The House of Representatives approved H.R. 2638, the Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance, and Continuing Appropriations Act, in September. The bill provides Fiscal Year (FY) 2009 funding for the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Defense, and the Department of Veteran Affairs, according to the Congressional Fire Services Institute. In addition, it contains a continuing resolution to fund all other government agencies and activities through March 6, 2009, or until enactment of regular appropriations bills.
The bill increases funding for the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (FIRE Act) ($565 million) and the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) program ($210 million). Funding for FY2008 was $560 million and $190 million, respectively.
The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) funding was increased $45 million; some funds were targeted specifically for modernizing the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) and maintaining the National Fire Academy (NFA). President Bush signed the legislation on September 30.
The USFA Reauthorization Act (S. 2606) authorizes the USFA’s activities through 2012 and expands some NFA activities. Also, the USFA is authorized to enter into contracts with nationally recognized organizations to provide training and to increase the funding it provides to state training academies. Other provisions include funds for promoting fire prevention activities in the wildland/urban interface and the adoption of voluntary consensus standards for firefighter health and safety, as well as coordinating the fire service-based EMS program. S. 2606 also provides for a fire service position at the National Operations Center. The House also approved a version of this bill, which was sent to the President for his signature at press time.
Line-of-Duty Deaths
September 11. Equipment Operator/Firefighter Curtis Ray Hillman Sr., 77, U.S. Forest Service-Shasta-Trinity National Forest, Redding, CA: injuries sustained in an accidental fall from a piece of heavy equipment while working under contract for the Forest Service on the Siskiyou and Blue 2 complex of fires.
September 26. Fire Police Officer Edward Junginger, 82, Levittown (NY) Fire Department: heart attack suffered on September 23.
September 29. Firefighter Dale Wayne Grider, 36, DeKalb (TX) Fire Department: probable heart attack; autopsy results pending.
September 29. Apparatus Operator/Fire Prevention Supervisor Ralph P. Arabie, 48, David Crockett Steam Fire Co. No. 1, Gretna, LA: injuries sustained while inspecting one of the department’s aerial apparatus for hurricane damage. Investigation is underway.
October 1. Correctional Officer II Douglas Falconer, 46, Arizona State Prison-Globe, AZ: collapsed while working on a fire line with the Globe Wildland Fire Crew fighting the Sacramento fire in Lake Havasu City.
Source: USFA Firefighters Memorial Database
USFA and SFPE study on municipal water supply systems released
The United States Fire Administration (USFA) and the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE) Educational and Scientific Foundation have completed a study that evaluates the latest trends and technologies related to municipal water supply systems. The study was conducted with the support of the Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate.
“This cooperative effort allows communities to have comprehensive information on the latest technologies in municipal water supply systems in support of fire suppression activities and concerns,” according to U.S. Fire Administrator Greg Cade.
The team examined issues of interoperability and critical infrastructure protection, as well as backup and redundant water supply systems for fire protection. The analyses were published in the two reports Volume I Water Supply Systems Concepts, and Volume II Water Supply System Evaluation Methods. The reports are available for download only, free of charge, from the USFA Web site (www.usfa.dhs.gov).
ICC approves NIST recommendations for fire resistance of tall structures
The International Code Council (ICC) approved the recommendations contained in the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) report on the collapses of the World Trade Center towers in New York City in 2001. The recommendations will help make future tall structures increasingly resistant to fire and generally safer for occupants and responders. The recommendations will be incorporated into the 2009 edition of the ICC’s I-Codes.
Among the model building and fire code changes will be the following. Unless otherwise indicated, they apply to buildings higher than 420 feet.
- The addition of a third exit stairway.
- Evacuation of occupants by elevator in fires and other emergencies (passenger elevators must meet specific criteria) as an alternative to the additional exit stairway.
- Increase in the width of exit stairways by 50 percent in new sprinklered buildings.
- Harden exit stairway, passageway, and elevator shaft enclosures; required also in buildings 75 to 420 feet high, where failure of the enclosure would substantially jeopardize human life, and in essential facilities such as hospitals.
- Separate exit stairway enclosures by at least 30 feet or not less than one-fourth of the maximum building diagonal, whichever is less.
