9 minute read
Up Close & Personal
Harrington Police Chief/Harrington Fire Company Deputy Chief Kenny Brode and Harrington Police Department S/Cpl. Carl Klotz at a recent vehicle fire in Harrington.
- Submitted by Earl Brode
Millsboro Fire Company’s B Shift crews on their24-hourshift. Aquick moment fora picture and back on the road. Great 24-hourcoverage by these and otherdedicated crews. - Submitted by Larry Gum
Chief Dennis Swain and his son Kole, now a JuniorFirefighter. Dennis also received Volunteer of the Year at the Georgetown Little League.
- Submitted by Larry Gum
TRAINING RBVFC Trains at Fire School
Rehoboth Beach VolunteerFire Company (RBVFC) members went to Delaware State Fire School in Georgetown forlive burn training in the structural building on April 20, 2022. Newermembers gained some valuable training and the oldermembers honed theirskills. Thanks to all who came out fora great night of training. - Submitted by Chuck Snyder
Vehicle Rescue Training
Officers and members from the Holloway Terrace Fire Company participated in very well attended vehicle rescue training on May 9, 2022. Activities included cribbing techniques, stabilization, forced entry, as well as Hurst tool handling and practice. - Submitted by Randy Roberts
Vehicle Fire Training
Members conducted vehicle fire training recently at Station 47. - Submitted by Tom Williams
TRAINING Millsboro Trains
Millsboro Fire Company training night on ladders at the Sussex Central High School. - Submitted by Larry Gum
Elsmere, Wilmington Train
On March 15, 2022, the Elsmere Fire Company, along with the Wilmington Fire Department, conducted first- and second-due engine company assignments. They trained on hydrant responsibilities and hoseline deployments. - Submitted by Frank Maule
Page 38, Fire News, June 2022 Obituaries
LODD: Clayton’s John M. Pridemore
The Clayton Fire Company announced the passing of Fire Chief John M. Pridemore. Chief Pridemore was injured in a fall at the station on March 7, 2022 while conducting station clean up duties. Chief Pridemore died on March 8 at the Christiana Hospital. He was 54.
Chief Pridemore joined the Clayton Fire Company in January 1991 as a regular member stating he “wanted to serve the community he lived in.” Chief Pridemore served the Clayton Fire Company in many offices, the most recent as Chief from 2021 to the present. Chief Pridemore served as Vice-President of the fire company in 2008 and 2012 and served as President from 2009-2011.
Chief Pridemore is survived by his wife Kimberly, his daughter Amanda and her significant other Jorden, and son Michael, and his granddaughter Sadie. Chief Pridemore was currently employed by the Town of Clayton as the Town Manager. - Submitted by Skip Carrow
Obituaries
Laurel’s William Hearn
It is with great sadness that the Laurel Fire Department announced the passing of pastChief/Past President William ‘Bill’Hearn on March 18, 2022. He was 82.
Bill joined the Laurel Fire Department on May 27, 1963, and served for almost 59 years. Early in his career he was very active with the ambulance service, serving as Ambulance Captain in 1967/68. He was elected Assistant Chief in 1971 and served 17 years with another term during the 1990s. In 1982 Bill was elected Fire Chief and would serve until 1990.
He was also very active to the department administratively. He was a Trustee or Board Member for nine years. In 2007 Bill was elected President and would serve until December of 2021. Bill was named Laurel Fire Department’s Firefighter of the Year in 1995, and was the Sussex County Fireman of the Year in 2003.
He has been a role model for every new member who has ever joined the department just by being in their lives. He was a superb leader in every way and always took any job he had with the Fire Department to heart and made sure it was always done.
- Submitted by Michael Lowe
Holloway Terrace’s Charles E. Heckrotte, Sr.
The Holloway Terrace Fire Company mourns the loss of Life Member Charles ‘Charlie’E. Heckrotte, Sr., who passed away peacefully on April 15, 2022. He was 94 years old.
