# The USFA Blog

Articles for the fire and emergency medical services (EMS) providing information on professional development, emergent issues and critical emergency services sector infrastructures.

- Procedural guidelines for special pathogens Learn about the EMS Model Procedural Guidelines for Special Pathogens just released by the National Emerging Special Pathogens Training and Education Center. Guidelines provide step-by-step instructions for EMS to incorporate in your policies and procedures.
- Improving emergency vehicle lighting and visibility at roadway incidents Learn about actionable research findings on emergency vehicle lighting and visibility at roadway incidents on a new Federal Highway Administration National Operations Center of Excellence webinar.
- USFA and OSHA presentation on the emergency response notice of proposed ruling USFA's NFA Superintendent Eriks Gabliks and OSHA's Director of Standards and Guidance, Andrew Levinson, discuss the history of the Fire Brigades standard and proposed Emergency Response standard. Director Levinson explains the process for submitting comments and proposed timeline.
- Tactics for responding to alternative fuel vehicle incidents Learn to recognize alternative fuel vehicles and how to respond to incidents with the appropriate tactics.
- NHTSA updates the Model Minimum Uniform Crash Criteria The updated edition includes recommendations for linkages to existing data elements from other national data standards, is aligned with NEMSIS and incorporates NEMSIS' Universally Unique Identifiers that can serve as linkages between crash and injury surveillance data systems.
- New evidence-based guidelines for prehospital airway management Evidence-based guidelines make it easier for EMS medical directors, leaders and clinicians to provide appropriate care. Read NASEMSO's new guidelines for prehospital airway management
- Preliminary After-Action Report: 2023 Maui Wildfire Maui PD's preliminary after-action report makes 32 recommendations to improve Maui's police response to future natural disaster response efforts.
- Results of first 2 National Institute of Standards and Technology studies on PFAS in turnout gear Learn results of the first 2 parts of NIST's study on PFAS in turnout gear and the potential adverse health effects from exposure to these chemicals.
- New guidance on emergency medical services use of lights and siren Lights and sirens do not save significant amounts of time but are associated with an increase in ambulance crashes. Learn from lessons learned and change strategies developed during the Lights and Siren Collaborative project.
- Rapidly removing an unresponsive firefighter from personal protective equipment A new NIOSH Safety and Health Advisory offers actionable information on both the importance of rapidly removing an unresponsive firefighter from PPE and techniques that can be learned to accomplish this.
- The U.S. Fire Administration celebrates Black History Month Learn about African American successes in the U.S. fire service and how through diversity, equity and inclusion, fire departments can reach their full potential.
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration proposes to expand protections for emergency workers OSHA is proposing a new safety and health standard to address a broader scope of emergency responders. Among other things, the new standard would align with the current industry consensus standards issued by the National Fire Academy on the safe conduct of emergency response activities.
- The importance of good grant reporting Receiving a grant is just the beginning; project implementation, thorough financial reporting and grant reporting are just as important.
- Responding to fires that include energy storage systems (ESS) are a new and evolving hazard A new report based on large-scale tests from the International Association of Fire Fighters, in partnership with UL Solutions and Underwriters Laboratory's Fire Safety Research Institute, includes several critical size-up and tactical considerations for response to fires that include ESS using lithium-ion battery technology.
- DHS Science and Technology Directorate helps responders see through walls with DePLife The technology can help responders determine whether a save is necessary, possibly protecting firefighters from unsafe conditions.
- Learn to take C.H.A.R.G.E. of battery safety Educate your community about the potential fire risks of lithium-ion battery-powered devices with a new safety campaign: Take C.H.A.R.G.E. of Battery Safety.
- Will C-THRU help firefighters navigate smoky indoor environments? Learn about C-THRU technology, an augmented reality tool that uses raw, thermal images within the firefighter's visual frame to create a visual overlay of the edges of all objects within the field of view.
- New standard for firefighter personal protective equipment The new standard is focused on increasing contamination resistance and cleanability of gear.
- The transition to advanced encryption standard Federal Partnership for Interoperable Communications released an overview of actions and next steps to support public safety agencies in their transition to AES.
