Fire Service Today

Univ. of Cincinnati Studying Connection Between Firefighter Cancer and Soot

On July 12, 2009, the University of Cincinnati held a seminar on Firefighter Cancer/Wellness.  Three firefighters - an  Assistant Chief from Columbus, a Captain from Indianapolis, and a FF/paramedic from California - all "cancer survivors"  - shared their dramatic stories.   Principle among the issues addressed was the dangers associated with soot getting into the lungs of firefighters during overhaul.
 
UC Medical announced it will be doing a new study on soot and firefighter cancer, including blood draws of firefighters.  The Cincinnati FD is participating in the research, and have started a new clearning program for all turn out gear. CFD purchased a second set of turnout gear for all 850+ firefighters.

Additional information about the reserach can be found at http://www.uc.edu/cas/firescience/

Curt Varone

Geospatial Information & GIS: Current Issues and Future Challenges

The Congressional Research Service has published a report entitled "Geospatial Information and Geographic Information Systems (GIS): Current Issues and Future Challenges". For copy of the report (CRS report number R40625), click on the title.

The Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) is an interagency committee that promotes the coordinated development, use, sharing, and dissemination of geospatial data on a national basis. This nationwide data publishing effort is known as the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI). The NSDI is a physical, organizational, and virtual network designed to enable the development and sharing of this nation's digital geographic information resources. – Jim Smalley

NFPA 414 and NFPA 1081 Seeking Public Proposals

NFPA 414, Standard for Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting Vehicles, and NFPA 1081, Standard for Industrial Fire Brigade Member Professional Qualifications  are both seeking public proposals at this time. Both documents have a proposal closing date of November 24, 2009 and will meet sometime after january 1, 2010 to address all public proposals. Information on location and dates of these meeting will be forthcoming once those arrangements have been made.

If you are interested in submitting a proposal please use this form Download NFPAProposalForm

Along with that if you are interested in learning more information about the ROP meeting for NFPA 414 and NFPA 1081 please feel free to contact me.

Ken Holland  

Improve Fire Safety by Shutting Off the Water?

A week ago, I received a blue piece of paper from my town with my home mail. The announcement on the page began “In order to improve fire protection, we’re turning off the water.”

 

Okay, the city is replacing fire hydrants in our area, and the need to shut of the water for a period of hours is obvious. But I started thinking, if communities had a water shortage – a serious water shortage - or even no water for fire protection – would fire prevention become a priority for each resident? And would the fire department be ready to provide in-depth home fire prevention assessments and advice? If your department received phone call after phone call for a home inspection, could you handle it? Are the fire fighters prepared? And what about an exterior home inspection in a wildland/urban interface hazard area? Could you handle fire prevention education and inspection both inside and the outside the house?

 

If your answer is anything less than a very confident “YES!” you might want to look at NFPA 1452 Guide for Training Fire Service Personnel to Conduct Dwelling Fire Safety Surveys. It has detailed information on home electrical hazards, flammable liquid hazards, cooking area hazards, and, oh yes, the wildland interface fire hazards. And just in time for National Fire Prevention Week. Check out the fire prevention materials available to your fire department from NFPA.

 

And I’ll stop worrying about the water supply. We know it will always be available, right?  - Jim Smalley

US Firefighter delivers presentation in China

On August 13 2009, Firefighter Dave Reed, of the Pawtucket, RI Fire Department made a presentation on Technical Rescue Awareness to the Chong Qing, China Fire Department. Dave, who is also a Rescue Specialist with RI USAR Task Force #1 talked about the US Fire Service; NFPA 1670 and 1006; Incident Command for Technical Rescue Incidents; Rescue Environments & Disciplines; Multi Agency Response; and Risk vs. Benefit analysis. The trip was organized through a joint effort of the NFPA’s Public Fire Protection Division and the NFPA International Operations Department. NFPA China Regional Representative, Yuanjing "Janet" Liu, served as Dave’s guide and interpreter.

 Curt Varone

The First Annual Global Wildland Fire Fatalities Report

The Global Wildland Fire Network is providing the draft of the First Annual Global Wildland Fire Fatalities Report covering the year 2008. This report is based on the evaluation of media and agency reports from throughout the world. The detailed reports linked to the short incident notes (by country, in alphabetic order) reveal that both civilians as well as voluntary and professional firefighters were affected. The reports also include the number of people injured in wildfire incidents.

