The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) reports “uneven progress across the country” in implementing Positive Train Control (PTC) life-saving technology as of the third quarter of 2016.
According to the FRA data, freight railroads have PTC active on 12 percent of their tracks, and passenger railroads increased their percentage to 23 percent. The FRA notes that the passenger railroads that showed measurable progress are predominantly on the West Coast; East Coast railroads, other than SEPTA and Amtrak, have remained relatively stagnant.
If the railroads are to meet the deadline set by Congress for installation of this safety system, the agency says, railroads must make the safety modification a priority and Congress must release more money. “PTC save lines,” emphasizes U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. Congress has set December 31, 2018, as the deadline; however, it is subject to change. Additional information is at http://bit.ly/2jUJFyD.
CFSI symposium and dinner set for April 5-6
The Congressional Fire Services Institute will host its 29th Annual National Fire and Emergency Services Symposium and Dinner in Washington, DC, on April 5-6. This year’s theme is “Forging New Relationships.” Leaders of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus and Administration officials will attend, and the President and the Vice President have been invited to speak. Four awards will be given to individual and organizational leaders who have advanced the readiness and response capabilities of our nation’s fire and emergency services. Additional information is at www.cfsi.org.
Health update: prostate cancer
Recent research has shown that an MRI scan is twice as likely to identify the presence of dangerous tumors as the invasive biopsy currently in use. According to Prostate Cancer UK (http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(16)32401-1/fulltext) has shown that an MRI picks up 93 percent of aggressive cancers, compared with 48 percent for a biopsy. Researchers at the University College London (UCL) led the research.
The UCL’s lead researcher for the study, Dr. Hashim Ahmed, explains that the current biopsy test “can be inaccurate because the tissue samples are taken at random. This means it cannot confirm whether a cancer is aggressive or not and can miss aggressive cancers that are actually there.”
The scan, called a multi-parametric MRI (mpMRI), is being introduced into routine NHS practice, and some hospitals are offering MRI before any biopsy, according to Prostate Cancer UK, which helped to fund the research. It is now working to introduce MRI scans into prostate cancer units. “The current diagnostic process for prostate cancer is notoriously imperfect, so any developments which offer improvements must be adopted as a matter of priority,” said Angela Culhane, its chief executive. She noted that although “it’s clear that the rollout of mpMRI before biopsy can’t just happen overnight, it’s critical that urgent action is taken to make it available to men.”
In December, the UCL had published a study that showed a drug developed from bacteria at the bottom of the sea and activated with laser can kill prostate cancer cells. The full press release on the MRI research is at http://bit.ly/2hprz3o.
Recent research has shown that an MRI scan is twice as likely to identify the presence of dangerous tumors as the invasive biopsy currently in use, according to Prostate Cancer UK.
LINE-OF-DUTY DEATHS
2016
December 20. Chief Arthur “Art” Brault, 51, Cumberland Head Volunteer Fire Department, Plattsburgh, NY: unreported.
December 24. Firefighter Richard Rehm, 55, McCordsville (IN) Volunteer Fire Department: vehicle accident involving a train.
December 27. Captain Fred A. Newton Sr., 66, Somerset Township (MI) Fire Department and EMS: heart attack.
December 27. Lieutenant Donald “Reid” Key II, 31, Whispering Pines (NC) Fire Rescue Department: medical injury suffered on December 25; cause unreported.
2017
January 2. Probationary Firefighter Amy Dimmery, 34, Marion (SC) Rural Fire Department: motor vehicle accident.
January 4. Chief Engineer/Firefighter Donald “Sarge” Leroy Brenner Jr., 67, Speedwell Engine and Hose Company, Lebanon, PA: cardiac arrest suffered on Dec. 24, 2016.
January 13. Firefighter Tracy O. Sanders, 44, Mount Olive Volunteer Fire Department, Ohatchee, AL: vehicle collision.
Source: USFA Firefighters Memorial Database
Fire Engineering Archives
