FY2009 budget proposes cuts to first responder grants
The budget released by the White House for Fiscal Year 2009 (FY09) in February contains “significant cuts to first responder grant programs,” according to the Congressional Fire Services Institute. The Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (FIRE Act) would be cut by $260 million from FY08. This represents 30 percent of its authorized funding. Also, the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grants would be zeroed out, and funding for the U.S. Fire Administration would be reduced six percent.
Congress ultimately will specify funding levels for the programs. The FY09 Budget Proposal may be obtained from the Office of Management and Budget.
NFPA 1584: Rehab now more than recommendation
Emergency Services Sector organizations must begin implementing National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1584, Standard on the Rehabilitation Process for Members During Emergency Operations and Training Exercises, this year. Previously, rehab was considered a recommendation.
Rehab as required under NFPA 1584 would consist of the following components: relief from climactic conditions; rest and recovery; cooling or rewarming; rehydration; calorie and electrolyte replacement; medical monitoring; EMS treatment in accordance with local protocol; member accountability; and release from rehab.
The Draft Report on Proposals (F2007), NFPA 1584 may be reviewed at no charge at http://nfpa.org/assets/files/PDF/ROP/1584-F2007-ROP.pdf. “Emergency Management and Response Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISA) Infogram 4-08,” January 31, 2008
NVFC testifies before Congress on job protection for volunteers
In February, the National Volunteer Fire Council (NFVC) testified before the House Committee on Education and Labor, Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions in support of a proposal to provide volunteer firefighters and EMS personnel with up to 14 days of job protection per calendar year for responding to a state or federally declared emergency or disaster. The hearing addressed other worker protection issues also. The Committee is expected to produce legislation in the near future.
DHS ponders Law Enforcement Rapid Response component
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is considering the creation of law enforcement deployment teams that could be immediately dispatched to assist communities in disasters. The agency said it expects to have a draft report on the issue completed sometime in 2008.
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) spokesperson Rick Dinse noted that deploying law enforcement assistance during disasters would be facilitated if such teams were in place. The rationale for these teams, based on comments from a senior adviser to the Major Cities Chiefs Association, a national organization of police chiefs, is that law enforcement has no mechanism for bringing assets and law enforcement across state lines in an emergencyfire and rescue have urban search and rescue, and the medical community responds through Disaster Medical Assistance Teams. He said Hurricane Katrina made the lack of this piece of the country’s overall response structure country quite apparent. DHS, FEMA, the Major Cities Chiefs Association, and the Major County Sheriffs’ Association are working on such an initiative. DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff said the idea would be to extend the Emergency Management Assistance Compact to include the law enforcement community. Law enforcement would basically have a prearranged deployment to assist.
A Major Cities Chiefs Association proposal calls for 10 regional teams across the country with up to 500 law enforcements officers who could deploy fully self-supported for two weeks. Personnel would come from agencies in the various regions and be formed around a major sheriff’s or police department. The federal government would pay for some equipment and training for the teams; members would receive credentials to ensure they meet a certain level of proficiency. http://www.cqpolitics.com/frame-templates/print_template.html 1/4/2008
SFPE survey shows Americans feel safe from home fires
A majority of Americans (79 percent) said they feel safer from fires at home than in a public building in a nationwide survey conducted by the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE). An additional nine percent reported feeling equally as safe in both locations. The survey was conducted in January 2008 by Synovate; more than1,000 adults were polled. The findings have a margin of error of ± four percent.
These results are inconsistent with government statistics that show that home fires outnumber all other building fires by more than three to one and that most fire deaths and injuries occur in the home, says the SFPE. One reason for this, notes the SFPE, is that “public buildings are subject to tough fire safety regulations and inspections, whereas most homes are not.”
Results were similar in a previous SFPE survey, which indicated that 87 percent of respondents reported that they believed they were safer from fires at home than in a public building. The SFPE views the nonchanging public perspective as “disheartening.” The Society is working to increase awareness about the importance of preventing home fires. It has partnered with Discovery Education to create and release new high school chemistry lessons that teach students about the science of fire; the project was funded by the Department of Homeland Security.
Compton succeeds Bruno on NFFF Board
Hal Bruno has retired as chairman of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, where he served on the Board of Directors since 1993 and as chairman since 2000. He is succeeded by Board Vice Chairman Dennis Compton. Bruno will continue to serve on the Board. Bruno had a 50-year career as a professional journalist and was an active volunteer firefighter for more than 40 years. Compton was chief of Mesa, Arizona, for five years and assistant chief in Phoenix, Arizona, for 27 years.
