NFHC, Author at National Fire Heritage Center

2025 Fire Museum Network Seminar

For more information on the 2025 Fire Museum Network Seminar hosted by the Hall of Flame Museum, Phoenix, AZ, click this link.

Greensboro Fire Department Historians Save History One Interview at a Time

In the fire service, every call, every shift, and every story matters. But what happens when those stories fade—when the voices behind them retire, relocate, or pass away?

In Greensboro, NC, a dedicated group of firefighters has answered this call with a sense of urgency. They recognize that fire department history is perishable and, without deliberate action, invaluable stories risk being lost forever.

Here’s the way Retired Battalion Chief Larry Cockman put it in a February 2020 article in Firehouse Magazine: “There is definitely a void when a firefighter goes back to the firehouse after retirement and no one knows their name.” These irreplaceable stories risk fading into silence if they remain undocumented.

Stories That Matter in Greensboro

What began as a book project by the Greensboro History Book Committee evolved into something far more dynamic: a series of video interviews, capturing the voices and experiences of retired firefighters. Retired Captain Harold Haynie and active-duty firefighter Lamar Sullivan joined Cockman in this effort. As of February 2020, the team had conducted 18 interviews, comprising dozens of hours of audio-visual history, and plans were in motion for 45 more.

Fast forward to 2025: The history book committee has evolved into a nonprofit organization, the Greensboro Firefighters Historical Society. The group of historians has now interviewed 92 retirees from the Greensboro Fire Department, representing more than 2,700 years of combined service and institutional memory.

Reflecting on the project, Cockman shared with Firehouse Magazine that one of his favorite experiences while witnessing the retirees’ reactions: “I can see their happiness as they recount their days in the fire service. .. We ask them about 26 questions … their memories, both good and bad, about their experiences on and off the job. They tell us about the hardest calls they’ve been on and some of the pranks they’ve pulled on one another.”

The NFHC Applauds This Undertaking

At the National Fire Heritage Center, we echo this urgency. Whether you are part of a volunteer company or a municipal fire department with centuries of service or a newly formed department building its legacy, your history matters. It deserves to be remembered, studied, and shared.

The National Fire Heritage Center applauds Chief Cockman, Captain Haynie, and Firefighter Sullivan of the Greensboro Fire Department for recognizing the critical need to save the fire service’s rapidly vanishing history and for taking concrete steps to archive the department’s past.

Let’s follow their lead and preserve the past before the memories are gone and the stories are lost. Don’t wait until it’s too late.

Chief Larry Cockman, Greensboro Fire Department

Biographical Note: Larry Cockman was the chairman of the committee. He served as Driver/Engineer, Rescue Squad, Captain, Battalion Chief, and Assistant Chief. I retired with 32 years of Service as Battalion Chief. I have a BS in Fire Administration from the University of Maryland and was selected as North Carolina State Firefighter of the Year in 1987.

Editor’s Note — Be sure to check out the Greensboro Firefighters’ Historical Society page, where the committee has posted its video recordings of the interviews. Here’s the link to the archived interviews. The site also has excellent information on the Greensboro Fire Department’s history.

Currently, Larry and the committee are actively recording the department’s history, and he would be pleased to pass on advice to others working on or considering their own historical projects.
Contact Larry Cockman at:
Email: lcockman@hotmail.com
Phone: 336-509-6674

The Responsibility of a Municipal Fire Chief at Industrial Events

From the Files of David White, President of Fire & Safety Specialists (1981-2023)

Firefighters do not always need an alarm bell to know its time for work. Suddenly, all existence heaves like a sick drunk. The sound of a terrible concussion echoes across the equipment bay. Every pane of glass in the station house is simultaneously tapped by invisible fingers. Maybe that prize picture of the town’s first fire chief comes off the wall with a crash.

The boom response

I call it the boom response. Nobody waits for the first of a flood of 911 calls. Something big has happened and that fireball rising over the local industrial corridor tells you it needs immediate attention.

So the fire trucks start pulling up to the main gates of Filibuster Fabricating and Foundry, that big plant that feeds half the town. A couple of things are immediately apparent. First, there is a big fire. Bigger than last year’s tire store fire. Bigger than last Christmas’ apartment complex fire. Bigger than anything the department has ever simulated in training exercises.

