Nov./Dec. 2004

A newsletter for Texas Firefighters

Texas Fire World

AED Important for Public Safety

by Donna Berny

Though firefighting and rescue is an important role of fire departments in the community, other responsibilities come with a position in public service. One of those responsibilities includes being educated and educating the community on how to behave in emergency situations.

Making citizens aware of what to do when a person goes into Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) can save lives. Yes, paramedics know their stuff when it comes to such emergency situations but, a victim of cardiac arrest needs immediate attention, often before paramedics can arrive. That's where Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) come in handy. It is estimated that about 1000 people suffer from SCA everyday. According to the Zoll Medical Corporation, a person's chances of surviving SCA decrease by 7-10% with every passing minute.

Medical experts are working toward the implementation of Public Access Defibrillation (PAD) which would put AEDs in public places such as airports, churches, restaurants, schools, hotels, etc. to make AED easily accessible to laypersons and first responders. AEDs automatically provide instructions and detect the treatment necessary to help the victim.

In order for AEDs to serve their purpose, proper training should be made available to all who have access to PAD. Software is available as well as instructors. The AED Instructor Foundation makes ordering equipment and finding the nearest AED trainer simple. A list of certified instructors is made available based on location at the instructor website: www.aedinstructorfoundation.org.

The relationship safety experts have with the community is very important. By improving those relationships and increasing the public areas in each community that have PAD, more of those who fall victim to SCA will have a better chance of surviving. It is only with the advice of safety experts that citizens will understand the importance of the presence of PAD. Just like smoke alarms and fire extinguishers, PAD should be a major priority to improve public safety.

For additional information visit:
www.aedinstructorfoundation.org, www.aedsafety.com, www.zoll.com/AED.htm .

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The fire was over in half an hour. When firemen were finally able to enter the building, the site before them was staggering. The March 26, 1911 issue of the Chicago Tribune said Fire Chief Croker stated he believed it was “the worst fire since the burning of the Brooklyn Theater in the 70’s.”
At that time, water from the hoses could not reach the top floors and ladders were several stories too short. The Triangle Fire is an event that has helped to illustrate the importance of thorough and strict fire inspections.

News Briefs

Firefighter Dies After Suffering Seizure

While exercising in the fitness center at his fire station, a 27-year-old firefighter collapsed and was found experiencing a grand mal seizure by crewmembers.

Witnesses said the seizure lasted for 20 seconds followed by 30 seconds in which he made purposeful movements but did not respond to commands. Then, the victim slumped over and showed no vital signs or pulse. Though CPR and ALS were administered, the firefighter died. The cause of death was determined by experts to be arteriosclerotic and hypertensive heart disase.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has included health guidelines to help prevent deaths due to cardiovascular disease:

· The Fire Department should negotiate with the local union to convert their voluntary wellness/ fitness program for the firefighters to a mandatory program to reduce risk factors for cardiovascular disease and improve cardiovascular capacity.

To learn more about this case (#F2003/40) visit the NIOSH website: www.cdc.gov/niosh/firehome.html, or call

1-800-35-NIOSH.
Supreme Court Allows Earlier Court Ruling to Stand

Justices of the Supreme Court allowed an earlier Arizona Supreme Court ruling to stand regarding the random drug testing of firefighters in the case of Mesa vs. Peterson.

The previous court ruling said random drug testing violated a firefighter’s right to privacy. According to the Arizona Court, the City of Mesa failed to prove that the fire department had a reason to begin testing.

Only if a city has reason to suspect a firefighter is abusing drugs or is involved in an accident on the job may a city conduct a drug test.

Fire chiefs should watch for interpretations of the Arizona Supreme Court ruling.

911 Internet Calls Not Efficient

Emergency calls that are made over the internet are more difficult to handle by 911 operators and are often given a lower priority. New internet telephone services allow the user to make local and long distance calls at a cheaper rate. Unfortunately, emergency calls come through on a non emergency phone line. Operators find it harder to pinpoint the location of a call from the internet.

With a traditional phone call, the information automatically appears once the call is answered. The new internet technology is called Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) .

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is working to decide whether the internet phone service should be regulated. Under FCC regulation, requirements must be set up with VOIP for services such as 911. Phone companies are working on technical improvements that will help connect VOIP users to the traditional 911 calling network so information will be automatically displayed on the operators screen once the call is made.

Right now, some but not all internet calling is compatible. Some phone companies are currently being tested for compatibility. Until all the kinks are ironed out, 911-calls using VOIP may not be as efficient as suspected.

EMS Paramedic Linked to Grenade Explosions

A paramedic linked to a recent “flash bang” grenade explosion in Magnolia, Texas is suspected of being involved in a similar incident that occurred in July.

Gene Williams Jr., 42, head of the tactical medical squad for Cypress Creek EMS resigned from his position on unpaid reserve at the Hempstead Police Department the day after the incident occurred, officials said.

Huffman Assistant Fire Chief, Steven Cosby, 26 lost part of his foot when an explosive device went off near him, investigators said.

