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ICC Code Development Process

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Model building and fire safety codes that are adopted and consistently enforced ensure the highest level of safety for firefighters in the built environment. These codes ensure that all buildings are constructed safely by reducing fire risks through eliminating ignition sources, creating fire containment areas with fire walls, and requiring fire protection systems be installed. All firefighters have a vested interest in the administration of building and fire codes; these codes provide for your safety when you are called to go to work in a structure that is on fire!

As a firefighter, your input and participation is essential to develop model building codes and standards that endure building safety and fire prevention. The International Code Council (ICC) is just beginning the code development cycle for the 2015 International Codes, so now is the time to get invovled in the process.

Bruce Johnson, Director of Fire Service Activities, ICC – Government Relations, has outlined the ICC code development process and how you can participate. Click here to read the article.

Posted by on February 3, 2012 • Filed under: command-leadership, fire-rescue-topics, Health and Safety, Leadership, Standards and Codes

The Extreme Home Makeover in Texas

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By Jeanie Fossati, Fire Corps Texas State Advocate

The following is the firsthand account of Fire Corps Texas State Advocate Jeanie Fossati’s experience helping the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition crew to build a new house for volunteer firefighter Mizzy Zdroj and her family, who lost their home in the devastating Bastrop wildfire. The Heart of Pines Volunteer Fire Department also received a makeover. Click here for additional information and photos from the event.

It was quite an experience …

On the first day…not knowing what to expect, Fire Corps shirts and caps in hand…Richard Castillo, the Fire Corps Texas Regional Advocate and I drove to the staging area between Bastrop and Smithville, in Bastrop County, Texas. Volunteers from around the state were already there, and we were all anxious and ready to begin our task.

Immediately we were handed hard hats and a blue “Extreme Makeover” tee-shirt, a prerequisite attire before boarding a yellow school bus full of other volunteers, all looking just like us…full of anticipation  and excitement as we rode the bouncing bus 5 miles to the home site. Then, there it was, we had arrived, the big bus proved it, the big bright tinsel-covered “EXTREME MAKEOVER BUS” that is, right there in front of us, but there was also a mind altering reminder on the other side of the road as to why we were there.

When we got off the bus, we were standing in front of an empty lot full of debris and burned objects among acres of fire blackened pine tree trunks. This used to be someone’s home, the Zdroj’s family home to be exact, and all their possessions were at the edge of the street reduced to ruins, except for one thing…in the middle of this empty lot was a 10’x20’ shed that had been painted with artistic designs. Mizzy Zdroj was an artist, when she wasn’t fighting fires for the Heart of Pines Volunteer Fire Department,  and even though her surroundings were full of devastation, and she had lost everything , including all her art, she had still managed to paint some beauty in what was going to be her family’s home.  This shed was where the Zdroj family was planning to live, all four of them, as there were 4 beds inside….until they got the knock on the door by Ty and the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition cast.

We didn’t have time to dwell on that image as we were hurried off and all escorted to the end of the street where we rehearsed over and over. “The Texas Calvary” was coming to help build the house. Leading the volunteers was Santa on a big longhorn bull, of course a BULL… after all it is TEXAS. We all shouted and hooped and hollered as we were filmed coming down the road to the build site all dressed in our blue shirts and red and green hard hats. This gave me a quick indication of what was to come in the days ahead.

Richard was not able to come back again until the reveal day, but I kept him posted on the progress, with a different adventure to tell every day. Sometimes working with the production crew and designers as an “extra,” or working in the “Art World,” assisting the carpenters, landscaping, and then the staging and decorating. I handed out Fire Corps shirts and material to everyone including the Project Manager, the Producer, the Designers, and of course the Zdroj family, as I explained that Fire Corps was all about… “Citizens helping Fire and EMS Departments.”

The build was during the holiday season so the build and the whole production took on a Christmas theme. It was quite interesting, seeing how much goes on behind the scene of this ABC production. The field across from the build site was packed with travel trailers, and 18 wheeled trucks that held tools, building supplies, lighting and sound equipment. Even in the late hours of the night, the scene was lit up like daylight. It amazed me how organized the chaos was. Volunteers had 24 hour shifts, there was always someone working. Mother Nature didn’t care…we had rain the whole week, but nothing stopped the progress.  The build site and all the roads were slippery with mud, and I took that mud home with me every night, sometimes working til 2 in the morning.

