Firefighter Netcast – Safe Firefighter of the Month Program with PA Fire Commissioner Ed Mann and Bruce Lear

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Firefighter NetCast is extremely proud to bring you a very special show with Pennsylvania Fire Commissioner Ed Mann, and Bruce Lear with Hale Pumps.  Together, they are spearheading a new effort called Safe Firefighter of the Month.  They quickly gained the eager blessing of the Every Goes Home program brought to us by the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation.

The program is designed to recognize the efforts of individual firefighters who clearly demonstrate one or more of the Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives.  We go over the process of nominating an individual for the monthly awards and how the winner is selected.

The program also offers resources to individual departments to award their own members a Safe Firefighter of the Month award, complete with recognition certificates, posters, etc.  Go on over to Safe Firefighter of the Month and demonstrate your department’s recognition of the importance the 16 Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives have in your department.

Commissioner Mann admits he only initiated the challenge, and gives Hale Pumps most all of the credit for taking this program and running with it.  In fact, on the night we taped this show, July 1, 2010, congratulations are due to Delbert Lewis of the Howell County (MO) Rural Fire District for winning the program’s first ever Safe Firefighter of the Month.

After a quick break, we asked Commissioner Mann about the ongoing debate that we are going overboard with the safety message making us less aggressive as firefighters.  His response helped clear up some of the misconceptions that many have regarding this hot-button issue.

Another controversial subject was addressed.  What is the role of minimum standards for firefighters?  Commissioner Mann talks specifically about his state, but everybody nationally is suffering with the same issues.

A Virginia caller endorses the efforts of Commissioner Mann in his state, as well as training centers in other states, in the value of education of firefighters nationwide.

A chatroom guest asked how to get more information on the Safe Firefighter of the Month Program.  Bruce suggested anyone interested to contact Rita Leonard at Hale Pump.  Rita is the Manager of the Marketing Services Group and can supply all sorts of resources for web pages, posters, etc.  Bruce Lear can be reached by phone at 610-825-6300.

Finally, the newest member of the Firefighter NetCast programming family joins us with the announcement of his premiere, “Taking It to the Streets” on July 21, 2010.  It’s a natural outgrowth of Chris’ fields of expertise found in writing at CommandSafety.com and TheCompanyOfficer.com.  Now he brings his discussions to you live and welcomes your input in the show.

Christopher J. Naum, SFPE is a 34-year fire service veteran and a former Fire Chief/Fire Protection & Safety Coordinator at a nuclear power plant in the Northeastern United States, where he managed site-wide fire protection & industrial safety and previously served as a commanding company officer for over twenty years in field operations with a volunteer fire department in New York. A nationally recognized authority on building construction, structural collapse and command management, he has traveled throughout the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom delivering training programs on building construction, command risk management and firefighter safety. He is the Chief of Training for the Command Institute, a Washington, DC based emergency management & training organization.

An Adjunct Instructor with the National Fire Academy, he specializes in training courses for Structural Collapse, Building Construction and Firefighter Safety & Health. A Contributing Editor with Firehouse Magazine since 1988 and Firehouse.com since 2002, he has authored numerous articles on building construction, firefighting operations, command, leadership and special technical rescue operations. He is the author of the monthly column “Structural Anatomy” at Firehouse.com focusing on building construction, command risk management and firefighter safety. He was the 1987 ISFSI George D. Post National Fire Instructor of the Year as presented by the International Society of Fire Service Instructors.

The Second Vice President with the International Society of Fire Service Instructors, he is an active supporter and participant of the NFFF, The Everyone Goes Home Initiatives and the Near Miss Reporting Systems. A member of the IAFC since 1987, he served over ten years as a charter member of the IAFC Urban Rescue Structural Collapse Committee and is a member of the SH&S Section and the VCOS. He serves on the Board of Directors with the International Association of Fire Chiefs, Safety, Health & Survival Section (IAFC SH&S) and on the Board of Directors of the Open Fire Academy International (OFA). He is authoring a new text book on Building Construction for the Fire Services integrating architecture & construction technology, command risk management and firefighter safety and continues to present his popular structural anatomy building construction training series throughout the United States and internationally.

And now, he’s one of us!

Stay tuned to Firefighter NetCast for more of the finest programming for firefighters on the net!