Demontreux |
At that time, Howell told Demontreux that his friend, Matheny, was trapped in the rear on the third floor. Without the aid of a hoseline, Demontreux entered the third-floor apartment to search for Matheny, but the blistering heat and dense smoke drove him away. Demontreux resumed the search after firefighters vented the front windows. He reached the rear of the apartment and found Matheny with his torso stretching out the third-floor window trying to breathe and escape from the searing heat and blinding smoke. Demontreux, realizing that there was no fire escape or means of egress in the rear, took the civilian back to the aerial ladder in the front of the building. He led Matheny back toward the front window through the searing heat and in zero visibility. When they were halfway through the apartment, the entire third floor exploded into flames, which engulfed both men.
They continued in their attempt to escape, often in lockstep, as Demontreux had made a split-second decision to continue to the front window despite the fully engulfed room. The on-scene battalion chief noted: “Firefighter Demontreux, now on fire, made the split-second decision that he would not leave Mr. Matheny behind.” Demontreux assisted Matheny to the front window and lifted him out onto the aerial ladder. Demontreux then dived out of the window onto the ladder. Both men were on fire; a hoseline operated by firefighters at street level extinguished the fire while Demontreux and Matheny were on the tip of the aerial. Both were severely burned. Demontreux received second-degree burns to his face and back; his personal protective equipment had been burned through and ultimately had to be discarded. Matheny suffered burns over more than 40 percent of his body and will be a long-term patient at Cornell Burn Center.
The Ray Downey Courage and Valor Award, established to honor a firefighter who has exemplified extreme bravery and courage in executing his duties, honors Deputy Chief Ray Downey of the Fire Department of New York, who lost his life on September 11, 2001. He was chief of rescue operations and a 39-year veteran of the department. At the time of his death, he was the most highly decorated member of FDNY.
PennWell Corp. CEO Robert F. Biolchini said at the presentation: “Firefighter Demontreux’s conspicuous act of bravery under life-threatening conditions resulted in saving the lives of two men whom, without his intervention, would have succumbed to a tragic fate.”
“Firefighter Demontreux’s actions reflect on the fire service’s true values. So today we recognize him individually but, in a greater sense, his actions are a mirror of the outstanding actions all of you are facing and performing each day when you are called.”
“Firefighter Demontreux’s dedicated and aggressive actions in saving the lives of another are in the highest traditions of the FDNY. He demonstrated unfaltering focus while being engulfed in punishing flashover conditions and remained committed to saving the life of Mr. Matheny. Firefighter Demontreux’s unfaltering dedication despite the intense heat, pain, and risk to himself exemplifies the highest traditions of the fire service. Firefighter Demontreux’s presence of mind, selflessness, and ability to maintain his awareness under extremely stressful and personally dangerous circumstances makes him a hero.”
The award is presented annually at the FDIC Opening Ceremony; it is considered the most prestigious award in the American fire service. The award consists of a medal and a $35,000 cash prize.
The Courage and Valor Selection Committee is comprised of members of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation; the National Fire Academy Alumni Association; Ray Downey’s two sons, FDNY Battalion Chiefs Joe and Chuck Downey; and representatives of Pennwell Corp.
Line-of-Duty Deaths
January 26. Firefighter Recruit David Eason, 38, West Memphis (AR) Fire Department: cause under investigation.
January 29. Firefighter Antonio E. Jones, 44, Augusta (GA) Fire Department: cause to be determined.
January 29. Assistant Chief James Walters Sr., 57, Parkton (NC) Volunteer Fire Department: apparent heart attack.
February 1. Battalion Chief Steven F. Auch, 56, Indianapolis (IN) Fire Department: cause to be determined.
February 2. Firefighter Daniel C. Dare, 52, Avon (IL) Fire Protection District: apparent heart attack.
February 4. Fire Chief Richard Leo “Ricky” Barbour, 55, Wilson’s Mills Fire and Rescue, Smithfield, NC: suspected heart attack.
February 11. Airman First Class Derek Kozorosky, 18th Civil Engineer Squadron, Kadena Air Base, Japan: injuries from a vehicle mishap; details under investigation.
February 13. Firefighter Joshua Wilkes, 26, Unity Fire Department, Guntown, MS: cause to be determined.
February 17. Firefighter Larry Gressett Sr., 33, Toomsuba (MS) Volunteer Fire Department: drowned while attempting a water rescue.
February 17. Firefighter/Forest Ranger Technician Donald R. Lam, 58, Kentucky Division of Forestry, Frankfort: injuries sustained while engaged in fire suppression activities for the Scotts Chapel Road Fire in Livingston County, Kentucky, in September 2010.
