The National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory (NPPTL) of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) will receive until 5 p.m. October 16, 2008, comments on “The Potential Modification of the NIOSH Statement of Standard for a Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) Full Facepiece Air-Purifying Respirator (APR),” NIOSH Docket 139.
The Department of Defense (DoD) is requesting a modification to the CBRN APR Statement of Standard to allow for mechanical connectors other than the specified single 40-mm thread connector, to allow first responders to use the newly developed Joint Service General Protective Mask (JSGPM) for respiratory protection on U.S. military installations or when called to support civil authorities. The JSGPM uses a bayonet-mounted, dual-filter design instead of the single standard 40-mm screw-mounted canister.
Emergency responders had identified the need for the interoperability of canisters and face pieces to facilitate response to terrorist-related events. Interchangeability of canisters and masks is supported by the user community and was recommended in the 2002 Rand report, “Protecting Emergency Responders Lessons Learned from Terrorist Attacks.” NIOSH integrated applicable military and industrial technologies in the CBRN APR standard “to provide the full range of protection needed by emergency responders,” according to the NIOSH document cover sheet.
Information about the public meetings at which the conceptual requirements for the CBRB APR were discussed is at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/nppt/standardsdev/cbrn/meetings.html/. DoD requires that the JSGPM for respiratory protection on military installations in the United States have replacement filters in the mask carrier worn on the individual and field-level logistic support for additional filters. Neither are required for commercial mask applications. For the DoD user, the advantage of the bayonet attachment on the JSGPM does not compromise the interoperability consideration for emergency responders outside of the DoD.
NIOSH/NPPTL is seeking input from stakeholders and manufacturers to determine the following:
- Opinions on the current design requirement for the single 40-mm thread canister mechanical connector.
- Rationale and data to maintain the current design requirement.
- Rationale and data to support adding an alternative design for DoD applications for canister mechanical connectors.
- Identification of alternative approaches to implement the alternative design concept for the canister mechanical connector.
- Other comments on the subject.
To submit comments, use the online form at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/review/public/139/, e-mail at [email protected]/, or mail to NIOSH Mailstop: C-34; Robert A. Taft Lab.; 4676 Columbia Parkway; Cincinnati, OH 45226. Additional information is available from Jonathan V. Szalajda, NPPTL, NIOSH, CDC (412) 386-6627.
Line-of-Duty Deaths
June 14. Second Assistant Chief Colin Gene Thomas, 51, Verona Volunteer Fire Department, Jacksonville, NC: injuries sustained when struck by a semi tractor-trailer while directing traffic on a roadway in low-visibility conditions resulting from fog and a controlled burn at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune.
June 17. Firefighter Kevin Patrick Pryor, 31, Newport Beach (CA) Fire Department: cerebrovascular accident.
June 22. Chief George E. Crocker, 32, Pine Level (NC) Volunteer Fire Department: unknown.
June 26. Deputy Chief Jeff Powers, 44, Southern Marin Fire Protection District, Mill Valley, CA: autopsy to be performed.
June 28. Captain Gary L. Studer, 61, Whitehouse (OH) Fire Department: cerebrovascular accident.
June 29. Firefighter Michael MacDonald, 26, Chief Mountain Interagency HotShot Crew, Browning, MT: helicopter collision while being transported to a hospital.
July 3. Firefighter Robert Roland, 63, Anderson Valley Volunteer Fire Department, Boonville, CA: cause still to be reported.
July 4. Firefighter Joe Pat Jordan, 71, Pickton-Pine Forest (TX) Volunteer Fire Department: heart attack.
July 5. Chief Robert Leland Knight, 42, Teague (TX) Volunteer Fire Department: wall collapse at a fire.
July 7. Firefighter Richard L. Kear, 58, Pitt Township Volunteer Fire Department, Harpster, OH: apparatus crash.
July 8. Firefighter Ryan T. Barker, 25, West Hill Fire Department, Elmira, NY: apparatus crash.
July 18. Firefighter Johnny Bajusz, 69, Layton Volunteer Fire Department-Monroe County Fire/Rescue, Long Key, FL: injuries sustained in a personal vehicle crash on January 16.
July 21. Firefighter/Paramedic Ryan Hummert, 22, Maplewood (MO) Fire Department: shot and killed by a gunman inside a nearby residence as he left his fire apparatus to extinguish a truck fire.
Source: USFA Firefighters Memorial Database
Sanford named chief in Indianapolis
Brian Sanford has been named chief of fire of the Indianapolis (IN) Fire Department (IFD). The Chief Selection Committee had interviewed 12 finalists for the position. The committee members forwarded their recommendations to Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard, who made the selection. Sanford formerly served as deputy chief of the IFD’s EMS Division and, until the IFD’s most recent consolidation with Warren Township, was that township’s fire chief. He was acting chief of the IFD.
