her clothes was about 100 pounds of extra weight. I instantly felt bad for her. I had a view of her future—our current and future national health crisis propelled by millions of people making the same choices she did and slowly descending into a life of crisis that is part of a world of crisis. I could not help but connect the dots from my friend to this stranger and my own choices good and bad. Taking a chance on love—good. Taking a chance on some other things—well, not so good. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">But in the end, we have to acknowledge that the painting we paint is indeed our own. We chose the colors—we make the strokes. Some will be great, some not so much. But the image is ours. If we can do that, make that first great acceptance—then we open a door to a great many possibilities and the realization that we are not the victim of another person’s choices—but the byproduct of our own creation. Spider Man said: “with great power comes great responsibility”—but how many realize that the power belongs to everyone and so does the responsibility and, even more importantly: the possibility. </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Christopher Blake Carver http://www.blogger.com/profile/07138232963426428085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1160316968254007096.post-62474098162789299812018-08-06T17:59:00.001-07:002018-08-06T17:59:06.101-07:00More Thoughts on EMS<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It really is not hard. In fact, it comes down to match and data. I realize that for many public safety leaders their biggest fear is to be labeled a "bean counter." Chastised as no longer one of the boys, but rather a faceless bureaucrat who cares only about dollar signs and spreadsheets. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Avoiding for now the debate about the egos and self-esteem issues of those who serve in leadership roles in Public Safety, the reality remains that we must get smarter about how we deliver EMS services. This is especially true for those agencies who run fire based ALS EMS. Many of them, across the country, are experiencing rising workloads, lowering employee morale, and the reality that what they are doing is simply not sustainable. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A "bean counter" who concerns himself or herself with the paychecks, time off requests, and pension paperwork is actually a friend of all in the organization, no matter what bathroom stall walls or their modern equivalent of social media posts may say. That is also true of Leaders who take the time to actually crunch the numbers to determine how best to serve the needs of their community. The foundation of that action is the same, no matter what sized community we are talking about: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1) Plan for the call volume you have and will have over the next five years. Is it growing? Then you need to start figuring out where to find additional resources YESTERDAY. The budget process is slow, the $$ can be hard to find, and politicians love to get credit for reigning in the free-spending ways of public safety chiefs. (But hell fire on the department if you are late responding to the City Council President's heart attack... but I digress). Having good data about your run volume is essential to move to the next step. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2) Plan for the resources you really need. What is your percentage of ALS calls versus BLS? What is your average response time? What density of ALS coverage do you need to ensure an (8) minute response time most of the time? Do you need to explore ALS service on Fire Suppression Apparatus to meet response time goals? Thankfully, there are any number of ways to get this data. Starting with the IAFF that runs a data shop to help fire departments make better decisions. You can also buy software or even get a consultant. This really is not rocket science. One very important tool to consider are peak time ambulances, especially in areas where demand fluctuates over time. If you do half the calls at 2am as you do at 2pm, then having the exact same number of ambulances on the street during both times is not a very effective way to do things. Keep in mind, that is DIFFERENT than fire suppression apparatus. A fire needs the same number of people 24/7/365, and the standard for arrival time and activities is also the same. For EMS however, nighttime buys you reduced driving times (less traffic); less demand; and the ability to mix up or rotate staffing. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">3) Practice resource management. Look for anyway to SAFELY reduce assignments. Especially if you are already stretched thin, using what you have more effectively may just be the way to go. It may also buy you just enough time until you can convince the city to staff another ambulance or build some needed stations. And remember, just because a unit is responding to one call does not mean it cannot be diverted to another. If your one ambulance is going to an ill person and is about to drive by a heart attack and you do not have a system in place that gets that ambulance diverted to the higher priority call, then just like Lucy, You have some explaining to do! Likewise, during periods of extreme demand, such as storms, your department MUST have a resource management plan to put in place automatically, or you will have extremely bad outcomes in a very rapid amount of time. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">4) Finally, use the 9-1-1 system to get data on the calls as they are happening. The use of EMD allows you to prioritize what you are responding to. This is an essential part of meeting the demands of the public more effectively and managing your resources. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Together, we can all play a role in meeting the challenge of EMS delivery and not bankrupting our departments and communities. This is the challenge of the leader and the bean counter and it is one we must meet. </span>Christopher Blake Carver http://www.blogger.com/profile/07138232963426428085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1160316968254007096.post-27761738423954387042018-06-30T09:57:00.002-07:002018-06-30T09:57:57.055-07:00Managing EMS Assists: A New Approach?<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In my hometown of Columbus, the Fire Division utilizes Engine Companies to "chase" or first-respond for ambulances hundreds of times a day. It was not always this way here, or in many other cities across the United States which have adopted similar approaches. Some claim this is the best use of their taxpayer dollars and others claim that it "gets the engines involved in EMS." Most can offer no effective rationale for the policy at all. