Saturday, May 17, 2008
Four Fire Execs Win Research Awards
Four fire service executives will receive the U.S. Fire Administration's National Fire Academy's 2007 Annual Outstanding Research Awards. This award recognizes Executive Fire Officer Program students for their research projects....
NVFC Testifies on Volunteer Job Protection Legislation
The National Volunteer Fire Council testified before the House Committee on Education and Labor, Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions in support of a proposal to provide volunteer firefighters and EMS personnel up to 14 days per calendar year of job protection while responding to a state- or federally declared emergency or disaster....
NFPA Taking Comments on Fireworks Standard
In response to findings presented in a new research report from the Fire Protection Research Foundation, the Standards Council of the National Fire Protection Association is considering changes with regard to its provisions on the retail sale of consumer fireworks....
Rural Fire Mitigation Report Out
The United States Fire Administration released a comprehensive report from a joint project with the National Fire Protection Association to examine what can be done to reduce the high death rate from fire in rural America....
Departments Needed for Research Project
Researchers from the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences have been funded by the American Heart Association to study the culture of the fire service as it relates to health and wellness. The project will include conducting focus groups and key informant interviews with career and volunteer firefighters and fire chiefs across the country. Participating departments are needed....
Report: High Level of Misconduct in Government
Source: American City & County
A major ethics scandal may soon unfold in the public sector unless government agencies, particularly local and state governments, institute a strong ethics program, according to a report the from the Arlington, Va.-based Ethics Resource Center....
Risk Conference Scholarships Available
The Public Entity Risk Institute, a nonprofit risk management training and educational organization, is accepting scholarship applications through March 3. PERI will award up to 60 scholarships worth $1,000 each to aid small public entities and community nonprofit organizations in attending the 2008 Public Risk Management Association Conference and Expo....
National Response Framework Released
The Department of Homeland Security has released the National Response Framework, successor to the National Response Plan. ...
IAFF: Bush Budget Threatens Safety
The International Association of Fire Fighters say President Bush's proposed FY 2009 budget short changes first responders. Cuts in grant funding prompted IAFF General President Harold A. Schaitberger to call the president no friend of firefighters. ...
Tax Crunch
By Rick Markley
With the economy sinking into a possible recession, one expert tells fire chiefs to spend on building and hiring before it’s too late...
Filling Member Wants Serves Agency Needs
Kenneth Richards Jr.
Word travels fast in the fire service, and if a department has a history of treating volunteers like second-class citizens, the department will struggle to get new members....
Calif. Task Force Delivers Fire Report
The unprecedented natural disaster risk facing California demands a new commitment to investing in fire and emergency response capacity and sensible land-use and fire prevention. ...
USFA Offers EMS Pilot Course
The U. S. Fire Administration is conducting a pilot class at the National Emergency Training Center in Emmitsburg, Md., for its newly revised two-week course, "P150 - Management of Emergency Medical Services." ...
Cities Sue Lenders Over Foreclosures
Source: American City & County
Cleveland is suing 21 banks and mortgage companies over the effects that the recent high numbers of home foreclosures have had on the city’s economy. Also, Baltimore is suing Wells Fargo Bank, alleging that the bank targeted blacks over whites in issuing high-interest loans....
Canadian Fire Chief Resigns
Metchosin Fire Chief Steen Skou has resigned amid complaints from firefighters regarding his management style....
Emergency Director, Fire Chief Hired
In Florida, Sally Bishop was promoted from interim director to director of the Pinellas County Emergency Management Department. And in Waynesboro, Pa., Dave Martin was hired as fire chief of that volunteer department....
FEMA Aid to Iowa, Calif.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency said that federal disaster aid has been made available for Iowa to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area struck by a severe winter storm. FEMA also expanded the disaster declaration for the Southern California wildfires....
Ethics Exam
By Robert R. Rielage
From hiring to purchasing to politics, fire chiefs face ethical decisions every day. They just might not recognize them....
Legislative Horizon
By Rick Markley
The fire service will be leaning on its caucus to fund critical programs in a year where dollars look to be hard to come by. ...
Inspectors Must See with Firefighters' Eyes
[ Mike Chiaramonte ]
It is the fire inspectors who get into the community on a regular basis. Every inspector must look at all occupancies they inspect as though they were fighting a fire in that establishment....
Animus Toward Union Taints Budget Cuts
[ Philip Stittleburg ]
Asking the public if they would like to have the same service they have now and a new truck, too, but spend less money is like asking whether they want to have their cake and eat it, too....
Fed Agency Applauds N.Y. Fire Code
U.S. Chemical Safety Board Investigations Manager Stephen Selk applauded New York City officials' and the fire department's efforts to revise the city's nearly 90-year-old fire code....
Survey: States Want to Work Better with Feds
States are working more closely and more effectively with federal agencies than ever before to share information that could prevent terrorist attacks, but their relationship with the federal government in a number of other key security areas remains a work in progress....
Volunteer Firefighter Act Passes House
The House of Representatives passed the Volunteer Responder Incentive Protection Act, prohibiting the federal government from taxing benefits provided to volunteer firefighters and EMS personnel by state and local governments....
Send Holiday Greetings Overseas
During this holiday season, many American firefighters are doing double-duty for their country, serving as soldiers in Iraq, Afghanistan and in other nations abroad....
| Commentary | Special Reports | Station Style |
|---|---|---|
|
Mutual Aid is a blog of news and views from FIRE CHIEF staff and industry experts — a virtual conversation about the issues important to you as a fire service leader. |
In Service provides information on fleet management, apparatus specifying and maintenance. Keep abreast of new trends and changes to emergency vehicle apparatus. |
Station Style focuses on the architectural design and needs of fire and emergency stations today. See the latest in design trends and learn about the Fire Station Design Awards. |
