Fire Prevention Geek: February 2010

Sunday, February 28

Wired Science 10: Rent A Goat

Friday, February 26

Serbian Drunk Driver Alcohol Test Fail

Focus on Fire Safety: Appliance Fires

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Most homes have a multitude of electrical appliances ranging from small kitchen items such as toasters and microwaves to major appliances including clothes dryers and dishwashers. While appliances make our lives much easier, they also pose significant risks…including fire…if not maintained properly.

Appliances cause an estimated 9,600 residential building fires each year. Appliance fire safety is a matter of keeping your appliances in good working order, as well as using them as they were intended. The average homeowner has several thousand dollars invested in appliances. To protect your investment and to avoid the potential risk of fire, find out what to check for to ensure your appliances don’t put you or your family at risk.

Learn More about Appliance Fire Safety »

The United States Fire Administration recommends everyone should have a comprehensive fire protection plan that includes smoke alarms, residential sprinklers, and practicing a home fire escape plan.

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U.S. Fire Administration · U.S. Department of Homeland Security · Emmitsburg, MD 21727 · (301) 447-1000

U.S. Fire Administration Civilian Fire Fatality Notification Update

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The Nation's news media is reporting the following residential fire (non-arson) fatalities:

Thursday, February 25

1 dead – Occurred Thursday, 2/25 – Sanford, ME (Portland, ME): A 54-year-old woman was killed in a home fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
1 dead – Occurred Thursday, 2/25 – Marietta, GA (Atlanta, GA): A woman was killed in a home fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
1 dead – Occurred Wednesday, 2/24 - Snow Hill, NC (Greenville, NC): An 87-year-old woman was killed in a home fire. Officials believe the fire started in the kitchen. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
1 dead – Occurred Wednesday, 2/24 – Gordon County, TN (Nashville, TN): A 38-year-old woman was killed in a home fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
1 dead – Occurred Wednesday, 2/24 – Rankin County, MS (Jackson, MS): A 91-year-old woman was killed in a home fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
1 dead – Occurred Wednesday, 2/24 – Williamsburg, IA (Cedar Rapids, IA): A 39-year-old man was killed in a manufactured home fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
1 dead – Occurred Sunday, 2/21 – West Lynn, OR (Portland, OR): On 2/24, a 47-year-old woman succumbed to injuries sustained in a home fire that occurred on Sunday, 2/21. The cause of the fire is under investigation. The home had a smoke alarm with no working batteries.

To find out more about any of the reported incidents, please contact news media in the vicinity where the fatal fire occurred. USFA does not have any additional information other than what is listed here.

The United States Fire Administration recommends everyone should have a comprehensive fire protection plan that includes smoke alarms, residential sprinklers, and practicing a home fire escape plan.

Follow USFA updates on Twitter

This service is provided to you at no charge by the U.S. Fire Administration.

Privacy Policy | GovDelivery is providing this information on behalf of U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and may not use the information for any other purposes.

U.S. Fire Administration · U.S. Department of Homeland Security · Emmitsburg, MD 21727 · (301) 447-1000

Thursday, February 25

U.S. Fire Administration Training, Resources and Data Exchange Network (TRADENET) Update

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You are subscribed to Training, Resources and Data Exchange Network (TRADENET) for U.S. Fire Administration. This information has recently been updated.

Welcome to TRADENET, TRADE's Training Network, a National Fire Academy sponsored activity. The objective of TRADENET is to provide a forum for members of Fire Service organizations to maximize performance through quick and easy information sharing.

The information provided here must be non-commercial and non-copyrighted. None of the material shared should be incorporated into any copyrighted programs.

The TRADENET newsletter is distributed through the USFA/FEMA server. This allows you to control your subscription easier by allowing you to add new email addresses or delete old ones. There are over 33,404 subscribers worldwide to the weekly newsletter. This is an increase of 59 subscriptions. If you know of someone who wishes to subscribe, all they need to do is go to the following site, http://service.govdelivery.com/service/multi_subscribe.html?code=USDHSFA and enter your email address. They will then be taken to a page which will allow them to select their choices of newsletters.