Charlie was a US Navy veteran who proudly served his country aboard the USS Vicksburg CL86. In addition to the fire company, Charlie was a member of the American Legion Joseph B. Stahl Post 30, the Police, Fire, Rod and Gun Club, St. Anthony’s Club (New Castle) and St. Gabe’s.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Edna S. (Barnhart) Heckrotte, siblings Edward C. Heckrotte, Joseph Heckrotte and Florence Katt. He is survived by his children, Peggy Scarpitti and Charles Heckrotte, Jr.; brother John Heckrotte and sister Celeste E. Heckrotte, one grandson and one great-grandson. Charlie was laid to rest in the Delaware Veterans Memorial Cemetery. - Submitted by Randy Roberts
Service for John P. Fox
Apparatus from the Mill Creek Fire Company and Aetna Hose, Hook and LadderCompany fly the colors in an arch forthe visitation and services of Deputy Chief Emeritus John P. Fox on May 16, 2022. Deputy Chief Fox was an honorary memberof the Aetna Hose, Hook and LadderCompany and one of the original fire dispatchers with the New Castle County Emergency Communications Division where he served for32 years. - Submitted by Aetna Hose, Hook & Ladder Co.; photo by Paul McCloskey
Page 40, Fire News, June 2022
FireNews.com You Have the Powerto Mitigate Struck-By-Vehicle Hazards at
Network Online Training Module is Free to All Responders
Struck and killed while extinguishing a grass fire next to the highway. Hit and killed by a wildland fire apparatus while fleeing an advancing flame front on foot. Fallen from the exterior of a fire apparatus and run over. Backed over and killed by a brush truck. Run over while sleeping at a wildland fire encampment. These are just a few of the many real incidents where a vehicle has hit and killed or injured firefighters operating at a wildland fire. Responder safety, traffic control, and vehicle movement discipline are critical components of wildland fire response. Yet they often do not get the attention they deserve during planning, training and response. As buildings and infrastructure encroach further on undeveloped land and wildland fires involve more and more organizations across wider expanses of land and into the wildland-urban interface, the hazards of exposure to moving civilian and emergency vehicles is likely to worsen. We can meet this challenge head-on and do more to mitigate the struck-by-vehicle hazard at wildland fires.
ResponderSafety.com has released a new Responder Safety Learning Network module, “Wildland Fires and Traffic Management,” spotlighting the struck-by-vehicle hazard at wildland fire responses and offers guidance in how to mitigate this hazard in many contexts. The module examines contributing factors in previous struck-by-vehicle fatalities at wildland fires as described by the NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program and relates them to a set of recommended practices to address these contributing factors and mitigate struck-by hazards. NIOSH FFFIPPcommon contributing factors to firefighter struck-by-vehicle LODDs at wildland fires include: • Lack of adequate traffic control • Responders standing in or traversing active roadways • Decreased visibility due to smoke • Dark or poorly lit conditions • Failure to follow safe backing procedures • Lack of high visibility apparel
Recommended practices to reduce the risk of being struck by a vehicle at wildland fire response presented in the module include details on planning response, outfitting vehicles with emergency lighting and high visibility markings, wearing high visibility apparel, deploying advance warning and traffic control, addressing smoke conditions, exercising vehicle movement discipline, following proper backing procedures, boarding and exiting vehicles safely, and complying with national standards for wildland firefighting. The module outlines specific wildland fire responder safety responsibilities for each role at the scene, from command to the line firefighter. This module will change the way you look at a wildland fire scene when you are operating near vehicles off-road, on-road, and road-adjacent. The module will show you how to protect yourself and your crew from being struck. It’s important information that may not have been part of your initial firefighting training. The module was developed with experts in responder safety, traffic incident management, and wildland firefighting.
All ResponderSafety.com training and resources are free. You can recognize the hazards of moving vehicles and mitigate them. The “Wildland Fires and Traffic Management” module will help you learn how. Wildland fire season is here. Prepare yourself, your crew, and your department. - Submitted by Jason Jammer
ABlast from the Past
Some of you old timers will remember when I was editor of the DVFANews and Views back in the late 1990s. Well, when looking through some of my archives the other day I came across the May 1997 issue of the News and Views and found a couple of interesting items that I thought might bring back some good memories or maybe some that were forgotten.
The first one is a photo of a young lady that many of us know from our days in New Castle County who had just celebrated her 40th birthday. I won’t tell you who gave me the photo but when you find out who this photo belongs to, you will know who gave it to me. She was a good friend back then and is still a good friend. She is now retired from the organization she worked with as well as her hubby. Look further in this issue and the answer should be there.
The other article is from FDIC 1997 in Indianapolis when DVApast-President Joe Hojnicki hosted about 100 DVFA members who were in attendance. This article is about four members of the DVFAand one member of the LADVFA.
I hope you all enjoy reading this history of the great fire service family that we had back then. I am sure there are probably a lot of other stories from the FDIC events that a lot of us attended back in those days.
Hope this article finds all of you in health and ready to enjoy the Delaware sea shore this summer. - Submitted by Bob Romig