Second, there are almost certainly casualties, maybe even fatalities. Not to worry though. The pre-plan says report to the main gate and receive instructions. But the front gate is wide open. No security guard. No one in charge is to be found. What now?

Unfortunately, too many municipal or district fire chiefs act as if industrial hazards become their responsibility the day of the event, not the day they took the job. Go through the facility in advance and pre-plan it as thoroughly as any other potential fire risk. Plants, refineries, factories and mills are an integral part of the community, not untouchable fortresses.

Time after time, you read the same quote from the fire chief after some industrial catastrophe – “We had no idea what was burning.” That fire chief needs to find another job. The chief has the authority under city, state and federal regulations to know what his department is expected to deal with. Even in facilities cloaked by national security, the local fire department has the authority to demand access.

What are the hazards? What is the worst thing conceivable that could happen? What is the worst thing inconceivable that could happen? How do you respond? Do you go on the offensive or the defensive? Is choosing not to intervene at all a reasonable alternative? Every fire department has its limits. A typical six engine department does not have the resources to tackle a major fire on the top floor of a 10-story high rise. Likewise, an understanding of the resources needed to tackle an industrial fire can make the difference between half a plant or no plant. There is no shame in being defensive and letting the facility burn. It is an acceptable strategy when pitting limited resources against the worst disasters devised by man.

Click here to read the full article

Support the National Fire Heritage Center

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National Fire Heritage Center Calls for Contributions to Inaugural Issue of Fire Heritage Review

CUMBERLAND, MD — The National Fire Heritage Center (NFHC) is pleased to announce an open call for contributions to the inaugural issue of Fire Heritage Review: The Journal of Fire Service and Fire Protection History, set to launch in the summer of 2026. This groundbreaking journal will serve as a platform for exploring and preserving the rich, diverse history of the fire service and fire protection field.

We are seeking original articles that cover a wide range of topics related to fire service history, including the evolution of firefighting techniques, innovations in fire safety, pivotal historical events, and key figures who shaped the field. Whether you are a fire service professional, a historian, a college student, or a passionate enthusiast, we invite you to share your unique insights.

“The fire service is a cornerstone of public safety and has a history filled with innovation, courage, and dedication,” said Dr. Lynn White, President of the National Fire Heritage Center. “By contributing to Fire Heritage Review, you will help preserve and elevate the stories that have shaped the field, ensuring that the lessons of the past continue to inspire future generations.”

This journal will fill a critical gap in the preservation of fire protection history, serving as a vital resource for both scholars and practitioners. All submissions will undergo a peer-review process conducted by experts in the field.

We invite you to contribute to this essential project and help build an important educational tool for fire service professionals, historians, and anyone with an interest in the history of fire protection.

The deadline for submissions is February 28, 2026.

For more information on the types of articles the journal seeks and how to contribute, please visit https://fireheritageusa.blog/journal/ or contact Editor Mike Dixon at fireheritagejournal@gmail.com.Welcome to the National Fire Heritage Center’s media kit, designed to promote The Fire Heritage Review: The Journal of Fire Service and Fire Protection History. This page features a collection of press releases, photographs, and infographics aimed at raising awareness about the opportunity to publish fire department and fire protection history. We invite you to utilize, republish, and share these media resources to help spread the word about our publication.

Click here to read the full press release from May 30, 2025.

Historically Thinking Forward

By Dr. Lynn White, President

A new billboard was posted in San Angelo, Texas, recently. It showed three cowboys riding the range coming toward us. The Bank’s message was “Historically Thinking Forward”.

I immediately thought about the work of the National Fire Heritage Center. While moving over 30,000 archived documents about America’s fire services and disciplines to Internet Archives in 2024, we are looking forward to scanning of these documents to begin in 2026 so anyone with a question about fire can search them through a link from our website directly to our library at IA.

