Scuttlebutt 6/22
Firehouse Magazine Receives a 2022 National Gold Award of Excellence
FirehouseMagazine’s September 2021 cover was awarded a 2022 Azbee National Gold Award of Excellence for Best Cover Design from the American Society of Business Publication Editors. This follows the Regional Gold Award of Excellence that it received in April for the same cover.
The Azbee Awards honor outstanding work by business-to-business (B2B), trade, association and professional publications. More than 830 entries were received and more than 90 experienced B2B editors, freelancers and designers judged the entries.
September 2021 marked the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United States. Firehouse Magazine presented a special issue that was dedicated to the memory of the 343 FDNY firefighters who lost their life on 9/11.
“When discussions began to select the cover for the September issue, Art Director Marianne McIntyre suggested using a photo that I captured that day,” stated Peter Matthews, who is editor-in-chief/conference director, Firehouse. “This photo was the most moving for me, with the lone firefighter almost being lost in the debris of the collapsed buildings. What it showed was the true valor, determination and courage that was exhibited that day by thousands, including this off-duty member who donned old gear to rescue victims. The simple design with the two terms borne from the horrible tragedy, “343” and “Never Forget,” were all that was needed to create the compelling cover.”
“This cover took my breath away when I first saw it and again when I realized our editor, Pete Matthews, had taken this photo at Ground Zero 20 years ago. I can't imagine an image that better captures both the loss and the heroism of our first responders that day,” stated Chris Ferrell, who is CEO of Endeavor Business Media, which is the parent company of Firehouse Magazine.
New FSRI Online Training Addresses Coordination
UL’s Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI) released the “Analysis of the Coordination of Suppression and Ventilation in Single-Family Homes” online training course, which is available via the FSRI Fire Safety Academy. This is the third and final course to be released from the Coordinated Fire Attack Study. It examines the results and tactical considerations from the single-family residential structure experiments. These experiments were conducted in eight single-family homes across Sidney and Beavercreek, OH, and are detailed in FSRI’s previously released research report.
Through this 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 single-family residential structures.
For more information, visit fsri.org.
Gear Wash Acquires Minerva Bunker Gear Cleaners
Gear Wash, which is a division of Fire-Dex, acquired Minerva Bunker Gear Cleaners and its six locations. Minerva will be rebranded Gear Wash, and Minerva associates will be retained in their current capacity. The acquisition is expected to create new positions within the Gear Wash ecosystem as a result of immediate growth opportunities, including PPE rental programs for departments that have temporary needs.
Since 2019, Gear Wash has grown to include locations in Las Vegas, Memphis and Milwaukee as well as Hudson, FL, and Pelham, GA. The Minerva acquisition adds Atlanta, Charlotte, Denver, Miami, New York City and Dayton, OH, to this nationwide network, to offer fast turnaround of turnout gear that’s maintained to NFPA 1851: Standard on Selection, Care, and Maintenance of Protective Ensembles for Structural Fire Fighting and Proximity Fire Fighting.
For more information, visit gearwash.com.
NVFC, CSU Offering Scholarships
The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) and Columbia Southern University (CSU) are working together again in 2022 to provide scholarships to two NVFC members so that they can further their education with the benefit of online learning. Each recipient will be awarded a scholarship that will cover up to 60 credit hours toward any one CSU degree program.
CSU offers a wide range of accredited degree programs, including fire science, fire administration and occupational safety and health. Scholarship recipients may pursue an associate, bachelor’s or master’s degree.
An NVFC scholarship committee will select the winners, and recipients will be announced in October 2022.
The deadline to apply is August 17.
For a full list of requirements and to apply, visit columbiasouthern.edu.
Pennsylvania Paramedic Receives National EMS Award
Columbia Southern University (CSU) named Duane Nieves, who is manager/chief of operations at Penn State Health Life Lion, as the 2022 Outstanding Emergency Medical Services Professional of the Year.
Nieves, who became an EMT in 1985 and then a paramedic in 1987, was appointed in 2021 as the chair of the Cumberland County Emergency Services Action Panel, which comprises of local and county public safety representatives.
Robert Weisbaum, who is the fire/EMS chief of the Crested Butte, CO, Fire Protection District, was named first runner-up.
CSU established the award to recognize its students and graduates who serve in the EMS field for their commitment to saving lives, their professionalism and their accomplishments. The award is presented annually in celebration of National EMS Week.
For more information, visit ColumbiaSouthern.edu.
This Month in Fire History
June 2, 1983, Hebron, KY—Air Canada DC-9 in-flight fire kills 23
June 3, 1989, Ufa, Russia—Gas pipeline explosion kills 575
June 5, 1973, Chicago—LaSalle Hotel fire kills 61
June 14, 2017, London—Grenfell Tower fire kills 71
June 15, 1904, New York City—SS General Slocum steamship fire kills 1,030
June 17, 1972, Boston—Hotel Vendome fire kills nine firefighters
June 17, 2001, New York City—Father’s Day fire kills three firefighters
June 18, 2007, Charleston, SC—Sofa Super Store fire kills nine firefighters
June 24, 1973, New Orleans—UpStairs Lounge fire kills 32
June 26, 1977, Columbia, TN—Maury County Jail fire kills 42
June 30, 2013, Yarnell, AZ—19 Granite Mountain Hotshots die while battling a massive wildland fire
Courtesy: NFPA