USFA

N e w s i n R e v i e w

An Electronic Newsletter for First Responders and Allied Professionals

New Web Page Enhances Wildland 

Fire Preparedness

As the Nation braces for what is predicted to be a severe wildfire season in 

some parts of the country, the U.S. Fire Administration announced a new “2004 

Wildland Update” Web link to help firefighters and community leaders locate 

important and up-to-date wildland fire information. This new Web page, at 

www.usfa.fema.gov, features a collection of links to critical wildland Web sites, as 

well as weather predictions, current aviations strategy, community programs, and 

a daily “Six Minute Safety Briefing.”

“This Nation still has a majority of 

the 2004 wildland fire season ahead 

so it’s extremely important that 

firefighters and residents be able to 

access the most current information 

available,” said Michael D. Brown, 

Under Secretary of Homeland 

Security for Emergency Preparedness 

and Response. “President Bush and 

Secretary Ridge are aware of the 

wildfire danger across the country 

and are happy to provide this 

important information source.”

The USFA consolidated the work of other Federal, State, and local agencies into 

one source of information. The Web site includes links to the National Fire Plan, 

FIREWISE, and handbook on “Preparing a Community Wildfire Plan.”

“We at the USFA are not wildfire experts, but we desire to serve as one of the 

information conduit to the numerous other agencies that regularly post and 

update excellent wildland information of great value to all firefighters,” said 

Deputy U.S. Fire Administrator Charlie Dickinson. “A few minutes exploring the 

various links at the USFA Web page will definitely enhance firefighter safety and 

understanding of this problem.”

Volume 2, No. 5, June/July 2004

In This Issue:

DHS to Lead Interagency Coordinating

Council on Emergency Preparedness

and Individuals with Disabilities 2

Homeland Security Launches Expansion

of Information Exchange System to States 

and Major Cities 2

Three Special Reports Look at Structure 

Fires in the U.S. in 2000, Including

Residential Fire Incidence 2

Homeland Security Approves Use of

Preparedness Funds for First Responder 

Training Courses 3

New On-Line Course Helps Urban

Firefighters Battle Wildfires More Safely 3

USFA and the National Fire Protection

Association Partner to Cut Death Rate

from Rural Fires in the U.S. 4

Critical Infrastructure Protection: A Word

of Caution 4

New Health and Safety Training Specialist 

Announced 4

A Focus on the National Incident

Management System (NIMS) 5

National Preparedness Month Slated for 

September 5

Special Reports Use National Fire

Incident Reporting Data to Study

Nightclub Fires in the U.S. 6

FEMA Joins National Institute for

Occupational Safety and Health in Study

of Ambulance and Emergency Vehicle

Accidents 7

Protecting Emergency Responders 7

Homeland Security Hosts Sports Leaders

to Discuss Security Issues 7

Photo by Bryan Day
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public warning is primarily the responsibility of local 

governments, it requires the cooperation and assistance 

of State governments, the Federal government, and private 

organizations. A partnership among these stakeholders is 

essential to the development and operation of an effective 

public warning capability.

The Partnership for Public Warning (PPW) is a not-forprofit, public-private partnership established to save the 

lives and property of people at risk from human-caused 

and natural disasters. Its main objective is to provide 

information to assist emergency managers and public 

officials in understanding the issues associated with public, 

warning and to help them make informed decisions about 

how best to serve their community.

For this purpose, the PPW prepared “An Introduction 

to Public Alert and Warning” as a brief overview of the 

considerations that should be taken into account when 

developing or evaluating a public warning process and 

system. Since their efforts potentially can bolster community 

critical infrastructure protection, the USFA’s Emergency 

Management and Response - Information Sharing and 

Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) encourages emergency officials 

to go to: www.partnershipforpublicwarning.org/ppw/

docs/handbook.pdf.

Three Special Reports Look at Structure Fires in the 

U.S. in 2000, Including Residential Fire Incidence

The USFA recently issued three special reports, part of its 

Topical Fire Research Series, examining the incidence of 

structure fires in 2000 – which resulted in $8.5 billion in 

property loss and 3,500 fatalities.

The three reports, All Structure Fires in 2000, Residential Structure 

Fires in 2000, and Non-Residential Structure Fires in 2000, were 

developed by the National Fire Data Center, part of FEMA’s 

U.S. Fire Administration. The reports examine overall 

structure fires, residential structure fires and fires in 

nonresidential buildings, and use data from 2000, as it was 

the most recent year with complete information.

