National Fire Service Research Agenda Report
Researchers and fire service practitioners met virtually last year for the fourth National Fire Service Research Agenda Symposium. The meeting produced the National Fire Service Research Agenda Report. Three facilitated working groups created nearly 300 recommendations regarding firefighter health and safety. The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) hosted the symposium, and UL’s Fire Safety Research Institute was the exclusive sponsor.
For more information, visit everyonegoeshome.com.
New FSRI Online Training Course
The “Analysis of the Coordination of Suppression and Ventilation in Multi-Family Dwellings” online training course is available via the FSRI Fire Safety Academy. The course examines the findings from multifamily dwelling experiments and the resulting tactical considerations in the context of coordinating suppression and ventilation tactics on the fireground. The experiments were conducted in four separate garden-style apartment buildings in Cobb County, GA, and are detailed in FSRI’s previously released technical report. Through the course, firefighters can improve their knowledge of fire dynamics and the effect of strategies and tactics by better understanding how suppression and ventilation can be coordinated during fires in multifamily residential structures.
For more information, visit training.fsri.org/course/024-multi-family.
The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) Recruitment and Retention Experience will take place Sept. 16–17, 2022, in Mesa, AZ. The training event is an opportunity for U.S. fire and EMS personnel to participate in valuable classroom sessions on topics that relate to volunteer fire and emergency department staffing as well as to exchange ideas and best practices with their peers. The conference is open to all first responders nationwide but is targeted toward department leadership and recruitment personnel.
The NVFC also partnered with the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) Volunteer and Combination Offers Section (VCOS) to offer an additional two days of free, optional training on Sept. 18–19.
For more information, visit nvfc.org/experience.
Marine Corps Selects L3Harris Radio Systems
The U.S. Marine Corps awarded L3Harris Technologies a competitive 10-year, $750 million single-award IDIQ contract for multichannel handheld and vehicular radio systems.
The L3Harris Falcon IV family of manpack and handheld radios that was selected by the USMC has been broadly adopted by the U.S. Army, the U.S. Special Operations Command, the U.S. Air Force and a growing number of key allies to provide secure, resilient and interoperable communications capabilities.
The AN/PRC-163 radios offer true resilience against peer adversary threats, which is critical to achieving the Marine Corps’ vision for Force Design 2030 and to enabling Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2). In addition, the flexible software-defined architecture enables Marines to quickly add new waveforms and enhanced capabilities to address evolving requirements.
For more information, visit L3Harris.com.
Darley and Partners Deliver Water to Residents Evacuated by Fire in Colorado
Line-of-Duty Deaths
13 U.S. firefighters recently died in the line of duty. Four firefighters died in two separate building collapses, three died after they contracted COVID-19, one firefighter was shot and killed, one died in a plane crash, one died in an explosion, one died in a motor vehicle crash, one died from a health-related incident, and one firefighter died during fireground operations. This issue of Firehouse is dedicated to these firefighters. For the latest on COVID-19-related LODDs, visit firehouse.com/covid-19.
PILOT MARC OLSON, 59, of CO Fire Aviation in Fort Morgan, CO, died on Nov. 16. Olson was the sole occupant of a single-engine air tanker that was ordered by Laminer County to help to fight the Kruger Rock Fire. During the mission, the plane crashed, killing Olson. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
CAPT. BRIAN LANGE, 55, of the Upsala, MN, Fire Department, died on Dec. 11. While on duty at the firehouse on Nov. 15, Lange contracted COVID-19.
FIREFIGHTER JONATHAN FLAGLER, 47, of the Los Angeles County Fire Department, died on Jan 6. Flagler responded to a residential fire, and while he operated the interior of the structure, he became trapped and was overcome by fire conditions. He was removed from the building, and CPR was performed. Flagler was transported to the hospital, where he died a short time later.
FIREFIGHTER BENJAMIN POLSON, 33, of the St. Louis Fire Department, died on Jan. 13. Firefighters responded to a fire at a multistory building that was designated as vacant. Firefighters put out the flames on the first floor and were checking to make sure that no one was on the second floor when they decided to turn back because of the intensity of the fire. As they left, the building’s roof and top story collapsed, burying Polson. He died on scene. Two other firefighters were injured and taken to the local hospital, where they were treated and released.
ASST. CHIEF WILLIAM JOSEPH STEINBERG, 37, of Forestburgh, NY, Fire Company #1, died on Jan. 15. While on scene at a structure fire, Steinberg collapsed. He was treated and rushed to Garnet Health Medical Center Catskill, where he died from an apparent heart attack.
PARAMEDIC/FIREFIGHTER ROBERT ANTHONY JONES, 59, of the Reese and Community Volunteer Fire Company in Westminster, MD, died on Jan. 20. While on duty on Dec. 23, Jones contracted COVID-19.
CAPT. JULIAN GREAVES WILSON JR., 59, of the Fayette County Fire Department in Somerville, TN, died on Jan. 23. On Dec. 24, Wilson responded to an EMS call that involved a patient who had a known case of COVID-19. Wilson subsequently contracted the virus.
LT. PAUL BUTRIM, 37, FIREFIGHTER /PARAMEDIC KENNETH LACAYO, 30, and ACTING LT. KELSEY SADLER, 33, of the Baltimore City Fire Department, died on Jan. 24. The department responded to a fire inside of a three-story vacant rowhouse. All three firefighters, along with EMT/Firefighter John McMaster, were working to put out the flames inside of the structure when a partial collapse occurred. The firefighters became trapped. A mayday was called, and the firefighters were removed from the debris. Butrim died on scene. Lacayo and Sadler were rushed to the hospital, where they died a short time later. McMaster survived but was listed in critical condition. Sadler was posthumously promoted to lieutenant. An investigation into the incident is ongoing.
CAPT. VIDAL “MAX” FORTUNA, 47, of the Stockton, CA, Fire Department, died on Jan. 31. Fortuna responded to a report of a dumpster fire. While on scene, Fortuna was shot. CPR was performed, and he was then transported to the local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
FIREFIGHTER AUSTIN SMITH, 30, of the St. Paul, OR, Fire District, died on Feb. 3. Smith responded to a three-alarm barn fire. While firefighters worked to put out the fire, an explosion occurred, critically injuring Smith. He was flown to Oregon Health and Science University Hospital, where he died a short time later.
CHIEF JAMES V. RADFORD, 63, of the Polly Watson Volunteer Fire Department in Fremont, NC, died on Feb. 5. Radford responded to the firehouse for a call in Wilson County. When he arrived, he suffered an apparent heart attack and crashed into a parked car in the fire station’s parking lot. Radford was transported to Wayne UNC Hospital, where he died a short time later. Radford also was a member of the Fremont, NC, Volunteer Fire Department.
Firehouse Staff
Content written and created by Firehouse Magazine editors.
