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Newletters From December, 2009
STAFFING FOR ADEQUATE FIRE AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE (SAFER) GRANTS' APPLICATION DEADLINE HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO JANUARY 15, 2010.
Originally Posted: December 30, 2009 4:13 PM
Last Updated: December 30, 2009 4:13 PM
The Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grants deadline has been extended. The Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has extended the FY 2009 grant application period to January 15, 2010. As a result of the extension, peer panel reviews will take place in February 2010.
Program guidance and applications for SAFER funding are available through the Assistance to Firefighters (FIRE Act) web site.
FEMA has also provided additional guidance on a specific issue of concern among many jurisdictions. Some municipalities that want to use SAFER grants to bring back laid-off fire fighters or restore cuts in service have been reluctant to apply because of fears that if the economy takes another turn for the worse and they are unable to maintain staffing levels, they would have to reimburse FEMA for the value of the grant. Essentially, these jurisdictions are averse to taking a financial risk.
The guidance from FEMA addresses this concern and eliminates the financial risk. If a jurisdiction receives a SAFER grant to bring back fire fighters who have been laid off or to restore positions that have been lost through attrition, but subsequently during the grant period loses fire fighters through retirement and determines it cannot afford to fill those vacancies, that jurisdiction will not be required to reimburse FEMA for the SAFER grant.
For example, a big city fire department with a complement of 1,500 fire fighters on December 20, 2007, that laid off 30 fire fighters as a result of the economic downturn, successfully applies for a SAFER grant to restore those positions, restoring staffing to 1,500. The SAFER grant provides 100 percent of the salary and fringe for each position as described in the fire department’s budget. The city’s salary and fringe totaled $100,000 per position (30 x $100,000 = $3,000,000).
During the second year of the grant, 10 fire fighters retire and the city cannot afford to replace the positions, and the complement is reduced to 1,490. The city will not be required to re-pay FEMA for the reduction in force. However, FEMA will downwardly adjust the SAFER grant. In this case, in the second year as a result of 10 positions being lost, FEMA would provide funding for 20 positions, not 30.
The new guidance also allows jurisdictions that have vacated fire fighter positions during the grant period that are unable to fill those vacant positions due to further economic hardship to petition DHS for a waiver. If the waiver is granted, the jurisdiction would maintain all the positions that were awarded in the grant. The waiver would only apply to positions lost through attrition — not to further layoffs. In the absence of a waiver, the policies stated in the new guidance addressed above would still apply.
Additionally, it removes the requirement to maintain the positions past the period of performance for awards made to rehire vacated or laid-off fire fighters.
Applicants that have already submitted applications can amend the application given this new policy guidance and extended application period. Contact the Assistance to Firefighters Help Desk at 1-866-274-0960.
As the IAFF has worked hard to ensure greater access and eligibility to SAFER grants and to increase the total amount of money available, DHS and FEMA have been true partners, recognizing the devastating affect that the country’s economic condition is having on local governments and, by extension, the fire service and IAFF members.
MOER INFO? Jennifer Stewart at (202) 824-8631 or jstewart@iaff.org.
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DEWITT FIRE STATION, NEW YORK, COMBINES LATEST TECHNOLOGY, HISTORIC FIRE HOUSE ELEMENTS, AND GREEN CONCEPTS
Originally Posted: December 29, 2009 2:28 PM
Last Updated: December 29, 2009 2:29 PM
The DeWitt Fire Station, DeWitt, NY is a model facility designed by Bergmann Associates.
Built in the DeWitt Fire District, this 33,000 Square Foot Combined Career/Volunteer Facility has (5) Double Depth Bays.
Purpose of the design was to provide a physical and symbolic point of reference in the Community. Build is is space for training, a college training dorm, and bunking area for first responders on duty.
The space has a dedicated turnout gear room, Emergency Command Center,
fitness room. It incorporates the historical elements from prior stations on that site.
The design has won several awards including: 2008 Fire Chief Station Style Gold Award and
2008 F.I.E.R.O. Honor Award
Having worked through 50 years of renovations, additions and leaky roofs; the DeWitt Fire District hired Bergmann Associates to develop a solution to meet their needs for the next 50 years. The original intent was to accomplish this by means of a partial replacement and renovation; however when an adjacent under utilized commercial property became available, full scale replacement and a community focused development of the site became reality. The design meets the District's directive that the building maintain its civic prominence yet accommodate responder, administrative, and public users simultaneously, efficiently and safely.
MORE INFO? www.bergmannpc.com
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ANNUNITIES FOR DEALER EMPLOYEES? DEFINITION SHOWS ADVANTAGES FOR EMPLOYEES, RESPONSIBILITY FOR DEALERS
Originally Posted: December 28, 2009 12:09 PM
Last Updated: December 28, 2009 12:09 PM
by Kenton Pattie
Executive Director
National Emergency Equipment Dealers Association
Following an earlier NEEDA Newsletter story on "annuities" for employees, I received an e-mail asking for a definition of "annunity."
An annunity is a sum of money received by your employee from you at fixed intervals as one of a series of guaranteed retirement payments. The annunity amount is a condition of your employee-employer relationship. It is a sum you promise to give to your employee when they reach retirement from your company. It is a commitment by the dealer: "If you work for me until x year, here is how much I will give you per month when you retire." What makes an annunity different from other investments? An employer must promise to pay a set annunity amount to his or her employee. The employee does not own the fund from which the annunity is generated. The payout is generally triggered by retirement.
The advantage of an annunity? It gives the employee a precise amount they can expect on a recurring basis after retirement -- no worring about the stock market crashing. But it increases the responsibiity of the employer to generate the monthly annunity payout to retired employees. With an annunity an employee can multiply out his or her desired yearly income and treat it like Social Security income which is also not affected by the variables of the investment securities marketplace.
Annunities are also used in real estate, wherein a home buyer promises to pay the seller a set monthly amount for the rest of the seller's life in exchange for transferring property ownership from the seller to the buyer. This sometimes produces savings in estate, income and gift taxes.
Q So, are you able to offer dealer employees a 401(K) or annunity? What do you think of these instruments and what do you other recommend dealers do?
Reply to: KentonP1@aol.com
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DEALERS LOOK AT ANNUNITIES FOR EMPLOYEES WHO SEE 401(K) SAVINGS DECIMATED BY THE ECONOMIC DOWNTURN
Originally Posted: December 28, 2009 11:17 AM
Last Updated: December 28, 2009 11:17 AM
Some small businesses are planning to offer annuities to participants in their 401(k) plans. While not all dealers have 401(k) plans some are looking for ways to provide valuable employees with a steady distribution of benefits during retirement. Why? Because all employees have seen a frightening drop in what their company's plan will pay retirees today.
The Department of Labor in December, 2009 said it encourages employers to offer lifetime annuities or similar lifetime distribution options in their defined contribution plans.
One in four employers (22 percent) that sponsor defined contribution plans currently offer an annuity as a distribution option, and 10 percent of those who do not offer one are considering adding it.
There are various kinds of annuity options in 401(k) plans that generate a guaranteed lifetime income. Some of these are investment options are available to younger employees while they are still employed and contributing to their 401(k) plans, while others are available at the time of retirement.
“Annuities in 401(k) plans were rarely discussed a few years ago,” said Robyn Credico, a senior retirement consultant at Watson Wyatt. “But in the recent economic downturn, employees without traditional pension plans could not retire because their 401(k) balances were decimated. With this weakness in 401(k) plans now exposed, more employers are exploring ways to minimize their employees’ exposure to risk — including the use of annuities.”
A survey found that the main reasons plan sponsors did not offer an annuity were a lack of participant demand (56 percent) and administrative complexity (36 percent). Employees’ interest in life payout annuities is strongly influenced by how the pros and cons of longevity insurance are weighed.
“Managing lump sums is a huge challenge — even for experienced investors. Given last year’s steep decline in retirement savings, employers can expect employee attitudes towards annuities to shift, as perceptions of risk are heightened,” said Mark Warshawsky, director of retirement research at Watson Wyatt.
“There are also clear benefits for employers, who would find it easier to predict and plan for employee retirement. However, due to a perceived lack of demand as well as shortcomings of many providers’ offerings, the market for annuities is still seen as immature by plan sponsors."
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VIRGINIA VIPER PROGRAM CONSIDERED AS MODEL FOR NATIONAL INTEROPERABILITY SOLUTION
Originally Posted: December 27, 2009 5:42 PM
Last Updated: December 27, 2009 5:42 PM
Virginia has new Emergency Management System being considered as a model for a nationwide system as part of the response to the need for more interoperability.
Created by the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) the system is called Virginia Interoperability Picture for Emergency Response (VIPER).
Emergency commanders, first responders, police, fire and government officials can tap into a single information source, according to Bobbie Atristain, Chief Technology Officer for the VDEM. The system is designed to encourage more information sharing, communications and analysis.
The system includes use of geographic information channeled from satelites. For example, in its early stages when there were 80 wildfires in February, 2008, the system was used to view developments in real time and coordinated with the US Weather Service.
VIPER offers instant access to information and maps including the location of hospitals near emergency incidents. VIPER keeps on top of hazardous materials and how to respond, evacutation routes and impact of disaster on infrastructure.
