Hey...

Remembering takes on two different meanings.

The first, is of course, to remember the loss and the suffering that the members of Pittsburgh Fire have gone through. Even more importantly is to remember the Brace and Stefanakis family members who lost their heroes-their loved ones. Their lives, like all LODD survivors, will never be the same. Holes in hearts that will never be repaired.

The second "remember" is that when firefighters are killed, every one of us has a high priority responsibility to study the event, learn from it and do whatever it takes to make sure it is never repeated. That has to occur at the smallest rural firehouse to the biggest city firehouse-and it must affect every firefighter-no matter what. And when we are done learning-we have to make sure everyone you run calls with learns too. Who gets that done? You. By spreading the facts. Not some of the nonsense that goes on in some chat rooms, bulletin boards and forums....but by all of us getting the facts from the reports and from the affected FD's-and putting it in the faces of those who go with us to fires. Include it in drills, trainings, e-mails-whatever it takes to keep this stuff in their faces so they-we-us-cannot forget and we don't repeat history. Keeping it in their faces works. We just have to want to do it.

Repeating History?

We did it AGAIN just a few weeks ago when Mouton, Alabama Fire Captain Lloyd McCulloch, 63, and Firefighter Dusty Jones, 23, were hitting hot spots at a fire that had been burning for hours...and then a concrete wall predictably collapsed, killing them instantly. The firefighters were pronounced dead at the scene...but killed for what? As you saw on the news clip, the obviously friendly and wonderful McCulloch (who was also a FD Chaplain) had talked about the dangers of firefighting, remarking how they were lucky that no one had been hurt at that job and was thankful to the mutual aid companies....and then he (and FF Jones) were killed by that unstable wall moments later. Did you see the picture of Captain McCulloch with his granddaughter that was on one of the media websites? What a gorgeous little girl with her happy grandfather. That's now history.

And Again.....

In Yellowknife, Canada, two more tragic deaths happened on March 17 of 2005...one year ago this week...when two firefighters were killed while operating at a detached saw shed fire...a saw shed. An outside shed used to saw lumber at a home supply business....what's that value? A simple shed. So they died for what...?

Yellowknife Fire Lieutenant Cyril Fyfe, 41, and Firefighter Kevin Olson, 24, (a probie and newlywed) were inside the burning shed when the part of the roof-and all that was on it-came down on them. They were crushed by the building roof and the weight of ice, snow and firefighters on that roof. Other firefighters were on top of the roof opening up...and they escaped without serious injuries.

And now, this week, there are actually governmental charges against the City of Yellowknife, their Fire Chief and Deputy Chief that include failing to take reasonable precautions to ensure the health and safety of firefighters, as well as failing to properly instruct firefighters in the safe performance of their duties.The Chiefs (...there but for the grace of God go us....) face a heavy penalty if found guilty.....a maximum penalty of $500,000, or imprisonment for a term not exceeding a year, or both. The Workers' Compensation Board laid the charges under the Northwest Territories Safety Act.

The Fire Chief and Deputy Fire Chief being charged.....

Whoa.

It's different in parts of Canada....the Chiefs, Incident Commanders etc can be CHARGED.

We need to do our best to protect property. That is our mission...but the priority of LIFE and PROPERTY are at two VERY different levels. Some firefighters will kick and scream saying that "it is our job to protect property"...yeah it is. But the two are very different. Some firefighters feel "if we die doing that...that's just a risk of the job".

Take your head out of your a**.

So WHO is it that WANTS US to DIE...or...to die for WHAT?

We're not saying we shouldn't go in-I am saying that when the building is unoccupied-we should not get killed...the risk/benefit on an unoccupied building is not worth you getting killed. At this point in your career, you have figured out that the building owner couldn't care less about you, right?

And yes-every once in a while, we as firefighters must give up our lives to save another life. That is part of the job. But those occasions are pretty rare....just look at our LODD stats-how many of us died saving or trying to save someone? Very, very few. But giving up our lives to save a building-especially buildings that have been burning (burning=unstable), or are clearly unstable or that have little worth? Come on. Most firefighter deaths are totally avoidable. The IAFC's Exec. Director Garry Briese calls many of our deaths FRATRICIDE. Google that word.

So then.... if your families don't want you to die...and your FD doesn't want you to die...and the building owners and occupants don't care....then who is it that we are getting killed for? Who then is it, that wants you to die? For who? For what?

Take some time this week to remember the families, friends, fellow firefighters and fire officers of Pittsburgh Battalion Chief Charles Brace, 55, Firefighter Richard Stefanakis, 51, as well as Yellowknife, Canada Fire Lieutenant Cyril Fife, 41, and Firefighter Kevin Olson, 24. Read about the fires that killed them and do something with the info.

(More information on the Yellowknife fire is on our news/updates area of the home page on FirefighterCloseCalls.com)

AND-a quick update: A Chickasha (OK) firefighter critically injured battling a brush fire earlier this month is fighting to stay alive. The mother of firefighter Destry Horton says her son's arms were amputated this week and that he may also lose a foot. Jerri Thomas says her son remains in critical condition. He suffered burns to about 50 percent of his body when he was trapped by a wildfire March First near Duncan.

Take Care-BE CAREFUL,

CHIEF BILLY GOLDFEDER "BillyG"

The Secret List 3-13-06