Public Safety Officers’ Benefits Program revised

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs Mary Lou Leary recently announced a series of reforms to the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits (PSOB) Program.

Changes include the following:

• Moving to an entirely paperless, online case management system that will enable claimants to file and monitor the progress of their claims online.
• The PSOB claims process will also be streamlined. Legal and other functions will be combined within the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). Consolidating the legal review process and other functions within the BJA will eliminate duplicative documentation requirements.
• The BJA will continue its outreach to stakeholder organizations through listening sessions to ensure transparency and a positive dialogue between the PSOB Office and its public safety partners in the field.

Bill Webb, executive director of the Congressional Fire Services Institute, applauded the revisions, which he said will help to ensure that the program operates “effectively and expediently.”

“These fundamental improvements to the PSOB program will help us cut through red tape and ensure that fallen or injured officers and their families can get the benefits they need in a timely manner,” said Holder. Leary noted that the improvements “will allow BJA to process cases and serve claimants more efficiently.”

Under the PSOB Act, enacted in 1976, BJA’s PSOB Office administers the Death, Disability and Educational Assistance programs. The Office of Justice Programs, headed by Leary, provides federal leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to prevent and control crime, administer justice, and assist victims.

Line-of-Duty Deaths

May 5. Firefighter Daniel Davidson, 26, Sacramento Ranger District of the Lincoln National Forest, Cloudcroft, NM: cause under investigation.
May 6. Assistant Chief Stanley Martin Jr., 71, Springfield (AL) Volunteer Fire Department: nature of injury to be reported.
May 8. Firefighter Brian Woehlke, 29, Westland (MI) Fire Department: injuries sustained in a collapse in a commercial structure fire at a strip mall.
May 14. Firefighter Albert A. Nejmeh, 59, Tacoma (WA) Fire Department: apparent heart attack.
May 19. Firefighter Brad Harper, 23, Phoenix (AZ) Fire Department: injuries sustained when he was pinned between two fire department vehicles at the scene of an outside fire.
May 20. Fire Rescue Officer Stanley A. Wilson, 51, Dallas (TX) Fire-Rescue Department: injuries sustained in a multiunit residential structure fire; he became caught and trapped in a collapse.
May 31. Engineer Operator Robert Bebee, 41; Captain Matthew Renaud, 35; Firefighter Robert H. Garner, 29; Probationary Firefighter Anne M. Sullivan, 24, Houston (TX) Fire Department: trapped in a roof collapse while fighting a motel fire.

Source: USFA Firefighters Memorial Database

NAEMT and NEMSMA announce strategic partnership

The Boards of the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT) and the National Emergency Medical Services Management Association (NEMSMA) have joined in a “strategic relationship” to fortify their efforts to address key challenges to the emergency medical services (EMS) profession today and in the future, according to a joint news release.

The agreement calls for collaboration on policy and programmatic activities in areas such as advocacy, public awareness, education, and clinical standards. “We are excited about the opportunities this new partnership will present. We know we can accomplish more for the EMS profession working collaboratively,” says Troy Hagen, NEMSMA president.

“NAEMT and NEMSMA share core values and represent EMS professionals working in all types of delivery models,” states Don Lundy, NAEMT president. “We are very excited about the opportunities this new relationship offers.”

CFSI dinner and seminars draw nearly 2,000

Nearly 2,000 fire and emergency services leaders attended the Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI) 25th annual dinner and seminars event in Washington, DC, in May. The theme of the program was “Renewing Our Commitment.”

Vice President Joe Biden, a former co-chair of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus, delivered the keynote address. Congressman Steny Hoyer (MD), Congressman Peter King (NY), Congressman Robert Andrews (NJ), and Senator Thomas Carper (DE), co-chairs of the Caucus, also addressed dinner guests. Caucus Chairman Congressman David Reichert (WA) and fellow co-chair Senator Susan Collins (ME) made brief comments at a reception before the dinner.

The dinner program featured a special tribute to Art J. Glatfelter, delivered by Curt Weldon, former congressman and founder of the Caucus. Glatfelter, an original member of the CFSI Board of Directors, remained an active member until stepping down in 2008. He passed away in his hometown of York, Pennsylvania, earlier this year.

Earthquake damage can impact fire safety performance

The shaking from a major earthquake can be instrumental in spreading fire, hampering the evacuation of occupants, and impeding fire departments in emergency response operations, according to a study by researchers in the Department of Fire Protection Engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI).

