NEEDA - National Emergency Equipment Dealers Association

April 30, 2010 Los Angeles Times in a story by Paul Pringle, says

"A lack of communications with commanders and tactical decisions that now seem flawed probably contributed to the deaths of two firefighters killed while trying to defend their mountaintop camp during last summer's huge Station blaze, a multiagency inquiry has found.

"In a report to the Board of Supervisors, the Los Angeles County Fire Department also cites a "perfect storm" of erratic winds and weather-warping heat that drove the flames through Camp 16, a remote outpost in the Angeles National Forest that had been out of touch with commanders managing the Station fire response.

"Some of the key findings by the county department, the state Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and other agencies echo elements of a Times article in December that, based on witness accounts and internal records, raised questions about the deaths of Capt. Tedmund "Ted" Hall and Specialist Arnaldo "Arnie" Quinones.

""They were not in contact with the incident commanders — that's a fact," county Fire Chief P. Michael Freeman said of Hall, who was the camp superintendent, and battalion chiefs who approved the plan to protect the mile-high compound.

"If they had been, there would have been better information available…. We're all regretful. Looking back on everything, hindsight is always 20-20.

"Hall and Quinones were killed on the afternoon of Aug. 30 when their truck ran off a dirt road below the camp, struck a rock outcropping and flipped onto its roof. The report says the truck went over the side after Hall apparently lost consciousness while trying to drive through towering, fast-advancing flames. He and Quinones had just made an unsuccessful attempt to slow the blaze by setting backfires along the road — "their last act of courage," the report says.

"In a harrowing passage, the document recounts Hall's final radio transmission, an instruction to "keep the road clear," followed by a curse. Minutes earlier, another firefighter who had spotted Hall using a flare-type gun to ignite the backfires radioed him to "get out…. You got fire behind you, you got fire below you.

"The unnamed firefighter repeated his warnings, including by yelling at Hall and blowing a whistle, according to the report. The firefighter told investigators he saw Hall and Quinones move back toward their truck as if to flee the area. The truck was later found hundreds of feet below the road, upside down and on fire."

EMERGENCY PHYSICIANS: "SECONDS SAVE LIVES" THEME OF NEW BROCHURE
Originally Posted: April 30, 2010 5:33 AM
Last Updated: April 30, 2010 5:33 AM

Emergency physicians are launching a campaign called "Seconds Save Lives" to educate the public about what to do in an emergency.

Dr. Angela Gardner, president of the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP): "People witnessing a medical emergency should be prepared to take action, which can mean anything from calling 911 to performing CPR. The most important, and yet sometimes the most difficult thing to do is to keep your composure. You will be better able to provide critical information to emergency responders and physicians, whether for yourself or someone else."

ACEP is distributing 75,000 copies of the brochure "Seconds Save Lives" to emergency departments across the country and making it available for free on its consumer website, EmergencyCareForYou.org.

The brochure includes safety tips as well as signs and symptoms of medical emergencies for adults and children. It makes recommendations on when to call for help (EMS or 911) and what actions to take while waiting for help to arrive.

Action can mean applying direct pressure on a wound, performing CPR, or splinting an injury. It may also mean keeping the person calm and telling emergency responders what you know of the person's accident, illness or medical history.

Never perform a medical procedure if you're unsure about how to do it.

Do not move anyone involved in a car accident, injured by a serious fall, or found unconscious unless he or she is in immediate danger of further injury.

Do not give the person anything to eat or drink.

If the person is bleeding, apply a clean cloth or sterile bandage. If possible, elevate the injury and apply direct pressure on the wound.

If the person is not breathing or does not have a pulse, begin rescue breathing or CPR. If you do not know how to, or have concerns about performing mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, the American Heart Association has endorsed "hands-only" CPR. This means "pushing hard and fast in the middle of the victim's chest with minimal interruptions," at a rate of 100 compressions per minute.

The pop song "Stayin' Alive" by the Bee Gees is approximately 100 beats per minute, which is a helpful way to remember how fast to perform compressions. Continue chest compressions until the ambulance arrives.

Dr. Gardner. "Programming I.C.E. (in case of emergency) contact information into your cell phone is helpful, as is having your family's medical information organized and available to take with you to the emergency department. Everyone is only one step away from a medical emergency, and in an emergency, seconds can save lives."

MedicAlert Foundation pioneered the first medical identification and emergency medical information service in 1956 to provide people with a simple but effective method for communicating their medical conditions. Since the organization's founding, MedicAlert Foundation has provided services and products that help to protect and save lives for its 4 million members worldwide.

MORE INFO? handsonlycpr.org or www.EmergencyCareForYou.org/SSLbrochure
or www.acep.org

MSA SALES DOWN: ORDERS STRONGER IN MARCH-APRIL
Originally Posted: April 29, 2010 8:59 PM
Last Updated: April 29, 2010 8:59 PM

MSA (Pittsburgh) April 29, 2010 announced that net sales for the first quarter of 2010 were $212.4 million compared with $218.2 million for the first quarter of 2009, a decrease of $5.8 million, or 3 percent.

Net income for the first quarter of 2010 was $4.9 million, a decrease of $2.3 million, or 32 percent, compared with $7.2 million for the same quarter last year.

Reported net income for first quarter 2010 includes after-tax restructuring charges of $4.7 million.

William M. Lambert, MSA President and CEO: "MSA's consolidated sales in the first quarter reflected signs of the ongoing economic recession, but also provided encouraging signs of optimism. Our incoming order book strengthened late in the first quarter and provided us with cautious optimism that our core industrial business, which makes up two-thirds of our sales, is working its way out of the global economic recession. More specifically, orders began to show a great deal of strength in March and we're seeing this trend continue in April."

For the first quarter of 2010, sales in the company's North American segment decreased $11.6 million, or 10 percent. Self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) sales were down $13.0 million in the current quarter. First quarter 2009 SCBA sales benefited from $7.3 million in shipments of the company's FireHawk® M7 Responder to the U.S. Air Force. Excluding shipments on this contract, SCBA sales were $5.7 million lower in the current quarter, reflecting delays in fire department funding under the Assistance to Firefighters Grant program and tight municipal budgets. Shipments of Advanced Combat helmets to the U.S. military were $3.8 million lower, reflecting the transition to a new contract. Shipments of head protection and instrument products were up $1.9 million and $3.4 million, respectively, on modestly improved demand in industrial markets, particularly late in the quarter.

Established in 1914, MSA is a leader in the development, manufacture and supply of safety products that protect people's health and safety. Sophisticated safety products typically integrate any combination of electronics, mechanical systems and advanced materials to protect users against hazardous or life-threatening situations. The company's comprehensive line of products is used by workers around the world in the fire service, homeland security, construction and other industries, as well as the military. Principal products include self-contained breathing apparatus, gas masks, gas detection instruments, head protection, respirators and thermal imaging cameras. The company also provides a broad range of consumer and contractor safety products through retail channels. These products are marketed and sold under the MSA Safety Works brand. MSA has annual sales of approximately $1 billion, manufacturing operations throughout the United States and Europe, and 42 international locations.

MORE INFO? www.msanet.com

CALIFORNIA AIR IMPROVED 25 PERCENT DESPITE POLLUTION BY CARS, WOOD BURNING, AND ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS: TRUCK DIESEL EMISSIONS HAVE BEEN REDUCED
Originally Posted: April 28, 2010 12:10 PM
Last Updated: April 28, 2010 12:10 PM

The American Lung Association's 2010 State of the Air Report cites high air pollution aross California.

The bad air pollution grades for California were influenced by the wildfires in various parts of the state during 2008, the last year of data included in this State of the Air Report.

Trucks such a fire and emergency response vehicles in California are being retrofitted or equipped with new engines that make major reductions in pollution.

The state's air quality overall has been improving during the 11 years the American Lung Association has been publishing this report all while the state underwent significant growth in population and cars on the road.

For example, while Los Angeles has ranked number one in the U.S. for ozone pollution for the past two years, the number of high ozone days droped 25 percent since the release of the 2000 report.

Jane Warner, President and CEO of the American Lung Association in California: "California has led the nation in fighting pollution, yet we still face enormous challenges to improve our air quality. More Californians die each year from air pollution than die in car accidents."

Despite significant progress that has been made in improving air quality over twenty years, 91 percent of Californians, or 33 million, live in counties with low air quality grades and are subject to persistent and pervasive ozone smog and harmful particle pollution. These include Bakersfield, Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego and the San Joaquin Valley.

Californians breathe unhealthy air more than 100 days each year. The exposure to air pollution causes significant health problems, particularly for young people under 18, older people over 65, and people living in poverty.

The 2010 report says in California 92 percent of people living in poverty live in counties with low grades. Moreover, poor air quality takes a disproportionate toll on people who suffer from lung diseases such as asthma and cardiovascular disease.

The state's air causes 19,000 premature deaths, 9,400 hospitalizations and more than 300,000 respiratory illnesses including asthma and acute bronchitis. A study by RAND Corporation found that the state's air cost $193 million in hospital and emergency room visits between 2005 and 2007.

The 2010 State Of The Air Report shows that for ozone pollution, 74 percent of California counties receive an "F" grade, and California cities and counties top the lists of the worst polluted areas in the country for ozone and particle pollution.

California ranked as follows:

Ozone
8 of the top 10

Annual Particle Pollution
5 of the top 10

Short-Term Particle Pollution
7 of the top 10

California city air scored low by the American Lung Association:
Los Angeles, Bakersfield, Fresno, Visalia, Fresno, Sacramento, Hanford, Modesto, San Diego, San Luis Obispo.

California's pollution problems are primarily driven by high emissions from transportation and diesel sources, busy ports, oil refineries and power plants as well as residential wood burning combined with unique weather and terrain that is conducive to trapping pollution.

Salinas and San Luis Obispo also rank in the top 25 cleanest cities for particle pollution.

The progress made to reduce air pollution is a result of California's strong regulatory and legislative policy as well as the continued investments that have been made to tackle some of the most harmful emissions affecting health and air quality.

Three California state programs are spending $1 billion in incentive funding now and over the next several years to address diesel emission reductions.

Diesel control regulations and funding for cleaner technologies and equipment have helped replace and retrofit thousands of diesel trucks and school buses.

Warner: "The American Lung Association in California will continue to advocate for strong regulations and increased investment in programs that reduce harmful pollution. We are urging the California Air Resources Board to maintain the state's critical diesel regulations and bring zero emission and other advanced clean cars to California. We also call on Californians to reject the Texas oil companies' attempt to undermine California's clean air and clean energy laws."

Warner. "We ask all Californians to make an effort to reduce driving and wood burning, replace light bulbs with energy efficient fluorescent bulbs, recycle cans, bottles and newspapers and to use gas or electric grill for outdoor grilling,"

MORE INFO? www.lungusa.org/california-sota2010

BURNING THICK OIL SLICK NOW IN FIRE RESISTANT CONTAINMENT BOOMS IS LATEST COAST GUARD ACTION FOLLOWING GULF OFF-SHORE OIL DISASTER
Originally Posted: April 28, 2010 11:11 AM
Last Updated: April 28, 2010 11:11 AM

AP News from New Orleans says the latest Gulf oil slick will be burned by the US Coast Guard beginning today, Wednesday, April 28, 2010.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Prentice Danner: fire-resistant containment booms will be used to corral some of the thickest oil on surface, which will then be ignited.

The Texas General Land Office Oil Spill Prevention and Response Program provided equipment to corral the oil and burn the slick.

The slick comes from last week's huge explosion of a deep water oil rig that burned and sank.

Crews have been unable to stop thousands of barrels of oil from fouling gulf waters since an explosion sank the Deepwater Horizon, drilling 50 miles off the Louisiana coast. Eleven workers are still missing.

Coast Guard Rear Adm. Mary Landry: Controlled burns are being done during the day. Crews will make sure marine life and people are protected and that work on other oil rigs is not be interrupted.

Ed Overton, a professor emeritus of environmental sciences at Louisiana State University: "It can be effective in calm water, not much wind, in a protected area. When you're out in the middle of the ocean, with wave actions and currents pushing you around, it's not easy. I'm not super optimistic. This is tarry crude that lies down in the water. But it's something that has got to be tried."

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says birds and mammals are more likely to escape a burning area of the ocean than escape from an oil slick. The agency said birds might be disoriented by the plumes of smoke, but they would be at much greater risk from exposure to oil in the water.

A similar burn off the coast of Newfoundland in 1993 eliminated 50 to 99 percent of captured oil.

Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson: Burning surface oil is one of the best ways to deal with so large a slick.

Gregory W. Stone, an oceanographer and head of the Coastal Studies Institute at Louisiana State University: "That plume will push onshore."
Hotel owners, fishermen and restaurateurs are keeping watch.

Louis Skrmetta, 54, runs Ship Island Excursions: "This is the worst possible thing that could happen to the Mississippi Gulf Coast. It will wipe out the oyster industry. Shrimping wouldn't recover for years. It would kill family tourism."

49 vessels are working to round up oil.

Thanks to the Associated Press, this national disaster information comes to NEEDA from Biloxi, Mississippi and Associated Press writers Alan Sayre and Kevin McGill in New Orleans, Melissa Nelson in Pensacola, Florida., and Ramit Plushnick-Masti in Houston, Texas. Copyright 2010 The Associated Press

BUILDING SAFETY MONTH: DEMAND BETTER SAFETY FEATURES SAYS INTERNATIONAL CODE COUNCIL FOUNDATION
Originally Posted: April 27, 2010 8:57 PM
Last Updated: April 27, 2010 8:57 PM

Building Safety Week is now a month-long awareness campaign, Building Safety Month.