DHS to Lead Interagency Coordinating Council on 

Emergency Preparedness and Individuals with 

Disabilities

President Bush recently marked the anniversary of the 

Americans with Disabilities Act by signing an Executive 

Order that seeks to integrate people with disabilities fully 

into the national emergency preparedness effort. The 

Executive Order creates an Interagency Coordinating Council 

on Emergency Preparedness and Individuals with Disabilities 

(Interagency Council), which will be headed by DHS 

Secretary Tom Ridge.

The Executive Order directs the Federal government to 

address the safety and security needs of people with 

disabilities during such emergency situations as earthquakes, 

tornadoes, fires, floods, hurricanes, and acts of terrorism. 

The Interagency Council will oversee the implementation of 

this policy.

Daniel W. Sutherland, DHS’s Officer for Civil Rights and 

Civil Liberties and previously a disability rights lawyer at the 

Department of Justice, called the President’s action “one of 

the most significant developments in the area of disability 

policy in several years.” Sutherland noted that, “Since 9/11, 

the disability community, like many in America, has been 

very focused on preparing for emergencies. This Council 

will ensure the coordination of preparedness work being 

done across the country, maximize the value of past efforts 

and stimulate new work to address the difficult challenges 

that face this community.”

In upcoming months, DHS will host a major conference on 

emergency preparedness for people with disabilities. The 

conference will take place from September 22 to 24, 2004, 

and Secretary Ridge will be a keynote speaker. In addition, 

FEMA has prepared a number of technical assistance materials 

on emergency preparedness for people with disabilities, and 

is committed to publishing new guidance and assistance 

materials. FEMA also is providing technical assistance to 

the U.S. Access Board, which will hold a conference in midOctober discussing new research on building evacuation for 

people with disabilities.

Homeland Security Launches Expansion of Information 

Exchange System to States and Major Cities

Effective and timely public warnings can protect critical 

infrastructures, save lives, reduce property losses, and speed 

economic recovery when an emergency occurs. While 
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According to the reports, 75 percent of structure fires occur 

in residences, with kitchens being the leading area of fire 

origin. The reports also show that structure fires take place 

most often in winter and that in the majority of structure 

fires, smoke alarms are either not present or inoperable. 

The data also reflected that the highest percentage of nonresidential structure fires occurred in storage structures, 

including parking garages.

“These reports underscore the importance of our National 

Fire Incident Reporting System, which allows us to compile 

and analyze data to determine the true ‘picture of fire’ in the 

nation,” said U.S. Fire Administrator R. David Paulison. “It’s 

imperative that we study what these reports say and take 

appropriate action.”

Copies of the full reports can be downloaded from: 

www.usfa.fema.gov/inside-usfa/nfdc/pubs/tfrs.shtm.

Homeland Security Approves Use of Preparedness 

Funds for First Responder Training Courses

Homeland Security’s Office of State and Local Government 

Coordination and Preparedness (SLGCP), in cooperation 

with the USFA announced today the approval of additional 

preparedness training courses for emergency responders.

“We are excited that our partnership with SLGCP is providing 

the Nation’s emergency response and management leaders 

with the opportunity to receive this critical preparedness 

training. This initiative between USFA and SLGCP will assist 

in developing the foundation for incident management 

teams at the State and local level,” said U.S. Fire Administrator 

R. David Paulison.

In his Homeland Security Presidential Directive 8, President 

George Bush directed the Department of Homeland Security 

to multiply and enhance the training courses available to 

first responders. The newly approved courses, offered by the 

National Fire Academy, include Introduction to Unified Command 

for Multi-Agency and Catastrophic Incidents, All Hazards Incident 

Management, and Command and General Staff Functions in the Incident 

Command System.

With this approval, States and urban areas can use allocated 

Homeland Security Grant Program and Urban Area Security 

Initiative funding to conduct or attend these courses. 

Additionally, States and urban areas now can use this funding 

to reimburse overtime and backfill costs associated with 

attending these courses as well as other SLGCP-approved 

courses.

Contact Gordon Sachs (Gordon.Sachs@dhs.gov) at (301) 

447-1594 or Robert Murgallis (Robert.Murgallis@dhs.gov) 

at (301) 447-1347 for details about the All Hazards Incident 

Management course. More information about other courses can 

be found by entering the school (NFA), course name, and/

or course code at the following link: www.usfa.fema.gov/

applications/nfacsd/index.jsp.

