Firehouse Wins Prestigious Journalism Award
Firehouse® was named a Neal Award winner by American Business Media (ABM) during the recent 58th Annual Jesse H. Neal National Business Journalism Awards ceremony in New York City. Firehouse was saluted by a distinguished board of judges for its 9/11 Anniversary coverage in the category of “Best Integrated Package.”
Often hailed for its preeminence as the “Pulitzer Prize of the business media,” ABM's Neal Awards recognize and reward editorial excellence in business media. Firehouse's integrated coverage of the 10th anniversary of 9/11 included a 276-page book, WTC: In Their Own Words, featuring exclusive photos and interviews with firefighters who responded to the World Trade Center attack; in-depth coverage in the September 2011 issue; special educational programming and a fire service tribute to 9/11 responders at Firehouse Expo, and original reporting on Firehouse.com from Shanksville, PA and New York City.
“What an incredible honor to be recognized by ABM and our peers,” said Patricia Maroder, Publisher, Firehouse. “The Firehouse team worked extremely hard in pulling together an enormous amount of content, and to produce the content in a variety of platforms. The team also found the right balance of content – by honoring those we lost, recognizing those who assisted in the recovery and rebuilding efforts, and capturing the sentiments of the fire service and our nation at large 10 years later.”
This Month in Fire History
May 4, 2000, Los Alamos, NM
Wildland fire; loss worth $1.1 million
May 5, 1988, Norco, LA
Petroleum refinery fire; loss worth $513 million
May 6, 1937, Lakehurst, NJ
Hindenburg zeppelin fire kills 36
May 11, 1985, Bradford, England
Soccer stadium fire kills 56
May 15, 1929, Cleveland, OH
Cleveland Clinic fire kills 125
May 18, 1971
NFPA Standard 19B requires SCBA use during firefighting
May 28, 1977, Southgate, KY
Beverly Hills Supper Club fire kills 165
Courtesy NFPA
For details on fires that occurred 100 years ago this month, turn to Paul Hashagen’s “Rekindles” on page XX.
Hal Bruno Camp for Children of Fallen Firefighters
The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF), in partnership with Comfort Zone Camps, has introduced the Hal Bruno Camp for Children of Fallen Firefighters. This bereavement camp is for children between the ages of 7 and 17 whose parent or step-parent died in the line of duty. The camp will be held Friday, June 8, through Sunday, June 10, at Camp Hanover in Mechanicsville, VA.
The camp honors the memory of Hal Bruno, the late Chairman Emeritus of the NFFF's Board of Directors and former columnist for Firehouse. “Hal was wholly dedicated to helping the survivors find the support and comfort they need as they rebuild their lives following the death of their firefighter,” said Chief Ronald J. Siarnicki, Executive Director of the NFFF. “For the Foundation to offer a fun and therapeutic camp just for the children of the fallen would make him very proud.”
In addition to covering the costs for the campers, the Foundation will also provide lodging near the campsite and local transportation for the parents. “We wanted to be certain that any children who want to take part in this valuable weekend will have that opportunity,” said Linda Hurley, the Foundation’s Director of Survivor Programs.
For more information on Comfort Zone Camp, please go to: www.ComfortZoneCamp.org.
Irish Delegation Visits Ocala
Last year, a small group from Ocala Fire & Rescue visited its “twin city” of Newbridge, Ireland (see Scuttlebutt, August 2011). They visited firehouses, went sightseeing and even took part in the Newbridge St. Patrick’s Day parade.
This year, an official delegation of 11 dignitaries from Newbridge returned the favor. The delegates toured Fire Station #1 and got to ride in a tower ladder, discharge fire extinguishers on live fire and use a thermal imager camera in a smoke-filled room.
The Newbridge delegation presented their Ocala counterparts with the gift of an Irish Cross (being held by firefighter Ashley Andrews, who is kneeling in the front row of the photo).
Sesame Street Makes Fire Safety Fun
Let’s face…Sesame Street makes everything fun! Now, with the generous support of the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), families can have fun while learning about fire safety with the Sesame Street Fire Safety Station Color and Learn coloring book. Each page in this free coloring book (available at http://apps.usfa.fema.gov/publications/display.cfm?id=208) illustrates a particular fire safety message highlighted in the Sesame Street Fire Safety Station program. These messages include Plan and Practice Home Escape Plans; Smoke Alarms Warn About Fires; Hot Things Burn; Get Out and Stay Out!; Stop, Drop, and Roll; and Firefighters Rescue People and Put Out Fires. Let Big Bird, Cookie Monster and all of their friends help your child learn fire safety lessons that will last a lifetime.
Arson Awareness Week: Prevent Youth Firesetting
The theme for this year’s Arson Awareness Week (May 6-12) is Prevent Youth Firesetting. The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) and its partners will use the week to focus public attention on the importance of a collaborative effort with fire and emergency service departments, law enforcement, mental health, social services, schools, and juvenile justice to help reduce the occurrence of youth engaged with fire.
“Fire in the hands of children is devastating – regardless of a child's age or motive,” said Ernest Mitchell, Jr., U.S. Fire Administrator. “It is imperative that we do everything possible to prevent youth firesetting to protect the nation’s most valuable resource, our children.”
According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), fires started by children playing accounted for an average of 56,300 fires with associated losses of 110 civilian deaths, 880 civilian injuries, and $286 million in direct property damage per year between 2005 – 2009.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation's Uniform Crime Reporting Program report states that juveniles (persons under age 18) accounted for roughly 46% of arson arrests in 2005-2010. In 2010, 40% of arson arrests were juveniles with 47.6 % of those children under 16 years of age.
Texas Rangers Honor Fallen Firefighter
Shannon Stone was a Texas Rangers fan and a proud member of the Brownwood (TX) Fire Department. More importantly, he was a husband and a father. On July 7, 2011, Stone took his 6-year-old son, Cooper, to a see a Rangers game. What started out as a perfect father and son day at the stadium, turned into the most horrible of nightmares.
As the teams were warming up between innings of the game, Stone called out to Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton (Cooper’s favorite player) to throw him a ball. Hamilton obliged and tossed a ball in Stone’s direction. As he reached over the railing for the ball, Stone lost his balance and fell headfirst, 20 feet, to the concrete behind the outfield fence. Stone was conscious and asking about Cooper as EMS personnel arrived. The 39-year-old firefighter, however, died within the hour.
On April 5 of this year, the Texas Rangers unveiled a life-size bronze statue that depicts Stone and Cooper, wearing baseball caps, holding hands and looking at each other as if they’re talking about the game. The inscription reads: In memory of Shannon Stone and dedicated to all fans who love the game.
In creating the statue, sculptor Bruce Greene said it was important for him to depict the moment where fathers and sons are discussing the play-by-play after the game. He also said it was a priority to finish the statue before the start of the season.
Stone’s widow, Jenny, attended the unveiling with Cooper, the Texas Rangers team, Brownwood firefighters and Arlington emergency personnel. In a statement read at the ceremony, Stone’s family said the statue represents what he believed in – his son, family, friends and having fun.
