UL FSRI Says “Close Your Door”
The UL Firefighter Safety Research Institute (FSRI) has launched a fire safety consumer outreach initiative that is the result of more than a decade of proprietary research aimed at better understanding how fire spreads throughout homes. One of the most important components of this initiative is a public service announcement (PSA) entitled “Close Your Door.” The PSA will teach and encourage new fire safety information in a music video that furthers the ongoing mission of the UL.
“Close Your Door” focuses on straightforward actions and simple behavioral changes that can provide critical help in delaying the spread of fire. “This doesn’t require major effort or going out and buying anything,” said Stephen Kerber, FSRI director and program lead. “It’s very easy to implement once you have the knowledge.”
Kerber said the research showed that the furnishings, open layout, and construction materials of modern homes allow the fire to spread and become more toxic much faster, which leads to less time to get out of the home. He added that a topic that came up again and again was “just how much safer” the simulated occupant would be when they were behind a closed door.
“My first piece of advice is sleep with the bedroom door closed,” Kerber said. “If you are a parent with children in the home and that smoke alarm goes off, potentially you cannot get to your children’s room because you’re cut off by smoke. If you close their door before you go to bed, you’ve already put that safety barrier in place, so you know your children have longer to survive in that situation.”
FSRI research on horizontal ventilation, which began in 2008, analyzed the effect of doors and windows on a fire’s spread. Bedrooms on the first and second floor of a home were tested during the scenario. Using hundreds of temperature sensors, researchers found that closed-door rooms on both floors during the fire’s spread had average temperatures of less than 100 degrees F versus 1,000+ degrees in the open-door rooms. “You could see a marketable difference that a person could be alive in a room with a closed door much longer,” Kerber said.
Based on these findings, “Close Your Door” encourages those both trapped in a room during a fire as well as those who can safely leave a home to close as many doors as possible.
“People think, ‘Well, there’s smoke in my house. I want to let the smoke out,’” Kerber said. “Yes, you’re letting the smoke out, but you’re letting the air in, and that’s where the problem occurs. With the doors and windows closed, the fire won’t have oxygen to burn and it’s going to stay right there, giving other people in the house more time to get out and also helping protect your property.”
“What we need is a modern message,” Kerber added. “If Stop, Drop & Roll is for when your clothes are on fire, ’Close Your Door’ is for when your house is on fire and you cannot get out. It’s the modern version of what needs to be done.”
The PSA can be viewed at https://youtube/WUqjNF_DNkQ. Visit CloseYourDoor.org to watch a video and collect safety resources that can be shared in your communities
NFFF Releases Music Video in Tribute to Fallen Firefighters
Singer/songwriter Dave Carroll’s new music video “The Fallen and the Brave” honors firefighters who died while protecting their communities. This video was shot at the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial in Emmitsburg, MD.
“I'm grateful to the NFFF for the opportunity to help commemorate the lives of fallen firefighters at the Memorial in Emmitsburg and across America,” Carroll said. “This has been one of the most meaningful projects of my career.”
The music video was produced by the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation in association with Austin Reeves and STATter911 Communications.
“Dave Carroll’s wonderful tribute will help the public understand the sacrifices made each day by the nation’s firefighters and their families,” said NFFF Executive Director Ron Siarnicki. “We hope this will inspire everyone to support the survivors of these heroes and Text FIREHERO to 80077 to make a $25 donation to NFFF.”
Watch and download “The Fallen and the Brave” at vimeo.com/188040702.
Globe Wins International Award for ATHLETIX Turnout Gear
Globe Manufacturing Company has been awarded the 2016 International Achievement Awards (IAA) Award of Excellence and Best in Category for Advanced Textiles for its new ATHLETIX turnout gear.
Globe collaborated with three supplier partners on the development of the new materials that enable this all-new design: Kombat Stretch PBI/Kevlar fabric, manufactured by TenCate Protective Fabrics, allows closer, less bulky fit with unprecedented range of motion and more flexibility, while providing premium thermal break-open protection; Nomex Nano thermal barrier material, manufactured by DuPont Protection Solutions, is thinner, lighter, more flexible, more breathable and quicker drying; and 3M Scotchlite Comfort Trim reflective material, manufactured by 3M Company, is segmented and heat-sealed to be lighter, more flexible and breathable without sacrificing visibility.
For more than six decades, IAA has recognized excellence in design and innovation, highlighting truly spectacular work in the specialty fabrics and technical textiles industry. IFAI’s goal is to promote awareness of the specialty fabrics used in thousands of products and applications in the growing, $130 billion-plus global fabrics marketplace.
“At Globe, we are proud of our long history of innovation. It’s in our DNA,” said Rob Freese, senior vice president of Marketing at Globe. “Our new ATHLETIX turnout gear was inspired by interviews with hundreds of firefighters and made possible through collaboration with our suppliers, who take the same ‘Voice of the Customer’ approach to product development and share our passion for firefighter safety.”
Learn more at globeturnoutgear.com.
Valor Awards – Additional Unit Citations
Firehouse would like to recognize two additional Unit Citation Honorable Mentions, both from the Chicago Fire Department, which did not appear in the October issue.
Chicago Fire Department
Ambulance 8
Chicago Fire Department
Engine 107, Ambulance 4 and Paramedic Supervisor 4-5-8
We apologize for the oversight.
IAED Chairman Receives Lifetime Achievement Award
Jerry Overton, International Academies of Emergency Dispatch (IAED) Board of Accreditation Chair, received the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians’ (NAEMT) 2016 Rocco V. Morando Lifetime Achievement Award for his many contributions to furthering the mission of EMS and emergency dispatch professionals over several decades of service.
The award is sponsored by the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) and was presented to Overton at NAEMT’s EMS World Expo general membership meeting in New Orleans, by NAEMT President Conrad “Chuck” Kearns. It is the most prestigious accolade given in the United States to leaders in the EMS industry.
“Jerry has dedicated his professional life to improving EMS systems, from dispatch to the delivery of patient care,” Kearns said. “He is an admired leader and EMS ambassador around the world, and an outstanding role model for all EMS professionals. It is an honor and privilege to present the Rocco Morando Award to one so worthy of receiving it.”
Overton is a member of the Academy’s Board of Trustees and chairs its Institutional Review Board. Previously, he served as the CEO of Richmond Ambulance Authority in Richmond, VA, for 18 years. He was named one of the 20 most influential leaders in EMS by JEMS magazine, and has provided his expertise in prehospital, emergency health, and public health care in countries across the globe.
“I’m honored by the recognition, but at the same time, you don’t get into EMS and emergency dispatch to get awards,” Overton said. “You get involved because you care about people. My philosophy as chief executive at Richmond Ambulance was that we’re people taking care of people. With the Academy, my focus is assisting in any way that I can to improve the professions of EMS and emergency dispatch.”
Line-of-Duty Deaths
1 U.S. firefighter recently died in the line of duty. The health-related death occurred soon after firefighting operations. This edition of Firehouse is dedicated to this firefighter.
FIRE CAPTAIN YAPHET MILLER, 43, of the North Las Vegas Fire Department, died on Oct. 5. Miller succumbed to a medical injury suffered soon after working a multi-alarm fire in a shopping plaza that damaged six businesses on Sept. 23. The nature and cause of fatal injury are still to be reported.
