Compton Receives Granito Award for Excellence
Chief Dennis Compton, chairman of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF)’s Board of Directors, has received the Dr. John Granito Award for Excellence in Fire Leadership and Management Research. The award was presented recently by the International Fire Service Journal of Leadership and Management (IFSJLM) for his outstanding leadership and management practices and contributions to the fire service.
“We could not be more pleased for Chief Compton in receiving this important award. He exemplifies what many of us aspire to in terms of putting knowledge, research and leadership into action,” said Chief Ron Siarnicki, executive director of the NFFF.
Chief Compton presented the keynote address as part of the 10th Anniversary of the Research Symposium sponsored by Fire Protection Publications immediately prior to the IFSTA Validation Conference in Tulsa, OK.
The award is named in recognition of Dr. Granito, Professor Emeritus and Retired Vice President for Public Service and External Affairs at the State University of New York at Binghamton and an internationally known public safety management consultant. This year Chief Compton was the unanimous choice for the prestigious award.
NFPA’s 2013 Firefighter Injuries by the Numbers
Each year, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) studies firefighter deaths and injuries to provide national statistics on their frequency, extent and characteristics. Based on data reported by fire departments during the NFPA Survey of Fire Departments for U.S. Fire Experience (2013), the NFPA reports:
• In 2013, 65,880 firefighter injuries occurred in the line of duty, a decrease of 5.1 percent from the year before.
• In addition to injuries, there were 7,100 exposures to infectious diseases and 17,400 exposures to hazardous conditions.
• In 2013, 29,760, or 45.2 percent, of all firefighter injuries occurred during fireground operations. An estimated 11,800 occurred during other on-duty activities; 4,015 while responding to, or returning from an incident; 7,770 during training; and 12,535 at non-fire emergency incidents.
• The Northeast reported a higher number of fireground injuries per 100 fires than other regions of the country.
• The major types of injuries received during fireground operations were strains, sprains, and muscular pain, which accounted for 55.3 percent of the injuries; wounds, cuts, bleeding, and bruising, which accounted for 13.8 percent; burns, which accounted for 5.1 percent; and smoke or gas inhalation, which accounted for 5 percent. Strains, sprains, and muscular pain accounted for 58.4 percent of all non-fireground injuries.
• The leading causes of fireground injuries were overexertion and strain, which accounted for 26.5 percent of injuries, and falls, slips, and jumps, which accounted for 22.7 percent.
Line-of-Duty Deaths
Seven U.S. firefighters recently died in the line of duty. Four career firefighters and three volunteer firefighters died in seven separate incidents. Six deaths were health related and one death was the result of fireground operations.
LIEUTENANT JAMES BETHEA, 62, of the Baltimore City, MD, Fire Department died on Nov. 12. Bethea had responded to the scene of a fire in a vacant house as a safety officer. He was found dead in the basement of an adjacent house several hours after crews had cleared the scene. The State Medical Examiner’s Office determined that he died from smoke inhalation. Bethea was a 40-year veteran of the department.
LIEUTENANT CHRISTOPHER HUNTER, 38, of the Cinnaminson, NJ, Fire Department died on Nov. 15. On Nov. 14, he responded to a call and he suffered cardiac arrest at his home less than 24 hours later. He was transported to a hospital, where he died. Hunter was a 22-year veteran of the fire service.
FIREFIGHTER RICHARD WEISSE SR., 59, of the St. James, NY, Fire Department died on Nov. 15. Shortly after responding to a fire alarm at a school, Weisse suffered a medical emergency and died. Weisse was a 42-year veteran of the fire service.
PUMP OPERATOR/PARAMEDIC ALEJANDRO CASTRO, 40, of the Brownsville, TX, Fire Department died on Nov. 16. Castro was found unresponsive while on duty at Fire Station 8. Castro was a 14-year veteran of the department.
FIREFIGHTER JAMES FOOTE, 57, of the Summit, NY, Fire Department died on Nov. 18. Foote became ill and collapsed after cutting down trees on fire department property. Immediate aid was provided by fellow firefighters while transporting Foote to Cobleskill Hospital, where he died of a heart attack. Foote was a 38-year veteran of the fire service.
COUNTY FIRE COORDINATOR ARTHUR TREON, 62, of the Cape May, NJ, County Office of Emergency Management died on Nov. 19. A day earlier, Treon responded to a working fire in a multi-family dwelling. While operating as fire coordinator, Treon suffered chest pains and difficulty breathing. He was transported to Cape Region Medical Center for a possible heart attack. He was admitted to the hospital for possible pneumonia and died several hours later. Treon was a 37-year veteran of the fire service.
FIRE MARSHAL SAMIR ASHMAR, 51, of Upper Macungie Township Station 56 in Allentown, PA, died on Nov. 20. Ashmar was found in cardiac arrest at his home several hours after responding to an emergency medical call. He was treated and transported to Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest, where he died. Ashmar was a 30-year veteran of the fire service.
—Jay K. Bradish