Rick Weiland, ICCF Board of Governors President and CEO of the Code Council:
"The message is simple: Be proactive. Demand better safety features. While code enforcement officials who usually work in building and fire departments ensure the places where we live, work and play are built safely, the public has an obligation to ensure the homes they live in remain safe."

The Building Safety Month campaign increases awareness about the critical importance of building and designing safe and sustainable structures globally.

Building Safety Month also showcases historic milestones, and current technologies and innovation in building and fire prevention codes, including advances in construction, safety and sustainability.

In 1980, a series of tragedies guided former education and training officer of the then-Indiana State Building Commissioner's office, Marty Doucette, and other leading building safety proponents to create Building Safety Week to raise awareness of building safety and fire prevention codes.

Building Safety Month is sponsored by BASF a provider of chemical solutions and innovations for the construction industry.

Jack Armstrong, Leader Construction Markets at BASF: "We are excited to partner with the ICC Foundation to promote Building Safety Month to show people how together we can create a more durable, energy efficient and healthy built environment."

The campaign includes weekly distribution of information around four core themes with consumer tips and links to resources to help keep buildings where we live, work and play safe:

•Energy & Green Building
•Disaster Safety & Mitigation
•Fire Safety & Awareness
•Backyard Safety

Since 1980 as Building Safety observance by The International Code Council Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, has promoted public awareness of ideas‚ methods and technologies that encourage the construction of safe, durable and sustainable buildings and homes, reducing the devastating effects of building damages due to natural disasters and other tragedies.

MORE INFO? www.buildingsafetymonth.org or www2.icc-foundation.org

NATIONAL EMS WEEK BEGINS MAY 16, 2010
Originally Posted: April 26, 2010 12:53 PM
Last Updated: April 26, 2010 12:53 PM

National EMS Week 2010 is May 16 2010 thru May 22 with May 19 set aside as Emergency Medical Services for Children (EMSC) Day.

MSA TO REVEAL FIRST QUARTER RESULS AT 10AM EASTERN ON APRIL 29, 2010: BREATHING APPARATUS MANUFACTURER
Originally Posted: April 26, 2010 12:42 PM
Last Updated: April 26, 2010 12:42 PM

MSA (Pittsburgh, PA) manufacture of breathing equipment that protects first responder’s health and safety, will broadcast a first quarter 2010 earnings conference call live via the Internet on Thursday, April 29,
2010 at 10:00 AM Eastern Time. The call will last approximately 45 minutes.

To listen, log onto MSA's website 15 minutes prior to the start of the call.

A replay of the conference will be available on MSA’s Web site for 30 days.

A press release outlining MSA’s first quarter financial results for 2010 will be distributed on April 29, 2010 before the market opens.

Established in 1914, MSA is a global leader in the development, manufacture and supply of safety products that protect people's health and safety. Many MSA products typically integrate any combination of electronics, mechanical systems and advanced materials to protect users against hazardous or life-
threatening situations. The company's comprehensive line of products is used by workers around the world in the fire service, oil, gas and petrochemical industry, homeland security, construction, mining and other
industries, as well as the military.

Principal products include self-contained breathing apparatus, gas masks,
gas detection instruments, head protection, ballistic body armor, fall protection devices and thermal imaging cameras. The company also provides a broad range of consumer and contractor safety products through retail channels. These products are marketed and sold under the MSA Safety Works brand. MSA has
annual sales of $1 billion, manufacturing operations in the United States, Europe, Asia and Latin America, and 40 international locations.

MORE INFO? www.msanet.com.

RED SKY OFFERS SMARTPHONE APPLICATION TO WARN STUDENTS AND CORPORATE EMPLOYEES OF IMMINENT DANGER
Originally Posted: April 26, 2010 11:40 AM
Last Updated: April 26, 2010 11:40 AM

RedSky Technologies, I (San Antonio, Texas) a provider of automated E911 solutions launched My e911™, a downloadable smartphone application that provides personalized E911 protection while improving security on college and corporate campuses.

The announcement was made at the 2010 Annual Conference of ACUTA, the Association for Information Communications Technology Professionals in Higher Education.

The need for such a product has been emphasized by fires and shootings
on college campuses and in businesses. Notification to all employees and students is crucial in responding to an impending danger.

In an emergency, smartphone users with My e911™ can dial 9-1-1 with confidence knowing their call and location information will be routed to the proper public safety answering point (PSAP) for fast response from police, fire and ambulance. At the same time the 9-1-1 call is routed, My e911™ notifies campus or corporate security with a Google map pinpointing the exact location of the caller to speed on-site emergency response. Smartphone users with My e911™ also can set up personal emergency contacts to receive the same notification in the event of a 9-1-1 call.

Nick Maier, RedSky's Senior Vice President: "Many colleges and enterprises have students and employees who rely on smartphones for their communications and this creates a real campus safety issue in the event of an emergency."

My e911™ helps campus security teams manage emergency response to smartphone users who dial 9-1-1 when on campus.

My e911™ is designed to be integrated into existing campus or enterprise application delivery platforms and is compatible with the leading smartphone operating systems including Apple iPhone, BlackBerry and Google Android. When combined with E911 Manager™ and any of the leading WiFi networks, My e911™ becomes an important component of an integrated location and security management strategy.

RedSky claims sales to Fortune 500® companies and dozens of major universities, colleges and school districts which use RedSky's software to automate their E911 processes and provide real-time location notification of 9-1-1 callers.

MORE INFO? www.redskyE911.com

FORD CLAIMS ITS FLEET OF FUEL-EFFICIENT VEHICLES TAKE 44 PERCENT OF GOVERNMENT SALES, AND INCLUDES ECONOLINE AMBULANCES AND NEW POLICE VEHICLES
Originally Posted: April 26, 2010 11:22 AM
Last Updated: April 26, 2010 11:23 AM

(This article about Ford is the second in NEEDA Newsletter which began with a focus on Chrysler trucks and engines. Use the "search" application in the upper right of your NEEDA Newsletter screen to read the story about Chrysler.)

Ford (Dearborn, Michigan) offers a new fuel-efficient fleet lineup in North America for 2011, reducing fuel consumption and CO(2) emissions and helping decrease fleet customers' ownership costs.

It includes the Ford Econoline ambulances that transport patients to the nearest hospitals.

In 2009, Ford made 32 percent and 44 percent of commercial and govenment fleet sales respectively.

Advanced gas engines, such as EcoBoost™, along with cleaner, alternative fuel vehicles and advanced hybrid and electric technologies are designed to improve fuel economy, reduce carbon footprints and help lower ownership costs for fleet buyers

Ford will offer all fleet vehicles this year with fuel-efficient powertrains and other sustainable technologies including battery electric, hybrid, natural gas, propane, E-85, biodiesel (B20) and EcoBoost.

Mark Fields, Ford's President of The Americas: "Ford is reducing CO(2) emissions and significantly reducing the cost of owning vehicles for fleet customers while providing healthy returns to our business."

F-Series, Crown Victoria police version and Econoline ambulance were the top three sellers in the government fleet sector.

Kevin Koswick, director of Ford North American Fleet, Leasing and Remarketing Operations: Kraft Foods recently purchased a fleet of 2,500 new Ford Fusions for its national sales staff. Kraft, the world's second-largest food company, says it reached a corporate sustainability objective, saving fuel and reducing CO(2) emissions.

The US Environmental Protectin Agency (EPA) says Ford has improved the fuel efficiency of its lineup more than twice that of its nearest competitor.

If a fleet customer purchasing 2,000 vehicles chooses a 2010 Ford Fusion S four-cylinder, 2.5-liter regular gas vehicle instead of a 2010 Toyota Camry six-cylinder, 3.5-liter regular gas model, the Fusions would result in annual fuel cost savings of $558,000 and a 2,400-ton reduction in CO(2) emissions.

Ford will offer a new Police Interceptor sedan when production of the Ford Crown Victoria ends in 2011, maintaining Ford's 15-year leadership in the police fleet market.

The new Ford Police Interceptor will be available with a 3.5-liter V-6 engine that delivers 263 horsepower and E-85 compatibility. That is 25 percent more efficient than the 4.6-liter SOHC V-8 offered in the current Crown Victoria Police Interceptor. Later this year, Ford will reveal an additional Police Interceptor utility vehicle.

Ford is offering a pure electric-powered version of the Transit Connect later in 2010.

Ford has 198,000 employees and 90 plants worldwide, the company's automotive brands include Ford, Lincoln, Mercury and, until its sale, Volvo.

MORE INFO? www.ford.com

CRIMSON FIRE SHOWED NEW FRAC AT FDIC SHOW
Originally Posted: April 26, 2010 10:35 AM
Last Updated: April 26, 2010 10:35 AM

Crimson Fire, Brandon, South Dakota, has a new First Response All Calls™ (FRAC) vehicle, a multi-purpose vehicle that gives departments broad fire-fighting, emergency-response and command capabilities.

Crimson Fire, a subsidiary of Spartan Motors, showed FRAC at the Fire Department Instructors Conference, Indianapolis. The FRAC features fire suppression and command modules, two of many uses that will allow emergency-response departments to customize the FRAC specifically to their needs.

The new FRAC will feature Crimson Fire's new pumper with integrated pump, which eliminates the pump house by moving the pump and manifold system just forward of the rear wheels while improving maneuverability and increasing storage space.

Kevin Crump, Pesident of Crimson Fire: "Fire and rescue departments are increasingly being asked to respond to more – and more varied – kinds of calls. When budgets get compressed, people must utilize equipment that has greater flexibility and increased operational scope. The FRAC will allow emergency-rescue personnel to handle whatever comes their way."

Crimson Fire introduced a concept version of the FRAC at FDIC trade show to prove rescue departments can choose command center, fire suppression, personnel transport and rescue modules.

Built on a Spartan Furion chassis, the FRAC can be configured to create a vehicle flexible enough to meet the duty requirements of most communities.

Crimson Fire's new pumper with integrated pump configuration, a 1,250 GPM PTO integrated pump that will free up more than 130 cubic feet of much-needed compartment space and improve handling and performance with a shorter wheelbase

•125 CFM compressed air foam system, or CAFS
•Water tank with 250 gallon capacity
•Aluminum construction with multiplex electrical system
•NFPA 1901 initial attack apparatus compliant

The new FRAC is built on a Spartan Furion® chassis with a 168.5 inch wheelbase and a CAT C7 330 hp diesel engine. The FRAC will feature a command module in the rear.

Kevin Crump: "The lines between fire, rescue and ambulance departments have been blurred for a long time. The FRAC delivers a broad spectrum of capabilities in a single vehicle. Forced to make tough budget decisions, departments can choose the versatile FRAC to have one vehicle that meets their many demands."

A subsidiary of Spartan Motors, Crimson Fire manufactures pumpers, rescues, aerials, quick-attack vehicles and other emergency-rescue vehicles from its facilities in Pennsylvania and South Dakota.

Spartan Motors, Inc. engineers and manufactures specialty chassis, specialty vehicles and truck bodies and aftermarket parts for the outdoor recreation/RV, emergency-response, defense, government services, delivery and service markets. The company's brand names: Spartan™, Crimson Fire™, Crimson Fire Aerials™, Road Rescue™ and Utilimaster®.

The company employs 1,600 at facilities in Michigan, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Indiana and Texas. Spartan had sales of $430 million in 2009.

MORE INFO? www.spartanmotors.com or www.crimson-fire.com

ROAD RESCUE OFFERS AMBULANCE DELIVERING SPECIALIZED, PRE-HOSPITAL MEDICAL CARE ON FURION CHASSIS FROM SPARTAN MOTORS
Originally Posted: April 26, 2010 10:05 AM
Last Updated: April 26, 2010 10:05 AM

INDIANAPOLIS. Road Rescue (Marion, South Carolina) showed its new "emergency room on wheels" Critical Care Transport vehicle at the FDIC trade show in Indianapolis, Indiana last week.

Road Rescue, a subsidiary of Spartan Motors, said the transport serves as a mobile neo-natal or intensive care unit. Built on a Furion® chassis from Spartan Chassis, this version of the Ultramedic is designed to operate in a high-density urban area to deliver specialized, pre-hospital medical care to the patient onboard.

Dave Reid, senior vice president, Emergency Response Vehicles for Spartan Motors: "Whether transporting a premature newborn or handling triage after a hurricane, the Critical Care Transport carries the medical equipment needed to care for the most critically ill and medically fragile patients."

The modular body of the Critical Care Transport is self-contained and capable of operating independently from the chassis in the event of a vehicle breakdown or accident. This allows emergency-response personnel to continue to deliver lifesaving support.

The unit can carry enough medical equipment to sustain ground operations for longer periods than traditional ambulances: It will have onboard:

•Satellite communication system
•Multiple oxygen or compressed air tanks
•Redundant electrical systems
•Patient and cot lifts
•Isolettes for premature infants
•Generators or inverters to create either 12-volt AC or 12-volt DC power
•Special heat and air conditioning
•Refrigerators

The units will be built on Furion chassis from Spartan Motors. Introduced in 2007, the Furion is a cab and chassis specifically designed for the emergency-response industry. It features a 94-inch galvanized steel cab designed for safety, roominess and maneuverability.

John Sztykiel, president and CEO of Spartan Motors: "Not only does the Furion provide a rugged, dependable and performance-oriented chassis, it does so at a very attractive price point that will resonate with dealers and customers alike.

Sztykiel: "This is a large and strategic step for Spartan. In the fire truck market today, more than 50 percent of all units ride on a custom chassis – a market we were instrumental in creating. We are very focused on leveraging this strength and developing custom chassis for the ambulance market, as virtually no vehicles are currently built on custom chassis."

