Editorial

From the Editor’s Desk

Dennis Whittam, Editor Are You Ready To Meet The Press?

As we enter the holiday season, I ask everyone to pause for a moment and say a prayer for our brothers and sisters who have died in the line of duty. Take the time to remember the members in your department, who have served and have passed, leaving a void in their department. Experience tells me that the fire service will never forget those members who have passed in 2022.

To our officers, who prepare to lead their companies and departments in 2023; are you ready to make a difference? Ask yourself what you can do differently in the upcoming new year to instill an awareness of safe enthusiasm. I am proud to see my company members coming down to the firehouse on their own to check the rigs, test equipment, and to make sure their gear is in order, so they can quickly and safely respond to calls.

In November, I had the honor to attend the Lt. Joseph P. DiBernardo Memorial Foundation fundraiser as a Public Information Officer. No matter how large or small an incident is, you should be following the guidelines of the Incident Command System to make sure that every aspect of your event is safely covered by a qualified and responsible person. My job was to prepare to greet the press that may or may not show up to our event. I prepared a package that gave the history of Black Sunday, and I explained the purpose of the organization and how it has helped firefighters stay safe over the past 10 years. My job was to greet the press and set up a liaison from our group who could take the press around the handson training evolutions and answer any questions that they may have had for us.

As the editor of Fire News, I often receive telephone calls, text messages and emails requesting coverage for a special event at a local fire department. I explain to the person asking for help that I will do whatever I can to help them, but I cannot guarantee that one of our photographers will be able to make the event. I let the departments know that the Fire News photographers are freelance reporters, who typically cover emergency situations in their area. During my conversation, I will often ask, “Do you have a Public Information Officer?” It is my hope that they do.

APIO is the perfect job for a senior member who has good communication skills and knowledge of their department’s events. Today, with the advent of cellphones, word processing skills and email operations, your PIO can get photos and a writeup to all the local press, Fire News included. Your local fire academy often has a class to teach your PIO what to say and what not to say. Yes, sometimes the PIO must explain to citizens why certain situations appear to have gone wrong at a call when in fact nothing went wrong at all. A good PIO is a buffer between the public and the chief. Achief really cannot say he didn’t know something went wrong. APIO can say, “Let me get back to you on this.”

PIOs should start out slowly. Prepare a few photos and copy, about the event and send the information to Fire News. Now that Fire News has grown to 12 editions, turn to page three to find the email address for your paper.

I look forward to your stories. Have a safe holiday season!

- Dennis

Serving Delaware’s First Responders Since 1921

Exciting things are ahead as our conference ended. President Ryder and his officers have started their new duties. We have been putting together the updated committee list and legislative agenda to discuss with the Governor and the 152nd General Assembly. The makeup of the General Assembly has not changed very much in the majority and minority parties but there are nine new state legislators, six representatives and three senators in Legislative Hall as of this writing.

Along with having new state representatives and senators a lot of the district lines have moved around due to redistricting. The DVFA office is here to help connect you to your legislators and educate them on all of our needs and how the fire service operates in the State of Delaware. We are here to assist you in setting up those meetings.

As you know, it is almost that time for surf fishing tags and stickers to enter the Delaware State Parks. The form is on the website. Please

DVFAOffice

make sure you have the current form printed out on your company’s letterhead for your members and follow all the rules of the Delaware State Parks. It should be a smooth process. If you run into any problems, please remember you are representing the fire service of the state of Delaware and your local fire departments. Please be courteous and polite to the park’s staff and reach out to us for assistance. You can get the president’s stamped signature at any county meeting. Just see President Ryder, either of the vice-presidents or DVFAoffice staff to obtain it.

Also, as the elections for your local fire department’s officers are quickly approaching, please keep in mind to update your contact list to the Delaware State Fire Prevention Commission with your new officers, so they can send it out to all the agencies that need to be advised of that information. If you make any changes to your delegates or alternates to the DVFAplease send a letter to the DVFAoffice or email them to norm912@aol.com

We also want to remind you of the new tuition reimbursement program. The information is on the fire school website or contact Jeff Brown at the Delaware State Fire School for more information.

There is funding still funding available in the Revolving Loan Program. That information is also on the website or you can contact a committee member.

The next executive meeting will be held at the Delaware State Fire School, Sunday, December 11, 2022, with committees meeting at 0900 and Executive meeting at 2200. I want to take this time to wish you all a very happy and safe holiday season.