New On-Line Course Helps Urban Firefighters Battle 

Wildfires More Safely

The USFA has unveiled an online, independent study 

course that will enable urban firefighters with expertise 

in responding to structure fires to participate safely in a 

wildland/urban interface event.

“The 2004 wildfire season is predicted to be long and hard, 

and will pose a challenge to all of this Nation’s firefighters,” 

said Michael D. Brown, Under Secretary of Homeland 

Security for Emergency Preparedness and Response. “This 

course is important as it provides another tool for the fire 

service so that urban firefighters can safely assist in battling 

wildfires.”

Specialists at the U.S. Fire Administration’s National Fire 

Academy developed the online course, Wildland/Urban Interface 

Fire Operations for the Structural Firefighter Self-Study (Q618). The 

online course identifies many of the operational activities 

and safety concerns for the structural firefighter in the socalled interface areas, where housing is located in or near 

wildlands. The course also includes wildland fire behavior, 

safety issues, and operational issues.
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The training program is a joint effort of the National 

Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) and USFA’s 

National Fire Programs Division. The course takes between 

2 to 8 hours to complete; those successfully finishing it 

receive a certificate of completion. Course information 

is located at: www.usfa.fema.gov/applications/nfacsd/

display.jsp?cc=Q618.

USFA and the National Fire Protection Association 

Partner to Cut Death Rate from Rural Fires in the U.S.

The USFA recently announced a joint project with the 

National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) to examine 

what can be done to reduce the high death rate from fire 

in rural America. Communities with fewer than 2,500 

residents have a per capita fire death rate almost twice the 

national rate.

The USFA will work directly with the NFPA to build on 

data from the USFA report, The Rural Fire Problem in the United 

States, and to offer information on effective strategies 

and techniques to local fire and government officials 

and educators. Strategies will focus on public fire safety 

education, technical improvements, including fire and 

smoke detection, fire codes, consumer product safety, and 

residential fire sprinklers.

“NFPA is pleased to be part of this innovative partnership 

that will examine what can be done to reduce fire deaths 

in rural America,” said James Shannon, NFPA president. 

“This initiative supports NFPA’s efforts in saving lives and 

protecting property for conducting independent research on 

the reduction of the risk of fire.”

More information on this partnership may be found on the 

USFA Web site: www.usfa.fema.gov/inside-usfa/research/

other/rural-mitigation.shtm.

The Rural Fire Problem in the United States may be ordered or 

downloaded at: www.usfa.fema.gov/applications/

publications/display.cfm?it=9-1387.

Critical Infrastructure Protection: A Word of Caution

When examining what items suitable for terrorism or 

degrading critical infrastructures can be found on the 

Internet, a CIP specialist discovered an “eBay” advertisement 

for a private enterprise selling its entire inventory of State 

police uniforms and gear. The article elaborated that a large 

quantity of “new condition” uniform components were 

available for sale.

Considering the current threat environment, the Emergency 

Management and Response - Information Sharing and 

Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) found it disturbing that the 

“summary of selling policies” and “payment information” 

did not require validation that the buyer is a law enforcement 

procurement agent. In other words, it was quite clear that 

any bargain hunter could arrange for acquisition and 

shipment of these materials.

In the past 3 years there have been reports about individuals 

impersonating police, fire, and EMS personnel. Although 

few in number, these incidents should elicit concern 

because this is a tactic used by terrorists around the world. 

Furthermore, counterterrorism officials teach that impostors 

from extremist groups endeavor to penetrate organizations 

to conduct deception activities, which conceal a planned 

terrorist attack.

For these reasons, the EMR-ISAC offers a word of caution 

about the disposition of unwanted uniforms and equipment 

of first responders. All emergency response departments 

and those they protect are more vulnerable when sensitive 

uniforms and equipment can be obtained so easily in bulk 

over the Internet or elsewhere without a proper vetting 

process.

New Health and Safety Training Specialist Announced

The USFA is pleased to announce that John Brasko has 

accepted a position as Emergency Medical Service (EMS) 

Management/Firefighter Health & Safety Training Specialist.

