This month’s issue is filled with articles looking at tactics, leadership challenges, training ideas and responses to major incidents. Starting on page 38, you can read about the successful outcomes from around this country that were the result of the efforts of years of training and skill building. These stories are showcased in the Firehouse Valor & Community Service Awards.
While reviewing the submissions for this year’s awards program, one incident description after another reminded me why firefighters need to continue reading, learning and training. Even though the number of fires across the country are on the decline, firefighters are still entering burning structures to perform extraordinary feats to save lives. These fires occurred in single-family homes, residential high-rises, multi-story apartment buildings, senior living facilities and mobile homes.
This year’s recipients arrived to frantic screams for help before an engine company was on scene or an attack line was pulled from the hosebed. They used the knowledge they gathered from training, building familiarization and previous experiences to make split-second, life-saving decisions.
It wasn’t always fires where these acts of bravery and courage were witnessed. Several submissions include combative victims, or responses to incidents involving violence. One crew arrived at a possible assault call to find an injured victim and moments later, the suspect threatening the crew with a knife. It’s not an everyday occurrence for most firefighters, but personal protection, de-escalation and scene safety are topics that fire officers should address with their crews. As one submitter wrote, the crew had to keep their “heads on a swivel.”
It wasn’t only the lives of citizens that were rescued. A few of the incidents involved rescuing stricken or trapped firefighters.
As you read through the Valor Awards, I encourage you to not only acknowledge their selfless acts of bravery but put yourself in their boots. What would you do if you were faced with any of those scenarios? Have any of your drills involved making multiple rescues at one time, or making entry and egress solely over a ladder, or have you learned how to communicate with a combative person?
Congratulations to each of this year’s Valor & Community Service Award winners and thank you for the extraordinary efforts you put forth.
New column
This month you will find our new column, First Due. Each month we will ask members of the fire service to share their viewpoints on major issues impacting the fire service. The issues will vary from leadership to fireground operations and preparing for the next big topic in the fire service. If there is a topic you would like to see covered, or a topic you are interested in writing about, please email me: [email protected].
This month we welcome Curt Isakson, who put to words the topic of risk that he will share during his keynote address at Firehouse Expo this month.
In memoriam
On Sept. 1, the fire service in the Rochester, NY, area lost a good friend with the passing of Joe Manuse, the Gates Fire District’s Community Risk Reduction Specialist. Manuse suffered a bee sting and passed away shortly after. Manuse began writing about fire prevention and community risk reduction for Firehouse.com in 2016. His first article to be published in Firehouse Magazine, “Connecting With Your Community,” appeared in the September issue which was in the mail the day he passed away. He was affectionately known as “Fireman Joe” by children, teachers and adults throughout the community from his interactions in his effort to reduce fires, injuries and deaths. With Fire Prevention Week this month, please pause for a moment to honor the work “Fireman Joe” did not only in New York, but also the legacy he left by writing for Firehouse over the last three years.
