United States of America (USA) Fire Industry News

24-7 Fire is the new professional education and fire training series from HSI 24-7 Fire is a new series of professional training programme developed with the assistance of the new 24-7 Fire Advisory Board.Health and Safety Institute (HSI) family of brands, inclusive of American Safety & Health Institute (ASHI), MEDIC First Aid, 24-7 EMS, is proud to announce the release of 24-7 Fire. This new professional education and fire training series from Health & Safety Instit...

Southern California FIRE & EMS will be adding additional staff and services to meet the high demand Southern California FIRE & EMS has announced the addition of new training classes, services, and staffing for the year 2010 that are geared to give the company a more solid footing in the fire/ems industry as well as the motion picture/events industry. As one of the fastest growing motion picture/event safety companies, they have announced the following staffing addit...

Setcom's calendar provides a "one-stop shop" experience for fire industry professionals Setcom Corporation, an industry leader in wireless communications equipment and accessories for public safety vehicles, including fire apparatus and police motorcycles, has released their 2010 calendar of fire training and conference events (www.SetcomCorp.com/events.html). With over 30 events listed currently, additional dates are continuously being added to provide a one-stop calend...

The Fire Protection Research Foundation has appointed new trustees New trustees will each begin a three-year term in January 2010.The Fire Protection Research Foundation, an affiliate of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), has named Donald P. Bliss of National Infrastructure Institute Foundation and Steven T. Edwards of the University of Maryland as new trustees. Foundation trustees are selected and appointed by the NFPA board of directors. Dona...

  B.E.S. along with other fire and rescue agencies extricated a wolf trapped in a steel pipe. Photo: Larkin Carey The several hour ordeal saw the wolf emerge in fine condition with only some minor cuts and scrapes.Boulder Emergency Squad, B.E.S, along with other agencies, rescued a wolf which had gotten its head stuck in a steel pipe. With medical care provided by a veterinarian, the pipe was carefully cut from around the animal's head. The...

Debris removal is a major challenge following natural disasters.Photo: Casey Deshong, FEMA FEMA is urging residents to become "Earthquake Prepared" by exercising a few safety measures.Midwesterners expect and prepare for a variety of seasonal hazards such as extreme snow, ice, flooding, tornadoes and severe weather. But the non-seasonal threat of earthquakes may not register on every family's hazard scale. That's why the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Region VII...

St. Albert Fire Department will use OnSite ERT™ to determine crew status during emergencies The technology will replace previous, less reliable techniques to determine crew status during fire-related emergencies.It's a scene all too familiar for firefighters: Emergency responders enter a burning building, but before the flames are put out, the roof collapses and they dash out. The commander on scene is suddenly left wondering if any crew members are still inside. What...

The fire protection legislation is expected to accelerate cost recovery of fire sprinkler retrofits Passage of this landmark fire protection legislation will accelerate cost recovery of fire sprinkler retrofits. On Friday, January 22, 2010, Senator Tom Carper (D-DE), with Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) as primary cosponsor, introduced the Fire Sprinkler Incentive Act of 2010. The bill is the Senate companion bill to HR 1194 in the House of Representatives introduced la...

FEMA has issued a special report, as part of its Topical Fire Report Series The report is based on 2005 to 2007 data from the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS).The Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has issued a special report, part of its Topical Fire Report Series, examining the causes and characteristics of fires in hotels and motels. An estimated average of 3,900 fires occur each year in hotels and motels, which are...

Fire codes aimed at reducing fires and protecting the environment Sacramento - Updated fire and building codes developed to increase fire resistance in buildings and homes across California will take effect from January 2011. The new codes, which will be enforced by CAL FIRE's Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM) and fire and building departments throughout the state, bring California in line with the 2009 International Building, Fire, and Residential Code. The new codes...

About 300,000 Powerheart and CardioVive AEDs devices have malfunctioned worldwide FDA has alerted users of certain malfunctioning Powerheart and CardioVive automated external defibrillators. FDA is alerting users of certain Powerheart and CardioVive automated external defibrillators that these devices may malfunction unexpectedly.This can cause a failure to deliver the electric shocks that are needed to treat sudden cardiac arrest or arrhythmias. The manufactur...

  The new code will require fire sprinklers in all new homes, beginning 2011 The residential sprinkler requirement was voted into the 2009 IRC Code by building code officials from all over the U.S.The National Fire Sprinkler Association (NFSA), the longest-tenured fire sprinkler advocacy organization in the U.S., has announced the State of California has adopted building code changes that will require all new one- and two-family homes and town houses built in the st...

  Pierce fire trucks and medtec ambulances continue tradition as the emergency vehicles at Daytona Both Pierce and Medtec vehicles will be on duty at the track throughout 2010 and at the first big race of the season, the Daytona® 500.Pierce Manufacturing and Medtec Ambulance, Oshkosh Corporation companies, leaders in custom made fire apparatus and ambulances, have once again been named the official emergency response vehicles at Daytona International Speedway in...

The catastrophic explosion resulted from the accumulation of significant amounts of natural gas The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) is set to consider two urgent recommendations that national fuel gas codes be changed to improve safety when gas pipes are being purged (cleared of air) during maintenance or installation of new piping. The recommendations - to be voted on by board members at a CSB public meeting in Raleigh tonight - grow out of the CSB's ongoing federal inves...

The NVFC white paper focuses on the need for proper training of firefighters The NVFC has released a white paper concerning training in the volunteer fire service and the need for improvement.The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) is committed to ensuring that volunteer firefighters have an appropriate level of training to safely and effectively carry out their responsibilities. The roles and responsibilities of the fire service have evolved over the years. As the bre...

