Congress Reauthorizes Zadroga Act
The U.S. Congress reauthorized the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act as part of legislation passed to fund the federal government through the end of fiscal year 2016. This massive legislation (H.R. 2029), which passed in late December, included funding for a number of fire service programs. Following are some of the highlights.
The James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act is reauthorized, meaning the World Trade Center Health Program is extended until 2090. The September 11 Victim Compensation Fund is re-opened for an additional five years, with $4.6 billion allocated to fund the program.
Several other critical fire service programs are funded:
- Funding for the FIRE and SAFER grant programs are increased to $345 million each.
- Funding for the U.S. Fire Administration is maintained at $44 million.
- Funding for the Urban Search and Rescue System is maintained at $35.18 million.
- Funding for the Volunteer Fire Assistance program is maintained at $13 million.
- ALERT grants at the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration to train first responders for rail incidents involving hazmat and crude oil shipments were reauthorized.
- Funding for the State Homeland Security Grant Program is maintained at $467 million.
- Funding for the Urban Areas Security Initiative is maintained at $600 million.
- These funds would be limited to urban areas representing 85% of risk.
“This omnibus appropriations bill has a number of important accomplishments for the fire and emergency service,” said Chief Rhoda Mae Kerr, the IAFC’s president and chair of the board. “I thank the IAFC membership and our friends on Capitol Hill for their dedicated advocacy on behalf of America’s fire and emergency service this year.”
Line-of-Duty Deaths
8 U.S. firefighters recently died in the line of duty. Two deaths were the results of accidents, three were health-related, and three were the direct result of firefighting operations. This edition of Firehouse is dedicated to these firefighters.
FIREFIGHTER LAWRENCE MILLARD, 56, of the Endeavor Moundville, WI, Fire Department, was struck and killed by a passing vehicle as he was directing traffic at a crash incident on an interstate on Dec. 11.
FIREFIGHTER/PARAMEDIC DANIEL CAPUANO, 42, of the Chicago Fire Department, died Dec. 14 from injuries sustained in a fall down an elevator shaft while operating in heavy smoke conditions inside of a burning warehouse.
FIREFIGHTER SIDNEY WINER, 92, with the No. 7 Township Fire Rescue in New Bern, NC, died Dec. 15 of injuries sustained in a car crash in October. He was involved in a motor vehicle collision on Oct. 20, while riding in the department's Ford F150 returning from picking up equipment.
CAPTAIN JACK ROSE, 19, with the Mount Marion Fire Department in Saugerties, NY, died Dec. 19. During interior firefighting operations, Rose became separated from his team. He was quickly located in the basement by fellow firefighters and removed. Once outside, he became unresponsive and firefighters initiated lifesaving measures. He was transported to a local hospital where he eventually succumbed to his injuries.
FIREFIGHTER STACY CRAWFORD, 47, of the Navarro County Emergency Service District #1 Fire Department in Powell, TX, died Dec. 19 after physical training in his firehouse. While involved in training exercises at the fire station, Crawford suddenly collapsed. Resuscitation efforts were begun by fellow responders and Crawford was transported to the hospital where he later died.
CAPTAIN WILLIE B. RATLIFF, 66, of Clarksdale, MS, Fire Department, was found deceased in the firehouse by fellow firefighters on Dec. 21 from an apparent heart attack shortly after participating in fire department physical training at the fire station..
FIRE POLICE OFFICER LOUIS “POP POP” PATTI, 67, of Warwick Township #1 Fire Department in Jamison, PA, died Dec. 22 of an apparent stroke after returning home from a vehicle extrication response call.
FIREFIGHTER PATRICK WOLTERMAN, 28, with the Hamilton, OH, Fire Department, died Dec. 28 from injuries sustained when he became trapped in a residential structure fire after falling from the first floor into the basement. Firefighters quickly located and rescued Wolterman and performed lifesaving measures while en route to Fort Hamilton Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
NVFC, ATS Partner on Online Course
The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) and Action Training Systems (ATS) have partnered to offer high-quality online training to NVFC members. Through the program, NVFC members receive an exclusive discount on ATS’ online fire and EMS training catalogs, featuring over 150 courses teaching to industry standards.
NVFC members now get a 10 percent discount on one-year individual subscriptions to ATS online training catalogs. Four catalog options are available: Fire, EMS, Fire + EMS, and Junior Firefighter. Catalogs can be purchased as individual subscriptions for a single user or multiple subscriptions for an organization. In addition to the member discount, for each subscription purchased, ATS will donate a portion of the purchase price back to the NVFC to support the organization’s initiatives.
“Offering more online training resources is the number one request from our members, and we are pleased to partner with Action Training Systems to be able to provide this new discount program,” said NVFC Chairman Kevin D. Quinn. “The National Fire & EMS Training Initiative will make high-quality online training more accessible to volunteer firefighters and EMTs. We thank Action Training Systems for offering this outstanding program to our members.”
NVFC members can access the National Fire & EMS Training Initiative link from the Member Benefits page in the Members-Only section of the NVFC web site. View program flyer for more information. Learn about Action Training Systems at www.action-training.com.
Winter Fire Warning
The threat of winter fires is real. Use these statistics and tips to help citizens understand the severity and prevalence of winter fires and what they can do to prevent them.
• 905 people die in winter home fires each year.
• 67 percent of winter fires occur in one- and two-family homes.
• Heating equipment is involved in one in every six reported home fires and in one in every five home fire deaths.
• Cooking is the leading cause of all winter home fires.
• 5 to 8 p.m. is the most common time for winter home fires.
• Keep anything that can burn at least three feet from any heat source, like fireplaces, wood stoves, radiators or space heaters.
• Keep portable generators outside, away from windows, and as far away as possible from your house.
• Have a professional clean and inspect your chimney and vents every year.
• Store cooled ashes in a metal container, and keep it outside at least 10 feet from your home and any nearby buildings.
• Plug only one heat-producing appliance into an electrical outlet at a time.
Source: National Fire Incident Reporting System 2009–2011
Madrzykowski Is Newest Member of Firefighter Safety Research Institute
After more than 30 years with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Fire Research Division, Dan Madrzykowski is joining the UL Firefighter Safety Research Institute (FSRI) as a Senior Research Engineer based out of FSRI headquarters in Columbia, MD.
Madrzykowski holds a master’s degree in fire protection engineering from the University of Maryland. Throughout his career, he has conducted research in the areas of fire suppression, large fire measurements, fire investigation and firefighter safety. Madrzykowski has conducted fire investigation-related studies in a wide range of areas, including firefighter line-of-duty deaths and injuries, the post-earthquake fires in Kobe, Japan, oil field fires in Kuwait, the Station Nightclub fire, and the Cook County Administration Building fire in Chicago.
