The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation is proud to announce the selection of Pennsylvania State Fire Commissioner Ed Mann as a recipient of the Firefighter Life Safety “Seal of Excellence” Award. The presentation was made on May 19, 2006, at the Pennsylvania Fire Expo in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The prestigious “Seal of Excellence,” part of the Everyone Goes Home firefighter life safety program, recognizes the efforts of individuals, groups, departments and organizations who have demonstrated a commitment to making the American fire service safer.
Commissioner Mann had the vision to request the assistance of the National Fallen Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives Team to launch a program that could help to reduce the line-of-duty deaths in his state. The Life Safety Initiative team developed and launched “The Courage to Be Safe… So Everyone Goes Home,” which outlines the history of the life safety initiatives and examines line-of-duty deaths both in Pennsylvania and the nation. A key part of the program is the untold story of LODD survivors, revealing the pain and heartbreak the loss of a firefighter brings to a family and a fire department.
Recognizing the need to do more to prevent line-of-duty deaths and injuries, the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation launched a major initiative in 2005 to bring firefighter health and safety to the forefront. A $1,000,000 grant for Year Two of the “Everyone Goes Home” project was made from the Department of Homeland Security, through the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program. It will allow the Foundation to continue its mission of reducing firefighter fatalities nationwide by 50% over the next ten years.
