I just returned from Worcester, MA, where the sixth and final fundraising effort and educational seminar was held. It was hard to believe it was nearly six years ago that six firefighters died in the cold-storage warehouse. District Chief Mike McNamee, the first-to-arrive chief at the warehouse fire, was asked whether he still thinks about the fire. "Every day," the chief replied, especially when he rides his motorcycle. He purchased the machine from the family of one of the firefighters who died at the fire that night. After participating in critical incident stress debriefing (CISD), he is now able to handle the pressure and impact of the fire and its aftermath.
From Worcester, I traveled to the National Fire Academy. I was asked to sit on an Educational Advisory Board to determine the contents to be used in the educational toolbox that will be sent to 30,000 fire departments. Among the topics being examined are firefighter health and fitness, fireground safety (including responding to, operating at and returning from incidents) and culture change. This is the next step toward reducing firefighter line-of-duty deaths.
The meeting with the National Fallen Firefighter's Foundation took place the day after the 2005 Fallen Firefighters Memorial Service. The 24th annual National Memorial Weekend honored the memories of the 101 firefighters who died while serving their communities in 2004. The 95 men and six women were from 34 states. Some of the people at our meeting talked about how hard it was to remain composed while listening to the speeches and stories about the firefighters and how they lost their lives.
The families, relatives, friends and firefighters in those departments will keep those memories with them forever. Even the bravest of the brave and the toughest of the tough get emotional on that solemn day. That is why so many people continue to work so hard to reduce firefighter deaths and serious injuries. We have seen the consequences of what happens to people after the fire is out and the funeral is over. Life is never the same.
After Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and all the other major storms that have hit over the past few years, life is not the same for many of those people as well. One firefighter we talked to whose house was under-insured received a small settlement from his insurance company. At first thought to be uninhabitable, now he may have to stay at his home when it is finally cleaned up. Many firefighters who responded on mutual aid into New Orleans and adjacent areas were unsung heroes. They did what they could and worked outside of the coverage of the media. These firefighters, their departments and many others from across the state, region and country responded to the Gulf Coast to assist.
If you lived through the storms, responded to offer assistance, or have a story to tell or photos to share, we'd like to know. It is hard enough covering a five-alarm fire in one building. We joke sometimes when we describe a fire so large that it has its own ZIP code. With damage and destruction across four states, it is a Herculean effort to know everything that happened. If you'd like to contribute, contact me at [email protected]. We want document what happened and would like to pay tribute to those who came to the aid of fire departments in need. We need extensive help to do just that.
Peter Matthews, former Firehouse Magazine assistant editor, after a stint with a newspaper has moved to Maryland to develop web content for Firehouse.com, officer.com and soon-to-be EMSResponder.com. He is looking for writers and story ideas for the websites. You can contact him directly at 301-486-3236 or e-mail [email protected].
This month, we present our annual apparatus issue, featuring our annual "Apparatus Showcase" detailing the latest models of apparatus available. Also, Mike Wilbur and Tom Shand detail another installment of The Apparatus Architect, this time focused on designing rescue squad apparatus. In today's world, designing multi-functional apparatus with enough room to carry vital equipment for today and the future is quite a challenge.
