FIREFIGHTER FOR A DAY | Part I: FireOps 101 is a chance to see what they face
The point of FireOps 101, an annual event sponsored by the International Association of Firefighters District 7, is to give policymakers and the occasional media member an idea of what the job is like for firefighters in hopes that they will remember when it comes budget time.
April 10, 2013 Results were released today of a new federal government study conducted by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) that scientifically documents the effects of crew size in responding to fires in high-rise buildings.
Information and materials are now available online to help affiliates better understand the study and potential ways to use it with local press and decision makers based on their jurisdiction and situation. The toolkit includes sample press releases and sample op-ed that can be modified/customized to submit to local newspapers, radio stations and television stations.
Whether your jurisdiction is contemplating cuts to crew sizes or you need additional evidence to document why crew sizes need to be increased for public safety and fire fighter safety, this groundbreaking study is an invaluable resource for IAFF affiliates to use to educate policy and decision makers about why having too few fire fighters on each apparatus can cost lives and property in high-rise building fires.
Additional information, including a video description of this landmark high-rise fire study is available here.
The study results were announced at a press event held April 10 during the 2013 Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Conference in Phoenix, Arizona. Click here to watch the video.
The High-Rise study complements a 2010 NIST study that shows that the size of fire fighting crews affects the ability to protect lives and property in residential fires.
