Advocates laud EMS worker contributions
National EMS Week, observed the week of May 15, 2016, honored the men and women who deliver prehospital 911 emergency medical care throughout the United States, a great majority of whom are cross-trained, multirole emergency responders based in our nation’s fire departments.
The Fire Service-Based EMS Advocates Coalition noted the “life-saving contributions and achievements, dedication, and commitment of the fire service-based EMS providers and their timely emergency medical care and integrated community health care services.”
The coalition, established in 2006 and based in Washington, DC, provides members of Congress and other government officials with information they need to effectively support fire service-based EMS systems throughout the nation. Information on the coalition is at www.fireserviceems.com. Members include the Congressional Fire Services Institute, the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the International Association of Fire Fighters, the National Fire Protection Association, and the National Volunteer Fire Council.
Firefighter cancer among topics at NVFC spring meeting
Representatives from 40 state fire associations met in Alexandria, Virginia, on May 6-7, 2016, for the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) spring board meeting. Among items on the agenda were the adoption of a new NVFC logo, a roundtable on firefighter cancer, and the presentation of the NVFC’s annual awards. There were also presentations by guest speakers.
At a special banquet on May 6, the NVFC presented its annual fire service achievement awards: the Lifetime Achievement award went to Chief Donald Snyder of Wantagh, NY; the Fire Prevention and Education award to Lt. Michael McLeieer of Olivet, MI; the Junior Firefighter of the Year award to Brittany French of Hedgesville, WV; and the Junior Firefighter Program of the Year award went to Northwest Fire Explorer Post 1854 from Canal Fulton, OH.
The next board meeting will be held September 21-23 in Charleston, South Carolina. A full report on the spring meeting is at http://bit.ly/1U2tEl4.
Fire departments observe Safety Stand Down Week
The theme for Safety Stand Down 2016 (June 19-25) was “The First 5 Minutes-Stretching the Initial Hose Line, Putting Water on the Fire.” The focus of the event, according to sponsors, the International Association of Fire Chiefs Safety, Health and Survival Section and the National Volunteer Fire Council, was the roles of the chief, incident commander, company officer, and firefighters during those first five minutes after arrival on scene. Fire departments were encouraged to suspend all nonemergency activity during the Safety Stand Down period and to train on and study the theme topic. Training safety topics, training drills, and messaging were made available to departments.
CCPS introduces safety professional designation
The Center for Chemical Process Safety (CCPS) of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers new professional designation for engineers and practitioners working in the chemicals, petrochemicals, and affiliated industries is based on decades of best practices and expertise in process safety documented by CCPS and its international network of engineering professionals and industrial process safety experts. The designation process involves independent study and an online examination.
Applicants must have a degree in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) and five years of professional experience working with process safety components and concepts. Non-STEM degree holders with at least 10 years of similar professional experience may also apply. To maintain certification, individuals must earn annual Professional Development Hours in process safety and pay an annual renewal fee.
Candidates can apply and begin preparing for the exam at any time. Online testing periods for 2016 are scheduled for July 11-18 and Nov. 7-14. Certified process safety professionals using standardized criteria will review the exams. Additional information is at www.aiche.org/cpsp.
Infectious disease safety training for first responders
The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), part of the National Institutes of Health, has implemented a Worker Training Program (WTP) for first responders and workers in other professions where infectious disease is a hazard. The three-year, $9 million safety training program presented in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response; and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration will oversee the Ebola Biosafety and Infectious Disease Response Training. In addition to first responders, personnel in waste management, transportation, mortuaries, and other occupations with a potential for exposure to infectious disease may enroll.
WTP-funded organizations use small-group, hands-on instruction and train-the-trainer models to build local programs that can train hazardous material workers, first responders, and disaster recovery volunteers, as needed. This new program will use the same model. Grants have been awarded to the following organizations that have the capacity to provide geographically distributed training for a range of occupations:
- Duke University, Durham, NC; led by Richard Frothingham, M.D.
- Emory University, Atlanta, GA; led by Alexander Isakov, M.D.
- Indiana University, Bloomington; led by Shawn Gibbs, Ph.D.
- International Chemical Workers Union Council, Cincinnati, OH; led by Frank Cyphers.
- Laborers’ International Union of North America Education and Training Fund, Pomfret Center, CT; led by John LeConche.
- Rutgers School of Public Health, Piscataway, NJ; led by Mitchel Rosen, Ph.D.
- Steelworkers Charitable and Educational Organization, Pittsburgh, PA; led by James Frederick.
- University of Alabama at Birmingham; led by Lisa McCormick, Ph.D.
Additional information on the WTP is at www.niehs.nih.gov/careers/hazmat.
House passes Veteran Emergency Medical Technical Support Act
On May 12, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Veteran Emergency Medical Technical Support Act (HR 1818), which directs the Department of Health and Human Services to establish a demonstration program for states with a shortage of emergency medical technicians (EMTs). The legislation would streamline state requirements and procedures to assist veterans who completed military EMT training to meet state EMT certification, licensure, and other requirements. Representatives Adam Kinzinger (IL) and Lois Capps (CA) introduced the measure.
NVFC participates in White House summit on WUI fires
In May, National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) Chairman Kevin D. Quinn and NVFC Wildland Committee Chairman Ron Roy participated at a summit meeting hosted by the White House to address wildfire in the wildland-urban interface (WUI). Interior Secretary Sally Jewell and other senior federal officials were in attendance. The event featured several panel discussions, including one on firefighter safety and operations.
NVFC representatives stressed the importance of the Volunteer Fire Assistance (VFA) program, which helps fire departments in the WUI to purchase equipment and training to fight wildland fire. They noted that volunteer fire departments provide the initial attack in 80 percent of the wildland fires in the United States but many of them lack the resources to pay for critical equipment, apparatus, and training.
The NVFC also has a program in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service to train fire service volunteers on how to properly conduct safety assessments for homes in the WUI. The Wildland Fire Assessment Program prepares volunteers to identify steps homeowners can take to better protect their property from the next wildfire (www.nvfc.org/wfap).
LINE-OF-DUTY DEATHS
May 7. Firefighter John Morris Davis Jr., 45, Kenley (NC) Volunteer Fire Department: heart attack.
Source: USFA Firefighters Memorial Database
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