Hospira, Inc. announced today that last August it initiated a voluntary nationwide user-level recall of one lot of 0.9% Sodium Chloride Injection, USP, 100 mL, Flexible Container, NDC 0409-7984-23. This action was due to one confirmed customer report where four separate particulate issues were identified in four individual flexible containers.
On April 18, 2013 the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced a recall of Trident high-pressure scuba diving air hoses. The diving hose that connects the regulator to the tank's pressure gauge can leak, posing a drowning hazard to the user.
The company has determined that at extremely high blood glucose levels of 1024 mg/dL and above, the FreeStyle lnsulinx Meter will display and store in memory an incorrect test result that is 1024 mg/dL below the measured result.
An estimated 1,600 fatal fires in residential buildings occurred annually from 2009 to 2011. These fires resulted in an annual average of approximately 2,495 deaths, 625 injuries and $188 million in property loss. The information in this report can be used not only to assess our progress in reducing fire fatalities but also to understand the nature of the fatal fire problem and its implications for targeting of prevention programs.
On Dec. 11-12, 2012, in response to an invitation from the U.S. Fire Administration, 28 leading national organizations representing the fire service, fire researchers and other stakeholders in home fire safety came together at the Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute in College Park, Md., to explore how changing building construction methods, materials and building contents are affecting the way fires grow and develop in today's homes. The report from this workshop is now available for download.
In the spirit of this year's EMS Week theme - One Mission. One Team. - U.S. Fire Administrator Ernest Mitchell emphasizes the number one mission of the EMS team: take every measure to ensure your health and safety, not just for EMS week, but throughout the year.
America Burning provided a pathway for a federal role in overcoming the American indifference to fire protection and prevention. It is safe to say that America Burning offered us all the highest moral motivations to make the United States a safer place to live and work.
The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) is pleased to announce the theme for the 2013 Arson Awareness Week: Reducing Residential Arson. The goal for this year's Arson Awareness Week is to provide all residents with strategies to combat arson in their neighborhoods. Tools and tips for the fire service and communities are available on the USFA's website at http://www.usfa.fema.gov/aaw/
This topical fire report focuses on the characteristics of civilian fatalities from residential building fires for the period 2009-2011. Unintentional/careless actions (16 percent) and smoking (15 percent) were the leading causes of these fatal fires. Forty-five percent of civilian fatalities in residential building fires were between the ages of 40 and 69 and 13 percent of those killed were less than 10 years old.
This topical fire report focuses on the characteristics of civilian injuries from residential building fires for the period 2009-2011. Thirty-four percent of injuries resulted from trying to control a fire followed by attempting to escape (25 percent).
This series presents basic information on the size and status of the fire problem in the United States from 2007-2011 as depicted through data in the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS).
According to a new report from the U.S. Fire Administration, cooking remained the leading cause of all residential building fires and injuries for the period 2008-2010. The report, Cooking Fires in Residential Buildings (2008-2010), addresses the characteristics of these fires. An estimated average of 164,500 cooking fires in residential buildings occurred in the United States each year and resulted in an annual average of 110 deaths, 3,525 injuries and $309 million in property loss.
The U.S. Fire Administration, supported by the National Institute of Justice, and in partnership with the Cumberland Valley Volunteer Firemen's Association's (CVVFA) Emergency Responder Safety Institute, announces availability of a guide to help emergency services departments increase the visibility of emergency vehicles to motorists in order to keep responders safe during roadway operations.
While the winter fire months always bring a spike in home fires, the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) says home fire deaths reported on by the news media are above those reported at this time last year. According to media reports, home fires have already claimed 148 lives this month, 24 more than reported during Jan. 1-16, 2012. Older adults (50 deaths) and children (28 deaths) have accounted for more than half of these deaths.
The U.S. Fire Administration announced today a provisional total of 83 on-duty firefighter fatalities in the United States as a result of incidents that occurred in 2012, the same number of firefighter losses as in 2011. The 83 fatalities were spread across 34 states. Pennsylvania and North Carolina experienced the highest number of fatalities with nine firefighter deaths each. New York had six firefighter deaths, including the most recent tragic shooting deaths of two firefighters in Webster. California and Texas, each with five firefighter deaths, were the only other states with five or more firefighter fatalities in 2012.
The U.S. Fire Administration issued a special report today examining the characteristics of highway vehicle fires in the United States from 2008-2010. Approximately one in seven fires responded to by fire departments across the nation is a highway vehicle fire. This does not include the tens of thousands of fire department responses to highway vehicle accident sites. Unintentional action (32 percent) was the leading cause of highway vehicle fires.
Extraordinary efforts on the part of fire/rescue and EMS agencies have to be taken to protect first responders and achieve success in saving civilian lives when responding to scenes of violence. Deputy U.S. Fire Administrator Glenn Gaines offers universal steps to help ensure fire and EMS personnel are prepared to meet this unique and challenging threat.
U.S. Fire Administrator Ernest Mitchell today announced changes to the selection criteria for senior fire executives and other qualified officers applying to the National Fire Academy's (NFA) Executive Fire Officer Program (EFOP). These changes will be implemented over the next two years.
