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“The Charleston 43” – Always Remember and Never Forget

On Friday, June 18, we mark the third anniversary of an enormously tragic incident in which nine Charleston, SC firefighters lost their lives battling a furniture store fire.

To mark the incident, there will be no shortage of written and video tributes to experience, no shortage of “ALWAYS REMEMBER”s and “NEVER FORGET”s, and no shortage of opportunity to buy a helmet sticker, purchase a lapel pin, and otherwise show others that you share some type of connection with this and other LODD incidents.

But do you?

This year, I implore you to try something a little different.

Take an additional step or two of effort and delve into the lessons we can learn from what happened that day.  This NIOSH report has about as many recommendations for improvement as any other I’ve run across.

I’ll save you the task of counting them out- there are 43.  Forty-frickin three.

This represents a huge responsibility for us, as professional firefighters, to arm ourselves with some of the ammo we’ll be able to use to make sure each of us actually goes home at the end of the day (not just wear the cool helmet sticker).

To see the entire NIOSH report, click here.  Allow me to enumerate the recommendations made, and ask you if any of them may apply to you or your department today, three years after the Charleston 9 lost their lives.

NIOSH investigators concluded that, to minimize the risk of similar occurrences, fire departments should:

  • develop, implement and enforce written standard operating procedures (SOPs) for an occupational safety and health program in accordance with NFPA 1500
  • develop, implement, and enforce a written Incident Management System to be followed at all emergency incident operations
  • develop, implement, and enforce written SOPs that identify incident management training standards and requirements for members expected to serve in command roles
  • ensure that the Incident Commander is clearly identified as the only individual with overall authority and responsibility for management of all activities at an incident
  • ensure that the Incident Commander conducts an initial size-up and risk assessment of the incident scene before beginning interior fire fighting operations
  • train fire fighters to communicate interior conditions to the Incident Commander as soon as possible and to provide regular updates
  • ensure that the Incident Commander establishes a stationary command post, maintains the role of director of fireground operations, and does not become involved in fire-fighting efforts
  • ensure the early implementation of division / group command into the Incident Command System
  • ensure that the Incident Commander continuously evaluates the risk versus gain when determining whether the fire suppression operation will be offensive or defensive
  • ensure that the Incident Commander maintains close accountability for all personnel operating on the fireground
  • ensure that a separate Incident Safety Officer, independent from the Incident Commander, is appointed at each structure fire
  • ensure that crew integrity is maintained during fire suppression operations
  • ensure that a rapid intervention crew (RIC) / rapid intervention team (RIT) is established and available to immediately respond to emergency rescue incidents
  • ensure that adequate numbers of staff are available to immediately respond to emergency incidents
  • ensure that ventilation to release heat and smoke is closely coordinated with interior fire suppression operations
  • conduct pre-incident planning inspections of buildings within their jurisdictions to facilitate development of safe fireground strategies and tactics
  • consider establishing and enforcing standardized resource deployment approaches and utilize dispatch entities to move resources to fill service gaps
  • develop and coordinate pre-incident planning protocols with mutual aid departments
  • ensure that any offensive attack is conducted using adequate fire streams based on characteristics of the structure and fuel load present
  • ensure that an adequate water supply is established and maintained
  • consider using exit locators such as high intensity floodlights or flashing strobe lights to guide lost or disoriented fire fighters to the exit
  • ensure that Mayday transmissions are received and prioritized by the Incident Commander
  • train fire fighters on actions to take if they become trapped or disoriented inside a burning structure
  • ensure that all fire fighters and line officers receive fundamental and annual refresher training according to NFPA 1001 and NFPA 1021
  • implement joint training on response protocols with mutual aid departments
  • ensure apparatus operators are properly trained and familiar with their apparatus
  • protect stretched hose lines from vehicular traffic and work with law enforcement or other appropriate agencies to provide traffic control
  • ensure that fire fighters wear a full array of turnout clothing and personal protective equipment appropriate for the assigned task while participating in fire suppression and overhaul activities
  • ensure that fire fighters are trained in air management techniques to ensure they receive the maximum benefit from their self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA)
  • develop, implement and enforce written SOPS to ensure that SCBA cylinders are fully charged and ready for use
  • use thermal imaging cameras (TICs) during the initial size-up and search phases of a fire
  • develop, implement and enforce written SOPs and provide fire fighters with training on the hazards of truss construction
  • establish a system to facilitate the reporting of unsafe conditions or code violations to the appropriate authorities
  • ensure that fire fighters and emergency responders are provided with effective incident rehabilitation
  • provide fire fighters with station / work uniforms (e.g., pants and shirts) that are compliant with NFPA 1975 and ensure the use and proper care of these garments.

Additionally, federal and state occupational safety and health administrations should:

  • consider developing additional regulations to improve the safety of fire fighters, including adopting National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) consensus standards.

Additionally, manufacturers, equipment designers, and researchers should:

  • continue to develop and refine durable, easy-to-use radio systems to enhance verbal and radio communication in conjunction with properly worn SCBA
  • conduct research into refining existing and developing new technology to track the movement of fire fighters inside structures.

Additionally, code setting organizations and municipalities should:

  • require the use of sprinkler systems in commercial structures, especially ones having high fuel loads and other unique life-safety hazards, and establish retroactive requirements for the installation of fire sprinkler systems when additions to commercial buildings increase the fire and life safety hazards
  • require the use of automatic ventilation systems in large commercial structures, especially ones having high fuel loads and other unique life-safety hazards.

Additionally, municipalities and local authorities having jurisdiction should:

  • coordinate the collection of building information and the sharing of information between building authorities and fire departments
  • consider establishing one central dispatch center to coordinate and communicate activities involving units from multiple jurisdictions
  • ensure that fire departments responding to mutual aid incidents are equipped with mobile and portable communications equipment that are capable of handling the volume of radio traffic and allow communications among all responding companies within their jurisdiction.

Do any of these recommendations apply to your department or agency?  Of course they do.  Now work with your fellow leaders and make the changes that need to be made.

The events of June 18, 2007 are tragic indeed.  Failing to accept and learn from the recommendations is a disrespectful slap in the face to the Charleston 9, their families and friends, and the fine firefighters who were so greatly affected on that fateful evening.

So if you sport a cool Charleston 9 t-shirt , or if their sticker adorns your helmet, or you utter the phrase “Never Forget” every June 18, back it up with the knowledge that you took the effort to learn from what happened that day- and took the extra time to apply it to the way you operate on the fireground.

I say THAT’S the memory that Brad, Billy, Mark, Michael, Melvin, Earl, Mike, Louis, and Brandon are counting on you to never forget.

-J

Posted in Firefighter Safety & Health, Firefighting Operations, Fires, In the Line of Duty, Leadership, Line of Duty, LODD, Major Incidents, Never Forget, News, Training & Development

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Posted by on June 15, 2010 • 4 comments

If We Do What We’ve Always Done, We’ll Get What We’ve Always Gotten…

The Worcester Cold Storage Warehouse Fire left the most indelible impression in my mind.

I imagined myself on the scene in one of three roles.  First, as a trapped firefighter in sheer terror wondering where the cavalry was.  Second, as a brother firefighter pleading, begging, nearly physically forcing his way past a Chief who would deny entry for yet another set of firefighters to die.  And finally, the Chief who denied entry, despite the verbal assaults, the M-Fing, and the physical altercation, stood his ground at the door denying the Worcester 6 would become the Worcester 8 or the Worcester 12.  Although I imagined myself in all three of these positions, I could never truly comprehend the raw emotion on that fireground that day.

God bless them all.