“When the ground stops shaking after a major earthquake, the damage may have just begun,” says Brian Meacham, associate professor of fire protection engineering at WPI and principal investigator for the post-earthquake fire study. “Historically, post-earthquake fires have been as devastating as, if not more devastating than, the seismic events that preceded them. In fact, the largest peacetime urban conflagrations (in San Francisco in 1906 and in Tokyo in 1923) were post-earthquake fires. More recently, fire caused significant damage following the 1995 Kobe, Japan, earthquake.”

Last year, WPI participated in an unprecedented study of the effects of earthquakes and post-earthquake fires on a full-scale building. The study centered on a five-story building constructed atop the world’s first large outdoor high-performance shake table located at the Englekirk Structural Engineering Center at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). The main focus of the study was the performance of critical facilities, including hospitals and data centers. The research was sponsored by the National Science Foundation and other industrial partners.

The building was outfitted with a working elevator; a full-size interior staircase; heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning system components; electrical equipment; fire protection systems; and a mock medical suite, intensive care unit, medical storage room, server room, and residential space. The third floor was configured for fire testing, including complete partition walls and ceiling systems, firestop materials at joints and through partitions, a fire door, a fire sprinkler system, and a smoke-detection system.

The researchers subjected the building to a series of simulated earthquakes ranging from 6.7 on the Richter scale (the magnitude of the 1994 quake in Northridge, California) to 7.9 (representing the 2002 earthquake in Denali, Alaska) while a team of engineers from UCSD monitored the building’s performance through more than 500 channels of data from a wide range of sensors.

After each simulated earthquake, Meacham and his student researchers entered the building to document the state of the active and passive fire systems and to conduct pressure tests to determine if the shaking compromised the integrity of the third-floor rooms, possibly creating openings that could allow smoke and flames to move between compartments.

After the seismic testing was complete, the WPI team conducted a series of six live fire tests in four spaces on the third floor. They ignited pans of heptane, a liquid fuel that burns hot enough to simulate a fully engaged compartment fire. Using temperature probes and video cameras, the researchers assessed how damage from the simulated earthquakes affected the ability of the active and passive fire protection systems to contain fires and prevent the spread of smoke.

Among the impacts on fire and life safety systems Meacham and his team documented following the largest earthquake motion and post-earthquake fire tests are the following:

• Structural damage on the second and third levels was significant. Although the building didn’t collapse, it had to be shored up to support gravity loading prior to the fire testing.
• Damage to the building’s interior and exterior wall and ceiling systems created openings through which smoke and flames could spread; debris from the walls and ceilings became obstacles that would have hampered the evacuation of occupants or the movements of firefighters.
• A number of doors could not be opened or closed. Open doors allow fire to spread; stuck doors can cut off escape routes or hinder the movements of first responders.
• Access to the upper floors was cut off when the staircase became detached from the landing, and the elevator became unusable from distortion of the doors and frame on some levels. During the fire tests, smoke and hot gases entered the elevator shaft through the open doors, spreading smoke to other floors and raising temperatures to dangerous levels.
• Most of the active and passive fire protection systems, including the sprinkler system, the heat-activated fire door, fire dampers, and fire stop materials, performed well.

Meacham said this research will form a base of knowledge that will be expanded and lead to the design of more resilient buildings and building systems. He suggested that additional studies include the topics of construction techniques and glazing systems, heat flux and flow velocity, and visual records of smoke movement and fire growth.

The complete report on the post-earthquake fire tests is at http://www.wpi.edu/academics/fpe/policy-risk-engineering-framework.html.

JCAT counterterrorism group replaces ITACG

The National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) has established the Joint Counterterrorism Assessment Team (JCAT) consisting of public safety professionals-law enforcement, emergency medical services, fire service, intelligence, homeland security, and public health officials. The JCAT is the successor to the Interagency Threat Assessment and Coordination Group (ITACG).

The NCTC explains that ITACG was a successful model of interagency cooperation and information sharing lauded by federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT for short) homeland security, intelligence, and law enforcement partners nationwide. The cornerstone of ITACG’s success was SLTT homeland security and law enforcement officers who were detailed to NCTC for one-year tours to work side-by-side with federal intelligence analysts.

JCAT, on the other hand, builds on and expands beyond ITACG’s original legislative mandate. JCAT will now partner SLTT participants with federal analysts to produce intelligence for the SLTT community. JCAT is an NCTC-led triagency activity; NCTC, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation each will share costs, resources, and sponsorship of SLTT participation. For additional information, go to www.nctc.gov/jcat_index.html.

