It is with great sadness that Fire Engineering announces the loss of its former editor and technical editor Tom Brennan at the age of 66.
 Tom Brennan |
Tom Brennan was born in 1940 in Brooklyn, New York. He was a third-generation Fire Department of New York (FDNY) firefighter-his father and grandfather were FDNY firefighters. His grandfather was killed in the line of duty in a gas explosion in 1920. His father, who retired after 35 years of service in FDNY, was up to that time the most decorated firefighter in the department.
Brennan answered the call to promote fire service education nationally in 1983, when he accepted the position of editor of Fire Engineering. He used his intelligence; personality; ability to “turn a phrase”; and authentic, intense love for the fire service to sustain Fire Engineering’s prominence in the industry.
“Tommy found Fire Engineering when it was struggling, and he breathed life into it and gave it all he could,” noted Fire Engineering Editor in Chief and close personal friend Bobby Halton. “He was like Henry Ford …. Tommy didn’t care if your idea was perfect. He cared because you had an idea, and solutions are always good somewhere. He would say, ‘Hell, try something; stand up and try something. The worst failures are the comfortable ones. Keep doing what you’re good at. That will get you far. Keep building one car at a time.’ ”
In his Editor’s Notebook message in the December 1983 issue of Fire Engineering, Brennan cited the reasons he “decided that trying to uphold the 107-year tradition, meaning, and purpose of Fire Engineering’s goals would be a challenge I would take on:
“To help firefighters cope with the tremendous decisions confronting them as they battle our national disease-fire; to bring the experiences, decisions, results, and lessons of our firefighters and officers throughout the country to the fore; to lay these lessons before our interested and aware firefighters so that they may benefit from this shared knowledge ….”
And he succeeded in his mission. “Tom Brennan is ‘Mister tell it like it is’ and a ‘father figure’ to a younger generation of firefighters,” wrote participants in a survey associated with Fire Engineering’s 125th anniversary. They were asked to nominate individuals who helped to make the fire service an enduring and relevant institution. “He has made truck company operations and forcible entry sought-after arts to be practiced and mastered. He has imparted his vast knowledge of urban firefighting for 40 years-just street stuff every firefighter needs to know,” the respondents said.
His writings, national training presentations, involvement in developing the National Fire Academy curriculum, and Random Thoughts series in Fire Engineering were among the mechanisms he employed to improve fire service training and promote the health, safety, and welfare of the fire service brotherhood and sisterhood.
Still the most widely read column in the fire service, Random Thoughts has elicited much enthusiasm and response from readers. Typical of the numerous comments received through the years are the following received in a letter to the editor from a fire department deputy chief: “When I read Fire Engineering, I always start at the back page with Random Thoughts. Tom Brennan writes the best articles in the fire service. Every article is to the point and written with common sense. I can honestly say I learn something new every time I read his articles. I am always willing to learn; even after 23 years, I fear that I don’t know enough. His articles really stir my interest and provide me with a great source of information ….”
“If there ever was a fireman, it was Tom Brennan,” said Glenn Corbett, Fire Engineering technical editor, professor of fire science at John Jay College in New York City, and an assistant chief with the Waldwick (NJ) Fire Department. “Tom was one of a kind, a man with more firefighting knowledge than anyone I ever met. I don’t think we’ll ever meet anyone else with his wit and insight.”
“Tommy Brennan taught me ‘We can,’ ” said Bobby Halton. “Tommy believed that with good training, an American fire department was the most dynamic force in the universe. Tommy Brennan knew no matter who you are or no matter where you worked, you had value.”
“When I think of Tom, I think of a beat-up (Tom had more joints replaced than any man I knew) towering man,” said John “Skip” Coleman, deputy chief of fire prevention, Toledo (OH) Department of Fire and Rescue, and Fire Engineering technical editor, “kind of like John Wayne in True Grit. Beat-up knees and hips because of all of the attics and hallways he crawled through on his hands and knees. Tom told us time and time again, ‘If you can’t see because of the smoke-you crawl.’ If it was OK for Tom to crawl, then it was OK for me to crawl. Beat-up shoulders because of all the swings of an ax on roofs and doors he popped with the irons. Again, Tom taught us the easiest ways to punch holes and pop doors at the expense of his own shoulders. A towering man because he was not only a big man in stature, but also because of his vast knowledge and experience.”
