Sheilah Sweatman (Photo courtesy of the Winnipeg Sun.)

By Derek Rosenfeld

Wednesday afternoon classes commenced with a somber but informative look at an unfortunate side effect of poor training decsions, as Terrace (British Columbia, Canada) Fire Department Deputy Chief David Jephson presented Death of a Member During a Training Exercise. Jephson's presentation focused on the case of Sheilah Sweatman, a Nelson (British Columbia, Canada) Search & Rescue volunteer who lost her life in the line of duty while training on June 29, 2011.

"This topic is very serious to me and the fire department. After being a witness on the stand at the Sweatman inquiry, I felt that I needed to start hammering the truth about what happened and try to lead the charge against trainers who think it is okay to hurt or end a life of a student, Jephson said. "I will talk about three instructor who have done this, and one week after each death went and instructed another class, like there was nothing wrong. One even went to the police and asked for his suit back for a course."

Jephson continued, "I believe that all trainers need to be held accountable, encouraged and respected for what they do, they are leaders in the fire service. For our fire departments, we have changed our whole approach to training, records, lessons, and ideas because of my experience at the inquiry. A day does not go by at the fire hall that we don't mention a judge, a jury, or the ramification of an injury or a death. We believe it has made us better."  

Here, Jephson begins by talking about the line of communications and logistics used for search and rescue by the province of British Columbia, Canada:

According to Jephson, "Training, leadership, accountability, leading by example, public perception, supporting the cause, and embracing what the fire service truly is" are incorporated into this topic.

Here, Jephson talks about the events of the day and the press coverage in the immediate aftermath of Sweatman's disappearance:

Here, Jephson talks about the time line of the incident and what he and other administrators did to create new search and rescue safety standards in the wake of Sweatman's death:

On FDIC International, Jephson said, "This will be my second [conference]. Last year was very quick, but I was able to see what has been created (I drank the koolaid). The wealth of knowledge and the desire to learn by all I think is the aspect that I felt."

"After being there last year for three days I new I could send a strong message to all trainers by using my Sweatman presentation."

Jephson conculded, "Be the best that you can be for the student that you lead and teach. You are the one setting the tone for their whole career. And stick to the program, follow your topic and training material by who ever it is from, do not deviate to make it o

In this series, Fire Engineering Associate Editor Rob Maloney looks at the things that motivated and inspired instructors to present on their topics at FDIC International 2016. Segments will be posted on a regular basis up to and through the conference, April 18-23.

Candice McDonald, Firefighter/EMS Officer, Winona (OH) Fire Department

Preventing Member Derailment and Embarrassment in the Fire Service

Friday, April 22, 8:30 a.m.-10:15 a.m

I chose this topic for FDIC because I want to protect the integrity on which the fire service was founded. Receiving the e-mail that my course was selected for FDIC was truly a highlight of my fire service career. I have been teaching in the fire service for about five years; this will be fourth year at FDIC and my first year presenting. I had always dreamed of being able to share the message at the largest fire conference in the world. I still can’t believe it is real!

My grandmother always wanted to be a firefighter, but in her era, it was still believed that women belonged in the kitchen and not on a fire truck. Her encouraging me that I could be a firefighter was a huge inspiration. I am living the dream she wasn’t offered the opportunity to.

My background as a certified counselor and years of experience in non-profit marketing provided me a unique opportunity to share a skill set. The high point of teaching is that I  can meet so many great people from around the world. The low point is there not enough time to travel around the country to fill all of the requests I get. I still I have a full-time job and a family that come first.

The small investment in attending FDIC can change your life! It’s the place enjoy amazing opportunities and make life-changing connections. I met some of my most valued mentors at FDIC, and where I chose to pursue becoming Dr. McDonald, which will become a reality this December! I have made lasting friendships from around the world here.

Outside of the firehouse, I work for NASA in the Office of Protective Services. Since I am in the last six months of my doctorate, I don’t have a lot of time for hobbies. However, I do enjoy camping with friends, scuba diving with my family, and any moment I can get with my kids. I look forward to finishing up my doctorate and being able to get back to writing articles for Fire Engineering!  I miss writing on topics I am passionate about.

EPHRATA, PA. (April 21, 2016) – Ladder Tower Co. (LTC), a wholly owned subsidiary of Smeal Fire Apparatus Co., will exhibit a new 54-foot Squrt® Articulating Water Tower with a number of design enhancements in Booth #4321 during the Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC) Exhibition in Indianapolis, Ind. April 21-23, 2016. This new Squrt is for Prospect Heights Volunteer Fire Co. #1, which is led by Fire Chief Tom Leese. It will replace a 24-year-old Squrt that the department has had in its fleet. The new design features a new pump panel configuration, Smeal’s QL-12 peer-to-peer electrical system, and new, advanced joystick controls, but keeps all the features departments have always enjoyed.

