Industry News

LONGTIME FIRE SERVICE LEADER KARLRISTOWTO RECEIVE NFFFGLATFELTER DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD

The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) is recognizing Chief Karl Ristow, CFO, as the newest recipient of the organization’s Arthur J. Glatfelter Distinguished Service Award.

Chief Ristow, who currently serves as the Program Director for the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI) program at the Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE), is being recognized for his many and varied contributions to the NFFF, according to Troy Markel, Chairman of the NFFF Board Of Directors.

“Karl is a tireless advocate for the Foundation and the fire service in general,” Markel said. “His dedication sets the bar for the rest of us to follow.”

Chief Ristow became involved in the NFFF in 2007, when he served on the incident management team that developed and executed the memorial service and burials for nine Charleston, South Carolina firefighters killed while fighting a fire at the Super Sofa Store. Since then, as a volunteer, donor, and educator, Ristow has supported the NFFF in raising awareness and funds for its prevention and support missions.

Chief Ristow is second Chairman and National Coordinator for the NFFF Memorial Golf Tournaments program. In the five years that Chief Ristow has dedicated his time and energy, the tournaments have raised more than $1.7 million in support of the NFFF.

Along with his wife, Barbara, Chief Ristow volunteers for the Hal Bruno bereavement camps for the children of fallen firefighters, serving as Big Buddies, Healing Circle Assistants, and Floaters. The Ristows are also members of the NFFF Giving Circle, a group comprised of the Foundation’s most generous financial donors.

Karl’s commitment to the fire and emergency service family is evident in both his accreditation work with the CPSE and his dedicated volunteering with the NFFF, shared CPSE Chief Executive Officer, Preet Bassi. “Both organizations are lucky to have him as part of our teams.” Before joining CPSE, Chief Ristow served as Fire Chief for the St. John’s Fire District in South Carolina for 14 years and as a Resident Training Specialist for the South Carolina Fire Academy. Chief Ristow is a retired United States Air Force Fire Protection Supervisor. He holds a master’s degree in Management and Public Administration, a bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies, and associate degrees in Fire Science and Instructor of Technology and Military Science. He is also a graduate of the National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officer Program, a Chief Fire Officer Designee through the Commission on Professional Credentialing, and a Member of the Institution of Fire Engineers (MIFireE).

The NFFF created the Arthur J. Glatfelter Distinguished Service Award to recognize exceptional service to the NFFF by men and women who continue in support of Glatfelter’s legacy as a champion of the fire service. In 1969, Glatfelter created the Volunteer Fireman’s Insurance Services (VFIS), the first company of its kind to meet the insurance needs for firefighters. Glatfelter was also an enthusiastic advocate for the NFFF and its missions and served for many years on the Foundation’s Board of Directors. Chief Ristow will be presented the Glatfelter Distinguished Service Award by Tony Campisi, Chairman of the Glatfelter Insurance Group, on March 22, 2022 during the opening session of the CPSE Excellence Conference in Orlando, FL. “Chief Ristow represents everything that Art Glatfelter stood for,” Campisi said. “We are grateful for leaders who carry the standard for the fire service, and it’s a privilege to present Chief Ristow with this award.” The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation was created by Congress in 1992 to honor and recognize firefighters who died in the line of duty each year. To meet this mandate, the Foundation reviews the circumstances of each firefighter fatality reported to determine whether the death also meets criteria for inclusion on the National Memorial in Emmitsburg, Maryland. The guidelines by which these determinations are governed can be found on our website at https://www.firehero.org/fallen-firefighters/memorial/. The NFFF is closely reviewing COVID-related deaths to determine eligibility for inclusion on the National Memorial.

SUTPHEN CORPORATION TO DISPLAYNEW TRACTOR DRAWN AERIALIN FDIC BOOTH 3324

Sutphen Corporation, the largest family-owned fire apparatus manufacturer in the nation, announces that FDIC 2022 will be the showcase venue for Sutphen’s new Tractor Drawn Aerial.

The tractor drawn aerial will add to Sutphen’s already extensive product lineup and will be the first Sutphen TDAsince the 1990s.

“We cannot wait to showcase this new product at FDIC 2022,” said fourth-generation family member and Sutphen vice president, Julie Sutphen Phelps. “We know this will be the talk of the show, and we are excited to unveil the Sutphen TDAin front of such a large audience.”

The truck, destined for DeKalb County Fire Rescue in Dekalb County, Georgia, will be available to see in Sutphen Booth #3324 in the Indiana Convention Center Thursday, April 28 through Saturday, April 30. “This is why people go to FDIC,” said Sutphen’s director of sales and marketing, Zach Rudy. “People go to FDIC for the excitement and the unveiling of new products across the fire industry. We know that the Indiana Convention Center and Lucas Oil Stadium will be abuzz with talk of the Sutphen Tractor Drawn Aerial.” If customers have questions or would like additional details about the apparatus prior to the show, they are encouraged to contact their Sutphen dealer.

Customers can find their Sutphen dealer by following the link here: https://www.sutphen.com/locations/.

2022 Bryant Stiles OfficerSchool

The 2022 Bryant Stiles Officer School presented by the Green River Firefighters Association was held February 25-27, 2022, in Owensboro. The school's attendance was over 600 students from multiple states. The Officer’s School provides company officers and command staff with up-to-date command tactics to help make them better officers and give them more tools for their toolboxes. This school is not just for people who are already officers, but for the up-and-coming firefighter wanting to gain skills to become a company officer or chief officer in the future. One of the biggest draws to the school is that instructors are brought in from all over the United States to bring different perspectives to the students.

Saturday night with the vendors is the biggest fire vendor show in Kentucky. This year’s vendor show was the best one yet, with multiple apparatus including engines, ladder trucks, tankers, brush trucks, and ambulances. Along with the trucks there were multiple equipment vendors. The vendor show attendance was estimated at over 2000 people. We look forward to seeing everyone back in Owensboro on February 24-26, 2023.

Board members include: President Lee Williams; 1st Vice President Troy Roberts; 2nd Vice President Charlie Rafferty; Secretary Marc Henderson and Treasurer Pat Thompson. - Fire News photos provided