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This is especially problematic in a City where the response times are extended and the Engines are ALS. Dispatching both resources from the same station to the same call is a risky proposition. The policy ensures that the response times for the second incident in that neighborhood will either be extended and/or "outsourced" to another department on Mutual Aid. It also wears out the apparatus faster-- as well as the firefighters who are on the rig. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We must work smarter if we are going to ensure the public safety of our community and the effective use of taxpayer dollars. Here is just one possible idea of an approach that could work here in Columbus. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Each CFD station is assigned a Pick-Up truck vehicle for random errands and tasks that do not require a fire apparatus-- such as inspections, hydrant duties, etc. I would propose that Columbus implement an EMS pilot program with the (8) busiest stations which have an Engine and Ladder Company housed together. In these stations, both the engine and ladder would start the day with (4) personnel each instead of (3). The 4th person from the Engine and the 4th from the Ladder would be assigned to the Station Truck to handle EMS assist runs; CO detectors; Lift Assists, medical alarms, and other minor emergency calls from 8am to 8pm each day. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">For the first three months, this unit would be "on the air" for the entire period-- monitoring the dispatch channel for runs where they can go in-place of a standard fire apparatus. For the second three months, the unit would be created in CAD and assigned to incidents based on the results of the initial phase. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">At 8pm, this Station Truck would go out of service and the personnel would return to the Engine and Ladder Company to meet the mandated staffing of (4) Firefighters on each company at night. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This program would involve some expenses. Outfitting the Station Trucks with additional warning devices, caps or other storage compartments for the EMS gear, and other relevant tools may cost up to $25,000 per vehicle. However, for the expenditure of $200,000 the City would benefit from: reduced wear and tear on apparatus; decreased response times; decreased effective force arrival time at fires; potentially improved EMS outcomes; potentially improved morale; and a host of other factors. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">With the continued increase in EMS call volumes seen by fire departments across the country and the ever increasing cost of fire apparatus and the related physical and mental strain on fire/ems professionals, the time has come to start thinking creatively about how to deliver EMS in the most effective manner possible. This was one suggestion. I encourage you and your community to come up with others. </span>Christopher Blake Carver http://www.blogger.com/profile/07138232963426428085noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1160316968254007096.post-42726271868152379152018-06-09T17:06:00.003-07:002018-06-09T17:06:37.548-07:00I was wrong. 9-1-1 Can and Should Play a role in Improving the relationships between Minority Communities and Law Enforcement <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I have been asked several times recently about 9-1-1 and Racial tensions in America. The question has generally been: does 9-1-1 have role to play in addressing this problem? My first answer was no. After all, 9-1-1 has to take things at face value, right? How can a call-taker decide if someone reporting an incident is exhibiting signs of bias? We are just…. <b><i>Dispatchers.</i></b> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Anyone who knows me well knows the reaction I normally have when someone speaks that phrase. To realize I fell back on it when discussing with this issue was for me to realize I too have my own biases. After all, I am the same person who seethes when otherwise respectable acquaintances share memes on Facebook equating kneeling football players with the anti-Christ for daring to bring attention to the relationships between law enforcement community and minorities and the fact that our system of laws and justice too often mean different things to people of color. I have often forced myself to hold back from rage typing a scathing response about the person’s obvious lack of empathy or understanding. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Let me be clear here. The statistics surrounding the number of fatal or serious interactions between law enforcement and minorities could be described as painting a picture that the problem is not severe or widespread. Social media does play a role in exacerbating the events that occur. But one person’s “isolated event” is another person’s daily life. There is no “acceptable loss” on this matter—or reasonable number of communities where it is okay for citizens and law enforcement to see each other as the aggressor, the enemy, or a threat before any event or situation even happens. If our nation has even one community where its members feel delegitimized by those sworn to serve them—it is a problem. If there is even one community where law enforcement feels as though it is constantly a target—even when just taking a meal break or sitting in a patrol car—then it is a serious problem. In our you versus me echo chamber of today it is possible for there to me multiple sides to one major problem—but we can never hope to solve that overriding problem if we never see our role in solving it. In some way, that was the very mistake I was making. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">But once we acknowledge that reality that the relationship between African American and Hispanic communities and law enforcement is it should be and that law enforcement should be one of our greatest community assets, then we ca start to make progress. Race is a factor in too many places for this to ever be dismissed as a trivial concern. Just because it does not impact everyone does not mean it is not real or important. The well documented cases of minorities stopped, frisked, arrested and yes, even killed, raises serious questions about implicit bias, public safety training, mindset, and more. That some communities seem to have far less problems in this area than others only demonstrates the need for a serious national conversation. As a nation we need to talk about this—how to solve it—and then how to move forward and beyond into a reality where “driving while black” is not something that can result in a person being stopped, arrested, or worse. And the same applies to the assassination of law enforcement personnel—what kind of nation are we when this occurs even once. Much less in multiple cities across the country. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This is also one of the best examples of where people who don’t understand why this is an issue need to take some time to learn about why it is an issue. Put yourself in the shoes of those affected. Think what it might be like, just for one day, to live in a world where this is a real problem—and you are its victim. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I return to the subject of 9-1-1 and the issue of implicit bias and my own lack of vision. 9-1-1 professionals make decisions about what are real emergencies and not every single day. Not every car accident requires an EMS response—not every call for a ringing alarm gets a fire engine—and not every call for a person with a warrant results in the person being arrested and transported to the agency where they are wanted. These and so many more examples reflect the complex world which 9-1-1 dispatchers work in. It is common place to ask additional questions—to try and find out what is really going on—and to provide the best possible information to the responders to ensure they know what they are going into. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It is time for the 9-1-1 profession, law enforcement, and community groups to come together to identify how we may reduce the dangers associated with calls to 9-1-1 that are not really emergencies but rather cases of people being “suspicious” of someone merely for their skin color. This is not far removed from what we already do thousands of times a day in 9-1-1 centers all across the country. We get a little more information to help ensure a safe and effective response. Public Education is also an important piece. We already work to eliminate needless calls to 9-1-1 about many types of nuisance items and non-emergency issues, why shouldn’t we also educate our communities about the danger of using 9-1-1 as even a subconscious tool for bias—and the catastrophic consequences that can result. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Just like many other challenges we face today, there is no single solution for improving relationships between the law enforcement community and minorities. But as one part of what should be a much bigger, more complex effort, 9-1-1 should be at the table, sharing in the discussion, and realizing the role of 9-1-1 professionals in being a part of the solution. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Christopher Blake Carver http://www.blogger.com/profile/07138232963426428085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1160316968254007096.post-70752964298844284662018-05-29T05:55:00.004-07:002018-05-29T16:32:27.562-07:00One Room Schoolhouses and 9-1-1: A Shared Past & Future? <div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
When you drive through rural parts of Ohio there are many symbols of the way things used to be. One of the most idyllic are the one room schoolhouses. As with many cultural “good-old-days” touchstones, we have a picture in our mind of what these places were like. All of the children from the community sharing an education. A blackboard. Maybe those old small desks. One teacher, likely female and not much older than the students, providing a guiding and enlightening voice to the well behaved, mannerly, and i-phone-less generations. Truth be told, my family even has a bell and chair from the one-room school house where my grandfather briefly served as a teacher. The building still stands on a serene country road near Otway, Ohio. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Today, in the 9-1-1 community, we have our own versions of one-room schoolhouses. They are places where, for many reasons, communities continue to support Public Safety Answering Points that are the modern equivalent of a Laura Ingalls Wilder novella. Where the reasons for maintaining the status quo are just as quaint, but also troubling. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I have nothing against the work done in these small centers. I started out in one. Working, by myself, as a Fire-EMS Dispatcher in Central Ohio. I loved it. It taught me how to do my job. Skills such as creativity, prioritization, and improvisation were essential. But I can also say, without any doubt now, that the risk was far greater than the reward. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The time has come to acknowledge that to provide the best possible service to the public, we must have a serious conversation about what is the “right-size” for a 9-1-1 center. The challenges are operational, technical, and human. If the profession of 9-1-1 is to continue, if the service people expect of 9-1-1 is to continue, if we are to leverage all of the technical benefits of a modernized public safety communications environment, then the time is now to have the hard conversations and develop the plans regarding what size a 9-1-1 center should be? <o:p></o:p></div>
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The operational challenges of small (3 person or less) 9-1-1 centers are readily apparent. When these centers experience an overload situation, it is very difficult for them to process all of the calls and provide services such as Emergency Medical Dispatch, Tactical/Incident Dispatch, or to support a full-fledged Supervisor on the Dispatch Floor. This may be true even during normal operations. If the same person is expected to answer the phone and talk on the radio—someone will be forced to wait. That will either be the caller or the field responder. Or perhaps both. And if they are in a life-threatening situation, waiting could be disastrous. <o:p></o:p></div>
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There are technical solutions to this. We have the ability to route calls to other centers if a primary 9-1-1 destination is busy. We are getting better at getting the calls dispatched, which is an order of magnitude more challenging than answering a phone. However, the complexity of a multi-point dispatch system adds a great deal of potential failure points to a life critical system, something that we should avoid at all costs. Moreover, when you involve multiple agencies, you have to have common procedures, common terminology, and consistent service. This adds more complexity. To go one step further, there is a cost involved in technology and which allows agencies to more effectively share information and calls. The more physical locations that you have connected, the more cost. So, if you have to have everyone sharing a system—and they have to have the same policies and procedures—then are they really separate anymore anyway? <o:p></o:p></div>