I could rehash the story of the Worcester 6, but it has been so heavily publicized by authors much more capable than I.  I won’t waste your time with my retelling of one of the most tragic incidents in fire service history.

I would rather take the opportunity offered by the First Due Blog Carnival to express my disgust with those in the service who make no changes to the way their agency operates based on the findings of the NIOSH reports.  It’s not that the reports are hard to find, they are rubbed in our noses constantly.  Why?  Because many are not doing a damn thing on a local level from lessons learned by brave firefighters who have paid the ultimate sacrifice.

If this applies to you, shame on you.

Make it a point to go over the recommendations offered and apply them to your agency.  Make it a training opportunity so that each of your firefighters can learn the lessons of those who have gone before them.  Challenge your members to get involved and create an atmosphere of open and robust communication designed to make the changes necessary to ensure that your department is not the next department highlighted by NIOSH.  Sadly we are in the mindset that this stuff only happens to the other department.  Guess what?  To those departments, WE are the other department.

If you can’t do this, then relinquish your position of leadership to someone who gives a damn about their firefighters.

Late last year, I randomly selected several NIOSH reports and culled their recommendations.  See if you can detect a pattern.  See if your department can benefit by a change in your procedures, your approach, your mindset, based on the recommendations offered.

Make a difference.  Do it now.

Allow me to cheat a bit by re-posting the information as my contribution to this month’s First Due Blog Carnival.  Special thanks to Bill Carey of BackstepFirefighter for hosting this month’s topic.

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I see that NIOSH reports have popped up on the radar of the blogosphere recently.  Frankly, I’m surprised at the heat a few have been giving them.  Maybe I’ve been missing something (it’s happened before). So I took a closer look.
We already know that heart attacks and traffic accidents are the main murderers of us firefighters, so I’m sure we’ve already dedicated the necessary resources to firefighter health and safety initiatives and accident scene safeguards to keep these killers from having free reign over our troops.
Right?
So, I went to the Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation Reports page from NIOSH and randomly picked 5 of the reports with deaths involving fire suppression. I was looking for patterns. Guess what I found….
NIOSH Report 2008-26

A residential basement fire had been burning for over 30 minutes. A crew was directed to enter the first floor to perform horizontal ventilation and found a spongy floor. The last (victim) of the four-man crew was just about out when the floor collapsed into the basement on top of working crews. Heavy smoke conditions hampered efforts to locate the victim and he died on the scene.

Among the NIOSH recommendations:

Sizeup, Risk/Gain “ensure that the incident commander (IC) conducts a 360 degree size-up which includes risk versus gain analysis prior to committing interior operations and continues risk assessments throughout the operations”

SOP’s/SOG’s- “ensure that standard operating procedures are established for a basement fire”

Coordinated Ventilation- “ensure that proper ventilation is done to improve interior conditions and is coordinated with the interior attack”

TIC- “ensure that interior crews are equipped with a thermal imaging camera”

RIT/RIC- “ensure that Rapid Intervention Teams are staged and ready”

NIOSH Report 2008-34

One of only three firefighters on the scene, the victim entered a burning residence alone with a partially-charged 1 ½ inch line and became lost in thick-black smoke, radioing for help from the other two. They couldn’t locate him, a flashover occurred, and the home became fully engulfed. A cop found him an hour later.

Among the NIOSH recommendations:

Size-up, Risk/Gain- “ensure that officers and fire fighters know how to evaluate risk versus gain and perform a thorough scene size-up before initiating interior strategies and tactics”

SOP’s/SOG’s- “develop, implement, and enforce written standard operating procedures (SOPs) for fireground operations”

Staffing- “ensure that adequate numbers of apparatus and fire fighters are on scene before initiating an offensive fire attack in a structure fire”

Coordinated Ventilation- “ensure that properly coordinated ventilation is conducted on structure fires”

RIT/RIC- “ensure that a rapid intervention team (RIT) is established and available at structure fires”

SCBA- “ensure fire fighters are trained in essential self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) and emergency survival skills”

Mayday- “ensure that protocols are developed on issuing a Mayday so that fire fighters and dispatch centers know how to respond”

NIOSH Report 2008-08

30 minutes into a residential fire, crews had been pulled out. A decision was made to send a crew back in to extinguish the fire. A crew of 3 (A/C, Capt, FF) made their way into the basement of the burning structure with an 1¾ line. One by one they evacuated due to conditions. The third never came up the stairs. RIT was activated but repelled by the heat. Victim found an hour later.

Among the NIOSH recommendations:

Risk vs. Gain- “ensure that the Incident Commander continuously evaluates the risks versus gain when determining whether the fire suppression operation will be offensive or defensive“

SOP’s/SOG’s- “review, revise as necessary, and enforce standard operating guidelines (SOGs) to include specific procedures for basement fires and two-in/ two-out procedures“

TIC- “enforce standard operating guidelines (SOGs) regarding thermal imaging camera (TIC) use during interior operations“

Mayday- “ensure that fire fighters are trained on initiating Mayday radio transmissions immediately when they are in distress, and/or become lost or trapped“

NIOSH Report 2008-06

Without the protection of a charged hoseline, a Lt and FF (victim) were searching a 2-story residence for a trapped occupant. They did not know where the victim was and had no TIC. Conditions deteriorated, trapping the two on the second floor. The LT exited the front door and RIT was deployed to get the victim. Both were hospitalized and the victim succumbed to burn injuries 5 days later.

Among the NIOSH recommendations:

Size-up- “ensure the Incident Commander receives pertinent information during the size-up (i.e., type of structure, number of occupants in the structure, etc.) from occupants on scene and that information is relayed to crews upon arrival”

SOP’s/SOG’s- “develop, implement, and enforce written standard operating procedures (SOPs) for fireground operations”

Coordinated Ventilation- “ensure ventilation is coordinated with interior fireground operations”

TIC- “ensure that fire fighters conducting an interior search have a thermal imaging camera”

Mayday- “ensure that Mayday protocols are developed and followed”

NIOSH Report 2007-32

Two firefighters died while conducting an interior attack to locate, confine, and extinguish a fire located in the cockloft of a restaurant. One victim had been flowing water into the cockloft from the kitchen, another had been checking for fire extension in the main dining area. At about 5 minutes in, a rapid fire event occurred.

Among the NIOSH recommendations:

Size-up- Risk vs. Gain- “ensure that the incident commander conducts an initial size-up and risk assessment of the incident scene before beginning interior fire fighting operations and continually evaluates the conditions to determine if the operations should become defensive”

SOP’s/SOG’s- “develop, implement and enforce written standard operating procedures (SOPs) that address the hazards and define the strategies and tactics to be used while operating at specific structures known as “taxpayers”

Coordinated Ventilation- “ensure that fire fighters understand the influence of ventilation on fire behavior and coordinate with interior fire suppression operations”

RIT/RIC- “ensure that a rapid intervention crew (RIC) / rapid intervention team (RIT) is established and available to immediately respond to emergency rescue incidents”

TIC- “use thermal imaging cameras (TICs) during the initial size-up and search phases of a fire”

