91 firefighters honored at annual NFFF Memorial Service; President Bush attends
On the weekend of October 7, families and firefighters from across the country joined in paying tribute to 87 firefighters who died in the line of duty in 2006 and four in 2005. The annual National Fallen Firefighters Foundation weekend event was held at the National Emergency Training Center in Emmitsburg, Maryland.
Some 7,000 people participated in the October 7 memorial service. House of Representatives Majority Leader Steny Hoyer was keynote speaker. President George W. Bush addressed the congregation, commenting on the dedicated fellowship of the fire service. He called the bond between firefighters “unique, a source of strength,” and a reminder that the work firefighters do “is a calling, not a job.”
After the conclusion of the service, the President spoke with each of the 91 families, placed a wreath at the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial, and unveiled the 2006 bronze plaque with the names of the fallen firefighters. http://www.firehero.org/index1.aspx?BD=29085/.
CDC: MRSA causes more U.S. deaths than AIDS
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) occurred in 94,000 U.S. individuals in 2005 and that 18,650 died from the infection. CDC researchers reported in The Journal of the American Medical Association (October 17) that about 16,000 people in the United States died from AIDS that same year, according to a WebMD report. MRSA, a staph infection that is resistant to many antibiotics, has become an important public health problem that must be placed high on the nation’s list of health priorities, stresses the CDC.
In Virginia, a high school student died of the infection, which resulted in the closing of 21 schools for cleaning to prevent the spread of the infection. The 17-year-old died of an inoperable blood clot near his heart. The MRSA infection had spread to his kidneys, liver, lungs, and the muscles around his heart. Health and education officials reported that staph infections, including MRSA, have spread through schools nationwide recently. In many cases, the infections are prevalent in gyms and locker rooms; officials note that athletes may have cuts or abrasions and also share items that may be used by students who are infected.
MRSA can lead to life-threatening bloodstream infections, surgical site infections, and pneumonia. Although most severe MRSA infections occur in hospitals and other health-care institutions, invasive MRSA disease occurs in people without established health care risk factors, Elizabeth A. Bancroft, MD, an infectious disease specialist, told WebMD. (For additional information on community-acquired MRSA, see “Danger in the Station: Drug-Resistant Infections,” Derek Williams, Fire Engineering, December 2006.) www.webmd.com.news.20071016/more-us-deaths-from-mrsa-than-aids?src=rss_cbsnews…, accessed October 17, 2007; www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21324612/print/1/displaymode/1098, accessed October 18, 2007.
NFPA: More fires but fewer deaths in 2006
“Fire departments in the United States responded to an estimated 1.6 million fires during 2006,” according to the National Fire Protection Association study Fire Loss in the United States During 2006. Those fires caused 3,245 civilian deaths and 16,400 injuries. Fire deaths and injuries (about 12 and eight percent, respectively) were down for the year even though the number of fires increased slightly.
Home fires accounted for about 80 percent of the fire deaths2,580 people, a decrease of 15 percent from 2005. Vehicle fires dropped four percent278,000 vehicle fires that resulted in 490 deaths; 1,200 injuries; and $1.3 billion in property damage.
Direct property loss from fires was about $11 billion (up six percent from 2005); close to $7 billion of the losses were attributed to fires in residential dwellings.
Changes made to PSOB determination process
In October, the Department of Justice (DoJ) issued two memorandums to the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits Program (PSOB) that will significantly change the determination process for applications filed under the Hometown Heroes Survivor Benefits Act, according to the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC). The documents clarify the language of the law and are intended to resolve the problems that have been prolonging the determination process.
Under the new policy, no activity shall be understood to be “performed as a matter of routine” based solely on the public safety agency’s describing it as “routine” or “ordinary.” The determination of whether an activity is “routine” will be made more on the basis of its stressful or strenuous character than on how often it is performed. Responding to an emergency call shall presumptively be treated as nonroutine.
DoJ has also changed its policy for determining whether there is “competent medical evidence to the contrary.” No medical history records will be requested of claimants in cases where nothing in the claim file suggests that something other than the line of duty may have caused the fatal heart attack or stroke or that it was more likely than not that the heart attack was imminent. For example, the mere presence of cardiovascular disease or risk factors, however extreme, found through an autopsy or mentioned in a coroner’s report or death certificate shall not be considered in the determination unless information in the claim file itself suggests that the deceased person knew or should have known of such presence and appears to have worsened or aggravated the same by his or her own intentional and reckless behavior. Any medical history records requested of the claimant will be reviewed for mitigating evidence in favor of the claim.
Philip C. Stittleburg, NVFC chairman, is urging that anyone whose Hometown Heroes claim has been denied to appeal the decision directly to the Director of the Bureau of Justice Assistance as soon as possible.
PSOB is a one-time payment of nearly $303,064 to the families of fallen public safety officers. As of October 4, 202 Hometown Heroes claims were pending, with 21 approved and 57 denied. Twenty-six appeals were filed, according to the NVFC. DoJ is soliciting appeals and is printing 35,000 packets to guide claimants in filing for the benefit.