Brasko will be responsible for EMS Management and 

Firefighter Health and Safety curriculum needs assessment, 

faculty recruitment, and selection; leadership, marketing, 

and advocacy regarding course deliveries, content, 

and criteria; development of training curriculum; and 

interactions with national, State, and local fire and EMS 

organizations representing Homeland Security, FEMA, and 

USFA. Brasko has worked for the USFA as a Fire Program 

Specialist in critical infrastructure protection. Previously, he 

worked as the State fire training director for the New Jersey 

State Division of Fire Safety.
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A Focus on the National Incident Management System 

(NIMS)

As the first standardized management plan that unifies 

Federal, State, and local governments for incident response, 

NIMS established a consistent nationwide template 

for incident management processes, protocols, and 

procedures that all responders will use to coordinate and 

conduct response operations. It incorporated incident 

management best practices for exercises, qualifications and 

certifications, communications interoperability, doctrinal 

changes, training, publications, public affairs, equipping, 

evaluations, and incident management. NIMS activities also 

should strengthen the protection of the personnel, physical 

assets, and communication/cyber systems (i.e., critical 

infrastructures).

In late June, FEMA announced a new online course that 

will help first responders understand the underlying NIMS 

concepts and principles, and begin incorporating the system 

into their own plans and policies. Specialists at the USFA’s 

Emergency Management Institute created the online course, 

which takes about 3 hours to complete. The course can be 

found at: www.training.fema.gov/EMIWEB/IS/is700.asp.

The recently announced NIMS Integration Center, called the 

NIC, is being established to provide strategic direction and 

oversight of NIMS. The NIC was established by Secretary 

Ridge with FEMA as the lead to assure the all-hazards 

approach is an integral part of response training. The NIC 

will develop and facilitate national standards for NIMS 

education and training and refine the system over time. 

The coordination and integration efforts of the center also 

should enhance the protection of the critical infrastructures 

of emergency responders at all levels. For more information, 

the NIMS Integration Center can be contacted at 202-646-

4223 or by visiting the following link: www.fema.gov/

preparedness/nims.

National Preparedness Month Slated for September

In September 2004, Homeland Security will sponsor National 

Preparedness Month in partnership with the U.S. Department of 

Education, American Red Cross, and National Association 

of Broadcasters. Those local communities planning to 

conduct preparedness activities for their citizens during 

this month may seek the counsel and participation of their 

emergency managers and first responders. The USFA’s 

Emergency Management and Response - Information 

Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) offers suggestions 

for information sharing and/or program involvement:

Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) Familiarization. 

Inform citizens of specific ways they can contribute 

to protecting municipal and first responder critical 

infrastructures. Provide examples of the local critical 

infrastructures and key resources, and request their 

vigilance and reporting of suspicious activities at or near 

these locations. Encourage participation in Community 

Emergency Response Teams or Citizen Corps.

Storm Ready. Inform residents of Storm Ready, a National 

Weather Service nationwide community preparedness 

program that uses a grassroots approach to help communities 

develop plans to handle severe weather. The program 

encourages communities to take a proactive approach to 

improving local hazardous weather operations by providing 

emergency managers with guidelines on how to improve 

their hazardous weather capabilities. Information is available 

at: www.stormready.noaa.gov.

Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters (VOAD’s). A 

recent survey by the National Organization on Disabilities 

found that approximately 60 percent of people with 

disabilities have no plans and don’t know what to do or 

who to call in the event of a disaster. Communities should 

be encouraged to contact their regional VOAD’s for ideas to 

help the disabled for all-hazards incidents. Information is 

available at: www.nvoad.org.

Elder Action Global Logistical Emergency System (EAGLES). 

In this program sponsored by the Administration on Aging, 

well elders are paired with frail elders, with the well elders 

trained to help their peers with special needs. Under the 

plan, local senior centers would be converted into treatment 

centers. EAGLES participants, retired professionals, and 

trained individuals would assist and assess new as well 

as existing clients in an area affected by disaster. More 

information is available at: www.aoa.gov.
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Special Reports Use National Fire Incident Reporting 

Data to Study Nightclub Fires in the U.S.

FEMA and the USFA have issued a special report, part of the 

Topical Fire Research Series, examining the incidence of 

nightclub fires in the U.S. and the characteristics that may 

make these relatively rare fires so potentially deadly.

“This important issue of our Topical Fire Research Series 

was spurred by the tragic Rhode Island nightclub fire last 

year that killed 100 people,” said Michael D. Brown, Under 

Secretary of Homeland Security for Emergency Preparedness 

and Response. “We wanted to determine what common 

issues might contribute to the death tolls of these fires and 

what role local inspections and safety codes might play.”

