Industry News

Fire fighters at work: the IAFF has launched a campaign to raise awareness of high blood pressure IAFF launches nationwide firefighter health campaign The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) today announces a first-of-its kind health initiative that is providing its 300,000 professional fire fighters with tools to raise awareness of high blood pressure within their ranks and in the local communities that they serve. These fire fighters - who are responsible fo...

IAFC 1st Vice President Jeff Johnson has called for better national preparedness for hazmat response This week, IAFC 1st Vice President Jeff Johnson, chief of Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue, called for improved national preparedness for the response to hazmat incidents. He appeared May 14 before the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure's Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials. During his testimony, Chief Johnson recognized that there are nea...

The IAFC Foundation have created a scholarship fund in memory of Heather Westphal New scholarship fund created in memorial The IAFC Foundation voted to establish the Heather Westphal Memorial Scholarship Fund to benefit women first responders at its April 2009 board meeting. This fund is created in memory of Heather Westphal, IAFC's membership marketing manger who died in a tragic accident in October 2008. The fund is supported by the IAFC. Mark Light, IAFC's executive dir...

Fire researchers conducting field experiments into the effects of wind-driven fires The United States Fire Administration (USFA) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), in cooperation with the Fire Protection Research Foundation, the Polytechnic Institute of New York University, the Fire Department of New York City, and the Chicago Fire Department have completed work on evaluating several firefighting tactics under wind driven conditions. The two tech...

Fire service organizations have reacted strongly to anti-sprinkler state legislative efforts Stand together to better protect firefighters and public Citing the fact that more than 90 percent of fireground firefighter deaths occur in one- and two-family homes, leading fire service organizations have warned against state-by-state legislative efforts, orchestrated by homebuilders, which are designed to prohibit communities from requiring residential fire sprinklers in new h...

Firefighters tackle an apartment fire: the USFA has released a report on multiple-fatality fires New report addresses issue of devastating residential fires The Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has issued a special report examining the causes and characteristics of residential multiple-fatality fires. The report, Multiple-Fatality Fires in Residential Buildings, was developed by the National Fire Data Center, part of FEMA's...

Governor Schwarzenegger has declared May 3-9 Wildfire Awareness Week CAL FIRE encourages fire prevention and defensible space Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has declared May 3-9 Wildfire Awareness Week, to remind Californians to be vigilant as the state approaches peak fire season and to highlight the importance of the homeowner's role in preparing their property ahead of time to survive a wildfire. CAL FIRE will be conducting fire safety inspections throughout the st...

The NFPA warns the public: be aware of the fire risks of electricity in the home NFPA urges awareness to reduce risk The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is kicking off National Electrical Safety Month (May) by reminding the public to be aware of the risks associated with the use of electricity, and providing safety tips to assist individuals in taking steps to reduce the risk of experiencing a home electrical fire. In recent years, an average of 53,000 hom...

A firefighter heads into the smoke: the USFA has reviewed a study of possible links between firefighting and cancer Continued vigilance against exposure to harmful substances advised The United States Fire Administration (USFA) has completed its review of a recently released study conducted by the TriData Division of the System Planning Corporation, analyzing firefighter presumptive cancer legislation and attempting to prove or disprove a correlation between firefighting...

California fire officials are urging residents to create defensible space around their homes State fire officials stress now is the time to create defensible space Last summer's wildfires charred over a million acres across California in one of the worst fire seasons in recorded history. These wildfires destroyed hundreds of homes and burned dangerously close to thousands of others. As temperatures begin to increase and conditions continue to dry out, CAL FIRE (the Califor...

The NFPA have awarded 8 Harvard program fellowships to fire officials Senior industry leaders awarded prestigious fellowships Eight senior fire officials were awarded fellowships co-sponsored by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) to participate in the Harvard University Senior Executives in State and Local Government Program. Each year, the NFPA partners with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), the International Asso...

The AFG awards provide around $510 million to fire departments and other EMS organisations nationally The Department of Homeland Security has posted the FY2009 Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) Program Guidance on the AFG website. The application period is scheduled to begin on Wednesday, April 15, 2009, at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). Applications for these grants must be received by Wednesday, May 20, 2009, at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). Nation...

KFRS rescue a mother and daughter from a fire sparked by kitchen lights A mother and daughter in danger of being overcome by smoke were rescued from a first floor window by Canterbury firefighters. Red Watch were called to the city's Monks Close at 2.10am today (Friday) and saw the pair hanging from a bedroom window. Firefighters rescued them and then also carried out two Welsh border collies from the smoke-filled house. Two further puppies in the property's kitchen -...

The Charles S. Morgan Technical Library at the NFPA has been awarded a new grant The Charles S. Morgan Technical Library, located at the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has been awarded a grant from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), which will allow the library to preserve and scan their copy of Fires and Public Entertainments. The Morgan Library attempts to cover all aspects of fire in the collection; history of fires and firefighters...

NFPA Chief Electrical Engineer, Mark Earley; Regional Adminstrator of OSHA, Marte Kent; NFPA President James Shannon; and OSHA's Ken Mastrullo The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has dedicated the latest edition of the NFPA 70E® Handbook to Kenneth G. Mastrullo of the New England office of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Formerly an NFPA senior electrical specialist, Mastrullo served as the NFPA staff liaison for the Committee on El...

