Fire Service Today

Another LDH Appliance Failure

Our friends at FirefighterCloseCalls.com are reporting another failure of a large diameter hose appliance (a portable hydrant/manifold), this time during a training exercise in Sussex County, NJ on Monday, July 27, 2009. One firefighter was injured when the appliance failed. A similar incident occurred in Lambertsville, NJ in March, 2009. An investigation into Lambertsville incident resulted in a recommendation/reminder that all appliances should be service tested annually in accordance with NFPA 1962.

Curt Varone

Managing the Unexpected in Wildland Fire Operations

The next Managing the Unexpected in Wildland Fire Operations: A Workshop on High Reliability Organizing is on October 20-22, 2009 in Vero Beach, Florida.  It will include a staff ride of the St. Sebastian Rx Fire burnover.  Nominations are due by Friday Sept. 4, 2009. Click here for the announcement and nomination forms. – Jim Smalley

Growing communities grapple with increasing risks, costs

This article from the Great Falls Tribune in Great Falls, Montana, highlights the need for more fire services as growth increases and building techniques change. The author, a firefighter, lays out a strong case for using a combination of SAFER Act grants and taxes to pay for these services and ensure that NFPA standards for safety are met.

--Michele Steinberg

GAO finds wildfire management practices wanting

Yesterday the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) released the statement of Patricia Dalton, GAO's Managing Director of Natural Resources and Environment, which was testimony before U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. The full statement, titled "Wildland Fire Management: Federal Agencies Have Taken Important Steps, but Additional Action is Needed to Address Remaining Challenges," is available here. Of particular interest is the recommendation to agencies to define financial responsibilities among non-federal partners (mainly states and municipalities) and the comments regarding the need for improved building codes and wildfire managment regulations at the local and state levels to reduce the risk of home loss from wildfire.

--Michele Steinberg

EMS RESEARCH OPPORTUNITY

National EMS assessment:

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, (NHTSA) is funding a preliminary assessment of the state of the nation's EMS systems using currently available data and identifying key areas for which existing EMS data are insufficient for meaningful analysis. Specifically, NHTSA's objectives are:

To understand what data are being collected at the state, regional, and national levels that pertain to EMS systems, EMS emergency preparedness, and 9-1-1 communications.

To assess the quality, availability, and comprehensiveness of the data on EMS systems that are currently being collected.

To identify significant areas for which assessment is not possible at this time due to limitations in existing data.

To develop recommendations for a sustainable process to assess the nation's EMS system.

To obtain a written report summarizing the current state of the nation's EMS system, including recommendations for future assessment efforts.

To view the full announcement or to download the full RFP please visit:

EMS Research Announcement

In order to be considered for this award, a response to the full RFP is due to NHTSA's Office of Acquisition Management by 2:PM EST on August 17th, 2009.

Ken Holland  

Gasoline Tanker Fire Caused by Vehicle Running Over Hose

A gasoline tanker fire in Jackson, TN appears to have been caused by a vehicle running over the fill hose. The tanker was at the station filling the underground tanks when a vehicle ran over the fill hose causing a fire. Go to the article.Go to the article.

Remind station operators and tanker drivers the appropriate safeguards when filling tanks. See NFPA 385, Standard for Tank Vehicles for Flammable and Combustible Liquids and NFPA 30A, Code for Motor Fuel Dispensing Facilities and Repair Garages.

Steven Sawyer

Childs Play

Jen Flynn, a Research Analyst for NFPA's Fire Analysis and Research Division, recently wrote an article on Children Playing with Fire.  Check it out.

Stacey Van Zandt

 

Get your facts straight with NFPA's Fire Statistics

Check out NFPA's Fire Analysis and Research Divison's list of  Fire Statistic Fact Sheets.

 Stacey Van Zandt  

NFPA Position on Fire Grant Programs – July 2009

NFPA testified before the subcommittee on Technology and Innovation of the House Science and Technology Committee on July 8th to strongly support the reauthorization of the Fire Grant Programs. NFPA shares this strong support with all the major fire service organizations and also shares the goal of ensuring that the grant programs benefit the entire fire service and the communities they serve.

NFPA’s testimony focused on three areas – research conducted by NFPA to analyze the needs of the nation’s fire service and the impact these programs have had on alleviating the needs, thoughts on enhancements that can be considered during reauthorization and NFPA’s position on the most effective ways to continue to reduce fires and fire fatalities.

The current program requires a 5% cost share match for small communities, 10% for mid-sized communities and 20% for larger communities without any consideration for economic hardship. NFPA testified that it felt it would be appropriate to eliminate the cost share in the Fire Prevention and Firefighter Safety Grant or to allow a waiver or reduction of the match requirement for applicants facing a demonstrated economic hardship. The testimony summarized in its closing, “We ask our fire service to do a lot more than fight fires. We ask them to be the first line of defense in the full range of ordinary and extraordinary situations. As we place more demands on them, we must be willing to provide them with the resources to do the job. We know from our analysis that the fire service is woefully underfunded. The Fire Grant programs are working, are moving the fire service in the right direction and must continue.” The full testimony can be viewed at NFPA’s website.

This hearing was one step in the reauthorization process. NFPA will continue to work aggressively with the major fire service organizations through this process to fight for these critical programs that help equip and train the fire service to better protect the public from fire and other hazards.

High Visibility Vest Interim Rule Become Final

On June 15th the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) issued a final rule amending the rules governing Worker Visibility to permit an exemption from the high visibility garment requirement for  fire fighters performing fire fighting and hazardous materials operations. The original rule mandated that all workers on a Federally funded highway wear an ANSI approved high visibility garment, and did not allow an exception for fire and hazmat personnel. The new rule is intended to apply to fire fighters and hazmat technicians who are actively engaged in fire or hazmat operations where the wearing of the high visibility garment would increase the risk to personnel.  Click here for an article about the change or  click here to see the final rule.

Steven Sawyer