NFPA considers changes to NFPA 1124 fireworks standard
The Standards Council of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is contemplating revising the scope of the Technical Committee on Pyrotechnics (TC), responsible for NFPA 1124, Code for the Manufacture, Transportation, Storage, and Retail Sales of Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles, to exclude retail sales of consumer fireworks and delete chapter 7 from NFPA 1124.
The NFPA is soliciting public input on the Council’s proposal. The Council will hold a public hearing on Monday, June 2, 2008, from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., in conjunction with NFPA’s World Safety Conference and Exposition in Las Vegas, Nevada. Individuals wishing to make written submissions for the Council’s consideration should send them to the attention of the Secretary of the Standards Council Codes and Standards Administration, NFPA, One Batterymarch Park, Quincy, MA 02169. They may also be sent by e-mail to stds_amin@nfpa.org. You do not have to attend or speak at the hearing to have the Council review and consider your written submission.
The move toward changing the standard was prompted by the October 2007 Fire Protection Research Foundation report Fire Safety in Consumer Fireworks Storage and Retail FacilitiesHazard Assessment. The study recommends that additional research be undertaken to “further develop the technical basis for the NFPA 1124 Chapter 7 provisions.” The report is available at www.nfpa.org/assets/files/PDF/Research/PyrotechnicsLiteratureReview.pdf.
National Junior Firefighters set program criteria
The Advisory Committee for the National Volunteer Fire Council’s (NVFC) National Junior Firefighter Program held its first meeting on January 31 at the NVFC headquarters in Greenbelt, Maryland. The committee developed the criteria for the upcoming National Junior Firefighter Scholarship and Grant program and discussed guidelines for the direction of the Junior Firefighters Program.
Ten $5,000 scholarships will be awarded to junior firefighters nationwide who demonstrate commitment and dedication to their local program and the fire service. The departments of the winning students will also receive a grant of $5,000. The application was made available April 1. Application deadline is May 15.
The NVFC and Spartan Motors, Inc. created the National Junior Firefighter Program to help fire and EMS organizations implement programs that encourage youth participation. Launched in July 2007, the Dunkin’ Brands Community Foundation program recently awarded a grant to expand the program to include a scholarship and grant component, a more sophisticated Web site with interactive database, stronger outreach efforts, and much more.
Information about the National Junior Firefighter Program is at www.nvfc.org/juniors.
FDA warns of contaminated syringes
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced a nationwide recall of all lots of Heparin Lock or Normal Saline IV Flush syringes manufactured by AM2 PAT, Inc., of Angier, N.C. Two lots have been found to be contaminated with Serratia marcescens, a bacterium that can cause serious injury or death. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed growth of Serratia marcescens from unopened heparin syringes.
These syringes are manufactured under the brand names Sierra Pre-filled, Inc. and B. Braun and are sold in fill sizes of 3mL, 5mL and 10mL and syringe sizes of 6mL and 12mL. The products should be returned to the distributor or other supplier.
Traditionally, Serratia marcescens, a bacterium found in water and soil, has been linked to pneumonia, blood infections, and urinary tract and wound infections. Some patients exposed to the recalled syringes have developed blood infections.
The company’s voluntary recall was initiated on January 18, after the company confirmed the presence of bacterial contamination in some user samples. For additional information, contact Sierra Pre-Filled at (919) 552-9689, Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST. Report any adverse reactions to the FDA’s MedWatch Program by phone at 800-FDA-1088, by fax at 800-FDA-0178, by mail at MedWatch, HF-2, FDA, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20852-9787, or on the MedWatch Web site at www.fda.gov/medwatch.
Icy Hot Heat Therapy products recalled
Chattem, Inc. initiated a voluntary nationwide recall of its Icy Hot Heat Therapy products in February. The company received reports of first-, second-, and third-degree burns, as well as skin irritation resulting from consumer use or possible misuse of these products.
All lots and all sizes of the following Icy Hot Heat Therapy products are affected by this recall: Icy Hot Heat Therapy Air Activated HeatBack; Icy Hot Heat Therapy Air Activated HeatArm, Neck, and Leg; and single consumer use “samples” included on a limited promotional basis in cartons of three-ounce Aspercreme Pain Relieving Crème. Discard the products or return them to Chattem, Inc. For information, call Chattem’s Consumer Affairs Department at (1-877) 742-6275 Monday to Friday, from 8 am to 4 pm EST, or visit www.Chattem.com.
