For my entire 39-year career, I’m proud to say I worked at MSA Safety, a company that’s mission is to help keep people safe at work.
While I retired earlier this year as President and CEO, I continue serving as the company’s non-executive Chairman and remain connected – and committed – to the MSA mission.
The same passion I have for the mission continues today with the new MSA leadership team, as they carry on this same mission that started 110 years ago.
Part of fulfilling this mission includes helping to keep firefighters safe when they’re on the job and answering calls for help.
During my career, I witnessed many changes in the fire service, from how fire protective equipment was designed, manufactured, and utilized by firefighters, to how new technologies were developed and revolutionized firefighting.
From helmets to self-contained breathing apparatus to turnout gear, the fire service saw groundbreaking equipment enter the market, the demands of the job increase, and technology become more sophisticated.
The fire service has come a long way, but the one thing that I never saw change was the strength of and respect for the traditions of the fire service.
Currently, the fire service faces many challenges, as the market and environment are constantly evolving.
New construction materials and the way firefighters tackle automobile fires, especially with the rise of electric vehicles, are examples of these changes.
There’s a growing need for solutions related to incident command, remote monitoring, and asset management, and these are areas where technology is improving.
We’re also seeing the emergence of data and its importance for training and education, how it can help fire departments make quicker, safer decisions on the fire scene, and even help manage firefighter health and wellbeing.
As we look to the future of firefighting, I believe the focus will be on the user experience and how new innovations in technology can provide data and insights without being obtrusive or adding complexity.
It shows the impact of leveraging data effectively and integrating it into existing tools, but also means developing intuitive technology tools that are not burdensome to firefighters and can be adopted across various scenarios and departments.
We know firefighters need to focus on fighting fires and not to be distracted by the technology or equipment that is meant to protect them.
It will remain important to honor the traditions of the fire service, but it will be more important not to let those be a hinderance to innovation and advancing technology.
Ultimately, no matter where in the world firefighters are doing their jobs, in a large city or a small town, prioritizing their safety through innovative solutions that are developed and tailored to their needs will be key to advancing the fire service in the years to come.
Nish Vartanian serves as Non-Executive Chairman of MSA Safety’s Board of Directors.
Nish recently announced his retirement from MSA Safety, serving most recently as Chief Executive Officer, after first joining the company in 1985.
Nish also serves on the board of Koppers Holdings, Inc., the Board of Trustees for the Manufacturers Alliance for Productivity and Innovation (MAPI); the International Association of Fire Fighters Foundation; and the Allegheny Conference on Community Development.
He is also a director of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, Pittsburgh Branch.
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