USFA’s Paulison recipient of CFSI/Motorola Leadership Award
U.S. Fire Administrator David Paulison received the 2004 CFSI/Motorola Mason Lankford Fire Service Leadership Award at the 16th Annual National Fire and Emergency Services Dinner on May 5 in Washington, D.C.
Paulison, a veteran of the fire service for more than 30 years, has served as U.S. Fire Administrator since December 2001. When the U.S. Department of Homeland Security was created in 2003, Paulison was named director of the Preparedness Division of the Emergency and Preparedness and Res-ponse Directorate, in which capacity he administers a broad range of programs designed to protect our nation against manmade and natural disasters.
He has played a primary role in overseeing the administration of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (FIRE Act) and has been a leading proponent of communications interoperability and compatibility for firefighting equipment.
Previously, Paulison served as chief of the Miami-Dade (FL) Fire Rescue Department, where he served as incident commander for Hurricane Andrew in 1992 and the crash of ValueJet Flight 592. He was president of the International Association of Fire Chiefs in 1996-97.
William Jenaway, CFSI president, noted that the award, named after the late J. Mason Lankford Jr., “recognizes individual leadership at the local, state, and national levels in advancing the readiness of first responders and making our communities safer. ” Lankford was a catalyst in forming the CFSI and the Congressional Fire Services Caucus, founded by Congressman Curt Weldon in 1987. The CFSI and Motorola, Inc., sponsor the award.
Vice President Dick Cheney delivered the keynote address at the dinner. The theme for the evening was “Preparing for the Alarm.” Members of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus were also scheduled speakers.
Fire departments are being asked not to respond to any surveys soliciting information about department size, number of stations, water supply, and other sensitive information. Some departments have informed the International Association of Fire Chiefs that they had received survey forms from Explore Information Services, Techni Graphic Systems, and other sources. Fire departments urged not to respond to surveys seeking “sensitive” information
On checking with the Department of Homeland Security, the IAFC learned that the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) has cancelled the National Fire Station Survey conducted by contractor Explore Information Services. Departments are advised not to respond to any surveys until the Department of Homeland Security has officially verified the security of the survey source. The IAFC will continue to issue updates on the matter.
FEMA announces recipients of fire prevention and safety grants
One hundred twelve Fire Prevention and Safety grants, totaling $4 million, have been awarded as part of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program. The Fire Prevention and Safety Program is the non-competitive portion of the AFG Program. The most current information regarding these grant awards is at www.usfa.fema.gov/.
NVFC and IAFC Section oppose FDNY bylaw barring firefighter volunteerism
The National Volunteer Fire Council and the Volunteer and Combination Officers Section (VCOS) of the International Association of Fire Chiefs, in a recent letter, urged the Fire Department of the City of New York Uniformed Firefighters Association not to adopt a proposed change in bylaws that “would censure members who volunteer in any combination departments outside the city during their off-duty hours.”
If approved, the bylaw change would deem individuals who serve as volunteers, part-time, or part-paid firefighters “members not in good standing” and make them ineligible for some group insurance benefits and other union benefits, according to the NVFC. The NVFC and VCOS noted in the letter that many fire departments surrounding New York City rely on volunteers to staff their fire departments and voiced concern that the prohibition would be an attack on basic First Amendment rights.
House introduces legislation to reauthorize the FIRE Act
In April, leaders of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus introduced in the House of Representatives the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Reauthorization Act (H.R. 4107), which would reauthorize the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program, originally the FIRE Act, through fiscal year 2007.
In a joint statement, Fire Caucus members Representatives Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY), Bill Pascrell (D-NJ), Curt Weldon (R-PA), Steny Hoyer (D-MD), Nick Smith (R-MI), Robert Andrews (D-NJ), Chris Cox (R-CA), and Jim Turner (D-TX) noted the following: “The program has been a tremendous success, providing fire departments around the country with necessary equipment and vehicles. As a result of this program, both firefighters and the communities they serve are safer.”
Among provisions of the proposed legislation are the following:
- The program would be authorized at $900 million for fiscal years 2005 through 2007.
