Emergency Response


Deadline Extended: Junior Firefighter Scholarship, Grant Applications Due June 1

The program will award a combined total of $100,000 in scholarships to junior firefighters to fund their pursuits in higher education in 2009.

Coast Guard Issues Memorial Day Boating Safety Advisory

"Some infrequent or inexperienced boaters and paddlers can easily overestimate their ability, and when you compound that with high spirits, alcohol, and youthful exuberance you've got an excellent equation for bringing closure to your plans for the future," said Al Johnson, recreational boating safety specialist for the First Coast Guard District.

USFA Issues Medical Facility Fires Topical Report

The Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has issued a special report, part of its Topical Fire Report Series, examining the causes and characteristics of fires in medical facilities.

a worker wears a medical mask for protection against disease

CA Aerosol Transmissible Disease Standard Adopted

The standard will require hospitals, health and correctional facilities, EMS, homeless shelters, labs, and others to develop control measures to lower employees' risk of infection.

Firm Charged with Chemical Inventory Reporting Violations Pays $93,392

The facility failed to report many hazardous chemicals stored at the site including sulfuric acid, lead, zinc, and hydrochloric acid, EPA said.



New England Coast Guard to Conduct Small Vessel Emergency Training

The second annual workshop is geared to owners, operators, and crewmen of small passenger vessels, which are classified as commercial vessels that carry six or more paying passengers.

a swimming pool

5,000 Pool Chemical Injuries Treated Annually

A study in CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report is timed to 2009 National Recreational Water Illness Prevention Week (May 18-24) with the aim of educating parents, instructors, pool maintenance workers, and others.

Big EMS Gains Contributed by r2p Winners

This year's awards recognize research that made ambulances safer for EMS workers and passengers and also EMS protective clothing recommendations used in the 2008 edition of the NFPA 1999 standard.

Revised First Aid Kit Standard Wins ANSI Approval

ANSI/ISEA Z308.1-2009 designates new kit types and expands the required supply list to include a first aid guide.

a firefighters hat

Fires in Vacant Buildings Increasing, NFPA Warns

The trend is worrisome because the growth of these fires is outpacing the rise in total home fires, and the number of vacant U.S. housing units hit consecutive 40-year peaks in 2006, 2007, and 2008, the association reported.

DOT Honors Mariners in Rescue of Flight 1549

Yesterday, transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today presented Merchant Marine Outstanding Achievement Medals to civilian mariners who participated in the rescue of the passengers and crew of US Airways Flight 1549. The event was held at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York City, overlooking the site of the Flight 1549 crash landing on the Hudson River.

Coast Guard Stresses Cold Water Dangers

"Plain and simple, if things go wrong on the water and you’re not prepared for the immediate shock of sudden cold water immersion, your chance for survival is greatly reduced," said Al Johnson, the recreational boating specialist for the First Coast Guard District in Boston.

USFA Evaluates Firefighting Tactics Under Wind Driven Conditions

The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), in cooperation with the Fire Protection Research Foundation, the Polytechnic Institute of New York University, the Fire Department of New York City, and the Chicago Fire Department, have completed work on evaluating several firefighting tactics under wind driven conditions.

2009 Assistance to Firefighters Grant Application Deadline Approaches

The U.S. Fire Administration is reminding the public that time is running out to submit an application for the 2009 Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG). Completed applications must be submitted no later than 5 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, May 20, 2009.

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