NFPA: 68 on-duty firefighter deaths in 2015
In 2015, 68 firefighters died in the line of duty, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) annual U.S. Firefighter Fatalities report, making this the fourth time in the past five years that the total number of deaths has been below 70, the NFPA points out.
Overexertion, stress, and medical issues contributed to 40 line-of-duty deaths (LODDs). Thirty-five were classified as sudden cardiac deaths, usually heart attacks, with onset while the victim was on duty, noted the NFPA.
Although the NFPA views the decline in overall LODDs as encouraging, it cites areas of concern such as the sudden cardiac deaths and the “significant number of cancer deaths and suicides among current and former firefighters” not captured in the report, which tracks only on-duty deaths.
Senate Judiciary Committee passes PSOB reform legislation
The Public Safety Officers’ Benefits (PSOB) Improvement Act (S.2944) was approved by voice vote in June by the Senate Judiciary Committee, advises the Congressional Fire Services Institute. The sponsors were Sen. Charles Grassley (IA) and Sen. Kristen Gillibrand (NY).
The legislation would allow PSOB to issue rules, regulations, and procedures based on standards developed by other federal agencies dealing with death or disability claims of public safety officers. Also, it would restore the “substantial weight” standard that required PSOB to give substantial weight to the findings of federal, state, and local agencies as to the cause of the public safety officer’s death or disability prior to the rewrite of regulations in 2005.
First responder news from the DHS S&T
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate announced the following initiatives at press time:
- EMERGE 2016: Wearable Technology for First Responders. The agency is looking for “early-stage companies with the next generation of innovation in the wearable technology that could be adapted for first responders,” explains John S. Verrico, S&T chief of media relations. These “technologies” refer to body-worn electronics, advance sensors, and integrated voice and data communications that can be embedded in responders’ gear. For additional information or to apply for the S&T EMERGE 2016: Wearable Technology program, visit www.dhs.gov/science-and-technology/accelerator.
- NICS Communication Platform for First Responders. The Next-Generation Incident Command System (NICS) an information-sharing tool for first responders, is now available worldwide. This mobile, Web-based communication platform enables responders on scene at a developing incident to request and receive assistance from remote experts, such as a university researcher or a topographic expert, in real time; conversely, experts can observe an evolving situation and volunteer relevant material or resources, according to Verrico.
According to Dan Cotter, director of S&T’s First Responders Group, “Through strong partnerships within the State of California, responder organizations across the United States and the State of Victoria in Australia, NICS software is deployed as an operational tool in many first responder communities. And now that the platform code has been made available to the open-source community, first responders can leverage this tool from anywhere in the world.”
The NICS software has successfully been transitioned from a research and development effort to an operational capability. DHS will manage the core NICS open source code. First responder and emergency management agencies may access it through the U.S. government’s open source code repository site, GitHub (https://github.com/1stResponder). Additional information is at http://emberly.fireengineering.com/articles/2016/08/first-responder-news-dhs.html.
Coalition seeks to remove implementation impediments to NG911
The NG911 NOW Coalition report “NG911 Gap Analyses and Recommended Strategies” was conceived with the goal of implementing Next Generation 911 (NG911) services nationwide by the end of 2020. The Coalition conducted a comprehensive assessment of the issues that have slowed NG911 deployment-governance, funding, technology, operations, and education. The issues were prioritized, and strategies for addressing those with the highest priority were recommended. These strategies will form the basis of a comprehensive National Action Plan for NG911 Implementation, which is expected in the coming months.
A critical component of this National Action Plan is a legislative initiative to increase national and state-level NG911 leadership and support for accelerated NG911 deployment. It includes a model regulatory framework to facilitate coordination among local 911 authorities, state executive and legislative leaders, and state regulators as well as a new grant program that would provide additional funding resources for NG911.
NG911 will enhance the 911 system to create a faster, more flexible, resilient, and scalable system that allows 911 to keep up with communication technologies used by the public.
The Coalition intends to implement an educational awareness campaign highlighting the benefits of NG911 and broadening its outreach to policymakers and affected stakeholders. Parties interested in accelerating NG911 are invited to join. The Coalition was established by the National Association of State 911 Administrators, the National Emergency Number Association, and the Industry Council for Emergency Response Technologies. Experts in the federal government and academia assist. Additional information on the NG911 NOW Coalition is at www.911NOW.org.