Begun in 1976, Road Rescue designs and manufactures a line of premium custom ambulances and emergency-rescue vehicles. Road Rescue technicians focus on effective patient care in a safe, secure environment.

MORE INFO? www.roadrescue.com

NEW SAFETY RULES NEEDED FOR OFFSHORE DRILLING U.S. MINERALS AND MANAGEMENT SERVICE SAYS
Originally Posted: April 24, 2010 7:40 AM
Last Updated: April 24, 2010 7:40 AM

According to Kevin McGill and Noaki Schwartz, in their reports from New Orleans "Federal regulators had already been working on new safety rules for offshore drilling when an oil rig exploded off the Louisiana coast this week, the latest and most glaring accident in a string of dozens of deaths and hundreds of injuries in the industry over the last several years." Associated Press

There was a 2005 fire found to have been caused by human error. An MMS investigation determined that in which a crane operator on the rig had become distracted while refueling the crane, allowing diesel fuel to overflow. Records show the fire was quickly contained, but caused $60,000 in damage to the crane.

There have been 41 deaths and 302 injuries out of 1,443 oil-rig accidents from 2001 to 2007.

The U.S. Minerals and Management Service (MMS) says there have been 1,400 offshore oil drilling accidents between 2001 and 2007. It's developing regulations aimed at preventing human error, which it identified as a factor in many of those cases.

In the latest accident eleven men never made it off the platform that erupted into a giant fireball.

Defenders of Wildlife, involved in drilling issues for 30 years, told AP "It's one of the sidebar issues now emerging for the Horizon incident — these are common incidents and this was just a bigger one."

Rear Adm. Mary Landry: The Coast Guard says it will resume the search if any ships in the area see anything, but the workers' chances of survival had seemed slim well before Friday afternoon's announcement.

As the search was ending, oil company crews were trying to clean up the environmental mess created by the Deepwater Horizon, which finally sank.

115 crew members made it off the platform; several were hurt but only two remained hospitalized Friday. The most seriously injured worker was expected to be released within about 10 days, AP reported.

"It appears that equipment failure is rarely the primary cause of the incident or accident," the report said.

AP says MMS is developing new rules that would require rig operators to develop programs focused on preventing human error, an area that received relatively little attention in the past. The agency, is reviewing public comment on the proposal, also suggested audits once every three years on programs to prevent human error.

BP PLC, which leased the Deepwater Horizon, opposes what it says are "extensive prescriptive regulations."

ELECTRIC VEHICLES NATIONAL SAFETY SUMMIT SCHEDULED OCTOBER 19-20, 2010 IN DETROIT
Originally Posted: April 24, 2010 7:26 AM
Last Updated: April 24, 2010 7:26 AM

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and SAE International are co-sponsoring the U.S. National Electric Vehicles Safety Standards Summit on October 19-20, 2010, at the Cobo Convention Center in Detroit, Michigan.

The U.S. National Electric Vehicles Safety Standards Summit will support the rapid implementation of electrical and hybrid-electric vehicles in the United States, and to ensure that fire and electrical safety standards impacting electrical vehicles are aligned for the rapid deployment.

Key stakeholder groups will develop an action plan for the safe implementation of electrical vehicles.

Christian Dubay, P.E., NFPA vice president codes and standards and chief engineer: "Preparing for the growing number of hybrid-electric and electric vehicles arriving on U.S. roads in the next few years requires an understanding of how fire and electrical safety standards apply to them and how they may need to be adapted to support specific needs of the auto industry, while ensuring that safety is addressed. The knowledge shared at this summit will guide the future of codes and standards for electric vehicles and their supporting infrastructure."

Dave Baxter, SAE Motor Vehicle Council Chair: "Introducing Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) and Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) within an established infrastructure requires a prudent deployment of standards and strategies by all stakeholders."

On day one of the summit, presentations on topics addressing Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) and Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs), Electric Infrastructure, First Responders and how they relate to safety standards impacting electrical vehicles will be given and attendees will be invited to participate in a facilitated discussion and gap analysis.

Second day will feature breakout sessions on specific topic areas and perform analysis that will be used to develop action plans to address gaps between each topic area.

NFPA's goal is to reduce the worldwide burden of fire and other hazards on the quality of life by providing and advocating consensus codes and standards, research, training, and education.

SAE International hsa 128,000 engineers and related technical experts in the aerospace, automotive and commercial-vehicle industries. SAE International provides life-long learning and voluntary consensus standards development.

MORE INFO? Lorraine Carli, NFPA, 617-984-7275 or www.nfpa.org
Shawn Andreassi, SAE International, 724-772-8522 or www.sae.org
or nfpa.org\electricvehicles

FEDERAL FUNDS AVAILABLE TO COUNTIES HIT HARDEST BY SEVERE 2010 SNOW STORMS
Originally Posted: April 24, 2010 7:13 AM
Last Updated: April 24, 2010 7:13 AM

Starting April 26, 2010 the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (Harrisburg, PA) will hold briefings in 26 counties to guide local officials through the process of applying for federal disaster assistance stemming from the severe snow storms that hit the state Feb. 5 – 11, 2010.

Earlier this month, President Barack Obama approved a federal disaster declaration for Public Assistance for storm costs in Adams, Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Bedford, Blair, Butler, Cambria, Chester, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Fayette, Franklin, Fulton, Greene, Huntingdon, Indiana, Juniata, Lancaster, Lebanon, Perry, Philadelphia, Somerset, Westmoreland, and York counties.

The briefings, which are the first of two meetings required by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, will offer an overview of the federal reimbursement process and the required documentation for applications.

At the briefing, each applicant should be prepared to schedule their kick-off meeting – the second FEMA-required meeting – starting the week of May 3, 2010.

Applicants with questions about the briefings should contact their county emergency management office.

The schedule of briefings is as follows:

•Monday, April 26, 2010

Franklin County: 10 a.m. at the County EOC, 390 New York Ave., Chambersburg

Adams County: 2 p.m. at the County EOC, 230 Greenamyer Lane, Gettysburg
Huntingdon County: 2 p.m. at 223 Penn St., Huntingdon

Armstrong County: 6 p.m. at The Belmont Complex, 415 Butler St., Kittanning
Tuesday, April 27

Blair County: 10 a.m. at Geeseytown VFD, Rt. 22, Hollidaysburg

Indiana County: 1 p.m. at the County Fire Academy, 529 Fire Academy Rd., Homer City

Westmoreland County: 1 p.m. at the Gene McDonald Room (Airport), 148 Aviation Lane, Latrobe

Butler County: 6 p.m. at the County Courthouse, 124 W. Diamond St., Butler
Wednesday, April 28

Greene County: 9:30 a.m. at the 4H Building on the Fairgrounds, 107 Fairgrounds Road, Waynesburg

Fulton County: 10 a.m. at the County EOC, 116 W. Market St., McConnellsburg

Lancaster County: 10 a.m. at the Lancaster County Public Safety Training Center, 101 Champ Blvd., Manheim (Spooky Nook Rd. exit off Rt. 283)

Beaver County: 1 p.m. at the County EOC, 351 14th St., Ambridge

York County: 1:30 p.m. at the County EOC, 120 Davies Dr., York

Fayette County: 6 p.m. at the Penn State-Fayette Campus, Rt. 119 North, Uniontown

Cambria County: 6:30 p.m. at the Cambria County Courthouse, 200 S. Center St., Ebensburg

Thursday, April 29

Allegheny County: 10 a.m. at the County EOC, 400 N. Lexington St., Pittsburgh

Bedford County: 10 a.m. at the County EOC, 200 S. Juliana St., Bedford

Perry County: 10 a.m. at the New Bloomfield Fire Dept., 23 W. Main St., New Bloomfield

Philadelphia: 10:30 a.m. at the University of Pennsylvania Jon M. Huntsman Hall, 3730 Walnut St., Room G – 60 (Ground Floor), Philadelphia

Somerset County: 1 p.m. at the Somerset County Courthouse, 111 E. Union St., Somerset

Cumberland County: 2 p.m. at the County EOC, One Court House Sq., Carlisle

Allegheny County: 2 p.m. at the County EOC, 400 N. Lexington St., Pittsburgh

Philadelphia: 2:30 p.m. at the University of Pennsylvania Jon M. Huntsman Hall, 3730 Walnut St., Room G – 60 (Ground Floor), Philadelphia

Juniata County: 3 p.m. at the County EOC, 11 N. Third St, Mifflintown

Cumberland County – 6 p.m. at the County EOC, One Court House Sq., Carlisle
Friday, April 30

Chester County: 9:30 a.m. at Brandywine Hospital, Spackman Education Building 20, Nurses Training Room, Reeceville Road, Coatesville

Lebanon County: 10 a.m. at the County EOC, 400 S. Eighth St., Lebanon

Dauphin County: 10 a.m. at the Ag Extension Building, 1451 Peters Mountain Road, Dauphin

Delaware County: 2 p.m. at the Delaware County Intermediate Unit, 200 Yale Ave., Morton

MORE INFO? Maria A. Finn, 717-651-2009
www.state.pa.us/

WIFE SAYS HE "WENT CRAZY": ANTI-GOVERNMENT MANIFESTO ISSUED BEFORE AUSTIN PILOT CRASHED PRIVATE PLANE INTO IRS OFFICE KILLING ONE EMPLOYEE AND INJURING A DOZEN OTHERS
Originally Posted: April 21, 2010 12:13 PM
Last Updated: April 21, 2010 12:13 PM

In February, 2010 NEEDA Newsletter reported on a private plane hitting an office building in Austin, Texas. Since then more details have been released.

Callers to 911 emergency officials in February told of seeing and hearing a fiery plane crash at an IRS office building in Austin, Texas and described a chaotic scene afterward with people running all around.

The 911 recordings were released Monday, April 19, 2010 by the Austin Police Department.

Joseph Stack III crashed his small plane into an IRS office building Feb. 18. One person besides Stack was killed and more than a dozen were injured.

Stack , 53, who left behind a rambling anti-government manifesto on a website, apparently targeted the lower floors of the office building, where nearly 200 IRS employees worked.

Six miles from the office building, Stack set his house on fire that morning before taking off from an airport and slamming into the building on U.S. Highway 183, officials said.

Police also released 911 calls made about the house fire. A neighbor called to report flames ripping through the home, describing black smoke pouring out and windows bursting in the heat of the blaze.

Stack's wife and daughter arrived while the house was burning, police have said. The neighbor who was on the phone with the dispatcher said the owners of the house had just arrived and what sounded liked a young woman can be heard crying in the background. When asked if she thought anyone was in the house, what sounded like another woman who said she was Stack's wife replied in a calm voice, "My husband went crazy. We spent the night in a hotel."

Among the 911 calls about the plane crash are those from people shopping and working at stores across the highway. One is from a distraught pregnant woman who was driving by on her way to a doctor's appointment when she said she witnessed the crash.

"It sounded like an 18-wheeler slammed into the building," another caller said. "I just heard it. I looked out my window."

Another person phoning emergency dispatchers said, "I can just see lots of smoke _ there's people running over there."

At one point, a Federal Aviation Administration official called the emergency dispatcher to ask about what was going on. "We're not missing anybody," said the FAA employee, who told dispatchers he was at an airport tower. He was then transferred to talk with other police officials.

Austin Police Department said they did not know whether any of the 911 calls came from within the targeted building and that there were no other 911 calls about the crash besides those released Monday to The Associated Press and other news organizations.

The Associated Press (AP) requested the recordings the day of the crash under the Texas Public Information Act. AP made the information public and it appeared on the internet.

EF JOHNSON TECHNOLOGIES INTRODUCES PORTABLE RADIO AT FDIC
Originally Posted: April 21, 2010 11:22 AM
Last Updated: April 21, 2010 11:22 AM

EF Johnson Technologies, Inc. (Irving, Texas) unveils its new 51FIRE ES portable radio at the Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC) April 22-24, 2010 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Michael Jalbert, president and chief executive officer of EF Johnson Technologies, Inc.:

"The 51FIRE ES includes standard features such as yellow housing, immersibility and a factory mutual intrinsically safe rating to withstand the extreme and hazardous conditions experienced by firefighters. Also, we are offering an upgrade to the new AMBE+2 v 1.6 Vocoder which substantially filters out background noise even in the presence of a personal alert safety system (PASS) and an intuitive out of range (OOR) feature that alerts a firefighter when out of communications range when used with EFJohnson's IP25™ Conventional system."

Headquartered in Irving, Texas, EF Johnson Technologies, Inc. focuses on secure communications solutions to organizations whose mission is to protect and save lives. Customers include first responders in public safety and public service, the federal government, and industrial organizations. The Company's products are marketed under the EFJohnson, 3e Technologies International, and Transcrypt International names and are Made in America.

MORE INFO? www.EFJohnsonTechnologies.com

C.E.T. INVITES DEALERS TO THEIR 8990 BOOTH AT FDIC: 30 MODELS OF PUMPS
Originally Posted: April 19, 2010 7:23 PM
Last Updated: April 19, 2010 7:23 PM

Lucan Oil Stadium will be at booth 8990 at FDIC and they invite NEEDA dealers to visit their booth.

CET Fire Pumps designs, engineers, manufactures and delivers portable fire fighting pumps, compressed air foam systems, skid units, foam trailers, and urban interface brush fire fighting vehicles.

They offer 30 models of pumps.
High-Volume Pumps
Mid-Range Pumps
High-Pressure Pumps
High-Pressure Volume Pumps
De-Watering and Floating Pumps
For more information go to www.fire-pump.com
CAFS (COMPRESSED AIR FOAM SYSTEM)

The CET CAFS provides a self-contained, diesel-powered, “slide-In” type compressed air foam system (CAFS) unit.

