During the FDIC 2021 International Opening Ceremony Day 2 on Thursday, August 5, in Indianapolis, Chief John Alston of the New Haven (CT) Fire Department spoke on “You Can Get There from Here.”

“Do you ever wonder where some of the great achievements in the world came from?

Who had the vision? Who had the courage? Who had the perseverance to see those projects through? The world is filled with big dreams achieved by those who had a vision and took the first step to achieve that vision.

“Consider the Wright brothers who, frankly, new more about bicycles than they did aeronautics. They had no instructor or training, no pilot’s license. There was no flight school or Air Force Academy. There wasn’t even an airport or a runway.

“They had no one in their corner or to cheer them on. In fact, their own father turned his back on them and said, ‘If God had meant for man to fly, He would have given him wings!’ Come to think of it, they didn’t even have a landing strip. What they did have was a dream and yet, with little support, they are credited with inventing, building, and flying the first successful airplane in our nation.

“What about you? Do you ever ask yourself, What if? What if I could write a book? What if I could speak a foreign language? What if I could become a teacher or mentor a child? What if I could do the next great thing for my community or industry? What dreams are there lying in the recesses of your mind? What dreams have you left on the table because you either didn’t think they were worthy or you didn’t think you could achieve them?

“I was born in 1960. I grew up in Jersey City, New Jersey, and lived around the corner from Engine 8 on Ege Avenue. Back in those days, the ’60s, fire departments were very busy in the inner cities and when I was four years old, I used to watch them pass by my house. I mean, what little boy or girl doesn’t love a big red or, as I have come to love, white fire truck? The men on those trucks would always wave and smile at me, and I wanted to be just like them. In fact, I used to cry when the fire truck passed my house until one day they pulled up out front and asked my mother

If I could ride around the corner with them. Wow! I was bitten by the bug for which there is no cure, bitten by the bug to become a firefighter.

“It was my dream and became all I wanted to do. There was no cure until I made that dream come true. And I stand before you today with the heart of that same four-year-old boy still enmeshed in that dream–the desire to make a difference in my community and help save the world as part of a proud team of men and women who fight the good fight. 

“So, why am I here with you today? Because that initial dream evolved into something more.

“The title of my talk today is ‘You can get there from here.’ What do I mean by that?

I wanted to be a firefighter. I didn’t see myself as an instructor or believe I could be a chief officer and, I assure you, I had plenty of others who didn’t see it or could believe it in me either.

“Dreams don’t die unless you let them. Even when you achieve a dream, it’s not like you check a box and put that baby to bed. The desires that lie deep within your heart evolve and change into new dreams.

“For instance, my dream didn’t end the moment I put on this badge. In fact, when Chief Halton offered me the chance to teach, a new dream was born. And before I knew it, I was being encouraged to take classes and sign up for additional training.

“Little did I know that over time, I was being prepared. I was being asked to step up and do more in our industry. And quickly, my dream of becoming a firefighter had evolved into something even greater–helping to mold and lead the next generation of firefighters. That’s what dreams

Chief Patrick J. Kenny of the Western Springs (IL) Fire Department is the recipient of the 2020-2021 Fire Engineering/International Society of Fire Service Instructors (ISFSI) George D. Post Instructor of the Year Award. The award was presented on Thursday during the Opening Ceremony at FDIC International 2021.

Kenny has been a member of the fire service for more than 37 years. His articles have been published in the areas of leadership, fire safety, mental health, and fire code challenges. He has been instructing for the Illinois Fire Chiefs Association as well as the Illinois Fire Service Institute since the mid-1980s and has been presenting his programs on mental health to audiences across the United States, Canada, and England since 1999.

In nominating him, Battalion Chief Tim Cassidy of the Mount Prospect (IL) Fire Department wrote: “My basis for this recommendation is the impact Chief Kenny has had in making firefighter behavioral health and psychological resiliency common topics of discussion in our firehouses. In our area, these topics as they relate to firefighting are no longer the taboo, stigma-labeled signals of weakness they may have been thought to be decades ago. He has led us miles ahead and we will never know how many ‘saves’ we can credit to his powerful message.”