According to the report, Nightclub Fires in the United States,

developed by USFA’S National Fire Data Center, there 

were more than 1,500 nightclub and bar fires that year, 

causing $46 million in property damage. The report, which 

studied the year 2000, as it was the most recent year with 

complete data, noted that while these constitute only a small 

percentage of all structure fires, they have the potential 

to cause high casualties due to maximum or overcapacity 

crowds on weekends or during live performances.

“This report points out that the most tragic nightclub fires are 

affected by a lack of highly visible exits or fire escapes, and 

that patrons trying to leave out of the same door they entered 

can compound the problem,” said U.S. Fire Administrator R. 

David Paulison. “This report also underscores the challenge 

nightclubs pose for fire prevention and public safety.”

A copy of the full report can be downloaded from: 

www.usfa.fema.gov/inside-usfa/nfdc/pubs/tfrs.shtm.
7

FEMA Joins National Institute for Occupational Safety 

and Health in Study of Ambulance and Emergency 

Vehicle Accidents

The USFA has joined with the National Institute for 

Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) in an ongoing 

study of ambulance and emergency medical vehicle crash 

data.

Vehicle crashes are the second leading cause of firefighter 

fatalities.

The NIOSH Evaluation of Emergency Services Vehicle 

Occupant Safety Project involves the review of data on 

ambulance crash statistics, hazard identification and 

task analysis, determination of appropriate crash testing 

methodologies, development of occupant restraint systems 

and modeling of ambulance crash scenarios. NIOSH expects 

to complete the analysis by the fall of 2004.

“This innovative partnership bolsters our efforts to protect 

the health and safety of firefighters and emergency 

responders,” said NIOSH Director John Howard, M.D. 

“This project reflects NIOSH’s commitment to enhance 

occupational safety through research and outreach.”

More information about this research initiative as well 

as other emergency vehicle projects can be found at: 

www.usfa.fema.gov/inside-usfa/research/vehicle.shtm.

NIOSH is part of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention. It is the Federal agency that conducts research 

and makes recommendations for preventing work-related 

injuries, illnesses, and deaths. More information on NIOSH 

is available at: www.cdc.gov/niosh.

Protecting Emergency Responders

Better planning, training, coordination, and management 

procedures are needed to protect emergency responders at 

the scene of terrorist attacks and catastrophes, according to 

a study released last week by the RAND Corporation and the 

NIOSH. The study proposes a new approach that would make 

protecting the health and safety of emergency responders—

the foremost of a department’s critical infrastructures—a key 

priority in coordinating the overall response to all hazards.

The document titled, Protecting Emergency Responders, Volume 

3: Safety Management in Disaster and Terrorism Response, indicates 

that each agency sending emergency responders to an 

incident currently takes responsibility for protecting its 

own personnel. Because several departments from nearby 

communities often assist with their own protocols and 

procedures, coordinating efforts to protect all responders is 

difficult at best.

This report recommends the development of common 

standards and guidelines, use of disaster safety managers to 

lead coordination between agencies, inclusion of realistic 

safety and health issues in joint training and exercises, and 

the availability of expertise and assets to protect responder 

safety to prevent different departments from wasting 

valuable time trying to devise ways to protect personnel on 

a case-by-case basis at each emergency scene. The study can 

be obtained at: www.rand.org/publications/MG/MG170/

MG170.sum.pdf

Homeland Security Hosts Sports Leaders to Discuss 

Security Issues

Homeland Security hosted representatives and security 

officials from professional and collegiate sport associations 

and venues during a one-day seminar in late July to discuss 

homeland security issues and security planning for highprofile sporting events taking place during the next several 

months.

The seminar was designed to help sports facility owners and 

operators better prevent, detect, and respond to terrorist 

threats and ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all. 

It is part of efforts to bring State and local governments, 

communities, businesses, nonprofit organizations, the 

academic community, and citizens together to protect our 

Nation.

Sports organizations participating in the seminar include 

Arena Football League, International Association of Assembly 

Managers, Ladies Professional Golf Association, Little League 

Baseball, Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer, 

NASCAR, National Collegiate Athletic Association, National 

Basketball Association, National Football League, National 

Hockey League, National Thoroughbred Racing Association, 

Professional Golf Association, Special Olympics, U.S. Olympic 

Committee, U.S. Soccer Foundation, U.S. Tennis Association, 

and Women’s National Basketball Association.