Any patterns?
Size-up, Risk vs. Gain- Does your first in crew perform a 360 and report an accurate size up of conditions to all others? Is a risk vs. gain assessment actually made? Are your initial tactics based upon these findings?
Why not? Didn’t you try to implement the NIOSH recommendations to keep from killing your firefighters?
Are your SOP’s/SOG’s current to the ever-changing tasks being performed at your incidents? Do you follow them? Do you even have any?
Why not? Didn’t you try to implement the NIOSH recommendations to keep from killing your firefighters?
Is ventilation performed early and integrated with your interior attack? Or has ventilation worked its way down to fifth or sixth on your list of priorities? After all, it will eventually vent itself.
Why not? Didn’t you try to implement the NIOSH recommendations to keep from killing your firefighters?
Is a RIT/RIC established early on? If you don’t have the personnel to form a RIT/RIC, do you have a mutual aid response to give you the number of firefighters needed to operate safely?
Why not? Didn’t you try to implement the NIOSH recommendations to keep from killing your firefighters?
Does your department have at least one Thermal Imaging Camera? It’s been called the best thing since SCBA in many firefighting circles. You have SCBA, right? Does your department know to call a Mayday early? Too macho to call it? Does EVERYONE ON THE SCENE know what to do when a Mayday is called?
Why not? Didn’t you try to implement the NIOSH recommendations to keep from killing your firefighters?
WHY ARE WE NOT FOLLOWING THROUGH?
Are the reports too difficult to understand? Perhaps we need to dumb them down or fluff them up? Fine. I’m all for whatever it takes.
But let’s not forget that the reports are just that- reports. We need to make the changes, NIOSH ain’t gonna do that for us.
So read the reports, see how they killed our brothers, and take a hard look at how you and your department operate.
THEN IMPLEMENT THE CHANGES YOU NEED TO KEEP YOUR GUYS ALIVE.
Because if we continue to do it the same way, we’ll get what we’ve always gotten. Another NIOSH report with the same ol’ stuff.

Posted in Administration & Leadership, Change, Command & Leadership, Firefighting Operations, Funding & Staffing, In the Line of Duty, Leadership, Line of Duty, LODD, Never Forget, News, Staffing, Training, Training & Development, training-fire-rescue-topics, WTF?

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Posted by on April 28, 2010 • 2 comments

They found their brother.

The body of a Glasgow, WV firefighter was located just after noon on Friday, following nearly a week of searching after he was swept away while attempting a water rescue in Raleigh County.

Donald “Donnie” Adkins, 32, was in a rescue boat with Glasgow Volunteer Fire Department Chief Marty Blankenship and another firefighter near Beaver when the boat tipped over about at about 1:30 a.m. last Saturday.

A freak rainstorm had inundated the area last weekend, forcing numerous residents to be rescued from their attics and trees near their homes. Flood waters were so high that rescuers were forced to cut through utility lines in order to affect many of the rescues, according to Kanawha County Commission President Kent Carper.

Donald “Donnie” Adkins with his sister Renee Coleman, in a photo submitted by the Glasgow Volunteer Fire Department.

“It is with deep sadness that we accept the loss of Glasgow Firefighter Donald Adkins,” Carper said in a news release. “While Kanawha County mourns this loss, we respect Donald’s bravery and sacrifice. I also wish to commend the hundreds of volunteers throughout the state, including the State Fire Marshal Sterling Lewis, countless firefighters, EMS, law enforcement, the National Guard and the hundreds of other volunteers who risked their own personal safety in this selfless act of recovery of Donald Adkins who was recovered in Piney Creek, about 4.5 miles from where the boat capsized on Beaver Creek this past Saturday.”

Kanawha County Fire Coordinator C.W. Sigman said for several days this week, there were close to 100 people searching the Gauley River and its tributaries in an attempt to locate and recover Donnie Adkins.

Sigman led the search team that located the body. “He’s downstream in a pile of brush. They’re trying to get him out with chainsaws. There’s a lot of huge brush and tree limbs to cut through to get access to him.”

“It’s in a very inaccessible spot. It’s hard to get to when the water was up,” Sigman said. “When the water went down, it looked like a likely spot, and there he was.”

From the Charleston Gazette:

Adkins was with the Glasgow department for about three years and was a firefighter in Rand before that, Blankenship said.

He had two children and was also like a father to his girlfriend’s daughter, Blankenship said. All are between the ages of 5 and 8, he said.

Adkins had lost his job March 12, the day before he lost his life.

“Donnie was a very loved individual,” Blankenship said. “He was just a good all-around person.”

Kanawha County Commission President Kent Carper said he wanted to commend all of the firefighters and other rescuers who helped with the search, as well as Gov. Joe Manchin, who also lent his support.

“While Kanawha County morns this loss, we respect Donald’s bravery and sacrifice,” Carper said. “We should be reminded that these individuals put their own personal safety on the line each and every day to protect us all.”

Posted in Brotherhood, In the Line of Duty, Line of Duty, LODD, News, Rescues, Special Operations

Posted by on March 20, 2010 • 1 comment

360 Burn Size-up of the Fire Web- 1/21/2010

photo: Firenews.net

More Apparatus Accidents

Apparatus Accidents are headlining the news far too frequently again.  After medical issues, vehicle accidents kill more firefighters every year.  Read up the horrific injuries sustained by by firefighters in New Jersey, Kentucky, and North Carolina as related in FirefighterCloseCalls.com Then, take an active role on doing whatever you can to keep your department out of these types of headlines.

Do that today.

When Maydays Bring Crickets

While looking for a way out during a search, two veteran Cincinnati firefighters became trapped by a burning stairwell after one of them tumbled face first down six stairs, knocking his helmet and air mask off.

“Mayday, mayday, mayday!” his partner called out over his fire radio.

Silence.

“Mayday, mayday, mayday!” It was so quiet they wondered aloud if they were on the wrong channel. “Is anybody copying?” he asked as both men got critically low on air.

Why was this happening?  Read the article in Cincinnati.com by Sharon Coolidge to find out more on a new threat to modern firefighters.

Virginia Firefighters in Haiti Safe Following Aftershock

As if they didn’t already have enough on their plate, Mother Nature continued to keep things interesting as a 6.1 aftershock hammered the disaster area Wednesday morning.

All 83 members of the Virginia Task Force 2 were unscathed and are continuing their efforts at this moment.  You can follow VTF 2 on their cool website.

Despite all the obstacles that have been overcome by all of our heroic expert rescuers, the worse may still be on the way. Unfortunately, civil unrest is already making the situation more dangerous as Haitians increasingly turn to violence in their quest for the basic needs of food, water, and medicine.

Posted in 360 Burn, Close Calls, Firefighter Safety & Health, In the Line of Duty, Line of Duty, Major Incidents, News, Special Operations, Technology & Communications, Vehicle Operations & Apparatus

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Posted by on January 21, 2010 • No comments

360 Burn Size Up of the Fire Web- 1/13/10

And the Winner is……….

Mark Glencourse, the creator of Medic999, emerged victorious in what ended up to be a neck-and-neck race to the finish for the Best Fire/EMS Blog of 2009.  Congratulations, Mark!

FireGeezer sure gave him a run for his money, as they each traded leads in the exciting final stretch.  But Mark had an entire Kingdom of loyal readers mobilized and they came through as the contest ended last night. He stayed up late (1:00 am UK time) to take the honor of becoming the first guest on the live premiere edition of FirefighterNetCast to accept his “award”.

Obvious to all but the most childish (;->), no one here wanted an Oscar or was hurt because they weren’t considered or didn’t win.

There are no trophies, but there is the sheer triumphant joy of “bragging rights”. Those that truly know the fire and EMS services can appreciate the value bragging rights bring.

On the NetCast, Mark spoke eloquently to the goal of the “contest”: a means by which to expand the awareness of so many excellent bloggers out there, whether in the contest or not.

He is “spot-on” (methinks is a favourite saying acrost the pond) with that viewpoint.   We really are fortunate to have so many high-quality bloggers sharing their thoughts, views, and perspectives.  If you have a few favorites which you regularly visit, be sure to take time to check out some of the other talent out there as well.

