America Burning Revisited National Workshop – Tyson’s Corner, Virginia November 30 - December 2, 1987 This document was scanned from hard copy to portable document format (PDF) and edited to 99.5% accuracy. Some formatting errors not detected during the optical character recognition process may appear. Table of Contents

Section I Foreword ...... 1 Section II . Introduction ...... 3 Purpose ...... 3 Workshop structure ...... 4 Conduct ...... 5 Section III . Current and Projected Future Fire Protection Environment ...... 7 Introduction ...... 7 General trends ...... 7 Fire experience ...... 8 Fire service environment ...... 12 Declining demand for fire suppression services ...... 13 Increasing demand for emergency medical services ...... 16 Increasing demand for hazardous materials protection ...... 16 Increasing demand for disaster preparedness ...... 17 Declining community resources ...... 18 Regionalization ...... 19 Summary of trends ...... 19 Section IV . Executive Summary ...... 21 Task Force 1 The Nation’s Fire Problem ...... 21 Task Force 2 The Fire Services: Operations ...... 23 Task Force 3 . The Fire Services: Management and Administration ...... 24 Task Force 4 . Fire and the Built Environment ...... 26 Task Force 5 . Fire and the Rural Wildlands Environment ...... 28 Task Force 6 . Fire Prevention ...... 29 Task Force 7 . Preparing for the 21st Century ...... 30 Summary ...... 32 Section V . Workshop Task Force Reports ...... 33 Introduction ...... 33 America Burning . The Past (Amabili) ...... 35 America Burning . The Present (Bragdon) ...... 39 America Burning . The Future (Granito) ...... 43 Task Force 1 . The Nation’s Fire Problem ...... 49 Introduction ...... 49 Background ...... 49 Critical force recommendations ...... 51 Task force recommendations ...... 54 Supplementary report to Task Force 1 ...... 58

America Burning Revisited i Task Force 2 - The Fire Services: Operations ...... 61 Introduction ...... 61 Background ...... 61 Critical issues ...... 62 Task force recommendations ...... 65 Task Force 3 - The Fire Services: Management and Administration ...... 67 Introduction ...... 67 Background ...... 67 Critical issues ...... 69 Task force recommendations ...... 72 Task Force 4 - Fire and the Built environment ...... 75 Introduction ...... 75 Background ...... 75 Critical force recommendations ...... 77 Task force recommendations ...... 79 Other recommended solutions ...... 81 Task Force 5 - Fire and the Rural Wildlands Environment ...... 83 Introduction ...... 83 Background ...... 83 Critical issues ...... 84 Task force recommendations ...... 87 Task Force 6 - Fire Prevention ...... 91 Introduction ...... 91 Background ...... 92 Critical issues ...... 93 Task force recommendations ...... 95 Other possible solutions ...... 97 Task Force 7 - Preparing for the 21st Century ...... 99 Introduction ...... 99 Background ...... 99 Critical force recommendations ...... 101 Task force recommendations ...... 104 Other possible solutions ...... 104 Section VI - Appendices ...... 107 Appendix A. Project Steering Committee ...... 107 Appendix B. America Burning Revisited Participants ...... 109 Appendix C. Status Report on the 90 Recommendations from America Burning ...... 115 ii Table of Contents Section I

Foreword

On November 30 through December 2,1987, the U.S. Fire Administration/Federal Emergency Management Agency conducted a three-day workshop on AMERICA BURNING REVISITED in Tyson’s Corner, Virginia. Individuals from major profes­ sional businesses and governmental organizations with an interest in fire protection were invited to attend the workshop. The participants included several individuals who participated in the original work of the National Commission on Fire Prevention and Control, completed in 1973, as well as current members of Congress with oversight responsibility for the U.S. Fire Administration and the National Fire Academy. The purpose of the workshop was to achieve a consensus, if possible, on the nature of the current U.S. fire problem, review and comment of the progress against fire since the original America Burning Report of 1973, and to develop recommendations for local, State and Federal efforts to reduce further the life and property loss due to fire. The U.S. Fire Administration planned to use the results of this workshop to review its current programs and to set priorities for future direction and activities. Although the reader will not find major new or dramatic problems, you will discover that there are significant changes in the fire environment today, major changes in fire department responsibilities, increased concern about fire fighter health and safety, and a growing awareness that public fire education must be greatly improved and expanded, particu­ larly for high-risk populations; the very young and very old. We hope that the information in this report will generate renewed interest and commitment to further reducing our Nation’s fire problems.

U.S. Fire Administration

America Burning Revisited 1

Section II

Introduction

n 1973, the presidentially appointed the changes in our society and environ­ National Commission on Fire Pre­ ment since 1973, but still move toward a I vention and Control published more fire-safe America. America Burning, its landmark report on the nation’s fire problem. The report As a result, the conference on ‘Amer­ presented 90 recommendations for a fire- ica Burning Revisited” was convened in safe America. For the past 15 years, the suburbs of Washington, D.C., from America Burning has served as a road November 30 to December 2,1987. map, guiding the fire service and the federal fire programs toward the goal of improving fire safety in the United States. Purpose The original America Burning re­ “America Burning Revisited” had a port made 90 recommendations in 18 threefold purpose. First, conference par­ chapters in the following general subject ticipants were to reach a consensus about areas: the status of, and trends in, America’s fire problem. Second, they were to revisit the nation’s fire problem; America Burning by reviewing and the fire services; evaluating the progress toward the re­ fire and the built environment; port’s 90 recommendations. Finally, the fire and the rural wildlands environ­ conference participants were to recom­ ment; mend guidelines for local, state and federal efforts to reduce the life and prop­ fire prevention; and erty loss from fire. a program for the future. The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) While much of the report and its rec­ planned to use the results of this confer­ ommendations remained valid and rele­ ence as the basis for establishing its vant, it was time to take a second look at program priorities for future activities. America Burning and re-examine the This meant that the fire protection lead­ progress made toward the goals and ers participating in “America Burning objectives stated in the report. Perhaps Revisited” were to have the opportunity more importantly, it was time to make to map out the future course of fire safety new recommendations that would reflect in this country.

America Burning Revisited 3 — Workshop Structure — America Burning report. A listing of the task group titles and topics follows: The participants invited to “America

Burning Revisited” came from major pro­ � Task Force 1. The Nation’s Fire fessional, business and governmental or­ Problem ganizations with an interest in fire pro­ tection. This included representatives of Topics included causes, social the fire service, the building materials in­ changes, prevention issues, federal role, dustry, fire protection engineering, burn data collection and reporting, burn treat­ treatment centers, testing laboratories, ment and the role of the insurance indus­ labor, academia, building code groups, try. associations of local government officials, the housing industry, the elderly, private � Task Force 2. The Fire Services: industry, and local, state and federal Operations government, including the U.S. House of Topics included all field operational Representatives. matters, for example, current missions and services of the fire service, alterna­ tive service delivery mechanisms, inci­ dent command, tactics, training, equip­ ment, apparatus, and fire fighter health and safety.

� Task Force 3. The Fire Services: Management and Administration Topics included all headquarters staff responsibilities, for example, budgeting, financing, master planning, personnel (Fair Labor Standards Act, etc.) and pro­ ductivity.

� Task Force 4. Fire and the Built Environment Topics included current hazards, codes and standards, transport (aircraft, motor vehicle, marine, etc.), commercial and industrial fires, causes and remedies, how people die in fire, hazards through design, and product design.

James F. Coyle � Task Force 6. Fire and the Rural Wildlands Environment The conference participants were Topics included volunteer issues, divided into seven work groups coinciding urban/wildland interface, and forest and with selected chapters from the original grassland fire protection.

4 Introduction Section II

• Task Force 6. Fire Prevention Topics included fire safety education, home and workplace fire safety, built-in protection, public and private sector cooperation, and special population protection.

