A lot of lessons can be learned when a firefighter dies in the line of duty, from the technical aspects to the effects on personnel, and this presentation will look at a line-of-duty death incident to examine what happened. From the personnel aspect, the Company Officer is one position within the organization that can become isolated through the grieving and recovery phases due to a wide range of unique emotional, personal, political, social, legal, and relational aspects. Only someone who has experienced such an event can truly relate to these situations. To address the distinct need to support these individuals in their healing and recovery, and in an effort to ensure no one has to “walk alone” after a line-of-duty death, the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation has developed several uniformed peer support program initiatives. This presentation will also discuss the Chief to Chief, Incident Commander to Incident Commander, Company Officer to Company Officer and Coworker to Coworker programs. Speakers will include personnel who have experienced a line-of-duty death in their department to share their story, discuss lessons learned, and relate to the importance of the peer support programs.
George Simko - Lieutenant (Ret.), Toledo Fire and Rescue Department