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It is the five year anniversary of the Grand Prix Fire, Cedar Fire and the Old Fire.  Those that assisted in these major wildland and urban conflagration fires will remember them as defining moments in their career.  The long hours of firefighting and utter devastation is burned deeply into all of our minds.

It was a terrible month for Southern California.  Thousands of homes were lost and several lives.  Our hearts go out to Brother Firefighter Steve Rucker who lost his life that October 5 years ago while battling fires near San Diego.

I am assured that the loss of lives and property that fire season has not gone in vain. Many of us were able to take something away from these incidents and help build our slide carousel of experiences for future references of lessons learned.

The Old Fire

The Cedar Fire

Emmitsburg, MD. – The United States Fire Administration (USFA) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have completed a report, Technical Note 1499, Performance Metrics for Fire Fighting Thermal Imaging Cameras – Small- and Full-Scale Experiments.

This report provides information on the research conducted as part of a project partnership on Thermal Imaging Camera (TIC) imaging performance metrics and test methods. The overall objective of the report is to provide science-based information to national standards developing organizations, including the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) in support of NFPA 1801, Standard on Thermal Imagers for the Fire Service.

This study was conducted with support of the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate. The report describes performance metrics on TIC image contrast, effective temperature range, resolution, and image and thermal sensitivity.

“Each year fires in structures trap firefighters resulting in their injury and sometimes, death,” said U.S. Fire Administrator Greg Cade. “This research partnership has developed critical information to support the development of a national standard on Thermal Imaging Technology that previously did not exist which will enhance the safety of our nation’s firefighters.”

NIST and USFA conducted research on the performance of thermal imaging systems to enhance firefighter safety in operational situations. Current thermal imaging technology was assessed by investigating a variety of commercially available thermal imaging cameras in the laboratory as well as in full-scale burns. The research also explored new technology that might enhance performance of future thermal imaging devices and worked to incorporate new technology into enhanced infrared cameras. Issues such as differential resolution, thermal exposure, performance during suppression, and ease of use were also examined. This project complemented existing NIST funded research on the development of a standard on thermal imaging technology.

“This study examined the capabilities and limitations of such thermal imaging technology and may lead to improved evaluation, standards, training, and understanding by local fire and emergency services departments,” said NIST researcher Nelson Bryner. “NIST was pleased to work with USFA in this effort to provide science-based information to national level standards developing organizations on this life saving technology for the fire service and the public they protect.”

Another technical report documenting the needs of the fire service community, Thermal Imaging Research Needs for First Responders: Workshop Proceedings, was previously published as part of this study.

These reports are available for download, free of charge, from the both the USFA and NIST.

Performance Metrics for Fire Fighting Thermal Imaging Cameras

Thermal Imaging Research Needs for First Responders: Workshop Proceedings

Further information about this partnership effort, may be found under the Research section of the USFA Web site.

West Coast 911 Source - Written by USFA

National Preparedness Month provides us all another opportunity to take time to focus on the wide variety of risks that confront our communities and emergency services providers. While it is obvious that fire and other emergency service organizations are consistently refining their capabilities to address the service challenges of their operational environments, it is less obvious as to what material investment they are making to protect their own personnel and resources. Emergency services providers across the Nation spend countless hours assessing ways to improve their service delivery capabilities in the mindset of “responders,” but what happens when circumstances develop that make these “responders’ simply another part of the at risk population?

USFA has just released a Technical Report entitled Fire Department Preparedness for Extreme Weather Emergencies and Natural Disasters which highlights a number of key issues to be addressed in developing organizational preparedness initiatives for specific hazards. The report offers various practical examples of lessons learned which have been incorporated into emergency operating plans and mutual aid agreements, which can serve as food for thought and models to others.

In the state of California, fire departments have invested huge sums and tireless efforts to develop sophisticated earthquake related emergency operations plans and resilience capabilities addressing a wide variety of issues, including structural standards for facilities, sustained periods requiring self reliance, and staffing challenges. However, many other jurisdictions across the Nation sharing similar seismic fault risks have yet to plan and exercise for such a potentially catastrophic eventuality. While this and other such natural risks may be relatively infrequent occurrences, their high consequence impact potential should prompt studied preparedness efforts.

