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CFSI Takes Staffers Through a Day of Firefighter Training
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The Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI) and Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute (MFRI) conducted the annual Congressional Firefighter Training Program on November 6th. Held annually at MFRI's College Park training facility, the event allows Congressional staff the opportunity to literally walk in a firefighter's boots for a day.
This year, 50 staffers from both the House and Senate were able to experience seven stations of training. The stations included, a smoke maze, a bucket ride, taking a car apart with extraction tools, a hose-line to put out a propane fire, and finally a few minutes in a burn building.
While this experience is fun and exhilarating, it is also extremely educational for the staff. They learn just how hard it is to crawl around without being able to see in a confined environment and to perform a number of firefighting drills while wearing 50 pounds of turn-out gear and self contained breathing apparatus. Instructors and CFSI staff carefully explained the functions of each piece of gear and its cost. The program gives staff a unique knowledge of the fire service that they can share with their bosses when discussing legislation impacting the fire service.
CFSI would like to thank Steve Edwards, Director of the Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute, and all the MFRI staff for their support of the program.
On Tuesday October 27th, 2009 the CFSI National Advisory Committee (NAC) met in Washington, DC to address its legislative priorities as well as hear a presentation from Chief Kelvin Cochran, Administrator of the United States Fire Administration (USFA).
Chief Cochran outlined the initiatives that USFA would pursue for the next three years. They included, reducing losses from fire, improving fire prevention and life safety, reducing line of duty deaths and injury to firefighters, conducting an assessment of the impact of AFG and SAFER grants, highlighting the importance of the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) to local departments, creating new professional development programs in response to high rates of attrition within the fire service, and enhancing EMS courses being offered through the National Fire Academy.
CFSI would like to thank Steve Edwards, Director of the Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute, and all the MFRI staff for their support of the program.
Source: CFSI
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ICC Votes to Include Sprinkler Provision in Next Edition of International Residential Code
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At their October meeting, the International Code Council (ICC) voted to retain the provision for residential sprinklers in new one and two family homes in the next edition of the International Residential Code (IRC). An attempt was made by the National Association of Home Builders to repeal the fire sprinkler requirement, but the attempt was rejected by the ICC's Residential Building Code Committee (RBCC) in a 7-4 vote. Another attempt by NAHB was rebuffed when members assembled at the hearing voted overwhelming in support of the RBCC's decision.
Nearly 3,000 people a year die in fires and more than 80 percent of people that die in fires are killed in home fires. Installing both smoke alarms and a fire sprinkler system can reduce the risk of death in a home fire by 82%, relative to having neither.
If you would like more information on the Fire Sprinkler Initiative, click here.
Source: CFSI
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FY2009 SAFER application period is currently ongoing and will end on December 18, 2009
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As you may know, the FY2009 SAFER application period is currently ongoing and will end on December 18, 2009. Under the FY2009 program guidance, grants can be awarded to fire departments to rehire firefighters who have been laid off from the fire department due to economic constraints. The AFG program office and help desk have received numerous inquiries regarding the eligibility for grants of those fire departments that have planned layoffs of firefighters, but have not yet implemented the layoffs.
The FY2009 SAFER program guidance states that: "the position must have been the object of a layoff action that was effected between January 1, 2008, and October 31, 2009". We interpret this to mean that a notice must have been issued between January 1, 2008 and October 31, 2009, even if the actual layoff had not occurred by October 31, 2009. An applicant's narrative should be used to explain the circumstances of the lay off notifications, such as the date of notification and the effective date of the lay off.
Source: DHS
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NVFC Offers Resources to Help Departments Apply for SAFER Grants
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The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is currently accepting applications for FY 2009 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Services (SAFER) Grants. The application period closes on December 18, 2009 at 5:00 p.m. EST. The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) offers several resources to help volunteer and combination departments prepare their applications and narratives.
The NVFC partnered with Firehouse.com to release a SAFER Grant-Writing Audio Podcast, which provides tips and information for preparing a SAFER grant application and narrative. The podcast features a panel of experts who offer their advice for writing a SAFER grant application based on their own experiences preparing successful applications and serving as peer reviewers during the application selection process. Download the podcast.
In addition, the NVFC has an online AFG and SAFER Grant Narrative Resource Center to help volunteer fire departments write successful narratives with their Assistance to Firefighters Grant and SAFER grant applications. The Resource Center includes copies of narratives from successful past grant applications as well as a grant-writing guide created by the Department of Homeland Security. These model grant narratives are to be used for example or reference purposes only and are not to be directly copied.
