Four charged in Chicago nightclub disaster
The co-owners of the E2 nightclub in Chicago in which 21 people perished in a stampede resulting from the use of a pepper spray to break up a fight were charged with involuntary manslaughter. Also charged were the club’s promoter and floor manager. The actions followed a grand jury investigation. All pleaded not guilty and are free on bond. The state’s attorney for Chicago’s Cook County said in a press conference these individuals regularly packed the club and referred to their actions as “reckless.”
The incident occurred during the early morning hours of February 17, 2003. Reportedly, more than 1,200 patrons were in the club, exceeding the club’s legal capacity by hundreds. The second floor of the club, according to news reports, had been ordered closed by city officials in 2002 because of building and fire code violations. “4 Are Charged in Stampede at Nightclub in Chicago,” Jo Napolitano, The New York Times, Sept. 23, 2003.
2003 Assistance to Firefighters grants around $317 million
More than 4,500 fire departments had been awarded around $317 million in grants as of press time (Round 18). In the 18th round, 122 grants were processed. The Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program is administered by the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The most current information regarding these grant awards is at www.usfa.fema.gov/.
FIRE grants funded at $750 million and moved to ODP
House and Senate conferees of the Appropriations Subcommittee on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have voted to fund the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (FIRE Act) at $750 million (funds will be available until September 30, 2005). They voted also to move the grant program from the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) to the Office for Domestic Preparedness (ODP).
DHS Secretary Tom Ridge has argued that consolidating terrorism and emergency preparedness grant programs and centering them within Homeland Security would make them more accessible and would give state and local authorities “a single point of contact for terrorism and emergency preparedness efforts.”
The conference report accompanying the bill provides the following:
- The FIRE grants are to remain a separate appropriation within the ODP.
- The USFA must remain involved during grant administration.
- The DHS was instructed that it must continue current administrative practices for the grant program.
- The peer review process of applications remains.
- Overall administrative expenses for the grant program at DHS shall not exceed 5 percent, as is current practice.
- The subcommittee must complete its conference, and the full committee must approve. The bill then goes to both houses of Congress for concurrence and to the president for signature into law.
- Garry Briese, executive director of the International Association of Fire Chiefs, said, “We have made our concerns known and fought to keep it [the grant program] in the USFA. Now that it will be moved to ODP, we will support ODP at the same level as we have the USFA. We are pleased that Congress has determined to keep the USFA involved in the fire grant process. The fact that the program is managed by a different agency at DHS should not detract from the efficiency of the program.”
- Suzanne Mencer is the president’s nominee to become director of the Office for Domestic Preparedness.
Congressman Curt Weldon (R-PA), founder of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus, had noted in a newspaper editorial that he, as a former volunteer fire chief and mayor of a suburban town, considers moving the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program to the DHS “a tragic mistake.”
There is a “fatal flaw in the logic for incorporating the FIRE Act with terrorism-related programs,” Weldon said, “because the FIRE Act was never intended for terrorism purposes.” He added that it was “put into place prior to September 11, 2001, and is designed to assist fire departments to address the shortage of basic needs such as turnout gear, vehicles, and breathing apparatus.” Weldon acknowledged that the DHS and Congress must do more to equip and train fire departments and EMS services to properly respond to a terrorist attack; but, he added, “All the specialized terrorism-response gear in the world will be rendered useless if the firefighter does not have the minimal tools and protections …. No other homeland security program is designed to provide departments with basic needs.”
DOT’s RSPA proposes changes in rules for aluminum alloy cylinders
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Research and Special Programs Administration (RSPA) issued a notice of proposed rulemaking, HM-220F, to amend requirements in the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR) for cylinders made of the aluminum alloy 6351-T6. The proposal is aimed at minimizing the potential for personal injury when filling the cylinder and implementing a standard for early detection of sustained load cracking to reduce the risk of a cylinder rupture, according to Samuel G. Bonasso, RSPA acting administrator.