If you have a question or comment for inclusion in the weekly TRADENET newsletter, please send it and your contact information to Lori.Welch@dhs.gov. Please be sure and include your Department or Organization name, your email address and any other method you wish to receive feedback. USFA reserves the right to edit content submitted or reject any material submitted.

Are you familiar with the training program called “Coffee Break Training?” It is on the USFA website and can be found at http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/nfa/coffee-break/. Please access this training and provide any feedback to the Deputy Superintendent Robert Neale at Robert.neale@dhs.gov. He will be happy to receive any feedback regarding this program.

Remember the Website for the National Fallen Firefighters program is http://www.everyonegoeshome.com/. Also, please visit their Resources page at http://www.everyonegoeshome.com/resources. This page contains many PowerPoint presentations and downloadable video clips available for your use.

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FIRE AND EMERGENCY SERVICES HIGHER EDUCATION

Be sure to check out the new look for the model curriculum in its print-/handout-ready format. While there, view the new FESHE bachelor’s courses outlines that reflect the new Web-based formats delivered by the Degrees at a Distance Program schools. You can also download under the “Tools and Resources” section the new FESHE brochure in its DHS/FEMA configuration or take the same marketing piece without our logo and customize it with your own logo and content. You can also download the artwork for a FESHE tabletop display for conferences and classroom buildings which, again, is in both formats.

Visit the new page at http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/nfa/higher_ed/index.shtm.

The link to the USFA/NFA TRADE Site is: http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/nfa/trade/

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Is there or could there be some instruction on how to keep low call volume and rural departments from drifting into complacency?

Many of the topics are geared toward all departments, but many departments do not have qualified SFM officers within their departments.

jam24u@windstream.net

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With our cities current budget shortfalls, we are exploring many options and have two questions to pose to the group:

1. Does anyone have any experience in the integration of POC and Part-Time firefighters to a full time, mid-sized, urban department? We are specifically looking for SOPs, Polices, and Procedures.

2. Has anyone had a Fire based EMS ambulance service and transitioned to a Private Ambulance Provider or from a Private Ambulance Provider to a Fire Based EMS Service?

We are looking for all the pros and cons of Departments with experiences in both matters.

Thank you.

Please contact:

Matthew W. Knott, MS, CCEMT-P, CEM

Division Chief

Rockford Fire Department

Training Division

Rockford, Illinois

Office: (815) 987-5684

Fax: (815) 987-5737

matt.knott@rockfordil.gov

---------------------------------INFORMATIONAL ITEMS-------------------------------------

2010 U.S. Line of Duty Deaths 10 LODD’s

2008 U.S. Line of Duty Deaths 93 LODD’s

Visit FIREFIGHTERNEARMISS.COM and check out the Report of the Week (ROTW) for an incident description followed by review questions designed to spark discussion. We can all learn from these.

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VIRTUAL TRADING POST

“NEW AND IMPROVED”

The VIRTUAL TRADING POST SYSTEM now allows you to search for material by key word(s). Check it out! Go to Louisiana State University Fire and Emergency Training Institute's NFA TRADE page: http://feti.lsu.edu/trade/ and access it there.

NOTICE*************NOTICE****************NOTICE****************NOTICE****************

This is a new web address for the Virtual Trading Post. If you had it bookmarked, delete your old bookmark, go to this new page and bookmark the new page.

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LESSONS LEARNED INFORMATION SHARING

LLIS.gov Partners with US Fire Administration

As part of its continual effort to improve information sharing across the emergency response and homeland security communities, LLIS.gov launched a new partnership with the US Fire Administration (USFA). The USFA strives to provide national leadership to local fire and emergency services departments. To highlight the new partnership, LLIS.gov has created a new USFA Resource Page where members can access USFA technical and special reports, related LLIS.gov original content, featured documents, and valuable links. To access the resource page, log onto LLIS.gov and click on US Fire Administration under LLIS.GOV PARTNERS.

