Taking Care of Our Own
Track Two
A fire department does not know when it will have a line-of-duty death or serious injury. Does it have a plan in place? Are personnel records current? Does the department know how to make timely and proper notifications to the survivors? Fire chiefs and survivors tell us that most fire departments are not prepared for a line-of-duty death. Taking Care of Our Own® provides senior fire officers with specific information and valuable insights
The course includes stories from family members who have lost a loved one and a fire chief who has been in the unfortunate position of telling a survivor that their firefighter has been killed in the line of duty. Survivors will share what went well, what didn’t go well and what a department can do to be prepared. The course includes information about Public Safety Officer Benefits as well as valuable insights from a behavioral health specialist who gives guidance on the resources that should be made available when dealing with a line-of-duty death (LODD) and what elements should be included when developing a LODD policy.
Presented by the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation
Instructors
Ian Bennett
Ian Bennett is the National Line of Duty Death Outreach Coordinator for the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. Ian coordinates the Taking Care of Our Own program, the Local Assistance State Team program and the Unformed Outreach Programs. He has been associated with the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation since 2001 serving as a member of the Command staff assembled to manage the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend held each at the National Fire Academy. Ian retired as the Fire Chief for the City of Harrisonburg, Virginia after 33 years in the fire service, serving departments in Virginia, Colorado and Alabama. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from James Madison University and completed the Executive Fire Officer program through the National Fire Academy.
Gladys Falkenhan
Gladys Falkenhan is the wife of FF/Paramedic Mark Falkenhan, LODD January 19, 2011 in Baltimore County, MD. Since Mark's death, Gladys has spoken to many Recruit classes across Maryland and at many NFFF events. She joined the Taking Care Of Our Own (TCOOO) as an instructor in March 2022. “Becoming part of the TCOOO class is one of the most rewarding opportunities I’ve had since Mark's death,” she says. “Telling the story of our family’s loss and knowing it will make a difference for other families who unfortunately will walk this path is just another way for us to honor Mark.” Gladys currently lives in Essex, Maryland with her 2 sons, Christian and Garrett, fiancé Dave and her dog Cali. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family at her “retirement” home near the beach and traveling as often as her schedule allows.
Angie Moreland
Angela Moreland, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor at the National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center (NCVC) at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). Dr. Moreland serves as the Director of the Center for Firefighter Behavioral Health, which provides resources and support to address behavioral health needs of firefighters.
Dr. Moreland currently serves as the Associate Director of the National Mass Violence and Victimization Resource Center (NMVVRC), an OVC-funded initiate to evaluate previous response to mass violence incidences, as well as develop effective response for future mass violence events. Dr. Moreland works very closely with the National Fallen Firefighter Foundation on a range of programs working directly with firefighters, as well as with family members and coworkers.
Scott Burnette
Fire Chief (Ret.) Scott Burnette started in the fire service in his hometown of Mills River (NC) as a junior firefighter in 1988. He continued as a volunteer firefighter with the Fairgounds Fire Department in Raleigh while attending North Carolina State University. He was promoted to the rank of Captain at Fairgrounds. Chief Burnette then began his career as a firefighter for the City of Asheville (NC) Fire Department in1995. He also continued to volunteer in his home community of Mills River and served as Fire Chief of Mills River Fire Department from 2002 until 2004. Chief Burnette has an Associate’s Degree in Fire Protection Technology from Gaston College, a Bachelor’s Degree in Fire Safety Engineering Technology from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and a Master’s Degree in Executive Fire Service Leadership from Grand Canyon University. Chief Burnette is designated as a Chief Fire Officer through the Center for Public Safety Excellence and is a graduate of the National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officer Program. Chief Burnette worked his way through the ranks and was promoted to Fire Chief in November 2009 and retired in 2023. Chief Burnette led his department during three separate line of duty deaths during his tenure as Fire Chief.