VIPER can be accessed by local fire departments and the public. "Anyone can go on line using the web to view the real-time data and click their way to information," VDEM says.
During Tropical Storm Hanna, VDEM used the system to show shelter status overlaid with the National Weather Service's feeds. During the 2008 Presidential election, VDEM monitored delays that might affect access to polling places. "There was great concern about overcrowding at the Polls," Bobbie Atristain stated.
VIPER was also used during the Obama inauguration ceremony, which was the largest in US history. The system was used by local, state and Federal officials to locate problems that could impact the inauguration.
There have been Congressional hearings at which VIPER was showcased as a model for a possible nationwide system.
(For other NEEDA Newsletter reports on "interoperability" use the Search application in the upper right of your NEEDA Newsletter screen.)
MORE INFO? Bobbie.Atristain@vdem.virginia.gov.
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DANGER: DIZZINESS, HEADACHES, FATIGUE AND NAUSEA CAUSED BY HEATING SYSTEMS
Originally Posted: December 26, 2009 12:30 PM
Last Updated: December 26, 2009 12:30 PM
Furnaces, fireplaces and wood stoves produce carbon monoxide: odorless and tasteless so we don't detect it even at lethal levels.
Early signs of overexposure? Dizziness, headaches, fatigue and nausea.. While carbon monoxide is vented outside through a chimney or exhaust vent if exhaust systems are not properly designed or well maintained, this poisonous gas can remain within the living space.
Some improper uses: opening gas-oven doors for spot heating, using propane space heaters in areas that are not well ventilated, and venting gas-fired dryers into living spaces. While no one wants to heat the outside, it is essential that combustion sources requiring ventilation are not used in confined spaces.
Due to high fuel prices, heating with wood is being promoted as a cost-saving, renewable source of energy. However, heating with wood may emit more pollutants into the air than the heat sources it replaces (e.g., oil or natural gas). Burning wood produces smoke, which contains particle pollution and other contaminants. Particle pollution is especially a concern because it can cause serious health effects, especially in children and older people.
Exposure to particles can aggravate lung disease, causing asthma attacks and acute bronchitis, and may also increase susceptibility to respiratory infections.
Use of EPA-certified wood or pellet stoves that are properly installed produce less particle pollution than older stoves and can be a good supplement to an oil or gas furnace. All wood stoves manufactured since 1988 must be EPA certified, which means they use 1/3 less wood than older stoves to produce the same heat. And EPA-certified wood stoves emit 50% to 60% less air pollution. EPA-certified stoves are easy to identify because they carry a special label and hang tag.
Some wood-burning devices, however, such as outdoor wood-fired boilers can produce large quantities of air pollutants. These boilers, which are becoming more popular in some areas, typically consist of a firebox that heats water in a steel sleeve around their outer walls. The water is then piped into a nearby building to provide heat, hot water or both. Although the concept may be appealing, these boilers commonly produce excessive amounts of smoke and can negatively impact nearby residences.
Upgrade to an EPA-certified woodstove or other clean-burning technology
If heating with wood, burn only dry, well-seasoned wood.
Always provide adequate ventilation and exhaust for a combustion source.
Have the heating system inspected with particular attention to the vents and chimneys - don't just relay on a carbon-monoxide alarm.
Reduce your overall heating needs and heating bills by improving the insulation; caulking around windows, doors, and pipes to seal air gaps; and adding weather-stripping to doors and windows.
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HOUSE AND SENATE HOLDING HEARINGS ON TERRORIST THREAT TO AIRPLANE SAFETY
Originally Posted: December 26, 2009 12:10 PM
Last Updated: December 26, 2009 12:10 PM
The House Homeland Security Committee will hold January, 2010 hearings on an attempted airline bombing that occurred Christmas Day, December 25, 2009.
Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Mississippi) said his panel is now "closely following yesterday’s incident" on a Northwest Airlines flight that was en route to Detroit from Amsterdam. Thompson thanked the passengers and crew members that helped subdue a man who tried to light some type of explosive on the flight.
"The Committee will get to the bottom of what did and did not happen with [Mr. Abdul Mutallab] and what security precautions need to take place in the future," Thompson said in a statement.
The Mississippi Democrat's committee is the second to announce it will hold a hearing on the incident.
Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) said Saturday that his panel will hold an official inquiry on the subject in January as well.
The House Homeland Security Commitee's ranking Republican Peter King (NY.) said Friday, December 25 that the subject of the investigation, 23-year-old Nigerian Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab, has "significant terrorist connections."
The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee has not yet announced if it will hold a hearing. But the panel's ranking member, Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), told the Associated Press Saturday that the incident "raises some serious questions, such as how was this person able to bring an explosive substance aboard a commercial airliner?"
News broke Friday afternoon that a Nigerian man had attempted to light some sort of explosive device on the flight as it was approaching Detroit in an event described later by U.S. officials as an attempted terrorist attack.
The man failed in his attempt, and was reportedly subdued by the passengers and crew of the flight.
A senior Obama administration official told ABC News Christmas evening that the Northwest airlines incident "was an attempted act of terrorism. We're taking increased steps to mitigate any threats."
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WILL HEALTH CARE LEGISLATION BEFORE US CONGRESS HELP DEALERS AND THEIR EMPLOYEES?
Originally Posted: December 26, 2009 11:55 AM
Last Updated: December 26, 2009 11:55 AM
by Kenton Pattie
Executive Director
National Emergency Equipment Dealers Association (NEEDA)
Dealers have asked me to comment on the health care legislation under consideration in the US Congress. It is hard to comment on everything.
Having represented small businesses for most of my career, I know all business owners want affordable health policies and prevention oriented policies for employees.
Most want expanding coverage to all Americans, eliminating various troubling insurance practices, and changes to the weaknesses in our delivery system.
Fortunately Congress is proposing to improve the fee-for-service payment model which we've had decades.
The fee-for-service model pays physicians for treatment whether or not our employees' care is appropriate, beneficial, or even warranted.
Within the fee-for-service model, patients self-navigate through a maze of specialists who frequently have no connection to each other, creating a climate ripe for medical errors, duplicate treatments, waste, and sub-standard outcomes and higher premiums. Little is done about prevention.
Any substitute for the current plan should be affordable for dealers, comprehensive, and coordinated, with a focus on prevention, such as those offered by Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) like the ones operating in California.
The ACO system is outcome-based medicine with physician networks and uses health information technology. The implementation of an ACO system, as Congress is proposing, will improve care for patients by providing lower cost care, through a network of physicians, who will use the latest technology to provide evidence-based health care to their patients. Lower care costs mean lower premiums paid for by emergency equipment dealers.
The US Congressional Budget Office estimates the savings of a national ACO “pilot program” at $2.3 billion.
The ACO model has been around in some areas for 20 years. In California, 150 multi-specialty groups are part of California’s delivery system and are similar to the “Accountable Care Organizations” that the House and Senate bills are directing the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to spread across the country.
The California Association of Physician Groups (CAPG) represents employers that employ or contract with nearly 60,000 California doctors and provide care to 15 million Californians. CAPG supports the House and Senate legislation which focuses more on prevention and proactive management of patients in order to maintain the highest level of health.
I think this is one positive aspect of what Congress is doing.
Your views? Please let me know: KentonP1@aol.com
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SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA BANS ALL WOOD BURNING DUE TO WEATHER CONDITIONS
Originally Posted: December 26, 2009 11:01 AM
Last Updated: December 26, 2009 11:01 AM
The Bay Area Air Quality Management District (San Francisco, CA) has banned burning wood, manufactured firelogs or any other solid fuel, both indoors and outdoors. The order was issued effective Christmas Day, December 25, 2009.
Stagnant weather conditions and wood smoke from the 1.4 million fireplaces and woodstoves in the Bay Area bring the region into the "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups" category of the U.S. EPA's Air Quality Index.
Children, adults, and especially people with respiratory disease, such as asthma, are advised to limit outdoor exertion.
Jack Broadbent, executive officer of the Air District: "Air quality is unfortunately forecast to be unhealthy on Christmas Day, and the Air District is taking steps to protect public health by issuing a Winter Spare the Alert."
During this Winter Spare the Air Alert, it is illegal for Bay Area residents and businesses to use their fireplaces, woodstoves and inserts, pellet stoves, outdoor fire pits, or any other wood-burning devices. Homes without permanently installed heating, where woodstoves or fireplaces are the only source of heat, are exempt.
The public must check before they burn during the Winter Spare the Air season which runs from November 1 through February 28.
Wood smoke is a major source of wintertime air pollution in the Bay Area and contains harmful pollutants such as particulate matter and carbon monoxide, as well as toxins such as dioxin, which is linked to increased cancer rates in adults. In the winter, wood smoke contributes about one-third of the harmful particulate pollution in the air.
The Bay Area Air Quality Management District is the regional agency chartered with protecting air quality in the Bay Area.