Norman “Jay” Jones Jr Executive Manager norm912@aol.com Call/Text - 302-381-9780 Fax - 302-734-9404

by Ken Ryder, President, DVFA It looks like and feels like this new DVFAyear is off and running and I’m going to have to play catch up. Unfortunately, I spent the entire month of August involved in recovering from a significant COVID infection which kept me down for quite a while. My plans to attend and participate in our DVFAAnnual Conference at the Chase Center in Wilmington were derailed by it. I had not recovered sufficiently and was too weak to attend many of the functions that are part of the event. Fortunately, I was able to

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attend the Delaware State Fire Police annual dinner and our Installation Ceremony to be installed as the association’s President for 2022-2023. Thanks, Dan, for passing the torch, we’ll take it from here.

My sincere thanks to Administrative Assistant Warren Jones, Executive Manager Jay Jones, President Dan Carrier and the other officers and members who pitched in and covered for me during the days and events that I was unable to attend. I certainly didn’t plan on being out of action for as long as I was but COVID didn’t check with me first.

I’d like to mention the other officers that were installed for this year and extend my appreciation to retiring Senator Bruce Ennis for being our Installing Officer. They are 1st Vice-President Ron O’Neal from Millsboro (83), 2nd Vice-President Tom DiCristofaro from Claymont (13), Secretary Elmer Steele from Laurel (81), and Treasurer Terry Witham from Dover Fire (46) along with New Castle County Director Brian Reeder from Christiana (12). These are our newly installed team members for this year’s DVFA.

With the conference and installation behind us, it is now time to move forward. It’s time to get back to work on solving any issues we are aware of. Then be prepared to recognize that there are other issues coming that we are not yet aware of. The two issues that are the most apparent to me at this point are, Recruitment and Retention along with Funding, though not necessarily in that order. Each one of us might choose the reverse order and say that other one is our greater priority. Continued on page 38.

LADVFACorner

Greetings from the LADVFAPresident’s Hive

by Debra Lawhead, President LADVFA As I start my journey of being your president, I would like to thank all the auxiliaries for their support.

The LADVFAis an organization of friendship, service to our community and support for our firehouses. These qualities have developed through the years and, as we move into the future, we need to find ways to recruit and retain a younger generation. Ageneration that will become interested in what we do and the benefits of belonging so that we are around for another 85 years. Any ideas on how we can do this are more than welcomed. Please share these ideas with either 1st Vice President Stacy Northam-Smith or me.

At this year’s conference a change in the bylaws eliminated the November meeting. So, there will be sometime before we all meet again in May. I hope that between now and then our committees will have set some goals to accomplish. I will share these goals at the county meetings that I will be attending.

I have already started to visit the different county meetings and I am so glad to see that more of us are getting back together and that the worker bees are getting back to fundraising to support our firehouses. Remember to share your ideas on what works and what obstacles you had. Communication is the key to success in each of our endeavors.

I would like to extend to everyone a Happy Thanksgiving and a Merry Christmas! Be safe everyone.

RBVFC Assist Lewes

Rehoboth Beach VolunteerFire Company (RBVFC) assisted Lewes with a travel trailerand house fire on Dove Knoll Drive off of Coastal Highway on September22, 2022. - Submitted by Chuck Snyder

South Dupont Wighway Truck Fire

Cover Story Seaford Commercial 2-AlarmerExtends

Just priorto 0700 on October12, 2022, the Seaford, Blades, Laurel and Bridgeville departments were alerted fora commercial structure fire on Harrington Street in the City of Seaford. Engine 875 and responding command units were advised that dispatch has received multiple calls reporting fire through the roof of a large warehouse. Deputy 87 confirmed the report. Engine 875 laid out a supply line from the closest hydrant and deployed 400 feet of 2-1/2 inch line. An aggressive interiorattack was attempted by the engine crew forthe first few minutes but, due to watersupply issues, the crew was forced to go defensive. Additional first-alarm crews arrived and Command 87 requested a second alarm, as well as a tankertask force due to the volume of fire and lack of sufficient watersupply. By the time a consistent and adequate watersupply was established, the fire had advanced through the entire original fire building and well into an attached exposure. Some apparatus had to be repositioned as the fire advanced. Crews operated for 31/2 hours before the fire was brought undercontrol. Several firefighters were treated and transported forminorinjuries. The cause of the fire was underinvestigation by several agencies. - Submitted by Robin Andino; photos by Mike Stanfield & Jack Wilson