The LLIS.gov Team continues to post new Lessons Learned, Best Practices, Practice Notes, and Good Stories to the system on a regular basis. Weekly updates about new original content can be found in the NEW LLIS.GOV CONTENT box on the homepage of LLIS.gov. LLIS.gov recently posted the following original content documents drawn from USFA Technical Reports:

Lessons Learned

Fire Operations: Determining if Local Water Systems Can Meet Demand during Major Fires (Reno, NV Twelve-Fatality Hotel Arson, 2006)
Fire departments’ pre-planning processes should determine if local water systems are capable of meeting the demand necessary for fighting major fires.
Incident Management: Locating Public Information Operations Close to the Command Area (Apex, NC Chemical Fire, 2006)
Incident commanders should consider locating public information operations in close proximity to the command area.
Emergency Management: Updating Incident Action Plans Throughout an Incident’s Response (Apex, NC Chemical Fire, 2006)
Incident commanders should consider having incident action plans routinely updated during extended response activities.
Fire Operations: Training Personnel in Specialized Tactics for Incidents at Power Plants (Rhea County, TN Watts Bar Hydroelectric Plant Fire, 2002)
Fire departments that have power plants located within their area of operations should ensure that their personnel are trained in the appropriate specialized tactics. This will enable the departments to respond successfully to incidents at the plants.
Incident Command: Appointing a Public Information Officer (Ardent Sentry Full-Scale Exercise, 2007)
Incident command should ensure that an appropriately trained individual serves as public information officer during an incident response. This individual should understand his or her media management responsibilities and should be able to interface with the emergency operations center and joint information center.
Incident Management: Identifying Remote Staging Areas (Apex, NC Chemical Fire, 2006)
Incident commanders should identify potential remote staging areas for use during response operations when resources may be exposed to unacceptable hazards. This enables incident commanders to relocate and protect resources from potential exposures.
Mass Evacuation: Planning for the Evacuation of Special Needs Populations (Apex, NC Chemical Fire, 2006)
Emergency managers should develop clear, concise plans that address the evacuation of their special needs populations in the event of an incident.
Pre-Incident Site Planning: Acquiring Diagrams and Plans for Power Plants and Industrial Facilities (Rhea County, TN Watts Bar Hydroelectric Plant Fire, 2002)
Fire departments should acquire diagrams and pre-plans for local power plants and other industrial facilities in their area. It is critical that these facilities provide fire departments with all information necessary to respond to an incident on their premises.

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LLIS.gov has partnered with the Emergency Management and Response – Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) to provide LLIS.gov members access to the EMR-ISAC’s free, critical infrastructure protection (CIP) information. Located at the National Emergency Training Center in Emmitsburg, MD, the EMR-ISAC was developed to collect, analyze, and disseminate timely, consequential information to assist in the practice of critical infrastructure protection by the leaders, owners, and operators of the nation’s Emergency Services Sector.

The EMR-ISAC, a no-cost information sharing program within the Department of Homeland Security, specifically provides information necessary to protect local internal critical infrastructures (i.e., personnel, physical assets, and communication/cyber systems that must be intact and operational 24 x 7) against all hazards, from natural disasters to terrorist activities. The program’s main focus is ensuring that emergency response leadership, their organizations, and local policy leaders have both the internal and external support and resources to aid in disaster protection, prevention, and response to enhance survivability, continuity of operations, and mission success.

The EMR-ISAC can be contacted at emr-isac@dhs.gov or 301-447-1325. To view the EMR-ISAC page on LLIS.gov, please click here or login to LLIS.gov and click on the EMR-ISAC link on the homepage. To subscribe for the free critical infrastructure protection (CIP) information disseminated by the Emergency Management and Response—Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC), please click on the following link: http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/fireservice/subjects/emr-isac/infograms/index.shtm

The United States Fire Administration recommends everyone should have a comprehensive fire protection plan that includes smoke alarms, residential sprinklers, and practicing a home fire escape plan.