MORE INFO? www.baaqmd.gov or www.sparetheair.org or 1-877-4-NO-BURN
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WILDFIRES BURN STATE EMERGENCY SERVICES HQ IN AUSTRALIA
Originally Posted: December 25, 2009 2:36 PM
Last Updated: December 25, 2009 2:42 PM
A wildfire has hit an Australian Outback town near Adelaide, razing up to six homes but causing no injuries according to the Associated Press.
The headquarters of the State Emergency Services was among buildings destroyed when the blaze singed Port Lincoln northwest of the capital of Adelaide on Wednesday, December 23, 2009.
Searing temperatures of around 108 F (42 C) and strong winds caused authorities to declare large areas of the state to be at risk of catastrophic fires on Wednesday, though a cool change late in the day was expected to ease conditions.
Country Fire Service spokeswoman Hayley Carlin: fire destroyed multiple homes and that several others were still under threat late Wednesday.
Scores of firefighters backed by water dropping helicopters are combatting the blaze.
December 17, 2009 Australian firefighters battled nearly 100 blazes on which engulfed at least one home and put several others under threat.
More than 200 firefighters, using 50 fire trucks and five aircraft, fought one of the fiercest infernos at Londonderry near Australia's biggest city Sydney, where the home was destroyed.
Rural Fire Service spokesman Anthony Clark told public radio: warned the blaze was burning "very quickly and very aggressively".
Emergency warnings were sent out by text message and landline urging residents near Gerogery in the southern border region of New South Wales state to flee their homes if safe to do so.
"We've got a lot of fire crews working to contain the fire and protect isolated rural properties in the area," Clark said, adding that a change in wind direction was expected later.
"That may cause some further challenging conditions for us. It will whip up the wind and that can also fan the fire in a new direction," he said.
More than 80 wildfires were burning in New South Wales with about a dozen out of control, fire officials said. Several blazes also flared in neighbouring Victoria, prompting separate emergency warnings there.
Australia is still recovering from February's Black Saturday fires, when 173 people died in the country's worst natural disaster of modern times.
The annual bushfire season has struck early this year, fanned by hot and dry conditions and following a decade-long drought in parts of the country.
(NEEDA Newsletter has reported previously on wildfires in Australia where the Summer has begun. Use the "Search" application in the upper right of your NEEDA Newsletter screen to read more stories on wildfires.)
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DECEMBER FIRES HIT THE US LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
Originally Posted: December 23, 2009 12:15 PM
Last Updated: December 23, 2009 12:15 PM
December is the month in which two fires hit the US Library of Congress.
On December 22, 1825, the Library of Congress, located on the west side of the US building Capitol, caught fire. Rep. Edward Everett of Massachusetts noticed a light glowing in a window near the library. Everett told a Capitol police officer what he had seen. But the officer, who lacked a key to the library door, dismissed Everett’s concern.
Other officers summoned the librarian of Congress, George Watterson, to the Capitol. Watterson and the police then discovered the fire on the upper level of the library. Reps. Daniel Webster of Massachusetts and Sam Houston of Tennessee arrived on the scene, along with Everett, to help fight the fire.
Firefighters managed to extinguish the blaze before it could spread to the ceiling and other parts of the Capitol. After the smoke settled, they determined that an unattended candle had caused the fire.
This damage proved much less extensive than the inferno of August 1814, when the British torched the Capitol and much of the city, as well. Among the items lost in the 1825 fire were duplicate copies of books and an expensive rug. The incident prompted Congress to ask Charles Bulfinch, the architect of the Capitol, to introduce flame-retardant materials for the library and the Capitol.
On Dec. 24, 1851, the largest fire in the library’s history destroyed 35,000 books, about two-thirds of its 55,000-volume collection. The loss included about two-thirds of the 6,487 books that Congress had bought from Thomas Jefferson for $23,950 in 1815 to replace and augment the 3,000 volumes that had been burned by the British.
The Library of Congress moved out of the Capitol building with the completion of the Thomas Jefferson Building in 1897. The Library is now spread through three buildings on Capitol Hill adjacent to the US Capitol and Supreme Court.
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FEBRUARY 12, 2010 IS DEADLINE FOR $48 MILLION STATE INTEROPERABILITY APPLICATIONS: UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS EQUIPMENT MAY BE PURCHASED
Originally Posted: December 23, 2009 12:04 PM
Last Updated: December 23, 2009 12:04 PM
Since the 9-11 attacks on the Pentagon and World Trade Center "interoperability" has been a big word in the fire business. (Use "Search" application in the upper right hand corner of your NEEDA Newsletter
screne.) NEEDA Executive Director Kenton Pattie recently attended a Washington Press Club meeting chaired by experts on interoperabiity who predicted the cost of closing the interoperability gap will be $40-$50 billion.
For Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 the Federal government is offering states funding under an Interoperable Emergency Communications Grant Program (IECGP).
NEEDA members will be very helpful to state grant recipients as they
select the products, systems, and solutions for their interoperability challenges.
The purpose of the FY 2010 IECGP is to improve interoperable emergency communications, including communications in response to natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other man-made disasters.
The total amount of funds distributed under the FY 2010 IECGP will be $48 million.
The State Administrative Agency (SAA) is the only agency eligible to apply for FY 2010 IECGP funds and is responsible for obligating the funds to the appropriate local units of government or other designated recipients. So, to help a grant recipient you first have to find out who runs the SAA office in your state.
The key milestone associated with FY 2010 IECGP is February 12, 2010 when applications are due to the US Department of Homeland Security/FEMA by your state's SAA.
FY 2010 IECGP funds will be allocated based upon a terrorism and natural hazards risk. Each state will also receive a minimum allocation under IECGP using the thresholds established in the 9/11 Act.
Communications equipment may be purchased as follows: Funding is prioritized for activities that advance governance, planning, training and exercise capabilities in support of interoperability. If a SAA and Statewide Interoperability Coordinator (SWIC) / SCIP point of contact certify that the state or territory has fulfilled the governance, planning, training and exercise objectives, the program provides the flexibility to purchase interoperable communications equipment with any remaining IECGP funds.
The Department of Homeland Security Act, 2010 (Public Law 111-83) provided funding for this program.
Completed applications must be submitted no later than 11:59 PM EST, February 12, 2010. Eligible applicants must apply for funding through the Grants.gov portal, accessible on the Internet at http://www.grants.gov.
Applicants in need of Grants.gov help should contact
the Grants.gov customer support hotline at (800) 518-4726. If you have any questions regarding the application process, contact the FEMA Grant Programs Directorate Call Center at (866) 927-5646 on the Centralized
Scheduling and Information Desk (CSID) help line at (800) 368-6498 or
askcsid@dhs.gov. CSID hours of operation are from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. EST.
? For financial-related questions, including pre-and post-award administration and technical assistance, applicants may contact the FEMA Grant Programs Directorate Call Center at (866) 927-5646 or via e-mail to ASK-GMD@dhs.gov.
States have 36 months to complete their work under this grant program.
MORE INFO? The FY 2010 IECGP Grant Guidance and Application Kit is located online at:
http://www.fema.gov/grants as well as on www.grants.gov.
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BRADLEY UNIVERSITY INSTALLS NEW GE SYSTEM TO RESPOND TO CAMPUS FIRES AND SHOOTING THREATS
Originally Posted: December 23, 2009 11:13 AM
Last Updated: December 23, 2009 11:13 AM
Bradley University has just opened a new emergency communications system to alert students and faculty of a fire or other threat.
GE Security and GE Enterprise Solutions (Bradenton, Florida) has installed the system. Experts predict the system responds to the campus fire problem that NEEDA Newsletter has mentioned (use "Search" in upper right hand corner of NEEDA Newsletter screen). The system will also close the gap in communicating with students and faculty spread over a large area when there is an emergency such as a shooter in the area.
The system is called EST3-Sixty Mass Notification/Emergency Communications (MNEC) system and will be listed by Underwriters Laboratories (UL) for meeting its UL 2572 Mass Notification Standard.
EST3-Sixty offers paging systems, fire alarms, electronic signage, e-mail notifications and other forms of communication.
Joanne Glasser, Bradley University as President: “Our intention is to help make Bradley a safer community in which to live, learn, work and play.”
EST3-Sixty was able to integrate with the existing fire alarm network and the FireWorks Command and Control Interface to create a stable emergency communications backbone.
Emergency communications audio speakers are strategically positioned on the rooftops so emergency announcements can be heard throughout the campus.
Glasser: “With this system, we have the ability to reach the various groups and locations in the university community to inform them about potential dangers and how to respond.”
Ted Milburn, product marketing manager – Americas, Life Safety and Communications, GE Security: “The EST3-Sixty system helps universities and corporations to effectively manage a diverse range of crises including natural disasters, workplace accidents, health hazards and terrorist violence.”
MORE INFO? www.gesecurity.com or 1-888-GE SECURITY.
Michelle May 989-835-3563 or michelle.may@ge.com
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AMERICAN AMBULANCE ASSOCIATION LAUNCHES WEB SITE WHERE EMTS CAN GET MEDICAL INFO ON PATIENTS
Originally Posted: December 23, 2009 10:49 AM
Last Updated: December 23, 2009 10:49 AM
The American Ambulance Association (McLean, Virginia) is creating a Web-based national emergency health registry.
