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FIREFIGHTER FATALITY REDUCTION LEGISLATION CFSI National Advisory Committee Adopts NVFC-Backed Resolution Supporting LOSAP Bill U.S. Fire Administration Releases Report on I-35W Bridge Collapse in Minneapolis Homeland Security Opportunities e-publication:APRIL 2008 NVFC and USFA Release Report on Emerging Health and Safety Issues in the Volunteer Fire Service Applications for National Junior Firefighter Scholarship and Grant Program Due May 15 Recognize Your Volunteers During National Volunteer Week: April 27 - May 3
FIREFIGHTER FATALITY REDUCTION LEGISLATION This week, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) along with John Kerry (D-MA) introduced legislation that would promote compliance with consensus safety standards to reduce the number of avoidable fatalities among fire fighters. While the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and other groups have developed industry safety standards, they are voluntary in nature and often ignored by fire departments. Brown?s bill would encourage the adoption of national consensus fire fighter safety standards and promote fire department compliance with such standards. We shouldn't have to think twice about bolstering the safety of our fire fighters, Ohio's Brown said. Our first responders put their lives at risk daily across Ohio. We should take this opportunity to prevent fire fighter injury and death. Ohio Senator Brown?s legislation, the Firefighter Fatality Reduction Act, would require the DHS to determine the rate of fire department compliance with standards for safe operations, staffing, training and fitness among career, volunteer, and combination fire departments. It would create a task force to explore the adoption of safety standards by fire departments and provide recommendations to the Congress, states, and localities on how to increase fire department compliance with safety standards. This bill would not mandate federal oversight of local fire departments, but instead would explore how the federal government could best promote fire fighter safety standards and assist fire departments with compliance. Source: John Granby, GAC Co-Chair CFSI National Advisory Committee Adopts NVFC-Backed Resolution Supporting LOSAP Bill On April 2, the National Advisory Committee (NAC) for the Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI) adopted a resolution offered by the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) supporting the Volunteer Emergency Services Recruitment and Retention Act (VESRRA). The NAC is made up of more than 40 organizations representing various interests within the fire and emergency services community. VESRRA (H.R. 2160/S. 1840) would simplify the taxation of length of service award programs (LOSAPs), pension-like plans for volunteer emergency responders, making it easier for departments to administer plans and for individuals to receive benefits. Source: NVFC Secretary Discusses DHS Strategy for Addressing Bio Threats At a conference examining the legal issues associated with biological emergencies, Secretary Chertoff said that the department is pursuing a strategy that addresses both man-made and natural biological emergencies; a strategy that is rooted in Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD-10), also known as Biodefense for the 21st Century. Speaking at the Stanford Constitutional Law Center’s Germ Warfare, Contagious Disease, and the Constitution Conference, the secretary said that HSPD-10 contains four critical areas on which the department has focused its efforts: threat awareness, surveillance and detection, prevention and protection, and response and recovery. In the area of threat awareness, DHS is relying on the same intelligence tools that it uses in other areas, because many countries, if they had an emerging pandemic flu or other biological threat, could become reluctant to share that information with the United States, for fear of negatively impacting their travel and trade industries. In the detection area, the secretary said the department is using its BioWatch program, where pathogen detectors have been deployed around the country, allowing the department to detect and warn of various kinds of pathogens that are in the air. In instances where there have been warnings of air pathogens, the secretary said he and Assistant Secretary for Health Affairs Dr. Runge can communicate quickly with local health officials and coordinate with counterparts at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to determine the seriousness of the situation. The secretary’s remarks are available at: http://www.dhs.gov/xnews/speeches/sp_1208283625146.shtm Source: DHS U.S. Fire Administration Releases Report on I-35W Bridge Collapse in Minneapolis EMMITSBURG, MD – The United States Fire Administration (USFA) announces the release of the Interstate 35W (I-35W) Bridge Collapse and Response Technical Report (PDF, 1.9 Mb). The report examines the area’s emergency preparedness for, and response to, the August 1, 2007 bridge collapse in Minneapolis, Minnesota that killed 13 people and injured 121 others. “To the nation’s firefighters, collapse of structure is something for which they all plan and prepare. The uniqueness of this bridge collapse, and the challenges faced by firefighters and their command staffs, offers an opportunity for firefighters across this nation to learn from the Minnesota response to this event. As a result, firefighters continue their efforts to prepare for any and all emergencies nationwide,” said United States Fire Administrator Greg Cade. Just after 6 p.m. on the evening of August 1, 2007, the 40-year old bridge collapsed into the river and its banks without warning. At the time, there were approximately 120 vehicles carrying 160 people on the bridge. The impact of the fall broke the span into multiple planes of broken steel and crushed concrete. Cars, buses, and trucks – all resting precariously along guardrails or suddenly unprotected edges – crashed into other vehicles, partially embedded in the muddy river bank, or dropped precipitously into the river. The local response to the bridge disaster — and the coordination with metro, State, and Federal partners — demonstrated the extraordinary value of comprehensive disaster planning and training. The city’s ability to respond had evolved over several years of investing heavily and widely in all the elements that make a crucial difference when disaster strikes. Their investment covered widespread training on the National Incident Management System (NIMS) that extended beyond city department heads and into all employee levels. Over half of the city’s 4,000 employees have received NIMS training. » Download Interstate 35W (I-35W) Bridge Collapse and Response Technical Report (PDF, 1.9 Mb) USFA develops reports on selected major fires and events throughout the country. These emergencies usually involve multiple deaths or a large loss of property, but the primary criterion for deciding to write a report is whether it will result in significant “lessons learned.” In some cases, special reports are developed to discuss events, drills, or new technologies or tactics that are of interest to the fire service. To order or download other USFA technical reports, please visit the USFA Web site at www.usfa.dhs.gov and select the link Order Publications.
