This month’s cover is a stark reminder of the unknown every time that an alarm comes in. When the Fall River, MA, Fire Department turned out for a fire alarm and arrived at an assisted-living facility, with fire and smoke showing from the large building, it was all hands on deck, with many successful rescues by on-duty and off-duty firefighters who responded. Unfortunately, 10 residents lost their life, but many were saved by the firefighters and police who responded to the July 13, 2025, tragedy.
Over the past few years, I visited loved ones and friends in rehabilitation facilities and nursing homes. Despite the terrific medical care that they provide, the staff is woefully underprepared to help should a Fall River-type fire happen. Since COVID, these facilities have struggled to hire enough staff, often having a skeleton crew covering night and weekend shifts, which could spell disaster if a fire breaks out. The facilities seemed to follow the procedures of having fire doors closed and alarm systems tested, and the majority have sprinklers. However, the ability for the staff to move even a few nonambulatory residents from the exposure rooms would be a tremendous task if the need arose. One holiday, I saw fewer than 10 staff members for a 240-bed unit, leaving the odds stacked against the residents.
A month after the July 13 incident, I was grateful to see that another nursing home fire in Somerset, MA—within 10 miles of Fall River—ended much differently. Thanks to fire sprinklers and alert staff, the fire was contained, and no injuries were reported. If you have a senior or nursing facility in your district, please use the tragic July 13 incident as the motivation to connect with those staff to take steps to prevent a similar incident. Conduct walk-throughs with all crews, review evacuation plans and ensure that facility staff members are able to get residents to areas of rescue assistance.
Ensure that your community risk reduction staff is meeting with the staff of the facility and participate in a risk-assessment inspection, with suppression and facility staffs engaged. During those EMS runs or fire alarms, set up your aerials and discuss how you’ll gain access to victims in courtyards or the Charlie side of the building. Look at hose lays and determine where rescues will be most challenging.
The residents of those buildings rely on you for basic medical care most days when they call 9-1-1. Imagine that 2 a.m.-run with fire showing from a nursing home. Are you up to the task to conduct multiple rescues with little assistance?
Tip of the helmet
I’d like to congratulate Mike Wieder on his retirement as executive director of International Fire Service Training Association. Mike is one of the first people who I met from the “industry” side of the fire service when I started with Firehouse, and I cannot thank him enough for his support over the decades.
Although he made many contributions to firefighter training, safety and apparatus operations, I’d like to thank him for his dedication to emergency vehicle drivers and tanker/tender responses. About the time that I started working here, the fire service was experiencing a growing number of tanker/tender accidents that resulted in injuries and deaths and apparatus wrecks that left firefighters and citizens with life-altering injuries. Using his resources, he led a campaign to look at the types of tanker/tenders that were used by fire departments—often, old milk trucks—and educated firefighters on safer driving practices to prevent rollovers that could be caused by the water movement inside of the tanks and rigs going off of the roadway into a shoulder or culvert. His dedication saved numerous lives, but his commitment across the fire service guided many departments to where they are today.
In the same vein, congratulations to Anthony “Tony” Newman on being named the 2025 Emergency Vehicle Technician of the Year. Newman’s love of fleet maintenance was evident when I first spoke with him as well as when I reviewed his nomination. His daily commute is nearly 120 miles, and while he’s at the shops in Tucson, he constantly is innovating ways to enhance his city’s fire fleet. Congratulations to Tony and all of the nominees, who can be found on pages 30–31.