Follow USFA updates on Twitter

This service is provided to you at no charge by the U.S. Fire Administration.

Privacy Policy | GovDelivery is providing this information on behalf of U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and may not use the information for any other purposes.

U.S. Fire Administration · U.S. Department of Homeland Security · Emmitsburg, MD 21727 · (301) 447-1000

U.S. Fire Administration Civilian Fire Fatality Notification Update

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The Nation's news media is reporting the following residential fire (non-arson) fatalities:

Wednesday, February 24

1 dead – Occurred Wednesday, 2/24 – Taylors, SC (Greenville, SC – Asheville, NC): A man in his 50s was killed in a manufactured home fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
1 dead – Occurred Wednesday, 2/24 – Erie, PA: A 40-year-old man was killed in a manufactured home fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
1 dead – Occurred Tuesday, 2/23 – Ventress, LA (Baton Rouge, LA): A 59-year-old woman was killed in a manufactured home fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation. The home had no working smoke alarms.
1 dead – Occurred Tuesday, 2/23 – South Memphis, TN (Memphis, TN): An 89-year-old woman was killed in a home fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
1 dead – Occurred Tuesday, 2/23 – Monroe, WA (Seattle – Tacoma, WA): A 79-year-old man was killed in a home fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
1 dead – Occurred Tuesday, 2/23 – Duncanville, AL (Birmingham, AL): A 46-year-old woman was killed in a manufactured home fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
1 dead – Occurred Sunday, 2/21 – Havre, MT (Great Falls, MT): A boy was killed in a home fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

The United States Fire Administration recommends everyone should have a comprehensive fire protection plan that includes smoke alarms, residential sprinklers, and practicing a home fire escape plan.

Follow USFA updates on Twitter

This service is provided to you at no charge by the U.S. Fire Administration.

Privacy Policy | GovDelivery is providing this information on behalf of U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and may not use the information for any other purposes.

U.S. Fire Administration · U.S. Department of Homeland Security · Emmitsburg, MD 21727 · (301) 447-1000

Wednesday, February 24

U.S. Fire Administration Civilian Fire Fatality Notification Update

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You are subscribed to the U.S. Fire Administration's (USFA) Civilian Fire Fatality Notices e-mail list. Notices have recently been added and are now available.

The Nation's news media is reporting the following residential fire (non-arson) fatalities:

Tuesday, February 23

2 dead – Occurred Tuesday, 2/23 - North Charleston, SC: Two people were killed in a home fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
1 dead – Occurred Tuesday, 2/23 - Griggsville, IL (Quincy, IL – Hannibal, MO – Keokuk, IA): A 58-year-old woman was killed in a home fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
1 dead – Occurred Tuesday, 2/23 – Oklahoma City, OK: A woman was killed in a home fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
1 dead – Occurred Tuesday, 2/23 – Tuscaloosa, AL (Birmingham, AL): A woman was killed in an apartment fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
1 dead – Occurred Monday, 2/22 - Martic Township, PA (Harrisburg, PA): A woman was killed in a home fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
1 dead – Occurred Monday, 2/22 – Parrish, AL (Dothan, AL): An 85-year-old woman was killed in a home fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
1 dead – Occurred Monday, 2/22 – El Paso, TX: A 71-year-old woman was killed in a home fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation. The home had no working smoke alarms.

The United States Fire Administration recommends everyone should have a comprehensive fire protection plan that includes smoke alarms, residential sprinklers, and practicing a home fire escape plan.

Follow USFA updates on Twitter

This service is provided to you at no charge by the U.S. Fire Administration.

Privacy Policy | GovDelivery is providing this information on behalf of U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and may not use the information for any other purposes.