� Task Force 7. Preparing for the 21st Century Topics included research needs, fed­ eral involvement, and private and public sector involvement. Each task force was assigned four identical tasks. They were to review the issues as stated in America Burning; identify new problems, concerns and issues; develop alternative solutions; and recommend actions for consideration by all participants. Julius W. Becton

After the conference charge by U.S. Conduct Representative Doug Walgren (D-PA), chairman of the House Science, Research The conference began with a welcome from Julius W. Becton, Jr., the director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Participants then were given several in-depth background presentations to help form or strengthen their frames of reference. “America Burning - The Past” was discussed by Lou Amabili, director of the Delaware State Fire School and a former member of the National Commis­ sion on Fire Prevention and Control. The administrator of the U.S. Fire Admini­ stration, Clyde A. Bragdon, Jr., talked about “America Burning - The Present.” Finally, Dr. John Granito presented “America Burning -The Future.” (Sum­ maries of the Amabili, Bragdon and Granito presentations appear in the beginning of Section V of this report.) Congressman Doug Walgren

America Burning Revisited 5 and Technology Subcommittee, partici- In addition to the presentations men- pants divided into task forces for session tioned above, the conference participants one on problem identification. (Excerpts heard luncheon speeches from U.S. Rep­ of Congressman Walgren’s speech appear resentative Curt Weldon (R-PA), chair- throughout Section V of this report.) man of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus, and Chief Day two of the M.H. “Jim” Estepp conference (session of the Prince two) concentrated George’s County on comparing the (Maryland) Fire problems identified Department. in session one with Remarks by U.S. progress made over Representative the past 15 years on Sherwood P. the recommenda­ Boehlert (R-NY) tions contained in were presented by America Burning. his aide, David Along with several Golston. Mr. Bill general and report­ Honsell, Executive ing sessions, the Director of the participants, in International City their task forces Management (session three, part Association also one), also began to spoke. Excerpts of work on solutions to the Weldon and those problems. Boehlert speeches Day three began appear throughout with session three, Section V of this part two, during report. which the task Before begin­ forces finalized Jim Estepp ning the report of their solution strategies the conference, however, it is appropriate and prepared their final reports. Each to set the stage with the information in task force then presented its final report Section II, “The Current and Projected in a concluding general session. Future Fire Protection Environment.”

This report was produced by Wilkins Systems, Inc. The authors were Colin A. Campbell and Lee Feldstein. The editor was Colin A. Campbell. Section II, “Current and Projected Future Fire Protection Environment,” and Appendix C, *Status Report on the 90 Recommendations from Amer­ ica Burning, n were written by Harvey Ryland.

6 Introduction Section III

Current and Projected Future FireProtectionEnvironment

Introduction available resources, fire fighter duties, requirements of the Fair Labor Stan­ his report contains a general dis­ dards Act (FLSA), volunteer recruit­ cussion of the current and pro­ ment and retention, and liability for T jected fire protection environment personal and departmental actions. in the United States. The report includes information on: The United States Fire Administra­ tion (USFA), National Fire Academy changes in fire experience, problems, (NFA) and Center for Fire Research issues and conditions since America (CFR) of the National Bureau of Stan­ Burning (the report of the National dards (now the National Institute of Commission on Fire Prevention and Standards and Technology [NIST]) Control was published in 1973); were established and have been current fire losses, major problem operating for 14 years. areas, programs and general condi­ The Consumer Product Safety Com­ tions which directly, or indirectly, mission, U.S. Forest Service, General affect the protection of life and prop­ Services Administration, Department erty from fire; and of Housing and Urban Development, projected future (i.e., 1990 - 2020) Department of Health and Human conditions and situations at the local, Services, and other federal agencies state and national levels which might have conducted programs to reduce impact on fire protection. fire losses and improve the effective­ ness of fire protection. Building and fire codes have been — General Trends 1973 - 1987­ strengthened, especially involving smoke detectors and automatic detec­ There have been significant changes tion and suppression systems. in the field of fire protection since 1973. For example: There is a greater use of exotic mate­ rials, including those which produce Fires and fire losses have declined toxic gases when burned. generally over the period 1973 - 1987. There are some exceptions to this Fire fighter health and safety has trend that are discussed in Section 3. been improved through physical fitness programs, new breathing In general, fire departments have apparatus (and its mandatory use), experienced major changes in such and clothing and protective equip­ areas as emergency response activity, ment. America Burning Revisited 7 Fire Experience lative basis, this decrease represents an estimated saving of 6,900 lives over the In 1975, there were an estimated period 1975-1985. 8,100 fire deathsl, with 6,200 in 1985, a reduction in annual deaths of 1,900, or Fire fighter fatalities also have been 23%. This decline in fire deaths is illus­ decreasing. The annual number of fire trated in Figure 1. The decrease is even fighter deaths (including line-of-duty greater when figured on a per capita deaths resulting from activities other basis, as shown in Figure 2. On acumu- than fighting fires, for example, training, station duty and respond- Figure 1. ing to non-fire incidents) over the period 1979-1985 is il­ lustrated in Figure 3. These reduc­ tions appear to result from a decrease in fire fighter deaths caused primar­ ily by asphyxi­ ation, probably as a result of increased use of breathing Figure 2. apparatus. It should be noted that heart attacks are responsible for approxi­ mately 50% of fire fighter deaths. Ap proximately 50%-60% of fire fighter fatalities are related directly to fire inci­ dents.

1 All data used in this report were supplied by the National Fire Data Center, USFA.

8 Current and Projected Future Fire Protection Environment Section III

The fatality rate for career fire fight­ deaths have fallen by 73% over the period ers is 255 deaths per million workers, 1968-1983, as shown in Figure 4. In second only to mining which has a rate of addition, children’s clothing fire deaths 301 deaths. The rate for volunteer fire have dropped by 90%. These decreases fighters is 25 deaths per million workers. are felt to be a result of flammable fabric However, the career fire fighters’ risk of standards developed and implemented by death cannot be compared directly to that the National Institute of Standards and of the volunteers on the basis of deaths Technology and Consumer Product Safety per million workers. This is because most Commission. Prior to the adoption of the volunteer fire fighters do not Figure 3. work as fire fighters full time. Therefore, they are ex­ posed to risk for less time than career fire fight­ ers. While fire deaths have been decreas­ ing, fire-related injuries have remained rela­ tively constant, even when con­ Figure 4. sidered on a per capita basis. The reasons for the lack of de­ crease in inju­ ries are not known Even greater reduc­ tions in fire deaths have been achieved within special categories. Clothing fire

America Burning Revisited 9 Figure 5. mandatory children’s sleepwear standard, there were approxi­ mately 60 child sleepwear­ related fire deaths per year; now there are approxi­ mately two such deaths per year. However, even with these suc­ Figure 6. cesses, cloth­ ing fires are still a serious problem. When consid­ ered on a risk basis, in 1985, there were 102 deaths per 1000 clothing fires, with 360 injuries per 1000 clothing fires. The next highest death rate is for portable local heater-related fires, with a rate of 37 has helped reduce cigarette-ignited uphol­ deaths per 1000 portable local heater stery fires by 24% over this same period. fires. Fires resulting from smoking in resi­ The mandatory mattress flammability dential occupancies cause more fire standard has contributed to a 32% reduc­ deaths than any other single factor. This tion in cigarette-ignited mattress fire death rate is three to four times that of deaths over the period 1980-1984. A vol­ other causes. In 1985,17.4% of all fire untary standard for upholstered furniture deaths were caused by smoking fires,

10 Current and Projected Future Fire Protection Environment Section III

Figure 7. presented in Figure 5. The number of re­ ported fires has been de­ creasing even though the population is increasing, which means that the num­ ber of fires per capita is de­ clining, as il­ lustrated in Figure 6.

