CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa. (September 3, 2010) — Fire departments can have the best safety equipment and the biggest budgets in the world, but that doesn’t mean anything without proper training.
“Training is irreplaceable,” said John Davis, assistant chief of health and safety for Taylor Township Fire/Rescue, Kokomo, Ind. “Many fire fighters come to work prepared to give their lives to save others. While this is brave, we needed everyone to recognize that injury and death for firefighters should not even be an option. Being best prepared for every situation is key.”
As the August winner of Hale’s Safe Firefighter of the Month Award, Asst. Chief Davis has been recognized for instituting a safety committee at Taylor Township, as well as rewriting and adding to the department’s protocols and standard operating procedures concerning safety. The safety committee reviews all accidents and injuries and creates a bi-annual hazard report and trend analysis for Taylor Township’s fire chief with recommendations based on this information. There is also extra firefighter training provided in areas where a high number of accidents are reported.
Asst. Chief Davis has also discussed developing a quarterly meeting of all county fire, law enforcement, department of transportation and towing agencies to discuss roadside safety on accident scenes.
“I am an advocate for the firefighters, but especially for their families,” Asst. Chief Davis said. “Their families are counting on me to keep their fathers and husbands safe while on the job and to make sure everyone goes home.”
To nominate someone for Hale’s Safe Firefighter of the Month Award, visit www.safe-firefighter.com. Each month, a top candidate will be chosen from the submissions made by firehouses across the United States, and the winners and nominees will have their photos and profiles displayed on the website.
About Hale
Hale, based in Conshohocken, Pa., is a fire and rescue equipment company founded in 1914 by three Pennsylvania firefighters who believed they could build a better fire pump. Today, the company has grown through new product innovation and strategic acquisitions to supply pump modules, compressed air foam systems, electronic controls and valves. For more information, visit www.haleproducts.com.