The invisibleBracelet.org (iB), will enable patients to register personal vital health details so that in the event of an emergency, a friends and family will be notified through this network of EMS providers in the United States.
The Invisible Bracelet answers: 1. What do emergency responders need to know about you, your allergies and medical needs and 2. How should loved ones be notified.
Like a virtual medical ID bracelet, iB is a HIPAA-compliant Web service that allows its members to share vital health information during emergencies with participating Emergency Medical Service (EMS) providers. In the event of an emergency, responding medics can access the information patients make available. If transport is required, text or email messages will be delivered to a member's "In Case of Emergency (ICE)" contacts.
In the first quarter of 2010, individuals who live, work or frequently travel within the service areas supported by American Ambulance Association-affiliated EMS providers will register and maintain unlimited access to a secure online account that holds their "In Case of Emergency" (ICE) contacts and vital health information.
For $5 per year, a registered member can maintain an account accessible by licensed, trained and certified medics and dispatchers during medical emergencies.
When emergency care is needed, authorized EMS responders are provided temporary, read-only access to a member's information using a HIPAA-compliant search engine. If ambulance transport is required, medics can automatically generate text or email messages to the member's designated ICE contacts, instantly notifying loved ones when and where the member is being transported by ambulance.
Jim Finger, president of the AAA: "We believe the Invisible Bracelet will revolutionize patient services and become the new standard of practice for the ambulance services industry. For millions of Americans, iB will, and should, become an essential. This voluntary method of information sharing between EMS providers and patients could be just the thing that saves more lives and relieves anxiety for family members."
AAA-affiliated EMS providers will begin the program in 2010. EMS providers not currently affiliated with the AAA will also join the iB Medic Network.
Noah Roberts, CEO at Docvia which is providing the technology to AAA: "Everyone deserves a safe, simple and inexpensive way to communicate during a medical emergency. The American Ambulance Association is delivering results out on the frontline of health care."
Founded in 1979, the American Ambulance Association provides research, education and communications programs to enable its members to address the needs of the communities they serve.
The AAA represents ambulance services serving more than 75% of the U.S. population.
MORE INFO? www.the-aaa.org or www.invisiblebracelet.org
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US SENATE CONSIDERS BILL TO STOP FIRES ON MOTOR COACHES
Originally Posted: December 17, 2009 3:36 PM
Last Updated: December 17, 2009 3:36 PM
Motorcoach crashes and fires reported since the Motorcoach Enhanced Safety Act was first introduced in November 2007 now exceeds 50.
The Motorcoach Enhanced Safety Act (S. 554), introduced by US Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), was passed by the US Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, chaired by Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV).
The bill now moves to the Senate floor for consideration. The legislation requires the U.S. Secretary of Transportation (DOT) to issue new regulations to improve the safety of motorcoaches and motorcoach operators. The safety measures required by the bill have been called for by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) over the past four decades.
The bill addresses the NTSB recommendations by including protection against on-board fires (fire-fighting equipment and fire suppression), and crash avoidance (electronic stability control and tire pressure monitoring systems) and safety requirements for occupant protection (seat belts, roof strength and anti-ejection windows).
The legislation also addresses the safe operation of motorcoach companies through new entrant safety reviews to be conducted within nine months of starting operations, and improved driver safety by requiring entry-level driver training and electronic on-board recorders to ensure compliance with federal rules on maximum driving time.
Annually, more than 700 million Americans take trips in motorcoaches - as many as U.S. commercial airlines carry. Nearly 3,700 interstate motorcoach companies operate more than 34,000 motorcoaches, and thousands of other motorcoaches operate in intrastate commerce. Each year, the number of new interstate-registered motorcoach companies increases by about 900.
Safety advocates point out that for decades DOT has not required motorcoaches to have the same basic occupant protection safety features that are routinely designed into passenger motor vehicles to prevent death and injury. For example, in 1968 the NTSB first recommended that motorcoaches be equipped with seat belts. Today, there is still no federal requirement for this essential lifesaving protection in a crash.
"Every day millions of adults and children ride on motorcoaches without the basic safety protections routinely available in other modes of transportation. And every week, on average, there is a motorcoach crash or fire that often results in deaths and injuries that could have been prevented," said Jackie Gillan, Vice President of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, which is spearheading passage of this legislation.
Over the years, NTSB has investigated more than 25 motorcoach crashes and fires that resulted in over 200 deaths and hundreds of injuries. NTSB recommendations for enhanced motorcoach safety have languished for many years, and congressional hearings have identified numerous oversight and enforcement failings of previous administrations that have not yet been remedied. In September 2008, Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) held a subcommittee hearing on bus safety. These hearings identified numerous problems and deficiencies in the safety of motorcoaches and motorcoach operators.
"The Motorcoach Enhanced Safety Act ensures that action is taken to install critically important safety technologies that NTSB investigations have been found lacking and contributing to the death and injury toll in crash after crash," Gillan said. "This bill sets a reasonable timetable for U.S. DOT to implement NTSB recommendations to provide maximum safety benefits to motorcoach passengers for decades to come."
A recent General Accounting Office report ("Reincarnating Commercial Vehicle Companies Pose Safety Threat to Motoring Public") found that nearly 10 percent of interstate bus operators with their federal permits revoked for safety violations could quickly resume business by "reincarnating" themselves as new companies, and that 20 of the 220 motorcoach operators ordered to stop service by DOT in 2007 and 2008 remained on the road by re-registering under a different and sometimes same name.
"Enactment of this long-sought safety measure will save lives and prevent crashes of passenger coaches that carry up to 55 people per trip, and are often used by schools to transport students to academic activities and sporting events," Gillan said. "We are grateful to Chairman Rockefeller, Ranking Minority Member Hutchison, the committee members, and Senator Sherrod Brown for their dedication to public safety and leadership on this vital piece of safety legislation," Gillan added.
Motorcoach crash victims' families expressed their strong and enthusiastic support for today's committee approval of S.554. They called for the full Senate and House to swiftly adopt the Motorcoach Enhanced Safety Act to make long overdue safety upgrades to federal vehicle and driver safety standards. The bipartisan companion bill in the House of Representatives (HR 1396) was introduced this year by Congressman John Lewis (D-GA) along with 10 co-sponsors.
"Our family is extremely happy and relieved that after almost three years since the Bluffton University baseball team's devastating motorcoach crash, the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee today took this huge step to enact this long overdue safety legislation," said John Betts, of Bryan, Ohio, whose son David was one of seven occupants killed and 28 others injured when his Bluffton University baseball team's motorcoach crashed on I-75 in Atlanta on March 2, 2007. "We feel a tremendous sense of gratification that this major breakthrough occurred so close to what would have been David's 23rd birthday on December 10th. We urge the full Congress to quickly enact this legislation and send it to the President for his signature so other families will not have to experience the tragic absence of their loved one on their birthday."
"Today, my heart is warmed to know that the motorcoach safety bill is finally moving through Congress toward becoming law. The bus crash that took the lives of our loved ones last year put those of us left behind in a very dark place. But, today's long-awaited decisive action brought the important issue of motorcoach safety into the light and gives us hope that good will spring from the tragedy of our loss," said Yen-Chi Le, of Houston, Texas, whose mother, Catherine Tuong Lam, was killed in a motorcoach crash in Sherman, Texas, on August 8, 2008. Thirteen people were killed and 38 were seriously injured. "We thank the bill sponsors for their dedication and determination in pushing for adoption of this bill for the sake of our families' and the traveling public."
"As parents of children who have been killed and severely injured as a result of unsafe motorcoaches, we applaud Senator Brown and Senator Hutchison's steadfast work in bringing this bill out of Committee and Chairman Jay Rockefeller for bringing up this bill for a vote," said Steve Forman, whose daughter Allison Forman was injured in a motorcoach crash in Devers, Texas, on March 29, 2006. "This action represents a critical step toward the day when motorcoaches are required to provide passengers the occupant protections they deserve."
Brad Brown, whose daughter, Ashley Brown, was killed in the Devers, Texas, crash: "I believe that my daughter, Ashley Brown, would be alive today had she had the protection of a lap/shoulder belt in the motorcoach in which she was riding. The lack of seatbelts, safety glass and other basic occupant protections in motorcoaches makes no sense. This legislation makes sense. We know that our campaign is not yet won. Yet, we are closer to the day when motorcoach passengers will be provided the same commonsense, lifesaving protections that we all have come to expect in our cars. We have the technology to save lives and now we have the action plan to move the motorcoach safety agenda forward."
Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety ( is an alliance of consumer, health and safety groups and insurance companies and agents working together to make America's roads safer. Advocates encourages the adoption of federal and state laws, policies and programs that save lives and reduce injuries. By joining its resources with others, Advocates helps build coalitions to increase participation of a wide array of groups in public policy initiatives which advance highway and auto safety.
For a summary of S.554 as passed by the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee: www.saferoads.org.