Source: USFA Homeland Security Opportunities e-publication:APRIL 2008 Congress of the United States House of Representatives Washington, D.C. 20515 April 17, 2008 Dear Colleague, The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the newest federal agency, spends millions of dollars each year. Much of that spending is used to purchase goods and services that are vital to the functioning of the Department and the security of our nation. I am certain that many of your constituents have expressed an interest in learning how to do business with DHS yet have been frustrated in their attempts. I routinely hear complaints from business owners whose experiences have led them to believe that that are shut out of the process. I am committed to working diligently to resolve this situation. Notwithstanding these efforts, a part of the solution rests with providing business owners with the kind of critical information that can aid their success. To that end, I wanted to make you aware of a monthly e-publication that I developed, which you and your constituents may find helpful in addressing some of these concerns. You can retrieve this month’s newsletter by visiting: http://homeland.house.gov/SiteDocuments/dhsbizopsapril.pdf Sincerely, Bennie G. Thompson Chairman
Source: Committee on Homeland Security NVFC and USFA Release Report on Emerging Health and Safety Issues in the Volunteer Fire Service The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) in partnership with the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) has completed a study of emerging occupational health and safety issues in the volunteer fire and emergency services. The report, Emerging Health and Safety Issues in the Volunteer Fire Service, provides information on initiatives, programs, and strategies for reducing fatalities among volunteer firefighters. "The volunteer fire service is an integral part of our nation's Homeland Security," said U.S. Fire Administrator Greg Cade. "The USFA was pleased to work in partnership with the NVFC to develop focused initiatives to support the health and safety of America's volunteer firefighters." There are an estimated 823,950 volunteer firefighters in the United States, according to the National Fire Protection Association report U.S. Fire Department Profile through 2006. Over 70 percent of the fire departments in the U.S. are all-volunteer and 17 percent are mostly volunteer combination departments. With the vast majority of fire departments and their communities dependent on volunteer firefighters, there is a critical need for effective health and safety programs to protect these volunteers from preventable injury, illness, and death. "The volunteer fire service has distinct issues related to health and safety that need to be specifically addressed," said Philip C. Stittleburg, NVFC Chairman. "We lose too many volunteer firefighters in line-of-duty deaths." Download Emerging Health and Safety Issues in the Volunteer Fire Service. Printed copies of this publication will be available in the near future; please check the USFA Publications Catalog for a notice of availability. Source: FEMA Applications for National Junior Firefighter Scholarship and Grant Program Due May 15 Does your Fire Corps program have youth who help with non-emergency tasks in the department? Are they interested in continuing their involvement in the emergency services? If so, consider registering your youth program with the National Volunteer Fire Council’s (NVFC) National Junior Firefighter Program. Registration is free, and your program will be eligible for the National Junior Firefighter Scholarship and Grant Program, sponsored by Dunkin’ Brands Community Foundation. Ten $5,000 scholarships will be awarded to junior firefighters nationwide who demonstrate commitment and dedication to their local junior firefighter program and the fire service. In addition, the departments of each of the winning students will receive a grant of $5,000. The application and criteria for the competitive scholarships are available on the NVFC web site at www.nvfc.org/juniors. Applications must be received by May 15. Department members, junior firefighter program coordinators, and Fire Corps volunteers are encouraged to inform their department’s junior members about this opportunity. Scholarships can be applied to a two- or four-year institution of higher learning, a trade school, or a certification program. The corresponding grants to departments must be used to benefit the departments’ junior firefighter program. Applicants must meet the following criteria: Be a senior in high school, or a high school graduate within the past three (3) years, who is enrolled or will be enrolled in the Fall 2008 school year at an accredited two- or four-year institution of higher learning, a trade school, or a certification program. Register the youth component of your Fire Corps program with the NVFC National Junior Firefighter Program. The NVFC has released a podcast which you can use as a resource for establishing a youth program or for maintaining or expanding an existing program. The podcast introduces departments to the National Junior Firefighter Program and offers insights and best practices for establishing and managing a local youth program within a department. Firehouse.com recorded the podcast, which is available online at www.radiofirehouse.com, on the NVFC web site at http://nvfc.org/index.php?id=1036, and can be downloaded from iTunes. Learn more about the NVFC National Junior Firefighter Program, scholarship criteria, and application process, and download the application at http://nvfc.org/page/1083/Scholarship_and_Grant_Program.htm. The scholarships and grants will be awarded during Firehouse Expo in July.
