From NFPA.org:

Let’s celebrate fire and life safety educators! Educators are key to the success of NFPA’s programs. That’s why NFPA’s “Educator of the Year” Award is so important. It gives educators the recognition they deserve for playing the lead role in making their communities safer.

Apply for the 2012 NFPA Fire and Life Safety Educator of the Year Award (PDF, 615 KB). Deadline is February 24, 2012.

We are looking for fire and life safety educators who:

• work for a local fire department.
• use NFPA’s  Risk Watch®,  Learn Not to Burn®,  Remembering When^TM or Fire Prevention Week materials.
• use NFPA materials in a consistent and creative way.
• demonstrate excellence and innovation, reaching out to the community with NFPA materials.
• view NFPA as the source for safety information.

(more…)

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Pure Google Apps Solutions are finding their way into more and more industries, and Netkiller is helping them get there.  This January, RFSignalman, a division of Niemann Technology Inc. (NTI), implemented a Google Apps Engine-based system, designed by Netkiller, that allows them to streamline the process of helping their clients meet fire code specifications*.

RFSignalman is an independent testing company located in Elk Grove, CA that helps property owners comply with fire code regulations by meeting indoor radio coverage requirements.  They work with both property owners and Public Safety, providing accurate data that is utilized to improve Public Safety communications.

In order to accommodate the large volume of data and communication between property owners, field engineers, and Public Safety, Netkiller needed to build an application that could provide discrete functions for different groups of users, as well as store data, generate reports, and streamline communication.  All of this, with the addition of security, remote access, and reliability meant that the Google Apps Engine was the clear choice.

(more…)

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Day in and day out firefighters are told about the importance of turnout gear. Not only is it important to pick out the right gear for your department, but also to make sure you wear it properly when leaving on a call.  As this story by Caroline Tucker for the Rochester Homepage illustrates, you can never be too prepared.

Rochester City Firefighters say equipment helped save lives during the locust street fire on Thursday.

It was a fire that forced some living in the home to jump out of the windows.

One firefighter went to the hospital with first and second degree burns.

Three others were treated on the scene for injuries.

The Rochester Fire Department showed News 8 the turnout gear firefighters used during the Locust Street Fire.

They say much of it will have to be retired.

It’s black, burned, and covered in soot.

A number of firefighters went inside the burning home when they arrived because there were reports of children possibly trapped on the second floor.

That wasn’t the case, but firefighters tried to get inside as the heat overwhelmed them and smoke grew.

“Definitely one of the hottest, hadn’t seen anything this hot in 15 -17 years,” said Lt. Thomas Rogan, Rochester City Fire Department.

Read the rest of the story and watch the video here.

Photo by Jamie Germano for the Democrat and Chronicle.

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From the NFPA Today blog:

As electric vehicles continue to become a viable consumer choice, NFPA will continue to do its part to ensure the safe implementation and operation of this burgeoning technology.

As columnist Jeff Sargent explains in the January/February issue of NFPA Journal^®, NFPA 70® , National Electric Code®, has addressed electric vehicles since the 1990s. Further provisions to the code, states Sargent, “exemplifies NFPA’s commitment to making sure the NEC keeps pace with the EV revolution and, most importantly, that the consumer infterface is free from electrical hazards–the mission of the NEC.

Read the full column in the latest issue of NFPA Journal. And watch the following clip highlighting the 2012 edition of the NEC:

-Fred Durso, Jr.

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From FairfieldCounty.gov

FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. — The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department recorded no fire deaths for 2011, a first in its 62-year history.

A multi-pronged effort by field operations, fire prevention, fire and life safety education, and the residents of Fairfax County contributed immeasurably to a safe and record-breaking year. Operational firefighting crews’ response to fire incidents, fire inspectors, fire protection retesting and monitoring, fire investigators, and fire and life safety educators, all provided a team effort in stemming fire deaths.

Additionally, community outreach programs also directly support the department’s mission of “providing the highest quality of services to protect the lives, property, and environment of our community.” These programs include: Every Step of the Way, a fire and safety program targeted to the most vulnerable, children and older adults; “Get Alarmed,” providing free distribution and installation of smoke alarms for residents; and the Juvenile Firesetters Intervention Program, an educational intervention program targeted to juvenile firesetters administered by a nationally certified educator.

The department also semi-annually, conducts a “Smoke Alarm Initiative,” during the weekends of fall and spring daylight savings time, canvassing selected neighborhoods throughout the county for working smoke alarms and providing escape plans for residents.

Fairfax County, with a population of over one million residents, has averaged more than seven fire deaths annually from 2000 to 2010.

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By Robert Krause for Firefighting In Canada

One of the most exciting aspects of being a firefighter is being first in on the hoseline fighting a fire.

I want to address some basic tenets of fire attack. Fire fighting is a dangerous occupation – just look at the statistics that discuss firefighter injuries and deaths – so it is important that we address fire attack with the safety of the firefighter in mind.

The available staffing at any structure fire will have a definite impact on how many tasks can be completed simultaneously. Incident commanders must assess the risk associated with each task they assign to their limited number of firefighters.