“Tom fought fires when fires were fires,” said Coleman. “Tom fought fires when the city was burning. All in all, Tom fought a lot of fires. I learned by his trial and error. I gained from his experiences. I run fires better and safer because of his wisdom.”
“I first met Tom more than 20 years ago when I first submitted an article to Fire Engineering at its offices on Third Avenue in New York City,” recalled Corbett. “Tom had just taken over as editor and was retooling it into the training journal, so that every firefighter could take away something new from each issue to use on the fireground. It was Tom’s obsession with ‘back to the basics’ that made
Fire Engineering the powerful force that it is. Tom, an FDNY captain on one of the busiest trucks in New York City during the ‘war years,’ realized that the firefighters of the 1980s and 1990s (and today) needed the ‘bread and butter’ more than anything else.”
After Brennan retired as editor of Fire Engineering in 1990, he was appointed chief of department of the Waterbury (CT) Fire Department, in November 1991. His leadership qualities, political skills, and savvy fire department marketing helped him to establish cooperation and a knowledge base that built the foundation for future departmental and fire service progress.
“Tom was this ‘gentle giant’ who loved our profession and all ‘professionals’ who work in it,” recalled Coleman. “From the moment I met him, I could feel a brotherhood from him to me. He made me feel comfortable and never put on an air of superiority toward any firefighter he believed loved the profession as much as he did. And Tom had a great sense of humor. No one could tell ‘fire stories’ like he could. He painted a picture with words so vivid that you could taste the smoke. And no one could put humor into a fire or a fire station story like Tom ….”
“Even though Tom went on to be editor at Fire Engineering, and later chief in Waterbury, Connecticut, he never lost touch with the finest points in the art of firefighting,” pointed out Corbett. “How many chief officers do you know that could force a door half a dozen different ways? How many magazine editors can tell you where to expect victims in a six-story walk-up with a fire in the second-floor rear?”
Among Brennan’s most commonly voiced observations shared at national meetings and in his writings were the following:
• Leadership is getting things done through the efforts of others through strength of will or character.
• We’re losing firefighters because we don’t know where they are because nobody is around to check on them because there aren’t enough people …. We’re losing our people because they’re not being marketed correctly. Administratively, we’re giving our OK to this by very scared leaders whose jobs are in the pockets of people hired to save the city 5 percent-city manager types ….
• [It] comes down to tactics …. I don’t want to do anything [task] first. I want to do seven things all at once. Now, you have a safe building and you can operate within that structure with an acceptable level of risk …. Today, we have these explosive bombs because there’s nobody showing up to make [the buildings] behave.
• To do your job, you have to know the tactics and their interrelationships-how one works with the other. You must be able to tell people if one is missing what it’s going to cost inside the burning structure …. You must be able to [explain it] in three languages-around the table in the station, to the press when you have a chance, and to the financial people-to make them understand your job in their language.
• The company officer is a dying breed in the fire service. The company officer has been relegated to being a butt man on a portable ladder and the number 2 person behind a 1 3/4 -inch automatic nozzle …. Lack of staffing has caused the company officer to become a tactician. The company officer who puts his/her hand into the tactic is absolutely useless. There is no company officer. The company officer is the last person who, by saying yes or no, has the last word about whether that firefighter is going to be injured or killed ….
• To new recruits, he issued the following: “Word of caution-You will arrive at many plateaus in your career from here on. And this moment is most assuredly one of them. You have successfully completed training, and you think it’s over! Nothing could be further from the truth. No firefighter is worth anything to himself, his department, or his community the moment he believes that he knows enough or knows it all. Training is and must be an ongoing concept-from day one until day last. That idea should be accepted by the probationary firefighter and nodded to in agreement by the chief ….
“You are now a member of the world’s greatest profession. You will ascend to personal highs that only another firefighter will understand. You will also be brought to tears that only you will understand. Our job is truly unique in its humor as well as in its sorrow. I only pray that you will always be able to function between those two extreme feelings so that one never overshadows the other ….