HM-220F requires that all existing cylinders manufactured of aluminum alloy 6351-T6 used in self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (SCUBA), self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), and oxygen service undergo a nondestructive examination at the time of their required five-year periodic requalification (including an electrical/eddy current examination combined with a visual inspection for cracks in the neck region), have operational controls in place during the filling process, and revise the entry in the HMR for the DOT 3 AL cylinder in the “Requalification of Cylinders” table to include a nondestructive examination for cylinders manufactured of this alloy.
Rule HM-220D (August 2002) amended the requirements of the HMR applicable to the maintenance, requalification, repair, and use of DOT specification cylinders. The final rule is at http://dms.dot.gov, docket number 14405 and www.rspa.dot.gov.
IAFC calls for no-alcohol policy
The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) is asking its fire chief and emergency service members to adopt a zero tolerance alcohol policy. Among the policy’s proposals is that firefighters remove themselves from service if they have consumed alcohol within eight hours before beginning their shift or if they are still noticeably impaired by alcohol consumed prior to the eight-hour period.
Fire and emergency service agencies and organizations that raise funds by operating or renting their social halls are asked to distinctly separate the facilities to help ensure the zero tolerance standard of alcohol consumption by their members who may be called to perform official duties.
IAFC President Chief Ernie Mitchell commended those departments already enforcing such a policy. The IAFC Board of Directors adopted the policy in August. The full policy at www.iafc.org/.
IAFF honors fallen firefighters at solemn ceremony
More than 3,000 family members, firefighters, and friends from across the United States and Canada attended the 17th annual IAFF Fallen Fire Fighter Memorial observance on September 20 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The names of 77 union firefighters who died in the line of duty were added to 1,500 other names on the Wall of Honor.
Some 400 members of the IAFF Honor Guard from 75 union locals spanning 26 states and Canadian provinces played pipes and drums and carried flags and axes to honor their fallen brothers and sisters in the long-standing tradition of the fire service.
Colorado Springs Mayor Lionel Rivera and Fire Chief Manuel Navarro welcomed the guests and expressed pride in the memorial and all it represents.
Department needs to replace apparatus destroyed by hurricane
Chief Jeffrey Stotesberry of the Swan Quarter (NC) Fire Department has issued a plea for help. Hurricane Isabel destroyed his department’s trucks and other property. Although the department is expecting to receive some funds, there will be no money to purchase apparatus. If you have a truck you would like to sell or donate, contact Chief Stotesberry at (252) 926-2231, or the North Carolina State Firemen’s Association, P.O. Box 188, Farm-ville, NC 27828, (800) 253-4733.
Study finds responders uncertain about terrorism preparedness
Firefighters, medical technicians, police, and other first responders in the country who participated in a study conducted by RAND’s Science and Technology Policy Institute said they do not believe they are adequately protected against terrorist attacks. The study is based on interviews with 190 first responders representing 83 organizations across the country.
The emergency workers said “they did not know what they needed to protect against, what protection was appropriate, and where to look for it.” This uncertainty, they noted, “frustrates efforts to design a protection program and acquire the necessary technology.”
The survey respondents said they want “better protective clothing and equipment, more compatible communications systems, and expanded training and information on safety practices and equipment.” Researchers said they noted vast differences in the level of protection from “service to service and hazard to hazard.”
EMS responders cited inadequate protection against assaults and terrorism-associated hazards. They noted a lack of protective equipment designed especially for EMS responders and of organizations directed solely at EMS responder protection.
The report, “Protecting Emergency Responders Volume 2: Community Views of Health and Safety Risks and Personal Protection Needs,” is at www.rand.org/publications/MR/MR1646.
Smoke alarms to be installed in homes in Holmes County, Mississippi
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the U.S. Fire Administration, and the Mississippi High-Risk Fire Safety Task Force have joined to provide and install 9,000 smoke alarms in homes in Holmes County, Mississippi. The project, part of Fire Prevention Week activities, marks the first anniversary of a home fire in the county that killed six children.
“Of the more than 50 fire deaths recently investigated in Mississippi by the state Office of the Fire Marshal,” notes the NFPA, “not one occurred in a home with a working smoke alarm.”