U.S. Fire Administration · U.S. Department of Homeland Security · Emmitsburg, MD 21727 · (301) 447-1000

U.S. Fire Administration Civilian Fire Fatality Notification Update

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Please reply to this message if you are experiencing technical difficulty. For all other inquiries, please Contact USFA.

You are subscribed to the U.S. Fire Administration's (USFA) Civilian Fire Fatality Notices e-mail list. Notices have recently been added and are now available.

The Nation's news media is reporting the following residential fire (non-arson) fatalities:

Monday, February 22

2 dead – Occurred Saturday, 2/20 – Old Bridge, NJ (New York, NY): A 60-year-old man and his autistic 21-year-old son were killed in a home fire. The fire was caused by an electrical malfunction.
2 dead – Occurred Saturday, 2/20 – Memphis, TN: An elderly husband and wife were killed in a home fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
2 dead – Occurred Friday, 2/19 – Sissenton, SD (Sioux Falls, SD): A 50-year-old man and his 28-year-old nephew were killed in a manufactured home fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
1 dead – Occurred Monday, 2/22 – Ponchatoula, LA (New Orleans, LA): A 60-year-old man was killed in a home fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
1 dead – Occurred Monday, 2/22 – Port Arthur, TX : A nine-year-old boy was killed in a home fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
1 dead – Occurred Sunday, 2/21 – Hanover Township, PA (Wilkes Barre – Scranton, PA): A woman was killed in a home fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
1 dead – Occurred Sunday, 2/21 – Millsboro, DE (Salisbury, MD): A man was killed in a manufactured home fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation. The home had no working smoke alarms.
1 dead – Occurred Sunday, 2/21 – Gary, IN (Chicago, IL): A 65-year-old woman was killed in an apartment fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
1 dead – Occurred Sunday, 2/21 – Las Vegas, NV: A man was killed in an apartment fire. The fire was caused by careless smoking. Officials believe the victim fell asleep while smoking.
1 dead – Occurred Saturday, 2/20 – Shermans Dale, PA (Harrisburg, PA): An 84-year-old woman was killed in a home fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
1 dead – Occurred Saturday, 2/20 – Grantsville, MD (Pittsburg, PA): A 52-year-old woman was killed in a home fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
1 dead – Occurred Saturday, 2/20 – Bramwell, WV (Bluefield – Beckley, WV): A 24-year-old woman was killed in a home fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
1 dead – Occurred Friday, 2/19 – Oakwood, GA (Atlanta, GA): A 53-year-old woman was killed in a condominium fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation. The condominium had a smoke alarm but it is believed that the battery was not properly installed.
1 dead – Occurred Friday, 2/19 – Reed, NY (Buffalo, NY): A 29-year-old man was killed in a home fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
1 dead – Occurred Friday, 2/19 –Long Lake, MI (Flint, MI): A 59-year-old disabled man was killed in a home fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation. The home had no working smoke alarms.
1 dead – Occurred Friday, 2/19 – Lenoir City, TN (Knoxville, TN): A 56-year-old man was killed in a home fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
1 dead – Occurred Friday, 2/19 – Toms River, NJ (New York, NY): A 40-year-old man was killed in a home fire. The fire was caused by careless smoking. The victim spilled vodka on his pants which later ignited after he dropped a cigarette into his lap while sleeping.
1 dead – Occurred Thursday, 2/18 – Ocean Springs, MS (Biloxi – Gulfport, MS): On 2/20, a five-month-old boy succumbed to injuries sustained in a home fire that occurred on Thursday, 2/18. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

The United States Fire Administration recommends everyone should have a comprehensive fire protection plan that includes smoke alarms, residential sprinklers, and practicing a home fire escape plan.

Follow USFA updates on Twitter

This service is provided to you at no charge by the U.S. Fire Administration.

Privacy Policy | GovDelivery is providing this information on behalf of U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and may not use the information for any other purposes.

U.S. Fire Administration · U.S. Department of Homeland Security · Emmitsburg, MD 21727 · (301) 447-1000