IAFC receives DHS grant for National Fire Fighter Near-Miss Reporting System
The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) was awarded a $989,068 U.S. Department of Homeland Security Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program grant, in the Fire Prevention and Safety Category, to continue managing and expanding the National Fire Fighter Near-Miss Reporting System.
The program features a firefighter safety data collection and resource site, available at www.firefighternearmiss.com/. The program has collected more than 1,800 reports since its inception three years ago. The reports are based on fire service feedback.
FEMA to manage cellular alert system
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will serve as unified aggregator for the Commercial Mobile Alert System under a framework created by the Federal Communications Commission, according to retired Major General Martha Rainville, assistant director of National Continuity Programs for the Homeland Security Department.
Congress mandated the alert system in the Warning Alert Response Network Act, which will allow federal, state, and local emergency alerts to be sent by authorized senders. As the aggregator, FEMA will verify the authenticity of the alerts and pass them to commercial mobile phone providers, who will pass them on to their subscribers.
Not all technical issues pertaining to the system have been resolvedsuch as developing specifications that will allow the emergency alerts to override nonemergency traffic, for example.
FEMA was to announce its position on adopting the Common Alert Protocol messaging standard for delivering emergency alerts around the end of July. The protocol, an open-source standard for emergency messages, was developed by volunteers and adopted by a number of federal, state, and local agencies on various emergency alert systems in recent years, including FEMA. “FEMA to manage cellular alert system,” Alice Lipowica, WashingtonTechnology, www.washingtontechnology.com/cgi-bin/udt/im.display.printable?client.id=washingtontechnolo… May 30, 2008.
IAFC issues interim report on fireground noise and digital radio transmissions
The International Association of Fire Chiefs’ (IAFC) Interim Report and Recommendations: Fireground Noise and Digital Radio Transmissions is the result of a year’s work by the Digital Project Working Group, which consulted with public safety organizations, manufacturers, and the laboratory services of the federal government to determine how fireground noise affects radio transmissions.
The report, “DPWG Interim Report,” is at www.iafc.org. Two companion reports are also posted there: “Portable Radio Best Practices” and the National Telecommunications & Information Administration report “Intelligibility of Selected Radio Systems in the Presence of Fireground Noise: Test Plan and Results.”
According to the interim report, “Noise on the fireground can interfere with intelligible radio communications.” The IAFC Digital Project Working Group and its task groups will conduct further testing to identify the problems and methods for resolving them. The Best Practices Task Group will investigate the best practices and training available to mitigate the known issues.
Firing of NIOSH head stirs controversy
Dr. John Howard, head of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), was fired by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Dr. Julie Gerberding in July. Howard’s dismissal has legislators, government officials, 9/11 victims’ committees, and others demanding his reinstatement. Critics say Howard was fired because he recommended treatment for responders to the 2001 World Trade Center attacks, against his superiors’ preferences.
New York City’s Mayor Michael Bloomberg lauded Howard for his “advocacy for federal funding of screening and treatment programs for rescue and recovery workers at the World Trade Center.” Bloomberg called Howard “a breath of fresh air.”
Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (NY) said in a statement on July 8: “Dr. Howard is out of a job because he wanted to help the heroes of 9/11 and his superiors didn’t. We demand that the administration take back this outrageous slap at sick 9/11 responders and reappoint Dr. Howard to a well-deserved second term.” New York Reps. Maloney, Jerrold Nadler, Eliot Engel, and Edolphus Towns sent a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt and Dr. Gerberding asking for a meeting to discuss the firing.
FEMA releases AFG five-year report
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has released a five-year (fiscal years 2003 through 2007) statistical breakdown of the equipment and vehicles that have been funded in the Assistance for Firefighters Grant (AFG) program. A data summary with a brief description of equipment items and the amount awarded as a percentage of the group total is included. Statistics are presented as a list of types of items and vehicles funded. Additional information is at www.firegrantsupport.com/afg/reports.aspx/.
DHS awards Skidmore College grant to research firefighter cardiac fatalities
Skidmore College’s Exercise Science department was awarded $994,342 by the Department of Homeland Security to help uncover the reasons for the high cardiac fatality rate among firefighters. The college will conduct a two-year study that includes laboratory and real-world components. Researchers will conduct a field study with firefighters in Oxnard, California, who will wear monitoring shirts that track heart rate and nervous system function. The laboratory component will study the physiological changes that occur after strenuous firefighting activity.
Johns Hopkins, NVFC receive FEMA grant for firefighter study
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) awarded a $1 million grant to the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health to complete a three-year research project in collaboration with the National Volunteer Fire Council. The project objectives are to identify “modifiable” barriers to implementing wellness and fitness interventions among firefighters and fire departments and to develop and test a pilot intervention.