FEMA releases Hurricane Sandy Recovery Advisories

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Building Science Branch has released five Recovery Advisories (RAs) written for areas affected by Hurricane Sandy. The advisories present mitigation measures that can be used to minimize future flood damage to buildings. The documents are based on field observations the FEMA Mitigation Assessment Team (MAT) deployed to evaluate the damage caused by Hurricane Sandy. In all, there will be seven RAs; Nos. 5 and 7 will be released shortly. The five released RAs are listed below and can be accessed and downloaded for free from the FEMA Library at http://www.fema.gov/library/viewRecord.do?id=6994:

RA 1. Improving connections in elevated coastal residential buildings in New York and New Jersey. During the FEMA investigation following Hurricane Sandy, the MAT observed many homes in which the connections between the elevated floor and pile foundation were inadequate in buildings subjected to flood levels that exceeded the top of the foundation. These buildings experienced simultaneous uplift and lateral loads during the storm, which caused these connections to become damaged or fail. RA 1 explains how to strengthen the connection so that homes will be more resilient in future flood events. The information in this RA is most useful for new construction, although the same concepts can be applied to retrofits of existing construction.

RA 2. Reducing flood effects in critical facilities. It provides information and recommendations for improving the functionality of critical facilities by reducing the vulnerability of essential systems and equipment to flooding. The advisory emphasizes using a holistic approach to review the components of each system, identify vulnerabilities, and then protect the most essential components using mitigation measures described in the advisory. The information in this advisory is most useful for new construction, although the concepts can be applied to retrofits of existing construction. Also, although the focus of this advisory is on critical facilities, many of the recommendations can be applied to other types of buildings.

RA 3. Restoring mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems in non-substantially damaged residential buildings. This RA describes methods for restoring electrical, mechanical, and plumbing systems in residential buildings in a manner that will minimize damage from future flood events and reduce the system restoration time following a storm. The information in this advisory addresses restoration of services for existing houses that are not considered substantially damaged and, therefore, may not be required to adhere to current code, which stipulates that such systems be elevated to avoid flood damage.

RA 4. Reducing operational interruptions to mid- and high-rise buildings during floods. This RA describes design enhancements that can be made to both existing and planned mid- to high-rise buildings to reduce damage from floodwater inundation and the resulting interruption of functionality during flood events. It describes elevating and floodproofing measures to protect critical building systems, planning and protecting emergency power, and actions that can limit interruptions to building operations.

RA 6. Protecting building fuel supplies from flood damage. This RA discusses protecting fuel tanks that supply buildings with heat, hot water, and fuel for emergency power systems from flood damage. The primary focus is on protecting tanks that supply fuel for emergency power, but the information is also useful for building managers interested in protecting heating fuel tanks. It describes building codes and standards, mitigation measures for protecting fuel tanks in existing facilities, and design considerations for new fuel tanks. The recommendations in the advisory apply to all buildings, including mid- and high-rise buildings.

RA 5, Designing for flood levels above the BFE after Hurricane Sandy, and RA 7, Reducing flood risk and flood insurance premiums for existing buildings, will be released shortly.

The Hurricane Sandy MAT Report, scheduled for completion in September 2013, will present the MAT’s observations, conclusions, and subsequent recommendations based on its post-disaster damage assessments conducted in New Jersey and New York in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. The report will include sections on single- and multifamily residential buildings, mid- and high-rise buildings, commercial and critical facilities, and historic structures.

For additional information, contact John Ingargiola of the Building Science Branch (john.ingargiola@fema.dhs.gov), the Building Science Helpline (866) 927-2104, or FEMA-Buildingsciencehelp@fema.dhs.gov.

NFPA releases new WUI best practices guide

Community Wildfire Safety through Regulation is a new best practices guide from the National Fire Protection Association that helps planners and regulators considering wildfire regulations to implement a successful public process for adopting effective wildland/urban interface (WUI) tools that match local needs. The guide is available through the NFPA wildland fire safety Web page.

Traditionally, the role of reducing wildfire risk has been left up to fire departments or districts, but planners are distinctly qualified to assist communities in creating a more inclusive approach to wildfire safety preparedness by helping to change the location, design, and type of development in high-risk zones.

In addition to summaries of many of the key planning, subdivision, and zoning tools planners can use to help protect their communities from wildfire, the guide also provides the following:

• Sound technical and legal justifications for adopting wildfire regulations for planners and public officials.
• Tips on what planners should do before the community embarks on a formal wildfire safety regulation adoption process.
• Guidance for communities in evaluating their wildfire safety needs and choosing tools that fit those needs.
• A summary of best practices used around the country to address wildfire risk in the WUI.

Community Wildfire Safety Through Regulation is based on the recently completed study Addressing Community Wildfire Risk: A Review and Assessment of Regulatory and Planning Tools, commissioned by the NFPA, that includes in-depth interviews and extensive analysis of best practices for wildfire regulations in communities across the country.

For more information and to download a copy of Community Wildfire Safety through Regulation, visit www.nfpa.org.