The following World Trade Center (WTC) Centers of Excellence, in New York City, are offering specialized testing and treatment for physical and mental health conditions:
- WTC Environmental Health Center at Bellevue Hospital Center, Gouverneur Healthcare Services and Elmhurst Hospital Center: (877) 982-0107;
- Mount Sinai Consortium, WTC Medical Monitoring and Treatment Program: (888) 702-0630; and
- The Fire Department of New York, WTC Medical Monitoring and Treatment Program: (718) 999-1858.
An overview of the NYC 9/11 Benefit Program for Mental Health & Substance Use is at http://nyc.gov/html/doh/wtc/downloads/pdf/mhb/
9-11MentalHealthBenefitFactsheet.pdf/.
Line-of-Duty Deaths
May 20. Chief Raymond Eusden, 57, Aston-Beechwood (PA) Volunteer Fire Company: cerebrovascular accident.
May 23. Firefighter Jay C. Maddy, 41, Eaton (IN) Volunteer Fire Department: heart attack.
May 24. Firefighter Richard Burns, 43, Pittsburgh (PA) Bureau of Fire: unknown.
May 31. Firefighter Russell Thomas Topping, 28, Barnsdall (OK) Rural Fire Department: heart attack.
Source: USFA Firefighters Memorial Database
GAO: First responders need more help in evacuating residents in disasters
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) noted in an audit report that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) needs to do more to help prepare state and local governments to evacuate residents of nursing and assisted living homes or homes for people with special needs in a major disaster. Senator Herb Kohn (WI), chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, and Rep. John Dingell (MI), chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, say the audit found that DHS has not implemented the previous GAO recommendations, made in 2006.
According to a statement from Kohl and Dingell, “DHS has not required state and local grant recipients to plan, train, or conduct exercises on the evacuations of ‘transportation-disadvantaged populations.’” In addition, DHS has not clarified the role of the federal government in the evacuation of nursing homes in “its hurricane ‘playbook.’”
The GAO, in 2006, also recommended that the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Department of Health and Human Services improve the preparedness of state and local governments in evacuating these populations.
The GAO determined that the Federal Emergency Management Agency is the sole lead agency in providing evaluation support if federal assistance is needed. DOT had transferred some related duties to FEMA earlier this year.
Kohl and Dingell said they “intend to keep close tabs on the federal agencies to ensure that our national emergency plans leave no one behind.” “Evac Planning for Elderly, Special Needs People Lacking,” Anthony L. Kimery, http://hstoday.us/index.phpy?option=com_content&task=view&id=3120&Itemid=149, April 29, 2008
NOAA: Above-normal hurricane season in the Atlantic Basin, below normal Eastern Pacific season
Projected climate conditions indicate that there will be an above-normal hurricane season in the Atlantic Basin this year and a below-normal season for the Eastern Pacific region, according to The Climate Prediction Center of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). For the Atlantic Basin in 2008, there is a 60 to 70 percent chance of 12 to 16 named storms, including six to nine hurricanes and two to five major hurricanes (Category 3, 4, or 5 on the Saffir-Simpson Scale), according to the NOAA. An average season has 11 named storms, including six hurricanes of which two reach major status. NOAA was to update its outlook for the Atlantic Basin on August 7.
For the Eastern Pacific area, it is estimated that there is a 60 to 70 percent chance of 11 to 16 named storms, including five to eight hurricanes and one to three major hurricanes. An average Eastern Pacific hurricane season produces l5 to 16 named storms, with nine becoming hurricanes and four to five major hurricanes. www.continuitycentral.com/news03944.htm.
NEMSAC holds inaugural meeting
The National EMS Advisory Council (NEMSAC) held its first meeting the end of April at the Department of Transportation headquarters in Washington, DC. Mary Peters, secretary of transportation, chose the 26-member panel that is to advise the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Office of EMS on standards, guidelines, benchmarks, and data collection. The NEMSAC will also offer advice on improving prehospital care. It is to offer its recommendation to the Office of EMS within two years. Additional information is at www.nhtsa.dot.gov/.
NFIRS 5.0 self-study online course available
The U.S. Fire Administration and the National Fire Academy announce the availability of the new National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) 5.0 self-study online course. Serving as an introduction to NFIRS 5.0, this self-study course provides an overview of the data collection system, its modules, and data-conversion issues.
“Accurate and complete NFIRS data are critical for use at the local, state, and federal levels, and this course is the starting place for building the core competencies key to creating quality data and making available the information needed by the American fire service,” explains U.S. Fire Administrator Greg Cade.
