Fire News

Ready Responder Toolkit, Best Practices for Emergency Vehicle and Roadway Operations Safety, Electricity Dangers for Emergency Responders, Firefighter Training Opportunity

More than ever, volunteer fire departments need to apply for federal grants to stay afloat, said Geoff Maloon, a grant-writing consultant and full-time firefighter/paramedic with the Milpitas (Calif.) Fire Department.

Learning Objective: The student shall be able to list the five accepted means of fire alarm signal transmission. (PDF, 255 Kb)

Harris Corp. today introduced the GR-100 system, a wireless solution that transmits firefighter locations to command-and-control officers’ laptops. The system has multiple components, including accuracy-enhancing algorithms, inertial sensors and GPS that lets users track personnel throughout an incident, said John Facella, the company’s director of public safety.

NIOSH Alert: Preventing Firefighter Deaths and Injuries, Hospital Assessment and Recovery Guide, "Slow Down and Move Over", Disaster Management Solutions

Learning Objective: The student shall be able to describe five different applications for which smoke detectors are listed. (PDF, 238 Kb)

Highlights the results of a U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice supported initiative to enhance emergency vehicle and roadway operations safety for firefighters and law enforcement officers.

There are tricks to writing grants, and SAFER is no different, said Geoff Maloon, a grant-writing consultant and full-time firefighter/paramedic with the Milpitas (Calif.) Fire Department.

Playing with remote-controlled helicopters and airplanes can be fun, but the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is concerned about an emerging fire hazard from the battery technology being used with these toys. CPSC is urging consumers to follow manufacturer's instructions when charging toys that contain rechargeable lithium batteries.

National Preparedness Month, Hospital Evacuation Decision Guide, Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism, FY 2010 SAFER Program

This report presents fire-related findings associated with the recent increase in the number of vacant residential buildings.

An estimated 1,800 fatal residential building fires occur annually in the United States, resulting in an average of 2,635 deaths, 725 injuries, and $196 million in property loss.

Both chiefs will be honored on Aug. 26 at the opening session of the International Association of Fire Chiefs’ (IAFC) 2010 Fire-Rescue International Conference and Exhibition in Chicago.

Solar Liberty installed 140 200-watt solar panels on Bellevue (N.Y) Fire District No. 9’s fire station. The panels are on track to produce more than 23 kilowatt hours of electricity per year for the station, said Nathan Rizzo, the company’s vice president. The new solar electric system was funded mostly by a $137,000 grant from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.

Learning Objective: The student shall be able to identify the minimum submittal requirements for fire alarm systems. (PDF, 272 Kb)

The test is designed to compare digital and analog communication technology in laboratory representations of public-safety communications environments. Speech and noise from such environments will be tested in a manufacturer-independent manner using reference communication systems, which enable the testing of communications technology.

Shooting Incident Resources, Free HazMat Training Opportunities, DHS Private Sector Resources Catalo, National Domestic Preparedness Coalition

Earlier this year, San Diego County officials hired Citygate Associates to conduct a regional fire-deployment study that would assess the county’s fire-service resources, fire-suppression capabilities and shortcomings. The study came after a rash of fast-burning, acreage-charring fires hit the county.