NFFF Announces New Board and Advisory Appointments
The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) named three new members to its Board of Directors and three new members to its Board of Directors’ Advisory Committee.
The new board members are: Lorraine Carli, vice president of outreach and advocacy, NFPA; Chief Kevin Quinn from the National Volunteer Fire Council; and Chief Joanne Rund of the Baltimore County, MD, Fire Department.
Joining the NFFF’s Advisory Committee are: Fire Hero Family Member Faith Swan, wife of fallen firefighter Christ Swan from Georgia; Chief Thomas Jenkins of the City of Rogers, AR, Fire Department; and David Levy of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP in New York City.
“We are very pleased to have this amazing group of individuals join the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation’s Board of Directors and Advisory Committee,” said NFFF Board Chairman, Troy Markel. “They bring with them experiences that will enhance our mission and help the Foundation connect with more people and organizations in the fire service and beyond. This group will be a tremendous asset to our organization.”
For more information, visit firehero.org.
UL FSRI Launches Fire Safety Academy
UL Firefighter Safety Research Institute (FSRI) launched the UL FSRI Fire Safety Academy, which is an open access online learning management system. The system allows users to create their own profile and access UL FSRI courses from any location that has an internet connection, at no cost. The training topics that are that can be found when you visit the UL FSRI Fire Safety Academy include fire dynamics, firefighting tactics and firefighter health.
UL FSRI’s science-based courses are backed by the latest in fire research and developed with the fire service. They present best practices and tactical considerations from real-world applications. For the first time, each course is tied to NFPA Professional Qualification Standards for better use as homework assignments or classroom activities of certified courses. Learning is validated and reinforced through built-in assessments throughout each course. Individuals and training officers can track progress and download and print course completion certificates and transcripts.
The Power User profile for officers makes managing members’ progress and monitoring department training hours simple and efficient.
“Everything about firefighting is science,” UL FSRI Director Steve Kerber said in regard to the system’s debut. “It is so much more than just applying water, breaking windows and rescuing people. The more that the fire service can learn about fire dynamics and how their tactics impact the fire, the more effective their tactical decisions will become. This can enable them to solve the fire problem safer and more efficiently, which in the end can save more lives.”
For more information about the program, visit ulfirefightersafety.org.
MSA’s Globe Gear Giveaway Program Reaches $1 Million Milestone
MSA, DuPont, and the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) provided 13 volunteer fire departments with needed PPE through MSA’s 2019 Globe Gear Giveaway. Each department received four sets of new, state-of-the-art turnout gear and four helmets. This year marks more than $1 million worth of gear that has been donated to volunteer fire departments in need since 2012. In total, 507 sets of turnout gear have been awarded to 108 departments.
“Protecting firefighters is what we do at MSA,” said Eleni Lucido, who is vice president and general manager of MSA’s business in the United States and Canada. “For more than a century, we’ve been committed to providing workers all around the world with the equipment they need to help keep them safe. We’re proud to partner with the NVFC to provide state-of-the-art turnout gear to departments in need.”
According to a needs assessment that was published by the NFPA in 2016, 72 percent of fire departments reported that some of their personal protective clothing was at least 10 years old, and 13 percent of departments don’t have enough personal protective clothing for all of their emergency responders. The data also show that the need is greatest in small communities that are protected primarily by volunteer firefighters.
In 2018, the NVFC began asking program applicants whether their department had boots, gloves, helmets and hoods for all of their firefighters. Nearly 50 percent indicated that they didn’t. To help address this issue, in 2019, MSA donated four helmets to each Globe Gear Giveaway recipient for the first time, and the company will continue do so again in 2020.
The application period for MSA’s 2020 Globe Gear Giveaway will open later this month. Thirteen departments will each receive four new sets of turnout gear and four helmets.
For more information, visit us.msasafety.com.
CFSI Tabs Ray, Honors Murkowski
Chief Shane Ray was appointed to the Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI) Board of Directors.
