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American Trauma Society – Interactive Trauma Map

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY OPENS APPLICATION PERIOD FOR STAFFING FOR ADEQUATE FIRE AND EMERGENCY SERVICES (SAFER) GRANTS

Junior Firefighter Scholarship Applications Due May 15

Draft National EMS Education Standards Open for Comment

May is American Stroke Month

Failed VoIP 911 Call Contributes to Toddler's Death

US Must be More Resilient to Disasters and Terrorism, Experts Say

California Prepares for Dangerous Fire Season

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

American Trauma Society – Interactive Trauma Map

By Dave Gatton

The American Trauma Society has published a new interactive website, funded by the Center of Disease Control’s Injury Center, which demonstrates area level I/II trauma center geographical coverage. The website can be accessed at http://tramah.cml.upenn.edu/CML.TraumaCenters.Web/.

The information on the maps can be sorted according to State and can show the location of different trauma centers within a respective area. The map can also be sorted according to the type of transport that covers that particular area. The interactive maps website is produced from information gathered by the Trauma Information Exchange Program which is a collaborative project between the American Trauma Society and Johns Hopkins Center for Injury Research and Policy.

Source: DInitiatives

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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY OPENS APPLICATION PERIOD FOR STAFFING FOR ADEQUATE FIRE AND EMERGENCY SERVICES (SAFER) GRANTS

May 12, 2008 - The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) posted today the Program Guidance document for the FY2008 SAFER Grants at the website for the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program - www.firegrantsupport.com. Under the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act of 2008, Congress appropriated $190 million for SAFER Grants.

Beginning May 27, 2008, at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will begin accepting applications for SAFER Grants. The deadline for receipt of the SAFER Grant applications will be 5:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on June 27, 2008.

The applications will be automated and will be accessible from the website for the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program at www.firegrantsupport.com.

The SAFER Grants are administered by the Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Source: DHS

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Junior Firefighter Scholarship Applications Due May 15

Applications for the National Volunteer Fire Council’s (NVFC) Junior Firefighter Scholarship and Grant Program are due by 5 pm EDT on May 15. The application and criteria for the competitive scholarships are available online at www.nvfc.org/ScholarshipProgram. Departments must be registered in order for their juniors to apply. Registration is free – sign up at www.nvfc.org/juniors and get your scholarship applications in today! Read full article.

Source: NVFC

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Draft National EMS Education Standards Open for Comment

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Health Resources and Services Administration have partnered with the National Association of EMS Educators to develop new national EMS education standards. Called for in The EMS Education Agenda for the Future: A Systems Approach, these standards will replace the current U.S. Department of Transportation National Standard Curricula and are currently open for comment. Read full article.

Source: NVFC

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May is American Stroke Month

May is American Stroke Month, and the NVFC’s Heart-Healthy Firefighter Program has partnered with the American Stroke Association (ASA) to educate first responders about the risk factors and warning signs of stroke. Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States, and many survivors are left with permanent disabilities. According to the ASA, a stroke occurs every 40 seconds. Cardiovascular disease, which includes stroke and heart attacks, is the number one cause of line-of-duty firefighter deaths. You can help lower your chance of a fatal or debilitating stroke by knowing the warning signs and adopting a healthy lifestyle.

The Give Me 5 for Stroke campaign of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, the American Academy of Neurology, and the American College of Emergency Physicians highlights the five key signs that someone is suffering from a stroke. If you or someone you know experiences any of the following symptoms, call 911 and go to the emergency room immediately, even if the symptoms seem to go away. Signs to watch for include:

Walk – is their balance off?
Talk – is their speech slurred or face droopy?
Reach – is one side weak or numb?
See – is their vision all or partly lost?
Feel – is their headache severe?

The ASA reports that stroke kills two million brain cells per minute, which leaves survivors with physical and emotional disabilities. However, stroke is highly treatable in the first three hours. Volunteer firefighter Erik Oppermann of Charles City, VA, knows the importance of recognizing the signs of a stroke and receiving treatment as soon as possible. He was a smoker and had high cholesterol, but he was only 38 and had never struggled with his weight; he worked out regularly and had low blood pressure. So when he began feeling dizzy and having spotty vision while on a call, he thought he had just inhaled too much smoke. He got home, collapsed on his front porch, and spent his 39th birthday in the hospital after suffering an embolic stroke.

“This taught me a lesson that being young doesn’t mean you aren’t at risk for stroke and heart disease,” Oppermann said. “I’m encouraging everyone in my department, no matter how young or how old, to get regular check ups and adopt a healthy lifestyle. And if you think you might be having a stroke or heart attack, get to the hospital as soon as you can.”