The CAFS unit is designed to fit into the back of a standard length and width pick-up truck body, to discharge water only, air only, or compressed air foam from the same discharge outlet. In addition, the consistency of the compressed air foam (expansion ratio), wet/dry is fully adjustable.

A tank, a live hose reel and/or crosslay, a portable fire pump and/or a compressed air foam system (CAFS), with an engine: these can be combined into a single one-piece assembly that can be slipped onto a truck bed, trailer or into a body and used for flowing water and or foam on a structural fire, car fire or wildfire.

The most common wildland and urban interface fire engines in North America combine a small truck with a water tank and a high performance portable pump. Municipal/Industrial fire departments and all forestry fire authorities use drop-in units. The sizes vary from 50 gallons, for ATVs, up to 500 gallons for full size trucks.

CET offers a wide variety of combinations; visit our website at www.fire-pump.com to build your own drop-in unit. Follow a few easy steps and get your quote.

MORE INFO? www.fire-pump.com
Or
C.E.T. Fire Pumps Mfg
75 Hector street
P.O. Box 90
Pierreville, Qc.
Canada
E-mail : sales@fire-pump.com
Website : www.fire-pump.com

THE DOMESTIC PRODUCTION ACTIVITY TAX DEDUCTION TO BE REINSTATED IN VIRGINIA
Originally Posted: April 19, 2010 6:19 PM
Last Updated: April 19, 2010 6:19 PM

by Kenton Pattie
Executive Director
National Emergency Equipment Dealers Association (NEEDA)
KentonP1@aol.com

Newly elected Governor Bob McDonnell (R) of Virginia is going to
reinstate the Domestic Production Activity Deduction in Virginia.
This “Deduction” had been cut by previous Governor Tim Kaine.

As this is probably an issue in other states, the Governor’s action
raises the question: Exactly what is the Domestic Production Activity Deduction?

When Congress adopted the US Domestic Production Activity Deduction, many states, including Virginia, adopted a similar deduction. Virginia estimates that when it is reinstated the deduction will lower the state’s income by $10 million in 2012. But they contend it will stimulate Virginia business and encourage firms to locate in Virginia.

Under US law enacted by Congress, starting with tax year 2005, US companies have been able to take a 3% deduction for US-based business activities.

PricewaterhouseCoopers says: “While Section 199 comes with a very complex set of rules, chances are small businesses will qualify for the deduction much easier than the rules depict."

Once the law was enacted, businesses with "qualified production activities" could take a tax deduction of 3% from net income. The more complicated the business, the more complicated the math for calculating the Domestic Production Activities Deduction. Businesses need to implement cost accounting to make sure their tax deduction is accurately calculated.

A business engaged in a qualfying production activity is eligible to take the tax deduction in tax years 2005 and 2006. The deduction increased to 6% in year 2007, and 9% in year 2010.

Here are the "qualified production activities" eligible for claiming the deduction under Internal Revenue Code Section 199:

Manufacturing based in the United States. Dealers would qualify by:

Selling, leasing, or licensing items that have been manufactured in the United States.

Selling, leasing, or licensing motion pictures that have been produced in the United States,

Construction services in the United States, including building and renovation of residential and commercial properties,

Engineering and architectural services relating to a US-based construction project,

Software development in the United States, including the development of video games.

The Domestic Production Activities Deduction is limited to income arising from qualified production activities in whole or significant part based in the United States. Under a "safe harbor" rule (IRS Proposed Regulations 1.199.3.f.3), US businesses can take the deduction if at least 20 percent of the total costs are the result of direct labor and overhead costs from US-based operations.

If any part of manufacturing or production activities is outside the United States, then businesses must use either the safe harbor rule (at least 20% of total costs are from US-based production activities) or allocate costs using the facts and circumstances of their business.

The following lines of business are specifically excluded from claiming the Domestic Production Activities Deduction:

Construction services that are cosmetic in nature, such as painting.

Leasing or licensing items to a related party.

Selling food or beverages prepared at a retail establishment.

The key to figuring the Domestic Production Activities Deduction is to examine "qualified production activities income" (QPAI) and the limitations. How to figure the deduction step-by-step:

The Domestic Production Activities Deduction Calculation:
Your qualified production activities income (QPAI)
minus Qualified production activities expenses
equals Qualified production activities net income
times The QPA deduction amount of 3%
equals The Tentative QPA Deduction

Qualified production activity expenses are all expenses directly related to the qualified production activities. For a business with only one line of business, this will be the same as total expenses. For businesses with multiple lines of business, income will need to be allocated.

RAM TRUCK BRAND AND CUMMINS TURBO DIESEL ENGINEERED TO HIGH GROSS WEIGHT RATING: AVAILABLE FOR EMERGENCY RESPONSE INDUSTRY. . .
Originally Posted: April 19, 2010 1:09 PM
Last Updated: April 19, 2010 1:09 PM

By Nick Cappa
Engineering and Technology PR
Ram Truck PR
Chrysler Group LLC
Phone 248.512.4266
Fax 248.512.3002
Cell 248.202.8039
nickcappa@chrysler.com
(248) 512-4266 (office)

•Ram Truck Brand features best powertrain warranty in segment: 5 years / 100,000 miles

•2011 Ram Chassis Cab is available with proven, commercial-grade 6.7-liter Cummins Turbo Diesel and offers the only manual transmission in segment

•Ram Chassis Cab is engineered to be upfitter friendly for simplified body adaptations and offers the highest standard Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR)

•Largest standard fuel tank in the segment — 52 gallons, providing increased uptime

•Standard N-rated Continental tires for best-in-class top speed of 87 mph for emergency vehicle needs

The 2011 Ram Chassis Cab lineup brings increased capability and innovative new features to the chassis cab truck segment with an uncompromising attitude that remains the standard for all Ram Truck Brand commercial vehicles. Ram Chassis Cab delivers the performance and dependability demanded by customers who use their trucks for work.

By working with truck body suppliers, Ram Truck engineers give the all-new 2011 Ram Chassis Cab an upfitter-friendly design, providing customers with a less expensive, worry-free experience in their choice of work body adaptation to the vehicle.

The Ram Chassis Cab is the only vehicle in its segment to offer a manual six speed transmission, standard on all diesel models. Ram Chassis Cabs also feature the largest standard fuel tank in the segment — 52 gallons, providing increased uptime.

The new Ram 4500 and 5500 Chassis Cab trucks come standard with new N-rated Continental tires that allow a best-in-class top speed of 87 mph for emergency vehicle needs.

The new 2011 Ram Chassis Cab 3500, 4500 and 5500 vehicles offer a standard exhaust brake (diesel-equipped models). This feature reduces brake fade, prolongs brake life and provides confidence and safety when hauling heavy loads. Additionally, the new models are equipped with the largest front and rear brakes in the segment — 390 mm — with integrated Anti-lock Brake System (ABS), increasing brake life and braking stability.

New automatic transmissions include Electronic Range Select, which enables the driver to manually limit the highest available transmission gear, allowing manual upshifts and downshifts based on road speed and engine speed for improved driveability when towing. Tow/haul mode is available on both five-speed and six-speed automatic transmissions.

Customers in the Chassis Cab segment have a range of needs, and most of them involve high levels of capability. The new 2011 Ram Chassis Cab lineup is designed to deliver the total package.

•Ram Chassis Cab 3500 features the best-in-class Gross Combined Weight Rating (GCWR) at 26,000 lbs.

•Ram Chassis Cab 5500 features the best-in-class standard Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) at 19,500 lbs.

•Ram Chassis Cab 3500 offers an improved front Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) for increased front end weight capacity for heavy-duty pumps and other front-loaded equipment.

Suspension upgrades and larger front-axle U-joints (4x4), combined with increased front GAWR, result in increased front-weight carrying capability by 300 lbs.

The 2011 Chassis Cab vehicles feature a 50,000 psi high-strength steel frame with advanced torsional rigidity and stiffness. A coil-spring suspension system in front and a multi-leaf spring design is maintained in the rear for heavy-duty capability. Front and rear shocks and springs are tuned for optimum ride quality and capability.

Ram Chassis Cab Powertrains Include 6.7-liter Cummins Turbo Diesel and 5.7-liter HEMI®

Ram Chassis Cab powertrain systems include the legendary 6.7-liter Cummins Turbo Diesel engine — standard on 4500 and 5500 models and optional on the 3500, which produces 305 horsepower (224 kW) at 3,000 rpm and 610 lb.-ft. of torque (827 N•m) at only 1,600 rpm.

The most durable and reliable engine in its class, the 6.7-liter Cummins Turbo Diesel features standard oil-change intervals of 7,500 miles, and adds B-20 biodiesel compatibility for fleet applications.

The Cummins Turbo Diesel engine uses a Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) system to reduce oxides of nitrogen (NOx) by as much as 83 percent in order to meet the new, more stringent 2010 diesel emissions requirements.

The all-new 2011 Ram 3500 Chassis Cab comes standard with the 5.7-liter HEMI V-8 gasoline engine, delivering best-in-class 383 horsepower (286 kW) at 5,600 rpm and 400 lb.-ft. of torque (542 N•m) at 4,000 rpm. The 5.7-liter HEMI was redesigned for 2009, with several new and improved technologies including Variable-valve Timing (VVT), increased compression ratio, active intake manifold with long runners for low-end torque and short runners for high-rpm power, improved cylinder head port flow efficiency and reduced-restriction exhaust and induction systems for improved fuel efficiency.

The all-new 2011 Ram Chassis Cab lineup arrives in dealerships in the second quarter of 2010.

About Chrysler Group Commercial Vehicles: Chrysler Group continues to increase the breadth of its commercial products and offers a comprehensive array of vehicles and services designed with business customers in mind. Dodge Grand Caravan cargo vans complement a growing Ram Truck commercial lineup that includes the all-new Ram 3500, 4500 and 5500 Chassis Cab models, which continues the company’s legacy and leadership in the commercial vehicle marketplace.

About BusinessLink® and On the Job: With a network of more than 400 dealers, BusinessLink® features dedicated commercial account managers and sales teams, priority next-bay service and maintenance, extended hours, free loaner vehicles and inventories with a higher mix of work trucks and commercial vehicles.

The “On The Job” program offers discounts on upfits, cash incentives and other customer savings. In addition, a new national dealer program, Fleet Elite, was created with the goal of providing a world-class dealer experience to Fleet and Fleet Management Company (FMC) accounts and customers. Leveraging the Five-Star certification process, Fleet Elite is a dealership certification program that is designed to ensure that business customers receive enhanced service and support with specialized facilities, staffing and processes to meet specialized needs.

26 FOOT FIRE BOAT PURCHASES FUNDED BY $150 MILLION AND $187 MILLION PORT SECURITY GRANT PROGRAM: HARBOR GUARD BOATS PREDICT MORE SALES STIMULATED BY GRANT PROGRAM
Originally Posted: April 19, 2010 12:35 PM
Last Updated: April 19, 2010 12:40 PM

Harbor Guard Boats, Inc., Corona, California, a subsidiary of Medina International Holdings, Inc. has received an order for a Firehawk 26' boat to be delivered to Ludington Police Department, Michigan. Harbor Guard Boats was also mentioned by NEEDA Newsletter in March 2010.

This boat will be used for fire protection and rescue purposes on Lake Michigan. Money for the purchase comes from the Office of Homeland Security, Port Security Grant Program.

Tim Spooner, VP of Sales: "This order is the first of many orders expected from departments nationwide that have been awarded Port Security grant funding."

Spooner states that a total of $150 million was awarded to agencies nationwide in 2009 and $187 million is expected in 2010.

Harbor Guard Boats, Inc., produces commercial fire, rescue, police and patrol boats utilizing the highest design and performance standards. The company's products combine safety, power, handling and stability with a proprietary hull design and equipment features that address specific niche markets with products ranging from 12' to 37'.

MORE INFO? www.medinaih.com, www.medinamarine.com, www.harborguardboats.com. Or (951)493-6785

SPEARS SEEKS US SENATE SEAT "TO TAKE THE TEA PARTY INTO THE HALLS OF CONGRESS"
Originally Posted: April 19, 2010 12:18 PM
Last Updated: April 19, 2010 12:18 PM

Mike Spears, a Lafayette, Louisiana, entrepreneur and co-founder of Firefly Digital Inc, a website design and development firm, is a candidate for the United States Senate Fall of 2010 election. He announced today.

Louisiana is currently served by US Senator Mary L. Landrieu (D) and US Senator David Vitter (R).

Landrieu is in her third term. Vitter is in his first term.

Landrieu's committee assignments are Appropriations, Energy and Natural Resources, Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, and she Chairs the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee.

Vitter's committee assignments are Armed Services, Banking, Housing, and Urban Development, Commerce, Science and Transortation, Environment and Public Works, and Small Business and Entrepreneurship.

The Governor of Louisiana is Bobby Jindal (R) whose term of office ends 2011 is mentioned as a possible Republican Presidential candidate.

Landrieu's term will be up for re-election 2014. Vitter's term will be up for re-election Fall of 2010.

Louisiana sends seven members to the US House of Representatives and two members to the US Senate.

Currently Rep Steve Scalise, Rep. Anh "Joseph" Cao, Rep. John Fleming, Rep Rodney Alexander, Rep. Bill Cassidy and Rep. Charles Boustany, Jr. are Republicans from Louisiana. Rep. Charlie Melancon is the only Louisianan Democrat in the US House.

Louisiana has 2,900,441 registered voters, of which 64% are caucasian and 33% African-American. Hispanics are 2%, and Asian-Americans are 1%.

Spears: "It's no accident I've chosen this historic day to announce my candidacy. On this day in 1775, a shot was fired heard round the world, and the fight for liberty ignited."

