Fire Service Today

28th National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend

The the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend will be held on the weekend of October 2-4 with a candle light vigil on October 3rd from 6:30 pm to 7:30pm. The entire weekend activities will take place at the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, M.D.

The weekend will memorialize those 103 firefighters from 36 states who lost their lives in 2008 as well as 19 from previous years.

For more information and complete details please visit:

National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend

Ken Holland

Report from China

The October podcast features an interview with Pawtucket, RI firefighter Dave Reed, who recently returned from a tour of the fire service in China. 

Dave giving a lecture on technical rescue in China in August, 2009.

Some of the Chinese fire officers in attendance.

Curt Varone

Fire Service Occupational Safety and Health

A reminder that the Proposal Closing Date for NFPA 1500 Standard on Occupational Safety and Health Progam and NFPA 1582 Standard on Comprehensive Occupational Medical Program for Fire Departments is November 24, 2009.  This following link will provide a Proposal Form for your use.  The NFPA Standards Council is meeting in San Francisco, CA on October 27-28, 2009.  On October 27th, the Standards Council has scheduled time for those who submitted Public Comments on (TIA) No.938 dealing with Proximity Fire Fighting to present information on the subject for Council consideration.

Frank Florence

Proposed TIA for NFPA 1500

The members of the Fire Department Apparatus Committee are proposing a TIA for NFPA 1500, Standard on Fire Department Occupational Safety and Health Program, to give guidance on the use of fire apparatus vehicle data recorders (VDR's) with the following text:

6.4.2.1*  For apparatus contracted on or after January 1, 2009, the fire department shall download the data stored from the Vehicle Data Recorder (VDR) at a minimum of once every month and following each vehicle accident. 

6.4.2.2  The downloaded data shall be retained for a minimum of five years. 

6.4.2.3  The department shall establish policies and procedures that identify unsafe driving as revealed by the data from the VDR. 

6.4.2.4  The fire department shall correct unsafe driving as revealed by the VDR data through recognition, awareness, training and policy development.   

6.4.2.5  Unsafe driving data, as revealed by the VDR, shall be made known to the fire chief.

A.6.4.2.1  With the 2009 revision of NFPA 1901—Standard for Automotive Fire Apparatus,  a VDR is required on all apparatus.   The data captured by the VDR is most valuable in post-accident investigation.  However, the intent of the VDR, as developed by the NFPA Apparatus Technical Committee, is to identify unsafe driving practices and take corrective action before an accident.   The VDR is not intended to be used as a punitive tool, but rather as a tool to improve safe driving habits.

SUBSTANTIATION:

The NFPA Apparatus Technical Committee saw a need for a VDR and developed the requirements for the 2009 revision of NFPA 1901.  However, the scope of NFPA 1901 does not allow the technical committee to develop user requirements.  It is necessary for the user requirements to be stated in NFPA 1500.

Despite all the advocacy initiatives, there has been an upward trend in the number of firefighters killed while responding to and returning from calls.  Far too often they are single vehicle accidents with the driver/operator being at fault.  In fact, last year, responding to/returning from was the number one “activity being performed” when a firefighter was killed in the line of duty.  It is unacceptable that more firefighters are killed getting to and from incidents than at incidents.  

The VDR provides a means to minimize the risk.  Drivers will now know that their driving skills and behavior are being monitored.  Drivers and firefighters will now know that their seat belt usage is being monitored.  And, the fire department will have hard data on driving behavior and seat-belt usage.  Combined, this compels the fire department to a duty of managing driving behavior and occupant safety for the benefit of its members and the community it serves.   

If you have any comments, feel free to send email at lstewart@nfpa.org

Answering the door?

I received a call this morning from a newspaper reporter inquiring if there was a “national standard” on how a firefighter is supposed to respond to a doorbell at a fire station. No doubt many fire chiefs and fire service leaders field these kinds of “out-of-the-blue” questions daily. Sometimes they come from the media, sometimes from elected officials, and sometimes from the public. While one may be tempted to respond to such a question with disbelief or sarcasm, experience has proven that a few more questions are in order.  

 

“What seems to be the problem?” I asked.

 

“Well, we had a situation where someone left an infant at the front door of a fire station at 4:20am, rang the doorbell, and took off. The firefighter who answered the door, never opened it, but simply looked out the peephole, saw no one and went back to what he was doing. Then at 7:00am a paramedic getting the morning paper found an infant in front of the door and the baby was dead”.

 

“That’s a tragic situation” I replied.

 

“Well, shouldn’t the firefighter have at least opened the door? I have to believe the NFPA must have  some standard that addresses the situation”.

 

“As a matter of fact, we do not have standards that address how to respond to a door bell.”

 

The conversation turned to the circumstances surrounding the tragedy, and the safe haven laws that no doubt prompted someone to leave an infant in front of a fire station. What was not apparent to the reporter was that most safe haven laws do not allow people to simply leave an infant unattended at a fire station, but rather require that the infant be given to a firefighter at the fire station. Such a subtle nuance escaped not only the reporter, but apparently the person who left the infant as well.