- The U.S. Fire Administration would continue to administer the program.
- The nonfederal matching requirement for fire departments serving 50,000 people or more would be reduced from 30 percent to 20 percent. The match for smaller departments serving less than 50,000 would remain at 10 percent.
- The cap on the individual grant size would be raised to $1 million for all departments, $2 million for departments serving 500,000 to 1 million people, and $3 million for departments serving more that 1 million people.
- Volunteer, nonprofit emergency medical service (EMS) providers would be eligible to apply for grants. Approximately 3,000 municipalities maintain separate fire and EMS departments. Under current law, only EMS departments that are a part of fire departments are eligible for funding. The amount of money these entities may collectively receive would be capped at four percent of the appropriated funds.
- Included would be language prohibiting grants to fire departments that discriminate against or prohibit members from engaging in volunteer activities in another jurisdiction during off-duty hours.
At press time, a companion bill had not yet been introduced in the Senate. The International Association of Fire Chiefs was analyzing the proposed legislation at press time. The National Volunteer Fire Council has made passage of this legislation a top priority. “As written, the bill ensures that the grants would continue to be peer-reviewed and the program would continue to address basic fire department needs,” notes NVFC Chairman Philip C. Stittleburg. He urges “the entire fire service” to get behind the bill, which has been referred to the House Science Committee. Stittleburg asks that fire service members contact their representative and ask them to become a cosponsor of H.R. 4107, the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Reauthorization Act. Legislators’ telephone numbers and addresses are at http://www.congress.org/congressorg/dbq/officials, or call the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121.
IAFC conducting survey to determine abilities of haz-mat teams
The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), in partnership with the Illinois Fire Chiefs Association, has recently completed gathering material for its survey on the capabilities of U.S. and Canadian fire department hazardous materials teams. The information will be shared with Department of Homeland Security officials. All organized Level A (Type I) and Level B (Type II) teams were requested to return their survey information by April 20.
The Illinois Fire Chiefs Association will analyze the data and use it to create a profile that will note local capabilities and deficiencies. The IAFC will provide a summary document on the findings to its members; however, all critical information will remain confidential.
IAFC Online Alert helps members communicate with federal officials
The International Association of Fire Chiefs’ Web site (www.iafc.org), features a two-part “Legislative Action Alert,” created to improve communication between fire service members and federal legislators. This document lists the most important legislative and regulatory issues affecting the fire service and “talking points” that can be used when speaking with legislators and executive branch officials.
Issues covered in the Alert include the following: Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (FIRE Act), Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Act (SAFER), Fire Sprinkler Legislation, Wildland Fire, Spectrum Clearing for Public Safety and the HERO Act, and 800 MHz Interference and the Consensus Plan. The Alert will be updated as new events occur. The Alert is available at www.iafc.org/government/action.asp, which can be accessed from the “What’s Hot” menu on the IAFC home page or the Government Relations page, www.iafc.org/government/ index.asp.
About 75 percent of fire departments registered in FEMA census
The Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has announced that 22,250 fire departments had registered in the National Fire Department census as of April 1. According to FEMA, this represents approximately 75 percent of U.S. fire departments—up from two years ago, when only about half of the nation’s fire departments participated in the census.
The census is managed by the National Fire Data Center, part of the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA). The census database provides a directory of registered fire departments and basic information such as address, department type, Web site address, and number of stations. The census data is available at http://www.usfa.fema.gov/applications/fdonline/.
IAFC approves defensive strategy for controlling wildland fire
The International Association of Fire Chiefs’ (IAFC) “Defensive Strategy for Local Government Measures to Control Wildland Fire Impacts for Private Property, Open Space Islands, Infrastructure, Watershed, and for Monuments and Other Community Assets at Risk” offers a defensive strategy for controlling the impact of wildland fire and improving wildland fire management, according to the IAFC. Developed by the IAFC Wildland Fire Policy Committee, the document can be downloaded at http://www.iafc.org/Grants/wildland_fire.asp (click on “downloads”). The Web site also features links to resources, wildland fire documents, and other helpful materials.
