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HELP THE GAC!

Dear FAMA/FEMSA member:

In January, you received an e-mail from the FAMA/FEMSA Governmental Affairs Committee (GAC) asking you to complete a survey that will help the GAC and its consultants learn what congressional relationships FAMA/FEMSA member companies have established. This information is essential to the GAC’s work to increase FAMA/FEMSA’s dialogue with federal government agencies in an effort to educate key officials on the important role our industry plays in providing equipment and services to the nation’s first responders.

To help us enhance these efforts, we once again ask you to take a few moments to complete the enclosed survey. Specifically, this survey will help the GAC compile a comprehensive list of FAMA/FEMSA members’ locations and the congressional senators and representatives for those locations, an important step in establishing an educational network with the members of Congress and the administration.

Please note that the survey can be conveniently completed online here. We also ask that the survey be completed as soon as possible.

We have tried to keep this survey as simple and straightforward as possible. We thank you in advance for your assistance in this important effort.

Sincerely,

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IAFC Urges the Fire and Emergency Service to Lead
Awareness on Winter Weather Safety

A Provisional Report On-Duty Frefighter Fatalities in the United States

Fire Corps National Advisory Committee Meets

Fire Corps Moves to New Offices

The United States Fire Administration (USFA) has received notice of the following firefighter fatalities:

IAFC Urges the Fire and Emergency Service to Lead
Awareness on Winter Weather Safety

Fairfax, Va., Dec. 20, 2007... The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) is urging fire departments to review cold weather safety tips with the local media and to lead education efforts in their community to use caution when using heating devices and generators.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, heating devices are the leading cause of fires in the home during December, January and February. The recent spate of winter storms has prompted heightened concern regarding the use of generators. On December 19, FEMA and the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) issued a warning to consumers confronted by the recent winter weather and power outages to exercise caution when using portable generators.

“Already this winter we have seen multiple winter storms that have seriously impacted people across the country,” said Chief Steven P. Westermann, IAFC president. “Adding the information on generators provided by FEMA/USFA to our previously IAFC-issued information on cold-weather safety gives the fire and emergency service another tool we can use to help prevent deadly situations from occurring.”

The IAFC is reissuing the following information on winter safety:

FEMA/USFA December 19 press release
Keep Your Community Informed This Winter and Keep Them Safe and Warm from the November 15, 2007 issue of IAFC On Scene.

Source: FEMA

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A Provisional Report On-Duty Frefighter Fatalities in the United States

Date Range: 1/1/2007 to 12/31/2007

Number of On-Duty Firefighter Fatalities: 115
Count of Hometown Heroes: 8

Classification:

49 Career 42.6%
3 Wildland Full-Time 2.60%
2 Paid-on-Call 1.73%
59 Volunteer 51.3%
1 Wildland Contract 0.86%
1 Industrial 0.86%

Number of Multiple Firefighter Fatality Incidents: 7
Number of Firefighter Fatalities Associated with Wildland Incidents: 10

Type of Duty:

24 Responding 20.8%
11 Training 9.56%
37 On-Scene Fire 32.1%
8 On-Scene Non-Fire 6.95%
13 After 11.3%
20 Other On-Duty 17.3%
2 Returning 1.73%

Percent of Fatalities Related to Emergency Duty: 64.3%
Number of firefighter fatalities associated with suspicious/arson fires: 2

For the Complete Statistics Please Click Here

Source: USFA

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Fire Corps National Advisory Committee Meets

The Fire Corps National Advisory Committee (NAC) met on December 7 in Washington, DC. Representatives from over 20 national fire and emergency service organizations as well as other prominent leaders in the industry came together to provide expertise and guidance for Fire Corps’ future activities and discuss the direction of the program.

Special guest speakers included Gregory Cade, the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Assistant Administrator for the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), and Brock Bierman, Director of FEMA’s National Preparedness Directorate’s Community Preparedness Division and Small State and Rural Advocate. Cade thanked Fire Corps for its initiative to get community members involved in local fire and EMS departments and stressed USFA’s continued commitment to work with Fire Corps in order to reach the common goal of decreasing fire-related deaths and injuries across the nation. Bierman provided an update of Citizen Corps’ ongoing and future initiatives, emphasizing how important it is that emergency service leaders, like the Fire Corps NAC, are brought together to discuss preparedness and response issues so local communities may be better equipped for any emergency situation.

Melissa Speed, Fire Corps Director, updated the NAC of the progress Fire Corps has made since its last meeting. Melissa Hebert of the International Association of Fire Chiefs reported on the Fire Corps State Advocate Network. Currently Fire Corps has a Division Advocate for all seven divisions across the U.S. and 52 State Advocates covering 28 states. Lori Moon, Fire Corps Program Coordinator, spoke on new and future program resources; Steve Austin, NAC representative from the International Association of Arson Investigators and program manager for the Goshen Fire Company Traffic Control Assistant Program, discussed successful Fire Corps activities at the local level; and Nancy Kolb of Volunteers in Police Service (VIPS), provided an overview of the VIPS program.

“This has been a great year for Fire Corps and we anticipate 2008 being even stronger for the program,” said Speed. “The meeting was very beneficial and allowed the national office, the NAC, and other esteemed professionals the opportunity to communicate and network about Fire Corps and complement the program both locally and nationally,” she added.

Click here to view a list of organizations that comprise the Fire Corps NAC. Fire Corps is administered through a partnership between the National Volunteer Fire Council and the International Association of Fire Chiefs and is supported by several affiliate organizations including the United States Fire Administration, the Department of Homeland Security, and Citizen Corps. For more information about Fire Corps, visit www.firecorps.org or email info@firecorps.org.