To those of us who lost and have the bitter taste of defeat today- I say- wash that taste away with a high-end lager and say what we always say here in in The Windy City (home of the Cubs): “Just wait ‘til next year!”

You can read Mark’s reaction to his win here.

Appreciation must go out to my buddy and partner Rhett Fleitz over at FireCritic for spending is valuable time, talent, and treasure in creating and hosting the contest.  If he wasn’t running the project, there is no doubt you would have seen FireCritic vying for the gold as well.

Also a quick shout-out to my Mom- Hi Mom, thanks for voting for me!  Yep, just you and 14 others!  No, it’s OK, I’m fine.  Again…

Congratulations again to Mark, as well as all the other fire and EMS bloggers.  Let the 2010 games begin now!

Helmet Cam and the Outside Vent Guy

Speaking of excellence in fire/EMS blogging, head on over to Traditions Training Blog and catch an excellent helmet-cam video of DC Firefighter Joe Brown as he performs the tasks as the “Outside Vent Guy”.  While viewing the video, Joe adds important training tips on laddering, opening up windows, gaining access, and vent-enter-search practices.  This is a must-see video for any firefighter that wants to be on top of his game as a truckie.

You may also want to check out Joe in yet another DC Fire helmet cam video of ”Outside Vent Guy” at my earlier post, “Be This Guy.”

We are so pleased to have Traditions Training Blog as one of our newest partners here on FireEMSblogs.  Traditions Training is composed of fire department veterans from around the country, including the Washington, D.C. metro area and City of New York. The mission of Traditions Training is to teach “beyond the book” and provide knowledge and skills that will enhance your safety, efficiency, and knowledge as a firefighter.  Be sure to bookmark them and stop in regularly!

Too Aggressive or Too Safety-Conscious?

One other member new to FireEMSblogs.com, but certainly a seasoned veteran fire chief and nationally-recognized fire service leader and educator, Christopher J. Naum joins us with his newest blog The Company Officer.

In a recent post entitled Company Fortitude & Courage to be Safety Conscious,  Chris tells us that “dynamic risks must be managed at the company level with a balanced approach of effective assessment, analysis and probability within company and command decision making that results in safety conscious strategies and tactics.”

Does your company have this level of courage, or is there room to evaluate your ability to recognize the situation and adjust the manner in which you accomplish your fireground tasks?  Let this blog plant a seed in your head as you embark out into the new year.

Content Was King!

A final thank you to all who listened and participated in the live premier of Firefighter NetCast Tuesday night.  Despite the technical glitches that seem to always be lurking in the shadows, Rhett and I were absolutely thrilled and honored to have the caliber of discussion and listener participation to make the show truly special.  Special thanks to our featured guest, Bill Carey over at Backstep Firefighter for his vast knowledge and continued focus on Line of Duty Deaths.

A live netcast brings special surprises, as we found out by calls from Chief Art Goodrich (Chief Reason Art) and Christopher Naum (see above).  The interaction between these three guests was simply extraordinary.  I believe this may have been the first time these gentlemen spoke together on one show, as well as relating to input from our listeners in the live chat room.  We are indeed proud to be a part of that.

If you missed it, you can link to the raw feed at our site (hurry, before I have a chance to splice and dice out the glitches!) and make it available on iTunes.

Our next NetCast will also be live, this time at 9pm ET on February 4.  The featured topic will be Old School vs. New School and Social Media.  All the information can be found here.  We hope you can join us!

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Human Horror

As we watch the unimaginable human horror unfolding in Haiti where thousands have perished in the most intense earthquake there in 200 years, our hearts pour out to all those affected.  On a personal note, our family has an adopted child next door in the Dominican Republic and despite several attempts, we still aren’t able to determine her conditions.  Please pray for all of the victims.

We are so proud of the USAR teams and other specialized rescue workers from the United States who are either mobilizing now or are already on scene doing what they do best.

An earthquake survivor carries a small baby in a shanty town on the outskirts of Port au Prince, following a major earthquake in Haiti, Tuesday Jan. 12, 2010. (AP Photo/Matt Marek/American Red Cross, ho)

Posted in 360 Burn, Command & Leadership, Disasters, Firefighter Safety & Health, Firefighting Operations, In the Line of Duty, Leadership, Line of Duty, LODD, NetCast, News, Tips and Tricks, Training, Training & Development, training-fire-rescue-topics, Videos

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Posted by on January 13, 2010 • No comments

FirefighterNetCast- The Next New Chapter?

(not pictured: FireCritic)

Mark your calendars for January 12 at 8pm ET!

Firefighter NetCast debuts a week from tomorrow night with your hosts Rhett (FireCritic) and John (FireDaily).  God help us.

We will be hosting live netcasts, informative podcasts, and go live for any major incident.  Join us!

The first live NetCast on January 12 at 8pm ET will focus on Line of Duty Deaths.

The number for the year 2009 is below 100 for the first time in a long time.

Why?

Is it an anomaly, or the result of a concerted effort to reduce the causes for firefighters killed in the line of duty?

What will it take to keep this number on a downward trend?

Is it realistic to assume we can ever get to zero?

Has your department adopted Everyone Goes Home’s 16 Life Safety Initiatives?  Have you heard of them?

What obstacles have you found impeding your department’s efforts?

There’s much more, including the announcement of the winner of the Fire/EMS Blog of the Year 2009.

It’s free and easy to get involved.

After a quick registration on the BlogTalkRadio site, you’ll have complete access to our show (as well as others) and you’re in!

Join in the conversation by calling in at (347) 327-9920 on January 12 or just join in the chat room.  We would be honored with your participation.

If you can’t make the live NetCast, each archived show will be available for listening at your leisure.  In fact, our first attempt at the technical aspect is up now for a preview.  I’ll warn you, it’s 90 minutes of your life you’ll never get back… Also, look for us on iTunes in the very near future.

Check out our home site at FirefighterNetCast.com for all the updates.

We’re also on twitter (@ffnetcast) and Facebook.

When you have a moment stop in for a peek and become our friend.

Posted in In the Line of Duty, Line of Duty, LODD, NetCast, News

Posted by on January 4, 2010 • 15 comments

What is Truly Important

Santa is setting the presents in under and around the tree and thoughts of the true spirit of Christmas are taking root in our home tonight.  I am very fortunate to be surrounded by so much love, so much camaraderie, so much brotherhood.  It’s no cliché, it’s real.

We’ve managed to set aside most of the capitalistic aspect of this holiday season and turned more toward the spirituality and the humanity that makes this time so precious.

It’s that humanity that brings my mind to one particular incident that occurred back in October.  I’ve blogged twice or thrice on it, but can’t seem to shake the emotion it has brought to me and my family.  I’m sure it wouldn’t have the power it does if I didn’t have a daughters of my own.

Further, being out on a disability won’t soon put me in the same situation as this brave firefighter endured in the middle of the night while his family was so safely and securely tucked away- peacefully unaware of the tragedy unfolding nearby.

I’m referring to the death of Yonkers firefighter Patrick Joyce.  When his daughters woke up the next morning, they found out that Daddy would not be coming home.  The next morning, his seven-year old daughter penned the following in her diary:

Many brave brothers and sisters have gone the route both recently and in years past.  Something about this line of duty death hit me hard.

Tonight, Christmas Eve, I am praying again for the family of Patrick Joyce and his family.  I just went in and kissed my sleeping 8-year old on the forehead.  I thank the Lord I can still do that.  That is so important to me.