The NVFC also partnered with Columbia Southern University (CSU) to release a video podcast of the NVFC's Grant-Writing Workshop. The workshop goes through the steps for preparing grant applications, with a focus on the AFG, SAFER, and Fire Prevention and Safety Grant programs, and offers tips to improve the chance of success. The podcast is divided into two segments and covers topics such as what projects are most likely to be funded, how to fill out the application, and writing a successful narrative.
Learn more and access these resources at www.nvfc.org/AFG.
The FY 2009 SAFER program has approximately $210 million available for grants. The SAFER Grants are administered by the Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency and provide grants to fire departments for hiring personnel and to fire departments and regional and state fire associations to implement volunteer recruitment and retention programs. The Program Guidance, tips for writing a good narrative, and the e-grant application are available on the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program web site at www.firegrantsupport.com/safer.
Source: NVFC
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FEMA Reaches Milestone with Integrated Public Alert & Warning System
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Washington, DC - Recently, the Organization for the Advancement of Structural Information Standards (OASIS) voted to approve the OASIS Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) v1.2 USA IPAWS Profile as a technical specification for public alert systems. The profile will enable emergency managers across the country to use a common format for creating emergency alert messages that can travel across multiple alert systems.
Read More>>
Source: Disaster Resource Guide
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Congress Calls for Safer Emergency Helicopters
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More regulated and better emergency medical helicopters could prevent deaths of pilots, medical crew and patients.
Read More>>
Source: Disaster Resource Guide
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| The United States Fire Administration (USFA) has received notice of the following firefighter fatalities:
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Name: Ramon E. Hain
Rank: Firefighter
Age: 50
Gender: Male
Status: Career
Years of Service: 6
Date of Incident: 11/24/1996
Time of Incident: 2020hrs
Date of Death: 11/14/2009
Fire Department: Saint Paul Fire Department
Address: 100 East Eleventh ST, Saint Paul, MN 55101
Fire Department Chief: Tim Butler
Incident Description: Firefighter Hain passed away as a result of heart failure reportedly caused by a rare disease he contracted through a documented exposure to hazardous substances (body fluids) while treating a patient.
Incident Location: Pending
Funeral Arrangements: 11/21/2009
Memorial Fund Contact and Address: Expressions of sympathy or condolences can be sent to Local 21 at 411 Main Street, Suite 316, Saint Paul, MN 55102-1031.
Tribute is being paid to Firefighter Ramon E. Hain at
http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/fireservice/fatalities/
Name: Terrance Freeman
Rank: Firefighter
Age: 36
Gender: Male
Status: Career
Years of Service: 4
Date of Incident: 11/22/2009
Time of Incident: 1200hrs
Date of Death: 11/22/2009
Fire Department: Rockford Fire Department
Address: 204 S First ST, Rockford, IL 61104-2033
Fire Department Chief: Derek Bergsten
Incident Description: Firefighter Freeman passed away from a cause still to be determined several hours after coming off of his shift during which he had responded to multiple emergency calls.
Incident Location: Pending
Funeral Arrangements: A visitation will be held from 1400-1600hrs on 11/28/2009 (Saturday), followed by a memorial service at 1600hrs at Fitzgerald Funeral Home, 1860 S. Mulford Road, Rockford, IL 61108.
Memorial Fund Contact and Address: Pending
Tribute is being paid to Firefighter Terrance Freeman at http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/fireservice/fatalities/
Name: Walter Hessling
Rank: Firefighter
Age: 54
Gender: Male
Status: Volunteer
Years of Service: 32
Date of Incident: 11/21/2009
Time of Incident: 1033hrs
Date of Death: 11/27/2009
Fire Department: Dix Hills Volunteer Fire Department
Address: 115 E Deer Park RD, Dix Hills, NY 11746
Fire Department Chief: Robert Adcock
Fire Department Website: http://www.dixhillsfd.org
Incident Description: On November 21, 2009, Firefighter Hessling responded to motor vehicle accident call at 1033 hours and subsequently, after clearing the scene, suffered a stroke at 1554 hours. Firefighter Hessling passed away several days later due to complications from that medical emergency.
Incident Location: Deer Park Ave and Macniece Pl (USNG: 18T XL 3987 1745).
Funeral Arrangements: A Wake will be held 11/30/2009 from 1930-2100hrs; 12/01/2009 from 1400-1700hrs and 1900-2100hrs at the Al Jacobsen Funeral Home, 1380 New York AVE, Huntington Station, NY 11746. Firematic services will be held at 2000hrs on 12/01/2009 at the Al Jacobsen Funeral Home. A private funeral ceremony for the family will be held Wednesday, 12/02/2009.
Memorial Fund Contact and Address: The family is requesting in lieu of flowers that donations be made to the Brady Intemann Foundation, 4 Pine Hollow Lane, Greenlawn, NY 11740.
Tribute is being paid to Firefighter Walter Hessling at http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/fireservice/fatalities/
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