Figure 8. Of course, the fire trend varies by area of the nation and type of fire. For ex­ ample, the number of reported fires in California has declined 24% over the 1975-1985 period. The residential fire death rate varies signifi­ cantly across with tire deaths caused by portable heat- the nation. According to the Centers for ers second at 3.1%. Injury rates are also Disease Control, the South has the high- high for smoking fires - about twice that est annual average number of fire deaths of other causes.2 (2150) and the highest death rate (29 per million population). By comparison, the The number of fires reported to fire West has the lowest number of residential departments has decreased by approxi- deaths (585) and corresponding rate (14 mately 20% over the period 1975-1985, as

2 This decline must be considered in light of the declining percentage of smokers in the country. According to the American Heart Association, the percentage of smokers declined from 43% to 32% over the period 1966-1983. (Cigarette Smoking and Cardiovascular Disease, American Heart Association, 1985) America Burning Revisited 11 Figure 9.

deaths per million population). The juries and dollar loss have remained average annual number of residential fire fairly constant. deaths and per capita death rate for each region are illustrated in Figures 7 and 8. In actual dollars, the per capita fire loss has increased over the period 1979­ Residential structure fires constitute 1985. However, in constant dollars (1985 only 25% of all fires, yet result in 74% of base), the loss rate has been relatively deaths, 62% of injuries and 43% of loss constant, as illustrated in Figure 10. (1985 data). The fire-related death rates (deaths per 1000 fires - 1985 data) for the The fire experience data used in this various types of residential occupancies section of the report are summarized in are listed in Table I. Table II. Fire deaths in rooming, boarding and lodging houses are clearly a major prob­ — Fire Service Environment — lem when considered on a per 1000 fire basis. However, in absolute terms, there The fire service is going through a are more fire deaths in one- and two- period of significant change. In fact, the family dwellings and apartments. degree of change is so great that it might be called “revolutionary” change instead The percentage of fires which are con­ of “evolutionary.” sidered to be of incendiary or suspicious origin has been declining slightly, as This change is felt to be primarily a shown in Figure 9. Because the total result of three major factors: a) declining number of fires also has declined, this demand for fire suppression services; b) represents a decrease in the average increasing demand for emergency medical annual number of arson fires. The per­ services (EMS), hazardous materials pro­ centages of arson fire-related deaths, in­ tection, disaster preparedness and related

12 Current and Projected Future Fire Protection Environment Section III

Figure 10.

functions; and c) increasing competition improved building/fire codes; for available local government resources. improved plan check and inspection programs conducted by fire prevention Declining Demand for Fire bureaus, as well as fire companies; — Suppression Services — increased use of smoke detectors and built-in suppression systems (which As discussed in Section 3, the number primarily reduce the extent of fire of fires responded to by fire departments damage, injuries and deaths, but also is declining generally throughout the can reduce the number of calls for nation. For example, fire incidents service when detectors alert occupants handled by the West Covina (California) to situations which then are handled Fire Department have decreased 24% without calling the fire department); during the period 1977-83, while the city grew ,by 40%. improved public education programs for adults as well as juveniles; Fires are not only going down in total, but also on a per capita basis (as shown in increased awareness of fire danger Figure 6). The exact reasons for this (for example, resulting from the MGM dramatic decrease in the number of fires Grand Hotel fire); have not been established quantitatively, decreased numbers of people under However, they are felt to include a com­ age 25, thus reducing the number of plex interaction of the following factors: individuals who might participate in improved fire prevention and public juvenile firesetting; and education programs conducted by fire improved national economy (however, departments and fire service if the economy declines, there may be personnel; a noticeable increase in the number of

America Burning Revisited 13 Table I. fires, particularly high- priced [e.g., gas guzzler] vehicles). All of these factors (and others) probably will continue to reduce the number and magnitude of fires occurring in the future. In fact, the use of built-in detection and sup­ pression systems is expected to continue to expand as new low-cost systems become available and as community administrators fully realize the power that such systems have to control the long-term costs of fire suppression. Not Even though many new and existing only will more and more construction buildings will be protected by built-in include built-in suppression systems, but systems, it probably will be a long time the trend to retrofit existing buildings is before structures in lower socio-economic increasing. Several communities have areas (e.g., inner-city and rural neighbor­ passed retrofitting laws for specific occu­ hoods) have such protection. Right now, pancy types (hotels, for example), and those areas experience a disproportionate several cities have considered retrofitting share of fires and related deaths. For the entire community. example, the previously discussed high A number of jurisdictions have fire death rate for the South occurs in a adopted fire sprinkler standards which region which has fewer smoke detectors require that all new construction (some­ in homes, higher usage of portable heat­ times excluding single family dwellings) ing equipment and a larger percentage of be fitted with a sprinkler system. Some persons below the poverty level. Thus, it communities require sprinklers in all new will be very difficult to get such dwellings construction exceeding a given height or equipped with automatic detection and area. suppression systems. Thus, it is considered probable that Fire suppression services will be many communities will be protected by required for vehicle and wildland fires, as automatic detection and suppression well as for such fire-related activities as systems at some time in the future. As a evacuation/rescue, overhaul and salvage, result, the demand for structural fire and hazardous materials incidents. suppression will be limited to extinguish­ However, it is possible that the number of ing fires in the room of origin, and inci­ vehicle and wildland fires also will de­ dents involving explosions, arson or other crease in the future. Vehicles are being situations where automatic systems are designed to be less susceptible to fire, and turned off or defeated. a number of programs are being consid-

14 Current and Projected Future Fire Protection Environment Section III

Table II.

ered and/or implemented to minimize the which is at risk. A contrary trend is that consequences of wildland fires. For more structures are being built in the example: urban-wildland interface areas. Develop­ ment in these areas means that more conducting prescribed burning to structures will be at risk and fire fighters reduce fuel loading; increasingly will be faced with the di­ converting fuel to less combustible lemma of choosing between protecting types; exposed buildings or controlling the wild­ fire. creating greenbelts as fire breaks; As a result of all of these factors, the restricting the use of combustible overall demand for fire suppression roofs; and services is expected to decrease in the fu­ requiring brush clearance around ture. However, the demand for fire structures. protection will continue and possibly even increase as the effort is shifting to fire In addition, continued development prevention and public education duties. reduces the amount of wildland acreage Duties which are expected to increase (es-

America Burning Revisited 15 organizing and conducting public fire safety education classes; and creating and maintaining a high level of public awareness concerning fire prevention and fire safety.

Increasing Demand for — Emergency Medical Services — The demand for emergency medical services (EMS) generally has been in­ creasing in communities throughout the nation. It is not unusual for EMS inci­ dents to constitute 80%, or more, of a fire protection agency’s emergency responses. This demand is expected to continue to increase in the near term and then may level off or possibly even decline in the future. The increase is expected to be a result of heightened awareness of the availability of the service and the general U.S. Representative Curt Weldon (R-PA) aging of the population. The leveling off could occur because of generally improved “.,.We have not done enough to sensitize the health and ‘built-in protection.” For members of Congress, who are being inundated example, pacemakers have been used for with requests from special interest groups, to years, systems to internally inject medi­ the ongoing needs generated by your day-to-day cine are in use and internal defibrillators problems.” soon will be available. Life-threatening calls for service may decline with these pecially as the number and complexity of advances, but the greying of our popula­ codes increases) include: tion is likely to increase the per capita demand for emergency medical services. reviewing proposed developments; reviewing construction plans (particu­ larly for automatic detection and sup­ Increasing Demand for Hazardous pression systems); — Materials Protection — monitoring and inspecting construc­ The role of the fire service in hazard­ tion and testing systems; ous materials protection has increased significantly over the past decade, and conducting final inspections and this role is expected to continue into the issuing certificates of occupancy; future. Hazardous materials incidents conducting on-going inspections and usually result from accidents that occur corresponding codes; in the storage, transporting or processing 16 Current and Projected Future Fire Protection Environment Section III of chemicals which endanger life or the environment, or lead to fire or explosion. Chemical spills associated with the transportation of hazardous materials (primarily truck or rail) have resulted in major disasters for even small communi­ ties and rural areas. The severity of the hazardous materi­ als problem from a national perspective is indicated by a statement in the Hazard ous Materials Planning Guide (Na­ tional Response Team publication NRT­ 1): ‘Recent evidence shows that the haz­ ardous materials incidents are considered by many to be the most significant threat facing local jurisdictions.” The fire service originally became involved in hazardous materials because fire departments are usually first re­ sponders to most types of disasters. However, the fire department role has become more formalized as a result of U.S. Representative Doug Walgren (D-PA) local policies, and state and federal legis­ lation. “Even with the reduction in fire deaths, we still lose, if the loss could be dramatized, the At the federal level, the new legisla­ equivalent of two fully loaded 747s colliding in tion (“Emergency Planning and Commu­ mid-air every month - month after month after nity Right-to-Know Act of 1986” - Title III month.” of the Superfund Amendments and Reau­ thorization Act) requires fire department involvement in a formal and extensive way. Under this legislation, fire depart­ Increasing Demand for Disaster ments are assigned a major role in pre­ ——— Preparedness ——— paring for, and responding to, hazardous materials incidents. Specifically, fire Fire departments are generally the first departments are designated to be repre­ responders to almost every kind of disaster, sented on “Local Emergency Planning including natural and technological haz­ Committees” and to receive “Material ards, and even domestic terrorism and Safety Data Sheets” (MSDS) containing foreign attack. In addition, many depart­ information about hazardous materials in ments are using the Integrated Emergency the community. The analysis, storage, Management System (IEMS) concept, retrieval and use of the MSDS is a re­ which includes the fire service as a primary sponsibility for which many departments component of all four phases of emergency are not prepared, and may never have management: mitigation, preparedness, the resources to handle. response and recovery. America Burning Revisited 17 Declining Community successful that it has reduced the demand ———— Resources ———— for its services. In fact, there is nothing equivalent to a “sprinkler” for any other There are several factors which are community service. interacting to limit community resources available to support the fire services. Community officials are beginning to These factors are: realize the power that these systems have to reduce future costs. They will be taxing limitations (e.g., California’s taking actions to ensure that all new Proposition 13); structures are equipped with sprinklers spending limitations (e.g., California’s and then will move to retrofit existing Proposition 4); buildings. In some cases, this will consti­ tute a major policy shift. That is, in the competition with other community past, administrators may not have sup­ services for resources which are ported automatic detection and suppres­ available; and sion ordinances because of political pres­ declining federal contributions (e.g., sure. However, it is felt that this position revenue sharing). will change to enthusiastic adoption of such ordinances because it is an almost Competition for remaining funds is guaranteed way to achieve significant heavy, with social services constituting a future cost avoidance. major rival to the fire service. Moreover, it is predicted that the demand for social The potential for long-range cost services will increase significantly in the avoidance is not escaping the attention of future because of the demographic as­ community leaders, especially with pects of population, including the aging of decreasing per capita revenues and the population. increasing demands for other services. Thus, there probably will be fewer addi­ Within the next 20 - 30 years, the tional fire fighters hired by fire depart­ average life span may be increased sub­ ments than there would be under tradi­ stantially. This would result in an older, tional forms of providing fire protection; larger population, causing a greater and, these individuals probably will be demand for community services. As a performing a different mix of current result, it is projected that communities duties, as well as assuming new responsi­ will concentrate available resources on bilities. Fire suppression services proba­ social services (e.g., housing, adult educa­ bly will always be required for rescue, tion, welfare, etc.) and will mitigate the evacuation, overhaul and salvage, as well demand for other services to the maxi­ as to fight those fires which are not mum extent possible. It is felt that fire extinguished by automatic suppression protection offers the best opportunity for systems. demand mitigation (among all community services) because of the success of auto­ These changes will have a major matic detection and suppression systems impact on the fire services, and the antici­ and fire prevention activities. It might be pation and planning for this situation said that the fire service has been so must begin now.

