Plans for NFPA Heroes Experience Unveiled
The National Center for Fire and Life Safety (NCFLS) and the NFPA have announced that a proposed 25-acre site in Pelham, AL, was chosen to host the NFPA Heroes Experience, the first public fire and life safety education attraction of its kind in the world.
This 100,000-square-foot public nonprofit attraction will serve a wide range of audiences ranging from K-12 school groups and families, to visitors and tourists of all generations. Visitors will be treated to authentic stories, exhibits and experiences that dramatize the importance of life safety measures and fire prevention.
“We are honored and humbled to have been chosen for a project of this magnitude,” said Pelham Fire Chief Tim Honeycutt. “What excites us the most is knowing our city will make a direct and immediate impact on Public Life Safety Education. “While we are excited about this project, we are also saddened because the Southeastern United States was chosen due to the fact that we have the highest fire mortality rate than any other region in the country. The NFPA Heroes Experience will give the opportunity to educate the public and change the mortality rate.”
The firefighter-themed attraction will be designed to educate the public so they can become their own heroes and possibly save lives. The project is a collaboration between local, state, and national organizations, emergency services professionals, and researchers.
To learn how your organization can be involved, contact ncfls.org.
Georgia-Pacific Grants Available for Volunteer Departments
The application period for the 2018 Georgia-Pacific Bucket Brigade grant program is open through July 6. These grants support fire departments that serve in Georgia-Pacific facility communities and are the company’s way of giving back to the departments that keep their families, homes and workplaces safe.
Since the program began in 2006, Georgia-Pacific has awarded over $2 million to local fire departments through cash grants and safety education materials. Grants help departments fund needed gear, equipment and resources. In addition, Georgia-Pacific provides all applicants with a complimentary one-year department membership to the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC).
“We appreciate Georgia-Pacific’s exemplary commitment to giving back to the men and women who protect our communities,” said NVFC Chair Kevin D. Quinn. “Many fire departments struggle to obtain up-to-date gear and equipment to adequately outfit their members. We are proud to partner with Georgia-Pacific to provide local fire departments with the tools and resources they need to effectively and safely do their jobs.”
To be eligible for a grant, departments must be located within 30 miles of a Georgia-Pacific facility. Grant awards range from $1,000 to $10,000 and can be used to fund a variety of necessities, including turnout and safety gear, breathing apparatus, water pumps, hoses and nozzles, and more.
Learn more about the program and apply by July 6 at gpbucketbrigade.com. For questions, contact [email protected].
Line-of-Duty Deaths
10 U.S. firefighters recently died in the line of duty. Nine deaths were health-related and one death was the result of a motor vehicle accident. This edition of Firehouse is dedicated to these firefighters.
FIREFIGHTER ADAM TAYLOR, 30, of Decatur County, GA, Fire Rescue, died on March 30. Late in the evening of his scheduled shift and after conducting search and rescue drills in full protective gear, including SCBA, Taylor began to complain of chest pains he related to a muscle pull. Shortly after leaving work to go home because of the pain, he went into cardiac arrest and was pronounced deceased upon arrival at a local hospital.
FIREFIGHTER CALEB SCOTT, 29, of the North Richland Hills, TX, Fire Department, died on April 3. Scott suffered a reported heart attack while at his fire station. Fellow responders immediately came to his aid at the firehouse before transporting him to Medical City North Hills Hospital, where he later succumbed to his injury.
ASSISTANT FIRE CHIEF BERNARD OLIVE, 68, of the Baytown, TX, Fire Department, died on April 5. Olive passed away while on duty from a nature and cause of fatal injury still to be determined.
FIRE CHIEF RICHARD L. SALES, 52, of the Reynolds Volunteer Fire Department in Asheville, NC, died on April 8. Sales was killed in a single-vehicle crash while traveling on fire department business. According to initial reports, Sales was on I-40 Eastbound when he struck barriers in the middle of the road, lost control of his vehicle, and went down an embankment onto roadways below before coming to a stop. The cause of the wreck is still under investigation.
FIREFIGHTER-PARAMEDIC M. KENT STILLWAGON, 52, of the Greenlawn, NY, Fire Department, died on April 17. Shortly after responding to numerous calls earlier that night, Stillwagon was found just after midnight at his residence in cardiac arrest. His fellow volunteers and friends from the Greenlawn Fire Department responded and tried to resuscitate him, but after being transported to Huntington Hospital and an extended resuscitation attempt by hospital staff, Stillwagon passed away.
FIREFIGHTER GREGORY JACKSON, 50, of the Fort Benning, GA, Fire Department, died on April 19. Jackson became ill at the end of his shift on April 14. He was transported to a local hospital where he passed away several days later. The nature and cause of fatal injury are still to be reported.
FIREFIGHTER HEBERT “BUTCH” TYLER WILCOX, 77, of the Rocky Mount, VA, Volunteer Fire Department, died on April 19. After responding to two fire calls, Wilcox complained of neck and back pain. He went to a local MediCenter where he was examined and then sent home. Early the next morning, Wilcox’s wife tried to wake him but found him unresponsive and immediately called 9-1-1. Emergency responders arrived on scene and began CPR, but after 30 minutes of resuscitation efforts, Wilcox was pronounced deceased. The nature and cause of fatal injury is still to be determined.
INMATE FIREFIGHTER TRAINEE ANTHONY COLACINO, 33, of the Sierra Conservation Center – California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, died on April 21. Colacino was participating in a training hike when he collapsed. Fellow inmate firefighters attempted to revive him before other emergency services personnel took over care. Despite all efforts, Colacino succumbed to a nature and cause of fatal injury still to be determined.
FIREFIGHTER PHILIP H. NEUBICH, 69, of the Spooner, WI, Fire District Department, died on April 25. Neubich responded to the fire station when his fire department was paged out for a gas leak inside of a residence. Back at home, several hours later, Neubich was found unresponsive by his wife. Local EMS responded, but he was found to be deceased. The nature of fatal injury is reported to have been a heart attack.
FIREFIGHTER JEFFREY HOLT, 60, of the Lawrence, IN, Fire Department, died on April 30. Holt collapsed from an apparent heart attack just after passing an annual physical assessment at Lawrence Fire Department Station 38. According to reports, medics were present and immediately provided aid. Holt was then transported to the Indiana Heart Hospital where he was pronounced deceased.
Firehouse Staff
Content written and created by Firehouse Magazine editors.