IAFC urges reauthorization of the USFA
On October 2, Chief Steven P. Westermann, International Association of Fire Chiefs’ (IAFC) president, urged the House Committee on Science and Technology’s Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation to reauthorize the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) in fiscal year 2009 at $70 million, with a five-year authorization to ensure long-term funding stability for the agency. The USFA was last reauthorized in 2003.
During testimony, he cited the importance of the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) as an essential tool for America’s fire service. NFIRS is the world’s largest national database of annual fire and emergency incident information. More than 21,000 fire departments report to NFIRS each year; an average of 14 million incidents and 1 million fires are reported annually. He noted that NFIRS, unfortunately, is not being used to its fullest potential. One of the reasons he noted for this was that, under the current format, fire departments must submit data on paper or as computer files to the states; these data are periodically uploaded to the USFA. There can be a delay of between 12 and 18 months in compiling national data, Westermann explained.
The IAFC asked Congress to authorize $3 million over three years so the USFA can transform NFIRS “into a real-time Web-reporting tool.”
Westermann’s full testimony is at www.iafc.org/gr; click on Testimony (Congressional and Other) to access the text.
IFSAC supports DHS’s adoption of NFPA standards
In announcing support for the adoption by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) of National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) standards, the International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC) notes that it will align with DHS “in an effort to provide an avenue of accreditation of 11 NFPA standards through our member organizations,” according to Tim Bradley (NC), chairman, Certificate Assembly of IFSAC. “During IFSAC’s founding and tenure, it has been our mission to provide an avenue of validation and accreditation for members of the fire service to establish a level of competency that enables responders to perform their duties in a safe and proficient manner,” Bradley adds.
IFSAC’s goal is to achieve “accreditation of training and eventually the use of credentialing to provide first responders [with] a system of competency.”
APCO launches next generation of Project RETAINS
The Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International has launched the next generation of Project Responsive Effort To Address Integral Needs in Staffing (RETAINS). In 2004, as a part of Project RETAINS, APCO conducted the first nationwide study of staffing and retention in public safety communications centers. It revealed that the national turnover rate for public safety communications personnel was 17 percent, greater than the turnover rate for teachers and nurses. Today, staffing and retention continue to be issues of concern within the public safety communications industry.
In the next generation of the RETAINS study, APCO International, in partnership with George Mason University’s Center for Social Science Research, will be looking at the current state of employee retention nationally and will study the role of the radio dispatcher and how to estimate appropriate staffing levels for this position. Ultimately, the public safety community with be provided with updated tools and practices to address these issues based on the survey results. Additional information on Project RETAINS is at www.apcoretains.org/.
A plethora of activities mark Fire Prevention Week
Fire departments across the country employed a variety of approaches to bring the message of fire safety and prevention to their community members during Fire Prevention Week, October 7-13.
Activities included the traditional visits to schools and residential health facilities, open houses, presentation of smoke alarms, and tours of fire stations as well as some established localized events.
Following is a sampling of department activities.
• Corsicana, Texas: The Fire Safety House was taken to schools. How to call 911; establishing a “safety meeting place (“Practice Your Escape Plan” was the theme of this year’s Fire Prevention Week), and using a small ladder to climb down to safety when “smoke” began to enter the Safety House bedroom were among the lessons and activities. www.corsicanadailysun.com/news/local_story_276122714.html/resources_printstory, October 4, 2007.
• Brown County, Indiana: The Brown County Volunteer Fire Department, Cordry Sweetwater Fire Department, Fruitdale Volunteer Fire Department, and Van Buren Township Fire Department sponsored a festival and open house; there were fire safety demonstrations, and chili and other refreshments were served. The Red Cross Bloodmobile was available for those who wished to donate blood, and the LifeLine helicopter touched down in the county’s junior high school parking lot. www.browncountyindiana.com/print.asp?ArticleID=10260&SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1, October 10, 2007.
• Vacaville, California: The Dixon Fire Department open house included “close-ups” with fire engines, patrol vehicles, and helicopters and games for children in addition to fire safety education. www.thereporter.com/portlet/article/html/fragments/print_article.jsp?articleId=7117528&sit…, October 8, 2007.
• Jackson County, Mississippi: Pascagoula, Moss Point, Gautier, and Ocean Springs Fire (brought fire simulation trailer) Departments visited elementary schools and day care centers, reminded residents to change batteries in smoke alarms, and practiced emergency escape routes. Mississippi has the highest per-capita number of fire deaths in the country and the world, according to Ray Frair, Gautier fire inspector. A coalition of Mississippi firefighters, educators, and fire marshals are working to obtain funding to help rural communities implement fire prevention programs. Many, Frair told The Mississippi Press, want to add these programs but do not have the money. “Local firefighters taking week to stress fire safety,” Sara Frye, The Mississippi Press, www.gulflive.com/printer/printer.ssf?/base/news/1191838562289150.xml, October 8, 2007.
• Tallahassee, Florida: There was a car extrication simulation with a dummy and a simulated rescue of a victim from the top floor by an urban search and rescue team that rappelled off a five-story building. In another section of town, six volunteer fire departments held the “Fire Truck Round-up.” www.tallahassee.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071007/NEWS01/710070313/1010, October 8, 2007.