Spears: "Washington is awash in corruption and irresponsible spending. Lawmakers disregard the constitution and defy the American people's will.
Its time to re-ignite the fight for liberty, to take the Tea Party into the halls of Congress, to take back our country."

Spears, a conservative Independent, says too many of America's leaders have become little more than a disconnected political elite, bent on changing the fundamental truths of a free America. They seem more intent on partisan politics than on public service."

Promising to take seeds of a revival, and to return integrity and honor to Washington, Spears said that he is a Washington outsider and an American insider.

Spears wants to restore America to its original glory, to restore integrity, prosperity and the U.S. Constitution.

In his 10-year business career, Spears designed the Website Gadget® and MINDSHARE™, web-based software that help business people manage information.

He served in the Louisiana National Guard from 1984 to 1993. He is a veteran of the Gulf War.

He is a graduate of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette with a BA in Communications.

MORE INFO? www.mikespears.com or www.viter.senate.gov, or landrieu.senate.gov, or www.louisiana.gov.

NESMITH TESTIFIES APRIL 19 BEFORE US HOUSE HOMELAND SECURITY COMMITTEE
Originally Posted: April 18, 2010 4:17 PM
Last Updated: April 18, 2010 4:17 PM

Chief William L Nesmith will testify April 19, 2010 before a US House of Representatives Homeland Security committee which is investigating pipeline safety and security.

Nesmith, Fire Chief at Hillsborough County Fire Rescue, oversees a department which services an area of 931 square miles and a population of 785,000 with over 893 career personnel and 175 volunteers, and a $111+ million budget. Formerly, he was with Tampa Fire Rescue for more than 24 years and retired as a Division Chief. He was hired by Hillsborough County as Assistant Chief in January 1994, and was promoted to Fire Chief in October 1996. On January 1, 1997, Hillsborough County Fire Department and Hillsborough County Emergency Medical Services were consolidated to form Hillsborough County Fire Rescue.

He has an Associate in Liberal Arts and an Associate in Fire Science Technology degree from Hillsborough Community College. He received a Bachelor in Arts and Master in Arts in Industrial Technology Education from the University of South Florida, and graduated from the Executive Fire Officers program at the National Fire Academy. He is a Certified Emergency Manager, Paramedic, and Chief Fire Officer designee.

Chief Nesmith served as Chairman of the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) Transportation Emergency Rescue Committee for 14 years and remains as a committee member. He won the 1997 Harvey Grant Excellence in Rescue Award presented by the IAFC. He won the1998 Hillsborough County Excellence in Government Award. He is currently Past President of the Florida Fire Chiefs' Association and has previously served as Florida West Central Region Board of Directors of this association since 1998. He has served as an instructor for basic firefighter certification and management level courses through Hillsborough Community College.

Other witnesses:

Jack Fox, General Manager, Pipeline, Transportation Security Administration, Department of Homeland Security
Jeffrey Wiese, Associate Administrator for Pipeline Safety, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Department of Transportation
Paul W. Parfomak, Specialist in Energy and Infrastructure Policy, Congressional Research Service, The Library of Congress
Gary L. Forman, Chair, Pipeline Sector Coordinating Council
Larry Gispert, Director, Hillsborough County Emergency Management, Tampa, Florida
David Gee, Sheriff, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, Tampa, Florida

The purpose of this field hearing is to examine the management of the nation’s pipeline networks, which transmit oil and gas across the United States and have vital links to critical infrastructure, such as power plants, airports, and military bases. The management and oversight of these systems present unique homeland security challenges as they are vulnerable to both accidents and terrorist attacks.

PREPAREDNESS TASK FORCE APPOINTED BY SECRETARY NAPOLITANO TO MAKE RECOMMENDAIONS BY SEPTEMBER 2010
Originally Posted: April 14, 2010 9:57 PM
Last Updated: April 14, 2010 9:57 PM

Secretary Napolitano on April 14, 2010 announced the formation of the local, state, tribal and federal Preparedness Task Force, a council of experts charged with assessing the state of the nation’s disaster preparedness and making recommendations to the secretary about ways to build resiliency in communities across America.

Napolitano: “Enhancing preparedness across our nation requires close collaboration between all levels of government. The recommendations of this Task Force — comprised of emergency management and homeland security experts from states, cities and tribes across the country — will help guide our ongoing efforts to ensure the resilience of communities throughout the nation.”

The task force is comprised of 35 members of local, state and tribal governments — many of whom have also served within federal government — offering a diverse cross-section of experience in homeland security and emergency management missions. The task force will also engage Congressional partners, as well as the private sector and non-governmental and development organizations through a variety of outreach activities.

The Conference Report accompanying the 2010 DHS Appropriations Act called for a task force responsible for making recommendations for all levels of government regarding, among other things, disaster and emergency guidance and policy. The task force will conduct regular meetings and expects to deliver recommendations in September 2010.

SAVING LIVES IN PENNSYLVANIA: STATE SALUTES 911 EMERGENCY DISPATCHERS
Originally Posted: April 10, 2010 12:57 PM
Last Updated: April 10, 2010 12:58 PM

(For other NEEDA Newsletter stories about the fire service in Pennsylvania, use the "Search" application in the upper right of your NEEDA Newsletter screen.)

The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (Harrisburg, PA) is saluting the state's emergency dispatchers for their vital role in responding to emergency situations as part of National Public Safety Telecommunicator Week, April 11-17, 2010.

PEMA Director Robert P. French: "Pennsylvania's 911 telecommunicators work every day of the week, every holiday and every weekend,. This week is a good chance for us to recognize their hard work and make an effort to learn what we need to do to make it easier for them to help us."

In Pennsylvania, 69 public safety answering points serve as the primary point for answering 911 calls and dispatching police, fire and emergency medical services.

Approximately 4,300 PA telecommunicators answer more than 9 million 911 calls each year, providing life-saving medical instructions to callers; contacting law enforcement, transportation and public works departments; activating weather alerts; and managing requests for specialized response teams such as coroners, SWAT teams and accident reconstruction teams.

Pennsylvanians can help prepare and respond to emergencies with the help of www.ReadyPA.org.

MORE INFO? Maria Finn, 717-651-2009 or www.state.pa.us or www.ReadyPA.org or 1-888-9-READYPA

DALLAS FIRE-RESCUE AND FARMERS INSURANCE HOST COOKOUT FOR 200 FIREFIGHTERS
Originally Posted: April 9, 2010 3:19 PM
Last Updated: April 9, 2010 3:19 PM

Dallas Fire-Rescue Chief Eddie Burns, Sr. and Farmers Insurance Group of Companies® join together to host a special "Firefighter Appreciation Cookout" on April 12, 2010 at 11:30 AM at the Dallas Fire Department Training Center located at 5000 Dolphin Road in Dallas, Texas.

The cookout is part of the Catastrophe Preparedness Road Show tour through which the insurance company, in partnership with local fire departments, provides residents with information on how to prepare for a disaster and its aftermath.

Featured will be the Farmers' Mobile Command Center Bus (MCC), a 46 foot long rolling communications center equipped with state of the art communications equipment and supplies.

TIME FOR CONGRESS TO REPEAL THE WITHHOLDING OF 3% FROM ALL DEALER PAYMENTS OWED BY LOCAL, STATE, AND FEDERAL AGENCIES
Originally Posted: April 9, 2010 12:07 PM
Last Updated: April 9, 2010 12:07 PM

NEEDA supports total repeal of the 3% withholding from gross revenue of emergency equipment dealers and all other small businesses who serve local, state and federal agencies. NEEDA supports repeal of Section 511 Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation Act of 2005 (Public Law 109-222).

In 2012 this new law will require federal, state, and local governments to withhold 3-percent from all payments for emergency equipment, other equipment and services as a guard against possible business tax evasion.

The law: Requires withholding of 3% on all government payments owed to companies for products and services used by federal, state, and local governments.

The current version of the law says the law will apply to any government with a total annual expenditure of $100 million or more. All US counties, cities and state agencies that spend more than $100 million for all products and services will be forced to set up new accounting and money management services needed to forward to the IRS 3% plus documentation of all payments they make to dealers and other vendors.

The law, Section 511 Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation Act of 2005 (P.L. 109-222) affects payments for goods and services under government contracts as well as payments to any person for a service or product provided to a local, state or US government entity (including grants).

"Withholding" applies to the total contract, not to the net revenue generated from a project . For contractors, this means the government is withholding funds necessary to complete a project, such as money necessary to pay suppliers and employees.

Many companies doing business with local and state government agencies do not make 3% profit on each contract. The bidding process and other competitive aspects of a purchase, plus the government's insistance on the "lowest price" or "most favored customer," make it unreasonable to expect a net income of 3%.

While the payment to IRS would be 3% of gross under the law, it might be as high as 300 percent withholding on a contractors’ real net income!
tax

Nowhere else in American business practices is an entire net income
taxed 100 to 300% by government. But this is essentially what 511 would do to many dealers and other sellers!

For example, an emergency equipment dealer holds one city government contract which is estimated to be completed in two years for delivery of twelve new fire trucks. This 511 law requires withholding of $300,000 on the dealer's contract whose gross income is $10 million. But, the 511 withholding sent to the IRS would be more than three times what the $88,000 Federal tax would be on that dealer's net income from this transaction!

Some government agencies require contractors to carry bonds. Companies who provide these bonds look at cash-flow when deciding to cover a contract. This withholding law will restrict cash-flow, leading to higher costs for bonds or the denial of coverage, all of which drives up the cost. In addition, the increased costs and difficulty in bonding will drive many dealers out of the government market.

Existing laws already require all corporations to make estimated tax payments towards their income tax liabilities quarterly. These tax laws are enforced.

Current law already requires withholding for all businesses to help ensure taxes are paid. Rather than this 3% withholding scheme, additional enforcement of today's estimated tax or withholding law would ensure a few bad apples aren’t under-reporting income or over-reporting deductions.

Here are bills before the US Congress which NEEDA supports:

S. 292( US Senate)
A bill to repeal the 3 percent tax withholding requirement set to go into effect in 2012

S. 292 Introduced in Senate January 21, 2009
H.R. 275 (US House of Representatives)
A bill to repeal the 3 percent tax withholding requirement set to go into effect in 2012

H.R. 275 Introduced in House January 7, 2009
Additional Information:

NEEDA recommends Congress pass S. 292 & H.R. 275, a bill to repeal 3 percent withholding on sales to all levels of government.

Do your US Representatives and US Senators know your views on this subject?

RESEARCH REPORT CONFIRMS EXTENSIVE AND PERSISTENT LUNG DAMAGE TO 13,000 NEW YORK FIREFIGHTERS WHO RESPONDED TO 9/11/01 ATTACK ON WORLD TRADE CENTER
Originally Posted: April 7, 2010 6:18 PM
Last Updated: April 7, 2010 6:18 PM

(For other NEEDA Newsletter stories about the 9/11 twin towers attack, use the "search" application in the upper right of NEEDA newsletter screen.)

A study of 13,000 rescue workers from the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY) shows that the significant proportion who suffered acute lung damage after exposure to World Trade Center (WTC) dust have not recovered normal lung function in the years since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

This seven-year study, with almost 62,000 individual measurements, is the largest longitudinal study ever reported of occupational influences on lung function.

It is the only group of WTC workers for which pre-9/11 lung function measurements were available. The study, led by researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University and Montefiore Medical Center, in collaboration with FDNY, appears in the April 8, 2010 print edition of The New England Journal of Medicine.

David Prezant, M.D., professor of medicine at Einstein and senior author of the study: "This exposure at Ground Zero was so unique that no one could have predicted the impact on lung function. We demonstrated dramatic decline in lung function, mostly in the first 6 months after 9/11, and these declines persisted with little or no meaningful recovery of lung function among FDNY rescue workers (firefighters and emergency medical service workers) over the next six-and-a-half years."

Dr. Prezant is also an attending physician in the pulmonary medicine division at Montefiore Medical Center, the University Hospital and Academic Medical Center for Einstein, and the chief medical officer of the FDNY, Office of Medical Affairs and the co-director of the FDNY WTC Medical Programs.

For Dr. Prezant and his team, the critical mission remains identifying the individuals most affected and providing them with treatment to improve their quality of life and prevent further declines in lung function.

The current research follows up on a previous 2006 study, published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, that assessed lung function one year after the 9/11 attacks.

In that study, Dr. Prezant and colleagues found that 9/11 FDNY rescue workers suffered substantial loss in lung function in the year following the attacks — more than 12 times the decline in lung function that would be expected to occur with normal aging. The largest decline was observed among workers who arrived at the WTC site the morning of 9/11, when the dust cloud was most intense.

For the present study, the workers evaluated include nearly 92 percent of the 13,954 FDNY firefighters and EMS workers present at the WTC site between September 11 and September 24, 2001. Lung function in these 12,781 individuals was assessed by spirometry testing performed every 12 to 18 months.

Spirometry measures the amount of air exhaled in a single breath.
All participants had also been tested pre-9/11, so those spirometric results provided a baseline for assessing lung-function decline. Because the decline was severe and persistent, a substantial proportion of FDNY rescue workers were left with abnormal lung function by the end of this study – September 11, 2008. For example, the proportion of those who never smoked — and whose lung function was below normal — increased over the first year from 3 percent to 18 percent for firefighters and from 12 percent to 22 percent for EMS workers, stabilizing at about 13 percent for firefighters and 22 percent for EMS workers by the end of the seven-year study. ("Below normal" is defined as less than that achieved by 95 percent of normal nonsmokers of similar age, gender and height.)

