When Ken Willette started firefighting 35 years ago, his uniform left much to be desired. Little more than a raincoat with rubber boots and plastic gloves, the outfit was more likely to melt than sustain his job responsibilities.

Now, with improvements to firefighting equipment, as well as better safety standards, and a decrease in overall fires, the number of firefighter deaths has dropped by more than a third in the past three decades and has fallen to historic lows the past two years.

The Firefighter Fatality Report, just published by NFPA, tells us that a total of 64 on-duty firefighters died in the US in 2012, marking the second consecutive year that the total has been below 65 deaths, the lowest level since statistics began to be tracked in 1977. The number of fatalities that occurred during actual firefighting also dropped to a record low.

It’s a significant improvement from the late 1970s, when the average number of on-duty firefighter deaths reached 151. The numbers have been trending downward since then, according to that new NFPA report. By the 1990s, the average number of on-duty deaths fell to 97 and the first decade of the 21st century saw the figure drop to 88. In the past five years the number fell further to 77 average annual fatalities.

Mr. Willette, who ran two fire departments in Massachusetts after his early firefighter days, says that even though fewer firefighters are dying at fires, fires are reaching "flashover" points, where all combustible materials ignite at the same time, sooner.

“It’s a point of no survival for the firefighter or the occupant. We want to get firefighters there within 10 minutes. We’re now finding flashover occurring at the six minute mark or sooner,” says Willette. He advocates installing sprinklers in residential homes, where the majority of firefighter deaths occur, but says many homeowners and builders are resistant due to cost.

“There are tools to make the firefighters job safer and people safer, we have to wait for the public to accept that.”

Read the full article to find out more about what has been happening in the industry to reduce the numbers, including the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation's “Everyone Goes Home” program. Also detailed are some of the reasons behind the deaths that still are occuring, including health and safety issues that continue to be a focus point in reducing these numbers even further. 

Speaking of health and safety, today is the final day for fire service members to take the NFPA, NVFC and IAFC quiz on that very subject, earning them an entry in our sweepstakes. 125 randomly selected winners will be announced tomorrow. 

The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) and the National Volunteer Fire Council (NFVC) are co-sponsoring this sweepstakes with NFPA. Career firefighters, volunteer firefighters and other fire department employees and fire service members are invited to take the online, interactive quiz, featuring 15 questions related to firefighter health and safety.

“Raising awareness and education for firefighter health and safety is always a priority,” said Ken Willette, NFPA’s division manager of Public Fire Protection and a former fire chief. “This quiz is a quick and promising way to refresh fire service members’ knowledge and improve the safety of their teams.”

The quiz will be offered between May 20 and June 18 at www.nfpa.org/fireservicequiz. One sweepstakes entry will be given for a completed quiz through the Snapapp widget, with an additional entry if the quiz taker shares their result on Twitter.

On June 19, the 125 randomly selected winners will be announced. These winners will each receive a specially designed challenge coin commemorating this year’s International Fire/EMS Safety and Health Week. Read more details, and the full contest rules. 

First, be Ready: Take personal responsibility and, whenever possible, prepare long before the threat of a wildfire so your home is ready in case of a fire. Some examples of this include:

• Create defensible space around your house by clearing away dry vegetation such as grass, leaves and branches.
• Examine, then replace or repair any shingles or roof tiles that are loose or missing to prevent ember penetration.
• Cover exterior attic vents with metal wire mesh no larger than 1/8 inch to prevent sparks from entering the home.
• Limit vegetation surrounding the home’s perimeter, at least 30-100 feet, depending on the area’s wildfire risk.

NFPA provides a more comprehensive Firewise tips checklist for homeowners that is available on the Firewise website and can help you get started today.

Other things to keep in mind before a fire: assemble emergency supplies and belongings in a safe spot. (Check out NFPA’s emergency preparedness/safety information page that has a number of resources and tips for residents including what to put in an emergency supply kit.) And make sure all members of your family know your planned escape routes.

Second, Get Set: Get your family and home prepared at the onset of fire in your area. Gather family pets and have them prepared to evacuate. Pack your vehicle with your emergency items including medication and personal identification. Stay aware of the latest news from local media and your local fire department for updated information on the fire. Be prepared to evacuate your home if called to do so. 

In some cases, don’t feel like you have to wait for a formal announcement to evacuate. Leaving before the fire approaches your area is good practice and allows you and your family time to get someplace safe.

