For the Record 7/17

Bryant Named U.S. Fire Administrator

Chief Keith Bryant of the Oklahoma City Fire Department has been named Administrator of the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA).

Bryant has served as fire chief of the Oklahoma City Fire Department since February 2005. He joined the department in 1982 after serving as a U.S. Army firefighter/crash rescue specialist for four years and a short time with the Edmond, OK, Fire Department. Bryant moved up through the ranks in Oklahoma City, being named a district/battalion chief in 1997 and chief training officer in 2000. In 2004 he was promoted to battalion chief of operations and later deputy chief of operations.

Bryant is a former president of the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), past president of the Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association, and past president of the Oklahoma Fire Chiefs Association. He is also a member of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and currently serves on the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation’s Advisory Committee.

“The IAFC is extremely pleased with President Trump’s appointment of Chief Keith Bryant as U.S. fire administrator,” said Chief John Sinclair, IAFC president and chairman of the board. “The U.S. Fire Administration plays an important role in assisting local fire departments charged with protecting citizens and communities from fire loss and all hazards. Chief Bryant is a proven leader on the national and international stage and will serve the fire and emergency service and the country with excellence and honor.”

Dr. William Jenaway, president of the Congressional Fire Services Institute’s Board of Directors shared his thoughts on the appointment. “On behalf of our Board of Directors, I would like to congratulate Chief Bryant on his appointment to this important position,” he said. “He’s a highly respected leader who will bring to the position a level of experience and knowledge needed to guide USFA in its mission.”

Fire Prevention Week 2017 Theme Announced

In a fire, every second counts. Seconds can mean the difference between residents of our community escaping safely from a fire or having their lives end in tragedy. That’s why this year’s Fire Prevention Week theme is “Every Second Counts:—Plan 2 Ways Out!” It reinforces why everyone needs to have an escape plan.

Here are some key messages to share with your community during Fire Prevention Week 2017, which will take place Oct. 8–14.

• Draw a map of your home with all members of your household, marking two exits from each room and a path to the outside from each exit.
• Practice your home fire drill twice a year. Conduct one at night and one during the day with everyone in your home, and practice using different ways out.
• Teach children how to escape on their own in case you can’t help them.
• Make sure the number of your home is clearly marked and easy for the fire department to find.
• Close doors behind you as you leave—this may slow the spread of smoke, heat, and fire.
• Once you get outside, stay outside. Never go back inside a burning building.

Visit nfpa.org/fpw for information on how to order a Fire Prevention Week Banner or a Fire Prevention Week in a Box Value Pack.

FHExpo17: Don’t Miss Expanded Hands-On Training & New Hybrid Workshops

Tuesday, Oct. 17 & Wednesday, Oct. 18

Firehouse Expo’s Hands-On Training (HOT) is now bigger and better. HOT opportunities are focused on a variety of topics, including live fire, firefighter survival, rapid intervention, forcible entry, truck ops, aerial operations, advanced vehicle and big-rig rescue, hoarding, thermal imaging cameras, VEIS and more.

To enhance your experience, Firehouse Expo is focusing on more sets and reps for every participant, meaning you will have less down time and more opportunities to be actively engaged in every evolution, applying the skills and techniques with the goal of improving muscle memory and long-term skill retention.

New for 2017, hybrid workshops are designed to maximize your time, giving you the opportunity to see and do more at Firehouse Expo. The high-impact workshops combine 4 hours of intensive instruction followed by 4 hours of hands-on training, so you can learn the skill in detail and then immediately put your new knowledge to the test.

Firehouse Expo has two great workshops for attendees: Ignite Learning with Fire Behavior Models and Improving Fireground Efficiency: Training in a Fog of War. (Note: Participants will need full protective clothing to participate in the workshops.)

“All HOT classes will have a limited enrollment to allow a better instructor-to-student ratio that provides attendees with a more realistic experience—one that not only allows them to practice the skills, but also to refine those skills through more sets and reps,” said Firehouse Editor-in-Chief Tim Sendelbach. “And the hybrid workshops provide the best of both worlds—quality classroom instruction followed by the proving grounds of hands-on application.”

