EMMITSBURG, Md. -- As of Monday, statistics show 20 firefighters across the nation have lost their lives on duty so far this year.
Last year, 114 paid the ultimate sacrifice.
About 140 fire and rescue personnel from across the country spent this past weekend at the National Fire Academy networking and learning how best to spread the Courage to be Safe message.
The attendees -- from both small and large departments -- said they are passionate about reducing the number of injuries and deaths.
The Everyone Goes Home Safety Summit attracted not only state and regional advocates, but people interested in joining the cause.
"I think the weekend was a huge success," said Billy Hayes, advocates program manager. "We had some well-known speakers who focused on safety. I'm sure people took away many nuggets..."
Hayes said the EGH program goal is to have an advocate in every state. The volunteers undergo a background check from the regional staff member to insure they understand the commitment.
Things will not get better until there's a cultural change. Atlanta Chief Kelvin Cochran said firefighters take risks every day. But, asked whether all those risks are necessary.
He recalled the death of a firefighter who died after entering a vacant duplex without proper gear. Unfortunately, he said, crews continue to race into empty buildings. And, they don't always have on SCBA.
Cochran said it's time people stop celebrating unnecessary risk-taking. It's that unsafe behavior that gets passed on from seasoned crews to the rookies. And, he said it has to stop.
He challenged the audience: "Am I doing everything I can do to minimize the potential of one of my firefighters dying in the line of duty?"
While it's a tough decision, he said officers and RIT crews need to know when it's time give it up, and back out. Cochran said it's unacceptable that some believe dying in the line of duty is greater when the death occurs while the firefighter was attempting to save a fellow firefighter.
It's vital for every firefighter to strive for one common goal -- you go home, we go home.
J. Gordon Routley enumerated the 16 Life Safety Initiatives and how they related to the deadly fire in Charleston that killed nine firefighters.
He reiterated the importance of cultural change, adding that what happened in Charleston was both predictable and preventable.
Routley, who headed the panel that probed the fire, said the way the Charleston Fire Department did business indicated it was headed for a bad situation. Firefighters with one year on the job said all they'd learned about how a fire was supposed to have been run was out the window. "It was chaos. They said they just went for it, which is scary..."
Routley said there was too much risk involved, saying there was too much building and too much fire to be tackled with the resources available. "There was no logical risk assessment..."
He spoke of the lack of technology that prevented hearing the radio transmissions from the firefighters in trouble. Had codes been enforced in Charleston, he said the blaze would have been smaller and easily controlled.
Routley said the department has made changes including appointing a health and fitness officer. They also have been awarded a number of FIRE and SAFER grants to assist with various programs.
Rich Marinucci, Everyone Goes Home program director, said the United States fire service is complacent about its people dying in the line of duty. Officials in the UK, however, were outraged because they lost seven firefighters last year.
He said competency, complacency and cockiness need to be addressed to reduce the numbers. But, he added that firefighters resist change.
There are a myriad of things that can be done to reduce the number of injuries and deaths. But, getting crews to not only do them, but embrace safer practices won't be easy, Marinucci said.