The IAFC have announced the merger of GPSS with ESCi to form Emergency Services Consulting International The IAFC today announced the merger of its for-profit subsidiary, Global Public Safety Solutions (GPSS), with Emergency Services Consulting inc. (ESCi). The merger expands high-quality consulting and education services for the public-safety industry and local governments. The new company will bear the name Emergency Services Consulting International and operate as a for-...

Webinars will offer interactive forum on effective strategies and best practices As leaders of the fire and EMS service, your leadership will be defined by how you rise to the challenges of this new economic environment. You have to make tough decisions, often without the benefit of a study on the cause and effect of your actions. The good news is that you don't have to navigate these turbulent times alone. The IAFC is offering you a series of four webcasts on the economic crisis so you can ta...

The NFPA's Fire Sprinkler Initiative website aims to incite grass roots action against anti-sprinkler legislation Legislative threats to local sprinkler requirements still loom elsewhere A statewide legislative threat that would have eliminated the ability of local communities to adopt or enforce requirements for home fire sprinklers has been defeated in Illinois. The Illinois bill died in recent days, but sprinkler opponents continue to push similar anti-sprinkler legisl...

Vice President Joe Biden will join Speaker Pelosi and Homeland Secretary Janet Napolitano at the IAFF 2009 Legislative Conference The economy, homeland security, first responder safety take center stage Vice President Joe Biden will address more than 1,000 leaders of the fire fighters union Monday at the International Association of Fire Fighters 2009 Legislative Conference, held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel on Capitol Hill, March 15-18. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), U....

The Clarence Center Volunteer Fire Company have been praised for their "just amazing" response to the Flight 3407 crash The normalcy of a standard week night in a quiet Clarence Center neighborhood outside of Buffalo, NY, was shattered on February 12 when Continental Connection Flight 3407 fell out of the sky, killing 50 people and sparking a massive fire. As the calls came over the radio, nine volunteer fire departments responded to the incident, not knowing what to expect...

Craig Fugate, President Obama's new pick for Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) President Obama has chosen Craig Fugate, the Director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, to be the new Administrator for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Fugate began his career as a volunteer firefighter and paramedic and has held several emergency management positions throughout his career. He was the Emergency Manager for Alachua Coun...

Record fire damage costs of £3.4 million a day spark fears of surge in large-scale firesBusinesses and homeowners battling through the recession are being hit by an increasing fire threat, according to figures released recently by the ABI (Association of British Insurers). The cost of fire damage in 2008 rose by 16% on 2007 to a record £1.3 billion - £3.4 million every day. The figures show that in 2008: Commercial fire damage cost £865 million, up 15% on the previou...

Domino's Pizza have announced a campaign to increase awareness of fire safety in the home Pizza delivery company's spring campaign focuses on home fire prevention With spring cleaning top of mind in March for millions of Americans, Domino's Pizza®, the recognized world leader in pizza delivery, today announced its spring fire safety campaign to encourage customers to focus on the home for safety, especially in the kitchen. In participating markets across th...

President Obama's new stimulus bill for the US economy has specific measures to aid US fire departments, say the IAFC On February 17, President Obama signed H.R.1, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The $787 billion package of new federal spending and tax cuts is supposed to provide a stimulus to help our economy climb out of recession, says the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC). The bill contains specific provisions that will help America's f...

  Navistar is delivering a new level of protection by meeting the highest fire truck standards in the industry For those who make their living fighting fires and responding to emergencies, Navistar is delivering a new level of protection by meeting the highest fire truck standards in the industry. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recently released the 2009 edition of "NFPA 1901: Standard for Automotive Fire Apparatus" and International® DuraStar®...

  There were 399,000 house fires reported in the US in 2007, according to the NFPA's new report   Three hundred ninety-nine thousand home fires were reported in the United States in 2007, according to the Home Structure Fires report recently released by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). The category of homes includes one- and two-family dwellings and apartments. On average, eight people die in home fires every day in the United States - a total of 2...

John Brumby, Premier of Victoria, Australia, issues a message following the recent bushfires in the region "On behalf of all Victorians, I thank the men and women of the CFA for your enormous courage and commitment during the most tragic chapter in our State's history. The fires of February 7 were like nothing we have ever seen before. They destroyed families and communities across Victoria, and inflicted a terrible loss on us all. Many of you have lost your own homes and...

The anniversary of Black Friday in Australia has highlighted the need for continued research into bushfire Prominent fire management bodies highlight need for research into ongoing wildfire threats Australia's peak fire management and research organizations are calling for ongoing support for scientific research to deal with the bushfire threat to our communities. Tomorrow marks the 70th anniversary of Black Friday, Victoria's highest fatality bushfire event. From December...

Fire encroaching on a residential street: to stay or abandon property is a difficult decision for those living in wildfire-prone areas Whether staying and defending or leaving early, residents in bushfire prone areas must be well prepared. Australians have typically been advised that they have a choice to 'stay-and-defend' their property during a bushfire or evacuate. Stay-and-defend plan have shown in the past that they can be effective in some conditions, if residents are...

Fire agencies in Australia are advising citizens to be fire ready Australian fire agencies today urged Australians to remain vigilant in light of the recent tragedy and urged all Australians to make sure they are fire ready. Research has shown that the "Prepare, stay and defend or go early policy" is the most effective way to protect life during a bushfire. "The tragic events of this weekend have been something that this country has never seen before, and while lessons will...