For the Record 1/22

Reform of Public Safety Officers’ Benefits Program

President Joe Biden signed into law the Protecting America’s First Responders Act (PL 117-61). The bipartisan legislation, which was sponsored by Sen. Chuck Grassley, makes several changes to the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits (PSOB) Program that are intended to expand eligibility and to increase certain benefits. Similar legislation was introduced in the House by Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., who is a co-chair of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus.

Among the changes to the PSOB Program:

Interim benefits increased to $6,000 from $3,000
Payment amount adjusted to the time of award instead of the time of the incident
Clarifies that public safety officers who qualify for disability benefits may undertake nominal work
Includes eligibility for fire police officers who provide traffic control and incident-scene management
Extends educational benefits to children of public safety officers who were born after the officer was disabled or died in the line of duty
Retroactively provides benefits to public safety officers who were disabled when they responded to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks

Additionally, the legislation extends until Dec. 31, 2023, the presumption for public safety officers who are disabled or die after they contract COVID-19.

For more information, visit firehero.org.

Online Training for Lithium-Ion Battery Fires

UL’s Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI) released a new “Fire Service Considerations with Lithium-Ion Battery ESS” online training course, which focuses on a deflagration incident at a lithium-ion battery energy storage system facility in Surprise, AZ.

In this course, students will review FSRI’s analysis and recommendations to improve codes, standards, and emergency response training to protect first responders, maintenance personnel and nearby communities. Results of follow-up experiments that are conducted to gain additional insights into energy storage system failures also will be discussed. The course will wrap up with tactical considerations for the fire service to further understand and, hopefully, to prevent future incidents such as the Surprise, AZ, incident from occurring.

To access the course via the FSRI Fire Safety Academy, visit training.fsri.org/course/025-nearmiss-ess.

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Teledyne FLIR Wins $15.7M U.S. Defense Contract

Teledyne FLIR won a development contract that’s worth as much as $15.7 million with the U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency’s Joint Science and Technology Office to develop novel battlefield threat-mapping and visualization tools. The tools will allow the capability to digitally map hazardous material threats from sensor data and to “see” their exact location via mixed reality on mobile phones, tablets and heads-up displays (HUDs).

Teledyne FLIR will work with partners to develop software that allows chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear hazards to be precisely located, measured and mapped for viewing within the Tactical Assault Kit (TAK) suite of tools. The threat map will be visualized in a “see-through” augmented reality display by those who run TAK on their electronics as well as by futuristic HUD devices, such as the Integrated Visualization Augmentation System.

For more information, visit flir.com/threat-detection.

NFFF Launches Grief Podcast

The Family Programs team at the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) launched the first in a six-episode series of its new “Grief in Progress” podcast. Each episode will address a specific topic, such as forging new support systems, thriving amid community “expectations” and finding effective ways to honor a lost loved one. The inaugural episode features Ohio’s Sharon Purdy, whose volunteer firefighter husband, Lee, died of a heart attack in the line of duty.

The series reveals stories from the perspective of varying ages, genders and family roles. Each offers specific messages of inspiration, hope and resilience for listeners who are experiencing grief or know someone who is. The podcast episodes and transcripts, a preview of upcoming topics and other helpful materials can be found online at griefinprogress.com or through Apple iTunes, Google Play, Spotify or YouTube. Subsequent episodes will be released bimonthly.

For more information, visit firehero.org.

Line-of-Duty Deaths

11 U.S. firefighters recently died in the line of duty. Four firefighters died after they contracted COVID-19, four deaths were health-related, one firefighter was killed during fireground operations, one was hit and killed by a motor vehicle, and one died in a motor vehicle accident. This issue of Firehouse is dedicated to these firefighters. For the latest on COVID-19-related LODDs, visit firehouse.com/covid-19.

FIREFIGHTER TYRONE BELL, 35, of the Verde Valley Fire District in Cottonwood, AZ, died on Oct. 18. On Oct. 4, Bell responded to multiple EMS calls that involved patients who had a known case of COVID-19. Bell subsequently contracted the virus.

CAPT. WESLEY VANDERVER, 86, of the Sugar Hill Volunteer Fire Department in Mount Pleasant, TX, died on Oct. 27. Vanderver responded to a residential fire. While he worked pump operations, he suffered a heart attack. He was transported to the local hospital, where he died a short time later.

FIREFIGHTER GERALD A. BROOKS, 49, of the Indianapolis Fire Department, died on Nov. 2. On Oct. 22, Brooks responded to numerous EMS calls. He subsequently contracted COVID-19.

FIREFIGHTER BRANDON ROMO, 32, of the Pardeeville, WI, Fire Department, died on Nov. 6. On Oct. 6, while attending a department fundraiser, Romo contracted COVID-19.

ASST. CHIEF ROSS DARREN ESTABROOKS, 47, of the Tri-Lakes Volunteer Fire Department in Pittsburg, TX, died on Nov. 15. Estabrooks responded to a residential fire. While on scene, he suffered a heart attack. He was transported to the local hospital, where he died a short time later.

FIREFIGHTER/PARAMEDIC SCOTT WILLIAMS, 46, of the Argonne National Laboratory Fire Department in Lemont, IL, died on Nov. 21. Williams responded to a smoke investigation in one of the facility’s laboratories. He returned to the station. During shift change, he was found unresponsive in his bunk. He was pronounced dead at the scene. An investigation into the cause of his death is ongoing.

FIREFIGHTER KASEY CALLWOOD, 31, of the Virgin Islands Fire Service, died on Nov. 22. Callwood and another firefighter were returning to the fire station from a training exercise in a department apparatus when they were involved in a single-vehicle accident. The apparatus overturned, killing Callwood and injuring the other firefighter.

LT. DARIN DEAN PASOLD, 52, of the Hohenwald, TN, Fire Department, died on Nov. 27. On Oct. 15, Pasold responded to a motor vehicle accident, where he came in contact with the accident victim. He subsequently contracted COVID-19.

PROBATIONARY FIREFIGHTER VINCENT MALVEAUX, 31, of the FDNY, died on Dec. 3. Malveaux suffered a medical emergency during morning training at the FDNY Training Academy. He was transported to Harlem Hospital, where he later died. An investigation into the incident is ongoing.

LT. GARRETT EDWARD RAMOS, 38, of the Sterling, IL, Fire Department, died on Dec. 4. Ramos responded to a residential fire. While on scene, he fell through the first floor into the basement. He was rushed to the hospital, where he died from his injuries. An investigation into the incident is ongoing. Ramos was posthumously promoted to captain.

FIRE CHIEF WESLEY “WES” ADAMS, 61, of the Sedgwick, AR, Volunteer Fire Department, died on Dec. 7. Adams was on scene of a multi-vehicle accident on Highway 63 when he was hit by a passing automobile. He was rushed to the hospital but died from his injuries.