This report is based on media reports by newspapers and radio broadcast stations that were published on the internet. Thus, this global review is certainly not complete in a way that it would entirely cover all incidents globally.

However, the report reveals that 345 wildland fire fatalities were reported in 2008. In Asia alone 119 people died in wildland fires, notably in China (94 fatalities). Australia suffered 14 fatalities. In the Americas 12 people died in Latin America, one in Canada, and 42 in the U.S.A. The 2008 summary report of U.S. firefighter fatalities reveals that 26 firemen died in wildland fires – this number is probably included in the before-mentioned number. While six fatalities were recorded in Europe in 2008, the number of people killed in wildfire incidents in Africa reached 151 in 2008, most of them civilians.

In order to complete this report the members and associated experts of the Regional Wildland Fire Networks are kindly asked to review their home databases and media reports and return data and / or reports back to the GFMC (fire@fire.uni-freiburg.de). All reports should provide a source that could be quoted in the final version of the First Annual Global Wildland Fire Fatalities Report. – Jim Smalley

50th Anniversary of Kansas City Explosion

Today (August 18, 2009) is the 50th anniversary of the Kansas City explosion that killed six people, including five firefighters. There is a terrific YouTube video on the fire, and STATler911 also has some excellent coverage of the incident.

Curt Varone

"Hot" or Not - Safety Should Prevail

An interesting piece of information has been circulating around the Internet concerning a decision by the SW area of the USDA Forest Service to not use sirens on response to wildland fires.

The idea is not new. In October 2002, an author Jeff Clawson in Public Management magazine explored the indiscriminate use of lights and sirens by EMS units (e.g., in transferring non-emergency patients) and the role this and similar practices might have contributed to injuries and deaths.

All one has to do is take a closer look at NFPA’s reports on fire fighter injuries and deaths to realize that a typical scenario (fire fighters told to report to a wildfire with a fully loaded water tender with lights and siren) sometimes ends badly – very badly. Of course, it’s not always a water tender. The vehicle could be an engine, a pick-up truck, or a van loaded with fire fighters on their way to another assignment. And, sadly, it might not even have been a wildfire (check the stats in training exercises). Always in a hurry to get somewhere else, protected by flashing lights and piercing sirens.

Whatever the rationale (and there are plenty of them on both sides of the issue), running “hot” to a wildland fire when no lives are threatened is, in my opinion, another example of “hurry up and wait.” I suggest that all emergency response agencies to take a closer look at NFPA 1451: Standard for a Fire Service Vehicle Operations Training Program with goal of safely responding to/from incidents ("hot" or not) as important as important as safely operating at incidents.  – Jim Smalley  

Vigilance Pays… and Protects

Ten days after the snow had melted, a wildfire was ignited on a woodcutting site and quickly became an active wildfire. Attempting to augment their insurance claim, several area residents and owners of a hunting club initiated a class action suit to recover additional damages from the paper company, wood cutter, and members of state forestry. While most state laws prohibit lawsuits against public agencies, the residents sued forestry employees individually. The lawsuit claimed that the plaintiffs had suffered damages because state forestry had not informed them of the dangers of wildfire to their property.

Fast forward about two years…

 

The agency’s defense included the history of fire prone property inspection records (an earlier version of the home ignition zone assessment in NFPA 1144 Standard for Reducing Ignition Hazards from Wildfire). These records had been completed prior to the fire. Upon submission of this evidence the judge determined that state forestry officials had fulfilled the agency’s responsibility to inform residents of wildfire dangers and that the residents had not taken the necessary recommended actions to reduce wildfire hazards. Class action portion of the lawsuit was dismissed.

I love happy endings! – Jim Smalley

Every Home Can Be “Firewise” Starting from the Inside!

The best way to prevent damage and loss of property is to reduce the chances of ignition. The NFPA Firewise Communities program has been encouraging people to take charge of their inherent fire hazards around the outside of their woodland homes for years. But other hazards exist in and around all homes, and residents should be aware that being Firewise can be a complete assessment of all the common fire hazards found around and inside our dwellings!

Check out NFPA’s latest comprehensive Home Fire Safety Survey, the Firewise Communities program, and become Firewise – Inside and Out!  - Jim Smalley