May you all be able to do what is important to you for many many more years to come.

Merry Christmas to you all.

Posted in Brotherhood, In the Line of Duty, Line of Duty, LODD, Never Forget

Posted by on December 25, 2009 • 2 comments

Check Out This “Must See” 9/11 Coin – It’s Going Fast!

It may be too late to get one for Christmas, but you will definitely want at least one of your own to carry with you for the rest of your life.  I’ve ordered several today.

After much planning and effort a September 11th Commemorative Coin has been struck to coincide with the 10 year anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center.

This beautiful collectible coin marks just the beginning of what will be a long-term effort to raise funds for three non-profit charitable organizations including the W5 Firefighters World Trade Center Fund, The New York Firefighters Burn Center Foundation and the FDNY Veterans of Foreign Wars Post.

Each of these three groups are related to 9/11, firefighter health and safety, and US military veterans- providing important work and activities toward those goals.

They provide services and material assistance to students attending college, US military veterans and burn victims both civilian and firefighter.

The September 11th Anniversary Benefit Fund has been established to coincide with the 10th anniversary of the attacks at the World Trade Center in New York City on September 11th, 2001.

The fund-raising project has been undertaken by FDNY Battalion Chief John Salka and a committee of other firefighters and their friends and will be involved in several fundraising operations over the next several years.

All of the proceeds from these fundraising events will be donated directly to these charitable funds for use on their worthy projects and activities.

The W5 Firefighters World Trade Center Memorial Fund

Maintains a WTC monument in Orange County NY and presents college scholarships to high school graduates.

The FDNY Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 12033

Steadfast supporters of the rehabilitation of disabled veterans from Brooke, Walter Reed and Bethesda Hospitals; assists the widows and orphans of disabled and needy veterans: promotes Americanism through education in patriotism and service to the community of New York City.

The New York Firefighters Burn Center Foundation

A 501(c)(3) public charity, non-profit organization founded in 1975 by firefighters and dedicated to the advancement of burn care, research, prevention, education, and the proper treatment of burns.

For further information and to order these keepsake coins, just click on the coin pictures above, or visit the official fund raising website:

http://www.september11anniversaryfund.com

Due to high demand any coins ordered after 12/12/09 will be shipped after Jan 1, 2010.


Posted in Brotherhood, In the Line of Duty, Line of Duty, Never Forget, News

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Posted by on December 15, 2009 • 1 comment

LODD- Fire Chief Jimmy Lee Davis Sr, 63, White Oak Volunteer Fire Dept, Maysville NC

We’ve lost another.

Acting Fire Chief Jimmy Lee Davis Sr, 63, of the White Oak Volunteer Fire Department in Maysville, NC died in the line of duty on Thursday, 12/10/09.

Chief Davis was preparing to leave his residence to respond to a motor vehicle crash when he suddenly collapsed.  First responders treated him and he was transported to the hospital where he he later died.  Preliminary reports indicate he suffered a heart attack.

Chief Davis served his department for many years as an assistant chief, safety officer, and training officer.  He leaves behind his wife Betty and a close family including two great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held Sunday 12/13/09 at 14:00 at the White Oak High School located at 1001 Piney Green, Jacksonville, NC.

FireDaily joins the entire fire service community in conveying our sincere condolences to the family and friends of Chief Davis, as well as to those with whom he served on the White Oak Volunteer Fire Department.

Posted in In the Line of Duty, Line of Duty, LODD, News

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Posted by on December 13, 2009 • No comments

LODD- Battalion Chief Tommy Adams, Shreveport LA Fire Department

We’ve lost another.

Battalion Chief Tommy Adams, a 31-year decorated veteran of the Shreveport LA Fire Department, passed away early this morning.  Chief Adams had been in a relative state of coma since falling from a fire department ladder truck back in February of this year.

We join firefighters across the country and around the world to extend our prayers and wishes to the family and friends of Chief Adams, as well as those with whom he served won the Shreveport Fire Department.

First, the news story from KSLA News 12 :

In a statement, Chief Crawford says he and Adam’s wife Traci were at his side.  In a separate statement on a web site Traci Adams has maintained with updates since the devastating fall, Adams says her husband was surrounded by family and friends.  “We were all better for having known and loved Tommy Adams. The girls and I are heart-broken, but are at peace with seeing him back with HIS father in heaven. God has been with us through this entire event, and I feel HIS blessings, love, and mercy wrapped around me tighter than ever…”

Chief Adams fell from a fire department ladder truck following a the Krew of Gemini Mardi Gras parade on February 21 of this year.

The Fire Department speaking on behalf of the family wishes to thank the tremendous outpouring of support for Tommy and the entire Adams family shown by the Shreveport and surrounding communities, said Crawford. “On behalf of the City of Shreveport, Mayor Cedric Glover, myself and Tommy’s entire fire department family we send our deepest sympathies to the Adams’ family and can never say enough about the sacrifice that Tommy made for this community in his 31 years of dedicated and decorated service. He will be missed,” concluded Crawford.

Chief Crawford says Chief Adams death will be classified as a line-of-duty death and he will be buried with full firefighter honors next week. Those arrangements will be announced from Chief Crawford’s Office as soon as they are available.

Here is an exerpt from the Support Chief Tommy website lovingly written by Brian Richardson of the Shreveport Fire Department:

February 21st began as a cold rainy morning, but excitement was in the air.  It was the day of the Krewe of Gemini parade in downtown Shreveport, LA.  The local weather forecast said the rain would subside, and the sun would break through in time for the parade to continue as scheduled. There were doubts about that prediction. How many times are the weather people actually right when it comes to rain?

(Photo from SupportChiefTommy.com)

This day luck was on the meteorologist side. The sun broke through and the excitement and anticipation about the parade heightened.  Tommy Adams, his wife, and two young daughters were thrilled that the parade would go on. They had missed out on the chance to ride in the parade a week earlier, and this was the last major parade in Shreveport for 2009.

Chief Tommy had checked his inventory of beads earlier in the day.  He wanted to make sure he had enough beads for his wife and daughters, ensuring they would not run out of throws before the parade ended.  He was careful in preparing for this day spent with family — wife and kids as well as his brother and sister firefighters. Anyone who knows Chief Tommy knows that he was probably just as concerned about running out of beads and disappointing the public that lined the parade route.

Chief Tommy has spent the last thirty one years as a firefighter/ paramedic and is very well liked and respected among his co-workers.  I personally have never seen him without a smile (or a hair out of place for that matter).  He had also been a paramedic with Life Air Rescue and taught the first LAR (Life Air Rescue) landing zone class I had as a rookie firefighter.

This day started just like any other day, full of hopes and expectations, not a thought about tragic events that a firefighter like Chief Tommy and others in the fire service experience on a day to day basis.  This was a day to bond with family and friends, a day to relax and have fun.

The parade went quite well.  Every year these events get bigger and bigger.  The Fire department usually has the privilege of being at the head of the parade, at least for the years that I have been in the parades.  I’m not quite sure if the reason for the fire trucks being in the front is that we are so important or because we have loud sirens.  Either way it is nice to be invited. Typically at the end of the parade route the fire trucks pull to the side of the road to secure any loose empty boxes that held beads or cups.  This night was over; everyone is happy, packing up and heading for home.  The parade goers leave with their bounty, and the firefighters and their families who rode the fire trucks leave with great memories.  What started out to be a predictable day however took a tragic turn for the worst.

