Command Post: Over the Shock?

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September 28, 2007	SUBSCRIBE	UNSUBSCRIBE	PREFERENCES

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Table Of Contents

	*Over the Shock?*
	IAFC, USFA Issue Firefighter Sleep-Deprivation Report
	Record Number of Applicants Vie for Fire Officer Program
	NFPA Publishes Updated Electric Codes
	St. Paul Fire Chief Search Down to Four
	Fire Chief Battles Union in Topeka
	McKinney New DFW Airport Fire Chief
	New Fire Stations in Miss., Va.
	A Different Approach
	Unsung Heroes
	Full Calendar at FireChief.com

WHP Trainingtowers: Customized Training Towers and Burn Rooms

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From Janet's Notebook

Over the Shock?

By Janet Wilmoth, Editorial Director

I was in London on Sept. 10 of this year when pictures of American firefighters at the World Trade Center published in The Guardian caught my eye. They were illustrating an excerpt of The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism by Naomi Klein, an award-winning investigative journalist from Canada.

The excerpt begins with President Bush and his cabinet taking office in January 2001, and between the burst of the "tech bubble" and a Dow Jones slide, this new government needs new growth for U.S. corporations. According to the excerpt, Bush's solution was "for the government to deconstruct itself — hacking off great chunks of the public wealth and feeding them to corporate America, in the form of tax cuts on one hand and lucrative contracts on the other." It even mentions then-FEMA Director Joe Albaugh describing his new place of work as an oversized entitlement program. That was before Sept. 11, 2001.

The article states that on Sept. 10, 2001, long flights were cheap and plentiful. Two days later, a $6-per-hour airport security guard was seen as a bad idea and things began to change. Click Here for More ...

Ready Rack Fire Department Storage Specialists Since 1984

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Top Story

IAFC, USFA Issue Firefighter Sleep-Deprivation Report

The International Association of Fire Chiefs and the U.S. Fire Administration have released The Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Fire Fighters and EMS Responders. This new report is based on a comprehensive literature review of fatigue and sleep deprivation in other industries, primarily the transportation and medical fields. It features applications to the fire and emergency services, mitigation strategies and a resource section. Click Here for More ...

Polycom's Grant Assistance Program (PGAP) helps fire departments find and apply for funding sources, such as the Assistance to Firefighters grant, to buy critical communications equipment for training and distance learning. Go to www.polycom.com/pgap to learn more. We provide up to $1,500 towards the cost of grant writers to help you apply.

In the News

Record Number of Applicants Vie for Fire Officer Program

Selections for the incoming class to the National Fire Academy's Executive Fire Officer Program have been completed. A record-number 425 senior fire executives and other key leaders have applied. Click Here for More ...

NFPA Publishes Updated Electric Codes

The National Fire Protection Association published the 2008 edition of NFPA 70, National Electrical Code. This is the 51st edition and expands requirements covering the use of arc-fault circuit interrupters. Click Here for More ...

St. Paul Fire Chief Search Down to Four

The city of St. Paul, Minn., named the four finalists for its vacant fire chief position. City officials expect to appoint a new chief by late October. Click Here for More ...

Fire Chief Battles Union in Topeka

Howard Giles, chief of the Topeka (Kan.) Fire Department is locked in a battle over his job with IAFC Local 83. The union is calling for Giles termination, citing poor job performance. Giles says the union has it out for him because he was hired from outside the department. Click Here for More ...

McKinney New DFW Airport Fire Chief

Brian McKinney was named the new assistant director of public safety for the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. He will serve as chief of fire services in that capacity. Click Here for More ...

New Fire Stations in Miss., Va.

A new fire station opens in Mississippi after Huricane Katrina damaged the old one. And Great Falls, Va., unveils its plans for a new station. Click Here for More ...

Do you have questions? We have answers!

FireChief.com is featuring a new service where you can ask industry professionals your questions in specific categories. Class 1 is currently answering questions related to Electronics, and Hale is currently answering questions related to Pumps.

If you would like to be an expert on FireChief.com you can learn more about the program here.

From Mutual Aid, a FIRE CHIEF Blog

A Different Approach

By Mike Love

I have been thinking that we need to approach fire investigation and reporting more holistically, much like the National Transportation Safety Board treats a transportation wreck and like many jurisdictions reconstruct vehicle collisions. Click Here for More ...

