Editorial: Paying a High Price For Life

On the cover of this issue, we present a scene from the funeral of Los Angeles Firefighter Jaime L. Foster, 25, who died in the line of duty in August 2004. She was the first female firefighter to die in Los Angeles. As this editorial was being written, we received word that seven firefighters with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CDF) were overrun by fire on Sept. 12 in the Stanislaus National Forest. One firefighter, Eva Schicke, 24, was killed. She was the first female CDF firefighter to die. CDF has suffered 70 line-of-duty deaths in its history. This year to date, 78 firefighters have died in the line of duty in the United States.

The focus of every issue of Firehouse® is firefighter health and safety. This issue we go a little further. We always try to present to our readers the lessons learned from not only the everyday fire, but from high-profile incidents. We are on a mission along with the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation to reach as many firefighters as we can, even if it seems like we only reach one person, one company, one department at a time.

In this issue, we present the latest installment of NIOSH firefighter fatality reports. These review line-of-duty deaths and outline recommendations learned from these incidents. We asked Syracuse District Chief Mark McLees to examine some of the ways firefighters get into trouble and how they can get out of trouble just as fast with the different tools they carry in and on their personal protective equipment.

In Close Calls, Chief Billy Goldfeder discusses “routine” fires. Goldfeder states, “We don’t do routine.” In a preface to his column, he examines recent “routine” incidents where three firefighters were killed by riding in or backing apparatus. Also in this issue, Jim McCormack asks these questions of every firefighter: When was the last time a you faced an emergency situation on the fireground? Have you ever experienced a situation such as running out of air, trapped with no immediate exit, disoriented, lost or entangled? For many, the answers are never and no. This article is timely and informative and intended to save your life.

This month, we present the results of the annual Volunteer Run Survey. The survey lists the amazing statistics generated by the 800,000 volunteer firefighters who protect 73% of the country. Volunteer recruitment and retention is a never-ending battle. Firehouse® looks at the reasons people volunteer, effective recruitment programs, and what departments have done to protect their investments of time and money to retain those who volunteer.

Hurricane season has been and continues to be a real nightmare for residents and firefighters in the many states recently. We present a first look at some of the problems teams in Florida encountered during and after Hurricane Charley.

The fire service recently lost an icon. Jim Page, who had been the publisher of JEMS and Fire Rescue and who also was an attorney, died on Sept. 4 at the age of 68. Jim was a fire chief and EMS guru. People close to Jim knew of his many accomplishments. He spoke on EMS topics at the Firehouse Expo a few years ago, and many called him the father of EMS paramedics.

As a battalion chief in the Los Angles County Fire Department in the 1970s, Jim was the technical advisor for the TV show “Emergency.” I’ve heard many firefighters say that the program sparked the idea for them to join the fire service. Jim was extremely knowledgeable in fire and EMS. Jim paid back everything he received in his life and much more by educating the fire and EMS field. Rest in peace.