U.S. Senate passes Firefighter Cancer Registry Act

The U.S. Senate passed unanimously in May the Firefighter Cancer Registry Act, which would require the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to collect data that would compare firefighters’ risk of cancer with that of the U.S. population in general and authorize a $2 million expenditure through fiscal year 2022. The bill had been passed by the U.S. House of Representatives and awaits President Donald Trump’s signature.

NFPA releases active shooter/hostile event standard

Recently released National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 3000TM (PS), Standard for an Active Shooter/Hostile Event Response (ASHER) Program, “helps communities holistically deal with the fast-growing number of mass-casualty incidents that continue to occur throughout the world,” according to the NFPA, and “provides unified planning, response, and recovery guidance, as well as civilian and responder safety considerations.”

The NFPA 3000’s 46-member Technical Committee is the association’s largest startup committee to date, according to the NFPA. Among its members are representatives from law enforcement, the fire service, emergency medical services, hospitals, emergency management, private security, private business, the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Department of Justice.

The NFPA is offering NFPA 3000 as a new digital subscription that will be updated automatically when the next edition becomes available; an online training series (the first of three courses is available now); a downloadable checklist; a readiness assessment document; and a fact sheet for authorities on establishing a proactive, collaborative active shooter/hostile event program. Additional information on the standard is at https://bit.ly/2IKp3FU.

Office of EMS revises MCI triage guidelines

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) has released new instructional guidelines to ensure that responders to mass-casualty incidents (MCIs) follow standardized triage protocols. The agency explains that MCIs “usually don’t adhere to jurisdictional boundaries and response often involves multiple agencies, regions, and states. The Model Uniform Core Criteria for Mass Casualty Incident Triage (MUCC) was created to help ensure that every responder is using triage protocols that follow similar evidence-based standards.” The NHTSA has also released materials EMS instructors can use to teach EMS providers of all levels about the MUCC.

Also available is the article “How to Standardize Mass Casualty Triage systems” (https://bit.ly/2DnQeQ0), which recaps a seminar in the NHTSA EMS focus webinar series.

Fire departments receive training grants

Ten volunteer fire departments were awarded $5,000 grants through a Josh Cellars and National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) partnership to bring crucial training to fire departments that cannot afford formal training in areas such as structural firefighting, hazmat response, and emergency medical services.

Joseph Carr, founder of Josh Cellars wines, views taking care of the community as a civic duty and a responsibility passed down through his family, explains a NVFC release. His father was a volunteer firefighter and a U.S. Army veteran, and “our family, neighbors, and friends were all volunteer firefighters,” Carr notes. The grants, awarded earlier this year, are being used to help purchase training tools and props, build training facilities, certify more personnel, cross-train members for various types of response, and other efforts that will enable responders to enhance their skills, according to the NVFC. Grant recipients are the following: Cannon County (TN) Fire Department, Couchton (SC) Volunteer Fire and Rescue, Genoa (AR) Volunteer Fire Department, Highland Township/Ayersville (OH) Fire Department, Olivet (MI) Fire Department, Shaver Lake (CA) Volunteer Fire Department, Upper Milford (PA) Western District Fire Company #1, Utica (MS) Volunteer Fire Department, W.R. Castle (KY) Volunteer Fire & Rescue, and Water Witch (CT) Hose Company #2.

IAFC and AT&T renew “strategic” relationship

The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) and AT&T have extended their partnership to continue to support the leaders of the fire and emergency service through education and collaboration. In March 2017, the First Responder Network Authority announced that AT&T was its public-private partner to build FirstNet, the first nationwide public safety broadband network.

“FirstNet is giving first responders a reliable and always-on way to connect to the specialized communications tools they need to help achieve their life-saving missions,” explains the IAFC. “FirstNet will also create innovative opportunities for EMS and the way we integrate into the health care system.” All 50 states, the District of Columbia, and five U.S. territories have officially “opted in” to FirstNet.

FEMA announces Fire Is Everyone’s Fight™

The U.S. Fire Administration’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has introduced its Fire Is Everyone’s FightTM national initiative to reduce home fire injuries, deaths, and property loss through prevention. FEMA is inviting fire departments, life safety organizations, and fire and life safety professionals to partner with it and “join the fight” (https://apps.usfa.fema.gov/contact/fief/). Registration will entitle participants to use the Fire Is Everyone’s Fight graphic and tagline on their existing and new materials.

FEMA explains that there are numerous ways to use this initiative to teach people to be safer. Its community outreach guide at https://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/fief/fief_outreach_guide.pdf offers some ideas for getting started. This guide explains how to integrate Fire Is Everyone’s Fight content into media and community outreach programs. In addition, other resources such as slides, audio public service announcements, tool kits, and photos and video are available. For more information, contact Teresa Neal at (301-447-1024) or FEMA-FireisEveryonesFight@fema.dhs.gov.