As Lansdale has continued down the path of getting our hands more firmly around emergency management in the borough, we have been looking for someone to lead this effort directly and help our community continually work toward emergency preparedness. As of last week, I am happy to announce Rick Lesniak will be joining Lansdale Borough as our primary EMC/Fire Marshal on staff.
When the borough was looking to hire someone to lead our emergency response team, we wanted to make sure we were bringing on someone who had a long history of experience but also has kept up to date with the latest changes and adjustments taking place in the field. Rick comes with a long history of emergency management and planning both in the municipal sector and in the academic field. Having previously worked for Montgomery Township and Warrington Township in Fire Service and Emergency Management, Rick also teaches Emergency Management and Planning at Montgomery Community College. His on-the-job experience blended with his regular teaching of the subject made him hands down the best candidate for the job in our community.
When I interviewed Rick, we discussed his background and the experiences he has had in the field and his experience in building new emergency plans while also practicing those plans on a regular basis. Which is exactly where we are as a community. Our emergency management plans are out of date with the changes in our community. Rick will be responsible for updating and altering those plans on a regular basis to help bring Lansdale up to snuff, should anything ever occur.
In addition to his EMC responsibilities, Rick will be responsible for applying our fire code in the borough. He will be working with businesses and developers to ensure their fire standards are kept up to date and helping them address any issues that might arise. Also, as the Fire Marshal, he will personally be handling fire investigation in our community. A role he has executed for previous municipalities in the past.
Moreover, Rick has the intangible experience of being a first responder himself, working as a part-time firefighter/EMT for Horsham Fire Company. In emergency management, it is crucial to set yourself up for success early in the process. Mistakes made early in an emergency can seem small at first, but snowball to major issues later. As a first responder, Rick has the needed experience of arriving first on the scene and setting the stage for success later in the process. This is crucial to the planning process for any response and will make our emergency management better from the outset.
As you may have guessed from previous articles on the issue, I am excited to see Lansdale fully engage in the emergency management process and believe we will all be safer for it. Welcome aboard Rick! We are all excited to see you in this pivotal role.
(Mayoral Musings is a weekly op-ed column submitted to North Penn Now, courtesy of Lansdale Borough Mayor Garry Herbert.)
See also:
Mayoral Musings: Emergency Decisioning And Deliberation
Mayoral Musings: Emphasizing Emergency Empowerment
Mayoral Musings: The Machinations Of Mail Delivery
Mayoral Musings: Sgt. Dan Gallagher Receives Award Of Valor
Mayoral Musings: Lansdale’s Green Evolution, Part Three