Line-of-Duty Deaths
September 29. Firefighter Mike Reagan, 19, Sharon Hill (PA) Fire Company: injuries sustained while working at a residential structure fire on September 26.
October 4. Firefighter Adam Cole, 24, Buchanan Valley Fire Department, Ortanna, PA: accident while responding to an outdoor fire call in his personal vehicle.
October 9. Firefighter Matthew Richard Will, 30, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, Hollister Air Attack Base, Monterey, CA: injuries sustained when his bulldozer overturned while working the Colorado Fire in Monterey County.
Source: USFA Firefighters Memorial Database
DHS Offers Options for Continued Communications in Disasters
Editor’s note: This information is based on an article submitted as a public service by the National Communications System, Department of Homeland Security.
A natural disaster or terrorist attack can inflict devastating damage on a region’s communications infrastructure. Although backup systems are in place, the loss of a single fiber-optic cable or the failure of a computer program can disrupt thousands of wire line and wireless channels and trigger congestion on the public telephone network. Consequently, fire and rescue workers, EMTs, police, and other emergency response personnel are forced to compete with the public for the same congested landline and wireless resources.
Since the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center projected a 75 percent chance that the Atlantic hurricane season will be above normal again this year, emergency responders need communications tools and services on which they can depend for effective and efficient emergency response.
The National Communications System (NCS), part of the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Cyber Security and Communications, provides priority telecommunications services, which allow emergency responders and other key NS/EP personnel to have their critical communications receive priority treatment over calls from the general public when the public network is severely congested. These services include Government Emergency Telecommunications Service (GETS), Wireless Priority Service (WPS), and Telecommunications Service Priority (TSP) programs.
Maximum Use
GETS is a nationwide landline priority service designed for use in a crisis, disaster, or other emergency when the probability of completing a phone call significantly decreases. It makes maximum use of all available telephone resources when congestion and outages occur. GETS serves more than 166,000 users. Subscribers use a calling card to receive priority queuing in the local and long-distance segments of the public telephone network during emergency events.
There is no initial sign-up fee or monthly recurring charge for eligible personnel and organizations. The cost of a GETS call varies from seven to 10 cents per minute, depending on the carrier.
Priority on Cell phones
WPS, NCS’s wireless companion to GETS, ensures the availability of national security/emergency preparedness (NS/EP) communications when wireless communications (cellular, personal communications services, satellite) users experience high levels of call blocking. It provides priority for calls originated from cell phones through a combination of special cellular network features and the same “high probability of completion” capability as GETS. Most importantly, WPS addresses congestion in the local celloften the reason cellular calls cannot be completed during heavy calling periods or when damage to network infrastructure occurs.
In July 2000, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued a Report and Order authorizing WPS. The FCC does not require wireless service providers to offer WPS; it’s a voluntary program. Although the FCC maintains oversight of the WPS program, NCS is responsible for its day-to-day administration.
In emergency situations involving damaged wire-line networks, cellular telephones often provide the primary means of communication, increasing congestion even further. WPS allows authorized NS/EP personnel to gain access to the next available wireless radio channel to initiate calls during an emergency. WPS users can invoke the WPS service by dialing *272 before the number. WPS used in conjunction with GETS ensures end-to-end call completion in the wire-line and wireless portions of the public telephone network.
Current carriers for WPS include AT&T Mobility, T-Mobile, Sprint Nextel (iDEN), and Verizon Wireless. The cost for WPS is a $10 one-time activation fee, a $4.50 per month service fee, and 0.75 cents per minute for WPS calls. WPS charges are in addition to the carrier’s basic subscription charges.
Circuit Provisioning and Restoration
NCS also manages and operates an FCC program called Telecommunications Service Priority. In a crisis event, telecommunications vendors sometimes become overwhelmed with requests for new services and requirements for restoring existing services. Under TSP, participating agencies receive priority treatment from telecommunications service providers for restoring damaged equipment or installing new communications equipment critical to disaster response, emergency preparedness, or national security. Service vendors are bound by the FCC mandate to restore TSP-assigned telecommunications services before any non-TSP services.
TSP has been instrumental in maintaining critical communications in many disasters. In a crisis, the program is the only authorized mechanism to enable priority provisioning and restoration of NS/EP telecommunications services. It is important to note, however, that although federal, state, and local government entities have NS/EP communications assets, these entities will not automatically receive priority treatment unless they have signed up for the service. Under the rules of the program, service vendors must provide and restore communications services to those organizations or entities that have TSP before those who are not part of the program.
Emergency dispatchers, 911 centers, and other emergency response entities are encouraged to avail themselves of the benefits of the TSP program. Ken Moran, acting chief of the FCC’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, explains, “The lack of participation could jeopardize the restoration of essential communications services during times of terrorist attacks or natural disaster that could put the American public at substantial risk of harm at times when they are most vulnerable.” The cost for the program is a one-time fee of $100 (on average) to start the service and approximately three dollars per month to maintain it. Additional information on the NCS is at http://www.ncs.gov, or call 1-866-NCS.CALL (866-627-2255).
