Hazardous Materials Transport Course
The Chemical Manufacturers Association (CMA) and the Association of American Railroads have developed a training program for handling transportation accidents involving hazardous materials that is available to volunteer fire departments.
This inter-industry two-hour training program includes slides, tape cassettes, a leader’s guide and a student information booklet. The program’s emphasis is on recognizing and locating hazardous materials in a community.
For further information contact Robert E. Varnerin, Chemical Manufacturers Association, 1825 Connecticut Ave. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20009, or Thomas Phemister, Associat ion of American Railroads, 1920 L St. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036.
Revised Arson Guide
Factory Mutual Engineering offers a revised version of “A Pocket Guide to Arson Investigation.” The guide now includes an 8V2 x 20-inch fold-out flow chart that diagrams the steps a fire fighter should follow, as well as questions to ask at the response, suppression, preliminary investigation, and secondary investigation stages of a suspicious fire.
Topics include observations en route to the fire, determining the cause, and handling the evidence.
To order, write Factory Mutual Training Resource center, Order Processing Dept., Box 688, Norwood, Mass. 02062. The cost is 50 cents for Factory Mutual members and $1 for non-members.
LEAA Eases Claims Rules
The Law Enforcement Assistance Administration (LEAA) is making its hearings more convenient for claimants of public safety officer death benefits. Hearings, which formerly had to be held in LEAA regional offices, may now be held “in any location agreeable to the claimant and the hearing officer.”
The new regulations also require hearing officers to make a decision 30 days “after receipt of the last piece of evidence relevant to “the proceeding.” When a hearing officer’s decision is reviewed by the administrator, a claimant may comment on the record and offer new evidence or argument for 30 days before a final decision is made.
