FBI Arson Tally to Be Low, USFA Data Chief Charges
The national arson problem will appear to be less than it is, predicted Phillip Schaenman, USFA associate administrator in charge of the National Data System, because of the way the FBI is collecting data. Schaenman charged that the FBI has rejected “all our suggestions” for improving its reporting of arson as a part I crime for the first time. Not only will the figures be less than before, but now they will have the prestige of the FBI behind them, he stated.
Schaenman was among the several USFA and FEMA leaders who explained how their operations relate to t he work of the state training directors and the fire service.
With fire deaths still on the upswing, Schaenman concluded that “prevention is not working in this country.” He said that the South continues to have the highest fire death rate, with heating equipment as the leading cause. Outside the South, smoking materials are the leading fire cause, he added. In terms of dollar value, arson is responsible for the greatest loss.
The data system administrator declared that “the majority of fire officers don’t know how to use the information supplied to them,” but he said there is “a thirsty audience out there” that wants to know how to use and develop data.
Accuracy vital
He maintained that fire department recruits don’t receive training in the accurate reporting of fires—although the police do—and “if data isn’t accurate . . . it’s not going to be used.” He observed that motivation is more effective than courses in developing accuracy of data.
As of last Jan. 1, Schaenman stated, 35 states are now participating in, or preparing to participate in, the national fire incident reporting system.
Schaenman said there is no question that smoke detectors are working, and he added that there also is no question that they are not working because they are not maintained. A central station for receiving notification of smoke detector activation, such as has been done in a new Texas community, reduces fire losses but develops a “tremendous false alarm problem,” Schaenman reported.
Both smoke detectors and code enforcement are now undergoing evaluation by the USFA to determine their effect on reducing the fire problem.
Home automatic sprinkler systems, Schaenman declared, “have tremendous potential” for reducing residential fire losses just as they did in cutting industrial fire losses.
Computer influx seen
The data system administrator predicted that there will be an influx of small computers in fire stations in the next five years, and he suggested that the state training directors might wish to consider how they might include computers in their training programs.
This spring, the fire fighter protective equipment developed in Project FIRES will undergo field testing and. Schaenman commented, this equipment is 40 percent lighter than the present equipment and “better in every way.” He estimated that it will cost about 25 percent more than present equipment, but because of the better protection, “I think you will find the cost trade-off effect will come out very favorable.”
Schaenman said that the USFA is doing an apparatus manning study in terms of safety and fire suppression effectiveness, and he urged that a connection be established between training and safety on the fireground because “you find very little connection between injuries and what happens in training.”
Although “the technology exists for very good communications today,” it is too expensive, Schaenman commented and added that the USFA is encouraging manufacturers to develop communications for individual fire fighters.
Vickery backs EMS
A plea that “EMS stay where it belongs—in the fire service” was made by Gordon Vickery, USFA administrator, in taking note of a study being done in the Department of Transportation that is considering the establishment of EMS as a third uniformed service along with fire and police.
Vickery asserted, “I’m going to try to convince any fire chief (who doesn’t want to get into EMS) that he is missing a good bet.”
The USFA administrator also spoke optimistically of the colocation of the Emergency Management Institute on the NFA campus and urged the state directors to consider how the institute can fit into the fire service.
Hazardous materials
Some 20 federal agencies have some role in the hazardous materials area, said Tom Casey, FEMA deputy associate director for response and recovery. He said that FEMA is going to try to determine where gaps and overlaps exist.
Casey warned that the Environmental Protection Administration and the Coast Guard are beginning to claim t hat they are in charge of hazardous materials incidents and, he remarked, “We’ve got to straighten that out.” The question that has to he answered is, “When do the feds step in?” he added.
As far as FEMA is concerned, “we never come in and take charge,” Casey said. He pointed out that local authorities have the responsibility and if they can’t handle the situation, it is up to the state to take over.
Education efforts
Two representatives of the USFA office of planning and education, Laura Buchbinder and James C. Smalley, discussed assistance programs. Buch-binder said that the USFA is trying to build the capacity of states to develop resource exchange programs to provide information on public education, antiarson actions, master planning for fire prevention and education, and EMS. She held out the hope that the office of planning and education might provide a little money to package a really good local program for national availability.
She predicted, “You’re going to see quite a hit of EMS coming out of the fire administration this year.”
Smalley advised that instruction on systematic planning for public fire education is available in two, four and eight-hour workshops. There also are six and eight-hour workshops available on interviewing and counseling juvenile fire setters. Besides workshops on master planning for fire prevention and control, on-site assistance by USFA staff aides is available in specific areas of master planning. Help is available for defining needs, using the master planning guide and developing a master plan, Smalley explained.
The responsibilities of the Federal Insurance Administration, one of the FEMA agencies, were described by Gregg Chappell, FIA acting assistant administrator. He said that there are about 18,000 flood hazard communities and 16,000 of them are in the insurance program with about 1.8 million policies sold.
Academy programs
In a formal presentation to the state directors of training, Thompson stated that it is not the national academy’s intent to do hands-on training. The NFA superintendent explained that the primary goal is to identify courses that aid the state directors in the fire and rescue skills area. The academy and the state directors, Thompson advised, should identify the total fire service curriculum and then decide who teaches what.
Thompson saw the academy as a motivator for change in the fire service and commented, “The fire chief of today cannot manage his department the way he did 10 years ago.” The superintendent added that the academy must recognize this and modify courses as new ideas arise.
The proposed curriculum for the NFA, Thompson explained, has two general areas of concentration: (1) fire protection management, which includes emergency incident management, fire prevention and loss control management, and fire service management; and (2) fire service technology, which includes instructor development, fire investigation, and fire and rescue skills.
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Paul G. Watson, NFA deputy superintendent for curriculum development, expressed his need to know what the state directors require in order to develop the academy curriculum. He plans to explore emerging technology in such areas as video disks, simulation and microprocessors to improve the presentation of courses.
Watson also disclosed that he hopes to develop a fellowship program that would attract outsiders to the academy to work on curriculum development for either their own or the academy’s needs.
Seeks to satisfy needs
Edward M. Wall, deputy superintendent for all campus programs, told the state directors, “One thing we want to do is satisfy your needs and those of the fire service community.”
He voiced an intent to seek quality, not just quantity, in the programs and declared, “We want to make sure we’re making the greatest impact possible on the fire service.”
Wall viewed the adjunct faculty, those who teach part-time as a means of getting experts on the campus and keeping the academy current with developments in the field.
William F. Seifried, deputy superintendent for administration, who is charged with identification of the proficiency of the entire NFA operation, said that long-range planning is aimed at avoiding duplication of effort in use of the campus.
He lamented the fact that the first groups of students have come from only a few states and commented that this indicated that the distribution network for the recruitment of students is faulty. He said that efforts will he made to rectify this.