Has your department conducted formal operational risk assessments for all the likely weather emergencies or natural disasters that could compromise its resources and the service expectations of the community? Has your organization developed innovative ways to leverage resources for high impact events that take in to account the lessons learned from previous events that could be shared by others?

Article Written by Ken Kuntz / USFA - Source USFA Website

WASHINGTON D.C. - The Department of Homeland Security’s United States Fire Administration (USFA) has issued a report today examining the causes and characteristics of fires occurring in residential structures and buildings. The report, Residential Structure and Building Fires, was developed by the National Fire Data Center, part of USFA.

The report presents an overview of residential structure fires and trends for one-and two-family, multifamily, and other residential structures. This report also addresses residential building fires for each of the three residential occupancy types.

The report is based primarily on 2005 NFIRS data and the 2005 National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) survey data. In 2005, there were an estimated 396,000 residential structure fires, resulting in 3,055 civilian fire deaths, 13,825 civilian injuries, and $6.9 billion in loss.

“Most fires and related deaths and injuries in residences are preventable,” said United States Fire Administrator Greg Cade. “It is important that you take the necessary precautions to ensure your home is fire safe. Install and maintain smoke alarms and sprinklers, and establish and practice your escape plan. By being prepared, you can help reduce the chances of fire injury or even death.”

Fires in residential buildings—a subset of residential structures—accounted for 95 percent of residential structure fires and fatal fires, 97 percent of residential structure fires with injuries, and 95 percent of fires with dollar loss. There were an estimated 376,500 residential building fires in 2005. These fires claimed the lives of 2,895 civilians and injured an additional 13,375 civilians.

Cooking (41 percent) and heating (13 percent) are the leading causes of residential building fires. Cooking also accounts for approximately 25 percent of fires that injure civilians. Smoking (20 percent) is the leading cause of fatal residential building fires.

Source - USFA / Download the full report HERE

The International Association of Firefighters has recently put out an article regarding their stance on the number two killer of firefighters - Vehicle accidents.

The primary emphasis is once again; seat belts.  Buckle up out there guys. Stay safe.

Here is the article:

Firefighter Vehicle Accidents and Seat Belts - vehicledeaths

An arbitrator has ruled that the Air Force Material Command (AFMC) headquartered at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio, violated provisions of a labor agreement between the IAFF and the Command by reducing staffing last year.

The arbitrator determined that the Command did not have the authority to reduce staffing on Airport Rescue Fire Fighting (ARFF) equipment required by Department of Defense (DoD) policy and that the employer must either return to previous staffing levels or apply for a waiver from DoD.

In the decision, the arbitrator agreed with the IAFF’s position and held that the Command violated DoD policy and the governing provisions of the labor contracts which required it to adhere to pertinent regulations and policies.

Her findings in the ruling concluded that reductions in staffing of ARFF vehicles would impede the ability of fire fighters to effectively respond to emergency incidents and increase the safety and health risks for fire fighters and all on the scene. “This action appears contrary to the [Command]’s assertion that the safety of the fire fighters, flight crew, passengers and the aircraft is the first concern,” she wrote.

The ruling requires the Command to immediately restore minimum staffing of ARFF vehicles to three, undertake a risk analysis concerning staffing and propose a timetable for restoring staffing levels or applying for a waiver from DoD.

The IAFF represents ARFF fire fighters at Hanscom Air Force Base (Bedford, Massachusetts), Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (Dayton, Ohio), Robins Air Force Base (Warner Robins, Georgia) and Tinker Air Force Base (Tinker, Oklahoma).

For more information, contact 16th District Vice President Jim Johnson at (202) 360-1318 or (937) 470-4340.

Story by IAFF

Robyn Benincasa, a firefighter at Pacific Highlands Ranch Fire Station 47, likens her fire crew to “The Brady Bunch.”