This effort has led to our decision to publish a Fire Heritage Journal starting in 2026. We look forward to receiving papers for review that are “Historically Thinking Forward”. Choose a topic of concern or interest to you and share what you discover through research on what you have learned from the history on this topic as the basis for future research or best practices. You might share some insights into how best practices in the past could help identify missing pieces.

I’m reminded of a study done on protective gear that discovered that by designing PPE that could resist higher temperatures, we failed to consider the total PPE envelope. Firefighters could remain cooler in their coats while their helmets were melting. A firefighter looked at the history of back injuries and discovered a way to reduce the strain and damage to firefighter’s backs by inventing a device to roll up hose of varying widths while squeezing water from the hose. Then the hose could be rolled to the apparatus and unrolled as it was placed on the apparatus.

Recently, a firefighter was concerned about the limited number of responders in small departments. He invented and tested a device to wear on the firefighter’s chest that holds the fire hose in the position and flow setting for the situation to use in approaching a fire while having free hands to use a thermal imaging camera, radio or do other search procedures. How many of these tools are being used in your department? When purchasing decisions are being made, how much research happens to find the best way to meet current and future needs, or do we just replace what no longer works with the same products?

If you aren’t into doing the research and sharing it with others, we invite you to learn from what others have discovered and share. If you’re not receiving our updates through e-blast and blog messages, send your current e-mail address to archivist@fireheritageusa.org.

If you have questions about submitting an article to the Journal, email the editor at fireheritagereview@gmail.com

I challenge you to”Historically Think Forward.”

Lynn White, President

NFHC Board of Directors

Support the National Fire Heritage Center

Memorial Service for Chief Fred Brower

The memorial service for past College Park Volunteer Fire Department Chief Fred Brower will take place on Saturday, July 19th, 2025, at the University of Maryland Chapel in College Park, MD, located at 7744 Regents Drive, College Park, MD 20742. All uniformed personnel are encouraged to pay their respects in Class A uniform if available.

Visitation: 1000-1130

Services: 1130-1300

Click this link to read a remembrance from the National Fire Heritage Center

Click this link to read the obituary.

Chief Fred Brower (right) with Carl Cimino, Jr. (left) on a call sometime in the 1970s (Source: College Park Volunteer Fire Department).

The NFHC Remembers Fire Service Leader Frederick “Fred” Brower

The National Fire Heritage Center (NFHC) is saddened to hear of the passing of Frederick Brower, 76, on July 8, 2025. The champion of public fire protection, whose decades of distinguished service left a lasting mark on fire departments, fire education, the insurance industry, and national fire policy.

Fred’s connection to the fire service ran deep, rooted in a proud family tradition dating back generations in Red Bank, New Jersey, where his great-uncles and uncles once served as fire chiefs. He began his own fire service journey in 1966 with the Newark, NJ, Auxiliary Fire Department, eventually rising to the rank of Battalion Chief and serving faithfully until 1976.

A graduate of the University of Maryland with a degree in Industrial Education and a minor in Fire Protection, Fred quickly became a respected leader in the College Park Volunteer Fire Department, where he rose from Sergeant to Fire Chief over the course of two decades of dedicated service. He also held key leadership roles across Prince George’s County, contributing as Division Chief and as an officer in the Volunteer Chiefs Council.

Professionally, Fred spent four decades at the Insurance Services Office (ISO), where he helped evaluate and shape community fire protection standards nationwide. His work as an engineering representative, regional trainer, and contributor to the Fire Suppression Rating Schedule impacted how fire services are assessed and improved across the country.

Fred’s service was not limited to one department or region—he supported departments in Maryland, New Jersey, and New York, contributed nationally through organizations like NFPA and IAFC, and mentored others in fire protection throughout his post-retirement years. His honors included the ISO Chairman’s Award and Prince George’s County Chief’s Award, and he remained active as a volunteer well into retirement.

In a gesture that speaks volumes about Fred’s commitment to preserving fire protection history, he and his wife, Shirley, generously donated a significant library of fire department and fire protection materials to the NFHC, where he served as a board member. Their efforts ensured these valuable materials, which he also catalogued, will continue to inform future generations of industry leaders.