NFIRS is the comprehensive method for detailed tracking of fire, emergency, and related incident responses. The information recorded in NFIRS can be used by emergency services organizations to track current workloads, develop response metrics and statistics, and help with current asset management. More information and access to this course is available on NFA Online. Additional NFIRS-related training can be found on the USFA Web site.
More than a dozen courses are available through NFA Online in the following curriculum areas: Emergency Medical Services, Emergency Response to Terrorism, Fire Prevention, Incident Management, Management Science, and Public Education.
CDC issues advisory on lead in artificial turf
The presence of lead in artificial turf was discovered while the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services (NJDHSS) and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) were checking for lead at a metal facility in Newark, New Jersey. The CDC and the ATSDR tested a nearby community athletic field for lead content and learned that the samples from this field showed high levels of lead in the field dust. However, the lead was not from the scrap metal plant but from the turf itself. Limited sampling of additional athletic fields in New Jersey and commercial products showed that artificial turf made of nylon or nylon/polyethylene blend fibers contains levels of lead that may create a potential public health concern.
Tests of artificial turf fields made with only polyethylene fibers showed very low levels of lead. NJDHSS reported to the CDC and the ATSDR that some of the fields with elevated lead in dust or turf fiber samples were weathered and visibly dusty. NJDHSS is performing additional tests concerning the absorption of lead from these products.
Children younger than six years old are more likely to be affected by lead than adults. No cases of elevated blood lead levels in children have been linked to artificial turf on athletics fields in New Jersey or elsewhere. The NJDHSS has asked the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to investigate this potential problem; the CDC and ATSDR are awaiting information from the CPSC to guide future public health recommendations and actions.
In the meantime, the agencies recommend that as a precaution, artificial turf made from nylon or nylon-blend fibers that have abraded, faded, or broken fibers or that contains visible dust be tested for lead content. Children under the age of six years should not be allowed access to turf if the dust contains more than 400 parts per million (ppm) of lead. Current available data indicate that testing is not necessary for turf made from nylon or nylon blends that is not worn and does not contain visible dust. However, monitor these fields for wear and dust generation. Replace fields as soon as practicable if worn and dusty. Children’s blood lead levels should be tested in accordance with state guidelines. Parents/caregivers should consult with their medical providers for additional information.
NJDHSS’s Web site contains suggestions for suppressing dust. Other recommendations include the following:
- Post signs indicating the potential danger. Aggressively wash the hands and body with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds after playing on the field.
- Take off clothes and turn them inside out as soon as possible after using the field to avoid tracking contaminated dust to other places. Sit on a large towel or blanket in vehicles if it is not feasible to remove clothing. Wash the clothes, towels, and blankets separately.
- Keep shoes worn on the field outside the house.
- Do not eat while on the field or turf. When not drinking, close drinking containers and keep them in a bag, a cooler, or other covered container on the side of the field.
Additional information about testing, dust suppression, and related topics are at www.state.nj.us/health/artificialturf/index.shtml or www.cpsc.gov/.
Similarity in Chinese and California fault system?
According to U.S. Geological Survey geophysicist Kenneth Hudnut, who is working in Pasadena, California, the fault system involved in the disastrous earthquake in China recently is “a lot like” the Sierra Madre fault in the Pasadena area. Hudnut and his colleagues believe that preliminary data show that a minimum of three faults ruptured in succession in the disastrous Sichuan, China, earthquake in May. This “cascading” action, Hudnut says, is of concern because there is the potential for larger than predicted earthquakes to occur in other areas, such as Los Angeles, where a number of faults exist. Some scientists fear that if the faults were to interact in ways not anticipated, the resulting events would be larger and more devastating.
U.S. scientists estimated that the Sichuan quake was of a 7.9 magnitude. This surprised many in the scientific community; a significant earthquake was not anticipated for the area. Satellite data indicated only that a relatively moderate amount of strain was building up in the mountain front along the edge of the Sichuan basin.
The Sichuan earthquake teaches us that there is more to understand about the extent of the hazard that might be experienced, according to Eric Kirby, a Penn State geologist who has extensively studied faults in that part of China. Other factors that make it difficult to accurately predict the extent of such events, say scientists, include the fact that not all existing faults have been identified and that we may not know all we should about the nature of those faults we know exist.
A mock San Andreas earthquake has been scheduled for November 13, 2008. First responders, school officials, and government officials will address a simulated 7.8 magnitude earthquake. “Similarity of Chinese, Calif. Fault Systems Raises Concerns,” Joel Achenbach, Washington Post staff writer, www.washingtonpos.com/wp-dyn/content/aricle/2008/06/10AR2008061002706_pf.html/.
