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Well it’s never a dull or uneventful week for the JFRD as something unusual and extremely dangerous happened this week; I gave my wife the credit card to go shopping!

All joking aside, a few important things are happening so let’s get started with the Week in Review.

E-Pro updates---the E-Pro updates are still underway. Rescues had their MDT’s updated, and Emtec is still going around stations updating Suppression MDTs and station computers. It’s not the computer that needs updating but the installed E-Pro program. Please be patient as changing anything in this department overnight in unrealistic.

Accountability SOG and Personal Radio SOG--should be out any day. The main change in Accountability is the elimination of PAR or personal accountability reports and passports. Riding lists can be 3 x 5 index cards, which are being ordered, or printed RMS staffing lists. The major objective is to simplify and actually utilize an effective Accountability program. As we found out in our latest near-miss, when everything goes south on an Incident Commander and the crews, the fastest way to make sure everyone is accounted for and safe is the best way.

License certification on file at TA—this is mandatory. If your name appears on this list, please have a copy of your certification dropped off by today at 1700 hours. If you can’t make it, you can always scan and email to them… drysdale@coj.net will work.

New Ladder 158—has been delivered and is at Fleet for radio install and tags. From there, Pierce will be bringing in trainers during the last week of November and the first week in December. Look for it to go into service shortly after that.

JFRD’s hiring list--will be opening up December 1^st. If you know of anyone wanting to apply, please let them know.

The New Engine Bids—are on the street. End of November, we should have the bids back and begin the award process. Rescues are waiting on the 2014 specs to come in….Six Impala’s for Prevention and two chiefs trucks were ordered October 1^st and should be in by December.

New Rescue Lt Promotional list---is coming out today. Congratulations to the 24 new Lieutenants!!!

Annual inspection of hydrants---is changing…JEA will be taking over the true annual hydrant inspection as outlined in the American Water Works Association Manual 17. Unfortunately this is an expensive takeover and will take at least 12 months to complete. They have to hire contractors to inspect the over 20,000 hydrants in Duval County. Until then, continue to follow our SOP on hydrants and enter the information in Fireweb as appropriate as they do get our discrepancies through our program. Once the changeover is complete, we will use their database for our record keeping.

FEMA, NIOSH and USFA announced the official results of the 3 year cancer study. Because I know not all of you clicked on the link to read, I’ll give you the Cliff Notes version…

Project Summary

After examining mortality patterns and cancer incidence among a group of 29,993 U.S. career firefighters employed between 1950–2009 in the cities of San Francisco, Chicago and Philadelphia, the researchers found that:

Cancers of the respiratory, digestive, and urinary systems accounted mostly for the higher rates of cancer seen in the study population. The higher rates suggest that firefighters are more likely to develop those cancers.
The population of firefighters in the study had a rate of mesothelioma two times greater than the rate in the U.S. population as a whole. This was the first study ever to identify an excess of mesothelioma in U.S. firefighters. The researchers said it was likely that the findings were associated with exposure to asbestos, a known cause of mesothelioma.

Firefighters can be exposed to contaminants from fires that are known or suspected to cause cancer. These contaminants include combustion by-products such as benzene and formaldehyde, and materials in debris such as asbestos from older structures.

Background

USFA and NIOSH partnered on a study to examine the potential for increased risk of cancer among firefighters due to exposures from smoke, soot and other contaminants in the line of duty. This was a formal epidemiological study with medical oversight.

The primary objective of the project was to clarify the relationship between firefighter occupational exposures and cancer. The project improves upon previously published firefighter studies by significantly increasing the study group size and person-years at risk, and using a more detailed exposure surrogate metric in both the mortality and incidence analyses than are found in most previous studies. These improvements increase the precision of disease risk estimates.

This NIOSH study supported by USFA was intended to fill gaps in current knowledge and inform ongoing efforts to further characterize the cancer risk associated with certain exposures. By analyzing deaths and cancer cases among firefighters, NIOSH attempted to determine whether:

•More cancers than expected occurred among the group.

•Cancers are definitively associated with exposures to the contaminants to which firefighters may have been exposed.

In collaboration with the National Cancer Institute and the University of California at Davis – Department of Public Health Sciences, NIOSH researchers found that a combined population of almost 30,000 firefighters from three large cities had higher rates of several types of cancers, and of all cancers combined, than the U.S. population as a whole.

These findings are generally consistent with the results of several previous, smaller studies. Because this new study had a larger study population followed for a longer period of time, the results strengthen the scientific evidence for a relation between firefighting and cancer.

Now back on that something unusual and extremely dangerous part…

Backdraft—For most of us, it was a cheesy 90’s movie starring Kurt Russell. For the crews who responded to the KFC at 3430 University Blvd South on Monday afternoon, it was a true near miss. There’s a reason I keep reminding everyone to be diligent in what you’re doing as by definition, our job description is inherently dangerous. I’ve attached a synopsis from Chief Roger Lewis describing the events that happened at our latest backdraft. He’s taken the time to write his thoughts and concerns, you should take the time to read it as these events fortunately, do not happen frequently. But when they do, it can be a deadly event for firefighters. Most firefighters, after a fire, have a certain level of adrenaline and post-call excitement for a job well done. Everyone I talked to said the mood was quiet and reserved; they all knew they had dodged a bullet. L21 was blown off their feet on the roof and truly felt their next landing was going to be in the bottom of a fully involved restaurant. Members of Engine 20 and Ladder 4 were blown out of the structure and just about everyone was hit with pieces of plate glass. If you’re a religious person, you know who to thank for looking out for us…again. Another acknowledgment has to be how well our gear protected our folks.

Time to give some thanks to our folks…

To Chief Roger Lewis, who managed a very stressful and rare event for JFRD. The ability to maintain composure and command after being part of a critical incident is a testament to his character and command capabilities.
To Chief Hooten (IC) and Chief Wade (HSO) for not only managing another difficult fire on the westside with a fatality but for being the first to utilize the W4 signal. They just ushered in a new era for JFRD and the protection of our members!
To the crew of Engine 1 A, led by Capt. Fulford as they responded to an extremely disturbing call; A man jumped out of the 18^th floor at Berkman Plaza. The landing created a 50 foot diameter of you know what. They handled the visual trauma and ensuing assistance to JSO with professionalism.
To everyone who had a hand in FL-GA. I know I said it once, but thank you again for making this another successful year.
To each of you, who come to work, risk your life, to make things better for just one person at a time...we appreciate you more than you know.

Well that’s it for this Week in Review. Please be safe out there as things have been a little crazy in J’ville. I hope you get to spend some time with your family and friends this weekend or just take a moment for yourself.

As always, we thank you for what you do, why you do it, and for always being the Best Fire Department in the Country!

Very Respectfully,

Kurtis R. Wilson

Chief of Operations
Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department