NFHC President Dr. Lynn White shared these thoughts: “Fred Brower was a steward of fire service history. He was a historian, mentor, educator, leader, and friend. His legacy strengthens the NFHC’s mission. We extend our condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues, and express our deepest gratitude for his life of service.”

Memorial donations honoring Chief Brower’s contributions to the fire service may be made to the National Fire Heritage Center at fireheritageusa.org. The Brower family will be notified of all contributions.

Update on Memorial Service

Click this link to read the obituary.

NFHC Announces Launch of The Fire Heritage Review: The Journal of Fire Service and Fire Protection History

CUMBERLAND, MD — May 30, 2025 – The National Fire Heritage Center (NFHC) is pleased to announce the upcoming launch of Fire Heritage Review: The Journal of Fire Service and Fire Protection History, a groundbreaking annual publication dedicated to preserving and advancing the study of fire service and fire protection history. Set to release its inaugural issue in the summer of 2026,

The Journal will be a valuable resource for scholars, historians, fire service professionals, and enthusiasts seeking peer-reviewed research and historical insights into firefighting, fire safety innovations, and critical moments in fire history.

By providing a central archive of carefully researched articles, the Journal will address a significant gap in the study of fire protection history, ensuring that lessons from the past continue to inform and shape current fire service practices.

By launching this journal, we are creating a lasting educational resource that will benefit fire service professionals, historians, and anyone with an interest in fire protection.
Dr. Lynn White, President

The journal welcomes submissions from a diverse range of contributors, including researchers, practitioners, academics, and passionate enthusiasts. Each submission will undergo a peer review process conducted by a panel of experts.

“The fire service has an incredibly rich and evolving history, and the Journal aims to preserve and explore its stories, innovations, and legacy,” said Dr. Lynn White, President of the National Fire Heritage Center. “By launching this journal, we are creating a lasting educational resource that will benefit fire service professionals, historians, and anyone with an interest in fire protection.”

Dr. White has appointed Mike Dixon, a professional historian, adjunct professor, and writer, as the inaugural editor. He will work to ensure that the journal is relevant to academic and practitioner communities.

The call for submissions for the first issue will begin in Summer 2025, with a submission deadline set for February 28, 2026. The publication will be available online and in print, providing broad access to historical research and industry insights.

For more information about the Fire Heritage Review, submission guidelines, or partnership opportunities, visit this webpage – www.fireheritageuse.blog/journal. You may also contact the editor, Mike Dixon, at fireheritagejournal@gmail.com

Honor Fire Service Mentors This Father’s Days With a Contribution to the NFHC

Two firefighters advance a hose line sometime in the 1950s

In honor of the father of America’s fire service, Benjamin Franklin, the National Fire Heritage Center was established to preserve the history of America’s fire services and disciplines. One NFHC project is to honor writers of books and documents that tell our history. Nominations are open now and we encourage you to choose an author whose works have helpful to you and submit a nomination. Nomination forms are available to http://www.fireheritageusa.org. 

If someone in America’s fire service, an instructor, fire apparatus manufacturer, fire protection equipment manufacturer or perhaps a fire protection engineer has influenced your life, I encourage you to recognize them on Father’s Day with a donation to the National Fire Heritage Center with a note including their e-mail address to let us be able to notify them of your donation in their honor. Join us in preserving America’s fire service and disciples’ history this Father’s Day.

Lynn White

President, NFHC

NFHC Invites Nominations for the Prestigious Fire and Emergency Services Hall of Legends, Legacies, and Leaders Award

CUMBERLAND, Md – April 2, 2025 — The National Fire Heritage Center (NFHC) has announced that it is accepting nominations for the Fire and Emergency Services Hall of Legends, Legacies, and Leaders (HLLL) class of 2026. Nominations will be accepted from March 1, 2025, through June 30, 2025.

The HLLL award honors those who have made a lasting impact through their unwavering commitment and contributions to the fire protection and emergency services disciplines.

Individuals and organizations may nominate deserving candidates who exemplify excellent and dedication. To learn more and submit a nomination, please click the link below to examine the submission instructions, which contain detailed information and guidance.

Click this link to review the full details about the award and the nomination process.

Here is the link to the Hall of Legends Class of 2025.