Report any adverse reactions to Chattem at (1-877) 742-6275 and to the Federal Drug Administration’s MedWatch program at www.fda.gov/medwatch/report.htm/.
Pet turtles pose risk for Salmonella
When searching for the cause of a Salmonella infection, the answer could be pet turtles or other reptiles such as lizards, snakes, or amphibians as frogs and salamanders. According to Joseph C. Paige, D.V.M., a consumer safety officer in the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Center for Veterinary Medicine, they are commonly contaminated with Salmonella. Humans can be infected through contact with the reptiles or amphibians or their habitats. The FDA cites the 2007 death of a four-week-old baby in Florida associated with Salmonella from a small turtle. Small turtles commonly carry Salmonella bacteria on their outer skin and shell surfaces. Since 1975, the FDA has banned the sale of small turtles with a shell less than four inches long.
From May 1, 2007, to January 18, 2008, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) received reports of Salmonella infection in 103 peoplemostly childrenin 33 states. There were no deaths. However, 24 people had to be hospitalized. The investigation showed that most of the victims were exposed to a turtle (touching, feeding, cleaning habitat, changing water) shortly before getting sick. FDA Consumer Health Information/U.S. Food and Drug Administration January 25, 2008.
Line-of-Duty Deaths
January 18. Firefighter Louis P. Berra, 49, West County EMS & Fire Protection District, Manchester, MO: unknown.
January 20. Firefighter Robert L. McAtee Sr., 55, Huttonsville-Mill Creek (WV) Volunteer Fire Department: stress/overexertion.
January 22. Assistant Fire Chief/EMS Director Christa Dawn Burchett, 33, Paintsville (KY) Fire-Rescue-EMS: struck by a truck while working at the scene of a minor motor vehicle accident.
January 22.Lieutenant Herman S. Jones, 58, Raleigh (NC) Fire Department: complications from a torn aorta suffered at the station on January 18.
January 26. Chief Walter Clyde Walker Jr., 68, Collinsville (MS) Volunteer Fire Department: vehicle collision.
February 1. Captain Donald W. Hubbel, 42, Baltimore City (MD) Fire Department: apparent heart attack.
February 2. Chief Paul Swander, 73, Ohio City (OH) Fire Department: injuries sustained from a fall off a ladder while working in the firehouse on January 31.
February 4. Captain David Sherfick, 40, Brown Township Fire-Rescue, Mooresville, IN: vehicle collision.
February 7. Chief Matthew Hubly, 43, Kankakee Township (IL) Fire Protection District: cause to be determined.
February 11. Firefighter James Earl Arthur, 19, Cold Water Fire & Rescue, Concord, NC: vehicle collision.
February 12.Chief Kerry Sheridan, 75, Troy Township Fire Protection District, Shorewood, IL: natural causes.
February 17.Firefighter Jack Lockhart, 69, Dayton District (PA) Volunteer Fire Department: heart attack.
February 19.Firefighter Michael J. Hays, 64, Brazos Canyon Volunteer Fire Department, Chama, NM: injuries sustained in an explosion at his fire station; the cause of the explosion is under investigation.
February 21. Captain Vance Tomaselli, 66, San Bernardino County (CA) Fire Department: cerebrovascular accident.
February 22. Firefighter Joey Turner, 48, Homerville (GA)/Clinch Company Volunteer Fire Department: heart attack suffered on February 21 while training at the Georgia Fire Academy.
February 23. Captain Shane Stewart, 33, Ault (CO)-Pierce Fire Department: vehicle collision.
Source: USFA Firefighters Memorial Database
The Christian Regenhard Center for Emergency Response Studies: National Repository for Large-Scale Emergency Data and Analysis
Although most firefighters understand the benefit of “lessons learned” after a catastrophic “national” event such as 9/11 or Hurricane Katrina, many of the lessons of these large disasters go unlearned by the collective fire service because of one reasonthey are never recorded after the incident. Although Fire Engineering and other journals offer insight into these emergency responses, they are essentially snapshots of the overall incidents. The hundreds or thousands of responders, firefighters, police officers, emergency medical personnel, and emergency managers who bring the incident under control learn multitudes of lessons.
Consider the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center. Fire Engineering published an entire issue the following year, detailing the response and recovery. It included reports from the chief of department, other senior officers, and some company officers and firefighters. It was a great award-winning issue; it provided many details and lessons learned, but it was still only a slice of the entire incident.