8 Displaced by Townhouse Blaze

At 0339 hours on September5, 2022, the Aetna Hose, Hook and LadderCompany was dispatched to a two-alarm structure fire with a report of possible subjects trapped in the 100 block of Chadd Road in Drummond Ridge Townhouses. Aetna was accompanied by units from Christiana, Cranston Heights, Mill Creek and Hockessin and the New Castle County Paramedics. Fire units arrived on scene to confirm flames were visible through the roof and spreading to the adjoining home with all occupants reported out of the burning structure. Asecond alarm assignment was requested, resulting in dispatch of units from the Five Points, Minquas and Elsmere. The American Red Cross assisted with relocating fouradults and fourchildren from the two damaged homes. The Delaware State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the cause of the fire. - Submitted by Lawrence E. Tan

CamperFire Extends

Acamperwas heavily damaged on Maple Street in the Big Oaks Campground off of Wolfe Neck Road on October21, 2022, at approximately 2315. Rehoboth Beach VolunteerFire Company units arrived to find heavy fire in a 25-foot camperwith some extension to another. Crews made a quick knockdown with no injuries reported. Bethany Beach provided coverup as crews worked for about two hours controlling the scene. - Submitted by Chuck Snyder

Blades Handles Single-Wide Fire

Blades VolunteerFire Company along with mutual aid arrived to a single-wide trailerwith fire showing in the Sussex ManorDevelopment. Crews worked jointly from stations 81, 87, 72, and 74 to extinguish the fire and complete searches. All occupants were accounted forand scene was turned overto the FMO forinvestigation. - Submitted by Jason Hudson, Fire Chief

ExcavatorFire NearBethel

On October18, 2022, the Laurel Fire Department was alerted forconstruction equipment on fire outside of Bethel at Kroger’s Salvage. Laurel Fire Chief Jeff Hill responded as command and, with smoke visible from several miles away, asked Emergency Operations to also alert Blades fora tankercompany assist. Upon arrival, a construction excavatorwas heavily involved in fire. Engine/Tanker81-5 and Engine 81-3 arrived and made an attack on the fire while Tanker71-2 provided set up and watersupply.

- Submitted by Michael Lowe

Rescue 47 and Tanker47

Rescue 47 and Tanker47 at a house fire on Flatiron Road. - Submitted by Tom Williams

Working TrailerFire in Harrington

On August 30, 2022, at 0413, the Harrington, Houston and Farmington fire companies, along with Kent County EMS, were dispatched to a working trailerfire in the 500 Block of Messick Road. Command 50 reported a single-wide trailerwith fire showing. As units arrived, two handlines were placed in service and a watersupply was established. Crews extinguished the fire, performed primary and secondary searches and ventilation. One firefighterwas transported from the scene to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and was treated and released. - Submitted by Earl Brode

Talleyville Handles Community Center Fire

On October19, 2022, Unit 257 responded to an automatic fire alarm at the Jewish Community Center. Upon arrival, 257 found a single-story commercial structure with fire showing from the Alpha side. Two handlines were put in service and firefighters were able to make a quick knock of the fire. - Submitted by Talleyville FC

Commercial Fire in Seaford

Shortly afternoon on September29, 2022, the Seaford, Laurel, Blades and Bridgeville departments were alerted fora commercial building fire on Front Street in Seaford. Command 87 arrived to find fire showing on the Charlie side of the building. Engine 875, Engine 713 and Tower87 arrived shortly afterand went to work locating the fire inside the building. Multiple handlines were deployed while Tower87’s outside crew opened the roof. Due to the heat and multiple layers of roofing material, additional units were special called to assist. Crews operated forroughly 45 minutes to bring the fire undercontrol.

- Submitted by Robin Andino

Wilmington Row House Destroyed

Wilmington Fire Department units responded to North Market Street at 0640 on October23, 2022, fora structure fire. Squad 4 reported a large volume of fire from a three-story, middle-of-the-row structure. Squad 4 attempted to make entry to the second floorwith a handline via a portable ground ladder. Upon entering, Battalion Chief Dannerimmediately changed tactics to a defensive attack and all interiorunits were withdrawn. Large diameterhoselines and aerial masterstreams were put into service and shortly thereafterthere was a collapse of the roof into the third floor. Command placed the situation undercontrol approximately 40 minutes from dispatch. The cause and origin of the fire is listed as “undetermined.” Approximately 50 fire and EMS personnel responded to the fire. - Submitted by Matthew Marsella