Recognize Your Volunteers During National Volunteer Week: April 27 - May 3 National Volunteer Week starts April 27, providing an excellent opportunity to recognize the work of millions of volunteers nationwide and promote the spirit of volunteerism among the general public. Use this time to recognize your Fire Corps members and let them know how valuable they are to your organization. It is also a great time to reach out to your community to recruit new Fire Corps members to support your department. National Volunteer Week was created in 1974 when President Richard Nixon signed an executive order to establish the week as an annual celebration of volunteering. Every year since, each U.S. President, along with many governors, mayors, and other elected officials, has signed a proclamation promoting National Volunteer Week. The Points of Light & Hands On Network offers a National Volunteer Week Toolkit with planning materials, sample media releases, and more, available online at www.pointsoflight.org/programs/seasons/nvw/. Recognize the hard work and commitment of your volunteers by highlighting them on the Fire Corps web site. Simply fill out the Fire Corps Profile Information Sheet and email, along with photos and captions, to info@firecorps.org. Consider nominating your Fire Corps members for the President’s Volunteer Service Award. Fire Corps is a Certifying Organization for this national honor. To nominate your volunteers and nationally recognize their contributions, send an email with subject line “PVSA” to info@firecorps.org. The email must include the nominee’s contact information, a detailed description of his or her service, and the number of hours volunteered. Learn more about the President’s Volunteer Service Award.
The United States Fire Administration (USFA) has received notice of the following firefighter fatalities: Name: Rick Morris Rank: Firefighter Age: 54 Gender: Male Status: Career Years of Service: 33 Date of Incident: 04/08/2008 Time of Incident: 2034hrs Date of Death: 04/17/2008
Fire Department: Sedalia Fire Department Address: 600 S. Hancock Ave., Sedalia, MO 65301 Fire Department Chief: Michael Ditzfeld
Incident Description: Firefighter Morris was seriously burned when he and other firefighters encountered rapid fire progress conditions while working a residential structure fire. Morris’ lungs had been protected from the heat by his SCBA which remained intact and in-place, however, he succumbed to the other injuries after more than a week in a Columbia hospital. Incident Location: 1209 S. Kentucky Ave (Grid: 15S VC 7993 8363) Funeral Arrangements: Pending, updates will be posted on the department’s website (http://www.cityofsedalia.com/content/198/236/default.aspx).
Tribute is being paid to Firefighter Rick Morris at http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/fireservice/fatalities/
NName: Riley J. Terrebonne Jr. Rank: Firefighter Age: 29 Gender: Male Status: Volunteer Years of Service: Unk Date of Incident: 04/20/2008 Time of Incident: 2100hrs Date of Death: 04/21/2008
Fire Department: Springfield Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department, Livingston Parish Fire Protection District 2 Address: 23381 Terry Street, Springfield, LA 70462 (USNG: 15R YP 3557 6847) Fire Department Chief: Brian A. Drury
Incident Description: Firefighter Terrebonne was assisting at the scene of a motor vehicle accident on an interstate highway bridge, when he was struck by another vehicle. Terrebonne passed away from his injuries the following day in the hospital.
Incident Location: Southbound Interstate – 55, on the “High Rise Bridge” over the river at Manchac (USNG: 15R YP 4936 5605) Funeral Arrangements: Tentatively, visitation for Firefighter Terrebonne is scheduled for Friday, April 25 with full firefighter service and burial to take place on Saturday, April 26. (http://www.springfieldfirerescue.com/)
Memorial Fund Contact and Address: Pending (http://www.springfieldfirerescue.com/)
Tribute is being paid to Firefighter Riley J. Terrebonne Jr. at http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/fireservice/fatalities
Source: USFA |
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