The IAFC notes that climatologists are predicting an above-normal wildland fire potential this season because of the long-term drought conditions in much of the United States. Fire chiefs are urged to prepare for the 2004 national wildland fire season.
Lew Southard, U.S. Forest Service branch chief, fire prevention, recommends that fire departments contact their nearest federal resource agency and their state forester and that “local, state, and federal agencies connect with each other now to look at the potential activity for the fire season, review any standing agreements, and make sure everyone has a mutual understanding of what processes are in place. This is the time for chiefs to engage in dialogue with their city and county officials, as well as with the citizens in their communities,” he continues. The IAFC urges members to discuss prevention, mitigation, response, and community involvement with their local elected and appointed leaders.
FEMA trains National Capital Region’s Incident Management Team
The newly formed National Capital Region’s Incident Management Team (IMT) participated in training in natural and man-made hazards in Loudoun County, Virginia, recently. The training was conducted by instructors from the Emergency Management Institute, part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) U.S. Fire Administration. The National Capital Region’s IMT is comprised of 40 senior fire, emergency medical system, and law enforcement officials from 11 jurisdictions in the Washington metropolitan area. Additional information is at http://www.usfa.fema.gov/ fire-service/incident/imt-roadmap.shtm.
Line-of-Duty Deaths
March 28 Chief James Harold Pennington, 63, Unity-Frost Prairie Volunteer Fire Department, Crossett, Arkansas: collapsed at his home and died after returning from a grass fire, at which he had complained of not feeling well.
April 4 Probationary Firefighter Kevin Wayne Kulow, 32, Houston (TX) Fire Department: entrapped by collapsed walls inside a burning residential structure during an early-morning fire.
April 6 Firefighter Phillip Stephen Hulen, 19, Vann Crossroads Fire Department, Inc., Newton Grove, North Carolina: vehicle crash.
April 10 Firefighter/EMT Kenneth Eugene Sterling, 43, Westview-Fairforest Fire and EMS Department, Moore, South Carolina: apparent heart attack while operating his privately owned vehicle several hours after coming off-shift.
April 15 Acting Fire Chief Michael Fenster, 57, Capital City Fire & Rescue, Juneau, Alaska: cardiac arrest at his residence shortly after leaving the department.
April 18 District Chief Kevin McIntyre, 45, Rockford (IL) Fire Department: heart attack.
April 22 Lieutenant Bruce E. Rogers, 56, Chesterfield (SC) Fire Department: apparent heart attack at the scene of a community center building fire.
April 27 Firefighter/Paramedic Jeffrey C. Bergstrom, 34, Stone Park (IL) Fire Department: head injuries received in an intersection collision involving two fire apparatus from different departments while responding to a fire call.
May 3 Firefighter Irwin “Buzz” Gross, 58, Brookline (MA) Fire Department: injuries received after falling off the fire apparatus while responding to an incident.
Source: National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Database, United States Fire Administration.
Fallen Firefighters Memorial October 2-3; 109 firefighters to be honored
The 23rd Annual Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend will be held October 2-3, 2004. Most events will be held on the National Fire Academy campus, site of the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial, in Emmitsburg, Maryland. One hundred six firefighters who died in the line of duty in 2003, along with three firefighters who died in earlier years, will be honored. Information on the Memorial Weekend is available at www.firehero.org.
News Glimpses
Firefighter dies as fire trucks collide. Firefighter Jeffrey Bergstrom, 34, of the Stone Park (IL) Fire Department, died and several firefighters were injured in a collision involving two fire trucks responding to a garage fire. A Northlake Fire Department truck and a Stone Park fire truck collided at an intersection. Another firefighter from Stone Park was seriously injured. Four other firefighters received minor injuries. The accident was under investigation at press time.
