New Firecom wireless headsets now feature listen-through technology. You control who and what you hear at the push of a button—for precise situational awareness. Come try them out at FDIC in Indianapolis this year at Booth 1317.

NEW 500-SERIES WIRELESS HEADSETS

• Turn-on-and-go—ready when the rig fires up
• Extra comfortable—for those back-to-back-to-back calls
• Reliable range—up to 1600 feet, even with ladders
• Our clearest audio ever
• Easy to install—less components, fewer power-drops
• Flexible comms—monitor up to 4-radios, create separate channels, set intercom and broadcast modes. so much flexible control
• Plenty of battery life—24 hours for the long shift

HERE'S THE BEST PART... LISTEN-THROUGH

You’re in complete control for precise situational awareness.

YOU CONTROL WHO AND WHAT YOU HEAR

DIAL IN THE PERFECT MIX OF COMMUNICATION AND SAFETY

Push-button control for conversation volume and ambient sound. You decide how much external sound to let in—the entire crew stays in contact, amplifies situational awareness and still get’s hearing protection, all-in-one.

About Firecom

Since 1989, Firecom has supplied leading edge technology in advanced communication devices to the fire and rescue industry.
From our completely wireless headsets to our rugged, durable intercom systems, Firecom has built the most trusted name in the industry by continuously developing innovative products. With a first-class customer service department and a knowledgeable dealer network, Firecom leads the way in communication equipment by continually focusing on quality, hearing protection, ease of use, and system features that improve fire crew safety and effectiveness.The first Firecom intercom system was introduced in 1990 at the Fire Department Instructors Conference. Since that time, Firecom has maintained a very close relationship with fire departments, striving to research and develop new advancements, always improving safety and communication effectiveness.

By Derek Rosenfeld

The first day of FDIC International 2017's preconference workshops continued into the afternoon as New York University Senior Research Scientist Prabodh Panidre was joined by Fire Department of New York Engine Co. #38 Captain Erik Smith to present "Multimedia Training for Firefighters: Residential Fires and Cardiovascular Health” in Room 138-9.

Panidre and Smith offered students an interactive, hands-on classroom experience with ALIVE (Advanced Learning Integrated through Visual Environments), a scenario-based, interactive, multimedia training methodology that disseminates firefighter safety related research and educates firefighters for a wide variety of firefighting topics.

"Panidre Researchers have made substantial progress in developing technologies and tactics to improve firefighter safety, but firefighter training and dissemination have not kept pace, and the gap between science-based interventions and widespread firefighting practice remains large," said Panidre.

"Through research and development activity of the Assistance to Firefighters Grants Program, in 2009, New York University and fire departments from New York, Chicago, and Minneapolis developed ALIVE."

Here, they conduct polling on a question posed to class students by the ALIVE (Advanced Learning Integrated through Visual Environments) program on large home fires:

Panidre continued, "Experiments conducted with firefighters in three substantially different topics showed that the quality of learning using ALIVE was superior to traditional methods at a statistically significant level, including better post-training and on long-term retention tests.

"In partnership with fire departments from New York, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, and Minneapolis and leading research institutions including Underwriters Laboratories, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the Illinois Fire Service Institute, and Skidmore College, we have developed four training modules for nationwide fire service: residential fire dynamics: science and safer tactical considerations, cardiovascular health of firefighters, fires in lightweight construction, and wind-driven high-rise fires."

Here, they examine a suburban house fire in Maryland used by the ALIVE program to ask students questions about ventilation:

These free training modules have been used by more than 60,000 firefighters from all 50 states, adopted by more than 800 fire departments, and featured in more than 500 newswires. 

---

"Many factors contribute to the number of deaths and injuries, but a likelihood is that many firefighters may not have been aware of the advancements that could have changed these tragic outcomes. Education is the key, and well educated firefighter is the safe firefighter!"

---

Here, they use the ALIVE program to pose questions resulting from a deadly Houston, Texas, fire and consider the research and input from Underwriters Laboratories Senior Research Engineer Dan Madrzykowski to the importance and success of the ALIVE program.

"ALIVE a is highly interactive user-friendly trainin

“We must begin to think about safety differently.  We must embrace Health as well as Safety: To be safe, you must be healthy,” Feature Speaker Denise Smith, director of the Skidmore College First Responder Health and Safety Laboratory, stressed in her address at Thursday’s General Session. She asked the audience “to think more deeply about what constitutes health and what constitutes safety and the relative effort devoted to each.” 

Smith, who has been working since 1991 with the Illinois Fire Service Institute to more completely understand the effect of personal protective equipment (PPE) on firefighter heat stress, explained, what she labeled “startling,” the results of what she considered “a pretty straightforward research study”: “When firefighters walked on a treadmill for 15 minutes in fully encapsulating PPE, they had maximal heart rates (HRs). This was surprising because they were walking only 2.2 miles per hour. When they were wearing their station uniforms, their HR increased only to 120 beats per minute--a ‘low workload.’” These results, she said, “verified that fully encapsulated gear indeed increases thermal strain and indicated that firefighters need to be more attentive to heat stress than in the past.”