After only one week, 106 hours to be exact, the ABC Extreme Makeover team, along with 3,000 volunteer citizens made this life changing event happen…

…“Move That Bus! Move That Bus!  Everyone was ready for the reveal. You could see Mizzy’s sincere appreciation to have been selected, but her complete joy when she saw the newly remodeled fire station that had been kept a total surprise was quite emotional. She and all the firefighters were not just given a new home and equipment, but a new sense of hope for the future of the community.

I am glad I was able to help represent Fire Corps and be a part of this new beginning for the entire “Lost Pines” family in Bastrop County, Texas.

…I’ll say it again… It was quite an experience!!

Posted by on January 19, 2012 • Filed under: Fire Corps, News

Take Part in the NFPA Process

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The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards have a significant impact on the fire service. Documents such as NFPA 1001 Standard for Fire Fighter Professional Qualifications, NFPA 1403 Standard on Live Fire Training Evolutions, NFPA 1500 Standard on Occupational Safety and Health, and NFPA 1901 Standard for Automotive Fire Apparatus are just a few of the many standards that the fire service uses as a basis for training, certification, and the acquiring of equipment.

The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) strongly encourages all members of the fire service to be active in the development and review process for the NFPA standards.  Yet you may wonder how the NFPA standards come into existence or how they are revised. NVFC Health and Safety Committee Chair Kenn Fontenot has written an article to help clarify the process, including how standards are written, by whom, and how you, the user, can influence what goes into these documents.

Click here to read the article.

Posted by on January 17, 2012 • Filed under: administration-leadership, command-leadership, fire-rescue-topics, firefighting-operations, Leadership, News, Standards and Codes, Training, Training and Education

Nominate FFs for National Awards

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Is there an outstanding volunteer firefighter, fire prevention officer, or junior firefighter in your department? Then recognize their achievements by nominating them for one of four prestigious national awards from the National Volunteer Fire Council.

The Lifetime Achievement Award honors a volunteer firefighter who has served at least 20 years and has made a major contribution or achieved significant accomplishments in the volunteer fire service at the local, state, and/or national level. The nominee must have demonstrated superior dedication to the volunteer fire service, been active in their state firefighters’ association, and have positively impacted the community through the fire service or other volunteer activities. Nominations are due March 1.

The Fire Prevention Award, sponsored by First Alert, honors a volunteer firefighter for remarkable efforts made in the area of fire prevention. The award was established in the memory of volunteer firefighter and NVFC board member Marc Mueller, who energetically promoted the causes of volunteer firefighters and supported all efforts to elevate the volunteer fire and emergency services to their highest level. Nominees must have made a major contribution or played a key role in a significant accomplishment in the field of fire prevention, demonstrated innovation in establishing and enacting goals and/or obtaining funding for the protection of the public through fire prevention and life safety programs, and have demonstrated success in the area of fire prevention. Nominations are due March 1.

The Junior Firefighter of the Year Award honors a junior firefighter or Explorer who has shown extraordinary dedication, commitment, and achievements as a youth member of the fire service. Nominees must have been a junior firefighter or Explorer for at least one year and have gone above and beyond in their participation and accomplishments as a junior firefighter. Two letters of recommendation are also required. Nominations are due February 15.

The Junior Firefighter Program of the Year Award recognizes a department that has an outstanding junior firefighter program. The program must have been in operation for at least one year, and departments must demonstrate creativity and community impact for the program. Nominations are due February 15.

Learn more about all of these awards and submit your nominations today at www.nvfc.org/about-us/awards.

Award Sponsors

If you are interested in sponsoring the Lifetime Achievement Award, contact Heather Schafer at hschafer@nvfc.org or 202-887-5700.

First Alert
BRK Brands, Inc. (Aurora, IL), is a fully owned subsidiary of Jarden Corporation (Rye, NY) NYSE:JAH, a leading provider of niche consumer products used in and around the home. For 50 years, BRK Brands, Inc. has been the manufacturer of First Alert®-branded home-safety products, the most trusted and recognized safety brands in America. BRK® Brands designs and develops innovative safety solutions including Tundra® Fire Extinguishing Spray, ONELINK® wireless alarms, and a comprehensive line of smoke alarms, carbon monoxide alarms, fire extinguishers, and escape ladders to protect what matters most. Such products are also marketed under the BRK Electronics® brand, The Professional Standard for the builder and contractor audiences. BRK Brands, Inc. products are found in more than 30 countries worldwide. For more information, visit http://www.firstalert.com, http://www.brkelectronics.com, or http://www.jarden.com.