Lead author Thomas Aldrich, M.D., professor of medicine at Einstein and an attending physician in the pulmonary medicine division at Montefiore: "Previous studies have indicated that the effects of firefighting on lung function are mild and reversible. The difference seems to be that the workers in our study population experienced repeated daily exposures to much higher concentrations of airborne particulates (solid particles suspended in the air) and gaseous chemicals."

Dr. Aldrich suggests that the lack of long-term recovery among the 9/11 rescue workers may be due to several factors: the unusual nature of the dust cloud itself — which was thick with particulates, inhaled pulverized material from the collapse of the towers, and smoke from fires that continued to burn until mid-December.

Aldrich: "All smoke contains particulates, but not at the density seen in the WTC collapse, especially if you were at the site during the first two or three days or for long durations thereafter. In a normal fire, you don't get enveloped in a particulate cloud so thick that you can't even see through it."

The current report, part of an ongoing FDNY study of WTC rescue workers, is the most comprehensive study of rescue workers in general and specifically of FDNY firefighters and EMS workers (both active and retired) known to have been at Ground Zero during the rescue and recovery phases. It is also the only study to include pre- and post-9/11 spirometry testing.

"Lung Function in Rescue Workers at the World Trade Center after 7 Years," appears in the April 7, 2010 online edition and April 8, 2010 print edition of The New England Journal of Medicine. The study was funded by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health.

Other Einstein researchers who contributed to the study include Charles Hall, Ph.D., Hillel Cohen, Dr.P.H., and Mayris Webber, Dr.P.H. Other contributors include Fairouz Al-Othman, M.D., Rachel Zeig-Owens, M.P.H., and Vasilios Christodoulou, B.A., of Montefiore Medical Center; Jackson Gustave, M.P.H., Kaitlyn Cosenza, B.A., Lara Glass, M.P.H., and Kerry Kelly, M.D., of the Fire Department of the City of New York, Bureau of Health Services; and Michael Weiden, M.D., of the New York University School of Medicine, Pulmonary Division and the Fire Department of the City of New York, Bureau of Health Services.

Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University is one of the nation's premier centers for research, medical education and clinical investigation.

During the 2009-2010 academic year, Einstein is home to 2,775 faculty members, 722 M.D. students, 243 Ph.D. students, 128 students in the combined M.D./Ph.D. program, and approximately 350 postdoctoral research fellows. In 2009, Einstein received more than $155 million in support from the NIH.

This includes the funding of major research centers at Einstein in diabetes, cancer, liver disease, and AIDS. Other areas where the College of Medicine is concentrating its efforts include developmental brain research, neuroscience, cardiac disease, and initiatives to reduce and eliminate ethnic and racial health disparities. Through its extensive affiliation network involving five medical centers in the Bronx, Manhattan and Long Island – which includes Montefiore Medical Center, The University Hospital and Academic Medical Center for Einstein – the College of Medicine runs one of the largest post-graduate medical training programs in the United States, offering approximately 150 residency programs to more than 2,500 physicians in training.

Montefiore Medical Center has served 126 years of patient care, medical "firsts," clinical research, community service and ground-breaking social activism.

A full-service, integrated delivery system caring for patients in the New York metropolitan region and beyond, Montefiore is a 1,491-bed medical center that includes: four hospitals -- the Henry and Lucy Moses Division, the Jack D. Weiler Division, the North Division and The Children's Hospital at Montefiore; a large home healthcare agency; the largest school health program in the US; a 22-site medical group practice integrated throughout the Bronx and Westchester; and, a care management organization providing services to 179,000 health plan members.

MORE INFO? www.einstein.yu.edu and
www.montefiore.org or www.montekids.org

US JUSTICE DEPARTMENT STEPS UP THE INVESTIGATION OF FRAUD AND DEFECTIVE PRICING BY COMPANIES THAT SELL TO FEDERAL AGENCIES: OBAMA ADMINISTRATION PREDICTS IT WILL RAISE $500 BILLION WITH INVESTIGATIONS TO BE USED FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN RECESSION RECOVERY
Originally Posted: April 7, 2010 5:56 PM
Last Updated: April 7, 2010 5:56 PM

On January 12, 2010, US Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer announced that the Obama Administration will expand the National Procurement Fraud Task Force (NPFTF): Expand its mission by focusing on combating Recovery Act fraud, as well as other types of procurement and grant fraud. Breuer chairs the Task Force.

The Task Force was formed October 10, 2006, to promote the prevention, early detection, and prosecution of procurement and grant fraud. Task Force members include the FBI, the Department of Justice Inspector General and other federal Inspectors General, defense investigative agencies, federal prosecutors from United States Attorney’s offices across the country, as well as the Antitrust, Civil, Criminal, Environmental & Natural Resources, National Security, and Tax Divisions of the Department of Justice.

The Task Force focuses on civil and criminal enforcement where it has the greatest effect, including defective pricing, product substitution, misuse of classified and procurement sensitive information, false claims, grant fraud, fraud associated with labor mischarging, fraud involving foreign military sales, ethics and conflict of interest violations, and public corruption associated with procurement fraud.

At an antitrust event held by the US Chamber of Commerce April 6, 2010, a Department of Justice (DOJ) official presented a plan like the Procurement Fraud Task Force that DOJ initiated in 2006 and expanded in early 2010 to focus on Recovery Act contracts.

The DOJ official spoke about an increased focus on antitrust violations, such as collusion, bid rigging, price fixing etc, on Recovery Act contracts. The DOJ has been training thousands of contracting officers, IG staffs, and state government procurement staffs on how to identify antitrust violations and report them.

Their focus is Recovery Act contracts, but the training and knowledge will obviously outlast those contracts.

Justice has received numerous reports from the various agencies (some they leave for the Inspector General’s to investigate) and expect to receive a bunch more over the next year or so.

This is an area of increased potential liability for federal and state contractors. The mere presence of accusations against a company can lead to loss of government business opportunities.

The third section of the testimony from Scott Hammond, head of criminal enforcement at DOJ’s Antitrust Division, talks about this in more detail. Here is the opening page of DOJ’s website on the topic:

"The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 will provide over $500 billion of funding for programs to jumpstart the U.S. economy, save and create jobs, and invest in the country's future. The potential risk of collusion and fraud increases dramatically when large blocks of funds, such as those associated with the Recovery Act, are quickly disbursed.

"The Antitrust Division provides extensive resources to help you identify collusion and fraud and to report possible antitrust violations associated with Recovery Act (stimulus package) funding.

Step 1: Identify Fraud and Collusion

Red Flags of Collusion: Use this checklist to identify collusion
Antitrust Laws and You: Learn about antitrust laws
Training on Collusion and Fraud Awareness
Step 2: Report Possible Violations

Reporting Recovery Act Collusion or Fraud
Related Pages

Antitrust Division Recovery Initiative
Recovery Act Resources
Press release: Antitrust Division Announces Initiative to Help Protect Recovery Funds from Fraud, Waste and Abuse (05/12/2009)"

MORE INFO?
http://www.justice.gov/criminal/npftf/ and www.justice.gov/atr/public/criminal/economic_recovery.htm.

MILLIONS OF ACRES THREATENED BY FOREST FIRES BECAUSE PINE BEETLES KILLED TREES MAY OFFER NEW SOURCE OF FUEL FOR COMMERCIAL VEHICLES AND REDUCTION IN THE FOREST CONDITIONS THAT LEAD TO WILDFIRES
Originally Posted: April 7, 2010 1:22 PM
Last Updated: April 7, 2010 1:22 PM

Colorado State University is evaluating biobutanol from beetle-killed lodgepole pine trees as a viable fuel for commercial vehicles.

Support for the CSU research comes from Cobalt Technologies of Mountain View, California.

Rick Wilson, PH D and CEO of Cobalt: "Harvesting beetle-killed trees could produce low-carbon fuels and chemicals, establish a foundation for a sustainable biorefinery industry and create jobs, particularly in rural areas. If we use only half of the 2.3 million acres currently affected in Colorado alone, we could produce over two billion gallons of biobutanol -- enough to blend into all the gasoline used in Colorado for six years."

Cobalt Technologies converts non-food feedstock, such as forest waste and mill residues into n-butanol, a versatile product that can be used as a drop-in biofuel to be blended with gasoline, diesel and ethanol; converted into jet fuel or plastics, or sold as is for use in paints, cleaners, adhesives and flavorings. The company's innovative technology offers the potential for converting beetle-killed pine into a low-carbon, sustainable biofuel and chemical.

Dead pine trees in forests contribute to the threat of wildfires. Many of Colorado's pine forests have been devastated by the mountain pine beetle, infesting half Colorado's five million acres of pine forest. Millions more acres in the US West plus more in Canada have been infested by the beetle.

Ken Reardon, professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering at Colorado State University. "If Cobalt can convert beetle-killed wood, it's likely that the company can make biofuel from almost any cellulosic feedstock."

MORE INFO? www.cobalttech.com

FUGATE CALLS FOR MORE FEDERAL-STATE COOPERATION IN RESPONDING TO AND RECOVERING FROM HURRICANES
Originally Posted: April 6, 2010 6:37 PM
Last Updated: April 6, 2010 6:37 PM

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Craig Fugate speaking at the National Hurricane Conference in Orlando, Florida discussed the importance of coordination with state and local officials in preparing for, responding to and recovering from hurricanes.

Fugate also talked about ways to better engage the public as part of the nation's emergency management team.

Fugate: "FEMA is only one part of the nation's emergency management team. As hurricane season approaches, FEMA is coordinating with state and local officials to ensure that all communities along the coast are prepared to respond. But we can only be as prepared as the public, and so it's important that everyone take steps now to help keep their family safe in the event of a hurricane or other emergency."

Fugate served previously as Director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management from 2001 to 2009, a tenure that included some of the most active hurricane seasons and some of the largest responses in the state's history.

The National Hurricane Conference brings federal, state and local officials, as well as private sector and non-profit partners together each year to share ideas, learn about new technologies and talk about ways to improve hurricane preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation in the United States and U.S. territories in the Caribbean and Pacific.

MORE INFO? www.Ready.gov

AMKUS OFFERS NASCAR EXPERIENCE AND THE AMK-22 CUTTER AT FDIC, INDIANAPOLIS
Originally Posted: April 6, 2010 5:16 PM
Last Updated: April 6, 2010 5:16 PM

AMKUS Rescue Systems, Rescue System Supplier of NASCAR, offers visitors to their booth at FDIC (Indianapolis, IN) a chance to win a Richard Petty Driving Experience on both Friday and Saturday of the show. The Amkus gift cards may be used at many different tracks across the country and may be used to purchase a Rookie Experience.

The Rookie Experience is 8 laps over 1 session. “Your hands are on the wheel, your foot is on the gas and you are in the driver’s seat for 8 laps around the track. The program lasts approximately 3 hours; the memories last a lifetime.”

AMKUS will be in booth 1950 at the FDIC show with the AMKUS AMK-22 Cutter. This cutter is designed to handle the stronger materials used in new model vehicles such as Boron Steel, Martensite and other high strength steels.

LATEST EARTHQUAKE SIMILAR TO AUGUST 4, 2009 WHICH HIT BAJA AND WAS FELT FROM MEXICO CITY TO LOS ANGELES; SD FIRE TRUCKS PULLED OUT OF STATIONS AS PRECAUTION: CALIFORNIA EDGES TOWARD THE "BIG ONE"
Originally Posted: April 6, 2010 7:55 AM
Last Updated: April 6, 2010 7:55 AM

The earthquake that hit the Mexico-US border early April 2010 (Reported this month in NEEDA NEWSLETTER) follows an August 4, 2009 earthquake of magnitude 6.9 earthquake that hit near Santa Isabel, Baja California, Mexico at 11:00 AM. Just five minutes earlier a 5.8 magnitude earthquake was felt in the same general area. Two others followed about a half hour later.

Experts agree that when you look at California as a whole, the next place a big earthquake is expected, is along the southern San Andreas Fault. US Expert Pat Abbott: "It will rock San Diego."

The epicenter of the 09 strongest quake was 354 miles southeast of Tijuana.

People in downtown San Diego felt shaking in tall buildings.

The San Diego Fire Department pulled fire engines out of their bays at the downtown headquarters as a precaution.

There were also reports of people feeling the shaking in Carlsbad, El Cajon, Santee and Chula Vista, north of San Diego. The U.S. Geological Survey reports people as far north as Los Angeles felt the earthquake hundreds of miles away.

People in Phoenix, Arizona also report feeling the strongest of the Baja quakes.

Two more earthquakes were reported about a half hour after the first two, measuring 5.9 and 5.0 in the same general area.

Pictures from Mexico City show people streaming out of buildings after the strongest earthquake was felt there.

Civil protection officials in the two states on either side of the quake — Baja California and Sonora — said there were no reports of damage or injury.

The quakes were all centered in the middle of the narrow slice of sea between the Baja peninsula and Mexico's mainland, which cut down on its chances of causing major damage, said Don Blakeman, an analyst at the U.S. National Earthquake Information Center.

San Diego Geologist Pat Abbott says these quakes were centered on a fault that sits on the same plate edge as the infamous San Andreas. "When one part of the edge moves, that definitely effects others. It's inching us closer to our big earthquake!"

OKLAHOMA FIRE DEPARTMENT ROAD SHOW FEATURES DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AND RECOVERY
Originally Posted: April 6, 2010 7:31 AM
Last Updated: April 6, 2010 7:31 AM

Oklahoma City Fire Chief G. Keith Bryant and the Oklahoma City Fire Department, will launch its seven-city Disaster Preparedness Road Show on Thursday April 8, 2010 in Oklahoma City.

Oklahoma City Fire Fighters will provide local residents with information on how to prepare for a disaster and its aftermath.