Because he received early treatment, the damage to Opperman’s body was not as severe as it could have been. He lost use of his left side, but with the help of rehabilitation he is slowly regaining its use and will continue being a volunteer first responder, which he has done for almost two decades.

Find out more about American Stroke Month and stroke at www.strokeassociation.org. Learn more about heart-health and maintaining a healthy lifestyle with the Heart-Healthy Firefighter Program at www.healthy-firefighter.org.

Source: NVFC

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Failed VoIP 911 Call Contributes to Toddler's Death

Emergency response leaders are urging people who use Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phones to become more aware of emergency calls in the wake of a toddler’s death in Canada.

In an article on the TMC.net website, Michael Dinan says the parents in Calgary, Alberta, called 911 on their VoIP phone line when their 18-month old son was in medical distress. The call was cut off, and emergency officials could not find the home.

“In this case, the service provider used the family’s former address in Mississauga, Ontario – instead of Calgary, their new home – when the baby, Elijah Luck, went into medical distress,” Dinan says. “The service provider has said the call was cut off, so it relied on the address it had. The boy died in a hospital a half-hour later.”

According to Dinan, the tragedy shows how widespread technology is outpacing traditional systems – and how these technologies may have some limitations in emergencies.

“For example, there may be a delay in response if an emergency communications center mistakenly transfers a 911 call to a non-emergency line,” Dinan says. “Also, if a caller cannot speak or a call is disconnected, the operator may not have automatic location information for emergency responders.”

He points out, however, that in the United States, legislation requires wireless companies to provide detailed location information to 911 centers. The rules are not yet in effect in Canada.

To read the full article, click here: http://ipcommunications.tmcnet.com/topics/enterprise-voip/articles/27417-failed-voip-911-call-contributes-toddlers-death.htm

Source: Disaster Resource Guide

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US Must be More Resilient to Disasters and Terrorism, Experts Say

Resilience is becoming a bigger concept in preparedness circles these days. That’s why a group of critical infrastructure sectors representatives and homeland security experts are warning the government to strengthen the resilience component of its homeland security strategy.

In an article on the Security Management website, Matthew Harwood says the experts advised lawmakers last week on the concept of resilience as the first in a series of hearings on how the country can weather a large-scale disruption.

“As a nation, we must be able to withstand a blow and then bounce back,” Stewart Baker, assistant secretary for policy at the Department of Homeland Security, told the House Homeland Security Committee, adding, “That’s resilience.”

At the hearing, Baker reminded lawmakers that the country can mitigate risk, but cannot guarantee another attack will not occur, nor can it prevent natural and accidental disasters.

“It requires us to admit that some disasters cannot be avoided,” he added. “It also requires us to acknowledge that, faced with disaster, most of our citizens, businesses, and other institutions will take action to rescue themselves and others.”

To read the full article, click here: http://www.securitymanagement.com/news/u-s-must-be-more-resilient-disasters-and-terrorism-experts-explain

Source: Disaster Resource Guide

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California Prepares for Dangerous Fire Season

California’s emergency preparedness plans are already among some of the strongest in the country, but with fire season off to an early start, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is taking no chances. He has launched a new plan to boost the state’s preparedness even further in an attempt to shore up the state.

According to an article on the Government Technology website, Schwarzenegger signed an executive order to boost the state’s preparedness, raise public awareness and mobilize the state’s firefighting personnel and resources.

The order will mobilize the state’s critical firefighting resources and personnel, and directs both the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) and the state’s agencies to take immediate action to protect and prepare the state by:

Increasing firefighting staffing
Coordinating military resources
Boosting public awareness and preparedness, including providing information to homeowners
Enforcing fire prevention laws
Directing inter-governmental coordination and action

To read the full article, click here: http://www.govtech.com/em/articles/321131

Source: Disaster Resource Guide

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

Name: Tyler Casey
Rank: Firefighter/FR
Age: 21
Gender: Male
Status: Volunteer
Years of Service: 4
Date of Incident: 5/10/2008
Time of Incident: 1800hrs
Date of Death: 5/12/2008

Fire Department: Seneca Area Fire Protection District
Address: PO Box 93, Racine, MO 64858
Fire Department Chief: Michael Steele
Fire Department Website: http://www.safpd.org/index.htm

Incident Description: Firefighter Casey was injured when a tornado struck while he was warning people in the area to get to safety. He was transported to Joplin’s Freeman West Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

Funeral Arrangements: Pending

Memorial Fund Contact and Address: Pending

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

Source: USFA

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