“It’s now up to you to make people better off because you came this way, because you responded, because you showed up. You are your brothers’ keeper-keep them safe ….”
“In our last conversation, I told Tommy how happy I was after going to Washington for the Congressional Fire Services Institute dinner in early April,” noted Halton. “I told him I thought the American firefighter is no longer slugging it out alone. We agreed that you can sense that leadership of the American fire service has begun a new era of cooperation, of shared vision, and of ego subjugation. I was excited because the firefighter joining today in Philadelphia, San Diego, Seattle, and Phoenix will be better represented, better trained, and better led than any other generation of firefighters …. Tommy said the good old days aren’t over-well maybe for the has-beens and the blind-but he said if you’re paying attention, you ’ain’t seen nothing yet. The best of times are still to come.’ ”
Brennan has had an immense influence on the firefighting family. He forged many personal relationships across the nation. As Corbett noted, “I know many of you reading/hearing this will remember Tom as your friend. That was the great thing about Tom: You met him, and you had a friend for life.”
Brennan, for all his seriousness and intensity when it came to safe “commonsense” and “simple” effective firefighting, had a keen sense of humor and the gift of being the “life of the party.”
“Tom’s sense of humor endeared him to many in this business,” explained Corbett. “One real-life incident he shared with me many years ago has always stuck with me. Tom was trapped on a Brooklyn tenement fire escape; fire was blowing out of the windows in his only escape path. Another firefighter (and mutual friend) emerged on the fire escape of the building next door. On seeing Tom and his predicament, the firefighter exclaimed, ‘Tom, if you take your hook and hang it off the fire escape, you can swing yourself over to me, and I’ll catch you!’ Tom yelled back, ‘$%#? *^@, I’ll take my chances!’ That was Tom in a nutshell.”
Brennan had a bachelor’s degree in fire science from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, where he graduated summa cum laude. He was awarded the College’s Distinguished Alumni Award some 20 years later. In 1998, Tom Brennan was the recipient of the Fire Engineering Lifetime Achievement Award. He was co-editor of The Fire Chief’s Handbook, Fifth Edition (Fire Engineering Books, 1995), was featured in the video Brennan and Bruno Unplugged (Fire Engineering/FDIC, 1999), and was a regular contributor to Firenuggets.com.
Brennan married his wife, Janet, in 1964; they have four children: Thomas, Teresa, Eileen, and Brian.
Tom has indelibly imprinted his unique impressions on “his beloved fire service”
- As the consummate, passionate “Tommy Truck.”
- As a 20-year veteran of FDNY, where he responded to some 30,000 fire calls, and from which he retired as captain.
- As one of the most important fire service educators of his generation.
- As a writer and as the editor of Fire Engineering, and as its technical editor.
- As the chief of the Waterbury (CT) Fire Department.
- As someone who wanted to make a meaningful difference to what he termed “my thinking fire service.”
Gifts in Tom Brennan’s memory may be sent to :
FIRE ENGINEERING CITES AWARD RECIPIENTS AT FDIC
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Courage & Valor Award
Senior Firefighter Sean Neary, of the Detroit (MI) Fire Department, was presented with the 2006 Ray Downey Courage & Valor award for his actions at an August 19, 2005, rescue operation. A homeowner and his son were working in an unsecured 30-foot-long by 12-foot-deep trench when it catastrophically collapsed. The son was completely buried; the father was entrapped up to his chest. The weather was extremely humid; the temperature was over 90°.
Neary responded as a member of Detroit Fire Department’s Rescue Squad 4. He quickly sized up the situation. Since the collapse rescue equipment needed for the operation was not on-scene, Neary improvised an A-frame hoisting device using two ladders and a block and tackle. He then donned a harness and directed the crew to lower him into the unstable trench so he could begin to move dirt and debris off the trapped father, who was in respiratory distress because the weight of the collapsed material restricted his ability to breath.
