Senate panel passes bill to authorize First Responder Initiative
The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW), at press time, approved the First Responder Terrorism Preparedness Act of 2002 (S. 2664), introduced by U.S. Senators Jim Jeffords (I-VT) and Bob Smith (R-NH). The bill, which amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, authorizes $3.5 billion for the first responder initiative and establishes a new first responder grant program to be administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The EPW Committee has jurisdiction over FEMA.
The legislation “clarifies and consolidates the authority of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to support first responders.” It establishes the Office of National Preparedness within FEMA and creates a program to provide assistance to enhance first responders’ ability to respond to incidents of terrorism, including incidents involving weapons of mass destruction (WMD), and to address issues relating to urban search and rescue task forces.
Office of National Preparedness
The new Office of National Preparedness would be headed by an associate director to be appointed by the President, with the advice and consent of the Senate. Among the associate director’s duties would be to lead a coordinated and integrated overall effort to build viable terrorism preparedness and response capability at all levels of government; to establish standards for a national, interoperable emergency communications and warning system; and to establish standards for training first responders (as defined in section 630(a) and for equipment to be used by first responders for incidents of terrorism, including incidents involving WMD.
First responders are defined as fire, emergency medical service, and law enforcement personnel, and such other personnel as identified by the director.
Assistance and Permitted Uses
The legislation would make assistance available in grants or other forms as determined by the director. The assistance shall be used to purchase, to the maximum extent practicable, interoperable equipment necessary to respond to incidents of terrorism, including WPM; to train first responders consistent with guidelines and standards developed by the director; to develop, construct, or upgrade terrorism preparedness training facilities in consultation with the director; to develop, construct, or upgrade emergency operating centers; to develop preparedness and response plans consistent with federal, state, and local strategies, as determined by the director; to provide systems and equipment to meet communication needs, such as emergency notification systems, interoperable equipment, and secure communications equipment; to conduct exercises; and to carry out such other related activities as approved by the director.
The funds would not be able to be used to pay first responders (including overtime).
- Each state would receive a base amount of $15 million and a percentage of the total remaining funds made available for the fiscal year based on criteria established by the director, such as population; location of vital infrastructure [military installations, public buildings as defined in section 13 of the Public Buildings Act of 1959 (40 U.S.C. 612)], nuclear power plants, chemical plants, and national landmarks; and proximity to international borders.
- Not less than 75 percent of the assistance provided to each state under this section would be given to local governments and local entities with the state.
- The 28 Urban Search and Rescue Task Forces would each receive a grant of not less than $1.5 million to pay operating costs (including basic urban search and rescue equipment) and a grant to be determined appropriate by the director to pay for costs of operations in excess of the funds provided in mandatory grants for costs of operations; urban search and rescue equipment; equipment necessary for urban search and rescue task forces to operate in an environment contaminated or otherwise affected by a WMD; training; transportation; expansion of US&R task forces; and incident support teams, including costs of conducting appropriate evaluations of readiness of US&R task
The director may establish additional US&R task forces in addition to the present 28, but, except in cases where a US&R task force is designated to replace a US&R task force that withdraws or is otherwise no longer considered to be a US&R task force designated by the director, no additional US&R task forces may be designated or funded until the 28 US&R task forces are able to deploy simultaneously at least two teams with all necessary equipment, training, and transportation.
- For each fiscal year, the director shall make $3 million available to the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
It was not known at press time when the bill would be referred to the Senate body.
FEMA/USFA grant awards underway
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the United States Fire Administration (USFA) began awarding Assistance to Firefighters Grants on July 1. It is anticipated that the approximately 5,500 grants will be awarded by the end of the year.
FEMA explains that the awarding process started off slowly because the staff is working with a new Web-based notification and documentation process and that the pace will build to 500 grant awards every two weeks.
More than 19,000 requests for $2.2 billion in funding were received. FEMA will post progress reports on its Web site, http://www.fema.gov/periodically.
NIOSH issues first approval under respirator certification program
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recently issued its first approval of respirators used by emergency responders against chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear agents.
Spiromatic Models 9030, 6630, and 4530 self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), manufactured by Interspiro USA Inc., Branford, Connecticut, have been approved under the program.
The approval signifies that the products are expected to protect firefighters and other responders from chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear exposures in the line of duty.
NIOSH based its determination on positive results from rigorous laboratory tests, evaluation of product specifications for the devices, and assessment of the manufacturer’s quality-control procedures.
