Firehouse

Remembering FDNY’s Tragic Black Sunday – Jeff Cool

Peter Matthews talks with Jeff Cool about the tragedy of Jan. 23, 2005, which was named FDNY’s “Black Sunday” after the department lost two firefighters at a fire in the Bronx and one at a fire in Brooklyn. The Bronx fire left four other firefighters seriously injured, including one who died from the fire six years later. 
Cool, a Rescue 3 firefighter, responded a fire in an apartment building that was renovated into a maze of rooms, making firefighter access extremely difficult. When conditions changed and the fire cut them off, six firefighters were forced to jump from the upper floors to escape. He recalls the fire, the tense moments they were trapped and efforts to escape before they all jumped as flames burned over their heads. Since FDNY had taken away personal rescue ropes, they used a rope that cool purchased at Firehouse Expo which he attributed to DiBernardo and he surviving their falls.  
He shares their stories about the time in hospital, the long road to recovery and what has happened since his injuries forced him to retire. Since then, the four survivors have taken their messages of training, equipment and hope on the road to inform today’s firefighters of that tragic loss. Cool is one of the instructors with the Lt. Joseph DiBernardo Memorial Fund and helps organize the 9-11 Memorial Golf Outing. 
Cool’s son, Jeffrey Cool, Jr., recently got appointed to the FDNY and Cool shares his hopes for the future.  
This episode is dedicated to the Lieutenants John G. Bellew and Curtis W. Meyran and firefighter Richard Sclafani who died that day and firefighters Brendan Cawley, Jeff Cool, Joe DiBernardo, and Gene Stolowski were severely injured. DiBernardo, who was promoted to lieutenant, died six years later from his injuries. 
Resources 
Lt. Joseph DiBernado Memorial Foundation
FDNY 9-11 Memorial Golf Outing 

Developing Your Personal Board of Directors – Andy Starnes

Peter Matthews talks with Andy Starnes about the importance of each person having a personal board of directors who they can reach out to and seek advice from throughout their lives. Starnes stresses why this board is just as important for decisions within the fire service as it is at home and with your family. 
While Starnes is known around the world for his efforts to educate firefighters on thermal imaging, this episode focuses on the human side of the firefighter and ensuring members make the right decisions, influenced by trusted friends and advisors. Starnes shares where the concept of the board came from, how to seek out the people you want on your board and how the two-way relationship works. 
Listen for advice on how to be a better friend, colleague, firefighter and family member and for tips on how to pull through the tough times. 
Resources 
Insight Training, LLC
Kill the Flashover
The Traveler’s Gift
Station Design Conference 
FireFusion 

TX Fire Commission’s Focus on Firefighter & Gear Safety and Training – Mike Wisko

Peter Matthews talks with Mike Wisko, the Agency Chief of the Texas Commission on Fire Protection (TCFP) about their role in ensuring firefighter training and equipment and member safety throughout the state’s career fire departments.
The two talk about the annual TCFP Firefighter Injury Reports that are mandated training in the state, and some of the trends TCFP has found, including an overall reduction in fireground injuries but an increase in firefighters being burned, plus injuries at the fire that are on the rise.
Wisko discusses their policies on PPE and what the impact on non-compliant equipment is on the firefighters and their families. He also shares how the state ensures mandatory training is taking place and the process in which they determine the baseline for annual CE training, plus the at look at the future of the TCFP.
Resources 
Texas Commission on Fire Protection 
TCFP Annual Injury Reports  
 

Anatomy of a House Fire with Multiple Victims Rescued – Jake Ryks

Peter Matthews talks with Jake Ryks, a St. Paul, MN, firefighter who was just named Minnesota’s Firefighter of the Year, along with Mason Conlin, for their efforts to rescue seven people from an early morning house fire. Ryks credits ongoing training and the desire to know your job with the herculean rescue and medical treatment efforts by firefighters at the Jan. 3, 2024 house fire. 
Ryks, who was working in another company that shift, takes you step-by-step through the response, arrival and rescue efforts by St. Paul firefighters and explains why continued training played a pivotal role in decision-making that morning.  
He also talks about becoming a trainer on hazardous materials, his work with The Haz Mat Guys and his new podcast launch, Hazard Class, in which he talks with firefighters on a variety of topics. 
Resources 
The Haz Mat Guys Hazard Class Podcast 
All Things Hazard Class  
‘Can’t thank you enough’: St. Paul firefighters who saved kids from house fire receive awards  
‘Humbling beyond words’: St. Paul firefighters open up about fire  
This Month in Fire History – December  

Leading the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation – Victor Stagnaro

Peter Matthews talks with Victor Stagnaro talks about taking over the CEO role at the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF), which he assumed last year, after more than two decades of having Ron Siarnicki create and lead the organization tapped to honor America’s fallen firefighters while taking care of their survivors.  
 Stagnaro highlights several of the programs that NFFF offers, including the annual Fallen Firefighter Memorial Weekend, training programs aimed to prevent firefighter deaths, injuries and provide mental health support while offering peer-to-peer support for LODD incidents. For the families of those who have died, and their organizations, Stagnaro looks at the memorable and meaning impacts they have on survivors.   
 They discuss what the NFFF is working on today, what to expect from the 20th anniversary of the Firefighter Life Safety Summit and how firefighters can get involved with them. Whether it’s supporting or organizing a stair climb, attending training or working at the annual memorial weekend, Stagnaro shares how each level of involvement humbles firefighters. 
Resources 
National Fallen Firefighters Foundation
Fire Hero Learning Network
Ways to Help
First Responder Center for Excellence
NFFF YouTube
NFFF 9/11 Memorial Stair Climbs
Local Assistance State Team
Memorial Weekend
Giving Tuesday  