Application procedures have been announced for the 2013 Harvard Fire Executive Fellowship Program. Senior fire executives who are selected will be awarded fellowships to attend Harvard's annual Program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government. The three-week program is conducted on the Harvard campus in Cambridge, Mass. Selected fellows are assigned to attend one of the two session dates: June 3-23, 2013 or July 8-26, 2013.
While a warm home and a hot meal on a cold winter's day may conjure up thoughts of safety and security, the unfortunate reality is that winter is the leading time of year for home fires in the United States. Through a jointly sponsored initiative - Put a Freeze on Winter Fires - NFPA and USFA are working collaboratively to tell the public about ways to stay fire-safe this winter. The effort targets home heating and cooking, which represent the two leading causes of U.S. home fires. Both types of fires peak in the winter months.
The three Regional Strategy Committees (RSC) of the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy (Cohesive Strategy) have recently completed Risk Analysis Reports identifying strategies for addressing wildland fire management risk in their respective regions. The Risk Analysis Reports contain key elements that can be integrated into strategies for addressing the shared goals of the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy: resilient landscapes, fire-adapted communities and response to wildland fire. Each RSC is comprised of representatives from federal, state, local and tribal governments and non-governmental organizations with interests in wildland fire management.
The U.S. Fire Administration issued a special report today examining the characteristics of intentionally set fires in residential buildings. An estimated 16,800 intentionally set fires in residential buildings occur annually in the U.S. These fires result in an estimated average of 280 deaths, 775 injuries and $593 million in property loss each year.
The U.S. Fire Administration's National Fire Academy (NFA) announces the availability of two new NFA Online courses: Data Gathering Instruments to Support Applied Research Projects (Q170) and Designing an Applied Research Project Proposal (Q171). Both courses are available to the public and will also support Executive Fire Officer Program (EFOP) students in their completion of Applied Research Projects (ARPs).
In recognition of Fire Prevention Week, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and the U.S. Fire Administration are providing new statistics on fires in American homes and urging consumers to install smoke alarms in their homes and check to make sure all smoke alarms are working properly. It is also vitally important to develop and practice a family fire escape plan. The top cause of fires in the home is cooking equipment, accounting for an estimated 147,400 or 40 percent of residential fires each year between 2008 and 2010. Cooking was also associated with the largest percentage of fire-related injuries, an estimated average 27.4 percent or 3,450, in the home.
A new USFA report, Portable Heater Fires in Residential Buildings (2008-2010), examines the characteristics and causes of these fires. While portable heating fires were small in number, the consequences were substantial, accounting for nearly half of all fatal heating fires in residential buildings. Many of these fires were preventable as human error - placing the heater too close to combustible items or leaving the heater unattended - was a contributing factor.
Fall begins this Saturday, and with it comes cooler temperatures and the resulting seasonal increase in the number of home heating fires. To help Americans understand the nature of the heating fire problem, the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) today issued a special report: Heating Fires in Residential Buildings (2008-2010). Heating is the second leading cause of all residential building fires. Home heating fires are preventable! USFA reminds everyone to maintain heating equipment and chimneys by having them cleaned and inspected annually by a qualified professional.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and the U.S. Fire Administration are warning consumers to be vigilant when using portable generators to deal with power outages after Hurricane Isaac. The exhaust from gasoline-powered generators contains high levels of poisonous carbon monoxide (CO) that can quickly incapacitate and kill within minutes. Generators should only be used outside, far away from homes. Never run a generator inside a house, basement, garage, shed or near windows or vents to your house or a neighbor's house.
The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) and the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) announce a partnership initiative to 1) identify individual and organizational behaviors that adversely impact firefighter health and safety and 2) develop strategies to mitigate them.
The U.S. Fire Administration issued a special report today examining the characteristics of clothes dryer fires in residential buildings. The report, Clothes Dryer Fires in Residential Buildings (2008-2010), shows that failure to clean is the leading factor contributing to the ignition of these fires.
The U.S. Fire Administration, in partnership with the DHS Office of Health Affairs and the International Association of Fire Chiefs, announces the availability of a new online educational program for physician medical directors of local fire departments and agencies involved in emergency medical services (EMS) response. This web-based program for current and prospective EMS medical directors provides information in a conveniently accessible format to support key roles in the provision of EMS to communities.
To provide guidance to address complex ethical questions, the National Society of Executive Fire Officers and Congressional Fire Services Institute jointly have released a firefighter code of ethics that can be adopted by local fire and emergency medical service organizations. In acknowledgement of the importance of this first of its kind fire service ethics statement, the U.S. Fire Administration has posted the statement throughout the National Fire Academy's (NFA) facilities and will now include the statement in all course materials distributed to NFA students.
The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) announced today the release of the report Firefighter Fatalities in the United States in 2011. There were 83 onduty firefighter fatalities in the United States as a result of incidents that occurred in 2011. This represents a continuing decline in the overall number of firefighter fatality deaths in recent years and an almost five percent decrease from the 87 fatalities reported for 2010. When analyzing the overall trend in the United States going back to 1977, accounting for the Hometown Heroes added to totals since the law changed in 2004, the 2011 total represents the lowest year of record for the second year in a row.