The action allows the manufacturer to label the approved devices as “NIOSH-certified for occupational use by emergency responders.” It does not constitute a commercial endorsement of the products.
NIOSH tested and evaluated the devices under criteria announced in December 2001 for certifying SCBAs for occupational use by first responders against chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear agents. The criteria built on NIOSH’s existing program for certifying respirators for occupational use in traditional workplace settings such as factories, construction sites, and health care facilities. Development of the new program involved broad national support and collaboration by many agencies, organizations, and stakeholders.
NIOSH is continuing to test and evaluate other SCBAs submitted by manufacturers for certification under the new program. It also is developing similar criteria for approving other types of respirators, such as air-purifying devices, for use by emergency responders. The first approval is posted on the NIOSH Web page at www.cdc.gov/niosh/; other approvals will be announced and posted as they occur.
For additional information on the certification program, call toll-free 1-800-356-4674, or visit the NIOSH Web page.
Tunnel tests show efficacy of PPV and mobile ventilation
The Center for National Response (CNR) conducted tests recently to evaluate the benefits of mobile ventilation units (MVU) and positive pressure ventilation (PPV) to remove smoke, heat, gases, and chemicals from a tunnel during a fire or other tunnel emergency. The CNR, located near Standard, West Virginia, is inside the two-lane Memorial Tunnel, which is 2,785 feet long, 28.4 feet wide, and 28 feet high at peak. It generally runs from southeast to northwest at a 3.2° positive slope. Light levels in the tunnel are controllable and range from bright to no light. The temperature inside the tunnel is a constant 56°F.
A Tempest Technology, Inc. MVU and PPV equipment were used in the daylong testing (8 a.m.-5 p.m.). The test was the first U.S.-based test of an MVU and PPV for tunnel ventilation. Numerous live fire tests that proved the benefits of PPV for tunnel emergencies had been conducted in Europe.
The MVU is a hydraulically powered ventilation unit that generates more than 100,000 cubic feet per minute of air. The 48-inch-diameter MVU was positioned about 30 feet from the tunnel entrance. Smoke machines were placed at the center of the tunnel, approximately 1,400 feet from the tunnel entrance. The tunnel was completely cleared after 20 minutes. In a real emergency, heat would be reduced, visibility would be improved, and firefighters would be able to locate and extinguish the fire more quickly.
The MVU was tested for decontamination purposes as well. Personnel were sprayed with a water-soluble fluorescent paint. Later, their clothing was examined under black light to determine if the decon-tamination was successful. The paint had been removed. A vehicle was also sprayed with the same fluorescent paint to test the capabilities of the MVU for equipment decontamination. After the test, the vehicle was sufficiently cleaned.
“The mobile ventilation unit can greatly improve the level of safety for firefighters during tunnel firefighting operations,” noted Dexter Coffman, CEO of Tempest. He added, “PPV when applied with the MVU can remove heat, improve visibility, and allow firefighters to extinguish the fire and rescue victims more quickly.”
A test report and video are available on CD-ROM from Tempest Technology, Inc. Contact Leroy Coffman at (559) 277-7577.
Dickinson appointed deputy U.S. Fire Administrator
Charlie Dickinson, former chief of the Pittsburgh (PA) Fire Department and a 37-year veteran of the fire service, has been named deputy U.S. Fire Administrator for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) U.S. Fire Administration (USFA). He will be responsible for day-to-day operations of the USFA’s Emmitsburg facility and programs. He is an instructor in the USFA’s National Fire Academy command and control curriculum.
Dickinson, who had been working as a consultant for the USFA on a major reorganization of the Administration, was fire chief of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 1988 to 1998. He began his fire service career as a firefighter in 1962 in the Hayward (CA) Fire Department and rose through the ranks to the position of battalion chief; he was the Hayward emergency services coordinator for his last three years in that city. He was a member of various International Association of Fire Chiefs and National Fire Prevention Association committees and is a volunteer with the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation.
President proposes cabinet agency for security
President Bush has proposed the creation of a cabinet post for homeland security. The department, which will be called the Department of Homeland Security, would encompass numerous federal agencies including customs, immigration, the Secret Service, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
As envisioned, the new Department of Homeland Security would have four divisions: Border Transportation and Security, the Customs Services, the Coast Guard, and Emergency Preparedness and Response (which would include FEMA).
The President is expected to seek Congress’ approval of the plan by the end of the year.
