I have said many times that firefighting continues to rank as one of the most honored, yet dangerous and deadly professions in the world. The Mississippi State Fire Academy is one of, if not the, best firefighter training academy in the world. The dangers of firefighting can never be completely removed. It is, by the nature of the job, a very dangerous occupation. Good training, knowledge, and skills can help a firefighter survive the physical dangers of the job.
The training the State Fire Academy offers continues to be the most up-to-date and advanced as they can be. This year I am proud that the Mississippi Insurance Department, through the use of grants, has been able to add great tools to fire safety education so that Mississippi’s citizens can have some “advanced” training of their own to help them survive a fire in their home or place of business.
The first tool is a Fire Safety House. It is a nearly 20-foot-long, transportable trailer that shows people how to safely escape a burning building and allows instruction and lifesaving methods in a realistic setting. The second tool, one that firefighters can use, is the CoreControl cooling glove. The glove, created by Stanford scientists removes heat from the body by cooling blood. The glove is currently in use by fire departments across the country as firefighters overheat while fighting fires. The great benefit of the glove is that is cools the firefighter from the inside out and does not require the removal of turnout gear except for one glove. The firefighter can remove one glove, cool down for 2-5 minutes, and return to fighting the fire without danger of heat exhaustion or stroke. We hope these new additions will continue to help us lower the death rate from fire in our state.
Thanks to the continued effort and dedication of firefighters throughout our state, the death rate is steadily coming down. We have seen an over 35 percent reduction in fire deaths since 2011 when we had 84 fire deaths. In 2013 that number was down to 57. Fire dangers cannot be completely avoided but as I have said before, they can be lessened with great training and practice. There is no better place for firefighters to receive the best training in the world than at the Mississippi State Fire Academy. (MSFA) I am proud of the dedication and commitment to excellence of the fire service, and I salute the courageous men and women who respond every day to make Mississippi and the world a safer place for all.