NFPA Journal - September/October 2017 - 14

Dispatches Briefs
Lawmakers have
moved to allow
master plumbers to
legally install residential fire sprinklers in
single-family homes
in the state. The bill,
signed by the governor in July, requires
plumbers to take
32 hours of specialized training before
installing systems.
Proponents
including local
firefighters and the
state fire marshal
say that increasing the number of
people able to install
sprinklers will lower
costs and increase
adoption, moves
that will ultimately
save lives. Sprinkler
fitters, however, have
argued that 32 hours
isn't enough training
to understand the
intricacies of modern
sprinkler systems
and how to install
them correctly.

goes further than
any other such law in
the nation. The fire
service and many
researchers have
long held that the
products of combustion from furniture
laced with flame
retardants is particularly toxic and can
lead to higher rates
of cancer and other
health problems
among firefighters.
Opponents argue
that limiting the
chemicals puts lives
at risk by making fires
more likely to start.

Virginia

State lawmakers
in August upheld a
measure to severely
limit the amount of
chemical flame retar-

Virginia has become
the first state in the
nation to officially
adopt the longawaited FirstNet
communications
system for first
responders, Gov.
Terry McAuliffe
announced in July.
FirstNet and
AT&T will partner to
build, operate, and
maintain the secure
wireless broadband
network, which will
enable Virginia's
public safety members to communicate

dant used in furniture
sold in the state.
Beginning in 2019,
all new upholstered
furniture must be
made with materials
that contain no more
than 1 percent of
any flame retardant
chemical. Furniture
used in schools,
jails, and hospitals is
exempted.
Lawmakers overcame a veto and
strong industry
opposition to pass
the measure, which

during major incidents when networks
can become clogged
by increased public
usage. The concept of a dedicated
nationwide communication line for first
responders was first
recommended in
the 9/11 Commission
report.
According to
McAuliffe's office,
Virginia's first
responders will have
immediate access to
AT&T's LTE network

Maine

14 | NFPA JOURNAL * S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7

and will have the
ability to give priority
use to responders
based on need. Necessary infrastructure
improvements to
make the vision fully
realized are ongoing.

Vermont

Vermont has become
the first state to provide first responders
with workman's compensation benefits
for mental illnesses.
The law, which
took effect July 1,
covers treatment
of post-traumatic
stress disorder and
other conditions
that can result from
the stresses of the
job. Under the law,
all mental health illnesses are assumed
to be work-related
unless the state can
prove otherwise.
Previously, workers'
compensation was
offered for mental
health treatment in
Vermont only if connected to a physical
injury, according
to the website
VTDigger.
During a news
conference, International Association
of Firefighters Vice
President Jay Colbert
praised Vermont for
leading the way and
predicted that the
new law "will break up
the bottleneck" and
lead more states to
cover mental illnesses
the same as other
workplace injuries.

NIST study
applies science
to fire injury and
fatality rates

Frail populations,
primarily people over
age 65, are more
likely on average to
die in residential fires,
while adults age 20
to 49 are more likely
to be injured in residential fires.
Those are some
of the findings of a
new study by the

National Institute of
Standards and Technology (NIST), which
analyzed five years
of fire data. It's the
first time researchers
looked specifically at
occupant vulnerabilities and fire fatality
rates, NIST said.
The scientific finding that deaths and
injuries in fire are
drawn from different
populations could be
used to strengthen
community risk
assessment modeling and outreach
strategies, NIST
said. Read the study
online at nist.gov.
NFPA's Remembering When program
includes fire safety
resources targeted
toward older adults.
Visit nfpa.org/
rememberingwhen.

New online tool
and branding for
Firewise

NFPA's cornerstone
wildfire risk reduction program has a
new look and a new
online tool for its
participants.
In June, Firewise
Communities/USA
officially became
Firewise USA. It also
adopted the tagline
"Residents Reducing
Wildfire Risks," as
well as a new logo. In
August, NFPA and the
USDA Forest Service
also launched the
Firewise Portal, a new
online application
and renewal system
for Firewise sites.
The new portal
allows these sites
and potential future
sites to more easily
track their risk reduction activities. It also
gives Firewise state
liaisons a more active
role in managing
their state's program.
"This is a game
changer not only for
people who currently
use Firewise but also
to attract new sites,"
Michele Steinberg,
who heads NFPA's

Wildfire Division, said
of the portal.
Established in
2002, the Firewise
program includes
more than 1,400
participating sites in
42 states working to
prevent and prepare
for wildfires. Firewise
USA is co-sponsored
by the USDA Forest
Service, the U.S.
Department of the
Interior, and the
National Association
of State Foresters.
For Firewise info,
visit firewise.org.

Long named
new FEMA
administrator

Brock Long, the
former director of
Alabama's Emergency Management
Agency, was sworn in
as the Federal Emergency Management
Agency administrator in June. Long
secured the position
after a 95-4 Senate
confirmation vote.
"Administrator
Long comes to FEMA
with almost two
decades of emergency management
experience, in both
the public and private sectors," a FEMA
spokesperson said in
a press release. "As
director of Alabama's
Emergency Management Agency,
he served as the
state coordinating
officer for 14 disasters. Additionally,
Administrator Long's
most recent experience in the private
sector adds a unique
perspective, as we
continue to engage
the whole community in our mission."
In the new role,
Long will lead an
agency of 16,000
employees across
the country supporting state and
local officials as they
prepare for, respond
to, and recover from
natural and manmade disasters.

THINKSTOCK

Alabama
http://www.firewise.org http://www.nist.gov http://www.nfpa.org/remenberingwhen http://www.nfpa.org/remenberingwhen
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NFPA Journal - September/October 2017
