Larry Davis Tribute

Thought and prayers to family of Larry.

Larry taught me at IRI 14+ years ago. I enjoyed his no nonsense approach and use his style when I teach now.

It was a pleasure to have been taught by him.

Steve W.
GAPS Consultant - Sydney, Australia

Larry was a big influence on my life when i was an intern with the ISFSI in the 1980's. many of his teachings saved me a lot of grief. i wish i had the words to express my sadness. i do take comfort in remembering and i will remember Larry as long as you remember someone, they are never really gone

Russ R.
Southern-Manatee Fire Rescue (ret), Life Member/LT. East
Manatee Fire Rescue

To Larry's family, friends and instructors I am terribly sorry to hear of your loss. Although words can do so little, I want you to know that you have my deepest sympathy.

Larry W.
Specialist Emeritus
Fire and Rescue Training Institute
Columbia, MO

I got to know Larry through Roy (Hoffman) who worked just up the road, and brought Larry in for a county wide WOW class in '91. He was suprised at what we had accomplished, and immediately switched gears (after only about 45 minutes) and gave an entirely different presentation than what he had prepared. And it was good.

I got to know him more while writing a few grants for RFI. Between Roy, Larry, and Big Ed, I learned a hell of a lot about how all the politics are really messed up, and how we (the small guys) can keep winning in spite of it all.

What we need to remember about Larry is his open mindedness, knowledge, and passion. We need to keep doing what he was doing. For every person that came out of one of his sessions, they each affected another ten. He really had that kind of power.

When I learned of Larry's condition, I was sad, but when I learned he had gone to heaven (and I know he has earned his wings), I smiled: for Larry, with Big Ed right behind him, could finally grasp the power of change that he held. He could finally see the scope of what he has accomplished through first hand teaching, second hand word of mouth, and third hand from old magazine articles (our firehouse keeps all of his).

Thank you for sharing him with us. We are all better because of it.
sponie, Tisch Mills, Wisconsin
John S., Training Coordinator
Viking Community Rescue Squad

My condolences to Larry's immediate family and to the many other lives he touched. I first met Larry at the FDIC conference in Memphis Tenn.. when we were rookies. We grew as friends from there. I'm now, thanks to his great work, called the Rural Water Guy for Iowa. As past president of the Iowa Society of Fire Service Instructors, I had the pleasure of working with Larry's on many occasions. He was great person and great mind and will be missed by latterly 1000's across the nation. My only regret is, never getting to meet any of his family.

I know, from past experiences how hard your loss is but I'm sure I echo the feelings of many, when I thank you for shearing him with us. He will always be carried in our hearts. Only God knows how many lives have been saved through Larry's many hours of research and training to help rural Americas firefighters do a better job.

May the Lord look over all and help you through these difficult times.

Clifford M., Chief of Training
West Des Moines, Fire Department
President of Fire Training Consultants LLC
West Des Moines, Iowa

Please accept my heartfelt sympathies.

I grew up in the fire service in Butler County, Penna. and knew Larry for years (I am 61). We crossed paths often as I worked in industrial (DuPont) fire protection, the ISFSI, and taught pumps and hydraulics as a volunteer instructor. I still have and treasure a signed copy of a draft of his first Rural Firefighting book.

Larry made a difference. Larry made a difference in many people’s lives, many he never met personally, but he touched every one of them. Larry made a difference in the nation’s, and global, fire service and therefore, saved countless lives. He made a difference.

I am so sorry he is gone and so glad I knew him.
Jim W., Intel Corp.
Chandler, Arizona

I would like to express my sincere condolences to the family of Larry Davis and thank them for sharing him and his knowledge with the fire service, there were many lesson learned and shared from his articles.

I had the opportunity to meet him in 2007. and feel lucky that I did get to discuss Engine Company operations however brief it was.

John L.
Passaic (NJ) Fire Department
Bergen County (NJ) Fire Academy

For the Family of Larry, you have my deepest sympathy. Larry leaves a void in the Fire Service that will be hard to fill.

As you may know by now, Larry devoted his career to reaching firefighters in small communities and rural areas, firefighters who are often overlooked but no less important to this country's fire protection than big-city firefighters. He did so because he knew the rural fire service deserved education and funding and he felt that many rural departments were home to innovations and open-mindedness that deserved nurturing.

He made a difference and impacted those he came in contact with. His love for the Fire Service and passion for teaching, along with being the author of the "Rural Firefighting Tactics" series of books, will be long remembered by many of us who were touched and were left better off because of him.

