Greg Collier
Everyone Goes Home® Regional Advocate

Firefighter Life Safety Initiative #16:
Advocacy must be strengthened for the enforcement of codes and the installation of home fire sprinklers.

The Courage to Be Safe® program was delivered to the New Jersey fire service in 2005 at FDIC East. This initial class was delivered as a partnership with the New Jersey Society of Fire Service Instructors, and the New Jersey Division of Fire Safety. It was only the second Courage to Be Safe® training delivered following the initial program delivered by Pennsylvania.

In 2006, the national program was delivered and 10 states were quickly integrated into the Everyone Goes Home® program. The program management team, regional and state advocates, began walking this walk. They delivered Courage to Be Safe train -he -trainer and general training programs.

Courage to Be Safe® is a provocative and moving presentation designed to change the culture of accepting the loss of firefighters as a normal occurrence. Building on the untold story of line-of-duty death (LODD) survivors, it reveals how family members must live with the consequences of a firefighter death and provides a focus on the need for firefighters and officers to change fundamental attitudes and behaviors in order to prevent line-of-duty deaths. The central theme promotes the courage to do the right thing in order to protect yourself and other firefighters and ensure that Everyone Goes Home® at the end of the day.

When we deliver the program, we tell students that at the end of the class we are going to ask: "What are you prepared to do?" Many times they tell us how they want to bring this program back to their department. Of course, they are going to get a physical, eat better, or start a seat belt pledge within their department.

As the New Jersey Advocate of the Everyone Goes Home® program, I deliver train-the -trainers on a regular basis. I also work for the Mount Laurel Fire Department as a Battalion Fire Chief. One day, I did an Courage to Be Safe® program with the firefighters at station one. At the end of that program, I asked firefighters, "What are you prepared to do?" We had all good answers, but one stood out as unique. Firefighter Glenn Nichols said, "I am building a new home and I am going to sprinkler it."

One thing led to another. Glenn asked the modular home contractor if they would sprinkler his new house. They said they would, but at the last minute they said they couldn't find a sprinkler contractor to come into the factory to do it. Glenn brought that news back to the firehouse and we put it into some kitchen table problem solving. We took NFPA 13D, the New Jersey Uniform Construction Code, our in-house construction talents, as well as Glenn's desire to do more than just talk about it.

Glenn's new modular home was delivered. The "B" platoon firefighters at fire station one designed the sprinkler system, prepared the plans and permit application, and obtained the required code approvals. Glenn purchased all the required components, including a pump and tank. We checked the response time of the local fire service and found it is sometimes delayed because it is a rural and remote community. So, we changed the water supply from 10 minutes to 20 minutes, which cost an additional $175.00. The members of Glenn's shift helped with the work and it was completed as a collaborative project, brothers helping brothers. Glenn spent about $1.25 per square foot. When the job was done I told Glenn, "You are protecting your family and your property." Glenn answered, "and protecting the firefighters in Chatsworth, New Jersey."

The Everyone Goes Home® program's Courage to Be Safe® training empowers firefighters to make a cultural change within the fire service, at a grassroots level. I believe that educating and empowering firefighters with the tools they need, is what will bring about that change.

Glenn Nichols did something with the Courage to Be Safe® training and the empowerment that comes with that training. If he had saved the life of a family member or a firefighter in his community we would honor him. This story is in honor of him...