For the Record 11/15

President Obama Speaks at NFFF Memorial Weekend

By Susie Nicol

Hugs, handshakes, words of comfort as well as a fist pump. President Barack Obama gave them all during the 34^th annual National Fallen Firefighters’ Memorial Service, held Oct. 3–4 in Emmitsburg, MD.

 Shortly before unveiling a plaque with the names of 84 firefighters who died in 2014, and three from previous years, he said it was hard to think of a more selfless profession.

“Every single day, across our country, men and women leave their homes and their families so they might save the lives of people that they’ve never met. They are good stewards, serving their neighbors, their communities, our nation with courage, fortitude and strength. We can never repay them fully for their sacrifices,” Obama told the capacity crowd.

 The president continued: “… From rural communities to inner cities, those we honor today lived a fundamental principle that binds us all as Americans—that I am my brother’s keeper, I am my sister’s keeper, that we look out for one another, that there’s something bigger than each of us individually that we have to be true to.”

 Faith Garrett said she was honored by Obama mentioning her son, Michael, who was killed when a cell tower crashed during a rescue. “The White House called me Thursday night and asked if what they wrote met my approval,” she said. “They said the president may use it, but they didn’t promise.”

 As she sat in the audience with her husband, Dale, she was stunned by Obama’s remarks about her son. “He went into a lot more detail than I expected,” she said. “It was really nice what he said.”

 Rachel Hain said having that special private moment with Obama, no matter how brief, was an experience of a lifetime. Hain’s father, Ray Hain, a St. Paul firefighter, caught an infection while on the job, and underwent a heart transplant. He died of complications in 2009. “[Obama] was very supportive and told me he was sorry for my loss. I told him I appreciated his comments,” she said.

 Every October, the NFFF sponsors the official national tribute to all firefighters who died in the line of duty during the previous year. Thousands attend the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend.

The weekend features special programs for survivors and coworkers, along with public ceremonies. This weekend honors the service and sacrifice of firefighters. New survivors have the opportunity to meet fire service survivors from across the country, share experiences, make lasting friendships, and begin to look ahead. To learn more about the Memorial Weekend or to support the NFFF, visit firehero.org. 

Line-of-Duty Deaths

6 U.S. firefighters recently died in the line of duty. Three deaths were health related and three were the results of motor vehicle accidents. This edition of Firehouse is dedicated to these firefighters.

FIREFIGHTER DENNIS RODEMAN, 35, with the Lansing, MI, Fire Department, was struck and killed by a vehicle on Sept. 9 while participating in the annual “Fill the Boot” campaign. A preliminary investigation indicates the driver of the truck intentionally hit Rodeman, who was wearing a reflective vest and other gear. The driver has been apprehended by law enforcement and is in custody.

FIREFIGHTER/EMT DANIEL HAMPTON, 35, of the Burnet, TX, Fire Department, was killed when the ambulance he was driving struck the rear of a semi-trailer truck on Sept. 18.

FIREFIGHTER SEAN BENSON, 50, of Paramus, NJ, Fire Department, was found unresponsive at home on Sept. 23, several hours after responding to an incident. He was transported to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.

ASSISTANT CHIEF BARRY MILLER, 50, with the Bergen, NY, Fire Department, died on Sept. 23 from injuries sustained when the ambulance he was a passenger in collided with a slow-moving backhoe loader.

FIREFIGHTER/EMT STUART HARDY, 31, with Burton Fire District, SC, died Sept. 24 from an unknown medical issue he suffered at a crash scene a week earlier.

FIREFIGHTER RICHARD CROSBY, 67, with Casnovia Township, MI, Fire Department, died Sept. 26 after suffering a cardiac arrest after a fire call two days earlier.

Engaging Big Room Sessions & Moderated Panels at Firehouse World

The upcoming Firehouse World—which will be held Jan. 31–Feb. 4, 2016, in San Diego—will feature several exciting Big Room Sessions and Moderated Panels.

Big Room Sessions

Civil Unrest: A Real Threat to Public Safety (Baltimore Riots Lessons Learned)

Tuesday, Feb. 2, 1–2:30 p.m.

Jeffrey Segal and Mark Wagner, Assistant Fire Chiefs, Baltimore City Fire Department

Most would say manmade or natural disasters and terrorism are the greatest threats to public safety. But it is time to prepare for the modern and frequently overlooked threat to public safety—civil unrest.

The Pete Dern Story

Tuesday, Feb. 2, 6–7:30 p.m.

Captain Pete Dern of the Fresno, CA, Fire Department was critically injured when he fell through a collapsed portion of a roof into a burning garage. He was rescued by his fellow firefighters within minutes, but he had sustained second- and third-degree burns over 60 percent of his body. Dern will share his story about the events of that day and his road to recovery as a burn survivor.

Houston’s Darkest Day—the Aftermath of the Southwest Inn Fire

Thursday, Feb. 4, 10:15–11:45 a.m.

Richard Mann, Executive Assistant Chief, Houston Fire Department

This presentation will discuss the May 31, 2013 incident at the Southwest Inn where four Houston firefighters died tragically in the line of duty following a structural collapse. Topics covered will include the specifics of the incident, lessons learned and recommendations on guiding a department in the aftermath of a line-of-duty death.

Moderated Panels

Fire Dynamics and the Modern Fireground—U.S. and International Perspectives

Wednesday, Feb. 3, 10:15–11:45 a.m.

Steve Kerber, Director, UL-Firefighter Safety Research Institute

Derek Alkonis, Assistant Fire Chief, Los Angeles County Fire Department

Ed Hartin, Fire Chief, Central Whidbey Island, WA, Fire & Rescue

Ian Bolton, Firefighter/Program Director, District of North Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services

Lars Ågerstand, Battalion Chief, Varnamo Fire & Rescue, Sweden

Jim Dave, Instructor, West Midlands Fire Service, Birmingham, UK

Training, Tactics and Research

Tuesday, Feb. 2, 4:30–5:30 p.m.

John Salka, Battalion Chief (ret.) FDNY

Derek Alkonis, Assistant Chief, Los Angeles County Fire Department

Firefighter Health & Wellness—Career/Life Longevity

Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2:45–3:45 p.m.

Denise Smith, Skidmore College Professor/Illinois Fire Service Institute Researcher

John Sullivan, Deputy Chief, Worcester, MA, Fire Department, IAFC - SHS Vice Chair

Brian Frieders, President, Firefighter Cancer Support Network

Patrick Kenny, Fire Chief, Western Springs, IL, Fire Department

Register at FirehouseWorld.com for what will certainly be one of the most educational and rewarding conferences of the year.

ISFSI Releases Phase Two of Training Video Series

Thanks to funding from the Department of Homeland Security, Assistance to Firefighters Grant, the International Society of Fire Service Instructors (ISFSI) is honored to release the second phase of training videos for the Principles of Modern Fire Attack. The ISFSI has built a series of training videos to assist departments in educating their professionals in the initial attack sequence, incorporating the fire dynamics research from the NIST and UL.

The next four videos in this series break down the SLICE-RS acronym and provide expanded knowledge for today’s fire service.

• Video 1: A quick introduction to the training video series
• Video 2: The importance of size-up/360 and properly using the TIC for size-up
• Video 3: Preforming rescues while using SLICE-RS including VEIS
• Video 4: Proper fire attack (interior and transitional) using the hose stream properly

When used in conjunction with the full length Principles of Modern Fire Attack: SLICE-RS training video the series is a complete training package provided free of charge for the fire service community. The new series of videos can be found at the ISFSI YouTube channel or through a direct link at http://tinyurl.com/o3haovs.