February 17. Thomas V. Regan, 82, Garden City Park (NY) Fire Department: injury suffered from a fall while responding to a carbon-monoxide alarm during a January 26 ice storm.
February 18. Firefighter/Paramedic Glenn L. Allen, 36, Los Angeles (CA) Fire Department: injuries sustained in a ceiling collapse during a house fire on February 16.
Source: USFA Firefighters Memorial Database
Glove recall and closing of The Glove Corporation
The Safety Equipment Institute (SEI) has issued a Safety Alert for the Blaze Fighter glove manufactured by The Glove Corporation (TGC). TGC had initiated a voluntary recall of the Blaze Fighter glove in January and issued a Safety Notice, posted on SEI’s Web site and mailed or faxed by TGC to more than 180 of the product’s distributors.
TGC had recalled the Blaze Fighter gloves after SEI’s annual recertification testing determined that the product line did not comply with National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1971, Standard on Protective Ensembles for Structural Fire Fighting and Proximity Fire Fighting, 2007 edition, section 7.7.5-Conductive Heat Resistance Test 1. SEI had received reports from firefighters who suffered burns to the back of their hands while wearing the glove.
TGC advised that the manufacturing change that altered the composition of the back of the glove was limited to gloves produced beginning in December 2009, lot numbers 12109-12310, according to SEI. Gloves from these affected lot numbers “can no longer be considered SEI-certified as compliant with the 2007 edition of the NFPA 1971 standard or sold bearing the SEI certification mark,” says SEI.
TGC informed SEI that it was unable to replace or offer a refund for the affected gloves and that it was discontinuing its manufacturing operations in February. TGC has ceased doing business, according to SEI.
Global campaign on hazards of carbon monoxide launched
“The Silent Killer” educational campaign aims at raising responders’ awareness of the duty-related dangers of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning and decreasing the known risk factors that unnecessarily kill or injure firefighters. The campaign is sponsored by the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the International Association of Fire Fighters, and the National Volunteer Fire Council.
The campaign includes a six-minute video highlighting the immediate and long-term health risks associated with CO exposure, the emotional impact these risks can have on firefighters and their families, and appropriate prevention strategies. The video can be viewed online at www.thesilentkiller.net; DVDs will be distributed to fire departments throughout the world.
The organizations stress the following dangers of CO poisoning:
- CO poisoning is a danger at every fire, but this “Silent Killer” is often present without symptoms, making awareness, proper diagnosis, and treatment difficult.1
- Even mild CO poisoning can rob the brain of oxygen,2 which can lead to poor decision making.3
- CO can also rob the heart, brain, and vital organs of oxygen, causing life-threatening complications. This is a critical concern since half of on-duty firefighter deaths have been attributed to a heart attack or stroke.4
- Just one severe CO poisoning almost doubles the long-term risk of death.5
In addition to urging firefighters to take personal responsibility for their health and safety by recognizing the occupational hazards of CO exposure and wearing respiratory protective equipment during active fire and overhaul operations, the program also encourages them to get their CO levels tested on the fire scene with an approved noninvasive portable device6 and, if the level is elevated, to seek immediate treatment, even if they are feeling well.
Randolph Mantooth, who portrayed Johnny Gage, the Los Angeles County (CA) firefighter-paramedic in the television series Emergency, produced and narrated the film. Mantooth, a vocal advocate for CO awareness and prevention, nearly died of CO exposure when he was 20 years old.
The Web site, www.thesilentkiller.net, features the new video along with a host of other important health and safety resources, including information related to CO exposures contained in NFPA 1584, Standard on the Rehabilitation Process for Members During Emergency Operations and Training Exercises; links to other firefighter, first responder, and EMS industry Web sites and resources; and the ordering of a free copy of the DVD and other free available resources.
References:
1 Hampson, NB, et al: “Carboxyhemoglobin levels in carbon monoxide poisoning: do they correlate with the clinical picture?” American Journal of Emergency Medicine. 26:665-669, 2008.
2 Bledsoe, BE: “The Perils of CO.” FireRescue Magazine. September 2005.
3 Jakubowski, G. The Invisible Incidents: How to respond to CO alarms. FireRescue Magazine. 22(11):52–55, 2004.
4 Bledsoe, BE. “The Dangers of CO: Understanding Cardiovascular Risks to Responders from CO Exposure.” Journal of Emergency Medical Service. 32:54-59, 2007.
5 Hampson, NB, et al. “Increased long-term mortality among survivors of acute carbon monoxide poisoning.” Crit Care Med. 2009; 37(6): 1941-47.
