News in Brief

Chicago Fire Department institutes new policies

The Chicago (IL) Fire Department has made some sweeping changes in policies in response to the fire in the Cook County Administration Building in which six occupants died. The changes include increased training for all uniformed personnel, annual physical fitness testing for veteran firefighters, and new procedures for fighting high-rise fires. The focus will be on continuous, ongoing training, according to Fire Commissioner Cortez Trotter.

Among the provisions of the new guidelines are the following:

Crew members assigned to search and rescue operations will have those duties exclusively and will not be assigned to any other firefighting duties.
Department members will engage in several high-rise drills. After the training, they will participate in a general exercise. Firefighters and paramedics will be observed and evaluated; those who require it will be retrained.
Detailed accountability and responsibility policies will be implemented.
All personnel will be trained in incident command.

As reported in the September 2004 News In Brief, a Commission had attributed to the fire department some mistakes that it said contributed to the six deaths. “Firefighters face intense training,” Fran Spielman, www.suntimes.com, Sept. 20, 2004; http://cbs2chicago.com, Sept. 20, 2004. n

Schools not prepared for terrorist attack, study says

“Numerous school districts in the United States are not doing enough to protect children and faculty in the event of a terrorist attack,” according to the “Preparedness in America’s Schools” national study by the nonprofit America Prepared Campaign. The report’s authors cite the need for improved emergency plans, more emergency drills, and better-informed parents. According to the president of the National School Safety and Security Service, schools and campuses lack an adequate level of security and emergency preparedness; too many have been “preoccupied with student violence and substance abuse.”

The Department of Homeland Security’s Emergency Management and Response-Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) is recommending that emergency services leaders contact senior administrators of local schools and colleges and offer assistance in developing quality emergency crisis action plans. Resources to support preparedness in America’s schools are available at www.ed.gov/admins/lead/ safety/emergencyplan/index.html/.

U.S. DOT to distribute haz-mat guidebooks

The U.S. Secretary of Transportation is distributing 1.73 million copies of Emergency Response Guidebook 2004 to police, fire, and other emergency response organizations. The manual is geared to emergency response personnel who may be the first responders at the scene of a transportation incident involving hazardous materials. The guidebook is a joint project between the U.S. Department of Transportation, Transport Canada, and the Secretariat of Communications and Transportation of Mexico.

The guide is available through the state coordinator; contact information is at the Hazardous Materials Safety Web site at http://hazmat.dot.gov, or call (202) 366-4900. Copies are also available commercially through the U.S. Government Printing Office Bookstore and other commercial vendors. n

FY03 fire prevention and safety grants awarded

More than $4.5 million in grants was recently awarded under the fiscal year 2003 Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program. Twenty-seven fire departments and organizations will receive more than $2.8 million from the FY03 Fire Prevention and Safety grant program, and another 17 fire departments will receive more than $1.7 million from the fiscal year 2003 AFG Program.

The fiscal year 2003 AFG program was administered by the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). On June 4, 2004, Homeland Security’s Office of Domestic Preparedness began distributing funds for the fiscal year 2004 AFG program.

Fire departments having questions regarding the fiscal year 2003 AFG program can reach the FEMA Grant Program staff at 1-866-274-0960, or via e-mail at fire-grants@dhs.gov. For the most current information regarding these grant awards and any of the many other USFA projects, visit www.usfa.fema.gov or enroll in the USFA e-mail distribution listserv for the most current news releases from the USFA.

Senate passes Homeland Security appropriations bill

In September, the United States Senate passed its version of the H.R. 4567 Homeland Security appropriations bill for fiscal year 2005 (FY05), which included $750 million for the FIRE Act (the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program) and $100 million for SAFER (the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Firefighters Act of 2003).

These funding amounts are higher than those the Senate Committee on Appropriations had originally included in the bill, $700 million for the FIRE Act ($50 million below the amount appropriated for FY04) and no money for SAFER. Two amendments increased these amounts. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (TN) introduced the successful amendment to increase the FIRE Act amount. Senators Christopher Dodd (CT) and Arlen Specter (PA) introduced the successful amendment to fund SAFER.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed its version of the homeland security appropriations bill in June, which included $600 million for the FIRE Act and $50 million for SAFER. The two versions of the bill will go to a conference committee to work out the differences.

NIST determines actual wind loads used to design WTC towe

The Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has completed additional analysis of the wind “loads” that the World Trade Center (WTC) towers were originally designed to resist. The work is being done as part of NIST’s federal building and fire safety investigation of the WTC disaster.