Restructured, Factory Mutual Research operating under new names
The realignment of Factory Mutual Research with FM Global’s risk management operations has resulted in new company names. The research division is now known as FM Global Research and the Approvals division as FM Approvals.
FEMA/USFA offers updated emergency services infection control manual
The updated “Guide to Managing an Emergency Services Infection Control Program,” from the Federal Emergency Management Agency/U.S. Fire Administration, provides new and expanded information on infection control programs and practices for local fire and emergency medical service (EMS) departments. The manual meets or exceeds all applicable federal laws and regulations and national standards and guidelines that existed at the time of publication.
“Infection control, including issues such as hepatitis C exposure, is an essential health and safety topic for the fire service today,” explains U.S. Fire Administrator R. David Paulison. “Every fire and emergency services department needs to have a strong infection control program as part of an overall departmental health and safety strategy.”
Limited quantities of this publication are available without charge, and it may also be downloaded from the Internet. Visit http://www.usfa.fema.gov/ and click on publications. Departments also can contact the USFA’s Publications Office at (800) 561-3356 or (301) 447-1189 or fax a request to (301) 447-1213. Mail orders will also be accepted at the following address: United States Fire Administration, Publications, 16825 South Seton Avenue, Emmitsburg, MD 21727.
Conference for urban/wildfire firefighting set for December in Kansas City
The “WILDFIRE 2002: Surviving in the Interface Danger Zone” international fire service conference will be held from December 4-6 in Kansas City, Missouri. Cosponsored by the International Association of Wildland Fire (IAWF), the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), and the Rocky Mountain Res-earch Station of the U.S. Forest Service, the conference will focus specifically on urban structural firefighters and rural fire services and the increase in wildfire in the urban interface.
The conference agenda will include national trends that clearly show that wildfire problems increase as populations in the wildlands grow and the challenges firefighters will face in the future as they attempt to suppress fires in these areas. Workshops and seminars will address safety in the interface; wildland urban interface suppression, management, tactics, and tools; prevention, mitigation, environmental concerns, and fuel management; and promoting community assistance.
According to Bruce Suenram, president of the International Association of Wildland Fire, more than 123,000 wildfires burned in excess of 8.4 million acres during the year 2000.
New Web site for volunteer fire departments
More than 100 departments have signed up for a volunteer fire department Web site (http://www.volunteerfd. org/) launched at the New England Fire Chiefs’ Convention in June. The site will enable the departments to share information on the day-to-day issues volunteers face such as bylaws, fund-raising, grants, recruitment and retention, standard operating guidelines, and training. Participation is free.
CPSC: new portable heaters can save lives
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is calling attention to the fact that some portable heaters can prevent carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. The heaters are equipped with an oxygen depletion sensor (ODS) that shuts the heater down if oxygen levels start to fall, according to the CPSC. They can be used safely inside tents, cabins, and campers, if users comply with the manufacturers’ instructions to ensure that there is adequate ventilation, notes the CPSC. The CPSC still recommends shutting off camping heaters and lanterns before going to sleep.
Recalled products pose burn or fire hazards
The Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced that the following products pose burn and fire hazards:
•Some 155,000 Red Devil gas grills manufactured by e4L Inc., of Encino, California, and Quantum North America Inc., also of Encino. You can light the grill at an air intake tube instead of at the burner. Although the grill may appear to function normally, gas inside the air intake tube ignites and the tube can reach temperatures of up to 750°F. In some earlier models, the heat at the air intake tube damaged the plastic support and caused the grill to fall to the ground, burning people nearby. There is a danger that surrounding combustibles may ignite. There have been 44 reports of consumer burns-some third-degree-and 1,000 reports of collapses.
The red metal gas grills, which were manufactured in Hong Kong, were sold to consumers through television infomercials from about May 1998 through January 1999; additional units were sold through department and specialty stores, television retailers, and Web sites.
The firms are liquidating their assets under bankruptcy law; therefore, there is no refund or replacement policy. However, these grills should not be used. For additional information, call the CPSC at (800) 638-2772 at any time.
•About 29,000 candles from Island Soap & Candle Works of Honolulu, Hawaii. Pieces of the candle’s wick can fall off while burning, and the wick can reignite after extinguishment. The candles were sold exclusively in Oahu, Maui, and Kauai, Hawaii, and Monterey, California from April 2000 through April 8, 2002.
For additional information, contact Island Soap & Candle Works at (877) 535-5566 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Hawaii standard time and 11 a.m. and 8 p.m. pacific standard time Monday through Friday.