18 Current and Projected Future Fire Protection Environment Section III

Regionalization Thus, the partial and full consolida­ tion of fire jurisdictions is a component of There is a general national trend the current fire protection trend which toward the consolidation of fire protection must be considered in planning for the services to save money, improve effective­ future. ness and efficiency, and increase levels of service. While quantitative information on the Summary of Trends number of consolidations that have Fire protection is indeed in a period of occurred could not be located, numerous significant change. Changes may occur examples of consolidation were identified which produce major shock waves, espe­ in California, Colorado and Florida. cially because of the traditional nature of In addition to full jurisdictional con­ the fire service. Yet, it is felt that these solidation, there are even more instances changes are probable and, in some cases, of partial consolidation, meaning the inevitable. At best, attempts to stop the jurisdictions do not merge, but one or changes only will delay what is occurring more services are shared or contracted and might create situations where the out to another organization. Examples of fire service loses control of planning, partial, or functional, fire department policy development or even operations. consolidation are: These changes do not mean the end of communications/dispatch; the fire service or even the end of fire suppression, They mean only that the apparatus purchase and/or mainte­ type and level of effort dedicated to spe­ nance; cific kinds of services will change, and to a greater extent in some communities. supplies purchasing and/or warehous­ For example, the effort devoted to fire ing; prevention (including public education) fire cause and/or arson investigation; will increase, while the effort needed for suppression will decrease. Suppression training; services will be needed to respond to the fires that do occur, even in fully sprin­ personnel recruitment; klered buildings. However, in such structures, fire fighters seldom should workers compensation and liability have to fight a fire after it has reached insurance coverage; flashover. The fires that do reach fire prevention plan checking and flashover probably will involve arson, inspection services; explosion or other catastrophic failure. Thus, strong inspection/enforcement and public education; arson control programs always will be needed (the determined arsonist likely data collection and analysis; and will be able to defeat built-in systems). general management and administra­ Fire suppression services also will be tion. needed for wildland and vehicle fires.

America Burning Revisited 19 The demand for emergency medical Fire fighters also will benefit from services is expected to increase over at these changes by having a safer working least the foreseeable future. In addi­ environment; job-related injuries and tion, fire departments might assume ad­ deaths should decrease significantly in the ditional duties which are extensions of future because it is safer to fight a fire more traditional activities. There is a before it has reached flashover. Also, trend developing for fire departments to currently employed fire fighters will assume responsibility for total building benefit by retaining existing jobs and and environmental inspections. For compensation. It is almost certainly true example, the Environmental Protection that a growth in the number of fire fighter Agency has determined that Radon gas positions generally will not occur. Thus, it can be a life-threatening problem in is in the best interests of the fire protec­ structures. If past trends continue, fire tion community to work together to recog­ departments could be given a major role nize the changing environment and evolve in dealing with this situation. to meet future requirements and condi­ tions in the most effective and efficient In aggregate, these changes will manner. Moreover, no matter how good benefit the public because the protec­ the projections of the future are, there tion of life and property will be in­ always will be new challenges facing the creased significantly. To illustrate this fire protection community, situations that conclusion, consider the case of the we cannot even conceive of at this time. Disney World complex, a community For example, who could have predicted the with an area of approximately 43 occurrence of AIDS and the corresponding square miles, day population of 200,000, major impact on almost every element of night population of 25,000 and an society, including the fire service? assessed valuation of approximately two billion dollars. This complex is fully The tradition of the American fire equipped with automatic detection and service has been to accept these challenges suppression systems. Over the last 15 and work on a dedicated, unselfish basis years, the fire loss for Disney World has for their solution. This tradition will be averaged $5,000 per year (including continued as fire fighters meet future water damage), with no fire-related challenges using new and old techniques injuries or deaths. and resources.

Portions of this report were adapted from the document, “Feasibility Study of Fire Protection Cooperation in Santa Barbara County,” prepared for the Santa Barbara County Firefighters - Local 2046, August 1987.

20 Current and Projected Future Fire Protection Environment Section IV

Executive Summary

Introduction It was the responsibility of the seven task forces to look at the original report’s he conference participants were recommendations, study the program divided into seven task forces that activity in the intervening years, and T were to discuss and analyze selected decide what really has been accomplished chapters from the original America and what remains to be done. In other Burning report. Those task forces were: words, the participants were to answer the question, “Where do we go from Task Force 1. The Nation’s Fire here?” Problem The summaries of the seven task force Task Force 2. The Fire Services: reports that follow in this section give Operations brief answers to that question.

Task Force 3. The Fire Services: Management & Administration Task Force l- The Nation’s Fire Problem Task Force 4. Fire and the Built Environment The theme that ran throughout the discussion among Task Force 1 members Task Force 5. Fire and the Rural was “...Let’s build on our successes to Wildlands Environment meet tomorrow’s challenges.” All agreed that the recommendations of America Task Force 6. Fire Prevention Burning are still valid and will continue to be in the coming years. With America Task Force 7. Preparing for the 21st Burning as a master plan, many success­ Century ful programs have been delivered through federal, state and local government In addition to a number of background systems. Based on the successful track and scene-setting presentations (summa­ record ,of having a federal focal point to ries and excerpts of these speeches ap­ offer technical and financial assistance pear throughout Section V of this report), “when available,” the task force felt the the task forces participated in four indi­ effort to control and reduce the fire prob­ vidual sessions during the three days of lem in the United States would continue the conference. to be successful.