Registration for hands-on training and the hybrid workshops is open.

To learn more about FirehouseExpo or to register, visit firehouseexpo.com.

Line-of-Duty Deaths

8 U.S. firefighters recently died in the line of duty. Four deaths were health-related, three were accidental deaths while on-duty and one firefighter died after being trapped in a burning building. This edition of Firehouse is dedicated to these firefighters.

FIREFIGHTER/PARAMEDIC JAMES “DEWON” WELLS, 52, of Montgomery County, KY, Fire/EMS, died on May 6. During his shift on May 5, Wells complained to a fire department member that he was experiencing numbness in his mouth. Immediately before leaving the station at the end of his shift, he complained to his chief that he had a headache and did not feel well. The following day, Wells was still not feeling well and went to a medical clinic, but returned home since he started to feel slightly better. Soon thereafter, his wife came home and found him unresponsive on the couch and not breathing. His wife initiated CPR and Wells was transported to St. Joseph Hospital in Mount Sterling, where he was pronounced deceased.

LT. JAMES FRANKLIN DORMINY, 55, of Reedy Creek, FL, Emergency Services, died on May 18. He worked on May 8, and ran three calls: amusement park ride evacuation; rescue-assist at citizen cardiac arrest; and a false fire alarm. His shift ended early the next morning. After his shift, Dorminy went to an off-site, private gym for his regular workout. He was later found floating in the pool by bystanders at approximately and was resuscitated. He never regained consciousness and the family eventually terminated life support. The nature and cause of fatal injury are still to be determined.

BATTALION CHIEF JOHN CHESTER, 56, of the Whitfield County, GA, Fire Department, died on May 18. Several hours after answering an emergency response call during his normally scheduled shift, Chester passed away while at home of a yet to be determined cause.

FIREFIGHTER SCOTT DEEM, 31, of the San Antonio Fire Department, died on May 18. Deem died from injuries received while operating at a four-alarm fire in a shopping center. Fire crews were searching a gym in the strip mall for any possible occupants as fire conditions rapidly intensified and the structure began to collapse. All firefighters were ordered to exit the building, but Deem was unable to do so before becoming caught and trapped. Crews continued to battle the fire, but due to conditions were unable to reach Deem. According to initial reports, another member of the initial search team was also trapped in the fire but was pulled to safety along with an injured member of the Rapid Intervention Team. The two injured firefighters were transported to the hospital where one remains in critical but stable condition.

FIREFIGHTER ROGER DALE JOHNS, 63, of Eagle Rock, VA, Volunteer Fire and Rescue – Botetourt County, died on May 19. Johns was struck and killed by a backing piece of fire apparatus at the scene of a motor vehicle crash. Initial reports indicate that he was acting as a ground-guide while the apparatus was backing up to block the roadway and protect the scene.

FIREFIGHTER DARRELL LAVON PLANK, 29, of Macon County, GA, Fire Rescue, died on May 23. Plank died in the hospital several days after suffering a traumatic brain injury while at the scene of a working residential structure fire near Montezuma, GA. According to initial reports, he was donning protective gear when the accident occurred. As other firefighters were setting up a hoseline, the fire hose snagged on a truck, causing a coupling to strike Plank in the head knocking him to the ground. He was treated at the scene and rushed to the hospital where a CT scan showed he had suffered a stroke on the left side of his brain. He later underwent surgery, but succumbed to his injury.

FIRE ENGINEER BRIAN MASSEY, 56, of the Kern County, CA, Fire Department, died on May 20. Massey started a 48-hour shift on May 18 by participating in a wildland firefighting class, which included strenuous simulation training causing him to vigorously exert himself. After completion of his shift, which also included several emergency response calls, Massey suffered a significant medical event while at home. He was transported to a local hospital where he died of a nature and cause of fatal injury still to be determined.

INMATE FIREFIGHTER MATTHEW BECK, 26, of CAL FIRE, died on May 25. Beck was leading a crew clearing brush to contain a fire when a 120-foot tree uprooted and fell on him. He suffered major head, neck and back injuries. The remote location of the incident posed challenges for medical responders and before life-flight crews could get to him, Beck passed away.