FEMA Regional Director Ken Burris expressed the hope that this initiative would also help to teach residents about the importance of fire safety in the home. NFPA, USFA, Mississippi High-Risk Fire Safety Task force members, and community volunteers are installing the alarms; installation is expected to take up to nine months.
Enhanced 9-1-1 system improvements advance
The House Energy and Commerce Committee approved the E9-1-1 Implementation Act of 2003 (H.R. 2898) on October 1. It had been introduced earlier this year by Reps. John Shimkus (R-IL) and Anna Eshoo (D-CA). Among the legislation’s primary provisions are the following: authorization of federal grants to assist public safety answering points (PSAPs) in upgrading equipment, infrastructure, and personnel training and the establishment of a federal government E9-1-1 coordination office. States that do not use the funds collected from consumers for 9-1-1 improvements will be ineligible for federal grants.
E9-1-1 would enable emergency response centers to determine the precise location data from individuals placing calls on cell phones. According to the National Emergency Number Association (NENA), about 93 percent of call centers have E9-1-1 for wireline callers, but only about 10 percent can locate wireless callers accurately.
The full House of Representatives is expected to vote on the bill by the end of the year. A companion bill (S. 1250), introduced by Sens. Conrad Burns (R-MT) and Hillary Clinton (D-NY), was approved by the Senate Commerce Committee in July.
Weldon renews call for sprinkler legislation
Congressman Curt Weldon (R-PA) urged his colleagues to pass H.R. 1824, the Fire Sprinkler Incentive Act of 2003, which he and Congressman Jim Langevin (D-RI) introduced earlier this year. He renewed his call following a September Nashville, Tennessee, nursing home fire that claimed seven lives.
The legislators, in March, created a task force to draft the legislation, which provides tax incentives and revises depreciation guidelines for owners of older buildings who want to install sprinkler systems. Many buildings constructed before 1974 have been exempted from the requirement to install sprinkler systems.
Injured emergency workers focus of study
Firefighter Ministries, Inc. (FFM), a national nonprofit organization that has been assisting with the social/human needs of injured emergency service workers since 1998, is conducting a national study focusing on firefighters and EMS personnel, volunteer or paid, who have been injured in the line of duty. The study’s objective is to gather statistics relative to the financial, emotional, and physical effects of a line-of-duty injury.
The study will run through September 2004. After the study has been concluded, FFM will offer suggestions for improving methods for caring for the injured, establishing educational programs, and developing an extensive support structure for those with injuries. To participate, visit www.theultimatefirehouse.com/injured_firefighter.htm. Personal information such as name, contact information, or department name is not required for participation.
Additional information about FFM is at www.firefighterministries.org.
Line-of-Duty Deaths
August 20. Inmate Firefighter Edward Buti, 54, Idaho Correctional Institution-Orofino, Idaho: Of an undetermined cause while hiking with an inmate firefighting crew to a wildfire in Elk City, Idaho. The cause of death is under investigation.
August 24. Firefighters Paul Gibson, 25; David Hammer, 38; Jeff Hengel, 21; Ricardo “Ricky” Ruiz, 19; Mark Ransdell, 23; Leland Price Jr., 27; Richard B. Moore II, 21; and Jesse James, 22, First Strike Environmental, Roseburg, Oregon: A collision with a semi-trailer on the way home from a wildfire in South Fork, Idaho.
September 2. Lieutenant Stephen G. Gavin, 52, Owego (NY) Fire Department: Heart-related problems suffered at a mutual-aid structure fire.
September 6. Captain Jerry Wayne Armstrong, 45, Bryant (IN) Volunteer Fire Department: Massive heart attack while working a fund-raiser at a community festival.
September 9. Firefighter William F. Ramsey, 42, Connellsville Township (PA) Volunteer Fire Department: Apparent heart attack after returning to the fire station after an alarm.
September 10. Assistant Chief Harry Zilkan, 56, Newberry Springs (CA) Fire Department: Of complications of a heart attack suffered while directing a fire attack at a residential structure in 1996.