Source: Fire Corps

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Fire Corps Moves to New Offices

New address takes effect immediately

Fire Corps has moved to new offices in Greenbelt, MD. Please update address books accordingly. Phone and fax numbers will remain the same. The new mailing address is:

Fire Corps
7852 Walker Drive
Suite 450
Greenbelt, MD 20770

The new office space is located just outside of Washington, DC, and is still accessible to the nation’s capital and the Metro transit system. Please direct any questions to 1-888-FC-INFO1 (324-6361) or info@firecorps.org.

Source: Fire Corps

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The United States Fire Administration (USFA) has received notice of the following firefighter fatalities:

Name: Peter G. Neilson
Rank: Firefighter/Medical First Responder
Age: 74
Gender: Male
Status: Volunteer
Years of Service: 25
Date of Incident: 12/17/2007
Time of Incident: 2300hrs
Date of Death: 12/17/2007
Fire Department: Kenockee Township Fire Department
Address: 8815 Main Street, Avoca, MI 48006
Fire Department Chief: Thomas Skelton

Incident Description: At approximately 2300hrs, Firefighter Neilson responded with a crew to an emergency medical call. While on the scene, he was speaking with family members of the patient in an adjoining room when he sat down on a chair and suddenly passed out. Care was initiated immediately on scene and he was transported to the local hospital where he succumbed to an apparent heart attack.

Funeral Arrangements: 12/21/2007 at the Kaatz Funeral Home, 10 S Main St., Yale, MI @ 1400-2000hrs visitation with a Firemans Memorial @ 1900hrs. 12/22/2007 @ 1100hrs at the Kaatz Funeral Home a Military Memorial followed by interment at Great Lakes National Cemetery, 4200 Belford Rd., Holly, MI.

Memorial Fund Contact and Address: Kenockee Township Firemans Fund, C/o Kenockee Township Fire Department, Avoca, MI 48006.

Tribute is being paid to Firefighter/Medical First Responder Peter G. Neilson at http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/fireservice/fatalities/

Name: Ray Simonis
Rank: Firefighter
Age: 48
Gender: Male
Status: Volunteer
Years of Service: 19
Date of Incident: 12/18/2007
Time of Incident: 1148hrs
Date of Death: 12/19/2007

Fire Department: Wissahickon Fire Company
Address: 245 E. Race Street, Ambler, PA 19002-4424
Fire Department Chief: Fire Chief John Leadbeater
Fire Department Website: http://www.station7.org/

Incident Description: Firefighter Ray Simonis responded to a mutual aid structure call on Monday, December 18, 2007, working with the Ladder 7 crew on the second floor locating a source of an odor which was found. Ladder 7 was back in service in approximately 30-40 minutes. Firefighter Simonis returned to the station after the call and then proceeded to work. He returned home from work in the early morning hours of December 19 and was having shortness of breath, a cough but no chest pain. At approximately 0345hrs Ambler Ambulance responded and he was taken to Abington Hospital where he coded and passed away.

Funeral Arrangements: December 22, 2007, viewing from 9 AM until 10 AM. A short service by Reverend Tom Byron, followed by words from friends and family. Service should be concluded by 11 AM, when at this time everyone will be invited back to station 7A for the reception.

Memorial Fund Contact and Address: Pending

Tribute is being paid to Firefighter Ray Simonis at http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/fireservice/fatalities/

Name: Theresa Maria Lynn
Rank: Assistant Captain
Age: 38
Gender: Female
Status: Volunteer
Years of Service: 6 months
Date of Incident: 12/21/2007
Time of Incident: 0900hrs
Date of Death: 12/21/2007

Fire Department: Luminary-Frostbite Volunteer Fire Department, Inc.
Address: 13002 Summer City Road, Spring City, TN 37381
Fire Department Chief: Jim Sprouse


Incident Description: At approximately 0900, Assistant Captain Lynn responded in her POV to a reported MVA with rollover. While responding in rain and fog conditions, she lost control of her POV in an ‘S-turn’. Her vehicle ran off the roadway and struck a tree. She succumbed to her injuries at the scene.

Funeral Arrangements: 12/24/2007

Memorial Fund Contact and Address: In honor of Assistant Captain Theresa Maria Lynn, C/o Luminary-Frostbite Volunteer Fire Department, Inc., 13002 Summer City Road,Spring City, TN 37381

Tribute is being paid to Assistant Captain Theresa Maria Lynn at http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/fireservice/fatalities/

Name: Walter Fagan
Rank: Firefighter
Age: 48
Gender: Male
Status: Volunteer
Years of Service: 7
Date of Incident: 12/28/2007
Time of Incident: 2353hrs
Date of Death: 12/29/2007

Fire Department: East Greenwich Twp Fire/Rescue
Address: 159 Democrat Road, Mickleton, NJ 08056
Fire Department Chief: Nelson W. Wiest
Fire Department Website: http://www.egtfr.org/

Incident Description: Firefighter Fagan was responding on FD apparatus to a reported dwelling fire. He went into cardiac arrest, was transported to a local hospital by EMS and pronounced shortly after arrival.

Funeral Arrangements: The services will be held at the McBride-Foley Funeral Home, 228 W. Broad St., Paulsboro, NJ 08066. Viewings will be held Thursday evening from 6-9 PM and Friday from 9-10:30 AM. The funeral service will begin at 10:30 AM. Burial will be in Eglington Cemetery, 320 Kings Hwy, Clarksboro, NJ 08020.

Memorial Fund Contact and Address: Memorial donations may be sent to the American Diabetes Association, Box 11454, Alexandria, Va. 22312.

Tribute is being paid to Firefighter Walter Fagan at http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/fireservice/fatalities/

Source: USFA

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