Thank you Larry, you made a difference in many peoples lives.
God Bless you Larry.
MFMc

From the Oswego County NY Fire Service, our thoughts are with the family anf friends of Larry...LArry touched a lot of lives with his truly honest & open educational style, his love for the business, and the true brother that he was in this thing we call the fire business.....every
time I would see Larry ( he taught in our county several times ) it would be an explerience in catching up on the latest in BIG WATER, combined with a conversation of a lifelong aquaintence you could truly call a friend...he referred to many of us, not by name, but by "those guys in the Cleveland Fire Department", or "those guys in Oswego County". On one of his more recent trips to our area, Larry & Dominick (HAle Pumps) instructed a weekend course, and insisted on staying in our little hometown motel (rather than the big guys on the interstate) & spent their idle hours in the fire staions, diners, and local restaurants of our smalltown america, with the people Larry loved to be with so much, the rural volunteer fire service......we will miss him much...but his progress in rural water is a legacy that will bring a smile to many whenever we think of him, which wil be whenever we are moving BIG WATER

John H,
Cleveland NY Firefighter
Oswego County NY Fire Coordinator

The one thing that I will always remember about Larry is that he was so down to Earth when it came to teaching and explaining the fundamentals of Water Supply Operations or Rural Departments. He was able use the most simple terms and have you apply those to what you needed to do. He will definitely be missed in the Fire Service. RIP.

Billy G.
Training Officer Certification Coordinator
Lake Nacogdoches Area VFD
Nacogdoches, Texas 75964

I had the chance to know Larry while working in Memphis for the Division of Fire Services under Fire Director Bob Walker as we hosted the FDIC in the 70's. Larry was a real gentleman and a true professional. He also was a key figure in the ISFSI group and truely moved the training responsibilities and objectives to a new level. The nation's Fire Service has been fortunate over the years to have folks of the caliber of the late Rodger Sweet (Iowa), Don Mano (NFA), Will Eckert(Illinois), Gerry Monigold (Illinois), Ken Elmore (DC) and now, Larry Davis who set high and necessary standards for us.

May the Davis family be comforted by the knowledge that Larry made a real difference in thousands of Fire Fighter's lives and the communities they serve.

Kerry K.
Fire Chief (retired)
Delray Beach Fire-Rescue
Delray Beach, Florida

I had the privelege of attending a class that Larry taught on "Rural Water Supply" and one on "Firefighting Tactics and Strategy" back in the '70's. The lessons learned were many, varied and insightful. Many of the tips and methods learned in those classes are still in practice in our small rural department today. Without Larry's insight, thoughtfulness, care and passion, the fire service would not be where it is today, a safer place to work! Thanks Larry, we'll keep your spirit alive through the practice of what we've learned.

BC Bridgehouse,
Silverton Fire District,
Silverton, Oregon.

Let me first extend my personal condolences to the Davis Family. I've known Larry for almost 30 years and had Mark as a college student when he was a young MCFRS firefighter back in the mid-80's.

I first met Larry in January 1978 when we both attended the initial Hazardous Materials Response Course pilot course that was offered at the PA State Fire School. When we arrived, there was 6" of snow on the ground and that was followed by 2 snowstorms during the one week course. Roger McGary was the lead instructor and Bill Ennis was also a student. If you know Roger and Bill, you can start to see a picture developing. :-)

As the week went on, there was a considerable amount of "bonding" and "fellowship" that took place between the students (all of whom were local level instructors). Eventually we came up with a line of BS where we were all graduates of Schneck Tech and were in Lewistown for a reunion with our favorite professor - Roger McGary. This started as a small inside joke, but gradually got bigger and bigger as the week went on.

On Thursday a major snowstorm hit Central PA and most things were cancelled in Lewistown. All of the students and instructor staff were staying at the Holiday Inn in Lewistown. As a result, we had the Holiday Inn staff put an announcement on their large outdoor sign stating that the "Schneck Tech Class Reunion Tonite."

As the day went on there were also numerous cancellations announced on the local radio. So, we also called the local radio station and had them make a radio announcement that the Schneck Tech Reunion will still be held as scheduled at the Holiday Inn. So, in the midst of a major snowstorm, we had one hell of a class party that nite in the Holiday Inn bar.

From that point on, every time we would run into each other we would give each other the Schneck Tech greeting!

Larry was a class act and he clearly left the fire service better than he found it. A good friend of ours once said that a fire service instructor can influence three generations of thinking - his own, his students, and ultimately when his students become instructors and teach to their students. Larry's influence will be with us for many, many years in the future.

Respectfully,
Greg N., CSP, CHMM
Hildebrand and Noll Associates, Inc.
Lancaster, PA 17603

I remember Larry very well. All of the students attending A.I. Pierce Technical School enrolled in the first Fire Protection Class were always encouraged to making a field trip to the Industrial RisK Insurance Building in Hartford.

Larry Davis was always present to greet these firefighter and we always formed a bond.

Many years later when I became Fire Chief in Willimantic. CT. I would make a telephone call and Larry would arrnage for all of the recruit firefighters from my department to

Receive in tour and demonstration.
WELL DONE LARRY AND MAY GOD BLESS U AND YOUR FAMILY.

John W., Chief Ret. Willimantic F.D.

I attended a Rural Firefighting class put on by Larry years ago and it completely changed the way we managed our water flows. I have read many of his published articles. He was a wealth of knowledge and wil be missed by the fire service. His work will carry on for a long time. Every one in the fire service knows the sacrifices of family members when someone commits the way larry did. God Bless his family.
Chief Bill F.
Cassopolis Fire Department
Cassopolis Michigan 49031

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