House bill to include fire safety alarms for schools
The 21st Century Green High-Performing Public School Facilities Act (H.R. 3021) directs the U.S. Secretary of Education to use $6.4 billion in authorized grants to state educational agencies to modernize, renovate, or repair public school facilities, according to the National Burglar & Fire Alarm Association (NBFAA). NBFAA’s Government Relations team worked with Rep. Michael Arcuri (NY), of the House Education and Labor Committee, to insert fire life safety alarms language. Initially, the bill mentioned only fire and safety standards as one of the areas for grant recipients, explained NBFAA.
The Committee inserted the words “including professional installation of fire/life safety alarms” in a “manager’s amendment” to the bill. The final wording was “(3) bringing public schools in compliance with fire, health, and safety codes, including professional installation of fire/life safety alarms, including modernizations, renovations, and repairs that ensure schools are prepared for emergencies, such as improving building infrastructure to accommodate security measures.”
NBFAA will continue to work on this legislation in the Senate to see that the language is preserved. It urges that all those interested in life safety issues support its efforts. Additional information on this legislation is at www.alarm.org, or contact John Chwat, NBFAA government relations director, at gov.info@alarm.org.
Career firefighters can volunteer under new Connecticut law
Under the bill, An Act Concerning Volunteer Service by Paid Emergency Personnel or Paid Firefighters (H.B. 5646), approved on May 7, career firefighters in the state of Connecticut now have the right to volunteer during off-duty hours. According to the National Volunteer Fire Council, it became a Public Act on May 19 and was formally signed on June 9.
Fire Prevention Week theme announced
”It’s Fire Prevention WeekPrevent Home Fires!” will be the theme for Fire Prevention Week 2008 (October 5-11). The National Volunteer Fire Council and Fire Corps will work together to release tips and resources to help fire departments distribute important fire prevention messages. Information will be at www.nvfc.org/.
Gel to be used to protect property from fire in 13 states
Thermo Technologies, LLC; The Chubb Group of Insurance Companies; and Wildfire Defense Systems, Inc. (WDS), Red Lodge, Montana, are working together to protect the property of Chubb home insurance policyholders in 13 states.
If a wildfire should approach, WDS-certified wildfire firefighters will spray Thermo-Gel® on homes insured by Chubb in the states of Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. Chubb customers will voluntarily enroll in the program at no charge. Homeowners can also add the gel to water and coat their homes, shrubs, and surrounding property. Additional information is at www.thermo-gel.com, www.chubb.com/corporate/chubb8296.html, and www.wildfire-defense.com/.
NJ displays EMS equipment
In conjunction with EMS Week (May 18-24), federal, state, and county officials joined with the state’s EMS personnel to mark the event with a display of emergency equipment purchased to improve the state’s capacity to respond to large-scale emergencies. Members of the New Jersey Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Task Force, established in 2003, demonstrated more than 20 pieces of specialized equipment for paramedics and EMTs, including the following:
- A 40-foot technology support unit that provides communications and technological support for large operations.
- Three 36.5-foot mass care response units that can be used to set up treatment areas for up to 100 patients.
- Three 38-foot special operations vehicles for providing logistical support to extended EMS operations and transporting ambulatory and stretcher patients and equipment.
- Several Logistics support and Staging Area management trailers to carry support equipment and EMS assets at large events.
- Specialized tents with medical equipment that can be used as field hospitals or casualty collection treatment areas during multicasualty events.
A combination of federal and state grants, including the federal Urban Area Security Initiative grant program and the Medical Preparedness grant program managed by the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services was used to purchase the equipment, which is strategically positioned throughout the state, according to Richard L. Cañas, director of New Jersey’s Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness.
The New Jersey EMS Task Force is a multiagency, all-hazards response organization coordinated through the Office of Emergency Medical Services at the state’s Department of Health and Senior Services. Members, who have been extensively trained, include career and volunteer organizations from around the state.
Werner to chair DHS executive committee
Charles Werner, chief of the Charlottesville (VA) Fire Department, will chair the executive committee of the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Office of Emergency Communications and Office for Interoperability and Compatibility. In that capacity, he will guide the committee in providing state and local perspectives to the federal government.
Werner is a 32-year veteran of the fire service and has served as chairman and is a current member of Virginia’s Statewide Interoperability Executive Committee. He succeeds Marilyn Praisner of Montgomery County, Maryland, who died in February.
