For the Record 9/17

IAFC, Pierce Honor Fire Chiefs of the Year

The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) and Pierce Manufacturing Inc. announced the 2017 winners of the annual IAFC Fire Chief of the Year awards at Fire-Rescue International in Charlotte, NC. Volunteer Fire Chief Brian Wade of the North Lenoir Fire & Rescue Department in Kinston, NC, and Career Fire Chief Marvin Riggins of the Macon-Bibb County Fire Department in Macon, GA, were the honorees.

A committee appointed by the IAFC selects the award recipients, evaluating the nominees based on leadership, innovation, professional development, integrity and contributions to the fire service as a whole.

“The leadership and integrity modeled by Chief Wade and Chief Riggins are truly an inspiration to us all and to the fire service, reminding us of the crucial function of fire departments in society today,” said Jim Johnson, Oshkosh Corporation executive vice president and president of the Fire & Emergency segment and Pierce Manufacturing. “Together, these leaders have nearly 60 years of dedicated service to their departments and the communities they serve. It is an honor to bestow these awards, and all of us at Pierce congratulate Chiefs Riggins and Wade!”

Both honorees are highly accomplished individuals with impressive career, educational and certification credentials as well as civic involvement. Their commitment to the fire service and their communities is evidenced by numerous awards they’ve received and the accolades offered in support of their nominations.

For more on both chiefs, read the full story at firehouse.com/12354296.

NFPA Releases Fire Death Rate Report

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has released the “U.S. Fire Death Rate by State” report, authored by Marty Ahrens and Ben Evarts. This report shows fire death rates and annual average death tolls for the 50 states and demographic factors that are associated with higher death rates.

Report highlights include:

• In all but three states, the average number of fire deaths per year was lower in 2011–2015 than in 1981–1985. The fire death rate per million population fell in all 50 states over the same period.
• Eight of the 10 states with the highest fire death rates in 2011–2015 were in the South. Higher fire death rates are correlated with several socioeconomic or behavioral characteristics of the state population, such as percentage of population living in poverty, adults who did not complete high school, adults who smoke, and population living in rural areas.
• Mississippi, West Virginia, Arkansas, and Alabama are all among the highest 10 states on at least three of the major risk factors and were in the top five highest average state fire death rates. Hawaii and Utah were in the lowest 10 states on at least three of the major risk factors and had the lowest fire death rates.

Download the full report at tinyurl.com/ybrd9zkt.

NVFC Campaign Wins Top Honors

The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) earned the 2017 American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) “Power of A” Summit Award for its “Make Me a Firefighter” campaign, the first-ever national recruitment and retention campaign designed to increase the number of volunteer firefighters across the U.S.

ASAE honored the NVFC’s program for its groundbreaking work to improve staffing, deploy capabilities and provide adequate fire protection to residents. Volunteers make up 70 percent of the U.S. fire service, and 85 percent of the nation’s fire departments are all or mostly volunteers. Yet many local departments are struggling to meet staffing needs as call volumes continue to increase and less new recruits are joining their local department.

The “Make Me a Firefighter” campaign was built on extensive market research, which identified the traits and characteristics of those who volunteer, the interest levels of prospective volunteers, and the best messages to reach target audiences based on this information. The cornerstones of the campaign are the websites MakeMeAFirefighter.org, where prospective volunteers can connect with their local department, and portal.nvfc.org, where fire departments can post their volunteer opportunities, create and customize recruitment materials, learn proven strategies to attract volunteers, manage the recruitment process, and more.

“All too often volunteer departments work on their own and with extremely limited resources to recruit and retain new volunteers,” said NVFC chair Kevin D. Quinn. “This program alleviates the need for individual fire departments to create their own recruitment program and generates greater awareness across the country for the need for volunteers through a single, recognizable brand.”

Learn more about the campaign at MakeMeAFirefighter.org.

Line-of-Duty Deaths

9 U.S. firefighters recently died in the line of duty. Three deaths were health-related, three deaths were the result of injuries sustained on the fireground, one was struck and killed by motor vehicle, and one died in a motor vehicle accident. This edition of Firehouse is dedicated to these firefighters.

FIREFIGHTER RONDA SYLVEST VARNADO, 54, of Washington Parish, LA, Fire Protection District #2, died on July 6. Varnado was driving a fully loaded water truck responding to the scene of a residential fire when the truck left the roadway and tipped over, sliding several yards before striking an embankment. At that point, the water tank came loose and crashed into the truck cab, causing her death.

FIRE ENGINE OPERATOR WILLIAM “BILL” JAROS, 38, of the Six Rivers National Forest’s Gasquet Ranger District/Smith River National Recreation Area in Eureka, CA, died on July 8. Jaros was on a conditioning hike with several others when he became ill and collapsed. Immediate life-saving efforts were initiated by his fellow crewmembers, but they were unable to revive him. The cause of death is under investigation through the Del Norte County Coroner’s office.

INMATE FIREFIGHTER FRANK ANAYA, 22, of CALFIRE, died on July 11. On July 5, fire crews were clearing brush and working with air crews to successfully defend a threatened mobile home park near Lakeside, CA. Anaya suffered a chainsaw injury to the leg while working a fire. He was treated on scene and taken to the hospital in critical condition. Despite all efforts by medical personnel, Anaya passed away several days later.

FIRE CAPTAIN JOHN KEMPER, 59, of the St. Louis, MO, Fire Department, died on July 12. Kemper was injured while battling a structure fire on the morning of July 5. He was transported to the hospital to be treated for a shoulder injury but it was discovered that he had instead suffered a more serious injury and, soon thereafter, underwent surgery. Kemper was released from the hospital and while recovering at home, passed away from reported complications of his injury.

INTERIM FIRE CHIEF ROBERT SPINNER, 50, of the Lynden, WA, Fire Department, died on July 14. Spinner suffered an apparent heart attack while on-duty and participating in a fire department fitness activity drill.

FIREFIGHTER TRENTON MARTIN JOHNSON, 19, of Grayback Forestry, Inc. in Merlin, OR, died on July 19. While part of a 20-person crew staging an initial attack on a forest fire in the Sealy Ranger District of the Lolo National Forest in Montana, Johnson was struck by a falling tree. He was flown to a Missoula hospital for treatment, but passed away from the injuries he sustained when struck.

FIREFIGHTER KEVIN RAMSEY, 50, of the Detroit Fire Department, died on July 29. Ramsey suffered an apparent heart attack shortly after returning to the firehouse from fighting a second commercial structure fire of the day. He complained of nausea and chest pain to fellow firefighters, so they immediately began treatment and summoned advanced medical responders to the station. Ramsey was taken to Detroit Receiving Hospital where, despite all efforts, he succumbed to his injury.

FIREFIGHTER RICHARD W. LEONARD, 70, of the Perth Amboy, NJ, Fire Department, died on July 30. Leonard was operating a pumper at a fire on April 19, 1993. The fire involved a recycling facility with plastics. Leonard did not have breathing air and worked in the highly toxic plastic burning smoke for hours. He never returned to duty and spent the last 24 years under workers’ compensation care for continuous medical conditions caused from inhaling the smoke. He died due to the effects of the smoke exposure.

ASSISTANT FIRE CHIEF JAY HINKIE, 61, of the Silsbee, TX, Volunteer Fire Company, died on Aug. 2. Hinkie was struck in the roadway by a passing vehicle while he operated at the scene of a single vehicle rollover. He was rushed to a hospital in Beaumont where he succumbed to his injuries. The fatal accident remains under investigation by authorities.