During this extrication, Neary used his hands and a small shovel to remove dirt from the victim as Neary was continuously struck by falling dirt and clay. Nevertheless, he continued to dig. He knew that every moment counted if the victim was to be rescued.
Ultimately, Neary removed his own safety rope and attached it to the victim, leaving himself without a means of escape if a secondary collapse occurred. This drastic measure was taken because Neary saw it as the only hope for the victim. However, even this added lifting dimension did not free the father.
Still determined, Neary lowered himself to bottom of the trench to work unsecured and barehanded to free the victim’s feet from a sewer pipe. Although almost completely exhausted, Neary disentangled the father, who was successfully pulled up 12 feet.
On learning of an unanticipated delay in the arrival of the much-needed trench rescue equipment to continue the operation to remove the son, Neary commandeered materials that could be used to construct improvised safe shoring. Neary and his crew cut down fencing and took plywood from nearby roofing crews. Using backboards and other available materials, they were able to improvise enough cribbing and shoring to make the trench safe to enter. Despite these heroic efforts, the son was removed lifeless.
The Ray Downey Courage & Valor Award, a medal and $25,000, was presented by Robert F. Biolchini, CEO of PennWell Corporation, publisher of Fire Engineering and producer of FDIC. Biolchini was assisted by Fire Department of New York Battalion Chiefs Joe and Chuck Downey, sons of Ray Downey. FDNY Deputy Chief Ray Downey, who lost his life in the 9/11 World Trade Center collapse, was the most decorated member of FDNY at the time of his death.
“I am especially pleased to participate in the presentation of the fifth Ray Downey Courage and Valor Award,” said Biolchini. “Chief Downey was an extraordinary man who throughout his life personified fire service courage and valor …. Senior Firefighter Sean Neary exemplifies the traits that define courage and valor. ”
“It’s an honor and a privilege to be a recipient of this award,” Neary said. “Chief Ray Downey’s a legend in the fire industry and an inspiration to all firefighters. Acts of heroism take place every day across the country, and firefighters should be recognized for what they do.”
The award is funded by The Courage & Valor Foundation endowment.
Lifetime Achievement Award
Leo D. Stapleton’s illustrious fire service career began in 1951 as a firefighter in the Boston (MA) Fire Department. He rose through the ranks and served as fire commissioner/chief of department from 1984 through 1991. As a chief officer, he commanded literally thousands of fires including those that occurred during the civil disturbances of the turbulent 1960s.
 (L-R) Leo E. Stapleton Jr., Fire Engineering Editor in Chief/FDIC Education Director Bobby Halton, and recipient Leo D. Stapleton. |
Among the 150 three-alarm-or-greater fires he directed as fire commissioner was that involving the 52-story Prudential Tower (1986). Approximately 1,500 occupants were rescued from the 38 floors above the fully involved 14th floor. As a result of this successful operation, the state passed legislation, sponsored by the fire department, requiring that all high-rise buildings in Massachusetts be equipped with automatic sprinkler systems. This included the retrofitting of existing construction. The mandatory installations were completed in 1997.
Stapleton served on numerous fire service committees that promoted firefighter safety, particularly those related to respiratory protection. Among them were the National Fire Protection Association’s Urban Fire Forum, the NASA Users Requirements Committee on Firefighters’ Breathing System, and the NASA, IAFF, NFA Users Requirements Committee, Project FIRES. He was a visiting lecturer on breathing apparatus at the Harvard School of Public Health; a charter member of the International Society for Respiratory Protection; and a featured speaker on respiratory protective equipment at various symposia, conventions, and schools. Stapleton is the author of 10 books.
Training Achievement Award
Donald Abbott began his fire service career in the Warren Township (IN) Volunteer Fire Department. He became a career firefighter in the department in 1972 and coordinated the training and safety programs, ultimately teaching or managing 17 recruit classes. He developed the department’s hazardous materials program, administered the OSHA and EPA programs, and was instrumental in developing the Marion County (IN) Hazardous Materials Task Force and the State of Indiana Hazardous Materials Technician certification program. In 1995, he retired from the Warren Township Fire Department as the division chief of Special Operations and Training.
