Seat Belts: A Continuing Issue
(Source: National Fallen Firefighters Foundation)
The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) issued a Public Service Announcement (PSA) last week regarding NASCAR driver, Joey Logano, who encouraged firefighters to wear seat belts. In his statement, Logano expressed the importance of seat belts to reduce preventable firefighter injuries and deaths.
When examining the NFFF research, t he Emergency Management and Response – Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) learned that each year there are thousands of accidents resulting in injury to fire service personnel not wearing seat belts. For example, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 2011 Firefighter Fatality Report (PDF, 212 Kb), nine firefighters were killed in emergency vehicle crashes in 2010. Four of those deaths were at least partially attributed to the lack of seat belt use. An NFPA analysis of this continuing issue suggests an attitude exists at some localities that seat belts hinder checking personnel protective equipment and reduce the speed and mobility firefighters must have when responding to an emergency.
The NFFF asserts that the overwhelming activity to ensure everyone arrives safely is the wearing of seat belts. An NFFF member stated: “We have seen many accidents where firefighters escaped serious injury due to the fact they were belted in.” Therefore, “our culture must embrace wearing seat belts as a crucial part of operational guidelines.”
The PSA is the second in a series produced by the NFFF for the International First Responder Seat Belt Pledge . The pledge makes it easier for firefighters to participate in the initiative and receive recognition for their commitment. It can be downloaded for printing here (PDF, 759 Kb).
Community Preparedness Measures
(Source: DomesticPreparedness.com)
In his article, “ Before Disaster Strikes: Five Preparedness Measures Every Community Should Know ,” Andrew Sachs, a crisis management specialist, wrote that there are preparedness matters many communities do not think about before calamity strikes. He explained that there are five administrative activities cities and states must perform—well in advance, and in considerable detail—to protect their critical infrastructure and citizens from any unforeseen man-made or natural disaster.
To expedite successful recovery from a catastrophic event, the author emphasized five essential steps for the consideration of community emergency managers and planners. His recommended actions are summarized by the Emergency Management and Response – Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) as follows:
- Augment the emergency management staff with knowledgeable individuals (e.g., disaster-recovery experts) for longer-term assistance to meet an unexpected and added workload.
- Execute no-cost pre-event contracts with vendors who offer services (e.g., debris management and monitoring, engineering and evaluation) that will likely be needed and can be activated immediately following a disaster.
- Review and assess the emergency authorities a community already has or will be available, and understand how those authorities will support immediate and long-term recovery needs.
- Ensure awareness of eligibility and entitlements to public infrastructure grants before arrival of the FEMA Public Assistance Program Specialist.
- Establish a “rainy day” fund to subsidize initial recovery efforts with the expectation that a disaster will adversely affect municipal finances for possibly extended periods of time.
See FEMA Preparedness Resources for Communities for more information.
Criminal Intelligence Resources Guide
(Source: U.S. Department of Justice)
The Emergency Management and Response – Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) received a draft of the Criminal Intelligence Resources Guide (PDF, 2.1 Mb) released in late June by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). The unclassified document is a collection of intelligence information sharing products and resources, which aims to capture a valuable representation of the intelligence-related sources available to the intelligence community.
The Criminal Intelligence Coordinating Council believes the guide is a significant asset to law enforcement agencies by providing a single document of well-organized intelligence products and resources. The guide contains a listing of available open-source products and a brief summary of what each product entails.
According to the DOJ, the document should be considered a “living document,” and “persistent effort will be employed to continually update it as new resources are identified.”
National 9-1-1 Assessment Guidelines
(Source: 9-1-1 Magazine.com)
The Emergency Management and Response—Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) was notified that the National 9-1-1 Assessment Guidelines (PDF, 125 Kb) are now available for public comment at the 9-1-1 Resource Center. Comments received will be considered prior to the release of the final guidelines.
The National 9-1-1 Assessment Guidelines will serve as a comprehensive benchmark for statewide 9-1-1 systems to measure their progress as a unique and important entity, and will help to facilitate a coordinated effort to advance 9-1-1 across the country. The guidelines represent high level functions that should exist within a statewide 9-1-1 system. They are intended to be used as the basis for statewide system assessments to assist states in achieving their best level of 9-1-1 service.
Interested personnel can provide comments using the comment form found at the 9-1-1 Resource Center. The comment form should be submitted by e-mail to this specific Resource Center electronic address. The comment period will remain open until 26 September 2011.
More information about the guidelines can be seen at 9-1-1 Magazine.com. |