If you do have time before you evacuate, the following are some additional tips that can help keep your home safer from a wildfire:

• Close and protect your home’s openings, including attic and basement doors and vents, windows, doors, and pet doors to prevent embers from penetrating your home.
• Remove flammable drapes and curtains and close all shutters, blinds, or heavy non-combustible drapes. 
• Close all the interior doors in your home and the fireplace screen. Open the fireplace damper.
• Shut off any natural gas, propane, or fuel oil supplies at the source.
• Connect garden hoses and fill any pools, hot tubs, garbage cans, tubs, or other large containers with water. Firefighters have been known to use the hoses to put out fires on rooftops.
• Place a ladder against the house in clear view.
• Disconnect garage door openers so the doors will open if there is no power.
• Remove flammable materials (propane tanks and firewood) within 3-5 feet of the home’s foundation.
• Move patio or deck furniture, cushions, door mats and potted plants in wooden containers either inside the house or as far away from the home, shed and garage as possible. If it can catch fire, don’t let it touch the house, deck or porch.

And Third ... Go: Do not linger once evacuation orders have been given. Leave early and stay away until your area has been cleared for return by local officials. Promptly leaving your home and neighborhood clears roads for firefighters to get equipment in place to best maneuver the wildfire, and ensures you and your family’s safety.

I was also just alerted to great information and a checklist regarding evacation plans and procedures for residents courtesy of the El Paso County Sheriff's department. It's available on KKTV 11's website. Please check this out. I think you'll find the information valuable.

As always, you can learn more about keeping you and your family safe, and reducing your home’s risk for wildfire damage at www.Firewise.org. Additionally, complimentary brochures, booklets, pamphlets, videos and much more can be found on the information and resources page of the website and ordered online through NFPA’s online wildfire safety catalog.

via conference.blog.nfpa.org

On the second day of education sessions, Kevin McGovern walked attendees through a joint training exercise between St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis, the Indianapolis Fire Department and the Pike Township Fire Department. The hospital high-rise fire and incident management training drill that was planned carried the goals of building a working relationship between the hospital staff and the fire service, creating a Hospital Incident Command System, testing life safety systems in place, and meeting the Joint Commission Standards Elements of Performance. 

In this training drill, a detailed scenario was developed. A patient would be attempting to smoke a cigarette in bed during a shift change. The hospital's sprinkler system would be down for maintenace. The hospital would be filled to capacity during visiting hours with patients having a variety of medical conditions. This drill was played out twice a day for three days in a row to ensure all fire service and hospital staff experienced it. 

High-rises can be very complex places to operate during an emergency, and given that the high-rise is in a hospital setting, where patients and families wanting to help their loved ones, can make it even more difficult. This training scenario demonstarted why direct communication between the fire service and hospital security is important to effectively manage an incident. In addition, real world training and preplanning for buildings in the district really assist the fire service to be prepared. 

Download the entire presentation, "Hospital High-Rise Fire and Incident Management Scenario" (free, requires sign-in). 

Fire prevention will not put fire suppression out of business - a message that rang loud and clear in this morning's education session called, "Bridging the gap between fire suppression and prevention." Today's presenters were Tim Annis, Divison Chief and Fire Marshal of the City of Davis Fire Department, providing perspective on the fire prevention aspect, and Shawn Kinney, Division Chief and Training Officer for the City of Davis Fire Department, filling us in on the suppression side of the picture. 

Tim and Shawn attempted to bridge the gap and bring together the two fire department divisions in a cohesive, coopeative and efficient model that will further the fire service mission. They discussed how code directly relates to fireground operations and how a committment to fire prevention AND operations/suppression is a life safety issue that is essential to all stakeholders. When roadblocks arise, including funding, priorities, mandates, time or culture, it is important to work together to create "buy-in" - Tim and Shawn gave some tips on how they have seen this occur. 

Residential fire sprinklers, lightweight construction, a reduction in line of duty deaths, a lower community risk, education are all important issues that can be better tackled through a combination of prevention and suppression. Download this presentation on "Bridging the Gap Between Fire Suppression and Prevention" (free, requires sign-in).

NFPA's Casey Grant opened this morning's education sessions with a talk on a recently published report that details the performance requirements for emergency responder interoperable electronic equipment (ESE). 

This project was funded by NIST, with the goal to develop performance requirements for compatibility and interoperability of electronic equipment used by the fire service and other emergency first responders. Personal protective equipment includes, or will soon include, electronics such as communications, GPS and tracking, environmental sensing and other components that are now practical solutions at emegergency events. NFPA 1800 is the developing standard that will contain guidelines on these issues. 

ESE interoperability is the ability of the ESE to operate in synergy in execution of assigned tasks. All electronic equipment used by the first responder should have inter-component communication, a central power supply and distribution, as well as non-interference on the performance on other equipment. Several structural firefighting applications have further matured their use of interoperable ESE, which the fire service can look to for guidance, including space, military, aviation and underwater. 

For more details on this project, Casey led a webinar on the topic back in March, which is available through the NFPA website. 

Read the full report on this subject through the Fire Protection Research Foundation website. 

