USFA Announces Research Award Winners

EMMITSBURG, MD. -- The United States Fire Administration announced today the four fire service executives who will receive the National Fire Academy's (NFA) 2008 Outstanding Research Awards. This annual award recognizes Executive Fire Officer Program students for their research projects. The 2008 award winning projects will be presented at the 21st Executive Fire Officer Symposium on April 17-19, 2009, at the National Emergency Training Center in Emmitsburg, Maryland.

"Now more than ever our communities need tangible, real outcomes to provide direction in the delivery of emergency services to the jurisdictions that our Executive Fire Officer Program participants represent," said Acting U.S. Fire Administrator Dr. Denis Onieal. "The Applied Research Projects selected this year provide examples of research that is founded upon the belief that scientific approaches to real problems can produce data which will assist not only these communities represented by their EFOP officers, but respond to the complex problems that confront all fire and emergency services organizations across the United States."

The Executive Fire Officer Program is designed to provide senior fire officers with a broad perspective on various and challenging facets of fire administration. Over a four-year period, the officers continue their professional development in four courses at the Academy, which are recommended for either graduate-level or upper division baccalaureate credit equivalency by the American Council on Education. Participants in the program are required to complete an applied research project in their organization six months after the completion of each of the four course areas.

The 2008 Outstanding Research Award recipients are:

• Executive Development Course Awardee: Lieutenant Donald Waldron, City of Londonderry Fire Department, Londonderry, New Hampshire. Paper: An Analysis of Red Lights and Siren Use Responding to Emergency Medical Services Incidents

Leading Community Risk Reduction Course Awardee: Fire Chief J. Barry Burnside City of Clinton Fire Department, Clinton, Mississippi. Paper: Determining Fire Hazards When Educators Decorate Their Classroom in Clinton Mississippi Executive Analysis of Fire Service Operations in Emergency Management Course Awardee: Fire Chief Lee. A. Soptich, Eastside Fire & Rescue Department, Issaquah, Washington. Paper: Determining Core Emergency Scene Operational Standards for Eastside Fire & Rescue Executive Leadership Course Awardee: Battalion Chief Michael E. Boyle, Orange County (Ca.) Fire Authority, Irvine, California. Paper: Firefighter Rehabilitation in The Orange County Fire Authority: Are We Meeting the Need?

"I know how challenging these projects are to complete, but yet how important they can be," continued Dr. Onieal. "The range of topics chosen this year for the 2008 Outstanding Research Awards provides an illustrated example of the scope of issues that our senior executives must deal with. I sincerely congratulate them for their excellence."

To obtain a copy of the four Outstanding Research Award projects, contact the U.S. Fire Administration, Executive Fire Officer Program, 16825 South Seton Avenue, Emmitsburg, Maryland, 21727; or call (800) 238-3358, extension 1639, and leave your request on voice mail. You can also obtain a copy of the individual projects from the U.S. Fire Administration's Web site at http://www.usfa.dhs.gov.

The USFA reminds everyone to have a comprehensive fire protection plan that includes smoke alarms, residential sprinklers and practicing a home fire escape plan