The new station’s “A” crew Captain Greg George is the head of an all female outfit, including Benincasa, firefighter paramedic April Lallo and engineer Melissa Cleary; all close friends who transferred together from Point Loma. They are the only regularly scheduled all-female crew in the county.

The country's only all-female crew works Station 47 with Capt. Greg George. The women are from front, April Lallo, Robyn Benincasa and Melissa Cleary. They were training with Del Mar Height's fire engine. / Photo by: Danielle Vinland

After six months in Pacific Highlands Ranch, they are one very happy bunch, enjoying protecting the surrounding community out of their enviable home.

The “A” crew is one of three working in a rotation of 24-hour shifts at Station 47, twelve firefighters in total. Captains Dave Connor and Paul Carrozza head up the “B” and “C” crews respectively.

“Everyone here in the fire station has a lot of experience,” George said. “The community can feel really confident that they are getting some of the best of the best.”

All feel very lucky to be working at what is considered one of the nicest fire stations in the city - Mayor Jerry Sanders even said so at the February grand opening.

“I love it, it’s the best,” said Benincasa of 47. “Everyday we pinch ourselves.”

As happy as they are to be in the community, the response from residents has been just as warm, Benincasa said.

“We’re glad they’re here,” said Manjeet Ranu, a Pacific Highlands Ranch resident and representative on the Carmel Valley Community Planning Board.

Ranu said that the 2007 wildfires only reinforced the need to have a fire station in their community.

“On the rare occasions that I actually hear sirens, it reminds me that we’re fortunate to have first-rate emergency services right here,” Ranu said.

Neighbors have had plenty of opportunities to see firefighters out and about as a lot of the work they’ve been doing in the last six months has been driving around; getting to know streets and neighborhoods and learning how to get into gated communities. Knowing all the area’s “nooks and crannies” is important in times of emergency when they need to get someplace very quickly, according to Benincasa.

The new “digs”
The 10,500-square-foot station is located on Edgewood Bend Court off Carmel Valley Road. With its Spanish-style architecture, it fits right in with the feel of Pacific Highlands Ranch.

Its look makes it strikingly different than the 46 other stations in the city, George said. The doors to the engine bay don’t even roll up; they open up like barn doors or as Benincasa jokes, the gates of heaven. She’ll even imitate the angel’s singing.

During their 24-hour shifts, firefighters get to whip up meals in a state of the kitchen that features four refrigerators, stainless steel countertops and its very own coffee bar.

The A shift has the most decorated fridge, with pictures of the female firefighters enjoying days off together and participating in events like the Susan G. Komen 3-Day Walk for the Cure.

The kitchen opens up into the day room, where firefighters can hang out and rest between calls or watch TV in the four inviting easy chairs.

Station 47 also has a fully stocked gym where some other city stations may only have a collection of free weights, George said.

“Our crew really likes to work out,” said Benincasa, who is also a well-known endurance athlete. “We’re in there all the time.”

Faster response times
According to George, the new station has one of the lower call volumes in the city. They are responding mostly to traffic accidents, heart attacks and fires on the freeway due to their close proximity to Highway 56.

So far, Pacific Highlands Ranch has not been a community that has called out these firefighters to coax cats out of trees.

“When this community calls us, we know they really need us,” George said.

Dispatch is handled by a computer-aided system. It figures out in real time what engine is physically closer to the incident location. For example, for one recent incident at the Pacific Athletic Club, Station 47 was called to the scene even though Station 37 on Del Mar Heights is closer. Their engine happened to be elsewhere at the time and the computer can calculate if one engine has another beat by as little as 22 seconds.

“It’s had the same effect as if we had added fire stations,” said George.

Each department engine and ambulance also has its own personal digital assistant (PDA), where they can easily transfer incident and patient information to trucks responding to the scene and in turn to emergency rooms using an award-winning program designed by George.

West Coast 911 firefighter news story source - Del Mar Times

Temperatures were hovering near the century mark last month and San Rafael resident Barbara Perinoni just wasn’t feeling well. Her daughter called 911. A cadre of firefighters lifted the dizzy and nauseated woman into a waiting ambulance.