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17,700 HOME FIRES CAUSED BY CLOTHES WASHERS AND DRYERS: BUT CONSUMERS FOCUS ON ENERGY SAVINGS OVER SAFETY WHEN BUYING APPLIANCES: UL SAYS LOOK FOR SAFETY CERTIFICATION
Originally Posted: December 15, 2009 9:17 AM
Last Updated: December 15, 2009 9:19 AM
The most common risks associated with home appliances are electrical, fire and mechanical hazards. A 2009 National Fire Protection Association report says in U.S. consumers reported 17,700 home fires involving clothes dryers or washing machines, resulting in 15 deaths, 360 injuries and $194 million in property damage.
Most consumers seek "energy saving" when purchasing new home appliances, according to a new survey from Underwriters Laboratories (UL).
But, 57 percent of American homeowners ranked energy efficiency as far more important than safety. The majority of respondents surveyed say they don't always look for a third-party safety certification, such as the UL Mark, on new appliances.
Products that bear the UL Mark (Northbook, IL) have been tested to UL's rigorous safety standards and found to be free of foreseeable safety hazards.
The U.S. government's $300 million rebate program encourages the purchase of energy-efficient appliances. The state-run programs will offer cash rebates to consumers who buy new qualified home appliances.
But, homeowners should make sure the appliances they bring into their homes meet safety standards.
Simin Zhou, vice president and general manager, UL's Appliances, HVAC/R and Components business unit: "Energy efficiency is an important attribute, but family safety also needs to be part of the decision making process to avoid potential dangers."
Zhou. "Keeping appliances clean and only using them as intended also can go a long way towards preventing home appliance hazards or injuries."
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PIERCE OFFERS OPTIMISTIC REPORT ON 2010 ENGINE DESIGNED TO MEET NEW FEDERAL POLLUTION REDUCTION STANDARDS
Originally Posted: December 14, 2009 9:22 PM
Last Updated: December 14, 2009 9:22 PM
Pierce Manufacturing, an Oshkosh Corporation (Appleton, Wisconsin) company, is testing a new 2010 EPA compliant engine. The Detroit Diesel DD13™ engine has demonstrated better fuel economy than previous engines, while delivering up to 500 horsepower and 1650 ft-lbs of torque on-demand.
Wilson Jones, Oshkosh Corporation executive vice president and president, Fire & Emergency: “The DD13 engine has hit every benchmark set by our product development and validation testing team. This engine is designed to reduce emissions to near zero without compromising performance.”
The DD13 is an advanced design that offers seamless integration of BlueTec®* selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technology that, according to the company’s test data, reduces nitrogen oxide (NOx) engine emissions to near zero without compromising power, fuel economy or performance.
Ken Kamprath, Pierce Manufacturing chief engineer - research and development: “We drove a pre-production DD13-equipped pumper over the Rocky Mountains through 10,000 foot elevations without any problems. We also conducted an array of cooling system and reliability tests that included pulling a 40,000-pound trailer up the renowned Baker Grade on the Nevada/California border. The vehicle ran smoothly and performed exceptionally well under those extreme conditions.”
Pierce and Detroit Diesel have developed proprietary emissions components that will have no impact to wheelbase, cab and compartment space, or options on the vast majority of apparatus.
The engine received wind tunnel testing and reliability testing in Death Valley.
Detroit Diesel parent company, Daimler, has manufactured more than 200,000 SCR diesel trucks. DEF works with the heat of the exhaust and a catalyst to convert NOx into nitrogen and water vapor – two harmless and natural components of air. Diesel engine manufacturers are expected to offer engines which meet new Federal standards in 2010, including reductin of NOx emissions.
Pierce Manufacturing Inc. makes custom and commercial pumpers, aerials, rescue trucks, wildland trucks, minipumpers, elliptical tankers, and homeland security apparatus. Pierce designs its own foam systems and was the first company to introduce frontal airbags and the Side Roll Protection system to fire apparatus. .
MORE INfO? www.piercemfg.com
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HOUSE LEGISLATION WOULD PROVIDE PERSONAL SAFETY CLOTHING TAX DEDUCTION FOR VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS
Originally Posted: December 14, 2009 1:50 PM
Last Updated: December 14, 2009 1:50 PM
H.R.343 is a bill introduced in the US House of Representatives to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow volunteer firefighters a deduction for personal safety clothing.
Sponsor: Rep Platts, Todd Russell [PA-19] (introduced 1/8/2009) Cosponsors (2) Latest Major Action: 1/8/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: No action yet in to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
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DEADLINE FOR ALL APPLICATIONS UNDER STAFFING FOR ADEQUATE FIRE AND EMERGENCY SERVICES (SAFER) GRANTS: FRIDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2009
Originally Posted: December 14, 2009 1:44 PM
Last Updated: December 14, 2009 1:45 PM
The deadline for the FY 2009 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Services (SAFER) Grants is Friday, December 18 at 5:00 PM. Eastern Time. SAFER grants help departments with volunteer recruitment and retention programs as well as with hiring personnel. Make sure to get your application in on time to be considered for a grant.
The National Volunteer Fire Council has released several resources to help volunteer departments apply for a SAFER grant. These include a resource center of sample narratives from successful applications, as well as podcasts on how to apply for a grant.
Remember to read the Program Guidance at www.firegrantsupport.com/safer thoroughly before preparing your application as changes have been made since these resources were developed.
The FY 2009 SAFER program has approximately $210 million available for grants. The Program Guidance, e-application, applicant tutorial, and tips for writing a successful narrative are posted on the grant’s web site at www.firegrantsupport.com/safer. The SAFER Grants are part of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program and are administered by the Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency.
MORE INFO? www.nvfc.org/afg.
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VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTER TAX RELIEF ACT OF 2009: DOES YOUR US REPRESENTATIVE SUPPORT THIS LEGISLATION?
Originally Posted: December 14, 2009 1:32 PM
Last Updated: December 14, 2009 1:32 PM
Volunteer Firefighter Tax Relief Act of 2009: Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow volunteer firefighters a tax deduction from gross income for personal safety clothing (including helmets and boots) used in performing fire fighting services.
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TAX CREDITS FOR VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS?
Originally Posted: December 14, 2009 1:23 PM
Last Updated: December 14, 2009 1:23 PM
Volunteer Firefighter Tax Credit
Increase in Credit?
Recent data has shown that the number of volunteer firefighters might be dwindling. Proponents of a $1,000 federal tax credit -- up to 10 times the amount some volunteers get now -- for each qualifying volunteer firefighter believe this amount might help to attract and recruit more volunteers [source: Detling].
Volunteer firefighters rarely receive pay of any kind, although some communities reimburse volunteers for the time they invest during their shifts [source: Volunteer FD].
Other fire departments may give their volunteers a limited amount of money for emergency response services [source: Riverside County Fire Department].
Despite the differences in the amount of financial incentives available to volunteer firefighters, tax credits are becoming a more common way to show the community's appreciation. In some states, volunteer firefighters that have worked the required number of hours can claim a tax credit on their tax returns. In order to claim a tax credit, a volunteer firefighter must fill out an application to determine eligibility for the tax credit. Then, that application form must be attached to the volunteer firefighter's state income tax form [source: Senator Dinniman].
Different states award volunteer firefighters varying levels of tax credit. At this time, not all states are able to provide tax credits, but others might provide a $100, $200 or $500 tax credit. Tax credits are in place as an incentive for volunteer firefighters. Supporters of tax credits for volunteer firefighters say that providing such an incentive is a good way to retain volunteers and lower taxes since fire departments won't need to hire as many career firefighters [source: Detling].
Regardless of payment, the service you provide by working as a volunteer firefighter is a rewarding and mutually beneficial experience for both you and your community. Check out the links on the next page to learn even more about volunteering.
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VIRGINIA GETS DISASTER FUNDS FOLLOWING NOVEMBER 11, 2009 STORM
Originally Posted: December 12, 2009 8:03 AM
Last Updated: December 12, 2009 8:03 AM
The head of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced that federal disaster aid has been made available for the Commonwealth of Virginia to supplement commonwealth and local recovery efforts in the area struck by severe storms and flooding associated with Tropical Depression Ida beginning on November 11, 2009.
Federal funding is available to state and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the severe storms and flooding in the Virginia counties of counties of Halifax, Isle of Wight, King and Queen, Northampton, and Surry and the independent cities of Chesapeake, Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, Poquoson, Portsmouth, and Virginia Beach.
Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures for all counties within the commonwealth.
Donald L. Keldsen has been named the federal coordinating officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area. Keldsen said additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the commonwealth and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.
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EAST HARTFORD FIRE STATION GETS $3.39 BILLION FEDERAL GRANT TO REBUILD FIRE STATION
Originally Posted: December 12, 2009 7:56 AM
Last Updated: December 12, 2009 7:56 AM
Vice President Joe Biden and US Senator Chris Dodd are scheduled to visit the East Hartford Fire Department, which is receiving $3.39 million from a new Federal fund to rebuild a satellite fire station under the Revitalization Act. A limited number of fire stations will be built under this program. (For more info on Federal funds for fire station construction, use the "Search" application in the upper right of your NEEDA Newsletter screen.)
