NEWS IN BRIEF
Toxic spills on the rise
Toxic spills on highways and involving rail cars are increasing. Rail incidents were up 46 percent since 1985, according to reports released by public action organizations; the reports show that spills have increased between 1989 and 1990 also.
An article in USA TODAY (July 25, 1991) cited several recent incidents, among them the derailment in California of a train carry ing a toxic fumigant (metam sodium) in July. The spill into the Sacramento River killed thousands of fish; threatened Shasta Lake, a major source of drinking water; and made at least 100 responders and residents sick. The following week, a truck carrying hazardous waste caught fire on an interstate highway near Washington, D.C., during the afternoon rush hour.
Numerous reports of similar events have appeared in the media. The following incidents, for example, are only a sampling of the items reported throughout the country almost daily.
- Colorado: A highway tanker crashed and spilled 2,500 gallons of gasoline in a creek (May).
- Arkansas: A 17-car freight train derailed; two of the cars—which did not leak—were carrying liquid chlorine gas (May).
- Wisconsin: Several freight train cars fell into a river when 28 cars derailed. Diesel fuel was spilled (July).
- Missouri: About 500 residents were evacuated when 8,000 to 10,000 gallons of a hazardous chemical leaked from a train wreck (June).
- New Jersey; A tanker truck carry -ing 3,000 gallons of a hydrochloric acid solution spilled about 10 gallons on a highw ay when a gasket on top of
- the truck ruptured. Eleven people suffered respiratory problems (June).
The five states with the highest number of rail and highway haz-mat incidents for 1990, according to the Department of Transportation, were:
Railroad incidents-. Texas, 135; Michigan, 108; Ohio, 98; Illinois, 79; and Louisiana, 68. Dollar damages-. Tennessee, 53,709,986; Alaska, S2,996,424; Pennsylvania, S2,978,830; South Carolina, SI,371,401; and Texas, S834,253-
Highways incidents: Pennsylvania, 711; California, 668; Illinois, 629; Ohio, 428; and North Carolina and Texas, 362 each. Dollar damages. Texas, S2,204,720; California, SI,592,935; Georgia, SI,030,187; Pennsylvania, S947,711; and Ohio, S920.215.
Fire and life safety legislative initiatives before Congress
Following is a partial summary—not a comprehensive listing—of the legislative initiatives affecting the fire and emergency services now’ under consideration by Congress, according to the Congressional Fire Services Institute.
- HR. 2099 and S. 977, the Fire Safety Enhancement Act of 1991: A bill that would require smoke-detection devices in residential dwelling units funded or assisted by any HUD program. Rep. Benjamin Gilman (RNY) and Sen. Alfonse D’Amato (R-NY) are sponsors; introduced Apr. 25, 1991: referred to the House Banking, Finance, and Urban Affairs Subcommittee on Housing and Community Development and the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs.
- HR. 961: A bill to amend United
- States Code, title V, to eliminate maximum-age entry requirements for federal law enforcement officers and firefighters. Rep. John Duncan (R-TN) is sponsor; introduced Feb. 19, 1991; referred to House Post Office and Civil Service Subcommittee on Civil Service.
- HR. 880: A bill to extend benefits, under section 8191 of the United States Code, title V, to law enforcement officers and firefighters not employed by the United States who are killed or totally disabled in the line of duty. Rep. Andy Jacobs (D-IN) is sponsor; introduced Feb. 6, 1991; referred to House Judiciary Snbrom^*^ mittee on Crime and Criminal Justice.
- H.J. Res. 190 and S.J. Res. 148: A joint resolution designating Oct. 8, 1991 as “National Firefighters’ Day.” Rep. Curt Weldon (R-PA) and Sen. Richard H. Bryan (D-NV) are spon’ sors; introduced Mar. 13, 1991 , in the House and May 21, 1991, in the Senate; referred to House Post Office and Civil Service Subcommittee on Census and Population and to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary.
- R. 1190, the High Risk Occupa- ^ tional Disease Notification and Prevention Act: A bill to establish a system for identifying, notifying, and preventing illness and death among workers who are at increased or high risk of occupational disease. Rep. Joseph Gaydos (D-PA) is sponsor; introduced Feb. 28, 1991; referred to House Education and Labor Subcommittee on Health & Safety.