According to Shyam Sunde, WTC lead investigator, NIST—in collaboration with Leslie E. Robertson Associates (LERA), the structural engineering firm for the WTC towers—recently completed its review of the original 1960s-era source documents containing wind tunnel test data and wind-load estimation methods used for the towers. All of the clarified original design wind load estimates, according to the report, exceed those established by the New York City building code prior to 1968 (when the WTC towers were designed) and through 2001 (when the towers were destroyed).

Sunder also announced that the NIST investigation team has completed an independent analysis to determine the wind loads that would be appropriate for use in designing the towers in accordance with the current state-of-the-art codes, instead of the building codes in effect in the 1960s. This is being done to better understand and assess the effects of successive changes in standards, codes, and practices. These NIST “best estimate” wind load values—based on two sets of wind tunnel test data collected by independent laboratories in 2002 as part of industry studies (unrelated to the NIST investigation) and refined by NIST experts in wind science and engineering—are within 10 to 15 percent of the “most unfavorable” (maximum) wind load estimates used in the design of the WTC towers.

Wind load capacity is a key factor in determining the overall strength of a tall building and is important in determining not only its ability to withstand winds but also its reserve capacity to withstand unanticipated events such as a major fire or impact damage.

The NIST final report is scheduled to be released as a draft document in December. More information may be found at http:// wtc.nist.gov.

NHTSA proposes standard for tire pressure monitoring devices

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Admin- istration (NHTSA) has proposed a new safety standard to warn drivers when a tire is significantly underinflated.

The proposal requires manufacturers to install a four-tire Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) capable of detecting when a tire is more than 25 percent underinflated and warning the driver.

The new standard also proposes adding a TPMS malfunction indicator to the requirements, which would warn the driver when the system is not working properly. For example, sometimes tires installed on the vehicle are incompatible with the TPMS or other problems cause the TPMS to become inoperative.

TPMS is a safety warning system and is not a substitute for regular tire pressure maintenance by drivers, the NHTSA points out. Operating a vehicle with substantially underinflated tires can result in tire failure, such as tread separation and blowouts, that could cause a driver to lose control of the vehicle. Underinflated tires also shorten tire life and increase fuel consumption.

The new Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard would apply to passenger cars, trucks, multipurpose passenger vehicles, and buses with a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds or less, except vehicles with dual wheels on an axle.

The new standard proposes the following three-year phase-in schedule:

In the first model year, beginning Sept. 1, 2005, 50 percent of all light vehicles manufactured would comply.
In the second model year, beginning Sept. 1, 2006, 90 percent of all light vehicles manufactured would comply.
After Sept. 1, 2007, all light vehicles manufactured would comply.

Additional information is at http://www. nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/rulings/TPMSnprmPost2Cir/TPMSnprmP. The notice is also available for viewing at http://dms.dot. gov/.

Fatal U. of Miss. fraternity fire points to need to evaluate campus fire safety

A fire in the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity house in Oxford, Mississippi, on August 27 killed three University of Mississippi students. A housemother and 20 other students escaped the fire in the two-story, brick- and wood-frame structure. At press time, the fire was under investigation by the New Orleans Field Division Response Team of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives; the United States Justice Department; and ATF special agents from the Oxford Field Office.

The University of Mississippi Police Department, Oxford Fire Department, Oxford Police Department, Lafayette County Sheriff’s Office, Mississippi State Fire Marshal, and Mississippi Bureau of Investigation are also participating in the investigation. (http://www.bigmedicine.ca/americas.htm, Sept. 2, 2004)

According to Ed Comeau, director of the Center for Campus Fire Safety in Amherst, Mass., 66 students have died in fires, and more than 90 percent of these fire deaths have occurred off campus since January 2000. Each year, according to the National Fire Protection Association, an average of 1,500 fires causes $9 million in damage in residence halls and Greek housing. In addition, numerous fires occur in off-campus housing, such as rented apartments and houses.

The Center and fire safety personnel have been advocating the installation of sprinklers and fire alarms in student housing and a comprehensive fire prevention education and training program for all students living on and off campus. Moreover, parents should make fire safety a priority when evaluating college facilities for their children, the Center says. Among questions that should be asked are the following: How many fires have occurred on campus in the past year, two years, five years? How many students have been injured or killed?

