FHExpo22: Training, Teamwork and Mentorship

The Opening Ceremony at Firehouse Expo 2022 included awards, hall-of-famers, a pipes and drums display and a Keynote address that fired up the crowd.

The Columbus Police & Fire Pipes and Drums opened the show with a with a medley of patriotic songs. Firefighter/Paramedic Matthew Tibbs then led the crowd with a stirring rendition of the National Anthem, followed by the opening prayer provided by Columbus Fire Department Chaplain Steve Carna.

Firehouse Editor-in-Chief Peter Matthews took to the stage and offered an encouraging and sometimes poignant speech.

Matthews talked about what a tough year this has been for the fire service, especially those departments (namely Baltimore and St. Louis) that suffered horrible losses. He then went on to discuss the losses suffered by Firehouse.

Matthews paid tribute to Firehouse Magazine Founder Dennis Smith, longtime columnist James Smith and prolific writer and personal mentor Harry Carter, all of whom we lost this year. 

Michael O. McNamee Award of Valor

Matthews then introduced this year’s Firehouse Michael O. McNamee Award of Valor Grand Prize winner FDNY firefighter Darren J. Harsch.

On April 3, 2021, in the St. Albans neighborhood of Queens, Harsch and the rest of Squad 270 responded to a commercial building fire. As Harsch prepared to conduct search operations, a 15- x 20-foot section of roof collapsed on the engine crew. Harsch and Squad 270 Firefighter Paul Jennings quickly rescued the nozzle and backup firefighters, who told them that the officer was missing.

Harsch searched the burning debris in blinding smoke and found the trapped officer. He used reciprocating saws to make a series of cuts in the roofing material, by which he exposed the officer’s legs through a 2- x 2-foot hole. Harsch continued to use the saws until the hole was big enough for Rescue 4’s crew to use a battery-powered extrication tool to lift a section of the roof that trapped the officer’s head and chest. Fortunately, they found that he still was on air as they began to evaluate him. A Stokes basket was brought in, and firefighters packaged the officer, who was taken to the hospital with injuries, including burns.

Harsch said he was humbled by the award and felt the officer he saved deserves most of the credit.

“In my opinion, the reason he is alive is because he kept his composure and activated his PASS alarm,” Harsch said. “I appreciate the honor, but I am just here representing a larger team.

Harsch was presented with a check for $1,500 by Firehouse Publisher Bill MacRae and a Liberty Artworks brass trumpet from Robert Daus Jr., president of Liberty Artworks.

Thomas Carr Community Service Award

The Cottleville Firefighters Community Outreach (CFCO) program received the Unit Citation award. The program is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit run by members of the Cottleville Professional Firefighters IAFF Local 2665 and community partners.

Among the many things they do, the group provides smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors to residents at no charge, purchases, builds and installs home safety devices, including access ramps, restroom support handles and shower handles and offers a Firefighter for a Day for children who face extraordinary life challenges, which makes them an honorary firefighter and provides other support.

For a complete rundown of the Valor Award winners, visit firehouse.com/1280293.

Hall of Fame

Former Deputy U.S. Fire Administrator Dr. Denis Onieal then took to the stage to introduce this year’s Firehouse Hall of Fame inductee, Robert “Butch” Cobb.

Onieal and Cobb go way back and Onieal talked about the old days working at Truck Company 5 in Jersey City  together. He shared some funny stories, but then talked about how Cobb helped transform the fire service.

After a 34-year career as a firefighter, Cobb finished his career with the Insurance Services Office (ISO). Onieal was serving as Acting U.S. Fire Administrator when the Charleston Super Sofa store fire happened. At the time of the fire, the Charleston Fire Department had an ISO rating of 1. Onieal called Cobb and the pair decided the ISO rating system needed a complete overhaul. Onieal said many firefighters are alive today because of the work of Cobb.

Cobb called Onieal “The wind beneath my wings,” and thanked him for being there, not only today, but throughout his career.

“Being selected for the Firehouse Hall of Fame is a humbling and gratifying event,” Cobb said. “It is rewarding that my efforts to make firefighting safer has been appreciated and will persevere. Firehouse Magazine gave me my first opportunity to write about my fireground experiences and then to share my passion for hands-on training programs in conferences across the country.”

Cobb then thanked his “Jersey Boys,” his family (including four grandchildren who were there today) and most of all his wife, Diane, for “helping me get through everything.

He then thanked the late Harvey Eisner for getting him to write and speak at Firehouse Expo and thank Matthews for continuing the great work that Dennis Smith and Eisner did before him.

“We were all very excited when Pete was named editor-in-chief, cobb said. “We knew he would do a fantastic job.”

“Butch has played a role in Firehouse’s mission to educate and train the fire service for more than three decades in numerous capacities,” said Matthews. “Butch’s ability to share his experiences from firefighting and fire safety to ISO grading via Firehouse has undoubtedly saved countless lives and improved fire departments.”

Cobb becomes the 20^th member of the Firehouse Hall of Fame. Previous inductees include:

• Rich Adams
• Steve Austin
• Francis L. Brannigan
• Alan Brunacini
• Hal Bruno
• Robert Burke
• Dr. Harry Carter
• Dennis Compton
• Vincent Dunn
• Harvey Eisner
• Barry Furey
• Paul F. Hashagen
• John Norman
• John Salka
• Tom Shand
• Dennis Smith
• James Smith
• Charles Werner
• Mike Wilbur
• For more on Cobb’s career, visit firehouse.com/21265420. 

Keynote

FDNY Chief of Training Frank Leeb presented the Keynote Speech, "Fire Service Cornerstones of Success: Training and Teamwork and Why it Matters on Game Day." Leeb, who is also a deputy assistant, has been a member of the FDNY since 1992 and a member of the East Farmingdale Fire Department on Long Island since 1983. 

Leeb told of how the FDNY responded to an escalator fire at a Target store. They managed to get the fire out quickly, but that was just the beginning of the story. They went back the next day (as he said the FDNY does after every fire) to learn more. The escalator repair crew was there, and the FDNY used that opportunity to learn everything they could about escalators (how they work, or they malfunction, how to shut the power off, how to remove steps, etc.). Wouldn’t you know it, two weeks later they received an emergency call from Macy’s for a woman who had a foot stuck ion an escalator. Leeb’s crew arrived, immediately turned off the power, removed some steps and rescued the woman (who was released from the hospital later that same day).

Leeb also discussed the tragic Twin Parks Fire in the Bronx that killed 17 people. “The headlines reported 17 dead, and rightfully so because any loss of life is newsworthy, but what the headlines didn’t say was that more than 100 people were rescued that day,” Leeb said.

Leeb was the command chief that day and says what he saw was years of training taking over. His firefighters knew where to go and when to go to save all of those people.

Training, teamwork and mentorship are the three things you should be concentrating on. If you do those three things, we will all be more successful and have more successful outcomes.

“Remember,” he said, “training is your future! It protects your future and the future of your family. It is the foundational cornerstone of your department.”