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STATE LEGISLATURES CONSIDER LAWS RESTRICTING CELL PHONE USE
Originally Posted: December 12, 2009 7:39 AM
Last Updated: December 12, 2009 7:39 AM
The Detroit Free Press says the Michigan House endorses legislation that would bar drivers from sending, receiving or reading cell phone text messages while
behind the wheel (HB 4394).
Texting would be a secondary offense, allowing officers to ticket a driver only if he or she is pulled over for another offense. The measure now goes to the Wolverine State Senate, where that chamber’s Transportation Committee has already approved a similar bill.
Many state legislatures are considering rules concerning use of cell phones by drivers.
For example, Gov. Don Carcieri (R) signed HB 5150 in Rhode Island, a bill that made the Ocean State the 20th to ban all drivers from sending or receiving cell phone messages while behind the wheel. Another 10 states impose restrictions on certain drivers, from teens to school bus operators. To date, however, only seven states require all drivers to use a hands-free device when talking
on their cell phone.
Another 21 ban certain groups — again, mostly teens and school bus operators — from using their cell phone at all while driving.
Numerous states to will consider similar measures in 2010.
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OBAMA TO OFFER JOBS STIMULUS PLAN: DETAILS TO FOLLOW
Originally Posted: December 12, 2009 7:18 AM
Last Updated: December 12, 2009 7:18 AM
President Obama announced his jobs stimulus plan in December 2009. It could provide $100 billion for unemployment insurance, temporary food-stamp payment increases and subsidies for health care purchases by the unemployed, as well as $70 billion for infrastructure projects (bridges, roads, etc). Congressional action on the plan may not come until 2010.
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NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF STATE LEGISLATURES PREDICTS STATES WILL TAKE TWO YEARS BEFORE RECOVERING FROM TODAY'S NATIONAL ECONOMIC CRISIS
Originally Posted: December 12, 2009 7:14 AM
Last Updated: December 12, 2009 7:14 AM
Are state and local governments coming out of the current fiscal crisis before the start of the new year?
The National Conference of State Legislatures
(NCSL)says 36 states face budget deficits totaling $28 billion this fiscal year, which began just five months ago. And NCSL’s State Budget Update: November 2009 predicts 35 states will see $56 billion in shortfalls next fiscal year and 23 states will face $69 billion in deficits the year after that.
The report notes that while many economists believe the current recession ended sometime in the third quarter of this year, state finances aren’t expected to recover for at least two years.
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E-ONE SAUDI ARABIAN DEALER MAKES 30 VEHICLE SALE
Originally Posted: December 11, 2009 7:58 PM
Last Updated: December 11, 2009 8:01 PM
E-One's Saudi Arabian dealer, SESE, was awarded a multimillion-dollar contract for 30 Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) and first responder units by the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF).
RSAF ordered a variety of units including Titan Force 6x6's, custom pumpers on CII chassis, mini pumpers and small rescue vehicles.
Sam Itani, Vice President of Global Sales E-ONE: "The product diversity of the 30-unit order demonstrates the effectiveness of E-ONE and our international dealers to reach and support global markets. We congratulate SESE for this significant contract and commend them on their ability to support the sales and service needs of Saudi Arabia."
SESE has been the E-ONE dealer in Saudi Arabia for 20 years.
Mohammad Fostoc with SESE: "E-ONE's diverse, full line of products allows us to meet our Saudi Arabian customers' varying demands with a product known internationally for its quality and performance."
The units ordered offer the latest in ARFF and first responder technology with Titan Force 6x6 featuring a 3000 gallon tank capacity and custom 4x4 pumpers on CII chassis with a 1030 gallon tank capacity.
Itani: "RSAF currently has 20 E-ONE units in operation."
E-ONE engineers, manufactures and markets commercial pumpers, tankers, Water Master vacuum tankers, aerial ladders and platforms, command and communication apparatus, quick attack units, industrial trucks, and aircraft rescue firefighting vehicles. In Ocala, Florida. E-ONE is an ISO 9001 registered and CCC certified manufacturer.
MORE INFO? www.E-ONE.com
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AUSTRALIAN DROUGHT -- WORST IN 110 YEARS -- IS WARNING TO US: TO PREVENT AND CONTAIN WILDFIRES NEW US NATIONAL POLICY ON DROUGHT NEEDED
Originally Posted: December 9, 2009 4:31 PM
Last Updated: December 26, 2009 11:59 AM
Will the kind of drought in Australia which spawned huge wildfires occur in the United State? NEEDA Newseltter has published information about wildfires in the US. (Use the "Search" application in the upper right of your NEEDA Newsletter screen.)
We believe that US policy on wildfires has not stepped up to the problem. The situation in Australia is a serious warning and seems to point the finger directly at global warming . . . which leads to gigantic wildfires . . . which leads to mud slides and depressed economic opportunities throughout the affected areas.
The Washington Post (Dec 9, 2009) in a front page story reports on the results of a 13 year drought in Australia, one of which was the Victoria fire in southeast Austrialia "the worst recorded, set the state for a near-simultaneous explosion of 600 brush fires, the deadliest big burn in the country's history."
The Post story describes the political battle in Australia between those who feel that the drought is due to "global warming" and others who feel that in due course the rains will resume and the major river Murray will again be full of water, helping farmers and the economy at the same time.
The Prime Minister of Australia Kevin Rudd is an international advocate for dealing with global warming. But he was unsuccessful at the UN climate
conference in Copenhaben. And his legislation in Australia was turned down last week by the legislature.
The Rudd government has proposed an $11.8 billion science-backed program which pays irrigators to stop using the rapidly disappearing river water.
Australia's Buerau of Meterology says the declining rainfall pattern "closely resembles the picture provided by climate model simulations of future changes due to enhanced greenhouse gases." The Bureau says the recent 12 years have been the driest in the 110 years long record.
The government has $3.1 billion in the bank to buy out farmers who use the Murray River for irrigating fields. New Australian laws "have stripped farmers of guarantee access to water from the Murray, which creating a market for buying and selling water allocations. As a result, the cost of water has soared," the Post reports.
NEEDA Executive Director Kenton Pattie recently wrote an article calling on President Obama to call a White House Conference on Wildfires. The Conference would attract state and local leaders to meet and reach agreement with
the various Federal agencies and public interests on what to do about the problem. Congress and the Obama Administration would receive the recommendations of the White House Conference and the US would have a new agenda to follow. Certainly, this is a better idea than waiting until we have
what has happened in Australia! He has attended other White House Conferences: "They produce a lot of useful and insightful proposals which represent the views and agreements among everyone concerned. It is the perfect next step for the United States to take" (Kenton Pattie).
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59 BILLS IN THE US HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES: AFFECT ONE OR MORE ISSUES OF IMPORTANCE TO FIRE, RESCUE, AND SAFETY
Originally Posted: December 8, 2009 11:21 AM
Last Updated: December 8, 2009 11:21 AM
by Kenton Pattie
Executive Director
National Emergency Equipment Dealers Association (NEEDA)
As we move into December, I have been checking on the bills in Congress that deal with some of the aspects of fire, emergency response, and safety. I have reprinted the essential info here on NEEDA Newsletter.
Initially, there were over one hundred bills in the House of Representatives. But I have edited that list down to 59. In addition there are appropriations bills which provide funds for some of the laws passed in other Congresses such as Fire Act and SAFER.
All of these bills along with associated documents are available on the website of the US House of Representatives. The website can be found under "Thomas".
If you have questions or want more information, please contact me at KentonP1@aol.com or call 703 850 8552. Click on NEEDA Newsletter for a summary of all 59 pieces of legislation.
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NEW YORK STATE FIRE CHIEFS TRADE SHOW AND CONFERENCE: JUNE 9-12, 2010
Originally Posted: December 8, 2009 10:24 AM
Last Updated: December 8, 2009 10:24 AM
The New York State Association of Fire Chiefs (NYSAFC) 104th Annual Conference & FIRE 2010 Expo will be held at the Turning Stone Resort, Verona, NY, June 9-12, 2010. Exhibits will run Thursday through Saturday. Education sessions begin Wednesday.
MORE INFO? janetwilliams@cmgexpo.com
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2010 ARIZONA FIRE CHIEFS EQUIPMENT & TECHNOLOGY EXPO: JULY 30-31
Originally Posted: December 8, 2009 10:04 AM
Last Updated: December 8, 2009 10:04 AM
The Arizona Fire Chiefs Association Equipment and Technology Expo will be held July 30-31, 2010; exhibitor registration is now open. Show opens at 8:30 AM both days.
MORE INFO? Gary Hatch, expo coordinator
afcaexpo@live.com or www.gcu.edu/AFCA or 877-814-6545
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RAIN IN LA THREATENS TO PRODUCE MUDSLIDES
Originally Posted: December 7, 2009 3:23 PM
Last Updated: December 7, 2009 3:23 PM
Because of heavy rain in Los Angeles County, CA, crashes are up and county officials are preparing for possible mandatory evacuations of neighborhoods below wildfire-denuded foothills as rain continues to soak Los Angeles County threatening mudslides.
L.A. County Fire Department Inspector Matt Levesque said the greatest area of concern for mudslides is La Canada Flintridge, along Ocean View Boulevard.
