Congress passes DHS and FEMA funding bill
The House of Representatives passed on March 3 the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act of 2015 (H.R. 240), which will fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), including the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), through September 30, 2015. According to the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the bill allocates $340 million each for the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) and Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) programs and $44 million for the U.S. Fire Administration. DHS is funded through the end of the current fiscal year, and FEMA will now be able to begin implementing the FY 2015 AFG and SAFER programs.
CT bill would require sprinklers in new homes
A bill recently introduced in Connecticut (No. 6777) would require that residential fire sprinkler systems be installed in new homes. The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF), the Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors, and Common Voices have applauded the Connecticut Fire Sprinkler Coalition for its proactive efforts in promoting this initiative.
“Our organizations work jointly on a daily basis to promote all types of life-saving initiatives,” says Chief Ronald J. Siarnicki, executive director of the NFFF. “We also work with burn and family survivor advocacy organizations like Common Voices and the Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors because they truly do understand the devastating effects of fire occurrence in America.”
According to the National Fire Protection Association, a person’s risk of dying from a house fire decreases by about 80 percent when sprinklers are present.
Additional information on home fire sprinklers is at www.homefiresprinkler.org.
Legislation sets permanent ambulance rates
Legislation introduced in the U.S. House (H.R. 745) and U.S. Senate (S. 377) in February would make permanent the current rates Medicare reimburses to emergency medical service agencies that provide ambulance transport services. The bills, which are identical, would preserve the current “bonus payments” that were to expire at the end of March. The payments are intended to ensure that reimbursement rates equal the cost of providing service.
“It is critical that EMS agencies are able to cover the cost of providing ambulance transport services to the public,” said National Volunteer Fire Council Chairman Philip C. Stittleburg. “Preserving the current rates is especially important in rural areas where it is more expensive to provide service and a higher percentage of the patients served are insured by Medicare.”
Establishing permanent reimbursement rates for ambulance transport at a reasonable level is another important component of H.R 745/S. 377. In recent years, Congress has passed emergency legislation periodically to temporarily extend the existing rates.
Autoimmune disease yet another risk of 9/11 site exposure
Responders and others who have been exposed to the World Trade Center (WTC) after the collapse of the two towers on 9/11 have been found to be at risk for a host of diseases and medical conditions. The latest risk, according to “Nested Case-Control Study of Selected Systemic Autoimmune Diseases in World Trade Center Rescue/Recovery Workers,” a research study published online in Arthritis & Rheumatology (http://bit.ly/1BOr0l9), reports that researchers from four medical centers in New York and the Fire Department of the City of New York Bureau of Health Services (http://www.fdnywtcprogram.org) have uncovered a link between long-term work at the WTC collapse site and autoimmune disease.
According to Lupus News Today (http://bit.ly/1C7J9y7), in systemic autoimmune disorders, the body’s immune system overreacts and can result in attacks of healthy tissues, such as joints and organs, manifested by inflammation, pain, disability, and tissue destruction. It is thought that environmental, occupational, or other factors may contribute to the development of autoimmune disease. “The environmental exposure to metals, organic solvents, silica, hydrocarbons, pesticides, and cigarette smoking, among others, has been reported to be associated with many autoimmune diseases,” explains Lupus News Today.
The research study tested the hypothesis that exposure to WTC debris, either acute (on arrival at the WTC) or chronic (months of WTC-related work), is linked to a higher incidence of rare systemic autoimmune diseases.
The researchers suggest that the World Trade Center Health Program (WTCHP) increase the monitoring of individuals who had a longer exposure to the site and provide them with early access to proper care. Early disease detection and treatment have been shown to improve quality of life and reduce organ damage.
Line-of-Duty Deaths
March 6. Pilot Jerold “Jerry” Bonner, 72, CALFIRE, Sacramento, CA: cardiac-related fatal injury.
March 9. Firefighter Jeffrey Scott Buck, 18, Lawrence Township (PA) Volunteer Fire Company #1-Clearfield County Station #5: head injuries sustained when a porch collapsed on him while fighting a structure fire on March 3.
March 10. Chief Billy R. Jarvis, 54, Allen (KY) Fire Department: heart attack suffered on March 4.
March 15. Firefighter John L. Shoup, 38, Ashland (MS) Volunteer Fire Department: heart attack suffered on March 7.
Source: USFA Firefighters Memorial Database
To request information go to fireeng.hotims.com
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