America Burning Revisited 21 The problem of “fire” in the United States today can be summarized as follows: the US. has one of the highest fire death rates per capita in the industri­ alized world; each year, fires kill more Americans than all other natural emergencies combined, including floods, hurri­ canes, tornadoes and earthquakes; fire is the third leading cause of accidental death in the home; and the total annual cost to the American public from fires approaches $30 billion; The characteristics of the nation’s fire problem have changed little since the publication of America Burning. Eighty percent of our fire deaths continue to occur in residences. People living in rural areas and the inner city are two to three times more likely to die in fires in their homes than people in mid-size cities and suburban areas. The elderly and very young children are at the greatest risk in society. Fire disproportionately affects those people without a voice. It has much less effect on “the power structure.” And the impact on a poor family that has a U.S. Representative Sherwood P. Boehlert (R-NY) fire is more devastating. “This conference...must galvanize the entire fire As shocking as these statistics are, service community to work together with they do represent an improvement. The Congress to preserve and expand the services of number of people killed by fires annually the federal fire programs. The entire Congress, has decreased. However, during the very ail 535 U.S. Representatives and Senators, must years we have pushed down the number understand the threat fire poses to their of deaths per year caused by fires, the communities and the sacrifices made by the fire public, local officials and the fire service fighters of their communities.” itself have yet to come to grips with the fact that America’s “fire problem” may be a misnomer because it now includes “emergency” problems dealt with on a emergency medical services, hazardous day-to-day basis by our nation’s fire materials response and all those other departments. 22 Executive Summary Section IV

The status of America’s fire problem, bilities is coming from federal regula­ in this broader sense, is simply not known tions, Congress needs to be more sensitive - not its magnitude, its major character­ to the impact of these responsibilities on istics nor its victims. Data is not avail­ state and local governments. able. The positive impact of smoke detectors Task Force 1 examined the nation’s needs to be maintained and extended to fire problem in this broader sense of the high-fire-risk population groups. Over term and attempted to articulate the the past decade, the fire service and the underlying causes and parameters of the USFA have initiated successful programs total problem. In summary: to encourage the use of smoke detectors in new and existing residential occupan­ We have failed to convince elected cies. Public education programs for officials of the seriousness of the fire maintaining smoke detectors also have problem. Fire service organizations need been proven successful. These efforts to find their common ground and present need to be continued. that with one voice. We need to support and educate the new Congressional Fire Services Caucus. Locally, fire depart­ Task Force 2 ­ ments need to establish citizens’ commit­ The Fire Services: Operations tees or involve community groups in their work to gain support. They need to “How can fire protection be im­ broaden the base of organizations having proved?” Both the National Commission input to determine “the common ground.” on Fire Prevention and Control and the The public and officials may better appre­ members of Task Force 2 replied that the ciate the fire problem if it is explained to answer lies not, in “more funds and more them in more brutal and vivid terms. staff,” but through improvements in the cost-effectiveness of existing service We need to understand and target delivery. The objective of Task Force 2 such underlying causes as poor housing was to review the progress toward im­ conditions and public apathy. proving the operational capability of the We need to fill major information gaps fire service since America Burning and in the nation’s fire problem, e.g., profiles to recommend new actions required to of burn victims, EMS requirements, and meet current and future demands. hazardous materials requirements. The The fire service is in a transitional research areas identified are clear; the period that calls for attention to varied only requirement is money. The USFA and, at times, conflicting demands. The and CFR have the legislative authority to fire service needs to respond to the tradi­ do these studies, but lack money and tional, although diminishing, functions of personnel. fire suppression, while becoming more dy­ We need to redefine the fire problem. namic to meet new challenges. Code Fire service responsibilities have grown enforcement, emergency medical services to include such other areas as hazardous and hazardous materials response are materials and emergency medical re­ growing responsibilities that are being sponse. Where proliferation of responsi­ placed on the shoulders of the fire service.

America Burning Revisited 23 Personnel issues remain a significant problem for volunteer departments. There is a lack of credible information on volun­ teer membership trends, for example, why do volunteers join, remain active or quit? The task force recommended a com­ prehensive research effort to analyze these issues. The study must be con­ ducted professionally in order to be credible not only to the fire service, but to a broad spectrum of elected and ap­ pointed officials and peers in allied fields. Credibility is essential because it will address the dual problems of both effec­ tive and efficient fire protection service delivery, as well as the key areas of equal employment opportunity, funding and legislative activity. Unless the fire service leadership enjoys more professional credibility, critical decisions affecting the tire service will be made more frequently by external actors (e.g., courts, elected officials) without the benefit of the fire service The task force concluded that the perspective. This problem affects both primary fire protection issue from a fire the volunteer and the career services service operational perspective is “the need equally. to develop fire service human resources.n Consistent management expectations and performance criteria for fire service Task Force 3 ­ personnel are generally lacking through­ The Fire Services: Management and out the profession. Neither career nor Administration volunteer services have fully addressed this problem, which is particularly acute Task Force 3’s area of concern lay in at the officer level. the issues and recommendations dis­ cussed in Chapters 3 through 7 of Amer­ Part of the problem stems from a lack ica Burning. The objectives of the task of nationally accepted minimum qualifi­ force were to review the key managerial cations for all positions. Further, the and administrative issues facing the fire recruitment and promotion of personnel service today and into the next century, is often idiosyncratic because of the lack of nationally accepted and validated The task force participants empha­ selection procedures. sized that the problems facing today’s fire

24 Executive Summary Section IV service must be faced by both career and volunteer fire managers. The problems must be recognized by all fire depart­ ments regardless of size, location or type (career, volunteer or combination). A theme that ran throughout the discussion was that the tire service fre­ quently has the authority and resources to solve many of its own problems, and that many of these problems are primar­ ily “people problems.” Some of the issues can be handled internally by the fire service. Continued support and financial encouragement is needed (a true partnership) from the U.S. Fire Administration to facilitate these changes. The task force members felt that the “America Burning Revisited” conference must reinforce the positive accomplish­ ments of the original America Burning, otherwise the report of the conference will not be complete. The many accomplish­ ments of the past 15 years should be acknowledged and highlighted. However, many of the same problems discussed by the National Commission on Fire Preven­ ance/loss reimbursement program for fire tion and Control in 1973 exist today, and fighter injury or loss of life to reimburse some of these have grown worse over the the jurisdiction. Fire departments need years. In addition, the past 15 years have help when purchasing equipment or presented the fire service with new prob­ services. A testing or evaluation program lems that were not anticipated in the similar to the Underwriters Laboratory original report. Therefore, the list of certification system should be developed. problems and action strategies should be The duplication of “right-to-know” legisla­ even longer than in the original report. tion among state and federal govern­ ments should be avoided. AIDS and other The task force identified five major communicable diseases are a threat to problem areas and developed solution emergency service personnel and infor­ strategies for four of them. mation should be made available about this problem. The top issue was fire and emergency service health and safety. Among the The second major problem area was actions recommended to address this the lack of adequate standards to evaluate issue was the development of an insur­ the delivery of fire department services.

America Burning Revisited 25 Effectiveness and efficiency measures for must be reinstated as a major program of fire and emergency service agencies the USFA and NFA. Finally, any feder­ should be developed. Further, the Inte­ ally or state-required responsibility must grated Emergency Management System be accompanied by adequate funding. (IEMS) concept should be the centerpiece of fire service planning and operations. Personnel management was another Task Force 4 ­ problem area identified by the task force. Fire and the Built Environment Productivity and innovation need to be The objectives of Task Force 4 were emphasized in all personnel management to define the fire protection problem vis­ practices. Continuing education for all a-vis the built environment, to assess the fire officers is a priority, as is the aggres­ progress that has been made since the sive implementation of equal employment publication of America Burning and to opportunity programs in both career and recommend strategies for improving volunteer fire departments. building fire safety. The task force The fire service should conduct more based its deliberations on Chapters 9 concise and comprehensive planning, through 12 of America Burning. The according to the task force. The USFA scope of its discussion was broad and should conduct a study on alternative included the fire hazards posed by build­ revenue sources, with special emphasis ing design, the materials used to con­ on user fees to better distribute the cost of struct and furnish buildings, occupant the fire service between the public and behavior and use, building code develop­ private sectors. Research should be ment and enforcement, and the produc­ encouraged on improved fire-safe designs tion, use, storage and transportation of and building materials. Master planning hazardous materials. 26 Executive Summary Section IV