6 NFPA 1584, Standards on the Rehabilitation Process for Members During Emergency Operations and Training Exercise. Annex A section A.6.2.6.4(1).
LODD deaths resulting from incidents decreased in 2010
“There were 85 firefighter line-of-duty deaths in the United States as a result of incidents that occurred in 2010, a 6 percent decrease from the 90 fatalities reported for 2009,” according to the “2020 Provisional Firefighter Fatality Statistics” released by the United States Fire Administration (USFA).
“When evaluating the trend in on-duty firefighter fatalities over more than three decades, the past two years have seemed to reflect a possible change in the firefighting culture of the United States where Everyone Goes Home, including all firefighters,” notes Acting U.S. Fire Administrator Glenn Gaines. “Working closely with our partners, the USFA will continue every effort to be sure that when it comes to firefighter health and safety, this downward trend in on-duty firefighter deaths continues.”
Among other statistics in the report are the following:
- Heart attacks and strokes were responsible for the deaths of 51 firefighters (60 percent) in 2010, nearly the same proportion of firefighter deaths from heart attack or stroke (58 percent) in 2009.
- The 85 fatalities occurred in 31 states. The states with the greatest number of fatalities were Illinois (9), New York (8), Ohio (8), Pennsylvania (7), and Kansas (5).
- Nine on-duty deaths were associated with wildland fires, down almost 50 percent from 2009.
- Forty-eight percent of all firefighter fatalities occurred while performing emergency duties.
- Eleven firefighters died as the result of vehicle crashes (down from 16 deaths in 2009); 10 died in accidents involving responding in personal vehicles. Seven firefighter deaths involved fire department apparatus; one of these incidents was a double firefighter fatality incident.
These 2010 firefighter fatality statistics are provisional; they may change as the USFA contacts state fire marshals to verify the names of firefighters reported to have died on duty during 2010. The final number of firefighter fatalities will be reported in the USFA’s annual firefighter fatality report, expected to be available by July.
June 19-25: Safety, Health and Survival Week
“Surviving the Fire Ground—Fire Fighter, Fire Officer & Command Preparedness” will be the theme of Safety, Health and Survival Week 2011 (Safety Week), June 19-25. Safety Week is coordinated by the International Association of Fire Chiefs’ (IAFC) Safety, Health and Survival Section and the International Association of Fire Fighters’ (IAFF) Division of Occupational Health, Safety and Medicine, in partnership with more than 20 national fire and emergency service organizations. During Safety Week, fire departments are encouraged to suspend all nonemergency activity and to focus entirely on survival training and education until all shifts and personnel have taken part. The event is scheduled for a week to allow each shift and duty crew to participate. In these days of budget cuts, staffing reductions, and reduced training, the IAFC and IAFF stress that firefighters must “focus on their own survival on the fireground.”
USFA releases data on 2006-2008 fire-related firefighter injuries
An estimated 81,070 firefighter injuries occur annually in the United States, according to Fire-Related Firefighter Injuries Reported to NFIRS [National Fire Incident Reporting System], a report based on 2006-2008 data. Developed by the U.S. Fire Administration’s (USFA) National Fire Data Center, the document reviews the details of firefighter injuries sustained on the fireground or while responding to or returning from a fire incident during that time period and is part of the Topical Fire Report Series.
Among other findings cited in the report are the following:
- Forty-nine percent of firefighter injuries occur on the fireground; six percent occur while responding to or returning from a fire incident.
- Overexertion/strain is the leading cause of fire-related firefighter injuries (25 percent).
- Thirty-eight percent of all fire-related firefighter injuries result in time lost from work.
- The majority of fire-related firefighter injuries (87 percent) occur in structure fires.
- On average, structure fires have more injuries per fire than nonstructure fires.
- Firefighter injury fires are more prevalent in July (10 percent) and peak between the hours of 2 p.m. and 5 p.m.
For further information regarding other topical reports or programs and training available from the USFA, visit www.usfa.fema.gov.
APCO: online application for training certification
The Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) Project 33 Agency Training Program Certification ensures that training programs of public safety agencies meet the minimum training standards for public safety telecommunicators. “APCO’s Project 33 is the one and only ANSI standard for telecommunicator training,” explains APCO International President Bill Carrow. He notes that 17 agencies have been certified under the 2006 edition. In addition to specifying the general minimum training requirements for public safety telecommunicators, the standard also recognizes the need to supplement these basic competencies with agency-specific information and existing equipment-use parameters, according to APCO.
Agencies that would like to apply for the certification process now can enroll online. To learn more about the program and how to apply for APCO Project 33 Training Program Certification, visit www.apcointl.org/P33.
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