NFPA Journal - May/June 2017 - 84

First Responder by Ken Willette

DISPATCHES
FROM THE
EMERGENCY
RESPONDER
COMMUNITY

Tight Connection
EVENTS AT THIS YEAR'S CONFERENCE & EXPO UNDERSCORE THE
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN NFPA AND THE FIRE SERVICE

rom its founding in 1896,

Based on feedback from the fire service,
NFPA and the fire serNFPA has also developed a responder
vice have worked closely.
app, which will be unveiled at this year's
The first task we took on
NFPA Conference & Expo. The tool will
together shortly after our
give members of the fire service instant
founding was to standardize the couaccess via their smart devices to a vast
pling threads on fire hose and building
library of NFPA information, including
sprinkler systems fittings, ensuring that
public education resources, firefighter
fire departments wouldn't waste presafety bulletins, and alternative-fuel vehicious time fumbling with incompatible
cle responder safety tip sheets. The app
equipment. I'm nostalgic for a time when
will include interactive tools and knowlsolutions were so simple.
edge challenges, allowing firefighters to
The challenges
Today the challenges confronting the
test their expertise. It will also feature
confronting the fire
fire service are much more numerous
a fire service resource comparison data
service are much
and complex, from cancer and other
tool to allow departments to investigate
more numerous and
health issues to rapidly advancing techhow their departments compare with
complex, from
nologies to a more dangerous and toxic
similar departments across the country,
cancer and other
fire environment. For those reasons, it's
providing valuable information on staffhealth issues to
more critical than ever that cooperation
ing and equipment.
rapidly advancing
between NFPA and the fire service be
There's a lot of NFPA activity haptechnologies to a
maintained and strengthened. It's why
pening outside of the conference, too.
more dangerous
NFPA has doubled down on efforts to
We have recently launched an ambiand toxic fire
address key issues that the fire service
tious initiative to develop the National
environment.
has told us are a concern.
Fire Data System, which will allow fire
This year's NFPA Conference & Expo
departments to analyze their own inciin Boston is a great example of that comdent and operational data via a powerful
mitment. For the first time, this year's
analytics platform developed by NFPA.
conference will host a First Responder
As part of the project and at the behest
Health Forum within the conference, which will take a close of the fire service, NFPA will also develop an incident and
look at areas of major concern such as emerging technology, operational data collection system that is user friendly and
firefighter health and wellness, and occupational exposure to interfaces with other data collection systems to minimize the
carcinogens. These will not be typical presentations on what hassle of duplicate data entries. These powerful tools will
NFPA standards have to say. Instead, each will provide real- help departments manage the fire problem and increase their
world examples of what can be done to enhance firefighter firefighters' safety.
health and wellness and make firefighting safer.
The challenges keep coming for NFPA and the fire service,
Among the events planned is a talk on June 6 by Chief Kevin and the urgency to address them has only increased. Instead of
Quinn of Rhode Island, who will tell how a medical screening simple connection fixes to ensure that water can flow, today's
designed for the fire service caught a serious cardiac issue and problems require the flow of knowledge and information. I'm
saved his life. Boston Fire Commissioner Joseph Finn will share happy to say that those connections are tight and growing
how he and the Boston Fire Department are attacking the high stronger. I look forward to seeing you in Boston in June.
incidence of cancer among active and retired members. (For
KEN WILLETTE is first responder segment director at NFPA.
more on this topic, see "Facing Cancer," page 28.)

84 | NFPA JOURNAL * M A Y / J U N E 2 0 1 7

MICHAEL HOEWELER

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NFPA Journal - May/June 2017