Devon J. Wells, past president of the ISFSI: “Chief Kenney has had a significant impact on the awareness of behavioral health and resiliency. Through his dynamic, emotional, and heart-felt trainings, countless numbers of firefighters and public safety officials have become more aware of psychological stressors and their impact, not only on those we work with, but ourselves. He is the epitome of a humble, dedicated fire instructor changing lives through delivering training.”

The award, which incorporates the Training Achievement Award previously given by Fire Engineering at FDIC, is named for George D. Post, who was a long-time member of the ISFSI. Post was a member of the Fire Department of New York, an illustrator of fire service publications, and a developer of instructional materials and is considered by many to be the father of visual training material used to train fire service personnel around the world.

Excerpts from Larry and David Conley’s keynote “Powerless,” delivered at FDIC International 2021 on Opening Ceremony Day 2, Thursday, August 5, at the Indiana Convention Center Sagamore Ballroom in Indianapolis:

“Good morning. My name is Larry Conley. I am a 29-year veteran of the St. Louis (MO) Fire Department. As much as I hate to admit it, there have been times when I have felt … powerless. It is not something we like to talk about in the fire service. Still, the message gets out. There are more suicides in the fire service than line-of-duty deaths. Think about that for a second. Today, I am going to talk about how to maximize your greatest resource, YOU. I am going to show you how paying attention to 5 areas of your life can keep you refreshed and less likely to feel … powerless.

“David and I go around the country teaching a personal leadership model called the EMPOWER model. Our belief is when you internalize this model, you develop practices that improve your life. This model helps you realize, develop, and manage your power in a way that potentially makes yo”u the best version of yourself.

“The elements of the EMPOWER model are Endvision, Mutual Victory, Being Proactive, Organizing Priorities, Working Together, Empathetic Listening, and Recharge.

“Endvision involves creating a clear mental picture of your goal. What does the end look like? Imagine this goal in great detail. It is the blueprint to build, to create, to achieve, to become whatever you want. It is the compass that keeps you on your True North. One way to solidify your personal Endvision is to compose a personal Constitution. The personal constitution, like the American Constitution, will create an unshakable foundation to build your best self.

“Mutual Victory suggests thinking of every human interaction in a way that gets the best result for all parties involved. This principle works great for conflict resolution but even better for creating a psychologically safe environment for you and everyone around you. It relieves the stress and anxiety related to the need to win inherent in most interactions. Mastering this element is very important in promoting peace in your daily life.

“Proactive people are some of the most EMPOWERed people alive. They tend to be better prepared for stressful situations. This is because the way they live their lives promotes constant preparation. Being Proactive means you make things happen more than react to things happening to you.

“Organizing Priorities is about putting the things that matter most before the things that matter least. Though this seems obvious, a lot of us live our lives without prioritizing things like our health, our families, and our emotional well-being. When you master the ability to identify and prioritize things in your life from most important to least important, you are more efficient with time and with what you allow to stress and distract you.

“Working Together involves promoting the strengths of everyone in your circle. While identifying everyone’s strong suits, you validate the contributions of anyone in your circle. You treat everyone, including yourself, with equal high status. You promote unity and growth in relationships, building bridges instead of walls. This type of unity is crucial to an organization as tight knit as the fire service.

“Empathetic Listening addresses one of the greatest human needs–the need to be understood. You would be surprised how much richer your relationships become when you learn to really hear the other person’s point of view and they really hear yours. One thing that makes a person feel the most powerless is shouting into a void. What you drive, what you wear, your job– everything you do says hear me.

“Recharge is, to me, the most important element. It dramatically reduce

A Stanton, TX, firefighter was killed and another firefighter was hurt in a crash on Wednesday, reports cbs7.com.

The Martin County Messenger says on Facebook that volunteer firefighters Danny Ireton and Allon Carby were responding to a crash on FM 829 when their apparatus was involved in an accident with an 18-wheeler.

Ireton was killed in the crash, and Carby was taken to a local hospital. No other details are currently available.