- Integrating 911 and 988 services with innovative crisis response systems Learn how 5 counties in 5 different states have implemented innovative crisis response systems involving 911/988 integration. Understand the progress, challenges and lessons learned from 911/988 interoperability across various models, including embedded clinicians, call transfer and co-located response.
- Minimize firefighting risks at strip mall fires New bulletin from NIOSH outlines considerations for developing the correct strategy and an effective incident action plan for strip mall fires.
- NHTSA publishes data on ground ambulance crashes Ground ambulance crashes remain one of the leading causes of death on the job among EMS personnel. Read NHTSA&rsquo;s new &ldquo;Analysis of Ground Ambulance Crash Data from 2012 to 2018&rdquo;, featuring an in-depth look at the latest data plus recommendations to improve ground ambulance safety.
- New research on inhalation exposures for wildland firefighters Learn about the new NIOSH research on smoke inhalation exposures for wildland firefighters and their effects on firefighter's health.
- NIOSH releases advisory for response to chemical suicide incidents NIOSH's new advisory provides PPE recommendations to protect first responders responding to a chemical suicide.
- New performance measures for pediatric readiness New manual addresses both hospital emergency department and prehospital pediatric readiness.
- Wildland fire lessons learned center launches enhanced website Check out the new website from Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center that features in-the-field lessons drawn from successes, challenges, close calls and firefighter fatalities to increase safety.
- First responder guide for linking people to substance use services During your day-to-day work, when you encounter people who use drugs such as alcohol, opioids and stimulants, this guide will help you connect them to substance use programs and resources they may need.
- New EMS heattracker helps understand and reduce health risks A data dashboard has been launched to map EMS responses to heat-related illness across the country to help target resources and save lives.
- ATF investigation report on lessons learned from 2 LODD The new report intends to educate and inform the fire investigation community and the fire service to prevent future incidents.
- New survey of emergency communications center personnel offers insight on the 911 profession ECC Personnel: Interested in what emergency communications center professionals think about today's challenges, opportunities and attitudes defining the 911 profession?
- FEMA's Mitigation Assessment Team releases first report in the aftermath of a wildfire Develop and implement more effective wildfire mitigation projects for your community, based on the MAT observations.
- AskRail for rapid access to rail car hazmat information AskRail mobile app provides information to assist first responders to respond to rail-related incidents.
- Real-time heart health monitoring for firefighters Cardiac-related fatalities are usually the largest share of on-duty firefighter deaths each year. NIST is developing real-time heart monitoring solutions.
- Include everyone in wildfire safety and prevention efforts Fire service personnel can promote wildfire prevention messaging in many ways to help everyone understand how they can reduce the number of unwanted wildfires.
- Tool for accessing data on fire risk and vulnerability The new USFA Home Fire Fatalities and Social Vulnerability Explorer can help you assess potential underlying factors that might contribute to home fire fatalities.
- Protecting houses of worship from targeted violence The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency CISA is offering a resource for faith-based communities and houses of worship to increase facility security.
- First responders need real-time hazmat information at rail incidents Proposed changes to the Hazardous Materials Regulations will ensure first responders are ready for challenges on a rail incident.
- Testing concludes on prototype hybrid fuel rescue truck The Department of Homeland Security has completed a series of tests and demonstrations for a prototype carbon-free disaster response vehicle.
- NWCG standards for M-2002 fire shelters updated Wildland firefighters: The National Wildfire Coordinating Group has updated its standards for M-2002 fire shelters.
- Study examines higher suicide rates among first responders First responders appear to be at higher risk for suicide. Get details of a new study that examines factors contributing to higher suicide rates among first responders.
- USFA releases new manual on retention and recruitment Volunteer fire service leaders: Get the manual that offers advice on dealing with challenges faced by volunteer fire and EMS departments.
- Minimizing the effects of wildfire smoke Inform your community about these actionable steps they can take to minimize the respiratory effects of wildfire smoke.
- Firefighting foams: PFAS vs. fluorine-free foams Learn about the differences between PFAS and fluorine-free firefighting foams, the harmful effects of PFAS, and what’s being done about it.
