Scuttlebutt 12/17

NFFF Announces Sarbanes Scholarship Winners

The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) and its partners have awarded 78 scholarships for the 2017–2018 school year totaling over $242,000. The NFFF offers financial assistance for post-secondary education and training to spouses, life partners, children and stepchildren of firefighters honored at the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial.

This year’s scholarships went to 68 children, 1 stepchild and 10 spouses. The recipients include 44 previous scholarship recipients and 23 new recipients. They are preparing for careers ranging from social work to mechanical engineering. One recipient is enrolled in a fire science program.

These scholarships were made possible through a generous donation from Motorola Solutions Foundation, Inc. and the NFFF partnerships with ICMA-RC, Global Health & Safety, National Association of State Fire Marshals, The College Board and the Steel Family as well as countless other donations made toward the NFFF Scholarship Program. The Foundation has awarded $2,941,362 since 1997.

For a full list of this year’s scholarship award winners, visit tinyurl.com/ychk9prp.

Chiefs Share Lessons at NFPA Urban Fire Forum

Fire chiefs from France, the United Kingdom and the United States gathered in Quincy, MA, at the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Urban Fire Forum (UFF). The UFF brings together fire chiefs from some of the world’s largest urban centers to learn from peers and expert speakers, and to endorse important documents for today’s first responders. The program also allows NFPA to stay abreast of current trends so that relevant resources for the fire service can be developed.

At this year’s UFF meetings, members heard first-hand accounts of some of the biggest emergency response incidents over the past 15 months. Here are some highlights:

• Miami-Dade, FL, Fire Chief Dave Downey and Orange County, FL, Fire and Rescue Chief Otto Drozd discussed preparation as weather forecasters predicted a direct hit from Hurricane Irma.
• Houston Fire Chief Samuel Peña’s detailed efforts as Category 4 Hurricane Harvey slammed his state, delivering more than 50 inches of rain, affecting about 6.8 million people in 18 counties, and killing 82.
• CFO Roy Wilsher, chair of the United Kingdom’s National Fire Chiefs Council, and CFO Peter Holland, the UK’s chief fire and rescue advisor, provided perspective from the Grenfell Tower fire in London.
• Chief Drozd shared lessons learned from the Pulse Nightclub tragedy in Orlando, FL.

“The preparation and response takeaways that these fire leaders shared with us were invaluable,” said NFPA Metro Chiefs Executive Secretary Russ Sanders, the coordinator of the event. “To be the first audience to hear how the fire service handled two devastating hurricanes, and to learn more about the exterior cladding fires and hostile shooter incidents that persistently surface on today’s news feeds was not only educational for UFF members, but also for NFPA’s staff. The exchange of real-world, relevant insight is exactly what the Urban Fire Forum is all about.”

For more information on this event, visit tinyurl.com/yb4covab.

CPSE Excellence Conference Registration Open

Registration for the four-day CPSE Excellence Conference is now open. The event will take place March 13–16, 2018, in Orlando, FL, and will feature 48 unique education sessions as well as an opportunity to observe the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI) hearings as they adjudicate agencies seeking accreditation.

U.S. Fire Administrator Chief G. Keith Bryant will deliver the keynote address prior to the Educational Tracks, which feature topics including, “How to Get Started on Your Accreditation Journey,” “Active Shooter Response and Standard,” and “America's Opioid Epidemic and the Fire Service: Considerations for Preparedness and Response.”

Registration includes:

• General sessions
• Lunch as well as morning and afternoon refreshments
• Networking opportunities
• Opportunities to meet with vendors to evaluate products and services by leading technology companies.

For a complete schedule of events and description of education sessions, visit tinyurl.com/y8crzj2h.

For questions, contact [email protected] or (703) 691-4620.

This Month in Fire History

December 1, 1958, Chicago, IL—Our Lady of the Angels school fire kills 95

December 2, 1913, Boston, MA—Arcadia Hotel fire kills 28

December 5, 1876, Brooklyn, NY—Brooklyn Theater fire kills 295

December 7, 1946, Atlanta, GA—Winecoff Hotel fire kills 119

December 16, 1835, New York, NY—Great New York fire destroys New York Stock Exchange

December 18, 1964, Fountaintown, IN—Nursing home fire kills 20

December 20, 1970, Tucson, AZ—Pioneer Hotel fire kills 28

December 22, 1910, Chicago, IL—Stockyard cold storage fire kills 21 firefighters

December 30, 1903, Chicago, IL—Iroquois Theater fire kills 602

— Courtesy of NFPA