2007 edition of NFPA 1982 addresses performance issues
The 2007 edition of National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1982, Standard on Personal Alert Safety Systems (PASS), is now available at www.nfpa.org/pass. The new version addresses issues related to performance in devices certified to previous editions of the standard.
In late 2005, the NFPA published on its Web site an alert notice entitled “PASS alarm signals can fail at high temperatures,” calling responders’ attention to the fact that when exposed to high temperatures, the PASS alarm signal was reduced, making it indistinguishable from background noise at the incident scene. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health’s (NIOSH) Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program brought this fact to the attention of the NFPA Technical Committee on Electronic Safety Equipment (the Technical Committee).
NIOSH reported that while investigating four firefighter fatalities that occurred between 2001 and 2004, it was reported that the PASS alarm signals were not heard or were barely audible. The PASS had been certified as compliant to NFPA 1982, 1998 edition, and involved stand-alone and SCBA-integrated PASS.
Tests conducted by the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) Fire Research Division showed that in the devices it tested, this sound reduction began at temperatures as low as 300°F (150°C) and affected all PASS certified to the 1998 and earlier editions of NFPA 1982.
On February 5, 2007, Senator John Kerry (MA) asked the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to investigate the information in an MSNBC.com special report that indicated that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) may have ignored a warning issued in 2000 by its own fire safety engineer, who said that the personal alarms appeared to have failed in two separate incidents in which firefighters died.
A spokesman for the inspector general’s office at HHS said Kerry’s request would be reviewed over the next several weeks and then be assigned to the proper component within the office for further investigation if it were needed. The MSNBC report, based on federal investigative studies, noted that 15 firefighters have died since 1998 in fires where a PASS didn’t sound or was so quiet that rescuers weren’t given a chance to find the firefighters quickly. www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16994965/print/1/displaymode/1098, Feb 6, 2007
Principal Changes to NFPA 1982. Once notified of the possible deficiencies in PASS, the NFPA Technical Committee on Electronic Safety Equipment, in cooperation with NIOSH and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), studied the issue and incorporated revisions into the 2007 edition of NFPA 1982. The new edition provides for strengthened performance requirements and testing addressing the alarm signal-degradation issue and also other matters such as problems caused by vibration, probably during transportation, and water ingress into the electronic and power supply compartments. The principal changes contained in the 2007 edition of NFPA 1982 are as follows:
- PASS being tested should be exposed to a temperature of 350°F for 15 minutes and then be submersed in 1.5 meters (4.9 feet) of water for 15 minutes for each of six cycles. They then should be examined to determine that there was no water ingress and that all PASS signals and electronic data-logging functions operate properly. Then, the PASS should be reimmersed in the test water for an additional five minutes with the power source compartment open; the PASS should be removed from the water and wiped dry, and the electronics compartment should be opened and examined to verify that no water entered the compartment.
- The PASS should be mounted in a circulating hot air oven at 500°F for five minutes. The alarm signal must function at or above the required 95 dBA sound level; electronic data-logging functions must operate properly; and no part of the PASS can show evidence of melting, dripping, or igniting.
- The PASS are “tumbled” in a rotating drum for three hours. The PASS alarm signal must function at the required 95 dBA sound level, and electronic data-logging functions must operate properly.
- The PASS are mounted on a test subject and evaluated in five positions: face down with arms extended, supine left, supine right, fetal right with knees drawn to chest, and fetal left with knees drawn to chest. The alarm signal must function at or above the required 95 dBA sound level.
PASS malfunctions should be reported to the organization whose certification mark appears on the PASS and to NIOSH-NPPTL: the Safety Equipment Institute (SEI, the certification organization), e-mail at: info@seinet.org and NIOSH-NPPTL, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health-National Personal Protection Technical Laboratory at NPPTL_PASS@cdc.gov/.
In spite of the problems with PASS, the NFPA believes that they are important tools for firefighters and other emergency responders and recommends that, at least until PASS that are designed and certified to the 2007 edition of NFPA 1982 become available, emergency responders continue to maintain and use existing PASS. Users are cautioned, however, to consider both the existing and the new PASS (when available) as a last-resort call for help when they cannot notify others that they are in distress. The NFPA recommends that firefighters and other emergency responders continue to activate and wear PASS whenever in hazardous areas at an incident; they should also be aware of the possibility that hostile conditions may adversely affect the PASS’ performance. Incident command, the NFPA says, should continue to apply personnel accountability measures at all incidents to ensure the safe entrance and exit of personnel from hazardous areas, and direct supervision of operating companies or teams should provide for the safe operating locations of personnel and ensure that members do not “freelance” on the incident scene.
Engineer cites dangerous conditions at E2 Club
A mechanical engineer testified at the E2 nightclub trial in January that two rear exits were hard to find because they were poorly marked and at the end of narrow, cluttered pathways.
The owner of the Chicago nightclub, his son, the floor manager, and a party promoter were on trial at press time for 21 counts of involuntary manslaughter in the tragedy, which occurred in February 2003.
