Light the Night for Fallen Firefighters
The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) invites individuals, communities, organizations, landmarks and fire departments across the United States to join them for the 2020 Light the Night for Fallen Firefighters tribute. During this annual event, which begins on Sept. 27 and takes place over one week’s time, landmarks, fire departments and homes are lit in red in remembrance of fallen firefighters. The week concludes on Oct. 4, when the lives of 82 firefighters who died in the line of duty in 2019 and 21 firefighters who died in previous years will be honored during America’s Tribute to Fallen Firefighters in an online ceremony.
For more information, visit firehero.org/light-the-night.
LION Reopens Tornado-Ravaged Plant
In May 2019, horrific tornadoes swept through Dayton, OH, and demolished nearly 75 percent of LION First Responder PPE Inc.’s new plant. Since then, the company diligently worked to not only repair and rebuild the site but also to expand capacity to include four new manufacturing lines. The plant officially reopened on Aug. 4, 2020. The primary focus of this facility will be the manufacture of LION first responder PPE, including traditional firefighter turnouts as well as the MT94 CBRN (chemical, biological, radiological & nuclear) defense ensemble.
For more information, visit lionprotects.com.
The Lakeland, FL, Fire Department (LFD) purchased 16 helmet and vest sets through a grant from the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation. The gear is intended to be used by the department’s firefighters as part of its new firefighter Rescue Task Force. The task force will comprise trained LFD emergency responders, and the protective gear will allow them to treat patients in active shooter and hostile environment response (ASHER) conditions. The new gear is valued at approximately $15,373.
The grant to the LFD was one of 67 that Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation awarded to public safety organizations across the country during the most recent grant application period.
For more information, visit firehousesubsfoundation.org.
Anheuser-Busch Donating Drinking Water to Support Volunteer Departments
In their second year of partnership with the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC), Anheuser-Busch committed to donate more than 1.5 million cans of emergency drinking water in 2020 to volunteer fire departments across the country as they navigate unprecedented challenges. Anheuser-Busch initially teamed up with the NVFC in April 2019 to expand their disaster relief emergency drinking water program to provide critical hydration to the U.S. volunteer fire service.
The first wave of the donation—totaling more than 1 million cans—was delivered in August to 150 fire departments in 38 states to help to ensure local volunteer fire departments have resources that they need to prepare for wildfire season.
For more information, visit nvfc.org/water.
The International Association of Fire Chiefs’ Terrorism and Homeland Security Committee developed an Incident Command Checklist for Active Shooter Incidents. Beginning with the moment of the alarm’s receipt, this command-level checklist is designed to intuitively guide the user through all phases of an active-shooter event. Included in the document are areas for check-off of items, white space for clarity, color coding for various phases of response and operations, and a scratchpad to visually represent on-going operations.
Download the form at iafc.org.
NFPA Codes in Digital Format
The NFPA introduced NFPA LiNK, which is a digital content-on-demand platform that allows the organization to provide up-to-date code information. The first iteration of NFPA LiNK features the National Electrical Code and electrical content, followed by building and life safety and fire protection codes. The goal is to have all 300-plus NFPA codes and standards in NFPA LiNK by the end of 2021. Additional resources will be added, and new features will be unveiled on a regular basis
For more information, visit nfpa.org/LiNK.
Grant Deadline Extended for COVID Supplies
FEMA extended the deadline for volunteer and combination fire departments to apply for funding under the FY 2020 Assistance to Firefighters Grant COVID-19 Supplemental (AFG-S) program to help agencies to purchase PPE and other supplies to support COVID-19 response. The second AFG-S application period will open later this fall and includes reimbursement for expenditures that were made since Jan. 1, 2020.
Volunteer and combination fire departments are eligible to apply in this round even if they had a successful application in the first application period, which was open in April and May of this year; however, applications must support new capabilities. Departments that applied in the first round but were unsuccessful must reapply to be considered for funding in this round; applications from the first round won’t carry forward automatically to this round for consideration.
For more information, visit nvfc.org.
This Month in Fire History
Oct. 2, 1922—First national Fire Prevention Week proclaimed by President Warren Harding
Oct. 5, 1858, New York—Crystal Palace destroyed by fire
Oct. 7, 1979—First Firefighters’ Memorial Sunday is held
Oct. 8, 1871, Peshtigo, WI—Forest fire kills 1,152 people
Oct. 8, 1871, Chicago—Great Chicago fire kills 250
Oct. 15, 1984, Washington, D.C.—U.S. Postal Service headquarters fire causes $100 million in damage and injures at least 25 firefighters
Oct. 17, 1966, New York—Wonder Drug store fire kills 12 firefighters
Oct. 19, 1991, Oakland/Berkeley, CA—The Tunnel Fire/Oakland Hills firestorm kills 25
Oct. 20, 1873, Baltimore—International Association of Fire Chiefs founded
Oct. 23, 1989, Pasadena, TX—Phillips Petroleum plant fire kills 23
Oct. 29, 1974—Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 creates U.S. Fire Administration
Courtesy: NFPA
Firehouse Staff
Content written and created by Firehouse Magazine editors.
