"I would like to spread the message of the 16 life safety initiatives throughout Oklahoma and the nation. A cultural change must occur so that we are not accepting line of duty deaths and are willing to take a stand to make this happen. This may start at the lowest level of an organization or at the top, but it must start somewhere and organizations must realize they must make changes. Firefighters are not invincible and we are still dying the same old ways, nothing new, but it still happens day in and day out firefighters are dying during responses, heart attacks, lack of seatbelts, lack of training, and lack of situational awareness. I do not want to be in a position of telling a wife, husband, or children that their parent was killed in the line of duty but it was our fault because there were changes that we could have made as a department that would have kept him or her alive. There is more that can be done on every organizational level and by every member of a department to ensure that they and everyone they work with are safe. The mission of my training program at Stillwater Fire Department is Everyone Goes Home® because in the long run, the skills that we possess will ultimately save our lives and allow us to return to our spouse and children. Firefighters must realize that they will be replaced, They will leave a mourning brotherhood and gap in their organization, but departments will continue to respond, promotions will be made to replace their position, but I feel that the real effects of a LODD are at home when a firefighter leaves behind a spouse and children." Firefighter safety should be at the top of every firefighters list and each person should be empowered to stop unsafe situations." - Jake Rhoades Everyone Goes Home® Oklahoma Advocate

The Everyone Goes Home® Program would like to welcome Jake Rhoades to the EGH team. Jake will be representing Oklahoma as an Everyone Goes Home® State Advocate.

Jake Rhoades has been a member of the Stillwater, Oklahoma Fire Department since 1992. He started his career as a firefighter with the department and has promoted through the ranks to driver/operator in 1995, to lieutenant in 1999, and to training officer in 2005. His is responsible for planning and coordinating all training activities; serves as Health and Safety Officer and oversees all special operation programs that include hazardous materials and technical rescue. He also oversees the development of promotional testing and evaluation processes and the development all recruit training. Jake also serves as Planning Team Manager for the Oklahoma Task Force One where he manages the planning operations during emergency responses; OK TF 1 Instructor for structural collapse and safety, and develops and performs administrative duties during emergency response of OK TF 1.

Jake is also a contract author/developer for Delmar Cengage Learning. Projects include the development of original materials, reviews materials as a subject matter expert, and serve on committees to validate learning objectives for inclusion in fire related manuals and other materials.

Jake is currently enrolled in the Executive Fire Officer program at the National Fire Academy and has certified to the following: FF I and II, Trench Rescue, Confined Space Rescue, Rope Rescue, Structural Collapse, Instructor I and II, Hazardous Materials: Awareness, Operations, and Technician. He has numerous other certifications.

Jake has been married to his wife Brenda for 16 years and has two sons, J.T. and Carter. He enjoys coaching his sons' travelling baseball teams and playing a round of golf now and then.