Fire Service Today

Chief Randy Bradley talks about his experience at NFPA's "Backyards and Beyond" conference

Firefighter Safety in the WUI

In the past few years, more than 150 firefighters have lost their lives at wildland fires. Dennis Childress, retired from the Orange County Fire Authority, discussed firefighter safety in the WUI this afternoon at NFPA’s “Backyards & Beyond” conference. Dennis provided all of the fire service members in attendance with a complete program they could take back to their departments to train everyone on the concepts and strategies learned during today’s session. This program included a PowerPoint template, educational videos and a notes handbook.

As society moved outward from urban to rural areas, the skills needed to fight these fires is evolving. Combining structural and wildland firefighting techniques is becoming a specialty and firefighter safety is becoming more of a priority. 

Shocking video captures backdraft explosion inside burning building

A witness captures video of a dramatic backdraft explosion while firefighters are inside a burning Ohio restaurant. Luckily all firefighters were able to make it out of the building unharmed, but the video is a great example of the potential dangers during a fire. Watch the video now. 

Video courtesy of CNN.com. 

Lesson Learned: CO2 Leak at McDonald’s; Harmful to Employee and Responders

Last week I received an email from the Technical Committee Chair for Hazardous Materials Response Personnel, Greg Noll. Through his contacts he receives and forwards many situations and scenarios regarding hazardous materials emergency responses from around the country.

This one in particular struck me on several levels. The first is a “lesson learned” video which was developed and sent out on YouTube® for all to view. The Phoenix Fire Department has displayed this type of “out-in-the-open” character for many years. Let’s not bury it or not tell anyone for fear of embarrassment or something far worse. Let’s get it out there so all can learn.

The second is the fact that this incident occurred at a place that we are very familiar with and is so much a part of our culture. It doesn’t have to be a McDonald’s, Burger King, Popeye’s, or any other quick service food establishment. Hazardous materials situations can happen in the most common of places. Think outside the box and know what is in your response district.

The third is the type of chemical that is so abundant and so much part of the way we breathe—literally. Carbon Dioxide, CO₂.

Some facts about CO₂:

• Typically found in a gaseous state
• Colorless, Odorless, Tasteless
• Pressurized into liquid state
• DOT Placard: Green, category 2, non-flammable
• NFPA 704 Marking System: 3 Health, 0 Fire, 0 Reactivity, 0 Special Hazard
• Expansion ratio nearly 3000 to 1
• Displaces O₂, asphyxiant
• Cryogenic

Please take the time to view the video.  It is approximately 18 minutes. 

This would make for a great coffee break training session for any emergency response team.

 

Tom McGowan

NFPA Staff Liaison

tmcgowan@nfpa.org

NFPA 1917, Ambulance Standard One Step Closer to Completion

The Technical Committee on Automotive Ambulances recently completed their Reoprt on Comments meeting in Baltimore, MD, addressing 43 Public Comments.  The results of the committee actions will be published in the ROC due out February 24, 2012.  This will open the period for a Notice of Intent to Make a Motion, which closes April 6, 2012. 

Larry Stewart

Seat belts for the fire service - necessary or no big deal?

One of the easiest things we can do to reduce firefighter death and injury is using the seatbelts found in almost every piece of fire apparatus. It costs nothing, yet many firefighters still refuse to use them and as many fire officers refuse to require their use. Is allowing this culture of “It won’t happen to me” and “Seatbelts are too restrictive” to continue worth it?

Watch this video from the Illinois Fire Chief's Association about the impact of firefighters not wearing their seat belts and let us know if you think it’s worth it. 

-Ken Willette

Janet Wilmoth writes of 'Lingering Bells and Deafening Silence' to honor military & fire service

Recently, Janet Wilmoth, Editorial Director of Fire Chief magazine and a good friend to the fire service, lost her nephew in a military training accident. Janet has used her columns in Fire Chief and on line to share the stories of America’s military families, from stories of deployed fire service personnel and what fire departments are doing to support them. For several years, she has published a list of deployed soldiers, airmen, marines, and sailors, inviting readers to send Christmas cards to them to brighten their holiday season while serving in distant lands, far from their families.

Give her recent blog post a read titled, "Lingering Bells and Deafening Silence" where she comments on the memorial service she attended "for two Marine Corps helicopter pilots who were killed in a training exercise at Camp Pendleton. [She] never had been to a military memorial service before, and was struck by the depth of its symbolism and tradition — much like the fire service."

Your friends at NFPA will keep your family in our thoughts and prayers, Janet. Thank you for your continued efforts to herald the work and sacrifices made by our military and fire service families.

-Ken Willette

Integrating social media in emergency communications

Social media has been changing the way people communicate and exchange information for a while now. Through social platforms, like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or You Tube, individuals, small and large groups of people, as well as organizations can share information and communicate with each other in real time. Additionally, since mobile infrastructure is more resilient than other modes of communication, and cell phones have made social media easily accessible, it is the likely mode of communication in a disaster or emergency. 

It makes sense then, that people are starting to expect that their local emergency management agencies incorporate social media into their communication plans. In a recent issue of the Journal of Emergency Management, author R. Sabra Jafarzadeh discusses what some of the benefits of social media are to help those agencies who are unaware educate themselves. 

Jafarzadeh details some important considerations, including the fact that providing the public with more accurate information instills confidence in their decision-making ability during a disaster/emergency, as opposed to the panic once thought to be the outcome of this information. Establishing public trust and encouraging the public and emergency management agencies to work together during these situations are additional benefits. 

What benefits do you think social media has on emergency communications? Let us know in the comments!

-Lauren Backstrom

Vision 20/20

NFPA Division Director of Governmental Affairs Gregory B. Cade and NFPA Senior Fire Service Specialist and IFMA Executive Secretary attend the Vision 20/20 Steering Committee Meeting in Fairfax, VA on October 17-18. NFPA and IFMA has been a member since the start. The steering committee heard an update on each strategy.

Vision 20/20, has been working on implementing  Community Risk Reduction (CRR) programs to demonstrate their application in the United States.  Modeled on the highly successful programs used in the United Kingdom and Australia, the concepts of CRR have been implemented in a number of communities including Dallas, Texas; Tucson, Arizona; Portland, Oregon; Madison, Wisconsin; Vancouver, Washington; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and others. For more on the program click here.

Steven Sawyer

NEW - NFPA 1730: Standard on Organization and Deployment of Code Enforcement, Plan Review, Fire Investigation, and Public Education Operations to the Public

Over a year ago the NFPA Standards Council approved a new document NFPA 1730: Standard on Organization and Deployment of Code Enforcement, Plan Review, Fire Investigation, and Public Education Operations to the Public. The committee has been appointed and have met twice to draft text.  The next meeting will be January 23-24, 2012.  The document has not entered a cycle yet. For more information click here.

Steven Sawyer