USFA: Fire service lost “too many firefighters in 2005”
One hundred six firefighters lost their lives in the line of duty in 2005, the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) reports in its 2005 firefighter line-of-duty deaths analysis. In addition, four firefighters died from injuries that occurred prior to 2005.
“The fire service of this nation has tragically lost again too many firefighters in 2005,” says Deputy USFA Administrator Charles Dickinson. “The USFA approaches 2006, joined with the fire organizations and fire department leaders, to commit to doing what it takes to reduce these too often, preventable losses.”
According to the USFA statistics, fatalities in 2005 broke down as follows:
• Four multiple-firefighter fatality incidents occurred:
-Two New York City firefighters were forced to jump from a fire-involved structure,
-Three firefighters were killed in a helicopter crash in Texas as they assisted with a controlled burn,
-Two Wyoming firefighters died in a residential structure fire, and
-Three firefighters were killed in the crash of an air tanker in California.
• The Fire Department of New York lost a third firefighter on the same day as the January incident in which the two firefighters above died.
• The Memphis (TN) Fire Department lost two firefighters in separate incidents during the year.
• Heart attacks were responsible for the deaths of 48 firefighters; 61 firefighters suffered heart attacks in 2004.
• Seven firefighters died of cerebrovascular accidents in 2005, an increase of four from 2004.
• Vehicle crashes took the lives of 26 firefighters. Five firefighters were killed in tanker (tender) crashes, five in crashes that involved passenger vehicles, and four in pumper crashes. There were also fatalities in crashes involving ATVs, aircraft, and a boat.
• The average age of a firefighter killed in 2005 was 46. The youngest firefighter to die while on-duty was an 18-year-old Connecticut firefighter who fell from a ladder during training. The oldest firefighter fatality while on-duty was a 76-year-old New Jersey firefighter, who was struck by a suspected drunk driver at a roadside emergency scene. ■
USFA report: Older Americans are more than twice as likely to die in fires
“Adults age 65 and older are 2.5 times more likely to die in fires than the overall population,” according to “Fire and the Older Adult,” a report developed by the National Fire Data Center. The center is part of the U.S. Fire Administration.
The data for the report are based on research from a variety of public and private organizations, including the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS). According to 2002 NFIRS data, 34 percent of those who died and 14 percent of those injured in residential structure fires in 2002 were 65 years of age and older.
A copy of the full report can be downloaded from www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/publications/fa-300.pdf/. ■
WTC responders die of respiratory illnesses
In the past seven months, three men who worked at the World Trade Center (WTC) collapse site died of what was described by family and colleagues as “persistent respiratory illnesses directly caused by their work at ground zero.”
Officials and medical experts say it will take years to accurately assess the long-term health effects of working at the site. A director of a medical-monitoring program at one of the New York City hospitals, however, says “it is not inconceivable” that someone could die of respiratory disease related to that event. Her program involves more than 14,000 ground zero workers. The city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene is tracking another 71,000 people exposed to dust and debris on 9/11.
The latest victims were a fire department captain, 41, who went on medical leave in March 2005 and died in June 2005 of heart disease aggravated by bronchitis and emphysema; a rescue and recovery worker, 31, who retired in 2004 and died in October 2005 and whose symptoms began with a cold and continuously progressed to a number of respiratory diseases; and a New York detective, 34, who died January 5, 2006, of what family members describe as “black lung disease.” He also had high levels of mercury in his brain. He had worked 470 hours at the site. Autopsy results were not released at press time.
An attorney representing more than 5,000 plaintiffs suing supervisors of the WTC cleanup said 21 of his clients have died of 9/11-related diseases since mid-2004. Individuals he represents worked at ground zero, the Fresh Kills landfill in Staten Island, and the city morgue. The attorney called these deaths the “tip of the iceberg.” He said many more people will “die from the aftermath of the toxicity.”
Rep. Jerrold Nadler, who represents the congressional district in which the WTC site is located, says all people exposed should be monitored for life.
A 2004 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed that one in five workers at ground zero wore respirators that blocked out asbestos dust, glass fibers, pulverized cement, and other irritants and toxins while working there. AP, Jan. 17, 2006, http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10896590/. ■
AFG grant workshop schedule posted
On January 18, the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (AFG) began posting the FY 2006 Assistance to Firefighters Grant workshop schedule on its Web site at www.firegrantsupport.com/. The workshops are scheduled and conducted by AFG regional representatives and offer current program information for fire and EMS organizations that would like to submit a 2006 AFG application. Those unable to attend a workshop may view the PowerPoint® presentation used in the workshops on the AFG Web site. During the application period, there will be an expanded help desk at 1-866-274-0960 and information at [email protected]. ■
IAFC report on transition in fire departments available on Web site
In January, the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) Volunteer and Combination Officers Section (VCOS) released the Red Ribbon Report Lighting the Path of Evolution, Leading the Transition in Volunteer and Combination Fire Departments.