 

So the question becomes, what do we as firefighters do about it? Like so many other tragedies that we witness on a daily basis – we learn from it. We pass it along as a lesson learned. Hopefully many departments will incorporate the lesson learned into policies, procedures, and training. Perhaps there is a pub ed role about safe haven laws that needs to get out to the media and public. 

 

For more on the story, click here.

 

As for the need to incorporate answering the door into a national standard, what do you think?

 

Curt Varone

Isman Educational Grant Deadline Extended to September 25

Christine Ellis just informed me that the deadline for hazmat teams to apply for the Isman Educational Grant has been extended to Friday, September 25. Please see the post below for more information.

Dave Trebisacci

Firefighter Safety and Emergency Response in Pre-Planning and Fireground Tactics for Alternative Energy Technologies

The NFPA's Fire Protection Research Foundation is conducting a study through a grant awarded to the National Fire Protection Association from the Department of Homeland Security. It addresses two immediate issues of concern to the fire service. The first is emergency response procedures to address firefighter safety in the context of the widespread introduction of electric drive and electric hybrid vehicles. The second is an immediate fire fighter safety concern related to structure fire fighting in the presence of roof solar panels. The goal of this project is to assemble and disseminate best practice tactical information for fire ground incident commanders and fire fighters through a review of available information; review through two fire service workshops; and synthesis in the form of best practice guidance. For more infomation of the projects contact Casey Grant.

Curt Varone

Hazmat Teams! Last Call for Isman Educational Grant

Tomorrow, September 15, is the last day for hazmat teams to apply for the Warren E. Isman Educational Grant. This annual $5,000 award goes to a hazardous materials response team (up to five members) to attend a national hazmat conference.

Any established hazardous materials incident response team from a fire department, police department or other public-funded program may apply. Preference will be given to teams which demonstrate:

1. Leadership qualities.
2. Communication abilities.
3. Training to the levels outlined in NFPA 472, Professional Competence of Responders to Hazardous Materials Incidents, and NFPA 473, Competencies for EMS Personnel Responding to Hazardous Materials Incidents.
   

A hazmat team must submit a letter and completed application to the committee addressing the qualifications noted above and stating their achievements in these areas. The letter should include the names of all team members and information on the conference they wish to attend. A team must also fill out the application by September 15, 2009.

This grant was initiated by the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) following Warren's untimely death in 1991. Following the establishment of the NFPA Fire Safety Educational Memorial Fund, the IAFC asked the NFPA to assume administrative responsibilities in 1993. As a leader in the fire service, Warren developed innovative solutions to the difficult problem facing the modern fire department. He always sought training and education, and then shared his knowledge with others. This grant has been established so that his love for sharing information and the free exchange of innovative ideas can continue.

For more information, please contact

Christine Ellis
1 Batterymarch Park
Quincy, MA 02169-7471
Phone: +1 617 984-7244
Fax: +1 617 984-7110

Dave Trebisacci

NFPA 1401, 1402, 1403, AND 1451 Accepting Proposals

The NFPA Committee on Fire Service Training will be seek proposals for the next revision of several key training standards, guides and recommended practices. These are core documents for all fire service training programs and training divisions.

NFPA 1401 Recommended Practice for Fire Service Training Reports and Records - Fire service organizations should use this document to establish, upgrade, or evaluate their training records and report systems. This recommended practice provides guidance and suggestions for every fire training organization.

NFPA 1402 Guide to Building Fire Service Training Centers - This guide addresses the design and construction of facilities for fire service training, including process considerations (needs assessment, selecting an architect) and physical considerations (classrooms, drill towers, burn and smoke buildings, specialty training facilities, and driver training areas).

NFPA 1403 Standard on Live Fire Training Evolutions This standard presents the minimum requirements for training fire suppression personnel engaged in firefighting operations under live fire conditions.

NFPA 1451 Standard for a Fire Service Vehicle Operations Training Program - This document includes minimum requirements for conducting a fire service vehicle operations training program, including organizational procedures for training personnel, maintaining vehicles, and identifying equipment deficiencies, and the design, financing, and
other areas necessary for the development of a fire service vehicle training program.

Sharpen your pencils and download the proposal form from NFPA. Make a contribution to fire service training and fire fighter safety. The documents will enter the 2011 Fall Revision cycle and will be open for public proposal until May 28, 2010.

Steven Sawyer

 

Hay, That Looks Like Sparky!

No, really, it is hay. During the recent Hay Festival in Killington, Vermont, hay bales were distributed among participating area businesses to turn into art projects throughout the village. These are similar to the more familiar ones involving painted and decorated pigs, cows, horses, and even electric guitars. Among the displays were bats, chefs, ski boots and, this one by the local fire department. No matches near the dog, please!  -    Jim Smalley