Featured will be the Farmers' Mobile Command Center Bus (MCC), a 46 foot rolling communications center equipped with state of the art communications equipment and supplies.

A "Firefighters Appreciation Cookout" will be prepared for area Fire chiefs and firefighters at the Oklahoma Fire Training Center, 850 N. Portland, Oklahoma City at 11:30 AM.

Oklahoma City Fire Chief G. Keith Bryant, local firefighters, and OK Insurance Commissioner Kim Holland, OK State Senator Don Barrington, OK State Representative Mike Shelton, OK State Representative Skye McNeil,
and Farmers Oklahoma State Executive Director John Lucido.

Farmers MCC is equipped with satellite communications to offer free laptop and cell phone service, food, supplies and help with insurance claims to victims of disasters.

Farmers Oklahoma State Executive Director John Lucido: "The MCC is one of three buses that are deployed to disaster sites throughout the United States to help customers and non-customers alike. The bus also has generator power that can run a small hospital, evacuation center, or communications equipment of emergency services agencies should their power go down."

The Farmers Exchanges are three reciprocal insurers (Farmers Insurance Exchange, Fire Insurance Exchange and Truck Insurance Exchange), including their subsidiaries and affiliates, owned by their policyholders, and managed by Farmers Group, Inc. and its subsidiaries.

MORE INFO? www.okc.gov/fire/index.html or www.farmers.com or luis.sahagun@farmers.com

O'CONNOR GETS CFSI AWARD AT APRIL 29, 2010 WASHINGTON HILTON DINNER
Originally Posted: April 5, 2010 4:04 PM
Last Updated: April 5, 2010 4:04 PM

The Congressional Fire Services Institute's Board of Directors selected Kevin O'Connor of the International Association of Fire Fighters as the recipient of the 2010 CFSI/Motorola Mason Lankford Fire Service Leadership Award.

The presentation will take place at the 22nd Annual National Fire and Emergency Services Dinner on April 29, 2010 at the Hilton Washington, in Washington, DC.

Established in 1998, the Mason Lankford Fire Service Leadership Award recognizes individuals who have been proactive at the local, state, or federal government level to improve fire/emergency services and life safety issues. The award exemplifies the work of the late Mason Lankford. Mason's legacy resonates in the message he would impart calling for a stronger fire service without leaving anyone behind.

A veteran of the fire service since 1983, Mr. O'Connor currently serves as Assistant to the General President of the International Association of Fire Fighters. In addition, he is the outgoing chairperson of the CFSI National Advisory Committee.

During his career with the Baltimore County Fire Department, O'Connor held a number of leadership positions at the local and state levels and received accommodations for bravery. As Assistant to the IAFF General President, O'Connor supervises the IAFF's Governmental Affairs and Public Policy Division.

Members of Congress praised O'Connor for his integrity, character and his commitment to addressing the needs of all firefighters.

Congressman Steny Hoyer: "Kevin has always been sensitive to the concerns I have in representing both career and volunteer firefighters and has long recognized that in order to advance the cause of first responders, you must always take into consideration the best interest of the entire fire service community."

Congressman Peter King: "While he [O'Connor] represents the International Association of Fire Fighters, he is a trusted and loyal advocate on behalf of all fire fighters."

For two years, O'Connor has served as Chairperson of the CFSI National Advisory Committee where he provided leadership and support on a broad range of CFSI initiatives.

CFSI President Bill Jenaway: "Kevin's contributions to the fire service as consensus builder and a leading voice in Washington for our nation's fire and emergency services has earned him widespread recognition from members of Congress and fire service leaders, alike. The CFSI Board of Directors extends its thanks and appreciation to Kevin for his contributions and looks forward to honoring him at the National Fire and Emergency Services Dinner on April 29th."

Past recipients of the award:

2009 - Steve Edwards, Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute
2008 - Hal Bruno, National Fallen Firefighters Foundation
2007 - Garry Briese (ret.), International Association of Fire Chiefs
2006 - Meri-K Appy, Home Safety Council
2005 - Chief Alan Caldwell, International Association of Fire Chiefs
2004 - Chief R. David Paulison, FEMA Director
2003 - Chief Dennis Compton, International Fire Service Training Association
2002 - Chief Raymond M. Downey, FDNY (Posthumously)
2001 - Chief John Eversole, Chicago Fire Department
2000 - Paul Boecker, Lisle Woodridge (IL) Fire District
1999 - E. James Monihan, National Volunteer Fire Council

The annual National Fire and Emergency Services Dinner benefits the mission of the Congressional Fire Services Institute, a nonprofit policy organization designed to educate members of Congress about fire and life safety issues.

MORE INFO? www.cfsi.org

EQUIPMENT MANAGEMENT COMPANY IS DEALER SELLING CHICAGO CRIMSON FIRE AERIAL FIRE TRUCKS
Originally Posted: April 5, 2010 11:39 AM
Last Updated: April 5, 2010 11:39 AM

Equipment Management Co., the Crimson Fire dealership serving Illinois, secured the aerial contract for Chicago and will sell and service the apparatus. EMC, which also has operations in Arizona, joined the growing family of Crimson Fire dealers in July 2009.

Crimson Fire, Inc. (Brandon, South Dakota) has signed a three-year contract with the city of Chicago to build more than 30 custom aerial fire trucks.

Crimson has begun designing and building five 103-foot rear-mount aerial trucks for the Windy City. Chicago, which also has a three-year contract with Crimson Fire to provide custom pumpers, could purchase as many as 30 aerial units over the life of the contract.

Jim Salmi, president of Crimson Fire Aerials: "Chicago is a long-standing Crimson Fire customer, and we are honored to provide its firefighters with our custom aerials. The city faces some unique emergency-rescue challenges, particularly with overall height restrictions and maneuvering through older neighborhoods. The Crimson Fire aerial enhances maneuverability in urban settings and delivers rugged, dependable performance with each run."

The 103-foot rear-mount aerials, the longest available in the Crimson Fire product suite, will be built on a Spartan Gladiator® cab and chassis.

The aerial will feature a low-profile design with an overall travel height of 11 feet, making it more maneuverable in the city. An aluminum body and the unique tubular design enable Crimson Fire to build the strongest and most durable trucks on the market.

The new Crimson Fire aerials also feature the industry's only "greaseless" ladder through the patented roller assembly system, X-style outriggers and a ladder lift cradle that provides enhanced range of operation.

Crimson Fire is a leading manufacturer of custom fire trucks and other rescue vehicles. A subsidiary of Spartan Motors, Inc., Crimson Fire is committed to quality, value and innovation. Crimson Fire manufactures a full line of pumpers, rescues, aerials, quick-attack vehicles and other emergency-rescue vehicles from its facilities in Pennsylvania and South Dakota.

MORE INFO? www.crimson-fire.com

QUAKE HITS CALIFORNIA BAJA BORDER AREAS
Originally Posted: April 5, 2010 11:28 AM
Last Updated: April 5, 2010 11:28 AM

Los Angeles Times writers Shelby Grad in Los Angeles and Tony Perry in Calexico, California, say the 7.2 Mexicali earthquake has produced more than 100 aftershocks in the last 15 hours, including many small temblors in California.

Many of the aftershocks have occurred on the California side of the border just above the epicenter near Mexicali. Residents in Calexico and other parts of Imperial County and San Diego County reported feeling them. There have been other aftershock farther north in Riverside County, around the Salton Sea, in the Borrego Desert.

A 4.1 temblor struck off the coast of Malibu on Sunday afternoon, April 4, 2010.

Dozens of the aftershock measure stronger than magnitude 4.0. Two in Ocotillo, Calif., which is near the border, measured 5.0 -- including one that hit Monday at 6:33 a.m.

"This is very typical for a 7.2 earthquake." said Caltech scientist Kate Hutton.

On Sunday, Caltech officials said it was probable that the Mexicali temblor could produce an aftershock of 6.0.

Residents of Calexico in the Imperial Valley were jolted awake as a 3.1-magnitude earthquake struck at 4:12 AM Monday, April 5.

Lights flickered and some light poles swayed as the aftershock struck the California border town. There were no immediate reports of injuries or property damage.

The quake was centered about 34 miles south-southwest of Calexico, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

FIRE SAFETY PROGRAM FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
Originally Posted: April 5, 2010 11:19 AM
Last Updated: April 5, 2010 11:19 AM

United Spinal Association (New York) has developed a free online training program designed to save the lives of individuals with disabilities and mobility impairments during fire emergencies.

This fire safety training program focuses on fire safety requirements for newly constructed buildings and facilities that affect people with mobility impairments and on evacuation protocols for wheelchair users and people with disabilities.

Kleo King, senior vice president of Accessibility Services at United Spinal Association: "When utilizing this fire safety training program, you are taking a significant step to ensure that people with disabilities and all stakeholders are aware of the important features found in buildings designed and built in conformance with widely adopted codes and standards developed to protect people with disabilities in the event of an emergency,"

The training program is available for download in both English and Spanish.

It focuses on the unique aspects of fire safety for people with disabilities, what to do in case a fire occurs and reviews life safety requirements (i.e., areas of refuge, wide exit stairs, means of egress elevators and exterior areas of assisted rescue) found in the International Building Code.

United Spinal is a national 501(c)(3) non-profit membership organization formed in 1946 by paralyzed veterans and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for all Americans with spinal cord injuries, multiple sclerosis, spina bifida, ALS and post polio. Membership is free to all individuals with spinal cord disorders.

MORE INFO? www.accessibility-services.com/fire-safety-for-wheelchair-users/
or www.unitedspinal.org

COMPANY WITH HISTORY OF VIOLATIONS HAS FIRE AND EXPLOSIONS KILLING THREE OPERATORS AND BURNING TWO
Originally Posted: April 4, 2010 8:59 AM
Last Updated: April 4, 2010 8:59 AM

In Washington State, three operators at the Tesoro plant were killed in a blast and fire while two employees were severely burned and are in critical condition at the Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

The United Steel Worker's Emergency Response Team (Pittsburgh, PA) is on the ground now helping the families of those who were killed or severely injured.

Tesoro has a history of serious health and safety violations. The Associated Press reported that Washington Department of Labor and Industries fined the company $85,700 April, 2009 for 17 violations that had the potential to cause death or serious physical injury. Inspectors found 150 instances of deficiencies and said the company did not ensure safe work practices and failed to update safety information when changes were made to equipment. The penalty was reduced and the number of violations lowered to three when a settlement was reached between the state and Tesoro.

The company was also fined $6,000 for two serious violations in 2005, and another $6,000 for two serious violations in 2007, reported the Associated Press.

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE CONSIDERS BAN ON SMOKING IN STATE PARKS AND ON BEACHES
Originally Posted: April 4, 2010 8:48 AM
Last Updated: April 4, 2010 8:48 AM

The Los Angeles times reports that the California Assembly endorsed SB 4, which would outlaw smoking at any of the state's 278 state parks or beaches.

The measure goes back to the Senate for concurrence on changes made in the Assembly. Smoking is one of the causes related to wildfires. Expect the cigarette lobby to oppose this legislation.

UNINSURED WITH PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS OFFERED INSURANCE UNDER NEW HEALTH LAW
Originally Posted: April 2, 2010 1:30 PM
Last Updated: April 2, 2010 1:30 PM

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has asked governors and independent insurance commissioners to express their interest in participating in the temporary high risk pool program established by the new health insurance reform law.

The temporary high risk pool program provides coverage to people who are uninsured because of pre-existing conditions.

States may choose whether and how they participate in the program. HHS is committed to working closely with states as the program is implemented.

Sebelius: “The establishment of a temporary new high risk pool program is one of our first tasks in implementing the new health reform law and will help provide affordable insurance for Americans who have been locked out of the insurance market for too long."

Sebelius: “The establishment of a temporary new high risk pool program is one of our first tasks in implementing the new health reform law and will help provide affordable insurance for Americans who have been locked out of the insurance market for too long.”

Sebelius: “We are interested in building upon existing state programs in this important initiative to provide expanded access to health coverage for individuals who cannot otherwise obtain health insurance. To that end, I am writing you today to request an expression of your state’s interest in participating in this temporary high risk pool program, consistent with one of the implementation options described below.”

The new health insurance reform law provides $5 billion in federal funds to support this new program. States have a number of options for how they may participate.

Options include:

Operate a new high risk pool alongside a current state high risk pool;
Establish a new high risk pool (in a state that does not currently have a high risk pool);
Build upon other existing coverage programs designed to cover high risk individuals;
Contract with a current HIPAA carrier of last resort or other carrier, to provide subsidized coverage for the eligible population; or
Do nothing, in which case HHS would carry out a coverage program in the state.

The new program Sebelius is discussing was created March 23, 2010, when President Obama signed into law H.R. 3590, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Public Law 111-148).

As the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) begins implementing this legislation, Section 1101 of the new law establishes a “temporary high risk health insurance pool program” to provide health insurance coverage to currently uninsured individuals with pre-existing conditions. The law directs HHS to carry out the program directly or through contracts with states or private, non-profit entities.

Eligible Individuals Must:

Be a citizen or national of the United States or lawfully present in the United States;
Not have been covered under creditable coverage (as defined in Section 2701(c)(1) of the Public Health Service Act) for the previous 6 months before applying for coverage; and
Have a pre-existing condition, as determined in a manner consistent with guidance issued by the Secretary.

Benefits/Coverage Must Have:

An actuarial value of at least equal 65 percent of total allowed costs;
An out-of-pocket limit no greater than the applicable amount for high-deductible health plans linked to health savings accounts, described in section 223(c)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (that is, $5,950 for an individual); and
No pre-existing condition exclusions.

Premiums Must:

Be established at a standard rate for a standard population (that is, not exceed 100 percent of the standard non-group rate); and Not have age rating greater than 4 to 1.