NIOSH to administer grants for health screening of New York City responders. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has awarded $81 million in grants for a five-year health screening program for firefighters, workers, and volunteers who provided rescue, recovery, and restoration services at the World Trade Center 9/11 disaster. Six institutions will provide free standardized clinical examinations. The grants are an extension of the 2002 DHHS funding of clinical examinations in which all of the 11,000 New York City firefighters and about 11,000 other rescue workers received initial medical examinations. Additional information is at www.cdc.gov/niosh/ updates/hhs-03-18-04.htmo/.
Senate votes against overtime changes. The Senate voted 52 to 47 not to change the rules pertaining to paying overtime to workers, as was proposed by the Department of Labor. The House voted against the changes last year but did not act on the issue this year. There was concern the changes might affect first responders.
FEMA course helps schools develop emergency operations plans. The IS 362 “Multi-Hazard Emergency Planning for Schools” course will assist first responders and educators in developing emergency operations plans for incidents that may occur at schools. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS)/Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on-line, independent study course takes between six to eight hours to complete; a certification of completion will be issued. The course is at http:// training.fema.gov/ EMIWeb/IS/is362.asp/. l Trotte is new Chicago, Illinois, fire commissioner. Cortez Trotter was appointed to replace James Joyce as Chicago’s fire commissioner. Joyce resigned in Apri
Trotter previously served as a top deputy to Joyce. Trotter currently heads the city’s Office of Emergency Management and Communications. He rose through the ranks as a paramedic. He began his career in the early 1970s as an on-call firefighter-paramedic with the Markham Fire Department.
Seattle Fire Department cited. The Seattle state Department of Labor and Industries has fined the Seattle (WA) Fire Department $63,000 for workplace safety violations. A fine of $50,000 was assessed for a September 2003 training drill in which firefighters wore full gear in temperatures exceeding 80°F; reportedly, one firefighter suffered dehydration and was treated at the hospital. The second fine of $10,000 was levied for a repeat of the same type of violation of “not having a formal accident-prevention program tailored to warm-weather needs.” A fine of $3,000 was assessed after the state found that a former assistant to the mayor had ordered the fire department’s safety officer to stop an investigation instituted to study allegations that “an unusually high number of people working at Station 31 in Northgate had developed cancer.” “State Fines Seattle Fire Department,” AP, www.kgw.com, April 22, 2004.
NIST offers flashover videos. The National Institute of Standards and Technology videos, available in VHS format or on a CD-ROM, are availble. Three flashover scenarios—a dry Scotch pine tree in a living room, a living room fire that starts in the sofa, and an open office fire—are covered on one video, which can be used to demonstrate how quickly a fire develops and to increase the understanding of pre-and post-flashover conditions. The second video compares two college dormitory sleeping room fires—one in a sprinklered room and the other in an unsprinklered room. Contact Dan Madrzykowski, NIST Fire Research Division, at madrzy@nist.gov.
USFA EFP research award winners. The following were finalists in the U.S. Fire Administration’s Executive Fire Officer Program (EFOP); the name of their research paper is in italics: Battalion Chief D. John Garino, Wayne Township Fire Department, Indianapolis, IN—Evacuation and Shelter Instructions for Residents of Large Apartment Buildings; Deputy Chief David A. Hayes, City of Tulsa (OK) Fire Department—Identifying and Addressing Sick Leave Use Trends for the Tulsa Fire Department; Chief Shane Ray, Pleasant View Volunteer Fire Department, Brentwood, TN—Expansion of the Incident Command System in a Mayday Situation; and Deputy Chief Andrew G. Smerz, City of Milwaukee (WI) Fire Department—Fire and Life Safety Education for the Elderly. The four papers were presented at the 16th EFOP Symposium, April 16-18, 2004, in Emmitsburg, Md. A copy of the papers can be obtained from the U.S. Fire Administration’s Web site at http:// www.usfa.fema.gov.
Jeff Zack new IAFF lead media contact. Jeff Zack has joined the International Association of Fire Fighters as assistant to the general president for communications & media. Zack’s previous positions included director of communications for the Association of Flight; vice president of Fingerhut, Powers Smith & Associates, a media and public relations firm; and communications specialist for the Teamsters.