“There could be some mandatory evacuations in the next couple of hours,” Levesque told the Los Angeles Times.
Jamie Meier of the National Weather Service in Oxnard, CA: Temperatures will get frigid Monday evening into early Tuesday morning droping snow levels down to 1,500 feet,
Meier told the LA Times: “It’s going to be really cold.”
Heavy rain is expected to continue through Monday evening, with showers lessening early Tuesday. But two more storms are expected through this week, the Times reported.
California Highway Patrol: There were 132 crashes Monday morning between 5 to 8 a.m. By comparison, there were 45 last Monday during the same hours. Levesque: One man somehow survived his car rolling down 300 feet off Malibu Canyon Road. “He was pretty lucky. He came out with minor injuries,” he said.
Bill Patzert, a climatologist for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in La Canada Flintridge: The 2009 summer’s massive Station Fire has turned what should be a good thing -- much needed rains -- into something ominous.
Patzert told the LA Times: “We’d be celebrating right now if it hadn’t been for the Station Fire. It really denuded the hillsides from Arroyo Seco to Big Tujunga, so the people in those neighborhoods are really on pins and needles.”
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SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE TO FUTURE FIRE SERVICE LEADERS
Originally Posted: December 7, 2009 10:35 AM
Last Updated: December 7, 2009 10:35 AM
NEEDA is often asked for fire "scholarship" information! Here below are some
awards which may help you gain recognition for someone who is contributing to the future of your company and fire, rescue and emergency response.
Know of additional awards? Have a success story you would like to share? Have a comment on funding for promising future leaders in the fire business? Please share with NEEDAA -- Kenton Pattie, Executive Director, National Emergency Equipment Dealers Association, KentonP1@aol.com/703 850 8552
1. AFSA National Scholarship Essay
Amount: $2,000
The AFSA Scholarship Contest is open to high school seniors in the United States who plan to further their education at a college/university or certified trade school in the United States. The scholarship is not based on financial need. You must be a high school senior during the 2008-2009 school year who will attend a college/university or trade school in the United States starting with the fall 2009 semester.
http://www.afsascholarship.org/information.htm
2. A. L. Brown Award
Amount: $1,000
Applicant must have graduated from a secondary school in Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusettes, Rhode Island or Vermont or currently attend a New England college or university. Applicant must be pursing a Bachelor of Science or a graduate degree in engineering.
http://www.sfpe-newengland.org
3. FSSA Educational Foundation
Amount: $25,000
The FSSA Educational Foundation awards scholarships annually to talented and worthy young people within the fire suppression industry.
http://www.fssa.net/displaycommon.cfm?an=4
4. W.H. (Howie) McClennan Scholarship
Amount: $25,000
The W. H. “Howie” McClennan scholarship provides financial assistance for sons, daughters or legally adopted children of fire fighters killed in the line of duty planning to attend a university, accredited college or other institution of higher learning.
http://www.iaff.org/scholarship
5. Yvorra Leadership Development Foundation
Amount: $1,500
The organization was founded in 1988 in honor of Deputy Fire Chief James G. Yvorra, who was killed in the line of duty. Awards may be used for special projects relating to leadership development or for tuition. Award winners announced each year in October.
www.yld.org
6. International Association of Fire Chiefs Foundation
Amount: $4,000
Promotes higher education and research in the fire sciences. Scholarships range from $250 to $4,000 for career, volunteer and military firefighters and Explorer Scouts.
http://www.iafcf.org
7. George D. Miller Scholarship
Amount: $5,000
Provides a minimum of one scholarship awarded per year of at least $5,000 (USD). Monies will be awarded to one or more undergraduate or graduate students enrolled in a fire service or public administration program in either the United States or Canada. Applicants must be nominated by their college or university.
http://www.nfpa.org
8. Association of Fire Districts of the State of New York “Ned Carter” Scholarship
Amount: $1,500
Three $1,500 scholarships will be awarded to seniors pursuing a career in a community service-related field (fire service, nursing, social work, healthcare, teaching, library services).
www.firedistnys.com
?9. South Carolina State Firefighters’ Association Scholarship ?Amount: $1,000 ??The purpose of this Scholarship Fund is to assist members of the South Carolina State Firefighters’ Association in obtaining college degrees that will benefit the fire service of South Carolina. ??http://www.scfiremen.com/scholarship.php
10. Nebraska Fire Chief’s Association Scholarship ?Amount: $750 ?
One recipient for each scholarship will be selected individually by the Nebraska State Volunteer Firefighter’s Assn. and Nebraska Fire Chief’s Assn. Scholarship Committees. ??http://www.nsvfa.org/forms.htm
11. South Carolina State Firefighters’ Association Scholarship
Amount: $1,000
The purpose of this Scholarship Fund is to assist members of the South Carolina State Firefighters’ Association in obtaining college degrees that will benefit the fire service of South Carolina.
http://www.scfiremen.com/scholarship.php
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APRIL 19-24, 2010: FDIC TRADE SHOW IN INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA
Originally Posted: December 5, 2009 6:15 PM
Last Updated: December 5, 2009 6:17 PM
FDIC
Indiana Convention Center,
Indianapolis, Indiana, United States Of America
APR, 19 -2010 End Date: APR 24-2010
Fire Department Instructor Conference & Exhibition (FDIC Indianapolis, Indiana, USA) showcases the products that enable fire fighters to do the job that they do and which keeps them alive while they do it.
(FDIC Bahrain helps fire fighters in the Middle East save lives through experience; knowledge; emergency vehicles and equipment.)
FDIC is for 26,000 firefighters in a 340,000 square foot exhibit hall with hundreds of the industry's top companies showcasing the latest in technology, products and services, Intensive H.O.T. Evolutions and Workshops, Comprehensive conference featuring more than 150 classes.
The industry's most respected speakers, Book signings by Fire Engineering authors are attracted to FDIC.
Manufacturers, Dealers, Training Officers, Firefighters, Wildland Firefighters, Fire/EMS Chiefs, Federal Disaster Responders are targets for attendance.
Dealers, Consultants, Manufacturers, Exporters, Suppliers, Contractors in the area of Fire, Safety, and Security will display their products.
Products Exhibited: Fire Trucks, Ambulances, Rescue Vehicles, Fire Attack and Rescue Boats, Emergency Extrication Equipment, Breathing Apparatus, Fire Fighting Clothing, Access Control Devices, Security Equipment and Surveillance Systems, Escape & Emergency Route Lighting Systems, Explosive Detection & Disposal, Emergency Treatment Supplies for Emergency Medical Technicians, Fire Alarm & Fire Fighting Equipment, and Fire Extinguishing Chemicals.
Social connections: LinkedIn and MySpace
MORE INFO? Penn Well1421, S Sheridan Road, Tulsa, United States Of America:(918)-835-3161
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OVER 14,000 RESIDENTIAL FIRES CAUSED BY TOBACCO SMOKING -- US FIRE ADMINISTRATION
Originally Posted: December 5, 2009 5:27 PM
Last Updated: December 5, 2009 5:27 PM
The US Fire Administration and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) offer research-based recommendations to reduce smoking fire fatalities in the United States.
Smoking continues to be a leading cause of residential fire deaths.
In 2002, lighted tobacco products caused an estimated 14,450 residential fires, 520 civilian deaths, 1,330 injuries, and $371 million in residential property damage.
A final report that documents and summarizes the results of the entire project is available for viewing or downloading from USFA: "Behavioral Mitigation of Smoking Fires."
This report provides recommendations for behavioral mitigation strategies to reduce smoking fire fatalities in the United States.
Behavioral Mitigation of Smoking Fires Through Strategies Based on Statistical Analysis (PDF 4.8 Mb)
For SmokersEducational Presentation: How Smokers Can Reduce Their Risk of Fire (PDF 1.4 Mb)
Educational Presentation: How Smokers Can Reduce Their Risk of Fire (PPT 14 Mb)
For Educators Educational Presentation: How Smokers Can Reduce Their Risk of Fire (PDF 1.4 Mb)
Educational Presentation: How Smokers Can Reduce Their Risk of Fire (PPT 14 Mb)
MORE INFO? U.S. Fire Administration, 16825 S. Seton Ave., Emmitsburg, MD 21727 (301) 447-1000 Fax: (301) 447-1346
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NORTHWEST FIRE EQUIPMENT DEALERS HOLD TRADE SHOW MAY 14-15, 2010
Originally Posted: December 5, 2009 4:47 PM
Last Updated: December 5, 2009 4:47 PM
Emergency equipment dealers are invited to the Northwest Fire & Rescue Exposition, May 14 & 15, 2010, Portland Expo Center, Oregon. Show times:
Friday, May 14th: 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 15th: 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Pre-Registration and exhibitor booth reservation are now available. Managers for the show say it is the largest fire & rescue Expo in the Northwest.
At the show: latest products & technology by the fire business and leadership development classes.
Lunch will be courtesy of the Northwest Fire Equipment Dealers Association.
Would you like to attend or be an exhibitor at the Expo?
MORE INFO? 2010 Northwest Fire & Rescue Expo: Portland Metro Exposition Center, 2060 North Marine Drive, Portland, Oregon, Show Manager, Jerry Heater 888-548-6834 or Fax 503-769-4072.