This project, Smith explained, led to many questions--but most especially why cardiac events are the leading cause of line-of-duty deaths (LODDs)? “The science was absolutely compelling,” Smith reported: “no other occupational group experiences such severe cardiovascular strain. “We have documented that essentially every system of the body is disrupted by firefighting,” Smith noted. In addition, she said, “We have shown that even in young, healthy participants, firefighting leads to maximal heart rates, decreases in blood volume and stroke volume, increased arterial stiffness, and increased blood clotting potential. We have also provided models that describe how cardiovascular disease risk factors and individual behaviors increase the risk of sudden cardiac events.”  

Smith listed (and applauded) numerous major safety initiatives that have led to a reduction in LODDs, including the use of incident command and safety officers; the 360°-size up; the two-in/two-out rule; radio communications; improvements in PPE and advances in breathing apparatus; the widespread use of thermal imaging cameras; safer apparatus; SOPs on emergency operations, vehicle operations, Maydays, and so on; the seat belt pledge; rescue ropes; the adoption of 1403; and support for minimum staffing. 

However, she told the audience, “these safety measures cannot protect YOU from the greatest risk you face--heart attacks or other cardiac issues.” She then posed this question: “In light of fatality statistics AND research data documenting the cardiovascular strain of firefighters, are we properly balancing our efforts at health and safety to combat cardiovascular deaths and injuries as well as the other risks firefighters face?” 

Smith reported that several important health initiatives are underway, very good resources are available for departments, and many fire departments have taken a leadership role in ensuring the health of their members. “But, she quickly interjected, “there are still too many cases in which we must overcome hurdles, meet challenges, and save lives.” 

She invited audience members who advocate for safety also to become a champion for health because “to safely perform firefighting activity, YOU must be healthy enough and fit enough.” She urged them to consider health challenges in the same way they consider safety risks when approaching the fire scene: “Do a 360° size-up and become aware of the threats to your health, including cardiovascular disease and cancer. “That means,” she elaborated, “getting an NPFA 1582-

Fire Engineering Senior Editor Mary Jane Dittmar posed the following question to some of our FDIC International 2017 instructors:

"During the past year, was there an event, an occurrence, or a bit of knowledge you came across that moved you to think, "Wow! I must remember to include that in my FDIC class or workshop this year?"

Tiger Schmittendorf

“The greatest expectation of this Xbox generation is get clear expectations!” according to Tiger Schmittendorf, regarding his Monday, April 24 (8am-12pm), workshop, “From the Xbox to the Box Alarm: Understanding and Engaging Today’s Firefighters.” 

“My generation has unrealistic expectations of today’s generation. We assume that they should just know something that is common sense to us. A young Xbox generation firefighter and U.S. Marine recruiter, Alex Sutter of the Waldorf (MD) Volunteer Fire Department, immediately emphatically posed the question, “Do we need to hold up a sign that says, ‘I want your help. I want to learn from you?’ ”

“I immediately scrawled a makeshift sign that said exactly that. Before he could turn his sign toward the more seasoned firefighters, his fellow firefighter Ryan Allen edited the sign and chimed in, “We want your help. We want to learn from you!”

It was a breakthrough moment for the more experienced firefighters participating in the conversation, and reinforced my purpose for sharing the conversation: Changing our perspective that the Xbox generation are all ‘unmotivated-slackers’ to the more realistic one that most of them are simply starved for strong, effective leadership. 

“The harsh reality is that there is no alternate generation hanging out in a parallel universe waiting to swoop down and save the fire service. They are it. They’re here now, and they have many of the answers to how we can connect with them. We need to get on with the business of training our replacements.”

Tom Merrill

A video of an enraged motorist deliberately driving her car into the fire apparatus blocking the road is a new element in Tom Merrill’s Monday, April 24, 1:30pm-5:30pm afternoon workshop, “The Professional Volunteer Fire Department.” 

“She drove at a decent rate of speed into the front end of a pumper truck. Fortunately, no firefighters were injured, but certainly there was damage to the fire engine. Wow! If that doesn’t remind us that we are dealing with a different mindset today, nothing will.” 

 According to Merrill, it’s “just one example of how different the world is today and how much more scrutinizing the public is about everything─even when it comes to the operations of their local volunteer fire department.” 

“In years past, a volunteer fire department was a treasured community asset and, fortunately, still is in many areas,” he added. But “I am just a volunteer” cannot be used as a crutch today for poor performance, bad behavior, or for members not being held accountable. “It can be a nasty world out there, and nobody get a free pass,” according to Merrill. Paid or volunteer, it’s imperative to operate in a professional manner,” he concluded.

John K. Murphy 

“Most disturbing today is the amount of discrimination among our firefighters and the amazing amount of money paid out to resolve these issues,” John K. Murphy said, discussing his Monday, April 24 130pm to 530pm worksh