For the Record 3/16

National Fire Service Research Needs Outlined

A change in safety culture and a central data repository were among the common themes that emerged in the National Fire Service Research Symposium report released in January. Research recommendations and priorities were established by fire service leaders during a two-day workshop in November. The approach to setting the research agenda, however, took a different path than previous sessions in 2005 and 2011.

The recommendations that emerged from breakout groups addressing health and wellness, occupational diseases in the fire service, community risk reduction, data management, emergency operations, tools and equipment and wildland-urban interface were presented to a jury. Those jurors—comprised of representatives of fire service organizations and subject-matter experts—then deliberated to deliver a final report. The recommendations were then listed as high, medium and low priority.

“ … It is my belief that the Research Agenda is key to reducing firefighter injuries and fatalities in the future,” wrote National Fallen Firefighters (NFFF) Board Chairman Dennis Compton. “I ask every fire service research professional to take the time to become familiar with this document and commit to successfully addressing its recommendations. The progress we make through research is so critical—and working together we can ensure that our individual and collective efforts are not in vain.”

The final authors of the research agenda document divided the report into three themes—data collection and data analysis projects, problem or program analysis and evaluation projects, and research to practice projects.

Among the 54 recommendations outlined in the 62-page document include:

• Conduct research directed toward identifying those individuals within the fire service who are at a higher risk for specific occupational injury/illness/disease.
• Continue progress toward the development and refinement of enhanced data systems (such as N-FORS) across all fire service domains.

• Conduct research based on fire dynamics to identify best practices at the strategic, tactical and task levels for firefighting operations in new and existing commercial and residential structures. The research should include the creation of on-scene risk assessment tools based on specific fire factors to assist company officers and incident commanders.
• Conduct research to make improvements in the survivability of fire apparatus crashes. Conduct research related to anthropometric and ergonomic challenges in fire apparatus construction and arrangements that lead to frequent head and musculoskeletal injuries.

The full report is available for download on the NFFF website at firehero.org.

Reported by Susan Nicol

Line-of-Duty Deaths

7 U.S. firefighters recently died in the line of duty. Four deaths were health-related, one was a motor vehicle accident, one was the result of firefighting operations and one was shot and killed. This edition of Firehouse is dedicated to these firefighters.

FIREFIGHTER RICHARD J. CANO, 35, with Cy-Fair, TX, Fire Department, died Nov. 29, a week after he was stricken in his sleep following a 24-hour shift.

FIREFIGHTER/MEDIC KENNETH K. HARRIS, 56, with Village of Oak Park, IL Fire Department, died Jan. 11 after suffering cardiac arrest at home following his shift.

FIREFIGHTER JOSHUA WOODS, 24, with Siler City, NC, Fire Department, was killed Jan. 12 when he lost control of his personal vehicle while responding to an incident.

DEPUTY CHIEF CLARENCE ”Speed” HARTBANK, 79, of Fremont County, WY, Fire District, died Jan. 13 of complications from injuries sustained in a fall last September. On September 10, 2015, he fell approximately 15 feet through the ceiling of a bunker while fighting a grass and structure fire in rural Fremont County. He suffered second- and third-degree burns over 38 percent of his body, seven broken ribs and a punctured lung.

FIREFIGHTER SCOTT BRUGGEMAN, 45, with Middletown, OH, Division of Fire, died Jan. 18. On March 18, 2014, he suffered a heart attack while restraining an uncooperative patient in the emergency room. Bruggeman was subsequently diagnosed with sarcoidosis and underwent several heart surgeries. After his last surgery in November 2015, he was placed in hospice care, where he later died.

LIEUTENANT RONALD J. ADAMS, 29, with East Pulaski, AR, Fire Department, was shot and killed Jan. 22 by a resident at the scene of an emergency medical response call.

FIREFIGHTER JAMES R. VARNELL, 52, with Bakertown, NC Volunteer Fire Department, died Feb. 2 after he was stricken after a drill at the firehouse.

NFPA Offers Free Community Exchange

NFPA Xchange—the National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) new, free online community—lets users connect with professionals worldwide, explore content, share ideas, and ask questions. As the latest way to stay up-to-date on codes and standards related information, NFPA Xchange is now available to the public and ready for input and engagement.

NFPA Xchange allows users to search or browse information on topics ranging from fire protection systems, electrical, building and life safety, emergency response, and more. Content is submitted by community users and NFPA staff and subject matter experts alike.

“NFPA invites the public to join this free community and share their expertise, discuss emerging issues in their industry, and identify the latest trends in their field,” said Jim Pauley, president at NFPA. “We hope NFPA Xchange will become an invaluable resource for all community users and that they participate and engage with each other, and with us on a regular basis.”

NFPA members will find additional benefits within the exclusive “Members Only” section of NFPA Xchange. Members are able to access the Technical Questions Service membership benefit in Xchange, where they can connect directly with technical staff and submit technical standards questions. Plus, only in Xchange are NFPA members able to search and view other technical standards questions that have already been submitted and answered, allowing all members to benefit from individual questions.

Visit NFPA Xchange at community.nfpa.org.

Coffee Break Training

Have you checked out the Coffee Break Training series from the USFA? It’s a great learning tool that won’t take much time out of your busy schedule. These one-page training notices (which can be downloaded as PDFs) provide technical training and administrative tips. Each notice includes a photograph or drawing that illustrates the point of the training lesson.

One of the latest postings is the “Characteristics of the Incident Command System: Resources Unit Leader,” designed with the goal to teach the student to understand the Resources Unit Leader’s (RESL’s) responsibilities within the Incident Command System.

The lesson includes a checklist of RESL responsibilities, including:

• Establish check-in function at incident locations.

• Prepare and maintain the Command Post display to include organization chart and resource allocation and deployment.

• Maintain and post the current status and location of all resources.

• Maintain a master roster of all resources checked in at the incident.

For the full list of responsibilities and more information about RESLs, download the PDF at usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/coffee-break/cc/cc_2016_3.pdf

For archived downloads on other subjects, go to usfa.fema.gov/training/coffee_break/.