This protective ensemble that firefighters wear allows us to penetrate deeper into structures that are on fire, and with this comes increased danger. Therefore, it is imperative that all firefighter look out for themselves and their fellow firefighters as they began a fire attack.

As we begin discussing fire attack we must address the staffing of the fire apparatus. I have several opportunities to talk with my Canadian firefighting brethren at the annual FDIC conference in Wolfville, N.S. The most common response I have received when asking about staffing on fire apparatus has been three firefighters. So it is with that premise of three firefighters that I continue this discussion.

The incident commander and the firefighters must rapidly asses the fire ground and the changing dynamics within the structure as they approach the building that is on fire. While the incident commander is responsible for the overall safety of each firefighter on the fire ground, individual firefighters must accept some responsibility for their safety and welfare. Each firefighter must wear the proper protective clothing, which includes properly fitting structural firefighting coat, pants and boots, and an appropriate helmet, hood and gloves. Additionally, each firefighter entering or working in proximity to a smoke-filled area must use a self-contained breathing apparatus.

Bob Krause is a battalion chief with the City of Toledo fire department in Ohio and is assigned to Battalion 2. Click here to read the full article.

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December 21st was an important day for the World Service Project that is working to equip Mexican firefighters with safe, fit for duty gear.  LION and the Mexican Fire Chief Association, along with other project partners, are pleased to announce that the first 430 sets of LION TotalCare maintained firefighting turnout gear has been delivered to Mexican firefighters across the country.  The suits were enthusiastically received and a second order of 250 suits is already being processed for shipment.

The initial 165 sets of suits were delivered to the State of Sinaloa to outfit firefighters in the cities of Culicana, Elota, Mocorito, Escuinapa and Region Del Evora.  Fire Chief Adan Shinagawa of Culican was the first to request suits for his departments and will soon place a second order based on the overwhelming interest in the turnout gear.  In a letter to the project partners, Chief Shinagawa expresses his appreciation for the initiative:

“On behalf of the fire brigade of the State of Sinaloa, allow me to send our thanks and congratulations for this program.  At this moment, in my city, 165 firefighters are benefiting from this initiative.  The quality of the equipment is excellent and the value is incredible.  Our goal is to equip all our firefighters [with LION’s gear].”

Adolfo Benavente Duque, President of the Mexcan Fire Chief Association, also praised the program:

“On behalf of the firefighters of Mexico, I send our enormous thanks for giving us the opportunity to be the first to receive this equipment, which is in perfect condition and available at such a low price.  This equipment will be very useful to the protection of firefighters and will allow them to better serve their communities.”

The shipment is the first phase of the Project that provides advanced training, equipment, and vehicles to departments requesting assistance throughout Mexico.  LION and its partners are excited to have the opportunity to continue expanding the program in the hopes of outfitting every firefighter in Mexico with fit for duty, life-saving gear.

“We are thrilled to provide this turnout gear to the Mexican Fire Service.  LION is pleased to join with great partners to get top-quality gear into the hands of public servants that need it most.  As our business continues to grow around the world, we look forward to more efforts like this in support of the global firefighting community,” said Steve Schwartz, CEO of LION.

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Richard Marinucci
For Fire Apparatus

Part of any system involving firefighter safety improvement must include adjustments to training programs. Firefighters must learn the proper way to use the equipment, how to wear it, and how it may affect their tactics. The mere fact of having the equipment will not change outcomes. It begins with the simple premise that when a department issues new equipment, there must be a lesson on proper use and maintenance of it. How often do you and your organization distribute new equipment to firefighters without taking the time to review its features or the manufacturer’s recommendations? For example, a helmet may be issued. Often, all the manufacturer’s instruction and warnings are immediately discarded without any review. The firefighters continue to use the equipment just as they had previously, even if there are added features.

(more…)

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The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC), with support from the U.S. Fire Administration, partnered with the HOPE Health Research Institute to conduct a  study on obesity in the fire service. The report begins by stating that although the image of a healthy, fit firefighter is still intact, “a chilling epidemic” of obesity caused by unhealthy eating and physical activity habits threatens to undermine the ability of firefighters to effectively and safely respond to emergencies.

The report addresses the obesity epidemic in the U.S., its effects on the fire industry, new trends on how to combat the problem and then offers recommendations for departments. Chapter 2 looks specifically at obesity in the fire service:

To read the full report, click here.

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By Fareed Rahman for The National

Dubai is testing a 180kph firefighting motorbike that can weave through traffic and extinguish two car fires with one load of water and foam.

The firefighting system is mounted on a modified German-built 1,170cc BMW R1200RT motorcycle called the Firexpress, the first of its kind in the UAE.

“It’s a very good bike,” said Brig Ahmed Al Sayegh, the assistant general manager of Dubai Civil Defence.

“We will study it first and then decide how we can use it for specific purposes. It seems like a good vehicle to use in narrow and crowded areas – like where there is a traffic jam.”

The bike is ideal for firefighting in traffic or where there is no space for big vehicles to move, said Mohammed Awad, the director of business development at Concorde-Corodex Group, the regional suppliers.

Click here for the full article.

Photography by Christopher Pike.

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