By Lt. Michael Swiman
of the Lake Forest FD
This has been on my mind recently with all the events around the country with budgets: brothers doing harm. I had found this while doing research for a project and this resonates so true. I could have not said it any better. Please take a moment to read
“We know that the sheep live in denial; that is what makes them sheep. They do not want to believe that there is evil in the world. They can accept the fact that fires can happen, which is why they want fire extinguishers, fire sprinklers, fire alarms and fire exits throughout their kids’ schools. But many of them are outraged at the idea of putting an armed police officer in their kid’s school. Our children are dozens of times more likely to be killed, and thousands of times more likely to be seriously injured, by school violence than by school fires, but the sheep’s only response to the possibility of violence is denial. The idea of someone coming to kill or harm their children is just too hard, so they choose the path of denial.
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Dramatically reduces tactical extrication time
The LION Personal Issue Tactical Rescue Stretcher increases officer safety by slashing the amount of time required to extricate a casualty.
The stretcher is constructed from military grade nylon mesh and webbing and has two restraint straps. It’s strength has been tested to 1,960 lbs.
It weighs just 12 ozs. and stows in a 4″ x 6″ bag. The bag easily attaches to your ballistic vest or belt, so the tools for emergency rescue are immediately at hand.
Alternative stretchers are bulky and cumbersome. They take too long to deploy, potentially creating more casualties.
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By Jonah Lehrer
For Wired Magazine
Jeffrey Mitchell, a volunteer firefighter in the suburbs of Baltimore, came across the accident by chance: A car had smashed into a pickup truck loaded with metal pipes. Mitchell tried to help, but he saw at once that he was too late.
The car had rear-ended the truck at high speed, sending a pipe through the windshield and into the chest of the passenger—a young bride returning home from her wedding. There was blood everywhere, staining her white dress crimson.
Mitchell couldn’t get the dead woman out of his mind; the tableau was stuck before his eyes. He tried to tough it out, but after months of suffering, he couldn’t take it anymore. He finally told his brother, a fellow firefighter, about it.
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David Mulhausen, Ph.D. recently published this report criticizing the effectiveness of fire grants administered by FEMA for the conservative think-tank The Heritage Foundation:
Ineffective Fire Grants
Fire grants, administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), encompass a number of grant programs. The Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program subsidizes the routine activities of local fire departments and emergency management organizations. The Fire Prevention and Safety (FP&S) grants fund projects to improve the safety of firefighters and the public from fire and related hazards. Created in late 2003, the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grants are intended to increase staffing levels by funding the salaries of career firefighters and paying for recruitment activities for volunteer fire departments.
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Pete Lorenzen
for FireEngineering.com
Of the many challenges first responders face, perhaps the greatest is communication — or lack thereof. Effective communication is essential in any emergency situation, yet too often, police, firemen and other public safety officials operate with multiple and incompatible radio and communication platforms. In some cases, the operational command systems and databases back at headquarters aren’t linked across agencies, making matters worse. The result, rather than a seamless emergency response system, is a jumble of disconnection.
To address this problem, and make public safety systems “smarter,” cities around the world are beginning to harness the power of analytics fed by sensors, global positioning systems, cameras, radio frequency tags and integrated communications to make more intelligent decisions. As analytical programs mine the incoming data, public safety officials can instruct local, state, federal and non-government authorities on how best to respond to emergencies and better protect citizens from harm.
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From the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau:
The EAS is a national public warning system that requires broadcasters, cable television systems, wireless cable systems, satellite digital audio radio service (SDARS) providers, and direct broadcast satellite (DBS) providers to provide the communications capability to the President to address the American public during a national emergency. The system also may be used by state and local authorities to deliver important emergency information, such as AMBER alerts and weather information targeted to specific areas.
The first Nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System will be carried out on November 9, 2011. For more information about the test or access to the participant reporting system, please click here.
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Daylight Savings Time is always a perfect opportunity for fire departments to remind the public to tackle seasonal safety projects.
The most common reminders are:
- Replace the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, and test both devices to make sure they are in working order.
- Clean gutters and downspouts to keep debris from accumulating. This is especially important now that the leaves are falling.
- Make an appointment to have your furnace cleaned and inspected by a qualified technician so it is working properly and efficiently all winter.
- Have your chimney cleaned so your fireplace will be ready for use.
Unfortunately scam artists are using this to target vulnerable consumers. Fire Engineering reported that:
To date this year, the Better Business Bureau says it has received more than 380 complaints against chimney cleaners, up from the 342 complaints received in all of 2010.
In some cases, consumers have reported calls saying that the town fire department recommends the resident’s chimney be cleaned. The calls go on to recommend a particular chimney sweep and endorse their services on behalf of the fire department. Though town fire departments do recommend having chimneys cleaned on an annual basis, they do not endorse any particular company or inspect chimneys.
Safety tips courtesy of Kanetix.ca.
On November 1st many firefighters across North America from Salinas, California to Coquitlam, British Columbia started the month clean shaven and will be growing out mustaches to raise awareness and money for prostate and testicular cancer.
Movember (coined from “Mo” the slang word for mustache) began in Australia but has become a worldwide event. Men are not allowed to shave for the entire month of November, becoming walking billboards for the cause. They help educate other men about the health risks they face, increasing the chances of early detection, diagnosis and treatment.
Men who participate, affectionately referred to as Mo-bros, are from all walks of life. Firefighters in particular are active supporters of Movember since studies consistently show that firefighters are at a significantly higher risk to develop cancer especially prostate and testicular cancer.
If you want to have fun while raising awareness for a good cause visit www.movember.com
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and Chevrolet and OnStar are pleased to announce that more than 10,000 firefighters and first responders have completed virtual electric vehicle safety training. The online training, hosted by NFPA, became available in April 2011 and features an inside look at the newest technology and safety systems on the all-electric 2011 Chevrolet Volt.
The collaboration with Chevrolet and OnStar is part of NFPA’s Electric Vehicle Safety Training project. In addition to the online training, the nationwide project began the classroom-style, train-the-trainer sessions at fire academies across the country this summer.
“Through our work with Chevrolet and OnStar, we have been able to reach 10,000 firefighters and first responders with important information in a very short time period,” said Andrew Klock, NFPA’s senior project manager for the program. “The number of hybrid and electric vehicles on the road continues to increase. Whether firefighters and first responders take the online training or participate in our classroom-based electric vehicle training, we want to ensure they all are equipped with necessary information about this new vehicle technology.”
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Now available in the Apple App store and Android Market
The FEMA App contains preparedness information for different types of disasters, an interactive checklist for emergency kits, a section to plan emergency meeting locations, information on how to stay safe and recover after a disaster, a map with FEMA Disaster Recovery Center locations (one-stop centers where disaster survivors can access key relief services) and Shelters, general ways the public can get involved before and after a disaster, and the FEMA blog. Terms of Use for the FEMA App: http://www.fema.gov/app.
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