“When a Lesson Took a Dangerous Turn”

Houston Press  
September 17, 2014 

Houston Press staff writer Craig Malisow went far beyond the initial reports of a tragic death to take a close look at firefighter Neal Smith’s death– to delve into all the factors that came together to allow a man to die while surrounded by other people.

Most people assume that all firefighters are trained by their own fire departments. But departments in small town Texas actually have been sending their personnel to the East Texas Firemen’s and Fire Marshal’s Association, a nonprofit trade group for volunteer firefighters. And unlike a governmental agency, there is no oversight of that group’s methods or standards. We alerted readers and fire departments to the fact of the dangers that Neal Smith and others encounter when they trust the wrong people in their attempts to make themselves a better public servant.

As a subsequent investigation by the state fire marshal’s office and by the National Institute of Safety and Health revealed the training camp was so poorly run that several other firefighters had dropped out (saying they didn’t want to risk their lives), passed out or been taken to the hospital. Had safety procedures standard in most fire departments been in place – such as a simple tub of ice – Smith could have been saved at the training camp site.Houston Press staff writer Craig Malisow went far beyond the initial reports of a tragic death to take a close look at firefighter Neal Smith’s death– to delve into all the factors that came together to allow a man to die while surrounded by other people.

Most people assume that all firefighters are trained by their own fire departments. But departments in small town Texas actually have been sending their personnel to the East Texas Firemen’s and Fire Marshal’s Association, a nonprofit trade group for volunteer firefighters. And unlike a governmental agency, there is no oversight of that group’s methods or standards. We alerted readers and fire departments to the fact of the dangers that Neal Smith and others encounter when they trust the wrong people in their attempts to make themselves a better public servant.

As a subsequent investigation by the state fire marshal’s office and by the National Institute of Safety and Health revealed the training camp was so poorly run that several other firefighters had dropped out (saying they didn’t want to risk their lives), passed out or been taken to the hospital. Had safety procedures standard in most fire departments been in place – such as a simple tub of ice – Smith could have been saved at the training camp site.

LINK to story online

Submitted by Craig Malisow.