Ray currently serves as the president of the National Fire Sprinkler Association (NFSA), which is a role that he has held since 2015. Prior to joining NFSA, he was appointed South Carolina fire marshal after serving as superintendent of the South Carolina Fire Academy. Ray joined the fire service in 1984 and worked his way through the ranks of career and volunteer organizations, from a firefighter to a chief in the Pleasant View and Brentwood fire departments in Tennessee.
The CFSI also named Senator Lisa Murkowski from Alaska as its 2019 Legislator of the Year. A co-chair of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus since 2018, Murkowski has been a strong advocate for the country’s firefighters and emergency services personnel throughout her congressional career.
“During my years in public service, I have always had a deep appreciation for our nation’s first responders,” Murkowski said. "The training, equipment and time commitment needed by firefighters to perform their work safely requires support from all levels of government. I have continued to advocate for support for important federal first responder programs, including the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund and the AFG and SAFER grant programs, because it’s the right thing to do.”
For more information, visit cfsi.org.
Line-of-Duty Deaths
7 U.S. firefighters recently died in the line of duty. Five deaths were health-related, and two firefighters were killed during fireground operations. This edition of Firehouse is dedicated to these firefighters.
CHIEF ROBERT WHITE, 65, of the West Stockholm, NY, Fire Department, died on Dec. 5. White responded to a residential structure fire in Potsdam, NY. After arriving at the scene, he collapsed and was taken immediately to the hospital, where he passed away. The cause and the nature of death haven’t been determined.
FIREFIGHTER GEORGE “JOHNNY” CHILDS, 64, of the Arcade Fire Department in Jefferson, GA, died on Dec. 5. Childs responded to a residential structure fire on Dec. 4. The next morning, he was found unresponsive alongside his personal vehicle outside of a local business. He was taken immediately to the hospital, where he passed away from cardiac arrest.
FIREFIGHTER KENNETH JONES, 46, of Summit Fire & EMS in Frisco, CO, died on Dec. 7. Jones responded to a multi-residential structure fire and climbed to the roof of the five-story building in search of access to the fire. He lost his footing and fell off of the structure. Jones was transported immediately to the hospital, where he passed away.
CAPT. MICHAEL CHRISTOPHER MALINOWSKI, 40, of Morton-Rutledge, PA, Volunteer Fire Company Station 13, died on Dec. 3. Malinowski responded to a call of reported downed wires and trees, and, after returning to the station, he complained to his fellow firefighters that he wasn’t feeling well. The next day, while at work, he became ill and was taken immediately to the hospital, where he passed away a short time later from an apparent heart attack.
FIREFIGHTER MICHAEL CARDINALE, SR., 63, of the East Farmingdale, NY, Volunteer Fire Company, died on Dec. 18. Cardinale responded to a vehicle crash, and, after returning to the station, he went upstairs to the sitting area. Approximately 25 minutes later, a fellow firefighter found him unresponsive and immediately performed life-saving efforts to revive him. Cardinale was transported to the hospital, where he was pronounced deceased.
ASSISTANT ENGINEER OTIS L. ISAACS, JR., 73, of the North East, MD, Fire Company, died on Dec. 29. Isaacs was fixing a brake on a fire engine and was on stand-by for two responses. He also assisted with a function that the fire department was having that evening by setting up tables and chairs. Isaacs returned to the station the next morning to work on another fire department vehicle. When he returned home later that morning, he suffered a cardiac arrest and passed away.
FIREFIGHTER CHARLES “CHUCK” MCCORMICK, 30, of the West Peculiar, MO, Fire Protection District, died on Jan. 5. McCormick responded to a residential structure fire. When he entered the structure, the floor collapsed, and he fell into the basement. McCormick was rushed to the Belton Regional Medical Center, where he later passed away from the injuries that he sustained in the fall.
Firehouse Staff
Content written and created by Firehouse Magazine editors.
