For the Record 3/17

Firehouse Valor Nominations Are Open

Firehouse is currently accepting nominations for the 2016 Valor and Community Service Awards.

The Michael O. McNamee Award of Valor recognizes acts of courage and bravery, including physical acts to rescue a victim in hazardous conditions as well as critical decisions or preventative actions that ensured civilian or firefighter safety. 

"The word valor is reserved for the rarest of occasions where an individual or team demonstrates the extraordinary courage and bravery to save the life of another," said Firehouse Editor-in-Chief Tim Sendelbach. The valor awards are given to both individual and companies for their extraordinary efforts.

The Thomas Carr Community Service Awards highlight the actions of fire service personnel who have gone above and beyond in service to their community. The award was named after Thomas Carr, the former fire chief in Charleston, SC, and Montgomery County, MD, last year.

"Chief Carr took the concept of community service to a higher level when he revamped the struggling Charleston Fire Department for the greater good of the community and its firefighters," Sendelbach said. "The work he did in Montgomery County showed the level of commitment to his residents when he implemented strong fire and life safety outreach programs."

You can access the online nomination form at surveymonkey.com/r/Valor-Community_Service_Awards_2016. The deadline for nominations is March 31.

If you have any questions, please email [email protected]. 

NFPA Reports on Large-Loss Fires

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has released its latest report on large-loss fires. These are defined as fires or explosions that result in property damage of at least $10 million. The data for this study is obtained by the NFPA from responding fire departments. The report includes patterns of loss by type of property, cause of fire, and presence and effectiveness of automatic detection and suppression systems. The report also includes a detailed description of each fire.

Report highlights include:

• In 2015, 27 large-loss fires resulted in a total of $2.5 billion in direct property losses (0.002 percent of the estimated number of fires in 2015, but 18 percent of the total estimated dollar loss).
• The largest fire in terms of direct property loss was the Valley fire in California with a loss of $1.5 billion, making 2015 the ninth out of the past 10 years that had a wildfire as the largest-loss fire of the year.
• A second wildland fire, the Butte fire, accounted for another $450 million in direct property losses.
• In all, there were 20 structure fires, five wildland urban interface fires, and two aircraft fires.

A PDF of the full report can be downloaded at tinyurl.com/jb4k2wv.

Share Your Stats in the 2016 National Run Survey

The deadline to participate in the 2016 National Run Survey is March 21, 2017. Firehouse Magazine’s annual National Run Survey, featuring the nation’s career departments, will be featured in the upcoming June, July, August and September issues. This is your chance to see how your department compares with other career departments around the country.

Please visit surveymonkey.com/r/2016NationalRunSurvey to complete the survey. The promptness and efficiency you provide makes the National Run Survey a continued success year after year.

iWomen, RescueAir Announce Partnership

The International Association of Women in Fire & Emergency Services (iWomen) and Rescue Air Systems have announced a new partnership that will help iWomen continue to advance its advocacy, education and training programs.

RescueAir, a provider of firefighter air replenishment systems (FARS), will support iWomen throughout the year as a gold-level sponsor, and help underwrite the organization’s annual leadership event.

“We’re delighted to welcome RescueAir to our family of supporters,” said Angela Hughes, president of iWomen. “They are an innovative company offering a vital life safety product for the fire service and they have a long-standing commitment to safety, education and training. They have shown a genuine interest in advancing our mission, and we are honored to work with them.”

RescueAir CEO Anthony J. Turiello was equally excited about the partnership. “The positive agenda of the iWomen is a great match with the mission, values and forward-thinking culture of our company,” he said. “Together, I believe we can help develop the next generation of leadership within the fire service.”

Line-of-Duty Deaths

3 U.S. firefighters recently died in the line of duty. Two deaths were health-related and one was the result of a motor vehicle accident. This edition of Firehouse is dedicated to these firefighters.

CHIEF ENGINEER/FIREFIGHTER DONALD “SARGE” LEROY BRENNER, JR., 67, of the Speedwell Engine and Hose Company in Lebanon, PA, died on Jan. 4. While operating at the scene of an automobile accident on Dec. 24, Brenner was found slumped over the steering wheel of a fire engine. He was found to be in cardiac arrest and was hospitalized in critical condition where he later succumbed.

ASSISTANT FIRE CHIEF RODNEY “TINY” MENNE, 53, of the Eldorado, WI, Volunteer Fire Department, died on Jan. 10. Several hours after a fire department meeting, Menne was discovered deceased from a heart attack by another Eldorado firefighter at the Eldorado Volunteer Fire Department.

FIRE CHIEF TRACY O. SANDERS, 44, of the Mount Olive Volunteer Fire Department in Ohatchee, AL, died on Jan. 13. While conducting official fire department business, Sanders was stopped in the department’s rescue truck on Alabama Highway 77 preparing to make a left-hand turn when she was struck from the rear by a tractor-trailer. The rescue unit was forced into oncoming traffic where Sanders was struck again and her vehicle was forced off the roadway and into trees lining the east side of the highway. Members from the Mount Olive Volunteer Fire Department and surrounding agencies arrived on scene and began to treat her. She was then transported to Anniston Regional Medical Center where she succumbed to her injuries.