 (L-R) Fire Engineering Editor in Chief Bobby Halton, Executive Editor Diane Feldman, recipient Donald Abbott, and Technical Editor Glenn Corbett. |
Using “Abbottville,” a small diorama city in 1/87 scale, Abbott expanded the boundaries of his educational venue to the Midwest and, ultimately, nationally. With his wife, Bev, he formed CERT (Command Emergency Response Training) and embarked on his mission of instructing fire departments in the incident management system and hazardous materials response. They traveled with Abbottville, which had grown from a small diorama into a 12-foot by 16-foot “city” with a river of real water running through its middle and with small-scale fire trucks, firefighters, hose, and haz-mat technicians that used real instruments to subdue real chemicals. Abbott taught fire department members throughout the country.
In 1992, after traveling the country with Abbottville for 10 years, Abbott went to work for the Phoenix Fire Department, where he helped Chief Alan Brunacini develop a training center for incident commanders. The Phoenix Fire Department Command Training Center opened in 2003 with computer simulations, a model city, a cut-in-half Chevy suburban that serves as the IC vehicle, and a replica of Command Van (CV-1) incorporated into one end of the building. More than 600 command officers and captains from 22 fire departments, police officers, and utility representatives train at the center every trimester.
Safety Stand Down set for June 21
The major fire service organizations are urging fire departments to participate in the second National Firefighter Safety Stand Down on Wednesday, June 21, 2006; it will continue until all personnel and duty nights have been covered.
Last year, some 10,000 fire departments participated, and some 20 organizations were partners. Activities were posted on the Web sites of the organizations.
This year’s Stand Down will focus on emergency vehicle safety, since many of the line-of-duty deaths in 2005 involved accidents in department vehicles, according to the IAFC. “We must take dramatic steps to reduce the alarmingly high firefighter death and injury rates,” says IAFC President Chief Bill Killen. Last year, 19 organizations partnered with the IAFC for the first Stand Down.
“Firefighter death and injury rates continue to occur at a constant rate,” stresses International Association of Fire Fighters General President Harold Schaitberger. “By holding this Stand Down, we will bring attention to the need to address preventable line-of-duty deaths and injuries among firefighters.”
Partnering organizations are listed at www.iafc.org.
Use of Brookdale respiratory protective escape devices suspended
Brookdale International Systems Inc., based in Vancouver, Canada, manufacturer of respiratory protective escape devices (RPEDs), is voluntarily recalling the following emergency escape smoke hoods: EVAC-U8 and EVAC+. Some 290,000 units are involved in the recall. A recall is also in effect for the following SCBA emergency escape respirators: Survivair SmokeEater Air-purifying Escape Canister, EVACpro for Scott Emergency Escape Respirator, and EVACpro for Draeger Emergency Escape Respirator.
The company took the recall action after issuing a suspend-use advisory in March. “The decision to recall these products is a demonstration of our commitment to the safety of our customers,” explains Derrick Russell, Brookdale’s president.
In its interim announcement, the company explained that the test results relate to the catalytic conversion of carbon monoxide, which could present a risk of carbon monoxide inhalation to the end users. The company, at the time it issued its advisory, was not aware of any incidents in which a user of the devices was exposed to harmful levels of carbon monoxide.
In the United States, Brookdale is cooperating with the Consumer Product Safety Commission, which will be monitoring the effectiveness of the recall. Brookdale will be working with regulatory agencies in other regions of the world where these products were sold.
Information on the recall program is available at http://www.evacsafety.com, or call the Brookdale Recall Hotline at (866) 823-4416 between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
Smoke alarms recalled
First Alert® OneLink Battery-Powered Smoke and Combination Smoke/Carbon Monoxide (CO) alarms are voluntarily being recalled. About 145,890 units manufactured by BRK Brands Inc., a subsidiary of First Alert Inc., of Aurora, Illinois, are involved. (About 52,400 units were sold to consumers.)
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), these alarms can drain the power from batteries rapidly, causing premature low battery power. Model numbers SA500 and SCO500 that have a code date preceding March 3, 2006, are included in the recall. The units were sold June 2005-March 2006.