As Chief Tommy was clearing debris and boxes from the ladder truck he fell approximately 10 feet, landing head first on the concrete roadway.  Firefighters are trained for such emergencies, trained to perform lifesaving measures in the field and en route to the hospitals where the patients are handed to an emergency room doctor.  Chief Tommy, as a Paramedic, had been involved in teaching most of the firefighters on the scene that night these lifesaving techniques.  Nothing could have prepared us to work on a close member of our family and with his wife and daughters present.  On scene Chief Tommy was a Trauma code (his heart had stopped) and had to have CPR performed. Chief Tommy was transported to Willis Knighton Pierremont hospital where he regained a heart rate, and his condition was listed as critical.  He suffered fractures to his cervical (neck) spine (c4, c5, and c6) and was placed on a breathing machine. He has been unresponsive since the fall.

At the time of this posting, March 10th 2009, he has shown signs of responding, such as opening his eyes for short periods of time when prompted by his wife and daughters.

A full honors firefighter funeral will be held for Chief Adams:

Public visitation will take place from 1-9 p.m. Tuesday, December 15. Family visitation will be from noon to 1 p.m. The chapel is at 1815 Marshall St., Shreveport.

Services will be held Wednesday, December 16 at 1030 hours  at Summer Grove Baptist Church, 8924 Jewella Avenue. Graveside services will take place at Forest Park.


We join firefighters across the country and around the world to extend our prayers and wishes to the family and friends of Chief Adams, as well as those with whom he served won the Shreveport Fire Department. May you find strength and peace at the end of this long and difficult journey.

Posted in In the Line of Duty, Line of Duty, LODD, News

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Posted by on December 12, 2009 • No comments

360 Burn Size-up of the Fire Web 12/3/2009

Ten Years Ago Today

On December 3, 1999, the Worcester Cold Storage Warehouse Fire took the lives of six firefighters.  Head on over to FirefighterCloseCalls.com for a full report, complete with links to articles, photos, audio, and much more.

Follow that up with a read of an article entitled “A Chief’s Perspective” by retired Worcester District Fire Chief Michael O. McNamee and hope you never have to go through his nightmare. With trapped crews inside and after others had gone in to save them,  Chief McNamee ordered that no more firefighters go in.  He was met with heated threats of physical violence by his firefighters on the scene, many demanding to allow them to go in to rescue their brothers.  But he hung firm- and in doing so stopped that massive fire from killing any more of his men that night.  Thanks, Chief.  Use the information at FirefighterCloseCalls.com to create a training session for everyone on your department, especially for the newer guys who may never have heard the tragic details.

More is Less is Less is More

Did you catch the post by FireGeezer on Tuesday about the Newark (OH) fire chief who did the math?  Turns out that hiring more firefighters resulted in less overtime costs (way less).  Read the story about how fire chief Jack Stickradt was able to show the city manager how it could be done, after which the mayor followed suit.  Now with more firefighters, there’s les OT, less injuries, and more safety.  Hmmm.I’ve always wondered why a municipality would want to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars rather than hire more people…

Next on the horizon for firefighters?   Personal air conditioning…ahhhhhh…

Colorado State University engineering professors are using a $917,000 Fire Prevention and Safety Grant to develop technology that would protect firefighters’ cardiovascular health and stave off heat stress. Researchers will use a device called the SCAMP (Super Critical Air Mobility Pack) device from Niwot Technologies that can cool firefighters and hazmat teams as they work. SCAMP was developed for and used by NASA astronauts 20 years ago and uses cryogenically-cooled air in a thin compact case. Their work looks to help alleviate the number one cause of firefighter line-of-duty deaths (cardiovascular failure- 43% of all deaths) by providing up to four hours of purified air and body cooling. See more here.

Posted in 360 Burn, Command & Leadership, Firefighter Safety & Health, Funding & Staffing, In the Line of Duty, Leadership, Line of Duty, LODD, Major Incidents, Never Forget, News, Staffing, training-fire-rescue-topics

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Posted by on December 3, 2009 • No comments

If We Do What We’ve Always Done, We’ll Get What We’ve Always Gotten…

I see that NIOSH reports have popped up on the radar of the blogosphere recently.  Frankly, I’m surprised at the heat a few have been giving them.  Maybe I’ve been missing something (it’s happened before). So I took a closer look.
We already know that heart attacks and traffic accidents are the main murderers of us firefighters, so I’m sure we’ve already dedicated the necessary resources to firefighter health and safety initiatives and accident scene safeguards to keep these killers from having free reign over our troops.
Right?
So, I went to the Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation Reports page from NIOSH and randomly picked 5 of the reports with deaths involving fire suppression. I was looking for patterns. Guess what I found….
NIOSH Report 2008-26
A residential basement fire had been burning for over 30 minutes. A crew was directed to enter the first floor to perform horizontal ventilation and found a spongy floor. The last (victim) of the four-man crew was just about out when the floor collapsed into the basement on top of working crews. Heavy smoke conditions hampered efforts to locate the victim and he died on the scene.

Among the NIOSH recommendations:

Sizeup, Risk/Gain “ensure that the incident commander (IC) conducts a 360 degree size-up which includes risk versus gain analysis prior to committing interior operations and continues risk assessments throughout the operations”

SOP’s/SOG’s- “ensure that standard operating procedures are established for a basement fire”

Coordinated Ventilation- “ensure that proper ventilation is done to improve interior conditions and is coordinated with the interior attack”

TIC- “ensure that interior crews are equipped with a thermal imaging camera”

RIT/RIC- “ensure that Rapid Intervention Teams are staged and ready”

NIOSH Report 2008-34

One of only three firefighters on the scene, the victim entered a burning residence alone with a partially-charged 1 ½ inch line and became lost in thick-black smoke, radioing for help from the other two. They couldn’t locate him, a flashover occurred, and the home became fully engulfed. A cop found him an hour later.

Among the NIOSH recommendations:

Size-up, Risk/Gain- “ensure that officers and fire fighters know how to evaluate risk versus gain and perform a thorough scene size-up before initiating interior strategies and tactics”

SOP’s/SOG’s- “develop, implement, and enforce written standard operating procedures (SOPs) for fireground operations”

Staffing- “ensure that adequate numbers of apparatus and fire fighters are on scene before initiating an offensive fire attack in a structure fire”

Coordinated Ventilation- “ensure that properly coordinated ventilation is conducted on structure fires”

RIT/RIC- “ensure that a rapid intervention team (RIT) is established and available at structure fires”

SCBA- “ensure fire fighters are trained in essential self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) and emergency survival skills”

Mayday- “ensure that protocols are developed on issuing a Mayday so that fire fighters and dispatch centers know how to respond”

NIOSH Report 2008-08

30 minutes into a residential fire, crews had been pulled out. A decision was made to send a crew back in to extinguish the fire. A crew of 3 (A/C, Capt, FF) made their way into the basement of the burning structure with an 1¾ line. One by one they evacuated due to conditions. The third never came up the stairs. RIT was activated but repelled by the heat. Victim found an hour later.

Among the NIOSH recommendations:

Risk vs. Gain- “ensure that the Incident Commander continuously evaluates the risks versus gain when determining whether the fire suppression operation will be offensive or defensive“

SOP’s/SOG’s- “review, revise as necessary, and enforce standard operating guidelines (SOGs) to include specific procedures for basement fires and two-in/ two-out procedures“

TIC- “enforce standard operating guidelines (SOGs) regarding thermal imaging camera (TIC) use during interior operations“

Mayday- “ensure that fire fighters are trained on initiating Mayday radio transmissions immediately when they are in distress, and/or become lost or trapped“

NIOSH Report 2008-06

Without the protection of a charged hoseline, a Lt and FF (victim) were searching a 2-story residence for a trapped occupant. They did not know where the victim was and had no TIC. Conditions deteriorated, trapping the two on the second floor. The LT exited the front door and RIT was deployed to get the victim. Both were hospitalized and the victim succumbed to burn injuries 5 days later.

