For the Record 4/21

Fire Service Remembers NVFC CEO Heather Schafer

Longtime National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) CEO Heather Schafer died unexpectedly on March 15, 2021. Schafer joined the NVFC in 1993. Prior to that, she worked for the chief of staff for President Bill Clinton.

Under Schafer’s leadership, the NVFC secured federal grants that allowed the organization to offer groundbreaking programs and resources, including the development of the Heart-Healthy Firefighter Program, the Fire Corps, the Share the Load program and the Make Me A Firefighter program.

Tributes poured in from all sections of the fire service.

“We will most assuredly miss her leadership abilities, her institutional knowledge and all of her efforts on behalf of the volunteer fire service in America.”—NVFC Chairman Steven Hirsch

“I am deeply saddened by the loss of Heather. It’s a loss for the NVFC and for the entire fire service.”—Congressional Fire Services Institute Executive Director Bill Webb

“Her passion, leadership and vision for the volunteer fire service will be greatly missed.”—National Fallen Firefighters Foundation Chairman of the Board of Directors Troy Markel

For more tributes, visit firehouse.com/21214483.

For the first time in its 56-year history, the Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association (Metro Chiefs) selected a female officer as Fire Chief of the Year: Mary Cameli, who is chief of the Mesa, AZ, Fire and Medical Department (MFMD).

Cameli has been a member of MFMD since 1983. She served in every rank in the department before assuming her current role in 2016. She is a past president of the Arizona Fire Chiefs Association and currently serves as vice chair of the International Fire Service Training Association Executive Board. She is vice president of the Center for Public Safety Excellence Board and co-chairs the IAFC Women Chiefs Council.

For more information, visit nfpa.org.

Brothers Helping Brothers, which is a nonprofit organization that helps to provide equipment and education to small and rural fire departments across the United States, will present its 4^th Annual Miami Valley Firefighter Health & Wellness Conference Nov. 3–5, 2021. The conference will take place at the Hilton Garden Inn in Beavercreek, OH.

The conference will cover some of the greatest health and wellness challenges that first responders face, including behavioral health, PTSD, suicide and sleep deprivation.

For more information, visit brothershelpingbrothers.org.

The Navy Fire and Emergency Services (F&ES) Awards Program recognizes outstanding fire departments and personnel for achieving the highest degree of excellence in mission support and fire protection management.

The 2020 F&ES award recipients include:

• Navy Military Firefighter of the Year: U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Nicholas Harris, NSA Andersen, Guam
• Navy Fire Service Instructor of the Year: Assistant Chief of Training Thomas Wiley, Naval Station Rota, Spain

Navy-specific awards include:

• Navy Fire Chief of the Year: Shannon Orndorff, NSA Bahrain
• Navy F&ES Hall of Fame: retired Fire Chief George Kennet, NAS Patuxent River, MD; retired Fire Chief Glenn DeLaura, Navy Region Hawaii

For a complete list of honorees, visit dvidshub.net/news/391223.

Telebehavioral Health System

Behavioral health concerns, such as traumatic stress, anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts and substance abuse, are frequent among firefighters. Some treatment options add anxiety to the situation, particularly during a pandemic, but a new project that uses behavioral telehealth is proving to be a successful alternative.

Several departments in the Florida Panhandle collaborated with local university faculty and staff, first responder organizations and community partners to create the 2nd Alarm Project. It facilitates evidence-based peer-support training, leadership workshops, behavioral health education and telehealth services for first responders.

The project created, established and implemented a 24/7 HIPAA-compliant telebehavioral health delivery system. The idea, according to the company website, is to “offer a safe, confidential space where there’s no shame in asking for help with these common challenges.”

Initial feedback on the system from firefighters and first responders has been highly favorable. The 2nd Alarm Project has achieved tremendous success in building trust and rapport and engaging the often difficult-to-reach first responder community, representatives of the 2nd Alarm Project say.

As one first responder put it, “Knowing there is a person that you can text or call any time makes a big difference.”

For more, visit 2ndalarmproject.org. 

Line-of-Duty Deaths

11 U.S. firefighters recently died in the line of duty. Nine firefighters died from health-related incidents and two died after they contracted COVID-19. This issue of Firehouse is dedicated to these firefighters. For the latest on COVID-19-related LODDs, visit firehouse.com/covid-19.

FIREFIGHTER JOHN EVANS, 64, of the Philadelphia Fire Department, died on Feb. 13. Evans contracted COVID-19 while stationed at his assignment as fire boat pilot at the Marine Unit on Jan. 19.

BATTALION CHIEF EDWARD KARRIEM, 41, of the Little Rock, AR, Fire Department, died on Feb. 13. Karriem was the commanding officer on scene of a residential fire when he was found unresponsive in his vehicle. Firefighters performed CPR before Karriem was transported to the hospital. The cause of his death is under investigation.

FIREFIGHTER PHILLIP CRAIG GINTER, 57, of the Beavertown, PA, Rescue Hose Company, died on Feb. 21. While working a four-alarm fire at a farm, Ginter became ill as he helped to pump water at a designated fill site. He became unresponsive and had no pulse. Responders on scene administered CPR until EMS arrived and transported Ginter to Geisinger Lewistown Hospital, where he died. 

CAPT. JEFF BROZICH, 57, of the Madison Heights, MI, Fire Department, died on March 1. While on duty at the fire station, Brozich suffered a heart attack and died.

CAPT. RONALD INGRAM, 72, of the Woodford County Fire Protection District in Versailles, KY, died on March 3. Ingram was part of a response to a shed fire but collapsed shortly after arriving. CPR was initiated, and he was transported to a local hospital, where he died. 

CHIEF WILLIAM EDWARD “EDDIE” MCNEILL, JR., 69, of the Campobello, SC, Fire Department, died on March 4. McNeill was responding to a residential structure fire when the call was cancelled en route. Later in the evening, while having dinner with his wife at a restaurant, he suffered a heart attack and died.

CAPT. MARTIN “MARTY” MEYERS, 50, of the Kokomo, IN, Fire Department, died on March 4. While on duty at the fire department on Feb. 9, Meyers contracted COVID-19.

DEPUTY CHIEF KEVIN M. “BUBBA” MALUKAS, 59, of the Coal Township, PA, Fire Department, died on March 8. Malukas responded to a motor vehicle accident on March 7. After returning home, he suffered a heart attack and died the next day.

FIREFIGHTER RECRUIT VICTOR MELILLO, 21, of the Irvington, NJ, Fire Department, died on March 9. Melillo collapsed during a training exercise at the Morris County Public Safety Training Academy. First responders on scene treated Melillo before he was taken to the Morristown Medical Center. An investigation into the incident is ongoing.

FIREFIGHTER/PARAMEDIC DENNIS M. BENDER, 78, of the Ponca Hills Volunteer Fire Department in Omaha, NE, died on March 10. Bender was on scene at his third wildland fire call of the day when he suffered a medical emergency. He was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The cause of his death is under investigation.

FIREFIGHTER RECRUIT PEYTON MORSE, 21, of the City of Watertown, NY, Fire Department, died on March 12. Morse suffered a medical emergency at a training exercise on March 3. He was rushed to the hospital, where he remained in the Critical Care Unit until his death. An investigation into the incident is ongoing.