The goal of this project is to provide comprehensive awareness and emergency response training to fire fighters and other emergency responders to prepare them for widespread implementation of advanced electric drive vehicles, including battery electric, hybrid electric, and certain fuel-cell electric vehicles. The objectives of the project include enhancing general awareness training, emergency response tactical training, and establishment of a centralized resource for nationwide ongoing technology transfer. This project report (in 3 parts due to large file size) provides a compilation of information that documents the efforts taken to meet these objectives.

The Research Foundation, which provided advisory services for the project, expresses gratitude to the report author Andrew Klock of NFPA and his support team. Special thanks are expressed to the U.S. Department of Energy as the project sponsor.

Quincy, Massachusetts (May 31, 2013) – In time for Fire Prevention Week in October, the National Fire Protection Association will release a free deluxe interactive storybook app for ages 3-7, a free e-book for ages 7-10, and a website for parents and teachers (www.sparkyschoolhouse.org), all designed to teach kids about the importance of fire safety in a fun, engaging way.

“NFPA is committed to helping children learn crucial fire safety information, and we’re excited to release these new tools that will do that in a lively, interactive manner,” said Judy Comoletti, NFPA’s Division Manager – Public Education. “Kids will love these free new games and stories, and parents and teachers will love that children are learning lifesaving messages through these fun formats.”

Free storybook app: Sparky's Birthday Surprise
In this highly engaging, interactive storybook app for children ages 3-7, Sparky the Fire Dog® and friends learn key fire safety skills while preparing for a surprise birthday party. The digital story experience includes bright graphics,tap-and-play surprises, interactive games that reinforce reading and counting skills, and an original sing-along animated song. Throughout the app, children learn important fire safety lessons, such as what to do if they hear a smoke alarm sound and how to recognize things that are hot and could burn them.

The app, created by Cupcake Digital in collaboration with MDR@School, a division of MDR, a Dun & Bradstreet Company, will be available on Google Play and iTunes, as well as on sparkyschoolhouse.org and sparky.org, on August 26, 2013. A beta version will be available on June 28. Screen grabs, video clips, and promotion codes will also be available upon request.  

Free e-book: Firefighting Heroes and Science Facts
This five-story e-book, written for ages 7-10, includes two original stories by New York Times best-selling children’s authors: Julie Cantrell, author of Jack the Superhero Alien Firefighter, the story of a regular kid who heroically saves his family from a devastating house fire, and Susy Flory, author of The Black Pearl and Captain Ron, which introduces kids to Pearl, a real-life search-and-rescue dog who works in Los Angeles to keep people safe. The e-book addresses Common Core standards for 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders in English Language Arts, Social Studies, and Science and also includes fully aligned curriculum materials for teachers.

The e-book will be available on all major platforms, including iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, and Barnes & Noble, as well as on sparkyschoolhouse.org and sparky.org. Galleys will be available for review on August 5, 2013, with a full release on August 26.

New website: Sparkyschoolhouse.org
This new interactive site features games and printable activities that build on the fun themes contained in the storybook app and the e-book, including coloring pages, tongue twisters, and word scrambles. Teachers will also find three interactive whiteboard lessons on fire safety, addressing phonics, math, and reading comprehension. The website will also include a teacher/parent guide with discussion questions and extensions, all aligned to Common Core standards.

The site will go live on August 26, 2013. Parents, teachers, and children can also visit sparky.org for games, coloring pages, downloadable activities, and more.

Fire Prevention Week is October 6-12, 2013
The app, e-book, and website feature Sparky the Fire Dog®, NFPA’s mascot, and are being released in connection with Fire Prevention Week, October 6-12. NFPA is the official sponsor of Fire Prevention Week, the longest-running public health and safety observance on record, celebrated each October.

This is the fifth in a series of posts about the 40^th anniversary of America Burning and the related article, “Work in Progress” in this month’s NFPA Journal. The members of the National Commission on Fire Prevention and Control came from the fire service, federal government, code and standards development organizations (including NFPA’s Percy Bugbee), insurers, and more.  

The deliberately diverse perspectives and the hard work involved in gathering and consolidating the information and turning it into recommendations that the Commissioners could support bear some resemblance to NFPA’s codes and standards process.  Just as NFPA’s technical committees have staff liaisons that provide vital assistance, the Commission had professional staff members.  Ed Budnick, winner of NFPA’s 2012 Standards Medal and now retired from Hughes Associates, Inc., was a young fire protection engineer, detailed from the General Services Administration to work with a subcommittee on the built environment.  One point stayed with him throughout his career.  “The fire protection community is a very diverse community and all the elements of it need to be considered if you are going to make any real progress in any area.” Watch the video to learn more about Ed’s experience with the Commission.