SAM AND DAVE (AND FIREHOUSE FRIENDS), PART 2
EDITOR’S OPINION
East Galoshes fire Department, evening of the training barn Kilroy: …I received some materials about NIST’s Building and Fire Research Laboratory. Their Fire Safety Engineering Division administered 96 projects in 1993 and 1994. I counted about two or three at most that seemed to have a relationship to us as public firefighters, as those who do the manual structure firefighting.
Dave: The rest were for the engineers?
Kilroy: That and some specialized projects, like for the Navy or DOT or a private company. If you have a worthy research proposal, they’ll play if you pay. Anyway. I was curious about the numbers. I said, ‘ What’s their mission, if not at least in part to help as ?”
Their promotion booklet very nice and slick, by the way—states: “NIST’s primary mission is to help U.S. industry to strengthen its international competitiveness. BFRL”that’s Building and Fire Research Laboratory “enhances the competitiveness of U.S. industry and public safety through performance prediction and measurement technologies and technical advances that improve the life cycle quality of constructed facilities.” Get the picture? This is not about people, this is about buildings….
Stick: Kilroy. a buddy of mine from Kentucky said NIST was in helping out their department w ith some fire modeling for a real problem.
Kilroy: Yeah. I’ve got a list of NIST’s recent projects with fire departments. There are nine. Bum tests for overcrowded residential structures, fire modeling for high-rises and other scenarios, earthquake assessment, occupant elevator use. manufacturing fire protection. CAT’S for exposure protection. All really good, helpful stuff. But what’s the big secret? And where’s the full-scale definitive research?
Sam: Oh, I feel a headache coming on. What are they supposed to do. Kil. make a road trip to every fire department in the country?
Kilroy: Of course not. How about some testing we can all use, today? Are bunkers really better, I mean, based on scientific fact ? Why do you think a smooth bore is better, because your daddy told you? A million things. We need to see some results!
NIS I does not address us to a significant degree—by its own mission statement and its budget. It receives $14 million in direct appropriations for its programs, and that includes building research—and you know which comes first. And where’s the USFA budget for fire research? Very small, for sure only about $4 million. You’d think the USFA would be knocking on NIST’s door every month with a major project. Instead, according to NIST literature, in the past two years the USFA sponsored eight NIST research projects. One had direct relevance to working firefighters; the rest were mostly prevention stuff.
Dave: It’s not the USFA’s fault if they don’t get the money!
Kilroy: I’m not saying it s their fault, directly. The USFA funds some very important lire safety programs nationwide. NIST does some important research. But that’s irrelevant to this discussion. The picture’s not complete. I want to know. Where’s the money for the guy on the line?
Walter: Listen, Kilroy. I admit l m along for the ride tonight. But I want to light tires. That’s all I want to do. 1 don’t really care about NIST. I’m sick to death of politics. I got my family, my job. and fighting fires, not necessarily in that order And I don’t like politics!
Kilroy: No disrespect intended, but 1 suggest you start liking it. And for a lot more reasons than I’m talking about tonight.,..
Stick: I know what you’re saying. Kilroy. I’m a firefighter. I want more for firefighters, for firefighter education and safety. But with limited dollars. don’t you think it’s wise to focus on preventing the fires in the first place? Kilroy: Yes, of course it’s wise. It’s just not enough. Why aren’t there enough dollars? Because we don’t open our voices to Washington! We don’t get political! We’re not making an impact!
Dave: Kil, your blood pressure….
Kilroy: Don’t you get it? Is it always going to be business as usual? An endless argument about CAFS from Sam and Dave?
Sam: Heh. heh. heh. Now you’re getting mean….
Kilroy: When they wrote America Burning, members of the Commission on National Fire Prevention and Control recommended that the USFA budget for research should be $26 million. That’s 1973 dollars. In 1994 that would be almost $80 million. Okay, the fire problem isn’t quite what it was in ‘73. Say—it hasn’t, but just say—the national fire stats are 50 percent improved today. That’s $40 million to the USFA for research alone. And why stop there: The Commission recommended $30 million for the USFA for state and local training assistance. And $15 million for what they called “equipment upgrading assistance.” So. tell me. is it just that the framers of America Burning were just dead wrong….
Sam: Maybe just a little crazy.
Dave: Or maybe just asking for more than they needed.
Kilroy: …or maybe not cynical enough to believe that in many ways the pols would buy the hot rod and stick in a four-cylinder engine. This is from America Burning-. ‘‘The Commission urges… the National Bureau of Standards—that’s NIST’s old name—“to give high priority to the needs of the fire services.”
Here’s another: “The Commission urges… the National Bureau of Standards to sponsor research… within the areas of productivity of fire departments. causes of firefighter injuries, effectiveness of fire prevention efforts, and the skills required to perform various fire department functions.”
And another: “The Commission recommends that the proposed U.S. Fire Administration undertake a continuing study of equipment needs of the fire services, monitor research… and provide grants to fire departments for equipment procurement to stimulate innovation in equipment design….” and….
Dave (to Sam): What’s gotten into him?
Sam: Go, Kilroy. go!
Kilroy: …NBS was mandated by a congressional act in 1968 to conduct research into “fire control”—and that includes manual suppression. Did you know that in ‘73 the federal fire research effort amounted to about $27 million. but only a small portion of that went to actual firefighting and almost none of it into structure firefighting? Sound familiar? We’re worse off today!
Walter: I’m sure worse off right now ! 1973! America Burning! Give it up! Kilroy: Consider it your professional “birthright.” Consider it proof that firefighters have been neglected by politicians and bureaucrats.
Walter: I consider it time to leave, frankly.
Stick: Wait a minute, Walter. Kilroy. you’re making some good points. 1 think even Sam and Dave might be interested. What do you say. fellas? Don’t listen to Walter, he’s in his own fantasy land. Kilroy. I think you’re leading up to a grass roots movement here….
Kilroy: I was hoping one of you guys would come up with a bright idea….