FLAME-SIM is looking forward to more successes in 2010 FLAME-SIM rolls into the New Year following its most successful month ever and foresees similar successes in 2010.  The latest in training simulation software has been bringing fire departments across the US and Canada virtual training with real results. From Florida and Texas up to Colorado and Canada, fire departments have been reaping the benefits of FLAME-SIM and seeing improvements in communication and decision...

CSB will investigate the 7 January explosion that severely injured a student at Texas Tech University The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) will investigate the causes of a January 7 explosion that severely injured a graduate student at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, the CSB has announced. University officials told the CSB the accident occurred in the chemistry department during the handling of a high-energy metal compound, which suddenly detonated. Texas Tech...

FRI provides comprehensive leadership training for both chief officers and company officers Maximise your budget and get the most for your training dollars in 2010. Make your plans now to attend Fire-Rescue International (FRI), August 24-28 in Chicago. FRI provides the most comprehensive leadership training for both chief officers and company officers at a price that fits your budget. In addition to leadership training, your registration includes free access to an e...

NFA, is conducting a pilot course at the NETC in Emmitsburg, Maryland The NFA will be delivering this 6-day pilot course on hazardous materials and special operations from May 9-14, 2010. The United States Fire Administration's (USFA) National Fire Academy (NFA) is conducting a pilot course at the National Emergency Training Center (NETC) in Emmitsburg, Maryland for the newly developed 6-day course, Hazardous Materials / Special Operations Program Management (P254)...

USFA release two special reports regarding heating fires and portable heater fires in residential buildings The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) has announced the release of two special reports regarding heating fires and portable heater fires in residential buildings. An estimated average of 54,500 heating fires in residential buildings occurs each year in the United States. Annually, these fires are responsible for an estimated 190 civilian fire deaths, 625 civili...

DHS continues to support U.S. government efforts - led by the USAID and State Department The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) continues to support U.S. government efforts - led by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the State Department - by deploying more than 1,000 personnel to provide operational and humanitarian assistance in Haiti following the Jan. 12 earthquake. On Jan. 25, DHS stood up pre-departure identity verification teams in Haiti, com...

Pierce has sold six pumpers in China, to be delivered in June 2010 Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE: OSK), has announced that its subsidiary, Pierce Manufacturing, reported its first ever sale of Pierce fire apparatus in China. A new order for six Pierce® custom pumpers was received from the Nanjing, Jiangsu Province Fire Bureau in the People's Republic of China. The vehicles are scheduled for delivery in June 2010. "Pierce is honored to have been selected by th...

CSB has voted to initiate an investigation of recent accidents at the DuPont chemical complex in Belle The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) has voted to initiate an investigation of recent accidents at the DuPont chemical complex in Belle, West Virginia, following a release of highly toxic phosgene on Saturday that fatally injured a veteran operator. DuPont officials told the CSB that a braided steel hose connected to a one-ton capacity phosgene tank suddenly ruptured,...

The NVFC offers four awards to nationally recognize the invaluable contributions of first responders The NVFC invites you to nominate an exceptional member of the fire service for one of four prestigious awards. Every day, the men, women, and youth of the fire service provide an essential service to communities nationwide. Individuals offer a lifetime of service, provide crucial fire prevention training, and support their local department as a junior firefighter, Explorer, o...

  FRI provides the most comprehensive leadership training for both chief officers and company officers Maximize your budget and get the most for your training dollars in 2010. Make your plans now to attend Fire-Rescue International (FRI), August 24-28 in Chicago. FRI provides the most comprehensive leadership training for both chief officers and company officers at a price that fits your budget. The sessions provide: • In-depth learning. Attend focused education...

Indianapolis fire fighter selected to become officer at International Association of Fire Fighters Long-time Indianapolis fire fighter Thomas H. Miller was selected to become the General Secretary-Treasurer of the International Association of Fire Fighters, which represents nearly 300,000 paid, professional fire fighters in the United States and Canada. The General Secretary-Treasurer is the second ranking officer in the IAFF. "I am honored to assume this awesome resp...

The NVFC released the Health and Safety Priorities to outline best practice for fire department Fire Department Network News has released a series of video news stories highlighting the National Volunteer Fire Council's (NVFC) Volunteer Firefighter Health and Safety Priorities. Each segment in the four-part series looks at a different focus area set forth in the Priorities. The NVFC released the Volunteer Firefighter Health and Safety Priorities to outline best practices ev...

CDC is working with the U.S. DHHS and other federal and international agencies to help communities in Haiti CDC is working with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), various branches of the U.S. military, and other federal and international agencies to help communities in Haiti recover from the powerful earthquake that struck the country on January 12, 2010. CDC's current response focuses on collaborating with national and international partners to meet ur...

"Sugar House Earthquake Mitigation Return-On-Investment" shows how HAZUS assessment can be used The book will be released in July at the 2010 ESRI International User Conference in San Diego, California.Two of the FEMA Mitigation Directorate's maps, entitled "Sugar House Earthquake Mitigation Return-On-Investment" and "ShakeMap-Based HAZUS-MH Loss Estimation Maps," have been selected for publication in the 2010 ESRI Map Book, Volume 25. The poster "Sugar House...

The CSB is an independent federal agency charged with investigating industrial chemical accidents The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) has announced that it will be holding a public meeting on Thursday, February 4, 2010, in Raleigh, North Carolina.The meeting will present preliminary findings from its investigation of the June 9, 2009, natural gas explosion and ammonia release at the ConAgra Food Slim Jim facility in Garner, North Carolina, that killed four workers an...