NFPA Needs Assessment

[Captainron19]

In the last four years, since the last evaluation of the needs of America's fire departments, little has changed. Many of America's fire service personnel are still not prepared to handle a major HAZMAT incident, building collapse or a natural disaster such as Katrina; and communications, training and staffing issues continue to plague departments.

In all, 15,545 fire departments -- just over half of the total in the system, including all departments protecting communities of at least 50,000 population -- were mailed survey forms, and 4,709 responded. These survey numbers are from a smaller sampling compared to the more complete 2001 needs survey. Officials said they felt the response rate "is sufficient for reliable results at the national and state levels, overall and by community size."

Since the 2001 survey, the total number of firefighters has increased by 1 percent (1,101,250), the number of career firefighters has increased by 11 percent (294,100) and the number of volunteer firefighters has decreased by 2 percent (807,150). The study shows that more departments' initial complement of personnel still falls short of the minimum of four to launch an interior attack.

Running in conjunction with the second needs assessment was an effort to determine if money from the FIRE Act, or now The Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program, had made any difference in solving department needs problems and resources requested and granted to the same fire departments in 2001-2004. To date about $2.5 billion has gone directly to fire departments in grants for their specific needs. It was determined that "this analysis can only be taken as a rough indicator of the match between needs and resources." But some needs were substantially reduced during this period such as the percentage of departments without enough SCBA to equip a shift, a decline from 36 percent to 28 percent. And the percentage without enough personal protective clothing declined by 32 percent.

They did discover that fire departments do not have enough portable radios to equip more the 64 percent of everyone on a shift. But this was an increase from the 2001 survey when they could equip only 55 percent. And the use of thermal imaging cameras increased by 31 percentage points from 24 percent to 55 percent of departments. And, while more departments use or are planning to purchase cameras, they have no plans to buy mobile data terminals. Only one in 31 departments have advanced personnel location equipment, and only one in 18 has tools to collect chemical or biological samples for remote testing.
There was another interesting determination that "none of the homeland security related needs (i.e., ability to handle any of four unusually challenging situations with local specialized equipment) showed marked improvement nor did any of the personnel needs related to those situations."

Although the assessment, along with a companion report matching FIRE Act grants to the reported needs of the fire service, is completed, it has not been officially released or presented to Congress. NFPA Project Manager John R. Hall Jr., Ph.D. who also managed the 2001 survey, said, "It's been finished. It's up to the USFA to decide when and how to release it." Hall said he heard that USFA officials are discussing options about its release. "Until it's made public, I can't comment on it."
Fire service officials thought the documents would be unveiled earlier this month during the Congressional Fire Service Institute (CFSI) events on Capitol Hill. At one point, the reports were available briefly on the USFA website, sources said.

Officials at the USFA and Department of Homeland Security are wrestling to decide just how, when and who will release the needs report, said Tom Harrington, a program specialist in the FIRE Act grants office. He said it hasn't been decided whether it will be released on the secretarial or directorate levels or whether it will be a joint or separate press release.
The survey, requested by Congress, was funded by a FIRE Act grant.
Sources say it's imperative that elected officials know the situation before they pass the President's budget which includes eliminating the SAFER grant and drastic cuts to the Assistance to Firefighters Grants.
President Bush's spending plan for FY2007 includes just $293 million for the FIRE Act, half of FY2006 allocation, while no money has been set aside for SAFER or fire prevention initiatives.

Authors said every department, from the smallest to the largest, need to have some familiarity with every type of fire and emergency. "If not as part of protecting their own community, then at least in their role as a source of mutual aid...In any community, fire burns the same way in an open or in enclosed space..."
Among the survey's findings:

• None of the homeland security related needs (the ability to handle unusually challenging situations with local equipment) showed marked improvement from 2001-06. However, there has been an increase in written disaster plans in an effort to coordinate outside help in the event of a disaster or unusual incident.
• Only 11 percent (the same number in the 2001 survey) of fire departments could handle a technical rescue with EMS at a structure collapse involving 50 people.
• Only 12 percent of fire departments can handle hazmat and EMS incident involving chemical/biological agents and 10 injuries with local trained personnel. This is down from 13 percent in the 2001 survey.
• Only 24 percent of fire departments can handle a wildland/urban interface fire affecting 500 acres with local trained personnel. This is slightly worse then the 26 percent reported in the 2001 survey.
• Only 11 percent of fire departments can handle mitigation of a developing major flood with local personnel. This is slightly lower then the 12 percent in the 2001 survey.
• An estimated 128,000 firefighters, most volunteers serving communities under 2,500, lack formal structural firefighting training. This is down from the 233,000 estimated in the earlier study.
• About 38 percent of fire department personnel involved in HAZMAT responses lack formal training. And, four out of five departments do not have all crews certified to the operational level.
• There are 51 percent of those involved in technical rescue who lack formal training, compared to 53 percent during the previous survey.
• About 67 percent of the firefighters still do not have access to programs to maintain basic firefighter fitness and health.
• Firefighters still do not have enough self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBAs) and many departments are relying on air units at least 10 years old.
• While there have been some improvements, about 39,000 of those surveyed do not have protective clothing.
• About 67 million people are protected by fire departments that do not review building plans. This is down from 83.9 million in 2001.
• An estimated 83.6 million people are protected by departments that do not have a school fire safety education program based on national model curriculum.
• About 20.3 million people live in communities where no one conducts fire-code inspections. Two-fifths of this population lives in communities with less than 2,500.
• Many volunteer companies depend on used or converted fire apparatus.
• About 54 percent of fire stations surveyed do not have a generator or back-up power source.

It must be pointed out those deficiencies in such things as training fall mostly within the smaller and volunteer departments. For instance, it was found that only 3000 firefighter were found to lack structural firefighting training in departments serving populations over 50,000. The 214,000 needing training come from departments serving populations smaller then 50,000. The lack of personal protective clothing was hardly a problem in departments serving populations greater then 10,000. But seven percent of the firefighters in departments serving populations under 2,500 were fighting fires unprotected.

[Capt171]

New NFPA Standard - No Helmet Wearing While Riding In Apparatus

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The following is in the new revision of NFPA 1901, effective for apparatus contracted on and after January 1, 2009.

"14.1.8.4* The following statement shall be included in the operators manual: Fire helmets shall not be worn by persons riding in enclosed driving and crew areas. Fire helmets are not designed for crash protection and they will interfere with the protection provided by head rests The use of seat belts is essential to protecting fire fighters during driving.

14.1.8.4.1 A location for helmet storage shall be provided.

14.1.8.4.2 If helmets are to be stored in the driving or crew compartment, the helmets shall be secured in compliance to section 14.1.11.2. (This relates to the gforce restraints.)

14.1.8.4.3 A label stating DO NOT WEAR HELMET WHILE SEATED shall be visible from each seating position.

A.14.1.8.4 The minimum seat head height values in this standard assume that the occupants are not wearing helmets. The use of helmets puts the occupant at greater risk of neck or back injury during a rollover or during a severe road event.
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