NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 13

Dispatches Briefs
Bill would fund
US fire station
upgrades
In 2019, NFPA
released a report
that shed light on
America's aging fire
and EMS infrastructure.
It found that
more than 40 percent
of the nation's
fire stations are
over 40 years old,
with deficiencies in
ventilation systems
and backup power
and other significant
shortcomings.
Now that report
has spurred national
stations across the
United States, " said
NFPA President Jim
Pauley. " Too many
stations lack proper
ventilation, backup
power, and facilities
for the growing
number of female
firefighters. We are
pleased to support
this important effort
by Congressman
Pascrell and other
leaders of the
Congressional Fire
Services Caucus to
invest in improvements
to our nation's
fire stations. "
Protection Research
Foundation that
examines firefighter
breathing air replenishment
systems
(FARS)-a new technology
that would
provide firefighters
battling blazes on the
upper levels of highrise
buildings with
supplies of fresh air
without the need to
replace tanks.
" The two crucial
elements necessary
for firefighters to
fight any fire are
water and air. While
water standpipes are
said they would be
interested in using
it, but more than 60
percent said they
had some concerns
over air quality and
system maintenance.
" While FARS
seems to be a possible
replacement
for conventional
bottle-brigading
techniques, the
fire service needs
information about
the appropriateness,
usage, quality, applicability,
safety, and
maintenance of the
system, " the report
concludes.
Download the full
report at nfpa.org/
fall2021briefs.
NFPA names
2021 award
winners
NFPA recently
announced the winners
of a number
of annual awards,
including the James
M. Shannon Advocacy
Medal and Life
Safety Educator of
the Year.
Gary Keith, former
legislation to help
correct the problem.
A bill introduced
by three United
States representatives
in June would
authorize $1 billion
in federal funding to
upgrade aging fire
and EMS facilities
across the country.
The bill represents a
bipartisan effort by
US Reps. Bill Pascrell,
Jr. (D-NJ), Brian Fitzpatrick
(R-PA), and
Michael Bost (R-IL),
all co-chairs of the
Congressional Fire
Services Caucus.
" NFPA's 2019
research report
identified significant
issues such as mold
and other firefighter
health issues at fire
In addition to
NFPA's support, the
new legislation has
also garnered praise
from the International
Association
of Fire Fighters, the
International Association
of Fire Chiefs,
and the National Volunteer
Fire Council.
New report
looks at air
replenishment
for firefighters
Fire departments are
mixed in their reaction
to a novel new
air-replenishment
technology for fighting
high-rise fires.
That's one of the
findings in a recent
report from the Fire
readily accessible to
firefighters in highrises,
allowing them
to have a reliable
immediate water
source, the same is
not true for air, " the
foundation report
reads. " Firefighter air
replenishment systems
are essentially
standpipes for air. "
FARS technology
is in its infancy, and
there are no examples
of it in use in
high-rise buildings.
Still, by surveying
200 fire departments
across the country,
the report found
that nearly 60 percent
of firefighters
are already familiar
with the technology.
About 40 percent
president of the
Home Fire Sprinkler
Coalition (HFSC)
who also spent years
working at NFPA
and FM Global, won
the 2021 Shannon
Advocacy Medal.
Throughout his
career, Keith was a
staunch advocate
for home fire sprinklers;
less than a
year after he joined
NFPA in 1995, he
spearheaded efforts
that would eventually
lead to the
formation of HFSC.
He also helped
lead NFPA's efforts
to pass fire-safe
cigarette legislation,
among other
accomplishments.
Lauri Volkert, a
fire inspector from
Windsor, Connecticut,
won the 2021
Fire and Life Safety
Educator of the Year
award. " Creating
and implementing
an effective fire prevention
program is
critical to increased
safety, but that's
often a lot easier
said than done given
today's stretched
budgets and staffing, "
said Lorraine
Carli, vice president
of Outreach &
Advocacy at NFPA.
" Lauri's passion, creativity,
and hard work
have generated measurable,
impactful
results for the town
of Windsor. We're
proud to recognize
and celebrate her
impressive efforts
and continued commitment
to safety. "
Among Volkert's
accomplishments
are bringing NFPA's
Remembering
When™ fall and fire
prevention program
to about 200
households in her
community, as well
as strengthening
the town's fire safety
education outreach
to pre-kindergarten
through sixth-grade
students.
Also in May, NFPA,
along with HFSC,
announced Paul
Eichler, an operations
battalion
chief with the Anne
Arundel County Fire
Department in Maryland,
as the winner
of the 2021 Bringing
Safety Home Award.
The award is given
each year to individuals
for excellence
in advocating for
home fire sprinklers.
Eichler also chairs
the Delaware Fire
Sprinkler Coalition.
" On any given
day Battalion Chief
Eichler can be found
talking about the
need for built-in fire
protection in Delaware's
new homes, "
said Carli. " He uses
his voice to educate,
encourage, and
inspire safer communities,
and we are
pleased to recognize
these life safety
efforts. "
NFPA .ORG/JOURNAL * NFPA JOURNAL | 13
GETTY IMAGES
http://www.nfpa.org/fall2021brief http://www.nfpa.org/fall2021brief https://nfpa.org/journal
NFPA Journal - Fall 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NFPA Journal - Fall 2021