Tyco International
Tyco International (NYSE: TYC) is a diversified, global company that provides vital products and services to customers in more than 60 countries and has 113,000 employees worldwide. Tyco is a leading provider of security products and services, fire protection and detection products and services, valves and controls, and other industrial products. Internationally recognized Tyco product brands include Scott, Ansul, Simplex, Sensormatic, and Software House. More information about Tyco can be found at www.tyco.com.

Posted by on January 5, 2012 • Filed under: Fire Corps, fire-prevention-education, fire-rescue-topics, Junior Firefighters, Leadership, News

Year-End Review

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The following article was written by NVFC Chairman Philip C. Stittleburg for FireRescue1.com. It was published on 12/19/11:

Work together: Overcoming volunteer challenges in 2012
We must examine which practices are working and which ones

By Philip C. Stittleburg, NVFC Chairman
Published on FireRescue1.com

As another year comes to a close, I am glad to see there have been many successes for the volunteer fire and emergency services in 2011.

At the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC), we have released many new training webinars, entered into promising partnerships, strengthened international relationships, and continued expanding critical programs such as Fire Corps, the Heart-Healthy Firefighter Program, and the National Junior Firefighter Program.

However, there have also been many disappointing hits to the volunteer fire and emergency services. For the second straight year, the number of volunteer firefighters has decreased.

The National Fire Protection Association’s U.S. Fire Department Profile Through 2010 shows there are 44,000 fewer volunteers in 2010 compared to 2009.

Perhaps even more troubling is that the aging trend we have seen in the volunteer fire service for the past seven years continues. In 2010, 51.2 percent of firefighters in communities under 2,500 were over 40.

The percentage of firefighters over 50 years old serving those communities has risen every year since 2000 and now stands at 28.7 percent.

Reinvigorate initiatives
While we won’t know the 2011 numbers until next fall, we must take this news seriously and reinvigorate initiatives to increase recruitment and retention.

We must examine which practices are working and which ones aren’t, identify areas where changes need to be made, and look outside the box for new approaches.

We need to focus on the root causes of these trends and work together to make the changes needed in the fire service to meet the new demands and continue to thrive.

Another challenge that faced the fire and emergency services in 2011 was in the area of legislation. The year actually started with some success.

Thanks in part to efforts from national fire service organizations including the NVFC, Congress provided $405 million each for the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) and the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant programs in the FY 2011 appropriations. This represented a $15 million increase for AFG from the previous year.

AFG and SAFER are the most significant sources of federal assistance available to the fire and emergency services and play a critical role in ensuring that all departments meet a baseline level of readiness.

AFG awards grants to fire and EMS departments to fund basic necessities including training, equipment, vehicles, health and safety programs, and fire prevention and education programs. SAFER provides grants for the hiring of personnel and for volunteer recruitment and retention efforts.

Despite this early success, very little legislative progress benefiting the fire and emergency services has been made since.

Gridlock on Capitol Hill
One of the main obstacles to legislative advancements has been gridlock on Capitol Hill. While the NVFC has been working tirelessly to promote and advance legislation that will help keep the volunteer emergency services strong, the inability of Republicans and Democrats in Congress to put aside partisan differences and work together has made it difficult to get anything accomplished.

Unfortunately, this situation is likely to get even worse as we head into an election year.

We must unite as the nation’s first responder community to communicate with Congress regarding legislation affecting the fire and emergency services.

Ask your Representative and Senators to support legislation that will keep the emergency services strong. The NVFC provides an easy-to-use tool that enables you to take action.

Through our Capwiz alert service, you will receive a Legislative Action Alert when your involvement can make a critical difference. The alert will link you to a letter that you can send directly to your legislators from the online system.

Sign up for the NVFC’s Legislative Action Alerts and help make a difference at www.capwiz.com/nvfc. Learn more about all of the NVFC’s legislative priorities at www.nvfc.org/resources/legislativeaffairs.

Thing to remember
So what can we surmise from all of this? The critical thing to remember is that volunteers continue to be the backbone of our nation’s fire and emergency services.

What started 275 years ago with the founding of the first volunteer fire station in Philadelphia continues to be a strong tradition today. Volunteers make up 70 percent of the fire service, and communities across the U.S. depend on us to keep them safe.

Together we can work to increase our numbers, effect legislative change, and enhance the ability of the volunteer fire service to protect our communities. Let’s make 2012 a positive and successful year for the fire and emergency services.

Find tools and resources for your department and learn more about what the NVFC is doing to help the volunteer fire service thrive at www.nvfc.org.