Seated by her side on the way to the hospital, San Rafael firefighter-paramedic Mark Sedlack was monitoring her progress when she threw up all over him.

 

“That’s not your fault,” he said. “I’m sorry you’re sick. I just happened to be in the line of fire.

“We’ll blame it on Ryan’s driving,” he joked, referring to the paramedic at the wheel.

These days, Sedlack and dozens of other Marin firefighters trained as paramedics find themselves responding to far more medical cases than any other call or service. The phenomenon is part of a nationwide trend in which the fire service has evolved into a kind of mobile emergency room. In graying Marin, where one out of every three residents will be 65 or older by 2030, medical emergencies already account for most fire calls. Although call volume has remained steady over the years due to a stable population, authorities expect that to change as the population ages and the uninsured continue to seek treatment in hospitals.

Also expected to affect the system is Marin’s shortage of primary-care physicians - a factor expected to tax pre-hospital care as paramedics and hospital staff work on more complicated cases. Paramedic service also is expected to cost more as insurance companies curb reimbursement for ambulance rides. “The fire service has done a great job with fire prevention,” said Marin County Battalion Chief Mike Giannini. “Years and years and years ago, we had a lot more fires and through our efforts we’ve reduced that number.

“We’ve evolved and found a niche in offering EMS care,” he said. “We’re there to mitigate your problem, whatever it is.”

Fire-based system
In Marin, paramedic service is carved into five zones serving Novato, San Rafael, West Marin, the Ross Valley and Southern Marin. Marin’s fire department-based emergency medical services means it is possible to send the highest-trained responders - the paramedics - to 911 calls from Sausalito to Novato. Those paramedics provide a continuum of care, treating the patient at the scene and transporting them to the hospital.

Such a system is considered a model, fire officials said. In most places, people are treated by fire department paramedics but ride to the hospital in a private ambulance.

“Calling 911 is, in some cases, the only access to the health-care system people believe they have and know will be effective,” San Rafael Fire Chief Chris Gray said.

Nationally, the uptick in call volume is already being felt, said Fergus Laughridge, president of the Falls Church, Va.-based National Association of State EMS Officials. As a result, recruiting and retaining paramedics is a challenge, he said.

“You have what used to be the burnout rate of five to six years in metropolitan areas,” he said. “The rate is now three years. Folks are saying, ‘this is not for me.’”

A Marin County Health and Human Services advisory committee on emergency medical services is studying the effect the aging population will have on the system, county officials said.

“Their No. 1 priority is the issue of the aging on the EMS system,” Dr. Bill Teufel, Marin County emergency medical services director.

“If you look at older people, we already know they consume health care at a pretty voracious rate,” Teufel said. “They are big-time consumers of health care because they are older and they are sicker. They are also consumers of pre-hospital care.

“As we get older, you can expect more 911 calls - they will be more complex, harder to handle,” he said. “The elderly are much more challenging, much more complex. They are just going to be putting an increasing load on the system in Marin.

“Are we planning for this? I think so,” Teufel said.

Last week, Novato Battalion Chief Ted Peterson, the fire district’s emergency medical service director, returned from a California Ambulance Association convention in the Lake Tahoe area. The event featured a talk on baby boomers that predicted future demand on emergency medical services.

Call volume will increase, he said, but he believes Marin’s system can handle it.

WestCoast911 article source - By Jennifer Upshaw, Marin Independent Journal/photos by Robert Tong  / read entire article

During her first year working for the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District, firefighter Michelle Arcediano didn’t get to fight a structure fire.

None happened on her shifts.

“Not even a teaser, not even a smoker,” Arcediano said.

In the two busy years since she graduated from the district’s academy, she can count on one hand the number of burning buildings she has encountered.

The work of firefighters has evolved. They have become paramedics, hazardous material specialists and first responders to major disasters ranging from floods and plane crashes to homeland security threats.

Over the past 30 years, they have battled fewer wildland and structure fires. And everything from recruitment and training to equipment has changed.