Researched and written by fire officers who have experienced transitions in their communities and fire departments, the report chronicles the evolution of the volunteer fire service and the need for some departments to make the transition to a combination volunteer/paid department.
Of the 26,354 fire departments in the United States, approximately three-quarters serve 19,224 communities and are staffed by volunteers, according to the report. The document is available at www.vcos.org or www.iafc.org. ■
IAFC survey reveals fire department challenges
Staffing (61 percent), funding (55 percent), and increased demands for service (23 percent) were the top three challenges cited by U.S. fire departments in an e-mail survey conducted by the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC). More than 1,000 IAFC members participated in the November 2005 survey.
Volunteer departments listed staffing as their most common challenge, whereas career departments listed financial problems as their top issue. Other commonly cited challenges were training firefighters and fire officers (21.9 percent); issues with personnel and labor groups (16.2 percent); and the need for new equipment to replace an aging fleet or to comply with new standards (11.9 percent).
Among other issues identified in the survey are the following:
• Recruiting and retaining qualified staff.
• Insufficient funds to maintain the status quo and meet higher demand for services.
• Grant money is needed to help offset operating costs.
• Increased demands for services are related to rapid community growth and potential events such as terrorist attacks or an outbreak of pandemic flu.
• Training to meet federally required standards.
The full survey results are at www.iafc.org. ■
Sen. Sarbanes to be honored at CFSI dinner April 6
The 18th Annual National Fire and Emergency Services Dinner and Seminars, hosted by the Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI), will be held at the Hilton Washington in Washington, DC, April 5-6.
At the dinner on April 6, Senator Paul Sarbanes, who will retire at the end of this year, will be cited as “one of the strongest advocates for our nation’s fire service in the history of Congress,” according to the CFSI. Among his many contributions to the fire service was his writing of the legislation that created the U.S. Fire Administration and the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. The theme of the dinner is “Leadership Saves Lives … So Everyone Goes Home.”
The seminars, which will begin on Wednesday afternoon, April 5, at the Hilton Washington, will continue the next morning and afternoon on Capitol Hill. Information about the dinner and seminars is available at www.cfsi.org/. ■
NIOSH to focus on personal protective equipment
The National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is conducting research aimed at advancing personal protective equipment. Among the areas to be covered are the following:
• Personal Alert Safety Systems (PASS). NIOSH is conducting a technical investigation of problems reported with the devices used by fire and emergency services. PASS systems sound a loud audio alarm if the wearer becomes immobilized for 25 seconds. The audio alarm assists rescue crews in locating the downed firefighter. The performance of PASS systems is covered in a National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standard. An April 2005 letter from the NIOSH Division of Safety Research to the National Fire Protection Association raised the question of possible limitations in PASS performance in high temperatures. This issue was raised during line-of-duty death investigations by the NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program Team (http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/firehome.html).
NIOSH presented the findings of the Team to the NFPA Technical Correlating Committee for Fire and Emergency Services Protective Clothing and Equipment, of which it is a member. The NFPA posted a PASS alarm warning notice on its Web site while the investigation is ongoing (http://www.nfpa.org/itemDetail.asp?categoryID=136&itemID=26606&URL=Codes%20and%20Standards/NFPA%20News). NIOSH is asking users to notify it of any additional instances of in-service PASS performance limitations by e-mailing [email protected]. More information is available at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npptl/usernotices/default.html#pass.
• Respirators. On December 13, 2005, NIOSH convened a public meeting with respirator manufacturers and other stakeholders to continue discussions on concepts for standards for testing and certifying powered, air-purifying respirators (PAPRs) and closed-circuit, self-contained breathing apparatus that would be used for respiratory protection against chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) agents. In the public meeting, NIOSH noted that it proposes, as a first step, to establish criteria administratively for testing PAPRs for CBRN exposures so that testing of such devices can begin in a timely way. Formal standards will then be developed under a notice-and-comment process. If devices are certified after testing under the administratively established criteria, manufacturers would not be required to resubmit them for testing under the formally established criteria. Additional details are available at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npptl/.
NIOSH and the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) formalized an agreement on December 2, 2005, to facilitate cooperation between the two organizations. The agreement involves the determination of performance requirements and cooperation in the development of test methods, product specifications, practices, guides, classifications, and terminology related to work and emergency responder protective clothing and equipment. ■
Carbon monoxide poisoning may increase long-term risk of death
According to a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA 2006; 295:398-402), moderate to severe carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning can cause myocardial injury that increases the long-term risk of death.
Dr. Timothy D. Henry of the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation headed the study. He and colleagues evaluated the outcomes of 230 consecutive patients treated with hyperbaric oxygen for CO poisoning at one center between 1994 and 2001. The patients were monitored until November 11, 2005.
In the study, 85 (37 percent) of the subjects had myocardial injury, determined by cardiac enzyme or ECG changes. Fifty-four (24 percent) of the patients died during a median follow-up period of 7.6 years. Twelve died while in the hospital.