Code officials in State College, Pennsylvania, became aware of the problem on February 21, according to Ed Comeau of Campus Firewatch, in Belchertown, Massachusetts. A number of landlords in State College began installing First Alert® OneLink wireless smoke alarms in January 2006, in compliance with an ordinance, following a fatal off-campus fire in April 2005, which mandated that interconnected smoke alarms be installed in the bedrooms of all of the 5,000 rental units in State College. Within six weeks of installation, the batteries on a number of units were drained. An electrical contractor had advised one of the officials that First Alert was replacing all of the OneLink smoke alarms in the area. That was the only notification the officials had received about the problem.
On February 23, First Alert confirmed to Campus Firewatch that the company had instituted a replacement program in State College. On February 24, inspectors tested the smoke alarms that were installed six weeks earlier in one building with 55 apartments. Approximately half of the apartments had nonfunctioning smoke alarms: The batteries either had been drained or the occupant had removed the batteries because of the low-battery “chirping.”
State College code officials notified the CPSC, which launched an investigation.
First Alert issued a statement on February 27 advising that it had developed an “enhanced model” that had been “validated” and was being made available in State College. First Alert was to pay for the replacement of all of the installed units, including labor. The plan was to have all of the replacements completed in one to two months. Photographs of the labeling and packaging of the new units bore the logo of the independent testing company ETL, which had initially tested and listed the models in question as meeting the requirements of UL 217.
When contacted by Campus Firewatch, ETL said it was unaware of the problem. ETL initiated an investigation and, in accordance with ETL’s request, the code officials sent several smoke alarms to ETL for testing.
First Alert notified Campus Firewatch on February 28 that it had identified and developed a product enhancement to eliminate the potential for “premature low battery indication” and that the enhancement was under review and being evaluated by Intertek Testing Services as part of First Alert’s existing ETL listing. The company said the enhanced product would not be released for installation until it received the ETL listing. It was notifying its customers of this product enhancement and was working on appropriate public notice efforts.
According to Campus Firewatch, when the First Alert® OneLink smoke alarms were first introduced into the market in June 2005, these models were initially being sold without a listing from an independent testing laboratory as required by many states and NFPA 72, the National Fire Alarm Code. When the International Association of Fire Chiefs Fire and Life Safety Section revealed this information, these products were removed from sale until the ETL listing was obtained.
In May, Campus Firewatch reported that the CPSC and First Alert said there were no listed products available to replace the defective units. ETL reported that First Alert had not listed any units “at this time.”
Julie Vallese, director of public affairs for the CPSC, said there was no specific deadline for First Alert to make the replacement product available but that “the fix should be in a timely manner, four to six weeks,” according to Campus Firewatch.
Additional information on the recall is available from First Alert Inc./BRK Brands Inc. at (800) 323-9005 between 8:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or the firm’s Web site at www.firstalert.com.
Paulison garners support as nominee for head of FEMA
President George W. Bush has nominated Chief R. David Paulison as the head of the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA). Paulison, the acting director of FEMA since September, must be confirmed by the Senate. If confirmed, Paulison’s title will be undersecretary for federal emergency management at the Homeland Security Department.
The major fire service organizations have voiced support for Paulison’s confirmation. Paulison, a 30-year veteran of the fire and emergency services, served as the administrator of the U.S. Fire Administration from December 2001, until he was named acting director of FEMA in September. Previously, he was chief of the Miami-Dade (FL) Fire Rescue Department. Among the emergencies he managed were Hurricane Andrew and the ValuJet Flight 592 crash.
Chief Bill Killen, president of the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), notes that Paulison has “a sound understanding of the political scene; is recognized as someone of influence; has established himself as a credible, knowledgeable professional in fire and emergency services; and understands how to obtain resources and legislation necessary to provide quality delivery.”
The IAFC believes that the FEMA director should report directly to the president during major incidents (as defined in the Stafford Act) so that the director may have the authority to access all resources of the federal government without delay.
The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) is urging the Senate to confirm Paulison’s nomination as soon as possible.
