The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has promoted Robert Solomon, P.E. to assistant vice president, building and life safety codes. He has served as the NFPA’s chief building fire protection engineer since 1995 and will continue to manage the NFPA’s building fire protection and life safety department and the technical development of related codes.
JAMES E. TURNER III was named the director of the Delaware Emergency Manage-ment Agency. Turner has been a member of the Clayton (DE) Fire Company since 1966 and has served as executive secretary of the Delaware Volunteer Firemen’s Association (DVFA) since March 2000. Previously, he had served as an emergency service training administrator at the Delaware State Fire School for 24 years and as a communications specialist with the Delaware State Police, from 1969 to 1976.
MSA has acquired CGF HELMETS, the leading European manufacturer of protective helmets for the fire service, based in Lyons, France. The acquisition complements MSA Europe’s existing line of fire service products. Gallet will be integrated into the operations of MSA Europe; its products will be marketed under the MSA Gallet name.
Aircraft manufacturer AIRBUS donated a state-of-the-art Saulsbury fire and rescue truck to the Fire Department of New York’s Rescue One in Manhattan. Airbus contracted with Saulsbury to build the $750,000 apparatus, which is part of a $2 million donation Airbus is making to New York City and the family funds American Airlines and United Airlines established in the names of crew members lost in the September 11 terrorist attacks. Before the attacks, FDNY Captain Terry Hatton and the firefighters of Rescue One had been developing a design for a new truck to replace the 17-year-old unit then in service. A plaque with the names of those lost is mounted in the truck.
KROLL INC., a global risk consulting company, named Steven Kuhr managing director of its new Emergency Management Group. He replaces Jerome M. Hauer, recently appointed director of Public Health Pre-paredness at the United States Department of Health and Human Services. Kuhr will be responsible for directing initiatives related to homeland security; counter-terrorism planning and preparedness; and managing emergency preparedness, response, and recovery programs. The Emergency Manage-ment Group will focus on federal, state, and local programs; public health and medical programs; and transportation security and emergency preparedness. Services include capability assessments; security and risk/ vulnerability analyses; emergency planning and plan development; drill and exercise design, execution, and analysis; emergency operations center design and construction; management and organizational consultation; incident/emergency response and coordination, after-action analyses, and more.
THE AUSTIN COMPANY received a $15.2 million contract to design, engineer, and construct a joint laboratory and county Emergency Operations Center (EOC) for Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) in New Mexico. The University of California awarded Austin the contract on behalf of the United States Department of Energy (DOE). The two-story, 38,000-square-foot facility is part of the Cerro Grande Rehabilitation Project, launched in response to the devastating wildfires in northern New Mexico during the summer of 2000. The building will provide office space for all emergency agencies during an emergency. The second floor will permanently house the county’s police, fire, medical, and 911 dispatchers.
The Colorado Springs (CO) Fire Training Center is installing a FOR-A VPS-400D Video Production System, which will allow it to offer live interactive training courses to firefighters at the city’s 18 stations through cable TV. FOR-A is a major manufacturer/distributor of audio and video systems to the broadcast, postproduction, and professional video markets. The new system eliminates the need for firefighters to go to the training center. The cable-based video training system is expected to reduce response times by eliminating the need for one station to cover for another station that is out for training. The interactive video training system will also permit firefighters to call in live questions using their 800-MHz radio system.