NHTSA hosts data summit
The “Beyond Data Collection Summit: Envisioning an Information Driven Future” National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) national summit in July in Washington, DC, had as its agenda data collection and use in emergency medical services (EMS) and the healthcare continuum. The focus was on identifying any adjustments needed on the federal, state, and local levels to enhance data use and collaboration in the EMS and the health care industry. A report on the findings is expected to be released this fall.
Added WTC-related health conditions
Effective August 4, 2016, pulmonary disease and World Trade Center (WTC)-related acute traumatic injury were added to the list of WTC-related health conditions covered under the WTC Health Program. The Final Rule the Department of Health and Human Services had published in the Federal Register is at http://bit.ly/2aZoT9Q .
Air Force Academy joins in Firewise
The U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, has completed the required Firewise Communities/USA Recognition Program criteria for its base housing units, advises the National Fire Protection Association.
With the help of the U.S. Air Force Natural Resources Department, Fire and Emergency Services, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife, the Academy has been reducing fuels next to homes and structures for more than a decade. For more information about the Firewise Communities/USA Recognition Program, visit www.firewise.org.
Rule aims to reduce risks for rail passengers
The System Safety Program (SSP) rule introduced by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) requires passenger railroads to proactively identify potential safety hazards across their operations and work to reduce and mitigate them. Since the SSP requirements are comprehensive, FRA will provide technical assistance to help the railroads to implement the rule, which will go into effect 60 days from the date of its publication. The rule is at http://www.fra.dot.gov/eLib/Details/L18294.
LINE-OF-DUTY DEATHS
June 26. Deputy Chief Michael Morgan, 48, Garrettford-Drexel Hill (PA) Volunteer Fire Company: cerebrovascular-related injuries that occurred on May 3, 2016.
June 27. Firefighter John R. Fritz, 48, Austintown (OH) Fire Department: unknown.
June 27. Captain Eric C. Speck, 38, Dakota City (NE) Fire Department: heart attack suffered on June 23, 2016.
July 3. Lieutenant Andrew Russell, 48, Harrison Township (MI) Fire Department: complications of shoulder surgery performed in January 2016.
July 7. Firefighter Lancy A. Crawford Sr., 50, Plainview (AR) Volunteer Fire Department: injuries sustained in vehicle accident.
July 10. Firefighter Will Hawkins, 22, Bureau of Land Management Nevada State Office, Reno: fire apparatus accident; incident under investigation.
July 10. Firefighter Jacob O’Malley, 27, Bureau of Land Management Nevada State Office, Reno: fire apparatus accident; incident under investigation.
July 11. Assistant Chief Mitch Koski, 56, Montreal (WI) Fire Department: drowned when the vehicle in which he was responding was overtaken by floodwaters.
July 11. Firefighter Tim McClanahan, 46, Lewes (DE) Volunteer Fire Department: died after falling from a helicopter while participating in a monthly “hoist training” exercise with the Delaware Air Rescue Team at the Delaware Coastal Airport. Incident under investigation.
July 11. Chief Engineer Richard N. Zadorozny, 66, Eatontown (NJ) Engine, Truck and Hose Co. #1: heart attack suffered on July 10.
July 12. Captain Eric Kohlbauer, 52, Freeport (IL) Rural Fire Protection District: aortic rupture.
July 14. Firefighter Joseph T. DeMarinis, 32, Clermont (FL) Fire Department: cardiac event suffered on July 13.
July 20. Firefighter John Scott, 71, Tioga County Bureau of Fire, Owego, NY: struck by county vehicle while on site repairing county radio tower.
July 23. Firefighter Donald R. Ishman, 60, Hilltop Volunteer Fire Department, Cyclone, PA: accidentally struck by tanker truck backing into the fire station.
July 23. Firefighter Gabriel Garnet Lee, 42, Philadelphia (PA) Fire Department: unknown.
July 24. Firefighter Edward Austin Cosgrove Jr., 42, Green Township Fire Protection District, Utica, MO: cardiac arrest.
July 24. Firefighter Charles Waterbury, 56, Orford (NH) Fire Department: cause to be determined.
July 26. Bulldozer Operator Robert Oliver Reagan III, 35, CAL FIRE, Sacramento, CA: Bulldozer overturned while working wildland fire.
July 27. Captain Michael Lee Schultz, 47, Hoyt (KS) Rural Fire District #3: tanker accident on roadway.
Source: USFA Firefighters Memorial Database
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