UL establishes packaging systems evaluation program
A new Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL) classification program evaluates packaging systems for flammable and combustible liquids stored in plasticcontainers.
“Manufacturers of flammable or combustible liquids and packaging systems can demonstrate to jurisdictional authorities and insurers of general-purpose warehouses that their storage systems comply with the new NFPA 30—Flammable Liquids and Combustible Liquids Code, which went into effect September 1991,” explains Jim Beyreis, UL’s fire protection division vice president.
The system will be classified as a unit for use with specific flammable and combustible liquids. Individual packaging elements—including plastic containers, corrugated cartons, fire retardants applied to the carton, and other packaging materials—also will be evaluated under UL’s recognition program.
UL field representatives will examine components at the manufacturing facilities and complete packaging systerns at bottling locations to determine continued compliance with UL’s requirements.
NFA announces research awards
Outstanding Research Awards recently were given to four members of the fire service by the National Fire Academy. Recipients, announced by Olin L. Greene, administrator of the U.S. Fire Administration, were cited for research projects completed while students participated in the NFA Executive Fire Officer Program. The papers were presented during the 1991 Executive Fire Officer Symposium at the academy.
The winners and the titles of their projects are Robert C. Andrews Jr., vice president and fire chief of the Refinery Terminal Fire Co. in Corpus Christi, Texas, “A Study to Determine the Feasibility of Utilizing the Incident Command System as Adopted by the NFA for the Command and Control of Resources at Refining and Petrochemical Facilities in Corpus Christi, Texas”; Kerry B. Koen, chief of the Delray Beach (FL) Fire Department, “Planning a Successful Municipal Bond Issue for Fire Protection and Other Purposes—-An Example of Community Leadership”; Richard Jiras, battalion chief of the Los Angeles Fire Department, “Justification for Drug Standards for Entrance Level Firefighters”; and Charles A. Parks, battalion chief of the Anne Arundel County (MD) Fire Department, “Smoke Detector Compliance in Single-Family Dwellings.”
Researchers join to advance fire safety
An international fire safety engineering conference, a multipart collaborative research project, and validated computer models for predicting fire spread and smoke movement will be on the agenda for the Forum for International Cooperation in Fire Research (FORUM). The group, representing fire research organizations from around the world, met recently at Factory Mutual Research Corporation (FMRC) headquarters to set the agenda.
The two-day “Fire Safety’ Engineering: The Concepts and the Tools” conference, scheduled to be held in Australia next year, will emphasize computer mathematical models that can predict how fire will spread and the type and extent of damage that will result. Attendees will include fire scientists and researchers, fire safety engineers, and code and regulatory officials.
FORUM members will develop a plan for a cooperative research project that will maximize the use of limited hinds and use the varied testing facilities and technical expertise available through the groups participating in the organization. Areas of fire safety knowledge that need improvement will be identified and addressed.
A task group, headed by Dr. Jack E. Snell, FORUM chairman and deputy director, National Building and Fire Research Laboratory at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, will develop a plan for validating the accuracy of computer models that predict fire spread and smoke movement.
Also, “Survey of Computer Models for Fire and Smoke,” a guide to available computer models prepared by Dr. Raymond Friedman of FMRC, will be updated.
In addition to FMRC and the Building and Fire Research Laboratory (NIST) of the United States, FORUM participants include fire research organizations from Australia, Canada, Finland, France, India, Italy, Japan, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.
Smoke detector program packet available
“Change Your Clock, Change Your Battery,” a national safety education program designed to call the public’s attention to the critical importance of installing and maintaining smoke detectors in their homes, urges nationwide replacement of batteries in residential smoke detectors when clocks are returned to standard time on October 27. The program is cosponsored by the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the American Burn Association, and the Eveready Battery Company.
A comprehensive packet of materials on the program may be requested by fire departments and public safety organizations. Among the items contained in the kit are detailed guidelines for implementing the “Change Your Clock, Change Your Battery” program in your community, cameraready artwork for billboards and public service announcements, a series of news releases and letters to the editor regarding maintaining smoke detectors, and examples of outstanding ideas submitted by fire departments across the country.
One of the highlights of this year’s program is the “Fire-Safe Challenge”—a challenge between communities to maximize the placement and readiness of smoke detectors.
Additional information and packets may be obtained by calling Julie Westermann at (314) 982-0572.
