Fire Service Today

Online ACLS and EMS Education

So as anyone in EMS knows, there is the necessary evil of recertification/refreshers that we must go through on a regular basis. Well recently I went through my CPR and my ACLS refreshers and boy were my eyes opened wide. Now I must say that I am an avid fan of completing as much of my recert/refresher stuff online as allowable by state statute. Anyone who has taken online classes can probably understand why, but I find it very convenient in that I can do it on my time and at my pace. Some areas I spend more time on, such as dopamine drip rates and trying to figure out correct calculations using various equations and shortcuts, while others not so much.  

Here is where I am going to go into two different directions. The first one being that while I value the concepts and convenience of an online teaching platform I quickly realized the value of a traditional classroom setting. While at my ACLS refresher I think I learned more from that time spent in the classroom engaging in discussions and scenarios than I have in many online platforms, as it relates to ACLS. I guess the point I am trying to make here is the fact that while online platforms are very convenient and effective, there has got to be something said about the value of a traditional class room environment. The second direction I am going in is about an article I read online as it relates to EMS and education. The article addresses several different topics regarding education and meeting the needs of the students and how we might better serve our EMS providers if we teach to treat and not teach to pass an exam. This brings me back around to pace and the time in which we spend on educating students on the various aspects of EMS. Should the programs be designed around a specific number of hours or should they be based on the pace of an individual student and the amount of time a student might need on various subjects. Some students might require more time on EKG interpretations, while others might need a significantly less amount of time due to various reasons. So rather than teach every student at the same pace, maybe it should be around the needs of the individual student? I realize that this is a very complicated and sophisticated suggestion, but I think it is something that does generate good discussion both in favor of something like this or in opposition.

Anyway, if you have the time, feel free to share your thoughts.

Stay safe and have a great day.

Ken Holland

NFPA 1917 Ambulance Standard is out for Public Comment

The ROP draft of NFPA 1917, Standard for Automotive Ambulances is out for Public Comment.  This published document includes changes made after the Proposal period.  A number of changes were made from the intitial draft of the document.  Anyone with an interest in ambulances should review the ROP draft and submit commet by August 30, 2011.  Copies of the ROP draft can be downloaded from the NFPA Doc Info Page for NFPA 1917.  Comment forms can also be downloaded from NFPA's website

Larry Stewart

Members: Register for NFPA Journal Live on 7/28 “Extinguishing Fires in High-Challenge Warehouses”

NFPA Journal® Live presentations, created specifically for NFPA members, feature NFPA technical staff or outside experts discussing a topic related to the featured content in the latest NFPA Journal®. NFPA Journal Live will consist of a presentation by a topic expert, followed by a question-and-answer session that members are invited to participate in. Featuring expert analysis, Journal Live promises to be an informative tool that you can use to stay current on important codes and standards issues. 

Next up:
Join us Thursday, July 28, at 2 p.m. for our NFPA Journal LIVE presentation, “Extinguishing Fires in High-Challenge Warehouses: The Fire Service Perspective.” Richard Gallagher of Zurich Services Corporation Risk Engineering and NFPA’s Steven Sawyer will discuss how large warehouses have evolved and the challenges that warehouse fires pose for the fire service. Register Now

Video of methanol cargo tank truck fire shows inability to visually see flames

Video Courtesy of Diego Gotelli/CIQUIME Argentina

For anyone who has not seen this video, it depicts a burning cargo tank truck of methanol and vividly demonstrates that the burning product is not visible because it burns clearly. Only with the aid of a Thermal Imaging Camera can the heat signature be detected. The video is an excellent training aid for fire service members.

For more information on thermal imagers, read about NFPA 1801: Standard on Thermal Imagers for the Fire Service.

Retiring chief says happiest career moments centered on teaching fire safety to children

 
Fire Prevention Chief T.A. Jones. PHOTO: DONNA PRICE / AMERICAN PRESS

T.A. Jones officially retired from the Lake Charles (Louisiana) Fire Department earlier this month, and in an article by Celeste Ansley on Americanpress.com, he says he remembers every single fire fatality he has seen in his 39-year career.

“It takes a toll on you,” he said.

Chief Jones says he attended his first fire as a hoseman, and through his career, rose through the rankds of fireman first class, fire driver, and fire captain in 1989. He began his work with the fire prevention bureau in 1990.

“Being a part of fire prevention became a part of my life and family,” he says. Chief Jones said in the article that he was “very excited” when he became chief of fire prevention because he knew he could make a difference in Lake Charles.

Jones said some of his happiest moments of his career were visiting local schools during Fire Prevention Week.

“(The children) come up with the best questions,” he says in the article. He added that children remember what he taught them and then they go home and tell their parents.

WE WANT TO KNOW: If you're in the fire service, what's your favorite part of Fire Prevention Week? The classroom visits? The open houses? Your community's focus on safety?

Please share your thougths below. Just click on the "Comments" link to get started.

NFPA seeks fire departments, local agencies to help make communities safer for older adults

Do you have what it takes to help make your community safer for older adults?