Senate, House Appropriations Committees approve FY09 Homeland Security bills
In June, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved S. 3181, the Fiscal Year 2009 (FY09) Homeland Security Appropriations Act. It funds the Assistance to Firefighters (AFG) and the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant programs at the same levels as FY08$560 million and $190 million, respectively, according to the Congressional Fire Services Institute.
The House Appropriations Committee also approved a FY09 spending bill for homeland security (the bill number was pending at press time). The House bill funds AFG at $570 million, a $10 million increase over FY08, and SAFER at $230 million, a $40 million increase over FY08.
In addition to funding AFG and SAFER, the bills also provide funding for the United States Fire Administration (USFA). The Senate bill funds USFA at $43.3 million, maintaining the same level of funding as FY08. The House bill provides a slight increase, funding USFA at slightly more than $44.9 million. The additional funds are intended to update the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) and to improve infrastructure at the National Fire Academy (NFA).
Both houses must now approve their respective spending bills and resolve any differences before sending the final bill to the President for his signature.
Congress Approves 911 Legislation
In June, the House of Representatives approved by a voice vote the New and Emerging Technologies (NET) 911 Improvement Act (H.R. 3403), which would update the nation’s 911 laws for Internet phone services. The bill was passed by unanimous consent in the Senate on June 16.
The legislation allows voice-over-Internet-protocol (VoIP) providers to access existing 911 infrastructures, enabling them to deliver emergency calls and provide location and callback information. The legislation also extends liability protection to VoIP firms, as well as users and call centers handling emergency online phone calls. The legislation was sent to the White House for the President’s signature on June 23.
Warning: Inspect propane gas tanks before purchasing
Mercer County (NJ) Fire Communications has warned local fire departments that consumers purchasing propane gas should be aware that anhydrous ammonia, a corrosive that weakens the structure of the tank, may have previously been stored in the propane gas container. This could present danger for the user when hooked up to a grill or a recreation vehicle should the ammonia mix with the propane gas, according to a Waldwick (NJ) Fire Department newsletter. Methamphetamine cooks have been buying propane tanks from stores such as Wal-Mart, Circle-K, and Kroger; emptying them of the propane gas; and filling them with anhydrous ammonia, which they use in a recipe to cook methamphetamine. When finished with the propane tanks, they return them to the store. The stores, unaware of the tank’s previous use, refill the tanks with propane gas and sell them to unwary consumers.
When purchasing propane gas, consumers should inspect the tank for any blue or greenish residue around the valve areas. If residue is found, they should not purchase the tank and advise the vendor of their finding. Additional information is available at the National Propane Gas Association site at http://www.npga.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm? pageid=529/.
FDA Actions
• The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has obtained a permanent injunction against Scientific Laboratories Inc. The firm is barred from making and distributing drug products until its manufacturing operations comply with law and its products are FDA approved. The unapproved new drugs Scientific Laboratories marketed as prescription cough and cold products include the following: B-Vex Suspension, Ben-Tann Suspension, D-Tann (AT, CT, HM, DC) Suspensions, Dur-Tann DM Suspension, Duratan DM Suspension, L-All 12 Suspension, Nazarin Liquid, and HC Liquid. The FDA press release is at http://www.fda.gov/.
• The FDA has announced the addition of a boxed warning to the label of Regranex Gel 0.01% (becaplermin), to address the increased risk of cancer mortality for individuals who use three or more tubes of the product. Regranex is a topical cream indicated for the treatment of leg and foot ulcers that are not healing in diabetic patients. A retrospective study compared cancer incidence and cancer mortality among 1,622 patients exposed to Regranex to 2,809 similar patients not exposed to the cream. There was a fivefold increased risk of cancer mortality in patients exposed to three or more tubes of Regranex. Regranex is not recommended for patients with known malignancies. Additional information is at http://www.fda.gov/; click on Becaplermin (marketed as Regranex).
• Bayer Pharmaceuticals Corp. had agreed in November 2007 to an FDA request to suspend the marketing of Trasylol®, a drug used to control bleeding during heart surgery. Preliminary results from a Canadian study suggested an increased risk for death in patients taking Trasylol, compared with two other antifibrinolytic drugs used to control bleeding. www.fda.gov/consumer/updates/trasylolstock051608.html/.May 19, 2008.
• The FDA is requiring that manufacturers of fluoroquinolone antimicrobial drugs include a Box Warning on the product labeling relative to the increased risk of tendonitis and tendon rupture. The FDA also said the manufacturers must provide a Medication Guide to patients about possible side effects.Fluoroquinolones are approved for treating or preventing certain bacterial infections. The risk of developing fluoroquinolone-associated tendonitis and tendon rupture is increased in people older than 60; in those taking corticosteroid drugs; and in kidney, heart, and lung transplant recipients.