Posted by on December 20, 2011 • Filed under: administration-leadership, Advocacy, command-leadership, fire-rescue-topics, funding-staffing, Grants and Funding, Leadership, News, Recruitment and Retention

Take Action on Radio Spectrum Allocation

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Tell the Senate not to take radio spectrum from emergency responders!
 
On December 13, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 3630, the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2011, which includes language that would allocate the D Block to public safety for the purpose of creating nationwide broadband communications network.  Unfortunately, H.R. 3630 also would require public safety to relinquish 14 MHz of radio spectrum in the 700 MHz band that is currently being used for interoperable voice communications and establishes an “administrator” to oversee the creation of the broadband network that is not sufficiently accountable to public safety.

The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) strongly supports the creation of a nationwide broadband communications network for public safety but opposes the proposal in H.R. 3630 because of the giveback requirement and the administrator governance model.  H.R. 3630 is now under consideration in the Senate where the bi-partisan Public Safety Spectrum and Wireless Innovation Act of 2011 (S. 911), which creates a nationwide broadband communications network for public safety without the unsupportable provisions in the House bill, has already been passed out of committee. 

Contact your U.S. Senators TODAY to ask them to replace the public safety broadband communications section in H.R. 3630 with the bill language in S. 911. The NVFC makes it easy for you to take action through our Capwiz advocacy tool. Simply click here and find a draft letter that you can send to your Senators just by entering your address.

Posted by on December 16, 2011 • Filed under: Advocacy, Dispatch & Communications, Emergency Communications, EMS Dispatch, fire-rescue-topics, News

Start Fitness Training with New Recruits

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Fitness is a critical component to living a healthy lifestyle, increasing energy, and being at your best as a firefighter. More and more the fire service is realizing how important it is to maintain proper fitness. Yet to help propel a true culture change in the fire service – to create a culture where fitness is a priority and fitness programs are an expected part of being a firefighter – you need to start with new recruits.

NVFC First Vice Chair Jeff Cash has written an article in FireRescue magazine that looks at the importance of physical fitness, resources that are available, why it is important to engrain fitness in recruits early on, and guidelines for developing fitness programs.

It Starts Early: Recruit Training is the Best Place to Engrain the Importance of Physical Activity
Used with permission of FireRescue magazine, copyright 2011. 

 

Posted by on December 8, 2011 • Filed under: Uncategorized

Action Alert: LOSAP Bill

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The Volunteer Emergency Services Recruitment and Retention Act (H.R. 376/S. 1911), which is supported by the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC), clarifies the treatment of length of service award programs (LOSAPs) under the federal tax code.  The bill would raise the federal cap on annual contributions into an individual volunteer’s LOSAP, allow private, non-profit emergency services agencies to be treated as governmental agencies under the Internal Revenue Code and other applicable laws, and allow LOSAP sponsors the flexibility to elect to have LOSAP benefits become portable and guaranteed.

Contact your U.S. Representative and Senators today and ask them to cosponsor the Volunteer Emergency Services Recruitment and Retention Act! Click here to use the NVFC’s Capwiz advocacy tool to send a letter now.

Click here to learn more about the introduction of S. 1911.

Posted by on December 1, 2011 • Filed under: Advocacy, Recruitment and Retention

UFD Hosts Greek FF Delegation

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The NVFC was pleased to work with the Union Fire District (UFD) to help organize a week-long training session with 16 firefighters from the Union of Hellenic Fire Service Volunteers at the UFD’s training  facility, beginning on October 29. The event was a great success!

Check out a video from the training week at  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omoPuBIGuOw. More details and photos will be posted on the NVFC web site next week, so stay tuned!

The training was part of the NVFC’s ongoing initiatives to foster dialogue, exchange ideas, and discuss issues of mutual interest with the international fire service community. In recent years, the NVFC has met with fire service leaders and volunteers from Europe, Asia, Australia, and Central and South America.

 

Posted by on November 17, 2011 • Filed under: fire-rescue-topics, News, Training and Education, videos

Scholarship Winners

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The NVFC is pleased to partner with Columbia Southern University to offer scholarships to NVFC members. The two recipients of the 2011 scholarships have now been announced. Congratulations to Chief Peter Rucinski of Reno, NV, and Firefighter Dan Federico of Pittsburg, PA. Both will recieve up to two years of tuition towards the degree of their choice from CSU.

Click here to learn more about the scholarship recipients on the NVFC web site.

Posted by on November 15, 2011 • Filed under: News, Training and Education, training-development, training-fire-rescue-topics