NFPA is committed to helping communities reduce fire and fall injuries and deaths among older adults. In December, NFPA will host representatives from up to 40 communities to attend its Remembering When Conference in Boston.

We're looking for fire departments to partner with an agency whose main outreach to older adults is through home visits. As a team, the fire department and the agency will support the implementation of Remembering When at the local level.

Apply today for a Remembering When award, which is valued at more than $4,000 and includes:

• A training workshop in Boston on December 4-6, 2011 for each two-member team. NFPA will cover the expense of travel, hotel, and group meals for each team. Attendance at all sessions is mandatory. All events and meals are funded for invited attendees only.
• One Remembering When: Fire and Falls Prevention program curriculum for each team member.
• One hundred “How to Prevent Fires” brochures for distribution to older adults.
• One hundred “How to Prevent Falls” brochures for distribution to older adults.

But hurry: the deadline for applications is August 15. See more information and complete rules.

NFPA Electric Vehicle Safety Train-the-Trainer Program comes to Massachusetts

 
Developed by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) in partnership with the U.S.Department of Energy, the Electric Vehicle Safety Training course is designed to provide emergency responders with the information needed to respond safely and effectively to emergencies involving hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles, and to emergencies involving vehicle charging stations.

The course provides basic instruction in:

• The realities and myths regarding hazards and risks to responders
• Vehicle components, systems and safety features
• Vehicle recognition and identification techniques at accident scenes
• Procedures for initial response, shutdown and immobilization, and
• Guidelines and safety considerations for emergency operations

The first Train-the-Trainer course will be held in Massachusetts, at the Department of Fire Services in Stow, MA on July 28, 2011. If you are a MA-based first response training officer and are interested in Electric Vehicle Safety Training, register for this training course now.

Don't live in Massachusetts, but are interested in participating? Watch for updates on when the training program comes to your state.

-Lauren Backstrom

Update on fire service standards and activities

Several Fire Service related standards are in the revision process. An update on each is below.

NFPA 1091 - The Technical Committee for NFPA 1091: the Standard on Traffic Control Incident Management, is meeting July 27 and 28 in Harrisburg, PA for the second meeting to draft job performance requirements (JPRs) for the new document. Take a look at the meeting agenda for more information about what will be discussed.

NFPA 1006 - The Technical Committee for NFPA 1006: the Standard for Rescue Technician Professional Qualifications, is meeting July 29 and 30 in Baltimore, MD for a Report on Proposals. Read the Report on Proposals meeting agenda.

NFPA 1001 and NFPA 472: The Report on Proposals are published and now available for public Comment for both NFPA 1001, the Standard for Fire Fighter Professional Qualifications, and NFPA 472, the Standard for Hazardous Materials Response Personnel. Both have separate, distinct hazardous materials JPRs proposals. If interested in commenting, take a look at the NFPA 1001 Report on Proposals and Comment Form and the NFPA 472 Report on Proposals and Comment Form. The Comment Period closes August 30, 2011.              

-Tom McGowan  

Last call for nominations for "Bringing Safety Home Award"

The nonprofit Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition (HFSC) and NFPA’s Fire Sprinkler Initiative, together with the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), will be awarding a fire chief for their outstanding local efforts to increase the installation of residential fire sprinkler systems. The “Bringing Safety Home” award recognizes a fire chief who uses resources from the HFSC and NFPA to educate their communities and ensure that decision-makers have information to pass or upgrade residential fire sprinkler legislation at the local level.

The deadline for submissions is July 29.  Last year, Chief Timothy Solobay of Cannonsburg (PA) Volunteer Fire Department was the first recipient of the “Bringing Safety Home” award.  He was recognized for the role he played to educate decision-makers in his area and state.

This year's award will be presented by IAFC’s Fire and Life Safety Section at the 2011 Fire Rescue International in Atlanta.

Download a nomination form.

Register now for 2nd Annual Electric Vehicle Safety Standards Summit; savings for early registration

Registration is now open for the “2nd Annual Electric Vehicle Safety Standards Summit” on Tuesday and Wednesday 27-28 September 2011 in Detroit, MI.  The two day meeting will be held at the Marriott Detroit Renaissance Center Hotel, 400 Renaissance Drive, Detroit, MI. Similar to last year’s successful Summit, this year’s event is again co-hosted by NFPA and SAE International.  We’re also pleased to welcome our key note speaker, Robert C. Lange, Principal and Group Vice President of Exponent, Inc.

This year’s Summit will address the following topics:

• What’s new with vehicles and batteries
• Trends in the EV marketplace
• A successful EV fleet case study
• EV charging infrastructure and the NEC
• A case study of an actual EV related emergency event
• Concerns for indirect EV issues such as bulk battery storage and transportation 

Register here. Save $100 by registering before September 16, 2011!  Also, find additional information including lodging, available through SAE.

Read a summary report of last year's Summit as well as more information on this year's event.

Steven Sawyer