- Provide a minimum of two water supply risers for each sprinkler in each sprinkler zone in the building. Each riser is to supply sprinklers on alternate floors.
- Increase the fire resistance rating of structural components and assemblies by one hour.
- Provide a minimum of one fire service access elevator in buildings 120 feet high. The elevator lobby is to be a minimum of 150 square feet in area; the sides should be at least eight feet long. These lobbies are to be kept free of storage.
Building stability. It is to be improved by various means, including providing minimum structural integrity for framed and bearing wall structures. The “structural frame” approach to fire resistance ratings, which is to be adopted, requires that all members of the primary structural frame have the higher fire resistance rating commonly required for columns. The “frame” includes also structural members such as the girders, beams, trusses, and spandrels that are directly connected to the columns and bracing members that carry gravity loads.
The definition of primary structural frame is to be broadened to include bracing members essential to vertical stability (such as floor systems or cross bracing), even if they do not carry gravity loads.
Fireproofing. The bond strength is to be increased to be nearly three times greater than that currently required for buildings 75 to 420 feet high and seven times greater for buildings higher than 420 feet. Fireproofing must be installed in compliance with the manufacturer’s instructions. The surfaces to be fireproofed are to be clean and free of any condition that prevents adhesion of the fireproofing. Testing is to be conducted to demonstrate that the adhesion is maintained for primed, painted, or encapsulated steel surfaces. The finished condition of the installed fireproofing after completely dried or cured must exhibit no cracks, voids, spalls, or delamination of any exposed surface.
Special field inspections of the fireproofing will be scheduled to ensure that its installed thickness, density, and bond strength meet specified requirements. A bonding agent is to be applied when the bond strength is less than required because of the effect of a primed, painted, or encapsulated steel surface. The inspections are to be performed after the rough installation of mechanical, electrical, plumbing, sprinkler, and ceiling systems.
The news release detailing the new codes based on NIST’s recommendations may be found at http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/releases/wtc_100108.html/.
NIOSH research for EMS PPE contained in NFPA 1999
National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1999, Standard on Protective Clothing for Emergency Medical Operations, 2008 edition, contains National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) research pertaining to a new level of personal protective equipment (PPE) protection for the nation’s emergency medical services (EMS). The NIOSH research reflects NIOSH’s partnership with EMS responders to learn about their PPE needs and identify appropriate technical performance levels for equipment. Additional information is available from Angie Shepherd at dlq0@cdc.gov/.
Software identifies potential defibrillator lead fractures
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a software (Lead Integrity Alert) update from Medtronic to help detect fractures of the company’s Sprint Fidelis cardiac defibrillator lead that will warn of a potential lead fracture. This will facilitate early intervention and lower the risk of serious complications, according to the FDA. The fracturing of the Sprint Fidelis lead was the reason for the October 2007 recall of the Medtronic device. The software issues an audible alert once it detects signals that could indicate that the lead has fractured. The alert is repeated every four hours until a physician can reset the defibrillator. The physician can download the Lead Integrity Alert feature onto Medtronic Implantable cardioverter defibrillators and cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillators. For additional information, call Karen Riley, FDA, at (301) 827-6244.
Research report cites relationship between heat stress and firefighter fatalities
Research conducted by the Firefighter Life Safety Research Center (FLSRC) and the University of Illinois Fire Service Institute (IFSI) report “Firefighter Fatalities and Injuries: the Role of Heat Stress and PPE” explains the role that heat stress and firefighter personal protection equipment (PPE) play in causing firefighter injuries and fatalities. The Fire Safety and Prevention Program of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funded the study. The yearlong research was conducted under the leadership of Dr. Denise Smith and Dr. Gavin Horn, FLSRC research manager. According to Horn, the project looked into the relationships among PPE, heat stress, cardiovascular function, and biomechanics.
Following are some key findings cited in the report:
- There was a significant increase in blood-clotting potential after only 18 minutes of firefighting activity.
- Nearly 65 percent of the 122 study participants were prehypertensive or hypertensive, even though the average age of participants was 30 years.
