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    March 15, 2021
    'Shark Tank' Winner Donates $20K to Support First Responders
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    ‘Shark Tank’ Winner Donates to Support First Responders

    FitFighter Founder and CEO Sarah Apgar carried through on her company’s promise to support the nation’s military and first responders by delivering a $20,000 check to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation.
    Apgar, who is a former member of the Halesite, NY, Volunteer Fire Department, invented a product to help to develop a structured strength-training program. When she appeared on the TV show “Shark Tank” to pitch FitFighter and the Steel Hose product, guest panelist Daniel Lubetzky, who is the creator of KIND bars, offered $250,000 for a 25 percent stake in the company. Since then, sales of the Steel Hose and FitFighter’s online training program skyrocketed. Apgar donated $10,000 from FitFighter sales, which Lubetzky matched.
    Apgar, who is an Iraq War Veteran, has run the iconic Tunnel to Towers 5K, which retraces the final footsteps of firefighter Stephen Siller, who ran from Brooklyn through the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel (since renamed the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel) to Ground Zero on 9/11.
    In honor of its 20th anniversary, the Tunnel to Towers Foundation promised to deliver 120 mortgage-free homes to the nation’s heroes. The donation by Apgar and Lubetzky will help the foundation to reach its goal.
    For more information on Apgar’s company, visit FitFighter.com. For more on the foundation, visit tunnel2towers.org.
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    Honor a Hero
    In October 2020, the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation paid tribute to the 103 firefighters who died in the line of duty while serving their community as part of America’s Tribute to Fallen Firefighters. These men and women will be honored in Emmitsburg, MD, at the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend in October 2021. The foundation will place bricks on its Walk of Honor in National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Park.
    To purchase a brick to be placed in memory of a fallen firefighter, visit firehero.org.
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    Public Safety Superhero Contest
    In conjunction with National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week (April 11–17, 2021), the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International is sponsoring a contest, “Who is YOUR public safety superhero?” asking those who work in public-safety telecommunications to send stories about the outstanding efforts of their co-workers and the things that made their teams successful. In recognition of the extra work and dedication that’s required of public-safety telecommunicators during 2020, this year’s theme is “Superheroes.” Two agencies (one large and one small) will be awarded prizes; all entries must be received by 9 a.m. ET on April 19, 2021, to be considered.
    For more information, visit apcointl.org.
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    Globe Gear Giveaway 2021 Applications
    MSA, DuPont and the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) are teaming up for the 10th year to provide state-of-the-art PPE to better protect volunteer firefighters who need it most. Through MSA’s and DuPont’s 2021 Globe Gear Giveaway, 13 departments will receive four new sets of turnout gear and four helmets. The decade-long program has provided more than $1 million worth of life-saving gear to date.
    To be eligible to apply for the giveaway, departments must be more than 50 percent volunteer, serve a population of 25,000 or fewer, be located in the United States or Canada, be a member of the NVFC and demonstrate significant need for new gear. MSA provides NVFC memberships to the first 500 applicants to help departments to meet the membership requirement. Winners will be announced monthly between July and December.
    Learn more and apply by June 1, 2021, at nvfc.org/gear.

    2021 Safety Stand Down Campaign

    This year’s Safety Stand Down will take place June 20–26, 2021, and call attention to the need for physical and psychological rehabilitation. The theme of the campaign is “Rebuild Rehab.” The 2021 Safety Stand Down challenges departments to reframe their thinking around rehab to mitigate all of the effects of firefighting and to ensure that everyone is ready to respond to the next emergency. Rehab should encompass all areas of post-incident health, including cardiac, nutrition, exposure, mental health, hydration and heat stress.
    For more information, visit safetystanddown.org.

    Grain Bin Safety Contest

    Nationwide opened its eighth annual Nominate Your Fire Department Contest in recognition of Grain Bin Safety Week. The goal is to promote safe bin-entry procedures. The program also awards life-saving rescue equipment and training to rural fire departments, which often are the first line of defense when an entrapment occurs. Nominations are open until April 30, 2021.

    For more information, visit Nationwide Contest. 

    This Month in Fire History

    March 1, 1911—The Weeks Act authorizes federal and state cooperation in forest fire protection

    March 5, 1770, Boston—A false alarm leads to confrontations that result in the Boston Massacre

    March 10, 1941, Brockton, MA—The Strand Theater fire roof collapse kills 13 firefighters

    March 17, 1631, Cambridge, MA—The first fire prevention legislation was passed

    March 18, 1996, Chesapeake, VA—Advanced Auto Parts fire kills two firefighters

    March 19, 1896, New York—Insurance groups form a committee to design what will become the NFPA

    March 22, 2018, York, PA—Piano warehouse collapse kills two firefighters

    March 24, 2018, Kanawha County, WV—Apparatus crash kills two volunteer firefighters

    March 25, 1911, New York—The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire kills 145

    March 25, 1990, New York—The Happy Land social club fire kills 87

    Courtesy: NFPA

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    Content written and created by Firehouse Magazine editors. 

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