Law grants NIST new authorities to investigate major building failures
President Bush, in early October, signed the National Construction Safety Team Act, which gives the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) authorities to investigate major building failures in the United States. The authorities are modeled after those of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) for investigating transportation accidents.
Under the new legislation, NIST is authorized to do the following:
- dispatch teams of experts within 48 hours, where appropriate and practical, after major building disasters;
- establish the likely technical cause of building failures;
- evaluate the technical aspects of procedures used for evacuation and emergency response;
- recommend specific changes to building codes, standards, and practices;
- recommend any research or other appropriate actions needed to improve the structural safety of buildings and/or changes in emergency response and evacuation procedures; and
- make final recommendations within 90 days of completing an investigation.
The stated purpose of the act is “… to provide for the establishment of investigative teams to assess building performance and emergency response and evacuation procedures in the wake of any building failure that has resulted in substantial loss of life or that posed the potential for substantial loss of life.” Investigations are conducted under its authorities “… to improve the safety and structural integrity of buildings in the United States.”
In this context, NIST and the team’s comprehensive investigative authorities can access the site of a building disaster, subpoena evidence, access key pieces of evidence such as records and documents, and move and preserve evidence.
A standing advisory committee, to be created, will advise the NIST director on all aspects of investigations. Committee members, the legislation says, “will be recognized for distinguished professional service; possess broad technical expertise and experience; and have a reputation for independence, objectivity, and impartiality.” NIST will consult with other federal agencies in carrying out the act, where appropriate.
The new law specifically applies to the NIST World Trade Center (WTC) building and fire safety investigation formally initiated on August 21, 2002.
FEMA/USFA announce sixth-round grant awards
Approximately $34 million worth of Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program awards were made to 655 fire departments in the sixth round of awards (September), according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA). The program is administered by the U.S. Fire Administration, a part of FEMA. FEMA/USFA note that it was the largest grant award—both in number of awards and dollar value—in the history of the program. A list of all award recipients announced to date is posted on the USFA Web site at www.usfa.fema.gov/grants.
Fire service mourns loss of Scott Millsap
Scott Millsap, president of ESE Training Associates, a global emergency response training firm in Dalton, Georgia, passed away on September 23. A longtime friend to Fire Engineering, FDIC, and FDIC West, Millsap served on the Fire Engineering and FDIC and FDIC West editorial advisory boards and has been a principal in the Hands-on Training (H.O.T.) programs. He was the incident commander for the 2003 FDIC and FDIC West H.O.T. programs.
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A retired firefighter-paramedic, Millsap had more than 25 years of fire-rescue and EMS experience. He served as training officer for the Dalton (GA) Fire Department for more than 13 years.
He is survived by his wife, Dixcee, and two daughters.
Line-of-Duty Deaths
June 30. Firefighter Trainee/MRT Richard Alan Cusson, 32, of the South Killingly Fire Department, Danielson, Connecticut: vehicle accident en route to the fire station.
July 1. Captain Kim Alan, 29, of the Esko (MN) Volunteer Fire Department: fatally injured while working a vehicle fire.
July 2. Firefighter Alan Wayne Wyatt, 51, of the U.S. Forest Service, Bayfield, Colorado: a tree fell and struck him while cutting “hazard trees.”
July 3. Firefighter Recruit Andrew James Waybright, 23, of the Frederick County (MD) Department of Fire and Rescue Service: heat exposure.
July 4. Deputy Chief John D. West, 40, and Chief James E. Sylvester, 31, of the Mt. Ephraim (NJ) Fire Department: collapse at a residential structure fire.
July 4. Firefighter Thomas G. Stewart, 30, of the Gloucester City (NJ) Fire Department: collapse at a residential structure fire.
July 4. Firefighter Barry Dockter, 44, of the Anamoose (ND) Fire Department: injuries sustained when he was struck by an errant fireworks shell.
July 18. Pilot Milt Stollak, 56, and Pilot Rick Schwartz, 57, of the U.S. Forest Service, Lakewood, Colorado: explosion and crash of the air tanker used to drop slurry on the Big Elk Fire (Colorado).
July 28. Firefighter John Self, 19; Firefighter Steven Oustad, 51; Firefighter Heather DePaolo, 29, of the USDA Forest Service, Klamath National Forest, Yreka, California: vehicle accident while monitoring a wildland backfire near Happy Camp, California.
July 30. Firefighter Dallas Begg, 20, and Lieutenant John Mickel, 32, of Osceola County Fire-Rescue, Kissimmee, Florida: killed during a live-fire training exercise.
July 30. Pilot Leonard Gordon Knight, 52, of the USDA Forest Service, Arapah and Roosevelt National Forest, Fort Collins, Colorado: a helicopter crash while dropping water on a fire near Rocky Mountain National Park.
August 6. Firefighter David Martin, 48, of the Opal (SD) Volunteer fire Department: burns and injuries sustained in a fall from a firefighting vehicle at a wildland fire.
August 12. Firefighter Travis Lyn Wiems, 28, of the Wichita West Volunteer fire Department, Wichita Falls, Texas: a vehicle accident while operating at a brush fire.
August 12. Captain Roger “Mikey” Dunn, 48, of the Clute (TX) Volunteer Fire Department: cause still to be determined, while working a residential structure fire.
August 17. Assistant Chief William H. Goodrich Jr., 56, of the North Hampton Volunteer Fire Department, Allison Park, Pennsylvania: collapsed at the scene of a residential structure fire and was pronounced dead at the hospital.
August 30. Fire Police Captain Harold Coons Jr., 76, of the South Schodack Fire Department, Castleton on the Hudson, New York: collapsed and died at the scene of a major traffic accident where he was assisting with traffic.
September 3. Firefighter Joseph J.E. Craft, 33, of the Penn Hills (PA) Universal Volunteer Fire Department: heart failure after returning from a call.
Source: National Fallen firefighters Memorial Database, U.S. Fire Administration.
