NFPA Journal - May/June 2013 - (Page 16)

FPA Journal GOT YOUR APP YET? he app lets t offline on Get the new NFPA Journal app at nfpa.org/journalapp A large fire in the Chinatown section of New York City in 2010 caused millions of dollars in property damage. One person died and hundreds were left homeless. ll advantage of the Internet on new digital version. sents all of the magazine’s print magazine, with all websites ant access. The digital Journal d, iPhone, and Android. sizing the importance of partnerships between the fire service and residents in he digital version of our reducing communities’ wildfire risk. fpa.org/journalapp. Before the Smoke! Preparing Your Community for Wildfire (Strategies for Small & Volunteer Fire Departments), offered on DVD by NFPA’s Wildland Fire Operations Division, features local fire departments in Arkansas, Colorado, and Minnesota, and contains interviews with residents and firefighters as they prepare their homes against the threat of wildfire. Communities in the wildland/urban interface (WUI) can be left vulnerable by budget cuts and limited fire suppression resources. Against this backdrop, the video highlights each community’s struggles and successes as they undertake the strategic identification of at-risk homes and create defensible space, steps that can result in less structural damage in the event of fire and less reliance on costly suppression. The video shows how the departments are able to leverage their resources to focus on areas with the most critical need. The DVD is available at no charge through nfpa.org/catalog, in the “Wildfire Safety” section. EV Safety Training Program Adapted for Canada NFPA is partnering with the Standards Council of Canada (SCC) to adapt its first-responder training program for electric vehicles (EVs) to better suit Canadian needs and policies. The increasing number of electric vehicles on North American roads made it apparent that a standardized training program was needed, according to John Walter, chief executive officer of the SCC. The NFPA program, designed for first responders in the United States, was seen as a valuable training model that could be readily adapted for Canadian needs. The safety training is designed for fire service, police, emergency medical services, tow truck operators, and other first responders called upon to handle emergency situations involving EVs. A committee will evaluate the NFPA program with the conditions and requirements of emergency personnel in Canada, with training packages available by mid-2013. 16 NFPA JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2013 BY THE NUMBERS What Cost Really Costs Findings from NFPA’s The Total Cost of Fire in the United States report Total cost estimate of fire in the U.S. in 2010: $328 billion Percent of GDP: 2.2 Total cost estimate of fire in the U.S. in 1980: $237 billion Percent of GDP: 3.3 Reported civilian fire deaths in 2010: 3,120 Reported civilian fire deaths in 1980: 6,505 Percent of the 2010 total cost of fire represented by “core total cost,” including building construction for fire protection, local career fire department expenditures, net fire insurance, and economic losses including property damage: 33 Rank of economic losses compared to the other components of core total cost, out of four: 4 Estimated economic costs due to fire in 2010: $14.8 billion Percent of 2010 economic costs resulting from direct property damage: 89 Percent change in economic loss as a result of fire from 1980 to 2010: –29 Cost of career fire departments in 2010: $42.6 billion Percent change in fire department expenditures from 1980 to 2010: +182 Estimated monetary value of donated time from volunteer firefighters in 2010: $140.7 billion As percent of total cost of fire: 43 For a summary of the report and links to the complete document, visit nfpa.org/totalcost. —Jennifer Smith Fire and Life Safety Educator of the Year award Tracy Koslowski, public education officer of the Drexel Heights Fire District in Tucson, Arizona, has been named winner of the 2013 Fire and Life Safety Educator of the Year. The award honors fire and life safety educators in local fire departments who use NFPA’s materials in consistent and creative ways and demonstrate excellence and innovation in community outreach. Koslowski established fire and life safety outreach programs for preteen and teenage fitness and fire preparedness, wheeled sports safety including all-terrain vehicle crashes, and child passenger safety, among others. During her tenure, Drexel Heights Fire District partnered with NFPA’s Safe Community project to create safety fair events that each reach 5,000 residents. Koslowski has advanced fire safety education programs using NFPA materials, such as Learn Not to Burn®, Risk Watch®, and Remembering When™: A Fire and Fall Prevention Program for Older Adults, for 20 years. Photograph: Top, Corbis http://www.nfpa.org/journalapp http://www.nfpa.org/catalog http://www.nfpa.org/totalcost

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NFPA Journal - May/June 2013

NFPA Journal - May/June 2013
Contents
First Word
In a Flash
Perspectives
Firewatch
Research
Heads Up
Structural Ops
In Compliance
Buzzwords
Outreach
Electrical Safety
Wildfire Watch
Treasurer's Report
Work in Progress
Amping It Up
Drill Team
Working Together
Code Process 2.0
Routine Maintenance
Here, There, Everywhere
Section Spotlight
Expo Preview: Exhibitors' Showcase
Looking Back

NFPA Journal - May/June 2013