In the May issue of FIRE CHIEF magazine, "Any Moment" (pages 24-25) depicts a fire truck overturned on its driver's side. In front of the twisted metal lays a crumpled, discarded bunker coat. A pair of eyeglasses is under the bumper.

The photo is from an April 27 accident in Chicago in which two fire trucks from different departments collided while responding to the same garage fire. The driver and a firefighter were thrown from the Stone Park Fire Department vehicle. Firefighter Jeffrey Bergstrom, 34, was killed immediately. The driver was in critical condition and four others were injured.

Over the years, FIRE CHIEF magazine has tried to offer covers that interested our readers while avoiding sensationalism. OK, fire is pretty sensational, but when it comes to including victims, we have opted to respect the privacy of the individuals and chosen another photo.

When I looked at the photo of this accident, my first reaction was to reject printing it. It turned my stomach. But it didn't take long to realize that the message in that image of twisted metal was important.

A few days after the accident, I met three firefighters from Stone Park at a trade show. They were about to leave the show to attend the funeral of their co-worker. As I expressed my sympathies to them, I asked if the firefighters involved in the accident had been wearing seatbelts. The one young one said, "We never wear seatbelts," and he fought back tears.

This week, I received an e-mail from an officer in a large fire department describing another accident that occurred when a firefighter was standing and donning his bunker gear while the apparatus was responding. The apparatus turned a corner, the firefighter lost his balance and fell against the rear door of the enclosed cab. The door -- which had been written up several times but never repaired -- opened and the firefighter landed on the road surface behind the moving apparatus.

Driving into the office on the expressway, I could see the church where Bergstrom's funeral services were being held. For as far as the eye could see, the parking lot was full of fire trucks -- every color imaginable -- lights flashing, waiting to move out. Ahead in procession, for a good mile on the bridge over the expressway, dozens and dozens of fire trucks inched a few feet from each other.

I couldn't help but wonder: Each of the firefighters riding in those fire trucks, were they wearing their seatbelts?

Janet Wilmoth, Editor