The engineer noted other dangerous conditions: A stairwell to one of the rear exits was cluttered with debris, and another one was narrowed because of the storage of wood parts used for stacking unused table and chairs. The door to the restaurant’s kitchen swung inward into one of the exit pathways and was not marked with a sign indicating that it was not an exit. The nightclub’s “exit capacity” was 240 people; it has been estimated that more than 1,100 people were in the club. The engineer said an emergency plan specific to this building was needed and that it should have included an evacuation plan and a staff trained to implement that plan. http://nwitimes.com/articles, Jan. 26, 2007
IAFC releases first Near-Miss Reporting System Report
The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) has released its first National Fire Fighter Near-Miss Reporting System report, based on findings from near-miss reports submitted during 2006.
Highlights of the annual report include the following:
- Details about who submitted the reports, the types of incidents involved, causes of the near-miss events, and the loss potential of the incidents.
- An analysis of aggregate reports selected from the program that uses the U.S. Navy’s Human Factors Analysis and Classification System to evaluate each incident. The system evaluates an event based on four levels of individual and institutional performance: unsafe acts, preconditions to unsafe acts, unsafe supervision, and organizational influences.
- Findings of the working groups convened in September 2006 at Fire-Rescue International in Dallas.
- Case studies, sample reports, testimonies, and an assortment of tools firefighters and officers will find useful in their day-to-day operations.
- An overview of the program and its history.
The report is available online at www.firefighternearmiss.com and www.iafc.org/nearmiss.
Critics say DHS should do more for communications interoperability
A panel of national security experts and members of the House Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee said, in January, that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was not moving quickly enough to ensure that state and local governments have interoperable communications equipment, according to a report by Chris Strohm, CongressDaily. Rep. Nita Lowey (NY), a member of the House Homeland Security Committee, noted that problems still persist even though Congress has been passing legislation to improve public safety agencies’ ability to communicate since 2003. A DHS spokesperson said the agency was encouraged by the positive discussions it has had with new committee leaders and members and that it was looking forward to continuing those discussions.
Chemical terrorism: How prepared are the clinical laboratories?
A survey of clinical laboratory professionals has found that less than half think their laboratory could effectively respond in a hazardous chemical emergency. As a result of these findings, the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP), which conducted the survey under a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), will launch a series of online training courses to help clinical laboratories better prepare for a hazardous chemical event. Online training courses are being developed to fill the gaps and provide guidance.
ASCP sent a link to the online survey to 13,396 laboratory professionals who work in such roles as medical laboratory director, assistant medical laboratory director, administrative laboratory director, section or department heads, and manager and assistant manager. The survey, open from August 17, 2005, through November 14, 2005, included 100 questions in six sections covering hospital services and facilities, planning and communication, pathology and clinical laboratory services and equipment, specimen collection and handling, chemical warfare agents, and training. Some 599 people responded; 582 of the surveys submitted were usable.
Among the survey’s key findings were the following:
- Sixty percent understood the laboratory’s roles and responsibilities in an external hazardous chemical exposure emergency situation, but less than half indicated their laboratory could effectively respond.
- One-third said that their laboratory had adequate resources in the clinical pathology area. Less than one-fourth had adequate resources in the anatomic pathology areas to recover and ship a high volume of tissues or body fluid samples in a hazardous chemical emergency.
- Thirty-five percent of the laboratories had a written protocol for collecting specimens from patients suspected of exposure to chemical agents.
- Half the respondents were familiar with various categories of chemical warfare agents and the medical consequences of exposure to them.
- Twenty percent were familiar with patient laboratory test results correlating with exposure to chemical warfare agents and had quick chemical warfare reference guides available in the laboratory.
- More than 75 percent of the respondents were interested in receiving training on this important topic; nearly 90 percent said they would use an online training course.
The ASCP launched in March online training courses on the following topics: chemical agents, communication and coordination, specimen collection and handling, and emergency planning.
Clinical laboratories, designed to support patient care, have different responsibilities than public health laboratories, which use epidemiology and forensics to determine the cause of a particular event. Clinical laboratories would be requested to assist the public health laboratories in collecting and shipping samples to public health laboratories. Additional information is at www.ascp.org/AboutUs/NewsRoom/NewsArticle.aspx?PrimaryCode=CHEM.
Congressional Fire Services Caucus announces new co-chairs
Senators Chris Dodd (CT) and Susan Collins (ME) and Congressman Peter King (NY) and Congresswoman Jo Ann Emerson (MO) have been chosen as co-chairpersons of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus. They join Senators John McCain (AZ) and Joe Biden (DE) and Congressmen Steny Hoyer (MD) and Rob Andrews (NJ).
Congressman Curt Weldon founded the Caucus in 1987. He lost his bid for reelection in the 2006 congressional elections. He will be honored at the Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI) 19th Annual National Fire and Emergency Services Dinner on March 29 at the Hilton Washington (DC), when he will be presented with the 2007 CFSI Legislator of the Year Award.
USFA releases clothes dryer fires in residential buildings report
Between the years 2002 and 2004, an annual average of 12,700 clothes dryer fires occurred in residential buildings, causing an annual estimated 15 civilian fire deaths, 300 civilian fire injuries, and $88 million in property loss, according to the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) report Clothes Dryer Fires in Residential Buildings.