“Our mission has gotten a lot more complicated,” said Capt. Tom Sherlock, a Sacramento firefighter with more than four decades of experience. “The variety of things that we run into are more.”

Rescue and emergency medical calls make up 60 to 80 percent of their work around the country, firefighters say.

The development of the 911 system and changes in the health care system have led to the public relying more on firefighters-paramedics for medical needs.

People without health insurance often go without treatment until they need to call for an ambulance. Or patients call 911 for a cold or stomachache, because their doctors are not as readily available as the paramedics, fire officials said.

Figures from the National Fire Protection Association show medical aid calls in the United States have increased by about 180 percent in the last three decades, from about 5 million in 1980 to 14 million in 2005. In the same period, fire incidents dropped by nearly 50 percent, from 3 million to 1.6 million.

California and local data largely reflect the national trend. In the city of Sacramento city, data from 1985 to 2006 show an overall increase in calls and an increase in emergency medical calls. The number of fire calls remains almost the same year to year, though, bucking the national downward trend.

Capt. Jim Doucette of the Sacramento Fire Department explains that Sacramento is an older city: Victorian houses in midtown and downtown do not have fire stops, sprinklers and other features found in newer buildings that help to prevent or suppress fires.

“Many people want to join the department because they want the experience of firefighting,” Doucette said.

Firefighters’ role evolved

Kevin Olson, training chief with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, joked that his father – who was a firefighter with the department from 1952 to 1981 – would have chosen another career if he had to respond to medical aid calls.

“He loved to fight fires,” Olson said. But not the needles, the blood or going to hospitals – the everyday staples of many firefighters today.

How the profession changed is being meticulously documented by a San Diego firefighter-paramedic, Mitch Mendler.

Before the 1960s, mortuaries and private companies provided most of the country’s ambulance services. However, neither mode provided adequate standards of pre-hospital emergency care.

Firefighters took on the new task because, as many firefighters explain, they were simply available. They were also already trained in first aid.

“We’ve always been there for emergencies,” Olson said.

Just as fire departments around the country began incorporating paramedic services, Mendler said, “Fire prevention became better.”

Municipal governments also realized that emergency medical runs generated significant revenue, Mendler said.

Then in 1972, a television series “Emergency!” debuted, featuring the lives of paramedics at a Los Angeles County fire station (and a Sacramento-born star, Randolph Mantooth). The popular five-year show brought to the nation’s attention the fledging EMS system and the new paramedic roles undertaken by firefighters, Mendler said.

“It inspired cities, politicians and little boys,” said Mendler, now in his 50s. “Guys like me who saw that show said, ‘That’s it! That’s what I’m doing!’”

Sacramento Metro Fire Engineer Bob Webber recalls responding to a vehicle accident scene in 1978 as an 18-year-old firefighter.

A woman folded in the seat – her legs broken – screamed in pain.

About half a dozen firefighters, including Webber, tended to her – none of them paramedics. The woman, who survived, would have received a higher level of care from paramedics today, he said.

Training standards raised

Over the years, fire departments have raised the entry-level education and training requirements for firefighters. Candidates with paramedic skills often stand a better chance of being hired.

About 42 percent of Sacramento Metropolitan firefighters are also paramedics. That statistic is 63 percent in the city’s Fire Department.

When Jim Eastman Jr. started his career in 1974, young firefighters often volunteered before being hired. They faced a less competitive environment, said Eastman, Sacramento Metro deputy chief of support services.

“In the old days we were just fire-oriented,” said Eastman. “Now we are considered all-risk – animal rescue, medical aids, vehicle accidents – you name it, we go.”

That means residents are getting more services for their tax dollars, Eastman said.

“Because of the specialization that we are experiencing now, we need people now that are broadly trained,” said Steven Broderick, deputy fire marshal for the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District.

“Before, it was: Put you on an engine, give you a hose, and we’ll teach you how to fight a fire when you get there,” Cal Fire’s Olson said, half-jokingly.

West Coast 911 fire new source - Sac Bee / photo by José Luis Villegas