The task force’s discussion on fire Gaining control over the building safety in the built environment focused on contents is another key avenue for enhanc­ problems related to public behavior, ing building safety. One approach in­ technology and code enforcement. The volves greater control over a building’s public’s lack of awareness of the fire occupancy and use. More vigilant code problem is a key obstacle to reducing the enforcement is required to accomplish nation’s fire loss. The public needs to be this task. made part of the solution. Currently, there is little realization on the part of In addition, the fire service needs more the public regarding the personnel cost information on measuring the combustion and business consequences of fire. The and toxicity characteristics of building task force outlined a national fire preven­ contents. Test methodologies need to be tion education plan to address this prob­ developed to evaluate a product’s ignita­ lem. The strategy makes use of all media bility, fire growth and toxicity. This in­ and is based on surveys and objective formation then must be made available to case studies of existing programs. It is all end users of the product. We also need essential that the message be vivid and data on suppression systems and how a brutal. Young children and teenagers room performs during fire. The Center need particular attention. for Fire Research fire hazard analysis for single-family homes needs to be ex­ Incentives to encourage safe behavior panded. Once this information is avail­ and modify, hazardous behavior need to be able, it can be used to prevent flashover instituted. Tax incentives, insurance and design sprinkler and detection sys­ credits, and legal and social deterrents tems and fire barriers. were suggestions for modifying behavior.

America Burning Revisited 27 The task force lamented that special­ for rural and wildland areas that are ized facilities and educational programs characterized by scarce or inadequate to train fire protection engineers are de­ water supplies, longer response times and creasing. While more graduate and volunteer fire departments. Standards doctoral programs are needed, the profes­ and codes specifically addressing the sion first needs to develop uniform cur­ problems of the rural and wildland envi­ riculum and scholarship criteria. ronment need to be adopted. A national sprinkler standard appropriate for rural use would be valuable. Task Force 5 ­ Rural departments frequently have Fire and the Rural Wildlands problems taking advantage of state, Environment regional and national training opportuni­ Task Force 5 concentrated on the ties. The lack of funds and the unique issues and recommendations discussed in scheduling constraints of volunteer de­ Chapters 13 and 14 of America Burn­ partments impede access to necessary ing. The group’s task was to evaluate the training. Legislation should be intro­ issues facing rural and wildland fire duced to strengthen state and national protection in light of current and future training programs and to secure the requirements for controlling fire in these stipend program at the National Fire environments. Academy. The scheduling of training programs must be arranged so volunteers The highest priority problem is public can attend. A training needs assessment education, or more accurately, the public’s system should be developed to ensure lack of awareness of the fire problem. The that programs concentrate on the issues fire service needs to market itself and its and needs of the rural/volunteer fire mission more effectively. It must use the service. Training is needed in arson latest techniques and the media to de­ control, the incident command system velop programs targeted at such key and fuel build-up forecasting. groups as the general public, elected and/ or appointed officials, and peers in related Fire protection in rural and wildland professions. areas often involves interagency cooperation. Unfortunately, even with the Local governments need to plan and models provided through FIRESCOPE control land use to take into account the and the Integrated Emergency Manage­ effect of development on water supply, ment System (IEMS), communication access roads and other fire hazards in the among agencies both within and across nation’s wildlands. As more of the jurisdictions remains poor. New work wildland areas become urbanized, the needs to be done in the area of inter- and greater is the need for fire prevention and intra-jurisdictional relationships. Action control master planning. plans to control major fires and conflagra­ tions would benefit from this improved The fire service has too little input into coordination among key actors. the development of building and fire codes. Moreover, codes often are designed Fire service organizations need re­ for cities and are not always appropriate sources to deliver required services. These

28 Executive Summary Section IV necessary resources include funding, ments have significantly increased fire community commitment, equipment and prevention activities over the past decade. personnel. The task force felt that all of In-service company fire safety inspections these elements needed additional sup­ and participation in public education port. If fire prevention and control serv­ programs now are common. Fire depart­ ices are going to meet the requirements ments have enlarged their role in super­ set by the community, the fire service vising the fire safety of the built environ­ needs the tools to accomplish the job. The ment. They are more involved in overall task force identified some options for land use planning and reviewing plans for acquiring the necessary tools, for ex­ new construction. Fire service officials ample, a local and state group purchasing frequently are involved in the develop­ plan, and government grants and low-cost ment and adoption of model fire codes loans. and the acceptance of local amendments to strengthen these codes, for example, codes requiring installation of smoke Task Force 6 ­ detectors in existing dwellings. Fire Prevention Upon reviewing the progress made The National Commission on Fire over the past decade, the task force Prevention and Control noted that fire identified two primary problem areas that prevention was the key to effective and need to be addressed. First, the public’s efficient fire protection services. Fire awareness of the fire problem remains a prevention activities will become even major obstacle. As a result, fire preven­ more important in the future if fire de­ tion still is not perceived as a high prior­ partment resources continue to decline ity. Industry, political leaders and the because "..it is cheaper to prevent a fire fire service itself need to have a greater than to fight it.” appreciation of fire prevention. Much has been accomplished since To overcome this obstacle, a national 1973. Many of the nation’s fire depart­ education campaign should be instituted.

U.S. Representative Doug Walgren (D-PA)

"I hope that you would ask yourselves whether we need a new organization that has a structure within which could fit all the elements of our society that are active in fire prevention...There has to be some effective continuous process that would include fire service organizations...citizen advocacy groups.the various non-profit organizations that have developed and served so well in the American system...business interests that have so much to lose...educators that have such a role to play in education...and technologists who could add, particularly in education, what new technology might provide...1 hope you will think about how you can give congress the kind of direction we obviously need given the nature of the Congressional process, and I hope you will think about how you can give each other the ongoing organizational structure that would enable us to pull everybody into a common effort that may not be quite what they are interested in or may be contrary to some of their immediate interests on a political level..., but nonetheless can result in a greater unity of effort in the next 10 years than we have seen in the last 10.”

America Burning Revisited 29 The task force recommended that the collection and analysis effort similar to, if campaign should build on such existing, not greater than, the one initiated with successful programs as the National Fire the launching of NFIRS. The data pro­ Protection Association’s “Learn Not To gram needs to coordinate its data collec­ Burn” project. The fire service must join tion efforts and develop products that are with industry leaders (e.g., the National accessible and useful to the fire service at Advertising Council) to launch a nation­ both the national and local levels. wide public relations effort. Fire service support of the Congressional Fire Serv­ ices Caucus is an effective way to educate Task Force 7 ­ political leaders about the fire problem. “Preparing for the 21st Century” Fire prevention needs to be institutional­ ized in the fire service. Fire prevention The thrust of Task Force 7’s mission training and active experience should be was to recommend alternate concepts, required of all chief officers. policies and programs that would assist the fire service in planning and preparing “U.S. Representative Curt Weldon (R-PA) for the future. The task force based its review on the issues and recommendation . ..What we can do is begin a process - begin a presented in Chapters 18-20 of America process of bringing in members who are willing Burning. to make a commitment, a real commitment, a genuine commitment, to the problems and The task force identified five key needs of the fire service and the fire problem in issues that need to be addressed as the America.” fire service prepares for the 21st century. The issues are ranked-in priority.

The second key problem area is the Recognizing that fire safety’s roots lie lack of information needed to analyze the in the socio-cultural fabric of society, the fire problem and evaluate programs. The task force considered the public’s cultural task force commented that the current orientation to fire as the primary critical national data system(s) is inadequate. issue for the next century. Attitudes, The information comes from a variety of behavior and values contribute to this sources, and quality control over data nation’s relatively poor fire safety record collection/entry is questionable. The task as compared with other industrialized force acknowledged the wealth of data countries. Fire is much more salient in being compiled through the National Fire other cultures, where there may be re­ Incident Reporting System (NFIRS), but, wards, as well as penalties, associated took the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) with fire safety behavior. to task over the NFIRS lack of utility. A campaign needs to be launched to “The information is too little and too change the public’s cultural orientation late.” The fire service desperately needs toward fire. The campaign needs to be more analysis of the fire problem. sophisticated and use state-of-the-art The only solution to the data problem techniques in behavior modification and is for the USFA to reinstitute a data marketing.