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The last element is the human characteristics of our smaller PSAPs and those that lead them. Sadly, there are more than a few which exist only to further the ego of the person in-charge. They have long lost their operational necessity but remain because “that’s the way we have always done it” or “we want to keep local control.” The reality is this. An ineffective PSAP that cannot support even a moderately busy period has already lost control. It is dependent on luck—on the help of neighbors—and of the skill of its personnel for success. It has not created an environment that minimizes risk. In fact, it is creating risk every day for both its citizens and its field responders. At what cost shall come the furtherance of tradition or the fallacy of control? <o:p></o:p></div>
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Even more importantly, undersized organizations also contribute to a bigger challenge—how to ensure that professional 9-1-1 personnel remain in the profession and see it as a career. Job Enrichment is a very important element of any successful organization. If you keep people doing the exact same thing for months, years, or decades their skills will actually deteriorate. They will become set in their ways, resistant to change, and lose the desire to improve themselves. The US Military learned this long ago—there are no thirty-year privates. The goal is to advance in your proficiency, ability, and responsibility. A 9-1-1 organization that is overly small, by its nature, lacks the opportunities for people to grow in their organization. They are forced to look elsewhere if they want to promote, or even change job duties. At a minimum, 9-1-1 centers should be sized to support multiple career levels—from starting as a call-taker, to being a fully certified dispatcher, trainer, supervisor, and so on. If someone wants to remain at one level, much like a police officer, that opportunity can be provided, but personnel should have the chance to grow in their organization. This is good for them and for the community and for a field that is experiencing a nearly constant staffing crisis. <o:p></o:p></div>
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In short, the time has come. For many reasons, we need to discuss what the best minimum size of a 9-1-1 center is and work together towards creating those types of organizations. Keep in mind, there is a maximum as well. It may be technically possible for an entire state to have one 9-1-1 call-taking and dispatch facility, but that may equally problematic. Physical and operational redundancy, commuting distances, span-of-control, and many other factors may determine the upper end of the equation. There is also still a need for 9-1-1 professionals to understand the geography of the communities they serve. Perhaps not at quite the same level as 50 years ago, but through a combination of training, technology, and awareness, 9-1-1 professionals are better at their jobs when they have a decent (or better) knowledge of geography. Relationships between 9-1-1 personnel, their community, and field responders are also underappreciated and sometimes forgotten. None-the-less, those are issues which can be solved much more easily than a single person or even two people trying to do all the work entailed in a modern Public Safety Communications Environment. God Bless them for trying—and they are doing amazing work all over this country every day. But we owe it to them and the communities they serve to find ways to do better—to reduce liability, improve service, and modernize our technology. The boarded up one room school houses show that there is a better way, let us ring the bell of the future and of improved public safety and usher in a new era of Public Safety Communications. <o:p></o:p></div>
Christopher Blake Carver http://www.blogger.com/profile/07138232963426428085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1160316968254007096.post-89006743954433073002017-07-31T09:34:00.000-07:002017-07-31T09:34:03.295-07:00What Future Shall You Have? <span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It is perhaps the most important question you will ever ask yourself. What future do you want? Do you limit the possible answers to that question will all of the things you call reasons or certainty? I don't have the money. No one will let me. They will think it is stupid. I could never. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Do you allow the window of the possible to be tightly closed by your expectations or someone else's permissions? Do you say no before anyone else has the chance to say yes? Before the world has the opportunity to make your dreams come true? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">There are many benefits to traveling, to exploring, and to looking upon wonders with eyes of awe. When you open your eyes to see, you open your heart and your mind to what is there for the taking. All if it. Sometimes you do not even know it was there in the first place. That is a mystery I have known on my greatest days. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I am grateful for the life that I have lived. For the times I have been granted an amazing view of a place, a person, or myself. When I knew that there was something bigger, bolder, and greater than I imagined before. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">That knowing means your choices must be different. it creates a responsibility. I may not squander the possible. I may not discard the gift. I do not know how much time remains, no one really does. But once you have felt the silent autumn mist along the Shenandoah, once you have heard the voice of God whisper in your ears, once you have stirred the laugh of a child, once you have caught the smile of someone who thought hope and joy were forever absent, then you have an obligation. You have a contract to live your life the way it was intended to be. You know when you are doing it. It feels like home. You know when you are not. It feels like death. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">That is a very easy choice now isn't it? </span>Christopher Blake Carver http://www.blogger.com/profile/07138232963426428085noreply@blogger.com0