Good afternoon from the jumpseat! As I returned from a family vacation I received the news that a Asheville, NC, firefighter has died in the line of duty. The audio would chill any firefighter to the bone. Captain Jeff Bowen was killed in the line-of-duty during a four-alarm fire in a medical office building.
With today's new social media recording everything that we do and the ability to publish it on the internet, learning has reached a new level. Some may think that by publishing this tragedy is not appropriate. I will leave that judgment up to each person, but I will say that the sacrifice made by Capt. Bowen should be studied by all of us. From the jumpseat to the front seat, we all can learn by listening, learning, and drilling on the situation that faced the Asheville's Bravest on this fateful day.
High heat, zero visibility, high rise packs that needed to be extended, and air supply management seem to be challenges faced by the crews on this fire. These are all areas that each of us should drill on every day. From a day one firefighter to a 13-year veteran we all can review these area's to better prepare us for when we are faced with them.
God bless the family of Asheville Fire Capt. Bowen. While we all send his department, family, and friends our prayers let's join together and learn from his sacrifice. Let's honor him by learning from him and Asheville's Bravest.
Stay safe everyone!
Ryan Pennington
RYAN PENNINGTON is a 22-year veteran of fire/EMS. He currently serves as a captain/paramedic with the Charleston, WV, Fire Department, where he has served for the past 12 years. Pennington has lectured and trained thousands of firefighters across the United States and internationally at conferences, including Firehouse Expo and Firehouse World, and has been published in many fire service publications.
