HARRISBURG, Pa. — Pennsylvania’s fire commissioner received the prestigious Firefighter Life Safety Seal of Excellence award today for his work to make firefighting safer.
“I am honored and humbled to receive this award,” said Edward A. Mann, who received the tribute from the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation during the Lancaster County Firemen Association’s Fire Expo. “Throughout my career, I have preached the importance of safety, and the programs we’ve instituted in the state fire commissioner’s office will lead us to a year when the number of Pennsylvania firefighters who die in the line-of-duty is zero.”
Since kicking off the “Courage to Be Safe...So Everyone Goes Home” program last year, the Office of the State Fire Commissioner has conducted more than 50 presentations throughout Pennsylvania, and as far away as North Carolina. The program emphasizes firefighter safety and physical fitness to reduce line-of-duty deaths among firefighters.
In 2004, 18 firefighters died in the line of duty, while seven firefighters died last year and three have died this year while battling blazes. The Courage to be Safe program started last November.
For more information about the Office of the State Fire Commissioner, visit http://www.osfc.state.pa.us/.