Unsung Heroes

By Robert Rielage

How many unsung heroes have you lost? I've lost two in the past six weeks. Both were long-serving firefighters in their mid-50s who died of cancer. Like cardiac disease, cancer is much more prevalent in firefighters than in the general population. Click Here for More ...

Attention Wildland Fire Management Professionals
Wildfire Magazine is the resource chief and wildland managers use in their efforts against urban-interface and wildland fires. Each issue of Wildfire focuses on the demands of leaders responsible for managing and controlling wildland fires. Wildfire addresses issues at the local, state and federal levels and provides a unique international perspective.
Subscribe to Wildfire magazine - wildfiremag.com/subscribe_now

Upcoming Events

Full Calendar at FireChief.com

Do you have an upcoming event to share with our readers? Please send information to Lisa Allegretti, Managing Editor, at lisa@firechief.com.

OCTOBER

Two-Day Vechicle and Machinery Rescue Technician Certification
2-3, Houston
Contact: Scene Of The Accident Inc., 713-553-679; www.sceneoftheaccident.org

ESRI Health GIS Conference
7-10, Scottsdale, Ariz.
Contact: www.esri.com/events/health/register.html

TEEX Basic Marine Firefighting
15-16, College Station, Texas
Contact: TEEX Emergency Services Training Institute, 866-878-8900; www.teex.org/fire

The Society of Fire Protection Engineers Annual Professional Development Conference and Exposition
15-19, Las Vegas
Contact: spfe.org

TEEX Combined (Basic & Advanced) Marine Firefighting
22-26, College Station, Texas
Contact: TEEX Emergency Services Training Institute, 866-878-8900; www.teex.org/fire

Human Dimensions of Wildland Fire
23-25, Fort Collins, Colo.
Contact: Mikel Robinson, e-mail: mikel.robinson@umontana.edu; www.umt.edu/ce/cps/HumanDimensionsofWildlandFire.htm

Three-Day Accident Scene Safety Train-the-Trainer<
23-25, Forsyth, GA.
Contact: Scene Of The Accident Inc. 713-553-679; www.sceneoftheaccident.org

TEEX Advanced Marine Firefighting
23-26, College Station, Texas
Contact: TEEX Emergency Services Training Institute, 866-878-8900; www.teex.org/fire

NOVEMBER 2007

TEEX Basic Marine Firefighting
5-6, College Station, Texas
Contact: TEEX Emergency Services Training Institute, 866-878-8900; www.teex.org/fire

TEEX Combined (Basic & Advanced) Marine Firefighting
12-16, College Station, Texas
Contact: TEEX Emergency Services Training Institute, 866-878-8900; www.teex.org/fire

TEEX Advanced Marine Firefighting
13-16, College Station, Texas
Contact: TEEX Emergency Services Training Institute, 866-878-8900; www.teex.org/fire

TEEX 40-Hour NFPA 1081 Industrial Interior Fire Brigade Certification
12-16, College Station, Texas
Contact: TEEX Emergency Services Training Institute, 866-878-8900; www.teex.org/fire

TEEX 40-Hour NFPA 1081 Industrial Exterior Fire Brigade Certification
26-30, College Station, Texas
Contact: TEEX Emergency Services Training Institute, 866-878-8900; www.teex.org/fire

DoD Personal Protective Equipment Conference
28-30, Fort. Lauderdale, Fla.
Contact: www.tswg.gov

DECEMBER 2007

TEEX 16-Hour NFPA 1081 Leadership
3-4, College Station, Texas
Contact: TEEX Emergency Services Training Institute, 866-878-8900; www.teex.org/fire

TEEX Basic Marine Firefighting
3-4, College Station, Texas
Contact: TEEX Emergency Services Training Institute, 866-878-8900; www.teex.org/fire

TEEX 32-Hour Advanced Tactical Leadership
10-13, College Station, Texas
Contact: TEEX Emergency Services Training Institute, 866-878-8900; www.teex.org/fire

TEEX Combined (Basic & Advanced) Marine Firefighting
10-14, College Station, Texas
Contact: TEEX Emergency Services Training Institute, 866-878-8900; www.teex.org/fire

TEEX Advanced Marine Firefighting
11-14, College Station, Texas
Contact: TEEX Emergency Services Training Institute, 866-878-8900; www.teex.org/fire