Among the NIOSH recommendations:

Size-up- “ensure the Incident Commander receives pertinent information during the size-up (i.e., type of structure, number of occupants in the structure, etc.) from occupants on scene and that information is relayed to crews upon arrival”

SOP’s/SOG’s- “develop, implement, and enforce written standard operating procedures (SOPs) for fireground operations”

Coordinated Ventilation- “ensure ventilation is coordinated with interior fireground operations”

TIC- “ensure that fire fighters conducting an interior search have a thermal imaging camera”

Mayday- “ensure that Mayday protocols are developed and followed”

NIOSH Report 2007-32

Two firefighters died while conducting an interior attack to locate, confine, and extinguish a fire located in the cockloft of a restaurant. One victim had been flowing water into the cockloft from the kitchen, another had been checking for fire extension in the main dining area. At about 5 minutes in, a rapid fire event occurred.

Among the NIOSH recommendations:

Size-up- Risk vs. Gain- “ensure that the incident commander conducts an initial size-up and risk assessment of the incident scene before beginning interior fire fighting operations and continually evaluates the conditions to determine if the operations should become defensive”

SOP’s/SOG’s- “develop, implement and enforce written standard operating procedures (SOPs) that address the hazards and define the strategies and tactics to be used while operating at specific structures known as “taxpayers”

Coordinated Ventilation- “ensure that fire fighters understand the influence of ventilation on fire behavior and coordinate with interior fire suppression operations”

RIT/RIC- “ensure that a rapid intervention crew (RIC) / rapid intervention team (RIT) is established and available to immediately respond to emergency rescue incidents”

TIC- “use thermal imaging cameras (TICs) during the initial size-up and search phases of a fire”

Any patterns?
Size-up, Risk vs. Gain- Does your first in crew perform a 360 and report an accurate size up of conditions to all others? Is a risk vs. gain assessment actually made? Are your initial tactics based upon these findings?
Why not? Didn’t you try to implement the NIOSH recommendations to keep from killing your firefighters?
Are your SOP’s/SOG’s current to the ever-changing tasks being performed at your incidents? Do you follow them? Do you even have any?
Why not? Didn’t you try to implement the NIOSH recommendations to keep from killing your firefighters?
Is ventilation performed early and integrated with your interior attack? Or has ventilation worked its way down to fifth or sixth on your list of priorities? After all, it will eventually vent itself.
Why not? Didn’t you try to implement the NIOSH recommendations to keep from killing your firefighters?
Is a RIT/RIC established early on? If you don’t have the personnel to form a RIT/RIC, do you have a mutual aid response to give you the number of firefighters needed to operate safely?
Why not? Didn’t you try to implement the NIOSH recommendations to keep from killing your firefighters?
Does your department have at least one Thermal Imaging Camera? It’s been called the best thing since SCBA in many firefighting circles. You have SCBA, right? Does your department know to call a Mayday early? Too macho to call it? Does EVERYONE ON THE SCENE know what to do when a Mayday is called?
Why not? Didn’t you try to implement the NIOSH recommendations to keep from killing your firefighters?
WHY ARE WE NOT FOLLOWING THROUGH?
Are the reports too difficult to understand? Perhaps we need to dumb them down or fluff them up? Fine. I’m all for whatever it takes.
But let’s not forget that the reports are just that- reports. We need to make the changes, NIOSH ain’t gonna do that for us.
So read the reports, see how they killed our brothers, and take a hard look at how you and your department operate.
THEN IMPLEMENT THE CHANGES YOU NEED TO KEEP YOUR GUYS ALIVE.
Because if we continue to do it the same way, we’ll get what we’ve always gotten. Another NIOSH report with the same ol’ stuff.

Posted in 360 Burn, Command & Leadership, Firefighter Safety & Health, Firefighting Operations, Fires, Funding & Staffing, In the Line of Duty, Line of Duty, LODD, Rescues, Training, Training & Development, training-fire-rescue-topics, WTF?

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Posted by on November 22, 2009 • 6 comments

It’s Time.

From Michael McAuliff of the New York Daily News

First responders and Ground Zero workers are pleased Khalid Shaikh Mohammed is headed to New York to face justice – but they hope to win a different kind of justice of their own.

“Eight years later they finally bring the terrorists to New York and eight years later we’re still waiting for help” treating 9/11-related illnesses, said John Feal.  “It doesn’t equate,” added Feal, who heads the FealGood Foundation, devoted to raising awareness about the health crisis. He and busloads of survivors and victims held a rally Wednesday in Washington.

The FealGood Foundation holds a press conference earlier this year at the scene of the 9/11 attacks (photo by Schwartz for News)

They’re demanding Congress act on legislation named after James Zadroga, an NYPD officer who died from his exposure to Ground Zero. The proposal would spend about $8 billion to reopen the Sept. 11 Victim Compensation fund to care for the illnesses suffered by the responding heroes.

“I’m going to be focused on getting that bill passed,” said Glen Klein, a former NYPD Emergency Service Unit officer who spent 700 hours at Ground Zero. “It’s time.”

It’s the same two words Jim Ryan wanted to tell Congress Wednesday hoping to join hundreds of his fellow Sept. 11 responders on their journey to Capitol Hill. But he couldn’t make it.

He’s dying himself.

“I was a 46-year-old firefighter, working at my job in April 2006,” said the husband and father of two teenage boys and a 9-year-old daughter. His doctor thought he had gallstones, but it was pancreatic cancer, a deadly illness more common in older men. The fire department eventually agreed the cancer was from 9/11, and he retired.

He beat it once.

Then came the relapse last November – and more treatments. His doctor can’t do any more.

“They just determined last week it wasn’t working. As of right now, I’m not on anything. At this point, I’m just seeking second opinions,” Ryan said.  He doesn’t want to ask how much time he has left.

“I don’t believe in deadlines,” he said.

But he wanted to do what he could to push Congress to pass the $8 billion measure. It would reopen the Sept. 11 victims’ compensation fund and provide for the families of the ill and dying.

So Tuesday night he packed some gear in the car of his friend and fellow firefighter, Keith Palumbo, and went to the Engine Co. 320/Ladder 167 firehouse in Flushing for a party that Palumbo arranged so Ryan’s department brothers could see him again before it was too late.

“It was overwhelming,” Ryan said.

But he got violently ill, and it was obvious to his friends that Ryan, who’s lost 50 pounds to his illness, couldn’t make the trip to Washington.

“Keith, he took my bag out of his car and he said, ‘You’re not going.’ He said, ‘You can’t, you’re not physically able to,’” Ryan recalled.

It’s almost the way he felt about the months he spent digging through the voids in the wreckage of the twin towers, searching for the fallen. He tried to explain it to his wife, Magda, when she asked why he wanted to swim in that toxic devastation for so long.

“I told her I don’t. It’s the last place in the world I want to be, but right now, and it’s kind of hard to put it in words, but right now it’s the only place in the world I want be,” Ryan remembered.

There was no internal conflict about going to Washington Wednesday, except that he couldn’t.

“I felt horrible because it’s not only about me,” he said. “It’s about all the guys who are going to come after me, and there’s going to be plenty of them. … I don’t think you’ve even seen the tip of the iceberg yet.”