30 Executive Summary Section IV

Fire safety is a political issue. Laws, regulations and funding result from political efforts. The task force members felt that today’s fire service was frag­ mented, and it could represent itself to Congress and other interests in a more effective manner. A nationally organized and coordinated capability to identify overall problems, establish priorities and “make things happen” does not exist. Further, the fire service primarily talks to itself. It needs to organize with other allied interests. A fire safety political action plan needs to be organized. It should consist of the following three elements: first, sup­ port for the Congressional Fire Services Caucus; second, a “conference board’ consisting of representatives from all fire service groups and other allied interests to lobby on behalf of fire safety issues; and, third, a political action committee. We are still only beginning to under­ stand the technics office. The physics and chemistry of combustion, toxicity and suppression are, in many respects, still an ther, other types of information are enigma. While we have gained a lot of needed, as are better dissemination ground over the past 15 years, much more methods. The federal resources commit­ needs to be learned about the phenome­ ted to this effort need to be augmented. nology of fire and about the hazards and risks posed by building materials and A national fire information database furnishings. Research needs to be initi­ network should be established that in­ ated to develop a new generation of cludes not only fire incident statistics, but detection and suppression technology. a sharing of ideas and experiences, as well. The fire protection community needs to have information about the fire problem The role and responsibilities of the fire and how to manage it. The data collec­ service are being redefined as the environ­ tion and analysis conducted by the fire ment and the demands of local govern­ community are fragmented and incom­ ment change. Traditional fire department plete. The U.S. Fire Administration has activities are being replaced or supple­ made progress with NFIRS, but not all mented with such new challenges as states and cities are participating. Fur­ emergency medical services and hazard-

America Burning Revisited 31 ous material response. The budget crises very close to home. Whether the topic faced by governments over the past decade involved fire service personnel selection have affected the resources available to and development standards, management the fire service, causing fire departments priorities, new and untraditional activi­ to reevaluate the services they provide ties, or new technologies, the participants and how these services are provided. evaluated how well the fire service was Research needs to be conducted on new prepared to meet current demands, as fire department organizations, responsi­ well as those anticipated in the future. bilities and working relationships. Common themes included the need for more and better information on the dynamics of fire, life safety and emer­ Summary gency management issues. The fire service needs to be more active in control­ The discussion and recommendations ling its destiny. This requires organizing from this conference underscore the fire at the local, state and federal levels to service’s increasing professionalism. The pursue its interests and objectives. The participants did not hesitate to examine fire service needs to take an active stance critically how the fire service goes about in selling fire safety to the public, govern­ its job. While it is important to evaluate ment officials and industry. Finally, the the constraints and requirements that are fire service needs to ensure that it has the imposed by an organization’s environ­ proper personnel, resources and organiza­ ment, the task forces did not shy away tion to deliver public safety services and from issues that many would consider manage inevitable future change.

32 Executive Summary Section V

Workshop Task Force Reports

Introduction In addition to a number of background and scene-setting presentations (summa­ he conference participants were ries and excerpts of these speeches ap­ divided into seven task forces that pear throughout this section), the task T were to discuss and analyze selected forces participated in four individual chapters from the original America sessions during the three days of the Burning report. Those task forces were: conference.

Task Force 1. The Nation’s Fire It was the responsibility of the seven Problem task forces to look at the original report’s recommendations, study the program Task Force 2. The Fire Services: activity in the intervening years, and Operations decide what really has been accomplished and what remains to be done. In other Task Force 3. The Fire Services: words, the participants were to answer Management and Administration the question, ‘Where do we go from here?” Task Force 4. Fire and the Built Environment The seven task force reports that follow in this section constitute the an­ swers to that question. Task Force 6. Fire and the Rural Wildlands Environment The section begins with summaries of the presentations by Lou Amabili, Clyde Task Force 6. Fire Prevention A. Bragdon, Jr., and Dr. John Granito on “America Burning - The Past, Present Task Force 7. Preparing for the 21st and Future,” followed by the seven task Century force reports.

America Burning Revisited 33

Section V

America Burning ­ The Past

Louis J. Amabili Director Delaware State Fire School

he history of America Burning actually began in 1966 when an ad T hoc group of fire service leaders met in Racine, Wisconsin, to take a long, hard look at the fire service. That meet­ ing, known as Wingspread I, identified several problems and issues, among them the need to professionalize the fire service and the need for government to support fire service efforts. That meeting, along with the deaths of three astronauts in a flash fire, gener­ ated enough interest in the fire problem Louis J. Amabili so that the Fire Research and Safety Act In November 1970, two months after of 1968 was made law. The act was in the council was organized, the President two parts. It called for a fire research appointed the members of the national program at the National Bureau of Stan­ commission which was funded and began dards (now the National Institute of work early the following year. Standards and Technology) and created the National Commission on Fire Preven­ The commission gathered in June of tion and Control which lead to America 1971 in Washington, D.C., for its organ­ Burning. izational meeting. The legislation creat­ ing the commission said it would conduct Part one was funded; part two was a two-year study of the nation’s fire not. More than two years went by and problem and report to the President of the fire service leaders, somewhat concerned, United States. met in Williamsburg, Virginia, to estab­ lish the Joint Council of National Fire At that meeting, we learned that it Service Organizations. The council was was common practice for a commission to organized in September 1970 and, for the hire someone else to do the work and first time, the fire service had a unified produce the report. This group decided voice. that it was going to do its own study. The

America Burning Revisited 35 work by the commission members aver­ $26 million; equipment, $15 million; aged approximately a week per month for public education, $9.6 million; fire fighter the nearly two years we were active. The equipment, $4 million; fire data, $3.74 commission traveled the country to hold million; National Fire Academy, $4 mil­ meetings and hearings to receive broad- lion; and U.S. Fire Administration, $2.5 based exposure and input. The commis­ million. On October 19, 1974, Congress sion itself authored the final report, with passed the National Fire Prevention and the assistance of a professional staff and Control Act and it was signed into law writer. three days later by President Gerald Ford. The report, America Burning, was released on May 4, 1973, and quickly The original organization of the became a classic document. It repre­ NFPCA called for an administrator that sented the expertise, concerns, comments was a level four Presidential appointee and investments of time of 18 people who and a deputy administrator that was cared about the American fire problem. appointed by the President at level five. The administrator reported to the Secre­ The report consisted of 90 recommen­ tary of Commerce. dations. If I had to summarize them, with the priorities established by the The NFPCA had four divisions - re­ commission, that summary would be search and development, the National “prevention, detection and suppression, in Fire Data Center, National Academy for that order.” The report said that more Fire Prevention and Control, and Office of emphasis must be placed on prevention. Public Education. It did not say, as some would like to believe, that prevention is a panacea and The objective of the public education suppression forces can be done away office was to overcome public apathy with. What the report said is that if toward the fire problem by teaching prevention gets better, the need for people fire safety through public relations suppression gets less, and that is the campaigns, publications and demonstra­ balance that should be sought. tions. Part of the objective was conduct­ ing research to determine the most effec­ The report also called for a federal or tive methods for reaching the public. national focus on the fire problem. The U.S. Fire Administration, then the Na­ The purpose of the fire academy was tional Fire Prevention and Control Ad­ to advance the professional development ministration (NFPCA), was to be the of fire officers and others in the fire focus for the American public, while the service. National Fire Academy was to be the focus for the fire service. The research office was designed to handle research into fire technology, The report predicted a five percent master planning, and fire codes and stan­ annual reduction in fire deaths if the dards. programs were funded to a level of $125 million a year. Under that funding, mas­ The data center had as its purpose a ter planning would have received $30 more active nationwide analysis of the million; training, $30 million; research, fire problem that would assist in setting 36 America Burning - The Past Section V priorities, identifying major issue areas, However, after receiving assurances monitoring fire losses and determining and commitments from the Carter transi­ solutions. tion team of a continued federal focus on the fire problem, the joint council re­ The legislation also called for the thought its position and supported the establishment of the Center for Fire Re­ transfer. The joint council also made search at the National Bureau of Stan­ other concessions, including the loss of dards (now the National Institute of the deputy administrator’s position and Standards and Technology), with pass- the inclusion of the fire programs budget through funding going to the fire admini­ into the overall FEMA budget. In retro­ stration so there would be a coordination spect, perhaps the joint council support of research activities. for the move and the concessions was an error. In any case, in 1979, the USFA While the commission had called for and NFA became part of FEMA. Later funding of $125 million a year, the pro­ that same year, the NFA campus in gram started off with only $6 million in Emmitsburg, Maryland, was dedicated. 1975, jumped to $11 million in 1976 and peaked at approximately $20 million. Some months later, the civil defense staff college in Battle Creek, Michigan, The acting administrator of the closed down, was moved to the Emmits­ NFPCA was Dr. Joseph Clark. He was burg campus and renamed the Emer­ replaced by the agency’s first permanent gency Management Institute. Now when administrator, Howard Tipton, who had you travel to Emmitsburg, you see the been executive director of the commission. U.S. Fire Administration and National The deputy administrator was David Fire Academy buried under what is now Lucht and the first academy superinten­ the National Emergency Training Center. dent was David McCormack. My personal concern as a former This leadership put ‘together a five- member of the national commission is year plan (1976-1981) that followed the that both agencies have lost identity and intent of the commission and the legisla­ visibility. When you drive up Route 15 in tion. The plan was strong enough to help Maryland, you see a big sign saying the federal fire programs weather the National Emergency Training Center. storms that they were going to run into in What does that mean to the average the future. person? It has no relationship to the fire administration, the fire academy or Those storms started with Presiden­ anything else connected with fire! tial Reorganization Plan Number 3 under the Carter administration. The plan As the Reagan administration came called for the integration of the federal into power, members of the joint council fire programs into the newly formed met again with a representative of the Federal Emergency Management Agency transition team who called the fire pro­ (FEMA). The Joint Council of National grams an appendage to FEMA. We Fire Service Organizations initially should have seen that as an omen be­ opposed this switch from the commerce cause an appendage is something that department to FEMA. sticks out like a tumor and needs to be

