News from Fire Chief Magazine

DHS Announces Final Phase of Multiband Radio Testing

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 13:07:00 EDT

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate announced the 14 lead organizations for the upcoming pilot phase of testing and evaluation (T&E) for the multiband radio project. The pilot is part of the final phase of a three-part T&E process that includes laboratory testing, short-term demonstrations and pilot projects, said Dr. David Boyd, director of command, control and interoperability for the directorate.

Mesh Network Powered by Trees Detects Fire Dangers

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 15:53:00 EDT

The U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management have tested a wireless environmental-monitoring system used to help first responders prepare for wildfires and disastrous events. The pilot test and system installation demonstrated Voltree Power's remote sensing and mesh technology, as well as its integration with existing remote automated weather stations (RAWS) network that transmits air temperature, humidity and diagnostic data using a preexisting satellite infrastructure, said the company's CEO Stella Karavas.

National Fire Plan Made Obsolete By Urban-Sprawl, Researchers Say

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 11:30:00 EDT

Only 11% of National Fire Plan wildfire-mitigation efforts in the last five years have been performed near homes or offices, according to a new study by the University of Montana, the University of Colorado and Colorado State University, said Cara Nelson, assistant professor of restoration ecology at the University of Montana's College of Forestry and Conservation. The National Fire Plan is a long-term federal fuels-reduction program aimed at reducing the risk of catastrophic wildfire to communities. Nelson said the U.S. government is spending approximately $6 billion on fuel-reduction strategies annually. The study looked at where such treatments were conducted.

Florida Bans Crash Fees

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 15:22:00 EDT

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist signed legislation ban local governments from charging fees when emergency responders respond to accidents, making Florida the eighth state to enact such a measure. Insurers welcomed the move, arguing that the crash fees were a form of double taxation, but municipalities that assess fees criticized it in this tight economy.

Lawmakers Block FIRE Grant Amendment Offering

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 16:02:00 EDT

Fire Service Orgs Urge Chiefs to Call for Additional FIRE Grant Dollars

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 14:47:00 EDT

The Congressional Fire Services Institute is asking fire chiefs and officers across the country to contact their congressional representatives immediately and urge them to vote in support of an amendment to increase the FY 2010 FIRE Grant budget.

FETN, American Heat Re-launch Under CiNet

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 17:48:00 EDT

The Fire Emergency Television Network and American Heat Video will once again resurface after being acquired by the Critical Information Network (CiNet). As a result, the 20-year old FETN, the Law Enforcement Television Network and the Public Safety Television Network, will again offer e-learning content to public-safety agencies.

Tenn. Chief Defends Code Stance

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 17:35:00 EDT

Would a fire chief with 36 years of fire service experience, 25 of them as a fire marshal, oppose the new 2009 ICC code for residential sprinklers in his community? According to Tennessean.com, Spring Hill (Tenn.) Chief Jim Swindle is asking city leaders to rethink a proposal that would require sprinklers in newly built homes, but adds that he supports sprinklers in general.

NASA Selects Fire-Suppression System for Its Twin Crawler Transporters

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 11:59:00 EDT

Fire-safety experts at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida have replaced the fire-suppression systems in its giant twin crawler transporters with Stat-X. Stat-X is designed and manufactured by Fireaway, a Minnesota-based company that specializes in suppressing fires with condensed aerosol technology, which kills fires quickly without harming the environment, said James Lavin, the company's chief executive officer.

WHO Declares Swine Flu Pandemic

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 15:28:00 EDT

The World Health Organization this morning raised the H1N1 virus pandemic alert level to Phase 6, its highest level, making the swine flu the first declared global flu epidemic in 41 years.