● CHIEFTAIN SAFETY MANUFACTURING, a subsidiary of the Protective Group, Inc., has created a new grant writing and grants assistance program, designed to assist qualified U.S. fire departments in obtaining federal funding from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The service is free of charge.
In 2005, it is expected that more than $800 million will be available to aid fire departments in purchasing much-needed equipment. These funds are virtually guaranteed to fire departments but currently are underutilized because of a lack of knowledge or personnel.
To qualify for Chieftain’s new service, a fire department must be located within the 50 United States, be registered with the NFIRS reporting system, have a DUNS and Federal ID number, and have an established bank account. Once a department has identified the need for grant funding, it can contact the grant writing staff. When grant-funding sources have been located, Chieftain will either write the grant for the department or assist the department with the grant writing process, free of charge. For more information, contact Charly Piken at (800) 551-1800, ext. 258 or by e-mail at grants@chieftainsafety.com.
● NEXTEL COMMUNICATIONS INC. has donated 1,200 wireless devices to the City of New York. The 770 i730 model wireless phones and 430 BlackBerry 7510TM devices, used by organizers during the 2004 Republican National Convention held in September, represents Nextel’s largest one-time donation of handsets. With the company’s service commitment, the donation’s estimated value is more than $500,000. The units were presented to Gino Menchini, commissioner of New York City’s Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications (DoITT), which will be responsible for distributing the units to several city agencies, including fire and police agencies, DoITT, and the Department of Education.
● PIERCE MANUFACTURING INC. announced that Pro-Fire Equipment LLC (Pro-Fire), based in Olive Branch, Mississippi, has accepted dealer sales and service responsibility for Tennessee and Alabama for Pierce and Contender fire apparatus and Medtec ambulances, in addition to its current responsibility of Arkansas and Mississippi. A Pierce dealer since 2000, Pro-Fire offers 24/7 service for the fire service. In addition to two existing service centers in Olive Branch and Memphis, Tennessee, the dealership plans to open sales and service centers in Birmingham, Alabama, and eastern Tennessee. The dealership is also an affiliate of G&W Diesel Service, Inc. For more information, contact Pro-Fire at (866) 477-6347, or visit www.pro-fire.com. G & W Diesel can be reached for any parts or service issues at (800) 458-8748.
● SPARTAN MOTORS named Randy Knors president of its ROAD RESCUE modular ambulance and specialty vehicle subsidiary, based in South Carolina. Previously, Knors served as vice president of operations for Spartan Chassis.
● During its inaugural year, the nonprofit HOME SAFETY COUNCIL’s (HSC) EXPERT NETWORK succeeded in providing more than 1,800 members with comprehensive home injury prevention teaching tools at no cost. The HSC is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing the risk of home injuries. Launched in 2004, the Expert Network supports U.S. safety advocates’ local public education outreach and includes fire and life safety experts from every state and the District of Columbia; the majority come from the first responder community. The free service includes teaching aids, lesson plans, and reproducible educational and promotional materials that can be downloaded and customized for local use. In addition to the on-demand Web resources, the HSC occasionally mails packages of free “hard copy” educational and statistical materials to members of the Network.
New members who sign up at the organization’s Web site will automatically receive a welcome package that includes the home fire safety video A Burning Issue: Is Your Family Safe? produced by the Wisconsin Alliance for Fire Safety. Edited for use as three individual components or as one unit, the video addresses home fire prevention, smoke alarms/escape planning, and residential fire sprinklers. In addition to the video, the welcome package includes the 2004 State of Home Safety in America Trend Analysis and Executive Summary, 10 HSC injury prevention brochures, home safety posters in English and Spanish, a Weekly Reader/Home Safety Council elementary home safety education insert, and more.
Next spring, the Expert Network will help fulfill requests for the nation’s first Fire Safety Literacy Project Kit to help fire departments team up with their local literacy providers to reach high-risk adults enrolled in literacy programs. The Home Safety Council established the project with national partners Oklahoma State University’s Fire Protection Publications and ProLiteracy Worldwide. The project will help reach the estimated 90 million Americans who have low literacy skills with basic fire safety education. The project earned a 2003 FEMA Fire Prevention and Safety Grant. To join the Expert Network, visit www.homesafetycouncil.org/expertnetwork. To learn more about the Home Safety Council, visit www.homesafetycouncil.org.
The HSC has appointed Walter W. Becky II, Corinne Broderick, Francis M. Piscitelli, and Thomas Bilbrough to its board of directors.
Corinne Broderick, currently the executive vice president of the Massachusetts Medical Society, also has worked with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), Physician Health Services, and the Massachusetts Peer Review Organization.
Under President Walter W. Becky II’s leadership, Morton Salt has been recognized for providing off-the-job safety education to company employees nationwide.
As senior vice president of sales and service for Osram Sylvania, Francis Piscitelli is responsible for the sales of lighting products to industrial, commercial, consumer, OEM. and specialty lamp markets nationwide. The company has been a major support of the Home Safety Council’s safety education programs for children.
Thomas “Tracy” Bilbrough is CEO for Juno Lighting, Inc. and has served in senior leadership in several companies. He has extensive operational, strategic planning, marketing and financial experience.
For more information, visit www.homesafetycouncil.org.