The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) has completed a review of fire service operations surrounding the challenges faced in April 2011 as fire departments in the southeastern United States responded to a significant weather event.
The U.S. Fire Administration, supported by the DHS Office of Health Affairs and the National Emergency Medical Services Management Association, announces the release of a new guide for Emergency Medical Services (EMS) providers: Operational Templates and Guidance for EMS Mass Care Incident Deployment. The guide is intended to provide information to local-level EMS and fire departments on the development and enhancement of the organization and preparedness for mass care incidents, including natural and man-made disasters, large gathering and pandemic events, and other emergencies potentially resulting in large numbers of patients.
The U.S. Fire Administration issued a special report today examining the characteristics of smoking-related fires in residential buildings. The report, Smoking-Related Fires in Residential Buildings (2008-2010), was developed by USFA's National Fire Data Center. According to the report, an estimated 7,600 smoking-related fires in residential buildings occur annually in the United States, resulting in an estimated average of 365 deaths, 925 injuries, and $326 million in property loss.
Learning Objective: The student will be able to identify the basic steps that should be completed prior to releasing the fire scene back to the responsible party. (PDF, 219 Kb)
Learning Objective: The student shall be able to explain how fire service After Action Review works and promote its use every time wheels roll. (PDF, 785 Kb)
Learning Objective: The students shall be able to describe how knowing their body mass index is helpful in determining a healthy weight, and they will be able to calculate their BMI. (PDF, 374 Kb)
Learning Objective: The student shall be able to describe the fire code requirements for securing or removing unused underground liquid storage tanks. (PDF, 518 Kb)
Learning Objective: The student will be able to identify the steps to properly conduct an initial examination of a fire scene where a death has occurred. (PDF, 209 Kb)
Learning Objective: The student shall be able to calculate air pressure changes in a sprinkler system that result from temperature fluctuations. (PDF, 486 Kb)
Learning Objective: The student shall have the opportunity to become familiar with a program that the Focus on Fire Prevention Foundation is offering through a Federal Emergency Management Agency Assistance to Firefighters Grant. (PDF, 390 Kb)
Learning Objective: The student shall be able to identify the necessary steps to properly preserve, collect and document evidence at fire scenes for laboratory analyses and use in court proceedings. (PDF, 193 Kb)
Learning Objective: Given a copy of National Fire Protection Association 13, the student shall be able to identify the requirements for pneumatic testing of an aboveground sprinkler pipe. (PDF, 487 Kb)
Learning Objective: The student shall be able to identify the five types of fire scene documentation and their significance in supporting a successful arson prosecution. (PDF, 189 Kb)
Learning Objective: The student shall explain the goal of the fire prevention/risk reduction bureau leader in using multiple interventions. (PDF, 417 Kb)
Learning Objective: The student shall be able to describe the construction and operational requirements for indoor parking and servicing of LP-Gas transport vehicles when the vehicles are under the control of their owner. (PDF, 481 Kb)
Learning Objective: The student shall be able to identify required steps community residents can take to safeguard their homes from arson. (PDF, 468 Kb)
Learning Objective: The student should be able to list the conditions required for parking and garaging liquefied petroleum gas cargo vehicles. (PDF, 486 Kb)
Learning Objective: The student shall be able to identify sample nominal normal and emergency vent sizes and capacities used in flammable and combustible liquid tank storage. (PDF, 508 Kb)
Learning Objective: The student shall be able to compute the minimum emergency ventilation requirements for tanks operating at gauge pressures above 1 pound per square inch gauge pressure (6.9 kPa). (PDF, 508 Kb)
Learning Objective: Given a known tank wetted area, the student shall be able to compute the minimum ventilation required through normal and emergency vents. (PDF, 481 Kb)
Learning Objective: Given a known tank wetted area, the student shall be able to select from a table the minimum ventilation required through normal and emergency vents. (PDF, 1.1 Mb)
Learning Objective: The student shall be able to calculate the wetted area of a variety of aboveground flammable and combustible liquid tank configurations. (PDF, 491 Kb)
Learning Objective: The student will be able to describe how the NFA course Effective Leadership Skills for Fire and EMS Organizations can help address personal and organizational struggles. (PDF, 373 Kb)
Learning Objective: The student shall be able to explain and calculate the wetted area of an aboveground flammable and combustible liquid tank. (PDF, 469 Kb)
Learning Objective: The student shall be able to explain the purpose of emergency venting for aboveground flammable and combustible liquid tanks. (PDF, 458 Kb)
Learning Objective: The student shall be able to describe common types of aboveground flammable and combustible liquid storage tanks based on their shapes. (PDF, 486 Kb)
Learning Objective: The student shall be able to create and implement QR codes in a variety of functions, as they relate to training, documentation or duty requirements. (PDF, 275 Kb)
Learning Objective: The student shall be able to list three types of aboveground flammable and combustible liquid tanks based on their operating pressure ranges. (PDF, 489 Kb)