Investigations are still underway by the Hempstead Police Department for his possible connection with the explosion of a “flash bang” grenade in a parking lot in late July. The case is pending with the city attorney.

Free Housing Being Considered for Volunteer Firefighters

After seeing and increase in the number of fire calls and a decrease in volunteer firefighters, officials in Junction City, Oregon are considering offering free housing in hopes of attracting live-in volunteers.

The Junction city Rural Fire protection District is hoping to persuade voters to support a $2.5 million bond to build a new fire hall which will include a living quarter for four “resident volunteers”.

Volunteers will receive a free room in exchange for being on duty at certain hours or on certain days.

Oil Rig Prank Leads to Death of Worker

An oil rig supervisor was convicted of manslaughter in the death of a young oil rig worker. Louis Goodman, 38, of Ponder, Texas, was found guilty in a hazing incident at an oil rig between Denton and Argyle, that led to the death of Shawn Davis, 23 who had been on the job less than a week.

Goodman and another crewmember had planned to suspend Davis over the rig. After being wrestled to the ground, he was hooked to a cable that dragged him face first through a metal door and slammed into a spinning pipe repeatedly. Goodman faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

The other crew member, Teddy Garland, 40, of Weatherford, was charged with manslaughter and stands trial at a later date.

NIMS Implementation Important

Federal Fiscal Year 2005 is the startup year for National Incident Management (NIMS) implementation. Local governments are being encouraged to achieve full compliance with the NIMS FFY 2005 (October 1, 2004-September 30, 2005). It is not required in order to receive FFY but only represent a few of the actions necessary for full implementation.

· Completion of an independentstudy course developed by the Emergency Management Institute (EMI) explains the purpose, principles, key components, and benefits of NIMS and is the only NIMS training currently available. The NIMS Awareness Course: “National Incident Management System (NIMS), An Introduction” IS-700 is available online at http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/ and requires forty-five minutes to three hours to complete. IS-700 is not an Incident Command System (ICS) course.

· Legislation, executive orders, resolutions, or ordinances should be established by local governments in order to formally recognize the NIMS and adopt NIMS principles and policies.

· Determine which NIMS requirements have already been met by establishing a baseline. Some local governments have already implemented several of the concepts and protocols identified with the NIMS. The NIMS Integration Center (NIC) provides strategic direction and oversight for the NIMS by supporting both routine maintenance and continuous refinement of the system and its components over the long-term. The center is developing a web-based self-assessment system called the NIMS Capability Assessment Support Tool (NIMCAST). NIMCAST will be able to evaluate incident response and management capabilities as well as the NIMS requirements not currently met. The NIC will provide all potential future users with voluntary access to the system upon completion of the pilot.

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Training will focus on the professionals’ area of industry. They will learn how to respond if they or their cargo are the target of a terrorist attack. Thos who attend will also learn to share valuable intelligence with the National Transportation Security Administration if potential threats are witnessed. This knowledge allows federal agencies to prevent or quickly respond to an attack. Trained transportation officials will receive a confidential highway watch identification number and toll-free phone number to report any suspicious acts.

The ‘train the trainer’ option for regiestration allows for a few people in a large company to be trained and then return to train the rest of the company. The ‘student training’ option allows PMTA to train the work force of a company. All materials and training is free of charge.

A registration form must be completed for each individual receiving highway watch training and should be faxed or mailed to PMTA at least five days prior to the selected training date. For more information, contact Janine Valle, 717-761-7122 ext. 105 or visit PMTA’s website: www.pmta.org.Other classes can be scheduled upon request by Fire Service Organizations or Trucking Companies.

Congress Sets Aside Funds for DHS

The appropriations bill for fiscal year 2005 was passed by the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

The bill funds important fire service grant programs such as the Assistance to Fire fighters Grant Program (FIRE Act) and the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Program (SAFER).

Congress set aside $650 million for the FIRE Act which is a decrease of $100 million from the last two years of funding at $750 million. Congress also voted to provide $65 million to SAFER which had never received funding before.The overall federal budget and increasing deficit led to the cut to FIRE Act.

In creating the bill, Congress specifically mentioned that DHS keep the all encompassing focus on “all-hazards” preparation and to reinstate program categories the department was considering getting rid of such as wellness and fitness programs, emergency medical services, fire prevention programs, public education programs and modifications of facilities for health and safety personnel. The department was also directed to continue funding applications in compliance with local priorities and those established by the United States Fire Administration (USFA) while also including the USFA in grant administration.

The recent reauthorization of the FIRE Act back to the Emergency Response and Preparedness Division of DHA with specific instructions made by Congress concerning the focus on “all-hazards” response has eased prior concerns of the IAFC.

Texas Fire World

PO Box 9482, 540 Graham Rd.

College Station, TX 77842/45

Phone: 979-690-7559

Fax: 979-690-7562

Publisher: David White

davidw@fireworld.com

Editor:Donna Berny

donna@fireworld.com