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LIST OF MAJOR FIRES DECLARED BY US FEMA SINCE MAY, 2009
Originally Posted: December 5, 2009 4:29 PM
Last Updated: December 5, 2009 4:29 PM
List of fire events publised by the Federal government's FEMA staff. Of 575 major fires, here is a list of those occuring May-October, 2009.
NUMBER DECLARED STATE DESCRIPTION
3306 10/24/2009 Puerto Rico Explosions and Fire
2841 10/04/2009 California Sheep Fire
2840 10/03/2009 Arizona Twin Fire
2839 09/22/2009 California Guiberson Fire
2838 09/22/2009 Oregon South County Fire Complex
2837 09/04/2009 Montana Eagle Mount Fire
2836 09/01/2009 California Pendleton Fire
2835 08/31/2009 Arizona Water Wheel Fire
2834 08/31/2009 Hawaii Kaunakakai Fire
2833 08/31/2009 California Oak Glen Fire
2832 08/31/2009 California 49er Fire
2831 08/30/2009 Utah Mill Flat Fire
2830 08/28/2009 California Station Fire
2829 08/28/2009 Oregon Microwave Fire
2828 08/28/2009 California PV Fire
2827 08/22/2009 Washington Dry Creek Fire Complex
2826 08/22/2009 Washington Oden Road Fire
2825 08/15/2009 California Yuba Fire
2824 08/13/2009 California Lockheed Fire
2823 07/29/2009 Washington Union Valley Fire
2822 07/17/2009 Nevada Red Rock Fire
1846 06/19/2009 Oklahoma Wildfires
2821 05/18/2009 Arizona Mule Pass Fire
2820 05/14/2009 Alaska Mile 17 East End Road Fire
2819 05/12/2009 Florida Martin County Fire Complex
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US CHAMBER OF COMMERCE HOLDS DISASTER FORUM JAN 26-27, 2010 AT LOUISIANA HUMANITIES CENTER
Originally Posted: December 5, 2009 4:19 PM
Last Updated: December 5, 2009 4:19 PM
Hurricane Katrina changed Louisiana and surrounding communities forever.
The storm affected all the emergency equipment dealers in that area.
We cannot change the past, but we can ensure that the Gulf Coast is in the most competitive, sustainable, and disaster-resilient region possible in the future.
Emergency Equipment Dealers are invited to the BCLC Annual Disaster Forum,
"Next Steps for Gulf Coast Recovery" on January 26-27, 2010 to be held at the
Louisiana Humanities Center, 938 Lafayette Street, New Orleans, LA.
This forum will help develop strategies. It will also catalog successes and best practices from the region and apply those lessons to communities around the country. Learning from the past is the best way to avoid making the same mistakes in the future.
We already have a robust group of local and national leaders that are committed to making this forum a success. You will have the opportunity to network and strategize with key decision makers on disaster resiliency, economic and community development, urban planning, small business and entrepreneurship, and sustainability.
NEEDA's Executive Director Kenton Pattie has participated in several BCLC disaster conferences through his membership in the US Chamber of Commerce.
"Each meeting brings together experts and veterans to help us all improve how we respond to and survive disasters. The Chamber is to be praised for its
commitment to this national issue."
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BUDGET CUTS CLOSE FIRE STATION THAT COULD HAVE RESPONDED TO FIREMEN'S NEW BIZ
Originally Posted: December 3, 2009 5:40 PM
Last Updated: December 3, 2009 5:42 PM
A bar owned by two firefighters caught fire. When Baltimore city, MD firefighters Wayne Robinson and Rick Hoffman opened "Banners" in August, they expected setbacks.
"Banners" the Locust Point, Maryland bar, was not what firefighters Wayne Robinson and Rick Hoffman expected to see burning. A grease fire destroyed their kitchen and storage.
Owner Robinson was on his way to the bar and coowner Hoffman was on fire department duty.
Robinson received a few text messages about a fire at Banners, but when he arrived smoke was billowing out of the second-story windows.
Fire engines responded to the blaze and controlled the fire in 15 minutes.
Damage will exceed $100,000.
Fire crews stayed to protect neighboring businesses.
Neighbors helped clean up.
Robinson said the nearby Locust Point fire house was closed at the time of the fire due to budget cuts.
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SPARTAN INTRODUCES FORD-BASED NEAT FOR NON EMERGENCY AMBULANCE TRANSPORT AT AAA SHOW IN LAS VEGAS
Originally Posted: December 3, 2009 5:45 AM
Last Updated: December 3, 2009 5:45 AM
Spartan Chassis, Inc., a subsidiary of Spartan Motors, Inc. (Charlotte, Michigan), introduced a new Non-Emergency Ambulance Transport (NEAT) vehicle at the American Ambulance Association annual conference in Las Vegas.
The NEAT vehicle is a low-cost transport vehicle designed for the growing medical/handicap/transport/taxi market, where the patient is not in critical condition and services can be reimbursed by health care providers and the federal government.
John Sztykiel, President and CEO of Spartan MotorsTraditional ambulances are often the vehicle of choice for health-related or disability transportation, but they are an expensive and often less flexible option. With 11,000 people turning 50 years old each day and over 60 million people considered to be handicapped in the U.S., the NEAT is an ideal, fully equipped vehicle to serve this large and growing population."
Spartan developed the NEAT using a Ford Transit Connect. The NEAT retains many of the qualities that have made the Transit Connect the preferred platform for a variety of retrofits.
Features of the NEAT include dual sliding doors, street-smart maneuverability, low-vehicle height, and a 2.0 Duratec I-4 engine and 4-speed automatic transmission. The NEAT offers best-in-class fuel economy, providing up to 25 mpg on the highway. Spartan transformed the 135 cu. ft. cargo area of the vehicle to create a non-emergency transport vehicle that still offers rescue and emergency response capabilities.
Sztykiel. "The NEAT . . . offers both the service provider and the passenger a comfortable, car-like ride along with the peace of mind that comes from knowing the vehicle has all of the necessary equipment to deal with a variety of medical emergencies that may occur in transit."
The NEAT includes such features as a fully functional attendant seat with safety harness/seatbelt, gurney locking system for travel mode, oxygen bottle storage and delivery system (all of which will be FMVSS/KKK compliant), suction system, Sharps container, overhead dual level lighting, medical glove storage area, multiple other storage areas, master control panel, waste basket, fire extinguisher and an optional DVD player for long transport mode operation.
The unit can also transport a wheel chair (in a stowed position). By using lightweight materials Spartan is able to offer to carry three people (two crew and one patient), while still maintaining the weight of the overall vehicle well within the Ford guidelines.
All of this was accomplished without the need to drill any holes into the Ford body or cut into the Ford wiring. An added benefit to the Spartan design is that in a non-transport mode the attendant can ride in the standard Ford passenger seat located next to the driver.
Cost? Less than $50,000.
Spartan reported sales of $844.4 million in 2008.
MORE INFO? www.spartanmotors.com
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NEED FREE E-ONE FIRE TRUCK? APPLY BY MARCH 8, 2010
Originally Posted: December 3, 2009 5:30 AM
Last Updated: December 3, 2009 5:30 AM
E-ONE (Ocala, Florida) is offering fire departments a chance to win a new Tradition ES commercial pumper, valued at $170,000.
Peter Guile, CEO of E-ONE: Based on the 2008 contest, E-One "felt compelled to once again partner with suppliers to build and donate a truck to the department the fire service votes to be the most deserving fire department in the US."
International®, a Navistar company: "What E-ONE does with this program provides an entire community with protection beyond anything they could ever afford on their own," said Jim Hebe, Senior Vice President North American Sales Operations for Navistar.
Fire Departments throughout the U.S. will have until March 8, 2010, to submit their entries, in 500 words or less presenting why they are the most deserving department in U.S. . The entries will be reviewed by an internal E-ONE committee using the selection criteria which can be found on the E-ONE web site.
Finalists will be announced on April 23, 2010. Once the finalists are announced, the fire industry will be asked to read the stories and vote online for the department they feel is the most deserving.
Voting will end on August 27, 2010, at 1:00 PM. CST on the IAFC show floor - booth 3549, McCormick Place, Chicago, Ill.
E-ONE sponsors include: Akron, Weldon, Amity Industries, Firehouse, Hale, Class 1, International, Maudlin International, ROM, Ryerson, UPF
Alco-lite; Cummins Power South; Curbell Plastics; Deltran, Inc.; Federal Signal; Global Harness; Havis-Shield; Kochek; Real Wheels; Signature Partners; Stainless Unlimited; Truck Lite; Unity Manufacturing Co.; The Upholstery Shop;
Van Mor, Inc.; Wes-Garde; Whelen; Zico.
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One entry per department. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law.
E-ONE engineers, manufactures and markets mission-critical vehicles including custom and commercial pumpers tankers, Water Master vacuum tankers, aerial ladders and platforms, command and communication apparatus, quick attack units, industrial trucks, and aircraft rescue firefighting vehicles.
MORE INFO? www.E-ONE.com or twitter.com/EONE_FireTrucks
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