For the Record 12/21

Moore-Merrell Named U.S. Fire Administrator

Dr. Lori L. Moore-Merrell is the new U.S. Fire Administrator. Moore-Merrell started her career as a firefighter/paramedic in Memphis, TN, and most recently served as president and CEO of International Public Safety Data Institute. Prior to that she served as a senior executive in the IAFF.

Moore-Merrell has a doctorate degree in public health policy and data science. During her career, she received multiple awards that recognize her work in the fire service, emergency response, resource deployment and data analytics.

Moore-Merrell authored “The Importance of Data in the Fire Service” for ­Firehouse Magazine’s “Technology for Today’s Fire Department” Supplement in May 2021.

For more information, visit fema.gov.

• Overall, local fire departments responded to an estimated 1,388,500 fires in 2020, which resulted in 3,500 civilian deaths, 15,200 civilian injuries and $21.9 billion in direct property damage.
• Every 23 seconds, a fire department in the United States responds to a fire somewhere in the nation.
• A fire occurs in a structure at the rate of one every 64 seconds, and a home fire occurs every 89 seconds.
• Eighteen percent of fire deaths were caused by vehicle fires.

Line-of-Duty Deaths

16 U.S. firefighters recently died in the line of duty. Nine firefighters died after they contracted COVID-19, three deaths were health-related, two firefighters died in motor vehicle accidents, and two died from injuries that were sustained at fireground operations. This issue of Firehouse is dedicated to these firefighters. For the latest on COVID-19-related LODDs, visit firehouse.com/covid-19.

LIAISON OFFICER ALLEN JOHNSON, 68, of the U.S. Forest Service–Stanislaus National Forest in Sonora, CA, died on Aug. 31. On Aug. 24, while assigned to the French Fire near Kernville, CA, Johnson became ill and tested positive for COVID-19. He was placed in isolation at the incident and transported to the hospital, where he died. 

ASST. FIRE ENGINE OPERATOR MARCUS PACHECO, 53, of the U.S. Forest Service–Lassen National Forest in Susanville, CA, died on Sept. 2. While assigned to the Dixie Fire on Aug. 29, Pacheco had close contact with a COVID-19-positive individual. Pacheco died from complications from the virus.

WILDLAND FIREFIGHTER/PARAMEDIC MARSHALL GRANT BROOKFIELD, 41, of Emergency Response Logistics in Grand Lake, CO, died on Sept. 29. Brookfield was deployed to the McCash Fire in Orleans, CA, when he contracted COVID-19 and a rare fungal infection that was found to be directly associated to the wildfires and smoke inhalation. He was removed from the incident because of severe illness and sent to the hospital, where he was admitted and remained in the intensive care unit until he died.

FIREFIGHTER/EMT MICHAEL PICKERING, 45, of the Chicago Fire Department, died on Oct. 8. While on-duty, Pickering responded to several EMS calls that involved patients who had COVID-19. He subsequently contracted the virus.

ENGINE BOSS LAYLA BRADLEY, 29, of Dragon Fighters Inc. in Clark, WY, died on Oct. 11. While deployed to a fire in the Inyo National Forest in California, Bradley was found unresponsive at the fire station. CPR was performed, but she was unable to be revived. An investigation into the cause of death is ongoing.

FIREFIGHTER GREGORY LEE BAUER, 56, of the Columbus, OH, Division of Fire, died on Oct. 18. While working a 24-hour shift, Bauer contracted COVID-19.

FIREFIGHTER/EMT KENNETH MICHAEL LEMANSKI JR., 37, of the Farmer Rancher Volunteer Fire Department in Cascade, MT, died on Oct. 20. Lemanski responded to an EMS call and was exposed to COVID-19. He subsequently contracted the virus.

DRIVER/ENGINEER GIOVANNI CIANCIO, 55, of Hillsborough County Fire Rescue in Tampa, FL, died on Oct. 21. On July 16, Ciancio responded to an EMS call that involved a patient who had a known case of COVID-19. Ciancio subsequently contracted the virus.

CAPT. DARCY STALLINGS, 34, of the Yuma, CO, Volunteer Fire Department, died on Oct. 21. Stallings was responding to a residential fire call in his privately owned vehicle when he was involved in a rear-end crash with a tractor trailer. He died at the scene.

SAFETY OFFICER NICHOLAS PRIOLI, 89, of the Jackson Township, NJ, Volunteer Fire Department, died on Oct. 23. Prioli responded to the fire department for a call of a vehicle extrication that ultimately was cancelled. He left the firehouse and was returning home when he experienced a medical emergency. Emergency personnel responded to the scene, where they found Prioli in cardiac arrest. He died shortly thereafter.

ASST. CHIEF LUCAS STEPHENSON, 25, of the Mandeville Volunteer Fire Department in Texarkana, AR, died on Oct. 26. Stephenson was responding to a motor vehicle accident on Arkansas Highway 296 when the brush truck that he was driving overturned numerous times. An investigation into the incident is ongoing.

FIREFIGHTER LARRY WYANT, 68, of the Joes, CO, Volunteer Fire Department, died on Oct. 26. Wyant was driving to the funeral of Capt. Darcy Stallings when a call came in for a fire in a cornfield. Wyant and the members of his department faced 30 mph winds, with gusts up to 60 mph, with the wind direction changing as they worked to stop the fire. Wyant was out of the truck attempting to get a hoseline stretched when the fire overtook him.

CAPT. MERRILL BONE, 61, of the Unified Fire Authority in Salt Lake City, UT, died on Oct. 31. On Oct. 5, Bone responded to an EMS call at a residence that involved a patient who had a known case of COVID-19. Bone subsequently contracted the virus.

CHIEF DANNY L. DEYO, 73, of the Morley, MI, Area Fire Department, died on Nov. 6. On Oct. 12, Deyo responded to an EMS call that involved a patient who had a known case of COVID-19. He subsequently contracted the virus.

LT. MALACHI BROWN, 32, of the Baxter Springs, KS, Fire Department, died on Nov. 10. Brown was working at the scene of a residential fire on Oct. 15 when he suffered third-degree burns. He was transported to the Springfield Burn Unit and was placed in a medically induced coma before he succumbed to his injuries. 

ENGINEER MICHAEL K. FREELAND, 36, of the Jacksonville, FL, Fire and Rescue Department, died on Nov. 11. Freeland responded to a vehicle accident that involved an extensive and long extrication. While at the scene, he experienced a medical emergency. He was transported to the local hospital, where he died shortly thereafter. An investigation into the cause of death is ongoing.