>> Children who have lost a parent in an air medical accident may be eligible for financial assistance through a scholarship fund from THE FOUNDATION FOR AIR-MEDICAL RESEARCH & EDUCATION (FARE), the charitable arm of the ASSOCIATION OF AIR MEDICAL SERVICES. Beginning this year, the FARE Children’s Scholarship Fund will award two $2,500 scholarships to deserving high school seniors. Applicants must have at least a C grade point average; be a legal U.S. resident; and be a graduating high school senior accepted into an accredited two-or four-year college, a university, or a vocational-technical school. Applications are due May 1. Scholarship recipients will be announced in August. www.fareonline.org.
>> The U.S. FIRE ADMINISTRATION’s NATIONAL FIRE ACADEMY has changed the application period for on-campus course deliveries and the Executive Fire Officer Program (EFOP). Potential students must submit their applications between April 15 and June 15, 2009 for first semester classes (October 1, 2009March 31, 2010) and between October 15 and December 15, 2009 for the second semester (April 1September 30, 2010). The EFOP application deadline has also been changed to June 15 of each year to be considered for the following fiscal year’s program. Interested applicants should submit their application by June 15, 2009 to be considered for the FY2010 EFOP. www.usfa.dhs.gov/nfa.
>> The application period for the 2009 National Junior Firefighter Program scholarships, sponsored by BASKIN-ROBBINS®, is now open. Ten $5,000 scholarships will be awarded to junior firefighters nationwide who demonstrate commitment and dedication to their local junior firefighter program and the fire service. Application deadline is 5 p.m. (EDT), May 15, 2009. The program offers a combined $100,000 in scholarships to outstanding junior firefighters and grants to departments to support their junior firefighter programs. The application and criteria for the competitive scholarships are available on the NATIONAL VOLUNTEER FIRE COUNCIL (NVFC) Web site at www.nvfc.org/juniors.
>> A nationwide survey conducted by the SOCIETY FOR FIRE PROTECTION ENGINEERS (SFPE) reveals that building security topped a list of characteristics Americans consider the most important in public buildings. The list included comfort, fire safety, environmental friendliness, and other amenities. The survey’s results revealed 28 percent of Americans feel security is the most important feature, while 12 percent indicated that fire safety is the building’s most important design aspect. Comfort and amenities ranked higher than fire safety. The results are similar to SFPE’s 2006 survey, which asked the same questions. www.sfpe.org.
>> HURST JAWS OF LIFE® and ON TARGET CHALLENGE, INC. announced a sponsorship agreement for the national series of the Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge. The series targets more than 483,000 firefighters with 32 events nationwide. Hundreds of firefighters from throughout the nation will compete in “the toughest two minutes in sports.” The five-event obstacle course tests firefighter’s fitness level, agility, and heart. The series begins on April 18 in Miami Township, Ohio, and concludes in November with the World Challenge. www.jawsoflife.com, www.firefighter-challenge.com.
>> HAVIS-SHIELDS has merged withLEDCO-CHARGEGUARD, a manufacturer of mobile computing solutions and vehicle power management systems. The merger will define the new mobile workspace and create a broad portfolio of mobile workspace products, including emergency lighting, consoles, docking stations, and security transport systems. Customers can now use a single provider for fleet and IT solutions requirements, reducing total cost of ownership and improving service and support. www.havis.com. www.ledco-chargeguard.com.
>> CHAMPION RESCUE TOOLS has unveiled its new corporate Web site. The site features technical specification comparisons between Champion’s rescue tools and each industry competitor using a dropdown box, a training video from Champion’s no-cost Five-Star Extrication Training Academy classes and class registration details, a complete set of downloadable Champion product brochures with all technical specifications, and downloadable user manuals. www.championrescuetools.com.
>> LOWE’S COMPANIES, INC. has pledged $1.5 million to the national, nonprofit HOME SAFETY COUNCIL (HSC) through its Charitable & Educational Foundation. The donation will help HSC continue developing valuable educational materials for families, fire and life safety educators, and schools throughout the United States. This latest donation is part of Lowe’s continued partnership with HSC to prevent unintentional injuries at home, which cause nearly 20,000 deaths and 21 million medical visits on average each year. Today, more than 6,000 members have access to the Expert Network and HSC programs designed to benefit the fire service and other life-safety educators. www.lowes.com/community.
>> ROSENBAUER INTERNATIONAL AG has signed a contract with the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), which operates Saudi Arabia’s airports, to supply a total of 220 firefighting and rescue vehicles. The contract is valued at approximately $130 million, the largest single order in Rosenbauer’s history. With this fleet renewal program, GACA will not only be modernizing the fire protection arrangements at all of the Kingdom’s 26 local airports, but also ensuring fulfillment of the stringently monitored international airport certification regulations of the International Civil Aviation Organization. www.rosenbaueramerica.com.
