Scuttlebutt 3/22

Chief Billy Goldfeder created a website, 40plusfire.com, to help firefighters and their families to understand one of the most prominent firefighter cancers: prostate cancer.
March 14, 2022
5 min read
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Understanding Prostate Cancer

Chief Billy Goldfeder, who is the author of the Close Calls column in ­Firehouse Magazine, created a website, 40plusfire.com, to help firefighters and their families to understand one of the most prominent firefighter cancers: prostate cancer. Goldfeder wrote of his own experiences in his January 2022 column (firehouse.com/21248822).

The nonprofit, noncommercial site focuses on active male firefighters who are 40 years of age and older. The site includes information on prostate cancer prevention, how to get checked and what to do if you are diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Goldfeder says that the site was created because too many sick or dead firefighters didn’t understand prostate cancer, didn’t know that it can be symptom-free and avoided getting checked.

For more information, visit 40plusfire.com.

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NVFC Health & Safety Training Summit
Registration is open for the National Volunteer Fire Council’s (NVFC) 2022 Health & Safety ­Training Summit, which will take place June 24–25, in Orlando, FL. The conference is open to all volunteer firefighters, EMS providers, department leadership and other U.S. fire department personnel.
Attendees can sit in on as many as seven breakout sessions. The sessions address behavioral health, fireground safety, leadership and roadway safety, among others. The conference also will feature keynote speakers and networking opportunities. Full course information and instructor details are available on the registration page.
For more information, visit nvfc.org/summit.
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HFSC Introduces Virtual Reality Resource
The Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition (HFSC) is taking home fire safety education to the next level with a new virtual reality, 360-degree house fire flashover and sprinkler comparison video that was created with actual fire footage.
Thanks to state-of-the-art cinematic technology, viewers can experience the fires with and without an installed sprinkler as if they were inside of the burning house. Viewers can watch flames and smoke from any angle and hear the fire crackle and smoke alarms activate.
In the video of a room without a fire sprinkler, viewers will see flashover occur in real time and watch how quickly the flames and smoke spread. When they watch the video that has a room that’s equipped with a fire sprinkler, they’ll learn how the high heat from the fire activates the water flow and see the sprinkler quickly control the blaze and minimize smoke spread.
Fire departments are encouraged to use the new video as part of their community risk reduction outreach. They can visit HFSC’s website to download the video and to share the link. The video will be featured during Home Fire Sprinkler Week, which is May 15–21, 2022.
For more information, visit homefiresprinkler.org/vr.
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HURST Jaws of Life Celebrates 50th Anniversary
HURST Jaws of Life is marking its half-century milestone with a celebratory logo, challenge coins, patches and more.
The history of HURST Jaws of Life rescue tools began when innovator George Hurst, the manufacturer of Hurst shifters and a racing enthusiast, devised a prototype tool to extricate auto racers from high-speed wrecks. In 1972, less than a year later, the HURST Power Tool debuted to the public with production of the model JL-32, which soon was helping first responders to extricate everyday drivers from roadside accidents. It gained popularity among firefighters, emergency technicians and law enforcement, and it soon was dubbed and then trademarked as the Jaws of Life.
Since the original spreaders debuted, HURST Jaws of Life has expanded the rescue tool portfolio to include cutters, combination tools, rescue rams and accessories to help first responders to stay safe on scene. Today’s tools are smaller and weigh less than their predecessors, and they can cut, spread, lift and breach metal, wood and rebar on vehicles and structures to allow first responders to get to entrapped people to save their life.
For more information, visit jawsoflife.com.
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RedWave Technology Announces First Slate of International Partners

As demand for RedWave Technology’s chemical threat detection products grows, the company announced plans to rapidly expand into international markets.

RedWave says the partners were selected for their expertise in chemical threat detection and are known in their local markets for the technical support that they provide, analytical proficiency and integrity.

Partners include:

  • Target Tecnologia brings advanced technology for the detection of threats in the field of security, military, police and emergencies to Portugal and Spain
  • HazmatLINK provides products that can be used in hazmat and CBRNe response situations to identify unknown substances to Belgium, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom
  • RMI supplies a range of modern and innovative CBRNe detection technologies and developed into one of the largest suppliers of portable detection instrumentation in Central Europe, including Bosnia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Macedonia, Slovakia and Slovenia,

For the full list of partners, visit redwavetech.com/global-partners.

This Month in Fire History

March 1, 1911—The Weeks Act authorizes federal and state cooperation in forest fire protection

March 5, 1770, Boston—A false alarm leads to confrontations that result in the Boston Massacre

March 10, 1941, Brockton, MA—The Strand Theater fire roof collapse kills 13 firefighters

March 17, 1631, Cambridge, MA—The first fire prevention legislation passes

March 18, 1996, Chesapeake, VA—Advanced Auto Parts fire kills two firefighters

March 19, 1896, New York—Insurance groups form a committee to design what will become the NFPA

March 22, 2018, York, PA—Piano warehouse collapse kills two firefighters

March 24, 2018, Kanawha County, WV—Apparatus crash kills two volunteer firefighters

March 25, 1911, New York—The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire kills 145

March 25, 1990, New York—The Happy Land social club fire kills 87

Courtesy: NFPA

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Content written and created by Firehouse Magazine editors. 

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