Are the residence halls equipped with an automatic fire sprinkler system?
Does every student’s room have a smoke alarm that sends a signal to campus security or the fire department? Does the school investigate the alarms before notifying the fire department, delaying the arrival of the fire department in a fire, putting more people at risk?
Is smoking banned in the building? Smoking is one of the three leading causes of fires in residence halls.
Are candles and halogen lamps prohibited?
Does the school’s policy require that electrical appliances and power strips be certified as safe and reliable?
How much fire prevention training does the residence hall staff receive? Who provides it?
How often are fire drills conducted?
What is the school’s disciplinary policy toward students who cause false alarms or fail to evacuate?
How many false alarms have occurred in the residence halls? False alarms cause students to stop paying attention to the alarms, which can be a fatal decision. False alarms ARE avoidable.
Does the school provide fire extinguisher training for students?

The Center for Campus Fire Safety is dedicated to campus fire safety and provides tools, resources, and information in support of fire safety professionals. It is funded by the National Fire Sprinkler Association, the National Electrical Manufacturer’s Association, Underwriters Laboratories, and SimplexGrinnell. Comeau may be reached at (413) 323-6002 or ecomeau@campusfire.org. The Center’s Web site is www.campusfire.org/.

Anti-Terrorism Council fosters exchange of ideas

As a result of the terrorist attacks of 9/11, each U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) in the nation developed an Anti-Terrorism Advisory Council (ATAC) to coordinate efforts aimed at protecting the homeland against terrorist attacks.

“The efforts of the ATAC to enhance intergovernmental cooperation in this new field have been admirable,” says Roger L. Kemp, city manager of Meriden, Conn., the author of Homeland Security: Best Practices for Local Government (ICMA, 2003). Kemp notes the ATAC office in each state served to “pull together the local, county, regional, state, and federal resources necessary to protect the homeland from possible future terrorist attacks.”

Kemp attends the Connecticut ATAC meeting as a representative of the state’s Conference of Municipalities. He notes that the quarterly meetings have been attended by representatives from various public and nonprofit agencies over the past three years. Among the types of other organizations represented are federal, state, and municipal governments; state and federal military organizations; tribal nations; the U.S. Postal Service; the Metropolitan Transit Authority, AMTRAK; intelligence agencies; state and regional colleges and universities, and the local airport. The group discusses mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery practices related to various types of emergencies. Kemp can be reached at .

Proposed move would “downgrade” NIOSH, critics say

Under a proposed restructuring within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) would become part of a mid-level “coordinating center” along with other CDC programs, effective October 1. The NIOSH director will no longer report directly to CDC Director Julie L. Gerberding.

An online network of occupational health professionals said in a letter to CDC Director Dr. Julie L. Gerberding, “The NIOSH move is particularly troublesome given the serious erosion of worker safety and health protection under the Bush administration through repeal of the ergonomics standard and withdrawal of standards to prevent TB in the workplace.”

Sen. Arlen Specter (PA), chairman of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee with jurisdiction over the CDC, reportedly said in an interview that he would not go along with the proposed change and would hold a hearing on the matter before October. “Change at CDC Draws Protest,” Rick Weiss, washingtonpost.com, Aug. 31, 2004, A19.

Line-of-Duty Deaths

August 4. Chief Lester Philips, 72, Sunshine Volunteer Fire Department, Harlan, Ky.: apparent heart attack.

August 25. Firefighter/Former Chief Robert E. Woolf, 63, Phillipsburg (OH) Fire Department: injuries sustained in a fall from the tailgate of a pickup truck when the support straps broke; he was working at the fire department’s fund-raising event.

August 25. Firefighter David E. Vinisky, 49, Raccoon Township Independent Volunteer Fire Dept. 1, Aliquippa, Pa.: struck by a fire engine at the fire station.

August 28. Firefighter/EMS Director Cordell French, 44, Towanda (KS) Fire Department: apparent heat attack after returning from a fire department drill.

September 3. Deputy Chief James D’Heron, 51, New Brunswick (NJ) Fire Department: explosion while inside burning two-family residential structure after alerting 15 residents, who evacuated.

September 5. Acting Captain Gerald Mac McGowan, 57, Kansas City (MO) Fire Department: injuries sustained when the pumper apparatus in which he was riding en route to a reported apartment building fire collided with two vehicles and crashed into a tree.

September 11. Firefighter Richard O’Brien, 63, Warren (RI) Fire Department: collapsed and died while responding to a residential kitchen fire. Cause to be determined.

