By Janelle Foskett

It’s been 40 years since FRI rolled into Chicago. But when it comes back, it does so with a bang.

Thursday morning’s General Session had a little bit of something for everyone. There were moving award presentations, a live validation drill of the Illinois Mutual-Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS), an encouraging speech by DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano, final words from an outgoing president, an eye-opening discussion about reducing human error with keynote presenter Dr. Tony Kern, and it wouldn’t have been complete without the Chicago Fire Department Pipes & Drums’ rendition of “God Bless America.”

Session Highlights
•    Chicago Mayor Richard Daley emphasizes that we generally focus too much on our differences. “But as leaders, we share the same challenges,” he said, adding that private and public entities to share best practices. Daley then led the crowd in a moment of silence for Chicago Firefighter Christopher Wheatley, who was killed in the line of duty earlier this month.

•    Napolitano outlined two programs designed to improve homeland security—“If you see something, say something” and the Suspicious Activity Reporting (SAR)—and then reminded attendees that “You may be the backbone of homeland security, but the DHS has your back.” Read more about these programs and the secretary’s speech here.

•    Chief Thomas W. Carr Jr., of the Charleston (S.C.) Fire Department was presented with Fire Chief Magazine’s “Career Fire Chief of the Year” award. Chief Timothy Wall of the North Wallingford (Conn.) Fire Department was presented with the “Volunteer Fire Chief of the Year” award. Both awards are sponsored by Pierce.

•    Captain Charles J. Metivier, Rescue Operator Kalani Abreu and Rescue Specialists Roy Constantino and Francisco Garcia of Kaua’i Fire Department’s Rescue 3 were awarded the 2010 International Benjamin Franklin Fire Service Award for Valor for their courageous rescue of three men during treacherous weather conditions. The award, which is co-sponsored by Motorola, is the highest award bestowed by the IAFC. Read more about the incident here.

•    Chief Brian Crawford of the Shreveport (La.) Fire Department and chair of the FRI Program Planning Committee recognized the graduates of the Company Officer Leadership Symposium (COLS).

•    On his last day as IAFC president, Chief Jeff Johnson took the opportunity to encourage firefighters and chiefs to “rethink the model,” especially as it relates to fire prevention efforts. “You’ll never do it when times are good. You’ll do it when you have no other choice,” he said. “This is the time to get creative and brave. This is your time.”

•    In his lively presentation, keynote speaker Tony Kern declared a “war on error,” encouraging attendees to rethink human error and how it pertains to fireground decision-making. He outlined the different ways that complacency can creep into operations and cause human error. Read more about Kern’s message here.

•    At the end of the session, Chief Johnson announced that the MABAS validation drill was a success. All 33 task forces arrived at the pre-determined staging areas within the allotted time, showing the mutual-aid capabilities in the Chicago area. He then added that responders should, “Do your part to ensure you’re ready to respond in a similar fashion.” Read more about the exercise here.

Janelle Foskett is the managing editor of FireRescue magazine.

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