- In-suit communications evaluation video Firefighters: Check out the new 6-minute video on in-suit communications equipment. Learn which devices are best (and why).
- New information on potential carcinogens in firefighter gear A new NIST study suggests that the amount of PFAS (chemicals linked to cancer and other diseases) present in firefighter turnout gear can be significantly reduced.
- Start using ReportStruckBy.com... It could save your life Emergency responders: Report struck-by incidents via ReportStruckBy.com to inform efforts that enhance responder safety on roadways.
- Autism resources for first responders First responders: Get actionable information and guidance on helping those with Autism Spectrum Disorder in an emergency situation.
- America Burning: 50 years of fire safety and prevention The release of America Burning was a watershed moment in the history of the fire service and fire safety and prevention in the United States.
- 2023 Wildland fire safety training annual refresher The 2023 Wildland Fire Safety Training Annual Refresher (WFSTAR) is now available from the National Wildfire Coordinating Group.
- CBRNResponder: FEMA's one-stop shop for CBRN incident management and data sharing CBRNResponder is used by state, local, tribal and territorial agencies to manage their CBRN incidents and associated data.
- 2023 Firefighter Safety Stand Down: Lithium-ion batteries The 2023 Firefighter Safety Stand Down, June 18-24, will focus on lithium-ion batteries, a potential risk for first responders during fire incidents.
- Reducing first responder occupational exposures to opioids Learn about an educational campaign for first responders that provides information about occupational exposures to opioids and other illicit drugs.
- Management of large wildland fire incidents Learn about the new model for the management of large wildland fire incidents based on Complex Incident Management Teams.
- Wildland fire shelter safety warning The National Wildfire Coordinating Group has released a safety warning about fire shelters that do not meet specifications and could result in firefighter injury or death.
- Immersive learning: an important part of fire service training The NFPA has released 2 reports on immersive learning environments for firefighter training. These environments make use of VR, AR and MR to create realistic environments for learning.
- Sustainable energy and conservation solutions for fire departments Learn how climate change initiatives underway at the National Emergency Training Center can be applied to fire stations and other department facilities.
- You'd be surprised how simple it is for your fire department to get grant money Information about applying for an Assistance to Firefighters Grant and technical assistance available from the U.S. Fire Administration.
- Fire and EMS: Be alert for alternative fuel vehicle conversions Fire and EMS: Alternative fuel vehicles may not react to heat, flames and water suppression the way gasoline engines do. Learn about the importance of recognizing a vehicle converted to alternative fuel use and how to stay safe.
- Fire protection engineers: Key players in solving the wildland urban interface fire problem Learn how a fire protection engineer can provide engineering-based solutions to help your community with WUI fire planning and mitigation activities.
- Help reduce firefighter cancer: Join the National Firefighter Registry Firefighters: Join the National Firefighter Registry to help researchers better understand how your work affects cancer risk and how to lower this risk.
- President Biden signs legislation to investigate major fires The Empowering the U.S. Fire Administration Act authorizes the U.S. Fire Administration to send incident investigators to conduct on-site investigations of large-scale or remarkable fires.
- Increasing the focus on fire and emergency medical services behavioral health Action steps for fire departments to support the behavioral health needs of the fire and emergency medical services workforce.
- EMR - ISAC: Making vital, timely, actionable emergency services sector information easily accessible Get important information about protecting first responders and critical infrastructures in your community by subscribing to free EMR-ISAC information products.
- Mitigating losses incurred by vulnerable populations during wildfires Learn how fire departments can help communities fare better and recover faster from wildfire by preplanning how to assist at-risk populations before a wildfire.
- Protecting structures from wildfire embers and fire exposures Help community members understand the importance of protecting their structures from wildfire ember and exposure (radiant, conductive and convective heat).
- Celebrating Pride Month Pride Month is an opportunity for the fire service to recognize the positive impact LGBTQ+ employees have on fire departments and the communities they serve.
- Protecting people who live or work in high-rises Learn about high-rise fire protection features and get resources to teach community residents about high-rise fire safety.