U.S. Landmarks Light the Night for Fallen Firefighters
As dusk turned to darkness during the first weekend of October, more than 30 iconic buildings and landmarks across the country glowed in respect to the fallen and their survivors for Light the Night for Fallen Firefighters. Participants included One World Trade Center in New York City, the Prudential Tower in Boston, the Willis Tower in Chicago, LAX in Los Angeles, and the Bank of America Plaza in Dallas. This nationwide lighting was part of the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend, Oct. 7 and 8, in Emmitsburg, MD, and was sponsored by the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF).
It was 25 years ago that Congress established the NFFF as the only organization to honor all fallen firefighters—career, volunteer, wildland, military and contract—and offer support to their loved ones. The Foundation created Light the Night for Fallen Firefighters to recognize the 25th anniversary of the NFFF and the Memorial Weekend.
“We hope that this magnificent display of lights throughout the country allowed the survivors of the fallen to see that the nation is with them in spirit as they reflect on cherished times with their firefighters,” explained Chief Dennis Compton, NFFF chairman of the board.
On Sunday, Oct. 8, the lives of 75 firefighters who died in the line of duty in 2016 and 20 firefighters who died in previous years were honored during the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Service. During the service, a bronze plaque bearing the names of the fallen was officially added to the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial.
For more information about the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend and the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, visit weekend.firehero.org.
Honeywell Donates PPE to Responders Effected by Natural Disasters
Honeywell has donated about $2 million in PPE to support first responders and emergency personnel in efforts to assist their communities following the devastation of Hurricane Harvey. The company also donated $400,000 in PPE to the Mexico Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional (SEDENA) to support rescue and relief efforts following the devastating earthquake in Mexico City.
Hurricane Harvey displaced thousands of families and caused billions of dollars in losses, including damage to the equipment and PPE that many fire departments and first responders need to respond to emergencies in their communities.
Honeywell donated nearly 100,000 pieces of PPE to support first responders and emergency personnel in the region affected by the storm. This equipment includes safety clothing, protective footwear, rubber boots, safety gloves, disposable masks for respiratory protection, protective eyewear, hard hats and hearing protection. Also included are high-visibility T-shirts and coats for safety near roads.
“In addition to supporting first responders, Honeywell will provide employees in the area with protective safety gear to support their personal needs along with emergency financial support through our humanitarian relief program,” said Darius Adamczyk, Honeywell president and CEO.
Honeywell has nearly 1,000 employees across nine sites in the Houston metropolitan area along with another 100 employees in Orange, TX. The Honeywell Humanitarian Relief Fund (HHRF) is supporting Honeywell employees who have been affected by the flooding, and the company is matching employee contributions to the fund dollar for dollar.
Honeywell Safety and Productivity Solutions provided nearly 50,000 pieces of PPE that was used by SEDENA and volunteer teams digging through the rubble of city buildings toppled by the 7.1-magnitude earthquake in Mexico City. The donations include respiratory and hearing protection, protective eye, face and footwear, fall protection, hard hats and safety gloves.
Honeywell has 17,500 employees in manufacturing, engineering centers and offices across Mexico, including nearly 900 employees in Mexico City.
During the past decade, Honeywell has donated more than $9.8 million to support disaster relief around the world, and more than 1,400 employees have received emergency assistance. Through the relief fund, the company and thousands of Honeywell employees have responded with donations and support for long-term rebuilding efforts for recent tragedies such as the Japan tsunami, wildfires in Canada, tornadoes in Oklahoma, floods in Louisiana, and hurricanes Matthew, Sandy, Ike and Katrina.
Record Turnout at Lambeau Field 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb
Participants turned out in large numbers to support the fifth annual 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb at historic Lambeau Field in Green Bay, WI. A total of 2,169 area residents, firefighters and representatives from local businesses came together to pay tribute to all of the firefighters who served and to those who sacrificed their lives at the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. This year’s event raised $110,000 and was recognized as one of the largest stair climbs in the nation.
Since its inception, Green Bay Metro Fire Department and Pierce Manufacturing have sponsored the 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb event at Lambeau Field, home of the Green Bay Packers. All proceeds from the event directly benefit the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation and its important work assisting the families of fallen firefighters (through support networks, conferences, workshops, and scholarships) and reducing firefighter deaths (through educational and training programs).
Stair climb participants were given the opportunity to climb the equivalent of 110 stories—the height of the fallen World Trade Center towers—on the steps of Lambeau Field. Each climber was given a badge, with the name and photograph of one of the fallen firefighters so they could climb, symbolically, alongside one of the fallen.
Photo credit: Pierce Mfg.
TSE Names Firehouse Expo “Best Turnaround” Show
Firehouse Expo won the Best Turnaround award at the Trade Show Executive’s (TSE) prestigious Gold 100 Awards & Summit in San Francisco. The TSE Gold 100 is where the giants of the trade show industry unite to explore new strategies, partnerships, innovation and technology.
The annual forum attracts the CEO’s, presidents and show managers of both small and large shows, in the United States and abroad, for a solid schedule of educational sessions, an award ceremony saluting the leaders of the largest trade shows in the U.S. and other high-level networking events.
“Congratulations to all of the honorees and to every show that earned its membership in the Gold 100 list,” TSE Publisher/Editor Gabrielle Weiss said. “These events set the pace for the industry’s overall growth last year and will continue to lead both by example and concrete results in the year ahead.”
This Month in Fire History
Nov. 1, 1970, Grenoble, France—Dance hall fire kills 145
Nov. 6, 1896, Boston, MA—National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is founded
Nov. 9, 1872, Boston, MA—Great Boston Fire causes $73.5 million in damages
Nov. 15, 1973, Los Angeles, CA—Stratford Apartments home hotel fire kills 25
Nov. 21, 1980, Las Vegas, NV—MGM Grand Hotel fire kills 85
Nov. 23, 1963, Fitchville, OH—Golden Age nursing home fire kills 63
Nov. 28, 1942, Boston, MA—Cocoanut Grove nightclub fire kills 492
Courtesy of NFPA
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