Beyond the minimum statutory requirements, HHS’s goal is to grant the flexibility needed to permit successful and expeditious implementation of the program by interested states. For example, we recognize that there are different avenues for states to carry out the statutory requirements for a high risk pool program.

MORE INFO? Kathleen Sebelius 202-690-6343

ONE HUNDRED FIREFIGHTERS FIGHT APRIL 1ST, 2010 WOOD PALLET FIRE: US PALLET SAFETY STANDARDS NEED STRENGTHENING
Originally Posted: April 2, 2010 1:14 PM
Last Updated: April 2, 2010 1:14 PM

Fifteen major wood pallet fires in the past year, including a massive wood pallet blaze on Wednesday, April 1, 2010 in Southwest Phoenix, AZ have stimulated a new call on the US Congress to impose stricter standards to prevent pallet fires.

One hundred firefighters battled the Wednesday April 1 two-alarm blaze at the Hernandez Pallet Company in Southwest Phoenix that destroyed buildings and threatened lives and adjacent properties.

The inferno was fueled by high winds that engulfed thousands of pallets. This wood pallet fire in Phoenix is the second major wood pallet fire in Arizona this past year, following the Western Pallet fire in Glendale, where a wood pallet fire destroyed the 25-year-old business.

Bob Moore, Chairman and CEO, iGPS: "From Arizona to Georgia and from Ohio to California, deadly wood pallet fires are occurring on a regular basis all across the country. They threaten lives, destroy property and cost millions in taxpayer dollars to contain. It's high time the wooden pallet industry is held to the same strict fire safety standards as pallets made of safer materials. It is time for Congress to act."

As reported by NEEDA Newsletter, wood pallets present a dangerously high flammability risk. Aside from the obvious fire risks, news reports about the fire at the Hernandez Pallet Company quote a Phoenix fire official as saying that the wood pallets there posed a particular danger because they absorb chemicals that seep into the wood and, when ignited, create smoke that is very hazardous to breathe in.

Moore: "The lack of uniform fire safety standards needlessly endangers the public at large and those dedicated to ensuring our safety. The lack of standards also means that wood pallet fires burden already cash-strapped municipalities across the country, diverting scarce public resources to fight wood pallet fires that diminish air quality and also waste vital and increasingly scarce water resources, especially in arid regions like Arizona. We have far too much evidence about the risks wood pallets pose to our society. We can no longer ignore them. There simply needs to be a uniform safety standard for all shipping pallets to protect the public and natural resources."

iGPS is a provider of all-plastic pallets embedded with RFID technology. Unlike iGPS pallets, wood pallets are currently exempt from the fire safety testing required of pallets made of plastic and other alternative materials.

When stored in and around warehouses, wood pallets provide fuel for rapidly spreading, intense fires that endanger the lives of workers, firefighters and surrounding businesses and homes. In the course of a typical day, wood pallets are damaged, crushed, splintered, and rubbed together, creating wood dust which can trigger a severe explosion.

Moore: "Plastic pallets adhere to the strictest federal standards possible for fire safety. It simply does not make sense that wood pallets, which are highly flammable and can produce toxic smoke from the chemicals they absorb, are not held to equal standards."

Burning wood pallets release toxic fumes and chemicals such as carbon monoxide and aldehydes, but also cause an economic toll with local businesses suffering billions of dollars in damages, lost jobs and productivity. This can have a trickle-down effect on other businesses that rely on the goods shipped on these pallets.

It has also been recommended that the federal government establish national sanitary standards for the pallet industry to curb the threat of contamination to the U.S. food supply.

Plastic pallets are 30 percent lighter than wood, which saves on transport costs and helps reduce green house gases. Embedded pallet RFID tags enable shippers and receivers to track and trace shipments.

MORE INFO? www.igps.net or 321-281-9212

FIRE SERVICE SAFETY LEADERSHIP AWARD GOES TO NATIONAL VOLUNTEER FIRE COUNCIL, VIRGINIA FIRE CHIEFS ASSOCIATION & CITY OF NEW YORK FIRE DEPARTMENT
Originally Posted: April 2, 2010 12:55 PM
Last Updated: April 2, 2010 12:55 PM

National Volunteer Fire Council, Virginia Fire Chiefs Association and City of New York Fire Department have been selected to receive the 2010 Senator Paul S. Sarbanes Fire Service Safety Leadership Award.

The awards will be presented at the 22nd Annual National Fire and Emergency Services Dinner on April 29, 2010 in Washington DC. Named after retired-Senator Paul S. Sarbanes of Maryland, a strong advocate of our nation's firefighters and rescue personnel during his 36-year career in Congress, the award recognizes organizations for their outstanding contributions to firefighter health and safety. Both State Farm Insurance and VFIS serve as the corporate supporters of the award program.

The National Volunteer Fire Council is being honored for establishing the Volunteer Firefighter Health and Safety Priorities. The priorities are categorized in four areas of practices - Behavior, Equipment, Standards and Codes, and Training - forming the acronym BEST. The NVFC is sharing these practices through an aggressive outreach program that includes the production of 30,000 posters that have been sent to fire departments across the country. They have also promoted the program through fire publications and local media. Additional information about the program is available on the NVFC website (www.nvfc.org).

The Virginia Fire Chiefs Association is being recognized for the Virginia Fire Officer Academy, a program VFCA established in 2007 to enforce the 16 life safety initiatives of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. To date, the program has graduated 120 students from all parts Virginia and other states. A key factor in the program's success is the support provided by a number of organizations and associations including the Virginia Department of Fire Programs, the University of Richmond's Jepson School of Leadership, the Virginia Firefighters Association and the Virginia Professional Firefighters Association.

The City of New York Fire Department was selected for their commitment to enhance the safety programs within the agency and to work at the implementation of the Life Safety Initiatives through the use of a tailored video program portraying an FDNY version of the "Everyone Goes Home" Program. Under the auspicious of the Chief of Department, and in conjunction with the Department's Safety Office they have significantly reduced burn injury occurrences to the members of the FDNY while fostering a belief that "firefighters can only save others if they remain safe themselves."

Congressional Fire Service Institute President Bill Jenaway and National Fallen Firefighers Foundation Chairman Dennis Compton issued a joint statement recognizing the recipients for their achievements.

"We are honoring three organizations for their outstanding efforts to enhance firefighter health and safety at the national, state and local levels. While we will be paying special recognition to these organizations at the National Fire and Emergency Services Dinner, there are a growing number of organizations throughout the nation embracing the ideals of the Sarbanes Award and the Life Safety Initiatives and to them we extend our gratitude and congratulations."

MORE INFO? www.cfsi.org and www.firehero.org or
900 2nd St. NE, Suite 303 Washington DC 20002
Tel: (202) 371-1277 Fax: (202) 682-3473
Bill Webb: (202) 371-1277 or bwebb@cfsi.org
Ron Siarnicki (410) 721-6212 or rsiarnicki@firehero.org

TYCO TO REVEAL SECOND QUARTER SALES APRIL 27, 2010
Originally Posted: April 1, 2010 10:42 AM
Last Updated: April 1, 2010 10:42 AM

Tyco International Ltd. (Schaffhausen, Switzerland) will report its results for the second quarter of fiscal 2010 before trading begins on Tuesday, April 27, 2010. A conference call will begin at 8:00 AM ET. The call can be accessed via http://investors.tyco.com.

By telephone: For both "listen-only" participants and those participants who wish to take part in the question-and-answer portion of the call, the telephone dial-in number in the United States is (888) 455-5685. The telephone dial-in number for participants outside the United States is (773) 799-3896, passcode 'Tyco'.

An audio replay of the conference call will be available beginning at 4:00 p.m. on April 27, 2010 and ending at 10:59pm (CT) on May 3, 2010. The dial-in number for participants in the United States is (800) 756-0715. For participants outside the United States, the replay dial-in number is (203) 369-3427.

Tyco International Ltd. provides security, fire protection and detection products and services, valves and controls, and other industrial products. Tyco had 2009 revenue of $17 billion and 100,000 employees worldwide.

MORE INFO? www.tyco.com

IS THERE A BETTER WAY TO DISPATCH AMBULANCES? PHILADELPHIA, RICHMOND, SEATTLE AND HOUSTON SAY YES
Originally Posted: April 1, 2010 10:34 AM
Last Updated: April 1, 2010 10:34 AM

As the demand for Emergency Medical Services in Philadelphia, PA has increased, the Fire Department has struggled to keep up:

• The number of EMS responses rose from 165,000 in FY1999 to 210,000 in FY 2006.

• The percentage of ambulances reaching the patient in less than nine minutes
dropped from 77.50% in 2003 to 59.77% in 2006.

• The Fire Deprtment has 50 ambulances:
o 24 full-time ALS
o 12 peak ALS
o 19 full-time BLS
o 5 peak BLS

• According to industry standards, the Fire Department should have 70 ambulances, based on the size and population of the city.

• Philadelphia Fire Department ambulance units are overworked, making 8,000 runs a year, nearly three times the recommended workload of about 2,500-3,000 runs per ambulance per year.

Recommendation: Tele-nursing, a tool used in other cities, to reduce demand for responses, which can save money and free up resources for serious emergencies.

• Tele-nursing diverts about 2,500 ambulances per year in 3 cities in the U.S.

• The use of tele-nurses saves over $660,000 per year in these 3 cities.

• Tele-nursing has resulted in no reported medical emergencies or inappropriate
diversions in cities where it has been implemented.

If tele-nursing were implemented in Philadelphia, the Controller’s Office anticipates the following benefits to the EMS system, based on similar systems in use in other cities:

Responses diverted: 3,991 per year, although it may be as high as 18,789.

Cost savings: $320,653 per year, although it may be as high as
$2,588,693.

2007 audit of the Philadelphia Fire Department’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Unit performed by the Comptroller found that resources have been stretched thin for years, and that the quality and timeliness of that service suffers.

EMS resources are limited so their use should be prioritized. The 2007 report recommended a number of resource utilization improvements, including: “revise, to the extent possible, the existing policy of providing a response to every 9-1-1 call received,” and to “implement a priority
dispatch system.”

Increasing efficiency and efficacy of Philadelphia’s EMS Units means implementing “tele-nursing” in the emergency dispatch system. Tele-nursing (also called “tele-triage”) is the utilization of nurses within the 9-1- 1 network to divert non-emergency calls from dispatchers (and ultimately EMS Units) to
trained personnel who can direct the caller towards an appropriate course of action.

The Controller’s Office analyzed the savings associated with tele-nursing in three cities.

Emergency Call Center operators, upon receiving a call that is not obviously one that needs immediate action, use a series of prescribed questions to determine the seriousness of the case. If the caller is, for example, in need of care for a toothache, flu symptoms, a bloody nose, or a sprained ankle, the operator can divert that call to a registered nurse who will then recommend treatment to the caller.

By diverting non-emergency calls, EMS resources are more readily available for the calls where they are needed and will be able to get to those patients faster.

The percent of ambulances reaching the patient in less than nine minutes, the industry standard, dropped from 77.50% in 2003 to 59.77% in 2006.

As the number of incidents has risen, so has the strain on the EMS network. The PFD staffs thirty three ambulances 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The remaining 17 units are used for “peak hours” and staffed at varying hours and days of the week.

According to the International Association of Firefighters, a city the size of Philadelphia should have as many as 70 full-time units to avoid running out of resources at any given time.

When a person dials 9-1-1, the call is received by the City of Philadelphia’s Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP), operated by the Philadelphia Police Department. Callers in need of fire or medical assistance are rerouted to the Fire Communications Center (FCC). Following established protocols, the dispatcher asks the caller a series of questions to determine the
severity of the medical emergency.
1. Code Blue — calls of this nature generally involve an emergency where the caller
describes the patient as not breathing.

2. Advanced Life Support or Trauma — denotes an ALS/Trauma situation such as a patient described as having difficulty breathing, in cardiac arrest, as having a stroke, or as having been the victim of a shooting, stabbing, or falling from a distance of greater than 10 feet.

3. Basic Life Support — refers to a BLS event and involves conditions such as minor injuries, minor bleeding, flu-like symptoms, or simply not feeling well.

While calls are prioritized by these three categories, they are not dispatched according to their priority level—ambulances are dispatched based on the time of the call (first-come- first-served). Implementing a priority dispatch system, along with utilizing tele-nursing to reduce the number of non-emergency incident responses, will decrease the time it takes to respond to patients who need help the fastest.

Tele-nursing has been used for many years in England and other Commonwealth nations.

Three other jurisdictions in the U.S. employ tele-nursing: Seattle, WA introduced tele-nursing in 2000, Richmond, VA has used it since 2006 and Houston, TX introduced it in July 2008.

Richmond’s system, which was developed and is operated by the city (rather than by an outside vendor), has cost $336,000 since implementation in 2006, for an average of about $84 per call. In Richmond, contract nurses work side-by-side with emergency dispatchers at a fixed annual cost, which results in a higher average cost per call. As usage increases, the per-call cost decreases and it has declined to about $50/call.

Seattle and Houston both out-source their tele-nursing, while
Richmond keeps theirs in-house. All three use software to determine diversion based on a series of questions—which are based on one of a number of protocols. In each, the computer prompts the dispatch operator to ask a number of simple questions, and instructs them to divert or send an ambulance depending on the answers. It is important to note that the ‘send an ambulance’ prompt can appear at any time in the questioning, and an ambulance will be immediately dispatched if the caller ever explicitly asks for one. In
Houston and Richmond, tele-nurses follow up with callers after the call to ensure their well-being. Seattle does not require nurses or dispatchers to follow up, although they do so in some cases.

MORE INFO? Philadelphia Fire Department