Ironically, the United States Fire Administration (USFA), a short time later, asked Fire Engineering if it could reprint the issue as an official report. Fire Engineering obliged, and the report was reprinted; it is still available online today.
What has become readily apparent to me over the years is that there is a desperate need for a research center that would collect, collate, analyze, distill, and report the lessonsdown to the “street level”of emergency responders to large-scale disasters. This became even more obvious in the wake of 9/11.
In the weeks after September 11, 2001, I had the great fortune of meeting and subsequently working with Sally Regenhard, a woman who lost her probationary firefighter son Christian on 9/11. Sally is a unique, dynamic individual who created the Skyscraper Safety Campaign and has advocated for firefighter safety as well as the safety of the public for more than six years now. I have served as one of her technical advisors.
When she mentioned that she would like to create a permanent legacy to her son and all of the emergency responders who died on 9/11, I thought about the tremendous gap in our understanding about emergency responses to large disasters. I suggested that we approach President Jeremy Travis of the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City (where I am an associate professor) to see if John Jay could serve as an academic center for this work. The idea was quickly endorsed; and the rest, as they say, is history. John Jay was fortunate to receive a federal 2008 Byrne grant from the Department of Justice, as part of a budget proposal sponsored by Senators Hillary Clinton and Charles Schumer of New York, to provide initial funding for the Christian Regenhard Center for Emergency Response Studies.
The Center’s intent is to serve as a national point of data collection and analysis for large-scale emergency responses after an incident of national importance occurs. The Center already possesses a “mountain” of material from 9/11 (oral histories, radio recordings, 911 emergency telephone operator recordings, and radio transcripts, for example), which will be analyzed by the Center’s graduate students.
It is hoped that the Center will be able to obtain the oral histories of the majority of responders (fire, police, EMS, OEM, etc.) for future incidents through an Internet-based system soon after an incident comes to a conclusion. Teams from the Center will be sent to a disaster to perform general “information reconnaissance” work, but it is anticipated that the bulk of responder data will be obtained thorough a dedicated Web site.
Once data are obtained and analyzed, the Center will return the information to emergency responders in the forms of reports, symposia, and Web-based materials. It is of primary importance that the hard-learned lessons of a disaster find their way into practice, procedures, and new technologiesnot sit on a dusty shelf, unused.
Currently, the Center is creating a multidisciplinary and geographically diverse advisory board composed of all types of emergency responders from across the country. The advisory board will also include other types of individuals with specialized expertise, including a member of the military with expertise in post-battle analysis.
I believe that a national clearinghouse of this type has been needed for a very long time. I encourage firefighters to follow the progress of the Center as we build its capabilities. It is my personal hope that the Center will become a catalyst for safer and improved responses for all emergency responders. If you have any questions, e-mail me at gcorbett@jjay.cuny.edu.
Glenn P. Corbett, Professor of Fire Science, John Jay College, New York City
RESOURCES
• USFA/NFPA report “Mitigation of the Rural Fire ProblemStrategies Based on Original Research and Adaptation of Existing Best Practices.” The report, prepared by the U.S. Fire Administration and the National Fire Protection Association, offers strategies for reducing rural fires. It also includes Train-the-Trainer presentations for the rural fire service and community leaders on delivering outreach programs and a presentation for civilians that highlights key fire safety and preparedness messages.
• DHS/FEMA National Response Framework course. The concepts and principles and other components of the National Response Framework (NRF) are presented in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)/Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) IS-800B “National Response Framework (NRF), An Introduction” course, which recently went online. Senior leaders, emergency management practitioners, disaster workers, and first responders who have completed IS-800 or IS-800A do not have to complete IS-800B as part of the National Incident Management System (NIMS) compliance activities. Information on the NRF is at www.fema.gov/nrf/.
USFA releases 2004 firefighter injury report
In 2004, an estimated 36,880 firefighters were injured on the fireground, according to the U.S. Fire Administration’s (USFA) report Fire-Related Firefighters Injuries in 2004. The report gives details of the injuries sustained at or responding to a fire incident and examines firefighter injury rates and fire-related injury characteristics. According to the USFA, 89 percent of firefighter injuries reported to the National Fire Incident Report System (NFIRS) in 2004 were associated with structure fires. Seventy-six percent of these injuries occurred on residential properties. Among the reported injuries, 30 percent affected the upper and lower extremities and 20 percent the head, neck, and shoulder areas. Sprains, strains, cuts, and wounds accounted for 34 percent of the injuries, and 11 percent were burns.