In residential buildings, operational deficiency, including “failure to clean,” is the leading factor contributing to clothes dryer fires, followed by mechanical malfunction and electrical failure. Approximately 62 percent of clothes dryer fires are confined to the object of fire origin; about 27 percent are confined to the room of origin.
The report, developed by the USFA’s National Fire Data Center as part of its Topical Fire Research Series, is based on data from the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS). A copy of the report can be downloaded from http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/statistics/reports/.
Congressional resolution would create a federal 9/11 health plan
Reps. Carolyn Maloney and Vito Fossella, both of New York, introduced a resolution (H.R. 128) that would have the Department of Health and Human Services develop a comprehensive federal plan that covers everyone-including responders, volunteers, area residents, workers, and students-exposed to the toxic air around Ground Zero. Other representatives from New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut sponsored the resolution, which can be viewed at http://maloney.house.gov/documents/911recovery/20070206Resolution.pdf).
Line-of-Duty Deaths
January 25. Firefighter Kenneth Patrick Fahey, 35, U.S. Forest Service-Francis Marion National Forest, Cordesville, SC: accident while operating U.S. Forest Service truck.
January 26. Firefighter Shane Daughetee, 24, Highway 58 Volunteer Fire Department, Inc., Harrison, TN: floor collapse at residential structure fire.
January 30. Captain Frederick Burroughs, 51, Ghent (WV) Volunteer Fire Department: propane explosion at scene of reported odor of gas.
January 30. Firefighter/EMT Craig L. Dorsey II, 24, Ghent (WV) Volunteer Fire Department: propane explosion at scene of reported odor of gas.
February 2. Anthony Catania, 76, Middle Island (NY) Fire Department: stroke.
February 2. Firefighter Mike Fox, 37, Vergennes (IL) Fire Department: heart attack.
February 3. Shane Todd King, 29, Danville (KY) Fire Department: injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident while returning home from department-mandated EMT training in a neighboring county.
February 4. Firefighter John Broom-Smith, 44, Seaside Heights (NJ) Fire Department: apparent heart attack.
February 4. Firefighter Jeremy C. LaBella, 27, Washington (PA) Fire Department: injuries sustained in a partial collapse at a working residential structure fire.
February 7. Fire Engineer Operator Joseph Torkos, 47, Detroit (MI) Fire Department: injuries sustained when the apparatus he was driving was struck at an intersection as he was responding to a fire call.
February 9. Firefighter-Paramedic Apprentice Racheal Wilson, 29, Baltimore City (MD) Fire Department: injuries sustained during a live-fire training exercise in a vacant row house.
February 13. Firefighter Jeff Murray, 40, Sharon Township (OH) Fire Department: heart attack.
February 19. Firefighter Theodore “Ted” Abriel, 44, Albany (NY) Fire Department: collapsed while searching the sixth floor for victims in a multiunit residential fire.
Source: USFA Firefighters Memorial Database
AVAILABLE ON THE WEB …
IAFC Legislative Information Exchange
International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) members now have the opportunity to participate in discussions affecting legislation pertaining to their state or province and issues affecting the fire service. To participate, go to www.iafc.org/statelegislativeforum. Click on your state or province on the interactive map, or choose one of the cross-state issues posted. The Web page contains Information specific to your area. Click on “Go to the Legislative Discussion Forum” near the bottom of the screen.
Tips for Developing Telecommunicator Task Force
The National Joint TERT (Telecommunicator Emergency Response Taskforce) Initiative (NJTI) Web site http://www.njti-tert.org provides step-by-step instructions for developing a state TERT. Sample forms and current information on key contacts, including state coordinators, are also provided.
The NJTI is a joint effort of the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International and the National Emergency Number Association (NENA), committed to developing a nationally recognized certification program for telecommunicator mutual-aid response in the aftermath of disasters. TERT involves a comprehensive program that includes assistance to states in developing programs that would lead to the establishment of predetermined and selected trained teams of individuals who can be mobilized quickly and deployed to assist communications centers during disasters.
DHS Infrastructure Protection course
The “Introduction to the National Infrastructure Protection Plan” (NIPP) (IS-860), developed by the Department of Homeland Security Office of Infrastructure Protection and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Emergency Management Institute, provides an orientation to the key concepts of the NIPP. It is designed to meet the training needs of a variety of government and private sector security partners involved in implementing infrastructure protection programs. An “Emergency Management and Service Sector” is among the course’s 17 sector-specific plans.
The free course is available at http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/crslist.asp (course number IS-860). Certificate credit is available. Information on NIPP is at info@DHSNIPP.net.
NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality reports now electronic
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program (FFFIPP) reports no longer will be printed. The reports may be viewed and downloaded at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/fire. To be notified when a new report is available, subscribe at the above Web site. Scroll down to the middle of the page to “Subscribe to NIOSH Fire Fighter Safety Announcements,” enter your e-mail address in the box, and press “go.” If this new arrangement will be a problem, contact Ms. Angela Schmidl at (304) 285-5916.