•Some 45,000 outdoor tabletop propane heaters manufactured by Brinkmann Corporation, of Dallas, Texas. The heaters can emit high levels of carbon monoxide (CO). Brinkmann received one report of a CO death involving the use of this outdoor heater inside of a camper.
The heater, manufactured in China and commonly sold in outdoor and camping stores, has the model number 883-1000-0. It has “mood lighting” around the base and is battery operated. Such heaters were sold by retailers including Wal-Mart, Menards, and Galyan’s from September 2001 through May 2002.
For additional information, call Brink-mann Corporation at (800) 675-5301 between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. CT Monday through Friday.
•About 80,000 Martha Stewart Every-day® Brand ceramic potpourri simmering pots from Candle-lite, of Cincinnati, Ohio. Flames from the tea light candles inside these potpourri pots can flare out of the side ventilation holes.
K-Mart sold the pots nationwide from September 2001 through March 2002. For more information, call Candle-lite at (800) 718-7151 between 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or contact the firm at its Web site at www.candle-lite.com/.
•About 9,700 cans of MSR (white gasoline) Premium Blend Stove Fuel distributed by Mountain Safety Research, of Seattle, Washington. Corrosion can cause the can to leak fuel, posing a fire or injury hazard. Twenty reports of leaking fuel cans have been received. Batch number is 2003-2. Sold by REI and other sporting good stores nationwide from March 2002 to June 2002.
Leaking cans should immediately be moved to a location free of ignition sources, and the fuel should be transferred to an approved fuel container. For a replacement fuel container, contact Mountain Safety Research at (800) 531-9531 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. PT Monday through Friday.
Line-of-Duty Deaths
May 29: Engineer Gerald “Wayne” Allbritton, 45, of the Columbus (MS) Fire Department, died in his sleep at the fire station after returning from an emergency call.
May 31: Firefighter Robert Broussard, 59, of the Sycuan Fire Department, El Cajon, California, collapsed and died from cardiac arrest while taking the annual Pack Test for wildland firefighting certification.
June 7: Firefighter Terry Stinson, 44, of the Brown Township Fire Department, Mooresville, Indiana, collapsed from a heart attack on May 27 after returning to the fire station from an EMS call. He was transported to the hospital, where he later died.
June 13: Firefighter/EMT Bridgett Nicole Autry, 18, of the Herring Volunteer Fire Department, Inc., Clinton, North Carolina, died from injuries sustained in a motor vehicle crash while responding to a fire alarm.
June 14: Firefighter/Engineer Paul Jolliff, 37, of the Indianapolis (IN) Fire Department, drowned while participating in water rescue training.
June 17: Co-Pilot Craig Labare, 36, of the U.S. Forest Service, Minden, Nevada, died when his air tanker crashed while fighting a wildland fire near Walker, California.
June 17: Pilot Steven Ray Wass, 42, of the U.S. Forest Service, Minden, Nevada, died when his air tanker crashed while fighting a wildland fire near Walker, California.
June 17: Engineer Michael Harlow Davis, 59, of the U.S. Forest Service, Minden, Nevada, died when his air tanker crashed while fighting a wildland fire near Walker, California.
June 21: Firefighter Zachary Zigich, 18, of Grayback Forestry Inc., Merlin, Oregon, was killed in a van accident while en route to the Hayman, Colorado, wildfire.
June 21: Firefighter Retha Shirley, 19, of Grayback Forestry Inc., Merlin, Oregon, was killed in a van accident while en route to the Hayman, Colorado, wildfire.
June 21: Firefighter/Crew Chief Daniel Rama, 28, of Grayback Forestry Inc., Merlin, Oregon, was killed in a van accident while en route to the Hayman, Colorado, wildfire.
June 21: Firefighter Jake Martindale, 20, of Grayback Forestry Inc., Merlin, Oregon, was killed in a van accident while en route to the Hayman, Colorado, wildfire.
June 24: Firefighter Bartholomew Bailey, 20, of Grayback Forestry Inc., Merlin, Oregon, died of injuries sustained in a van accident while en route to the Hayman, Colorado, wildfire on June 21.
Source: National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Database, United States Fire Administration
Editor’s Note: In the May listing, the firefighter’s full name in the March 6 entry should be Firefighter Joshua Brandon Earley.
In the July listing, the firefighter’s full name in the March 28 entry should be Firefighter Fred McNeil Johnson.
