ESO, the leading data and software company serving emergency medical services (EMS), fire departments, and hospitals, recently shared the trends it predicts will have the biggest impact on fire departments in 2019: Visibility and accessibility to data will continue to be important; mental health and wellness will grow in awareness; response to large-scale events will remain in the spotlight; and budget scrutiny will increase.

“In 2019, fire departments’ usage of data will evolve and play a vital role on both the operational side as well as helping create a narrative for the community,” said Shelley Koegler, Vice President of Fire for ESO. “Mental health and overall wellness, in particular cancer and cancer prevention, will gather momentum as topics of discussion in the industry.”

Key Fire Predictions for 2019:

·         Awareness of mental health and overall wellness will be an area of focus:

Increased acknowledgement of wear and tear (especially around cancer and suicide since they are the top two killers) – and ways to address the issue – will continue to gain momentum. Departments will need to create programs to prepare, educate, and respond to mental and physical health needs, including budget consideration, preventative measures, and the potential impact on other resources. From a software perspective, we will begin to see functions and features that create reporting and automatic flags to help agencies develop proactive programs for responders.

·         Large-scale events will place funding challenges and response times in the spotlight:

Large-scale events will continue to occur and bring into sharp focus funding challenges, response times, mutual aid resources, etc. Many large-scale events are regional in nature; however, the response to these types of events tends to be national in scope as departments from around the country send people and equipment to assist. Data will play an increasingly important role to help firefighters improve response planning and objectively provide responses to criticism of managing large-scale fires.

·         Visibility and accessibility to data will continue to increase in importance:

In 2019, the value and importance of data and data insights will increase as departments across the country leverage data to determine long-term impacts of code changes and to help shape implementation of service delivery enhancements. Additionally, data will help fire departments create a narrative that can easily be shared with government officials and citizens.

·         Budget scrutiny and pressure will continue to increase:

Budget scrutiny will continue to be an issue in 2019 and budget pressure will ratchet up. According to ESO’s 2018 Fire Trends Report, fire-related calls accounted for 30 percent of all calls while EMS-related calls accounted for about 70 percent of all calls, which will increase scrutiny around investments and budget dollars related to fire. Tracking of dollars to create benchmarks and measure relevant outcomes, including anticipating needs during large-scale events, will improve conversations with city council and local governing bodies.

Download the 2019 Fire Predictions whitepaper here.

CLINTON, Iowa (KCRG) - A firefighter who was severely injured during a Saturday blast in Clinton is improving, authorities said Sunday.

In an update to media outlets, city officials said Adam Cain is awake, alert and now breathing on his own. Cain had been listed in critical condition at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics following a fire at an ADM facility in Clinton.

Cain and fellow firefighter Lt. Eric Hosette had been working snuff out flames that had started in a silo storage bin when they were injured by an explosion. Hosette was rushed to an area hospital, but attempts to revive him were unsuccessful. 

Additional:
Clinton firefighter dies in explosion at ADM plant, The Gazette
Procession carries fallen firefighter's body home to Clinton, KCCI
Clinton community follows Lt. Hosette on his final ride to the fire station, KWQC

Fire Engineering:
Fires in Agricultural Silos
Grain Elevator Explosions and Fires

Clinton Iowa Fire Fighter - Eric Hosette - Procession Clip, Jefferson Monroe Fire Department

Fire Departments Pay Tribute to Fallen Firefighter, We Are Iowa Local 5 News

NEW YORK (NBC New York) - An FDNY firefighter died late Sunday after he fell more than 50 feet off a bridge in Brooklyn while trying to help injured people at the scene of a car wreck, officials say.

Probationary firefighter Steven Pollard, 30, who comes from a family of FDNY firefighters, rushed to the scene of the crash around 10 p.m. on the westbound side of the Belt Parkway, just east of Flatbush, FDNY Commissioner Daniel A. Nigro said early Monday at a press conference. Pollard tried jumping from one side to the other when he slipped through a gap on the Mill Basin overpass and plunged 52 feet to the concrete below.

Pollard, who was assigned to Ladder Company 170 in Brooklyn, was pronounced dead at an area hospital a short time later. He had been on the job for a year and a half and is the 1,151 member of the FDNY to die in the line of duty.

Additional:
        New York Firefighter Dies After Falling From Belt Parkway in Brooklyn, New York Times
FDNY firefighter dead after fall from bridge, New York Post
FDNY firefighter dies after falling off bridge in Brooklyn while on emergency call, New York Daily News

Firefighter Dies In Line Of Duty In Brooklyn, CBS New York

Related from JEMS:
Virginia Paramedic Dies After Fall from Interstate
After arriving on the scene of a busy major interstate, Weissman fell from an overpass while attempting to reach the vehicle involved.
LODD Report Released on Virginia Medic’s Fatal Fall
The investigative report compiled a list of 19 factors identified as a comprehensive human error framework.

Kokomo (IN) Fire Department, 110-foot Ascendant aerial platform quint. Enforcer cab and chassis; Detroit DD13 525-hp engine; Waterous CSU 2,000-gpm pump.