The death rate for patients with myocardial injury was 38 percent during the long-term follow-up. The rate for individuals without such injury was 15 percent.
According to the study authors, patients suspected of having been exposed to CO “should be screened for myocardial injury and additional cardiovascular risk stratification should be considered in all the patients with confirmed myocardial injury.” Reuters Health Information, www.medscape.com (article 522233), Jan. 25, 2006 ■
Nation’s state of emergency medicine rates low marks
The first National Report on the State of Emergency Medicine reveals “an emergency care system characterized by overcrowding, declining access to care, soaring liability costs, and a poor capacity to deal with public health or terrorist disasters,” according to the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP).
Overall, the nation’s emergency care system received a grade of C− (the average grades of all 50 states and the District of Columbia).
The ACEP established a task force of experts. The panel used a range of available data to develop 50 measures for grading each state on a scale of A through F. The states were evaluated for their support in the following areas: Access to Emergency Care, Quality and Patient Safety, Public Health and Injury Prevention, and Medical Liability Environment.
“Our report found the nation’s support for emergency medical care is mediocre or worse,” says Frederick C. Blum, MD, FACEP, president of ACEP. No state received an overall A grade. California ranked first in the nation, followed by Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the District of Columbia. All earned the highest overall B grades. Receiving the worst overall grade of D were Arkansas, Idaho, and Utah.
The task force analyzed data from sources including the American Medical Association, the American Nurses Association, the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Angela Gardner, MD, FACEP, a practicing emergency physician in Texas who chaired the task force, noted: “This report is a serious wake-up call to the nation. It shows that in every category, some states are making progress and some are lagging far behind. If the emergency medical system gets a C- on an average day, how can it ever be expected to provide expert, efficient care during a natural disaster or terrorist attack? Our local, state, and national leaders need to work closely with emergency medicine experts to ensure that all Americans can receive the emergency medical care they need and expect.” The complete report is at www.acep.org/. ■
NIEHS to stress “systematic” assessment of toxicant health risks
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The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), one of the National Institutes of Health, has named Christopher Portier, Ph.D., associate director for risk assessment. He will oversee and coordinate risk assessment activities within the agency and will apply the results of toxicological studies to national and international efforts to assess the human health risks of chemical, drugs, and physical agents.
The new position, according to NIEHS Director Dr. David A. Schwartz, “is in line with the Institute’s renewed interest in using environmental health sciences to understand human disease and improve human health.”
Dr. Portier has served in many prominent positions within NIEHS, most recently as the associate director of the National Toxicology Program; the director of the Environmental Toxicology Program; and the head of the Environmental Systems Biology, Laboratory of Molecular Toxicology.
He developed the landmark document “A National Toxicology Program for the 21st Century: A Roadmap for the Future,” released in 2005. It outlines a framework by which the National Toxicology Program will modify, adapt, and improve its programs to provide scientific information for protecting the public’s health.
Additional information is at www.nih.gov/. ■
NIOSH seeks partners for Research to Practice program
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is in need of partners for its Research to Practice (r2p) program for improving workplace safety and health. Openings are in the following areas: emergency preparedness, construction, and mining. ■
CPSC recalls Dell Notebook computer batteries
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with Dell Inc. of Round Rock, Texas, has recalled some 22,000 Dell Notebook computer batteries. They can overheat and pose a fire hazard. The manufacturer, at press time, had received three reports of overheating with some property damage. No injuries were reported.
The recalled batteries were sold with some models of the following computers: Latitude, Inspiron, and Dell Precision mobile workstations. They were also sold separately as secondary batteries and in response to service calls. They were sold on Dell’s Web site and catalogs from October 5, 2004, through October 13, 2005.
Consumers should contact Dell to determine if their battery is part of the recall. Contact Dell toll-free at (866) 342-0011 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. CT Monday through Friday, or go to www.dellbatteryprogram.com/. ■
Line-of-Duty Deaths
January 3. Firefighter II Richard Longoria, 54, Corpus Christi (TX) Fire Department: cerebrovascular accident.
January 13. Firefighter Amy L. Schnearle-Pennywitt, 34, City of Ann Arbor (MI) Fire Department: injuries sustained when struck by a vehicle while responding to a series of weather-related motor vehicle accidents on January 8.
January 14. Firefighter Jason Allen Johnson, 28, Butler County Fire District #3, Rose Hill, KS: a cause still to be determined.
January 21. Firefighter Roger W. Armstrong, 42, Atlanta (IL) Fire Department: stricken while in rehab at a structure fire. Cause of death unknown at press time.
January 28. Firefighter Tracy Champion, 49, Philadelphia (PA) Fire Department: heart attack during overhaul operations at residential fire.
Source: USFA Firefighters Memorial Database
Canada
January 22. Captain Marcel Marleau, 47, Montreal Fire Department: trapped while operating at a residential apartment fire.