September 12. Firefighter Eva Schicke, 24, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, Sacramento: Helicopter crew was overrun by flames while fighting a fire in the Tuolumne River Canyon from the ground.

September 17. Firefighter Clint Romine, 25, Good Springs Volunteer Fire Department, Anderson, Ala.: tree fell on his vehicle while he was assisting with tree removal from roads following Hurricane Ivan.

September 18. Rescue Member/Firefighter William Jim Lightbody, 46, Paramus (NJ) Volunteer Rescue Squad, Inc.: heart attack while returning from a motor vehicle entrapment call.

Source: National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Database, United States Fire Administration.

News Glimpses

USFA marks 30th anniversary. The United States Fire Administration celebrated it 30th anniversary on October 29. The agency was established in October 1974 under the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act.

Volunteers save taxpayers $37.2 billion annually: NVFC. The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) Foundation revealed in September at the National Association of Towns and Townships Conference in Washington, D.C. that American taxpayers would have to pay an additional $37.2 billion in taxes annually if all the nation’s volunteer firefighters were replaced by career staffing. The information was part of a study conducted by the Public Safety and Environmental Protection Institute at St. Joseph’s University with the assistance of the VFIS. The report and other information may be downloaded at www.nvfc.org/ news/2004-cost-savings.html/.

IAFF receives U.S. DOT haz-mat training award. The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) was awarded a $250,000 grant for hazardous-materials training. The funds may be used for instructor salaries, travel, training books, and classroom materials for hazardous-materials instructor courses scheduled annually across the country. The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Research and Special Programs Administration (RSPA) made the funds available under the Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness (HMEP) Grants Program. Additional information is at http://www.rspa.dot.gov/; click on HAZMAT Safety.

Laser printers may pose electrical shock hazard. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Lexmark International Inc. are recalling 39,431 Lexmark, Dell, and IBM laser printers, manufactured by Lexmark International Inc., of Lexington, Ky. The printers can short-circuit, posing an electrical shock hazard to consumers. Manufactured in China, the following model numbers are being recalled: Lexmark E232, E232t, E330, E332n, E332tn; IBM Infoprint 1412, 1412n; Dell 1700 and 1700; they were sold from May 2004 through August 2004. Information is available at the Lexmark Wb site at http://recall.lexmark.com or by phone toll-free at (877) 877-6218; the Dell Web site at www.1700printer.com, or toll-free at (888) 245-3959; or the IBM Web site at www.printers.ibm.com, toll-free at (800) 426-7378. Photos of the recalled products are at www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml04/04211.html

IAFF remembers fallen firefighters. The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) honored 106 firefighters from the United States and Canada killed in the line of duty between June 2003 and June 2004 at its 18th annual IAFF Fallen Fire Fighter Memorial Ceremony. The event was held at the IAFF Fallen Fire Fighter Memorial in Memorial Park, Colorado Springs, in September. Since the establishment of the Wall of Honor in 1976, 1,689 fallen firefighters’ names have been memorialized on the Wall.

NFPA: Candle-caused fires tripled since 1990. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), 18,000 residential fires were started by candles in 2001, representing a 15 percent increase from 2000 and triple the number since 1990. Candles were implicated in 4.7 percent of home fires in 2001. The greatest number of candle fires started in bedrooms (four of 10) and then (one in six) in common rooms, living rooms, and family rooms or dens. l U.S. DOT awards haz-mat grants. The U.S. Department of Transportation awarded $12.8 million under the Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness (HMEP) grant program. The funds are to be used for planning and training for response to hazardous-materials transportation incidents. California, Texas, Illinois, Ohio, New York, and Florida received the largest awards. Additional information on the grant program is at www.rspa.dot.gov; click on “HAZMAT Safety.” l The Department of Homeland Security urges caution when selling or auctioning equipment. The Department of Homeland Security’s Emergency Management and Response-Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) is alerting emergency career and volunteer response departments to be careful when selling or autioning used emergency vehicles and equipment. Carefully examine the buyers’ credentials before making the transaction. Otherwise, emergency apparatus and equipment may be put in the hands of those wishing to use it for illicit purposes, the EMR-ISAC warns. It cites such an occurrence in Israel. Department of Homeland Security INFOGRAM, Sept. 9, 2004

The most recent awards made under the Assistance to Firefighter Grant program are at http://www.firegrantsupport.com/awards/.