James M. Shannon, president and CEO of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), also is urging Congress to confirm Paulison’s nomination. “At NFPA, we have worked closely with Dave Paulison,” Shannon explains. “His experience in responding to emergencies, his understanding of how different levels of government work, and his integrity make him exactly the kind of leader we need at FEMA.”
Line-of-Duty Deaths
February 23. Firefighter Robert “Ockie” Wisting, 77, Rio Grande (NJ) Fire Company #1: suspected heart attack.
March 5. Lieutenant Wayne Edward Yarborough, 59, Waynesville (NC) Fire Department: apparent heart attack.
March 3. Battalion Chief Robert Schnibbe Jr., 57, Hastings-on-Hudson Volunteer Fire Department, Westchester, NY: cause to be determined.
March 7. Firefighter George Jackson, 67, Camden (NJ) Fire Department: injuries sustained in October 1990 when he was caught in a rapid fire while searching a residential structure.
March 9. Inmate Firefighter Michael Lynn Davenport, 39, Mississippi State Penitentiary Fire Department: smoke inhalation.
March 11. Lieutenant Jeffrey A. Bowman, 42, Chattanooga (TN) Fire Department: cause to be determined.
March 19. Firefighter Kelly Kincaid, 41, Morganton (NC) Department of Public Safety: heart attack.
March 21. Firefighter Barry R. Levin, 58, Lawrence Township Fire Department, Glen Richey, PA: apparent heart attack.
March 22. Captain Rob McLaughlin, 40, Ocean Shores (WA) Fire Department: drowned while surf rescue training.
March 24. Firefighter Destry Horton, 32, Acme Fire Department, Chickasha, OK: burns received while operating at a wildfire.
March 31. Firefighter-EMT Shon Everett Rice, 34, Georgetown County (SC) Fire/EMS: cardiac arrest.
April 4. Assistant Chief David Moore. 40, Valero Refinery Fire Brigade, Houston, TX: cerebrovascular accident suffered at live-fire training exercise.
April 5. Fire Chief Richard G. Sullivan, 57, Horseheads (NY) Fire Department: heart attack.
April 9. Firefighter James McMorries, 62, Howardwick (TX) Volunteer Fire Department: injuries sustained when the apparatus he was operating rolled over and down into a ravine.
April 9. Fire Captain Kurt Krebbs, 45, Ocean-side (CA) Fire Department: heart attack.
April 11. Firefighter Kevin A. Apuzzio, 21, East Franklin Volunteer Fire Department, Somerset, NJ: injuries sustained as a result of becoming trapped while searching in the basement at a residential structure fire.
April 11. Firefighter Thomas J. “Emmett” Kuehl, 38, Elkton (SD) Fire Department: head injuries sustained on April 8 when the clevis of a tractor broke while trying to free a stuck fire truck at the scene of a controlled fire that had escaped it boundaries. The tow rope recoiled through the apparatus windshield.
April 11. Fire Police Captain David E. Smith, 73, Howells (NY) Fire Department: heart attack.
April 15. Firefighter/EMT Jose Luis Ramirez, 35, Far South Volunteer Fire Department, Chaparral, NM: injuries sustained in a vehicle accident while responding to a medical call.
April 16. Firefighter Willie Macon Price, 58, Jamesville (NC) Community Volunteer Fire Department: apparent heart attack.April 19. Assistant Chief Garry Tanner, 57, Pleasantville (TN) Volunteers’ Fire Department: injuries sustained when the tanker he was operating went off the roadway on his way to refill the tanker.
April 21. Fire Chief William L. Robinson III, 39, Sarge Creek Volunteer Fire Department, Tulsa, OK: injuries sustained when run over by his tanker while refilling it at a controlled burn.
April 25. Fire Apparatus/Operator Russell B. Schwantes, 39, Atlanta (GA) Fire Department: collapsed after an apparatus training exercise.
April 30. Captain Alan D. Leake, 51, City of Fulton (MO) Fire Department: heart attack.
Canada
April 8. Lieutenant Tom Upton, Gabriola Island Fire Department, British Columbia, Canada: collapsed while receiving his team’s assignment for the first structural fire attack of the weekend’s live-fire training exercise at a local fire training center.
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