September 20. Fire Police Officer William Wheeler, 67, Saxton (PA) Volunteer Fire Department: Single car accident while responding to a vehicle accident. The accident is being investigated.
September 27. Chief Jon Bill Luttman, 53, Redkey (IN) Volunteer Fire Department: Heart attack.
September 27. Firefighter James J. O’Shea, 41, Fire Department of New York, Brooklyn, NY: A fatal heart attack at his home after fighting a fire shortly before the end of his tour of duty.
September 30. Firefighter Gerald Hayswood Williams, 60, Cool Springs Volunteer Fire Department, Inc., Statesville, North Carolina: A fatal heart attack during the early morning hours while sleeping at the fire station after participating in strenuous hose training the previous night.
October 1. Firefighters John Garman, 40, and Kenneth Jutte, 44, New Bremen (OH) German Township Fire Department: Killed while hosing down dust in a lumber company silo that ultimately exploded.
October 3. Pilot Carl Dolbeare, 54, and Co-Pilot John Attardo, 51, Minden (NV) Air Corp.: P2-V air tanker crash near Redlands, California.
Source: National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Database, United States Fire Administration.
News Glimpses
NEMA releases new standard on exit sign visibility. The Emergency Lighting Section of the National Electrical Manufacturers Association’s (NEMA) EM 1-2002, Exit Sign Visibility Testing and Requirements for Safety, released in September, stipulates visibility testing procedures and requirements for exit signs. Based on research by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the Lighting Research Center, and CSA International, the standard contains performance requirements and test methods for evaluating exit sign visibility, including readability and the ability to attract attention in an emergency. Additional information is available at www.nema.org/r/std/em1/.
IAFF firefighters endorse Kerry for president. The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) has endorsed Senator John Kerry for President.
UL provides flammability testing for CA’s mattress standard. Underwriters Laboratories (UL) now provides testing for California’s new TB 603 Open-Flame Mattress Standard, developed by the California Bureau of Home Furnishings and Thermal Insulation. The standard will take effect January 2004 (manufacturers will have until January 2005 to comply). TB 603 applies to all mattresses and box springs, including futons, hybrid flotation and airbed ensembles, sofa sleepers, cribs, bunk beds, and roll-a-way and hide-a-beds. For additional information, contact UL’s Bob Backstrom at (847) 664-2250 or Robert.G.Backstrom@us.ul.com.
IAFC signs cooperative agreement with Department of Interior. Under an agreement between the Department of Interior (DOI) and the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), the DOI will provide nearly $130,000 to the IAFC to sponsor workshops and other training opportunities for fire departments and personnel who operate in the wildland-urban interface. The objective is to enhance the ability of local fire departments to operate safely and in conjunction with state and federal agencies to combat forest and rangeland fires across the nation.
Fire safety and sleepover. Parents/caregivers should consider fire safety in relation to their children’s invitations for sleepovers at the homes of new classmates, says the National Fire Protection Association. They should ask about the family’s fire escape plan and whether there are working smoke alarms.
IAFF hosts Burn Foundation Camp. The International Association of Fire Fighters held its 7th Annual Camp for Young Burn Survivors in Washington, D.C. the week of September 26-October 2. A child and a firefighter counselor representative from each of 49 regional burn camps throughout the country attended.
Robinson reappointed to NFFF board. Steve Robinson has been reappointed to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) for a six-year term. He serves as the federal/state fire service representative.
Zippo ends “fire tricks” program. In response to protests from the National Fire Protection Association and other fire safety advocates, Zippo Manufacturing Company has shut down its Web site, which presented more than 500 “tricks” involving lighted Zippo lighters. The company also scrapped its plans to bring these tricks to nightclubs in a dozen cities.
Do you use Reverse 911?
Does your department use Reverse 911 or maintain its own radio or television channels? If so, Chesterfield County, Virginia, would like some information. Contact Jack Sullivan, editor of FireNewz, at jack@lionvillefire.com.