“The iconic Squrt, with its articulating water tower, has always offered unique firefighting features, and we are particularly proud to be bringing back these aerial advantages in a newly enhanced design. We are very appreciative of Prospect Heights Volunteer Fire Company’s and Ewing Township’s confidence in our ability to make the Squrt better than it’s ever been,” said Jeff Wegner, senior vice president of global sales for LTC and Smeal Fire Apparatus Co. “We are committed to revitalizing the LTC aerial product line, and this updated Squrt design is just one example.”

Squrt® Articulating Water Tower
The 54-foot Squrt Articulating Water Tower provides unmatched ability to position a master stream over or under obstructions exactly where it is needed. It also offers excellent sidewalk sweep capability with the ability to put place the monitor very close to the ground and near the vehicle.

It features a 1,000-gpm articulating boom, 750 gallons of water, a 30-gallon Class B foam cell and 2,000- gpm Waterous pump. It has a low overall travel height of 10’8” and a narrow, 11’9” stabilizer spread for fast, easy set-up on scene. The Squrt Articulating Water Tower can easily be added to a traditional pumper configuration to provide aerial capability with only a small increase in overall vehicle length.

A new 65-foot TeleSqurt Telescoping Boom-Ladder and Smeal 100-foot rear mount platform were part of the same order, and will be delivered to Ewing Township, New Jersey, along with the 54’ Squrt. Each of the aerials is built on a six-person Smeal Sirius fire chassis, and all feature Smeal’s proprietary QL-12™ peer-to-peer electrical system for enhanced reliability.

Smeal Fire Apparatus Co.
Smeal Fire Apparatus Co., including US Tanker Co. and Ladder Tower Co., is recognized as a premier manufacturer, inventor and innovator of customized fire apparatus. The company offers a full line of custom and commercial pumpers, rescue pumpers, mini and rescue pumpers, stainless steel tanker / tenders, aerial ladders, platforms, TDA’s, wildland, and urban interface vehicles. Smeal is committed to leading the industry in high quality fire apparatus, delivery times and customer experience. Smeal sells its products worldwide and is based in Snyder, Neb. To learn more, visit smeal.com and laddertower.com.

DAYTON, OH (April 17, 2016) - Honeywell (NYSE: HON) today announced the launch of four products for first responders and is co-sponsoring a scholarship program for first responders at the Fire Department Instructor’s Conference (FDIC) April 18-23 in Indianapolis. An expanded portfolio of first responder products and firefighter training support are part of the company’s commitment to providing long-term, innovative solutions to the firefighting industry.

“The firefighting industry knows Honeywell for our leadership in fire detection and control systems, and for our popular personal protective equipment such as Morning Pride TAILS turnout gear; but now, we hope they will come to know us more as a complete head-to-toe supplier of personal protective equipment,” said Ken Schmidt, president of Honeywell First Responder.  “Our aim is to improve safety, efficiency and productivity on the fireground through a new generation of smart, simple-to-use cyber-industrial solutions.”

At FDIC, Honeywell First Responder is introducing:

•    TITAN, an intelligent self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) that combines high-performance Honeywell materials, proprietary electronics, wireless communications and unique ergonomic features to offer firefighters a greater degree of maneuverability, safety and efficiency on the fireground.

•    Morning Pride TAILS, the company’s flagship turnout gear used by more than 50 percent of North America’s top 20 municipal fire departments, which has been reengineered using proprietary Honeywell patterning design to include several ergonomic and safety refinements providing a better fit and allow more range of motion and protection.

•    FIRST, a cloud hosted software solution that manages and tracks a fire department’s inventory of personal protective equipment through automation and simplified barcode scanning, enabling fire departments to simplify NFPA 1851 compliance, records-keeping and PPE program management.

•    NightHawk, a firefighter boot that builds on the legacy Pro Warrington line, redesigned with new materials and ergonomic features resulting in greater athletic fit, performance, comfort and protection.

In addition, Honeywell is co-sponsoring a scholarship program that awards 20 firefighters with expenses-paid trips to the industry’s major training and educational event for first responders. The scholarship awards accomplished firefighters who also have demonstrated an intense desire for education and training.

“The annual scholarship program helps furthers the professional development of 20 exemplary firefighters who will benefit their communities greatly by applying the knowledge they acquire from their training at FDIC,” said Schmidt.

For more information on Honeywell First Responder products, visit: http://www.honeywellfirstresponder.com