- Simple donning of PPE resulted in significant changes in firefighter balance and gait.
The 74-page report may be downloaded from the IFSI Web site at www.ifs.uiuc.edu; or contact Sue Blevins with FLSRC at (217) 265-6564.
This research is being followed up with an additional grant that will provide a more detailed investigation of cardiovascular changes associated with firefighting activities. For more information on research at the FLSRC and IFSI, contact Dr. Gavin Horn at (217) 265-6563.
ICC passes proposal requiring fire sprinklers in new housing
In a move commended by the National Fire Protection Association and fire service organizations, members of the International Code Council (ICC) approved a residential sprinkler code proposal at its 2008 code hearings in Minneapolis in September. The requirement will appear in the 2009 International Residential Code. The measure carried with 73 percent of the voters present. According to the International Association of Fire Chiefs, fire service personnel attended in force as part of a unified effort with members from more than 100 public safety organizations, including the IAFC and the International Association of Fire Fighters.
The nation is urged to secure chemical facilities, transportation
State and city homeland security officials, emergency medical services (EMS) directors, and fire and police chiefs are encouraged to review their risk of, and response to, a deliberate or accidental chemical disaster. Jerome Hauer, former assistant secretary for Public Health Emergency Preparedness at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; former director of emergency management for New York City; and CEO of the consulting group The Hauer Group, explains that the security of chemical facilities and chemicals and other hazardous materials being transported by truck, rail, and barge has been a concern since 9/11. The Department of Homeland Security finalized its chemical security regulations late last year; the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards were developed to prevent terrorists from accessing and using hazardous chemicals.
In addition, Hauer noted the following in a release issued during September, National Preparedness Month:
- The nation’s transportation system is vulnerable with respect to chemicals and other hazardous materials. Each day, millions of tons of hazardous materials are transported across more than 200,000 miles of highway, track, and inland waterways. The U.S. Department of Transportation regulates the transport of these materials.
- Modeling scenarios have predicted that a serious chemical disaster could result in hundreds to a few thousand casualties, depending on level of toxicity, length of exposure, atmospheric dispersion, and persistence. In a truck or rail accident involving a toxic chemical, the operator, emergency response teams, and surrounding communities would be in imminent danger.
- Although there are no antidotes to treat individuals who have been poisoned by some of the most toxic chemicals, antidotes are available for first responders for organophosphorus nerve agents and pesticides commonly used in agriculture. Organophosphate pesticides like malathion and parathion could pose as great a threat as the 1995 sarin attack on a Tokyo subway by the Aum Shinrikyo cult.
- If an accident involving an organophosphorus nerve agent occurs, individuals who have been poisoned may have only minutes to receive the antidote, and emergency medical personnel may not be able to assist everyone in need. To further complicate matters, federal government stockpiles of chemical nerve agent antidotes would not be accessible for immediate use.
- Barriers to EMS readiness continue, especially for large-scale emergencies, such as natural disasters and terrorist attacks. EMS preparedness challenges have been linked to gaps in federal funding, education and training, equipment and supplies, and planning and coordination between agencies.
- Most first responders report feeling vastly underprepared and underprotected for a disaster involving a chemical, biological, or radiological agent/weapon. And the level of personal protective equipment available to emergency responders for these threats varies widely by region and service.
- First-line antidotes for organophosphorus nerve agent poisoning have been supplied to state and local first responders since the 1990s.
- Antidotes are eligible for purchase through DHS grants. For more information about FY 2008 allocations, visit http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/grant-program-overview-fy2008.pdf/.
GAO report presents disaster recovery lessons
“Disaster Recovery: Past Experiences Offer Insights for Recovering from Hurricanes Ike and Gustav and Other Recent Natural Disasters” relates some of the main disaster recovery lessons learned from six major disasters that occurred from 1989 to 2005. The report, published by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), notes how creating and implementing a clear and timely recovery plan helps develop a “roadmap for recovery.”
Other areas include recommendations state and local governments can use to make effective use of federal assistance, including having sufficient financial resources and technical know-how and adopting a comprehensive approach toward combating fraud, waste, and abuse when a major disaster strikes. Additional information is at www.gao.gov/.
