INDIANAPOLIS — Similar to a ‘Saturday Night Live’ cold open skit, the FDIC 2025 conference opened with Fire Engineering Editor-in-Chief David Rhodes issuing “executive orders” for the nation’s fire service.
One of those orders involved a “pardon” issued to retired FDNY Lieutenant Ray McCormack following the hype and backlash after his 2009 FDIC keynote speech.
What was the Culture of Fire Extinguishment speech about?
McCormack claimed the fire service needed a “culture of extinguishment not safety” during the 2009 keynote speech.
“Too much safety makes Johnny a poor leader and a terrible rescuer,” McCormack said. “Attempting to make the job safer by teaching you to place yourself above those in need is wrong and goes against everything the fire service has ever stood for.”
Why did Ray McCormack get in trouble for his FDIC speech?
McCormack was in his FDNY uniform when he delivered the keynote speech, which prompted the backlash, according to Bobby Halton, who was editor-in-chief of Fire Engineering at the time.
Following McCormack’s remarks, Salvatore Cassano, who was serving as the FDNY’s chief of department, said the speech “undermined a message we have worked hard to communicate to members of our department — the importance of firefighter safety.”
For his part, Halton said he failed to inform speakers at the conference that if they chose to present in uniform, they had to ensure their speech was consistent with the policies, procedures and positions of their organizations.
“It was for that reason and that reason alone that I chose to take the video down,” Halton said.
Can you still hear Ray McCormack’s FDIC keynote speech?
Despite being removed from Fire Engineering’s site, several YouTube videos of McCormack’s ‘Culture of Extinguishment’ speech still exist. You can watch his remarks below:
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