University of Arizona Plans Study of Firefighter Heart Disease

Firehouse.com click here to view article

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New Residential Fire Study Shows Effects of Crew Size on Fire Fighting Operations

April 28, 2010 -- A landmark study released by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) shows that the size of fire fighting crews has a substantial effect on the fire service's ability to protect lives and property in residential fires. Click here to read the news release.

Conducted by a broad coalition in the scientific, fire fighting and public safety communities, the study results found that four-person fire fighting crews were able to complete 22 essential fire fighting and rescue tasks in a typical residential structure 30 percent faster than two-person crews and 25 percent faster than three-person crews.

The report is the first to quantify the effects of crew sizes and arrival times on the fire service's lifesaving and fire fighting operations.

This and other scientific data in the report will help educate public officials, fire chiefs and other decision-makers on the importance of adequate staffing and deployment with respect to fire fighter and public safety.

Study investigators from NIST and the IAFF announced the results of the study at a press conference at the Hilton Washington in Washington, DC, before the start of the annual Congressional Fire Services Institute meeting of top fire safety officials from the across the nation.

Click here for the full report.
 
The study is funded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Assistance to Firefighters grant program.

Read General President Harold Schaitberger's blog, "Fire Fighter Staffing and Deployment Study Released"

For more information, contact Lori Moore-Merrell at lmoore@iaff.org or (202) 824-1594.

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USFA and NIOSH Initiate Study of Cancer among Firefighters 

Contact: USFA Press Office: (301) 447-1853

 Emmitsburg, MD. – The United States Fire Administration (USFA) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) are partnering on a study to examine the potential for increased risk of cancer among firefighters due to exposures from smoke, soot, and other contaminants in the line of duty. "There is a need to have a comprehensive study of the incidence of cancer in the fire service involving objective medical and epidemiological oversight. We have lost too many firefighters from this disease," said USFA Administrator Kelvin J. Cochran. “USFA is pleased to work with NIOSH in this initiative."

Read the rest of the press release

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All Work and No Play: The Nation's Top Eight Most-Demanding Jobs

--by Andrew Strieber

How tired do you feel at the end of an average workday? Do you have enough energy to hit the gym or spend time with your family? Or does working eight (or more) hours at the office make you so worn out that you're about to collapse from exhaustion?

Workers in every industry struggle with fatigue and burnout, but if you repeatedly find yourself barely able to get out of bed in the morning, the problem may not just be your sleep schedule or stress-management techniques -- it could be that you're stuck in an overly demanding job.

Many employees get worn out at work, but how can job seekers tell which careers are more arduous than the rest? Is it more exhausting to work at a job that requires extreme physical activity, or one with a high stress level? Police officers frequently put their lives on the line and engage in dangerous high-speed pursuits, but do they experience more fatigue than senior corporate executives, who shoulder responsibility for the financial security of hundreds (or thousands) of employees? And how do positions with extremely long hours, such as truck driver, rate for their overall "fatigue factor?"

While each is tiring for very different reasons, all three of these positions are among the most-demanding jobs you can find in today's employment market, according to a new study from CareerCast.com's 2009 Jobs Rated Report. Compiled using information from the Department of Labor and Jobs Rated's exclusive data on 200 different jobs, the new report ranks positions based on a combination of work hours, stress and physical demands to determine the eight most-demanding jobs overall, along with separate rankings of the most exhausting blue- and white-collar positions.

So which career has the greatest number of exhausted employees at the end of each workday? In this year's Report, firefighter ranks as the most-demanding job by a significant margin, thanks to a combination of long hours, life-threatening situations, physical demands, and responsibility for the lives of others while on the job. However, while police officer has a similar set of requirements, it slides to fourth place, behind surgeon and corporate executive. Why? Because while police officer ranks extremely high for physical demands, it places below surgeon and senior corporate executive in both stress and average work hours.

If you're looking for a new job but are worried about conserving your energy, you might want to think twice before starting one of these careers, the nation's eight most-demanding jobs:

Read full article here

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Cancer and the Fire Service

By Mary Rose Roberts

There has been some controversy over whether there is a connection between firefighting and incidents of cancer. Mike Dubron, founder of the Firefighter Cancer Support Network, joins FIRE CHIEF Associate Editor Mary Rose Roberts today to address the current climate surrounding cancer claims, ways U.S. firefighters are vulnerable to cancer, types of perilous building materials and toxic chemicals, and ways to reduce incidents.

Click here to listen...

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Stopping for Emergency Vehicles - You Tube

The Ohio State Bar Association's Law You Can Use provides general legal information about what motorists should do when a fire truck or ambulance is on an emergency run.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9O6DxV7YYGQ

Some interesting informational Facts you need to know:

• Drivers must stop for fire trucks and ambulances
• Keep DNR order where emergency squads can find them
• Ohio Law governs fireworks
• Ohio Law sets the standards for drivers of fire trucks and ambulances
• Ohio Law 4511.21.3 requires drivers to vacate lane closet to stationary emergency vehicles

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