The first general session at Fire-Rescue International certainly had plenty of good — and even some history-making — news.
Fire Chief magazine announced the winners of the 14th annual Fire Chief of the Year awards. The Career Chief of the Year Award was presented to Chief Randy Bruegman, Fresno (Calif. Fire Department and the Volunteer Chief of the Year was presented to Chief James P. Seavey Sr., Cabin John Park (Md.) Volunteer Fire Department. Co-presenting the award with me was Wilson Jones, president of Pierce Manufacturing, sponsor of the awards.
Bruegman, a 30-year veteran of the fire service, began his career as a volunteer in Nebraska and progressed to serve as chief in California, Illinois and Oregon. He is author of three fire service text books and served in a variety of national leadership roles for the past 18 years, including past president of the IAFC. In addition to his role in Fresno, Bruegman currently serves as president of the board of directors for the Center for Public Safety Excellence.
Seavey began his career as a junior member and volunteer in 1976. He has served as chief of Cabin John Park Fire Department since 1992. Seavey has served on the board of the National Volunteer Fire Council, IAFC’s Eastern Division and as chairman of the Maryland State Fireman’s Association.
Following the Chief of the Year awards, Motorola Vice President Kelly Kirwan presented the Ben Franklin Award for Valor. Kirwan told the moving story of how Firefighter Nicholas DiGiacomo, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, risked his own life to save of two people trapped below deck in a burning boat. DiGiacomo offered his own SCBA and suffered injuries while trying to extricate the two.
Miami-Dade’s Special Operations Chief Ray Barreto placed the medal around DiGiacomo's neck, while the audience gave a standing ovation.
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano was on hand to thank the fire service for its commitment to their communities. “When something happens, they are not going to call Washington, D.C.; they’re calling you and their local departments.”
Napolitano said DHS is now the third-largest agency in the federal government with over 210,000 employees from what used to be twenty-two separate agencies. She acknowledged that fire and emergency services are experiencing hardships and stated that since 2001, over $4 billion has been appropriated for the Assistance to Firefighters and SAFER Grants.
Napolitano also asked for “input and assistance” from the U.S. fire service for a quadrennial review within the government and created a Web site specifically for input: homelanddialog.org.
“This is a place to input comments or thoughts about DHS,” Napolitano said. “We’re at a level where we’re sculpting the strategy for the future.”
Napolitano also made history at the conference by swearing in the new U.S. Fire Administrator Kelvin Cochran. Cochran, former chief in Atlanta and Shreveport, La., took the oath of office to “…support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies.”
In his address, the new U.S. fire administrator recognized and thanked the USFA staff for their work and efforts for the fire service. Cochran then recognized the staff of the Atlanta Fire Department, the Shreveport Fire Department and then introduced his family in attendance.
Cochran will be the keynote speaker for Friday morning's general session.
The attendance appears to be down at the individual sessions, but the exhibits open Friday morning and traffic is likely to pick up.