Commanding Special Operations for South Metro, CO – Scott Richardson

Peter Matthews talks with Scott Richardson about how he manages the special operations and line support teams for South Metro Fire Rescue, which covers over 300 square miles of diverse terrain in Colorado with myriad of unique response scenarios. Under Richardson’s command is the department’s technical rescue resources, wildland and ARFF crews, dispatch and apparatus and equipment maintenance teams.
Richardson explains how each group ensures they have a dedicated command and training staff so each discipline is trained to handle a scenario that they may be called to, including the many disciplines of technical rescue. He talks about the budgets process, as well as ensuring each group had the equipment they need to respond.
When it comes to command technical rescue incidents, Richardson shares his perspectives on the unique challenges of these changing incidents and how they not only respond to fire and rescue emergencies but coordinate with law enforcement and other agencies to ensure life safety.
Resources 
South Metro Fire Rescue website 
South Metro Fire Rescue YouTube 
 

20 LODDs in 144 Days, A Wake-up Call for Firefighter Culture? – Daniel DeYear

Peter Matthews talks with Daniel DeYear, a recently retired deputy chief from Dallas Fire-Rescue, about his work involving LODD investigations in Texas and how it relates to the often contentious discussions on firefighter safety and fire service culture.  
DeYear outlines a 144-day period in which his team investigated nearly 20 firefighter deaths – all from fireground operations – including the West, TX, explosion and Houston’s Southwest Inn fire. During his career in Dallas, he lost almost two dozen colleagues in the line of duty, including his rookie school partner and one of his academy instructors, all of which has led DeYear to connect the dots and champion efforts to ensure those patterns are reduced.  
DeYear discusses why firefighters tend to focus on being aggressive on the fireground, without being aggressive with education and knowledge building to lead you to make the right decisions. 
Resources 
Hidden Dangers, Hidden Secrets 
Daniel DeYear’s Firehouse bio and contributions  
ChiefDeYear.com 
Connect with Daniel DeYear on LinkedIn 
FireFusion 
Station Design Conference 

Leadership & Retention Ideas for Volunteer Fire Departments – Brandon Fletcher

Peter Matthews talks with Gilt Edge, TN, Fire Chief Brandon Fletcher about the challenges facing today’s volunteer fire service, plus an innovative program to help retain existing members.  
Fletcher outlines some of the top factors that are impacting the rolls and operations of departments today, including a dive into volunteer-focused leadership, politics and personalities and how to keep members engaged, whether on calls or training. He digs into several challenges that he’s seen firsthand and has learned from others. He goes on to share a program he implemented that allows for grant funding to bring members to national training conferences that not only improves their knowledge and networking but serves as a reward for their dedication to the department. 
Fletcher also talks about his experiences as a family escort for the annual Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend in Emmitsburg, MD. He has had the honor of escorting the families of the fallen throughout the memorial weekend events for three years, and he explains how that has impacted him as a fire chief, ensuring that his members do all they can to stay safe. 
Resources 
Volunteer View: Alternative Funding Sources to Enhance Department Operations 
Volunteer View: Retention Through Leadership 
Brandon Fletcher’s Firehouse contributor page 
Connect with Brandon Fletcher on LinkedIn 
FireFusion 
Station Design Conference 
National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend   

Where is Community Risk Reduction Today – Daniel Byrne, Laura Kondor, Ben Shearer

Peter Matthews talks with Daniel Byrne, Laura Konor and Ben Shearer about new approaches to Community Risk Reduction (CRR) and fire prevention in 2024, and what has changed with public outreach since COVID-19. Byrne is an assistant chief with the Burton, SC, Fire District, Kondor is fire safety coordinator for the North Charleston, SC, Fire Department and Shearer is community risk reduction specialist with the Pasco, WA, Fire Department. 
They discuss how COVID-19 impacted the fire service’s reach in-person reach, whether through in-school visits, open houses, or community events and how that created a shift to digital learning. Since then, some departments have had more requests than ever from the community, forcing them to select the groups they meet with to talk about life safety. 
The group shares advice for Fire Prevention Week success and year-round outreach concept that help fire departments connect with their communities at multiple levels. The three talk about how they have partnered with organizations and used fire department data to target education to certain groups, and close out the show with CRR wins and losses from their views. 
Ben Shearer
Laura Kondor
Daniel Byrne
Resources 
Fire Prevention Week  

Training Turns into Mayday, Close Call – Ragan Underwood

Peter Matthews talks with Capt. Ragan Underwood from the St. George, LA, Fire Department about a close call he had during a training burn where he was caught the flow path and was trapped in the home when the incident commander radioed for crews to leave the structure. 
Underwood, a veteran instructor and member of the Insight Training cadre, was taking part in a live fire training at a home in Illinois when he sent crews out of the home and went to cool down the fire before exiting. The fire took off and he was caught in the fire and got disoriented and suffered from exposure to serious heat around his hood and SCBA facepiece.  
While he was trying to find his way out and could hear the RIT crew making progress toward his location, command pulled crews out of the house saying it was too far gone, leaving Underwood in the home as conditions worsened. At that moment, his life changed, and he reflects on what happened after that. 
Underwood shares how careful communications and breathing techniques can help calm a firefighter during a mayday, and what officers should know about this situation. He explains how this incident changed his approach to training and operations and what he shares with those back home and when he’s on the road teaching. 
Resources 
FireFusion