Ryan and the other advocates say they’ve received assurances that Congress would act this fall. But sources told the Daily News that the battle to overhaul the nation’s health care system comes first – a fight that could extend into next year. Feal said rally goers intend to take their message straight to lawmakers.

“We’re taking three teams into each congressional [office] building,” Feal said Wednesday. “I’m storming the Capitol.”

The Zadroga Act is sitting in Congress, held hostage by the health care reform debate. The House version is all but ready to go. The Senate’s has yet to be discussed in a committee hearing.

Palumbo and others carried the message for Ryan, visiting lawmakers in their black turnout coats. He hopes legislators heard it.

“We’ve got eight guys in the firehouse who have cancer,” Palumbo said after walking the halls of Congress, knocking on doors.

“Hopefully, we prodded them with our tale.”

Posted in Firefighter Safety & Health, In the Line of Duty, Line of Duty, LODD, Never Forget, News

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Posted by on November 20, 2009 • No comments

LODD- Deputy Chief Chad Eric Greene, 34, Union Cross Fire & Rescue, Kernersville, NC

We’ve lost another.

The U.S. Fire Administration announces the official line of duty death of Deputy Chief Chad Eric Greene, 34, of the Union Cross Fire and Rescue in Kernersville, NC on November 4, 2009.

Deputy Chief Greene completed his shift at approximately 0830hrs immediately after responding to a motor vehicle accident. After completing his shift, he left the station, dropped his son off at pre-school, and went home. When Deputy Chief Greene’s wife returned home, she found him unresponsive and subsequently called 911 and began CPR. Deputy Chief Greene was transported to the NC Baptist Hospital where he was pronounced dead at approximately 1230hrs. The cause of death is pending further investigation.

He was a member of his department since he was 15 years old and was awarded the 2008 Squad Person of the Year.

He leaves behind his wife, a young son and daughter, and an unborn child due in June 2010.

Chief Greene is the 80th line of duty death this year.

Viewing will be held on November 7, 2009, 1800hrs-2100hrs – Greene Street Baptist Church, High Point, NC. The funeral will be held on November 8, 2009, 1400hrs – Greene Street Baptist Church, High Point, NC.

Memorials may be directed to the Children’s Trust Fund, Truliant Federal Credit Union, 500 Pineview Drive, Suite 117, Kernersville, NC 27284

As always, our prayers and thoughts are firmly with his family and friends, as well as those in his second families at Union Cross Fire and Rescue and the High Point Fire Department.

Posted in In the Line of Duty, Line of Duty, LODD, News

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Posted by on November 7, 2009 • No comments

LODD- Firefighter Robert Stone, 47, Amity (PA) Fire and Rescue

We’ve lost another.

The U.S. Fire Administration has now announced the official line of duty death of firefighter Robert Stone, 47, of the Amity (PA) Fire and Rescue on November 4, 2009.  He is our nation’s 79th to perish in the line of duty this year.

Upon returning to the station after responding to a residential carbon monoxide alarm on November 3, 2009, Firefighter Stone began complaining of chest pains and was subsequently transported to Reading Hospital. After recovering from surgery for an aortic separation at the hospital, Firefighter Stone went into cardiac arrest and was pronounced dead at approximately 0730hrs the following morning.

His love of photography drew him into the fire service where he captured thousands of photographs.

Information on arrangements can be found at his department’s website. The viewing for Bob Stone will be Wednesday, November 11 from 0900 to 1100 at Houck & Gofus Funeral Home, 955 North Charlotte Street, Pottstown, PA 19464. A funeral service will follow immediately after the viewing. Anyone needing information can contact Station 49 at (610) 689-5218 or Chief Richter at (484) 256-7145.

As always, our prayers and thoughts of pour out over his family and friends, as well as those in his second family at Amity Fire and Rescue.

Posted in In the Line of Duty, Line of Duty, LODD, News

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Posted by on November 7, 2009 • No comments

Warship USS New York Arrives- Built With WTC Steel

From the BBC

click here for video

uss new yorkA warship built with steel salvaged from the World Trade Center has arrived in New York City.

The USS New York sailed up the Hudson River to near Ground Zero, where it fired a 21-gun salute in tribute to those killed in the 2001 attacks.

It was watched by relatives of 9/11 victims, along with members of the emergency services and the public.

The US Navy is to hold an official commissioning ceremony for the new warship on Saturday.

The New York set off on its maiden voyage from Louisiana, where it was built, nearly three weeks ago.

The bow of the boat contains 7.5 tonnes of melted steel from the fallen buildings of the World Trade Center.

The ship’s crest includes images of the Twin Towers and features the colours of the city departments that first responded to the terrorist attacks in which nearly 3,000 people died.

‘A transformation’

People gathered by the waterfront to watch the ship’s 21-gun salute honouring those who died in the 11 September attacks.

The crew stood to attention along the deck as the guns were fired.

Representatives of New York's police and fire departments and US military, 2 Nov

Among those watching was JoAnn Atlas, who lost her firefighter husband in the attacks.

“We have to remember. It’s a way to honour them,” she told the Associated Press news agency.

Rosaleen Tallon, whose firefighter brother was among those killed, said she was pleased that the steel from the towers had been reused in the ship.

“It’s a transformation of it from something really twisted and ugly,” she told AP. “I’m proud that our military is using that steel.”

About one in seven of the 361 sailors serving on the ship are from New York state, a higher percentage than would normally be the case, a Navy spokeswoman told AP.

She said there had been many requests from Navy personnel to serve on the ship.

click here for video

Posted in In the Line of Duty, Line of Duty, Never Forget, News

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Posted by on November 2, 2009 • 1 comment

What Happened at the Station Fire? $$$ ?

On a sizzling August morning, as flames burned unchecked down the road, fire crews milled about at an Angeles Crest Highway ranger station. Others were parked along the pavement — a critical line of defense — their engines quiet and hoses slack.

It was more than an hour after first light, and some six hours after U.S. Forest Service commanders had determined that the fire required a more aggressive air attack. But the skies remained empty of water-dropping helicopters — tankers that were readily available.

What was happening?

In a story to be published in the Sunday edition of the Los Angeles Times, Paul Pringle reports on the mounting quest for answers regarding the response to what turned out to be the largest fire in LA County history. The Station Fire eventually killed two Los Angeles County firefighters, destroyed about 90 dwellings and devastated one of America’s most-visited national forests.

It had been previously reported that the Forest Service issued a memorandum to Southern California Managers three weeks prior to the Station Fire. It had directed its Southern California managers to trim expenses by reducing the use of reinforcements from municipal departments and the state.

Many have charged that the initial response to the fire was inadequate, and assets that were ready and available were not used soon enough, resulting in a conflagration that should never have occurred.

County Fire Chief P. Michael Freeman said he has ordered an executive review of his department’s response during the first five days of the fire.  It is due out November 17.

Posted in Administration & Leadership, Command & Leadership, Firefighting Operations, Fires, Funding & Staffing, In the Line of Duty, Line of Duty, LODD, Major Incidents, News, Wildland, WTF?

Posted by on October 31, 2009 • No comments

LODD- Capt. John Thurman, 52 Clinton MS FD

We’ve lost another.

Captain John Thurman, 52, a 21-year veteran with the Clinton, MS Fire Department, was found unconscious in the park next his station late yesterday afternoon.

Thurman had been exercising in the park while on duty, when a passer-by found him down and summoned help. He was transported to Jackson Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.  The cause of death has not been released.

Our thoughts and prayers are with Captain Thurman’s family and friends, as well as his second family at the Clinton Fire Department.

Posted in In the Line of Duty, Line of Duty, LODD, News

Posted by on October 22, 2009 • 3 comments