America Burning Revisited 37 cut off. With the proposed budget for of smoke detectors in homes by the 1982, the Reagan administration began thousands. Today, we are talking several unsuccessful attempts to elimi­ about tens of millions of smoke detec­ nate funding for, and thus dismantle, tors around the country. the U.S. Fire Administration, National Fire Academy and Center for Fire As a result of Project FIRES, there Research. has been a vast improvement in the safety afforded by fire fighter protec­ Those attempts were unsuccessful tive clothing. because the joint council and the entire fire service got involved and asked Con­ In my opinion, if nothing else has gress to restore funding for the fire pro­ come from the fire administration, grams. While those funds were re­ funding for the development of quick- stored, a slow, but steady, erosion took acting residential sprinklers has been place. When the attempts to zero fund a monumental achievement. Were it the fire programs began, the budget was not for this program, residential approximately $10 million with 40 staff sprinklers would not have been de­ members. We have ended up with a veloped for many, many more years. budget of approximately $4 million and 20 staff members. In 1975, when the federal fire pro­ grams started, 8,800 people died in To compound the problems, the fire fires. Moving at the commission’s administration has had 11 administra­ goal of a five percent reduction per tors, four of them permanent and seven year, even though annual funding acting, while the academy has had nine was short of the recommended $125 superintendents, four permanent and million, 14,121 people should have five acting. Every time the leadership been saved from 1975 to 1983. In shifted, there was a slight shift in focus fact, 13,755 lives were saved which is that certainly added to the confusion, pretty much on target. Even with these problems, the federal fire programs have had signifi­ Despite all the obstacles and road­ blocks, things are going pretty well. cant accomplishments. America is still burning, but maybe it is When America Burning was pub­ not burning quite as badly as it was 15 lished, you could count the number years ago.

38 America Burning - The Past Section V

America Burning ­ The Present

Clyde A. Bragdon, Jr. Aministrator U.S. Fire Administration

y role is to give you an update on the status of this nation’s fire M problem. As you know, approxi­ mately one year ago, the 97 deaths at the DuPont Plaza Hotel fire in San Juan, Puerto Rico, generated headline after headline. I do not think there is a single issue in this country that gets more media attention than fire, when you consider all the local coverage as well. In terms of fire deaths, we seem to have reached a plateau. The statistics are stable now and further reduction is Clyde A. Bragdon, Jr. not happening. However, everything is not measured in fire deaths. Unfortu­ Let me talk about the circumstances nately, they are the most dramatic of all ushered in by the Reagan era. I am a Re­ the data we can collect. agan appointee, but I will try to be can­ On the other hand, arson is not stable did. As an earlier speaker said, we were and may even be increasing slightly. called a negative appendage on the objec­ tives of the Federal Emergency Manage­ Fire injuries present another interest­ ment Agency (FEMA). The problem arose ing problem. I have never found two because there was no one on the transi­ sources of data that are uniform. They go tion team that was either familiar with, anywhere from 30,000 to 300,000 per or interested in, the federal fire initia­ year. Perhaps that is one of the weak­ tives or the nation’s fire problem. nesses that can be addressed in your task force sessions. Should we have a more Having had that label attached to us meaningful fire injury reporting system during those early years, we were des­ for this nation? We now do not really tined to be the target of budget elimina­ have significant data on the extent of tion attempts. It was the fire service and injuries from fire. its interest groups, through their liaison

America Burning Revisited 39 with Congress, that have maintained at The fire data program has grown least a no-growth program. significantly over the years. It now in­ volves approximately 40 states with Where are the federal fire programs? 10,000 fire departments. That number is These programs are designed only to growing and should peak at approxi­ support those who have the basic and mately 13,000 to 14,000 fire departments inherent responsibility for the delivery of sometime during this fiscal year. This fire protection, namely state and local program processes more than one million governments. The role of the federal fire fire reports annually and is an excellent programs is to enhance the capacity of example of the partnership that has been state and local governments to provide established by the federal, state and local this protection. The fire programs are governments. serving as a clearinghouse, a catalyst, a coordinator if you will, at the federal We now have real-time fire data that level. interfaces with the National Fire Protec­ tion Association’s (NFPA) data collection I was asked at my confirmation hear­ system which can do the statistical pro­ ings more than three years ago how the jections for those who do not contribute. fire administration could accomplish its Why data? This is the information age programs with the staffing it has. My and we use data to set directions, make answer is that the 1.2 million members of decisions and assist with the establishing the American fire service would be the of priorities. staff, so it was only necessary to have a skeletal federal effort. The data system is basically voluntary Where do we go from here? We can­ and returns to the state and local govern­ not dwell on the past. We have achieve­ ments data that is helpful in their deci­ ment despite adversity, adversity on the sionmaking processes. The data system political side, and yes, adversity even currently costs approximately $350,000 a within the fire service family itself at year and it is providing significant, mean­ times. We need to continue to progress in ingful real-time data that is used, among the areas of prevention and suppression other things, to enhance and complement that were outlined in the Federal Fire the consensus code process. Prevention and Control Act of 1974, namely engineering, enforcement, educa­ We have seen a fire fighter death rate tion and extinguishment. in this country which is not acceptable. I have heard many say we should reduce In 1988, budget-cutting efforts took a civilian deaths, fire fighter deaths and new turn when the attempt was made to fire losses to an acceptable level. I would eliminate our fire prevention programs, like anyone in this room to stand up and thus taking the “fire prevention” out of tell me what that acceptable level might the fire prevention and control act. This be. There is no such thing as an accept­ would have left us with only a small data able level. It is a goal and an objective, operation and fire fighter health and probably not attainable, but certainly one safety programs. that can be reduced significantly.

40 America Burning - The Present Section V

We have seen a reduction in fire to have smoke detectors. The only prob­ fighter deaths and injuries, a loss that- lem is that up to 40% of those are non­ costs local governments substantial functional. Obviously that needs to be amounts of money when you consider addressed and it can be done best through worker compensation, medical expenses, the educational process. training and replacement expenses. And this does not even consider the personal If tire safety education efforts fail, then costs to individuals. Much more needs to obviously we need some back-up systems, be done in this area. namely detection and early warning. We could spend this entire meeting talking Each year, in cooperation with the about sprinkler systems and new technol­ NFPA, we provide the “Fire Fighter ogy, technology transfer, and the new and Death and Injury Study.” A close analy­ different applications we have witnessed sis of those studies discloses that many of recently. However, we do have a demon­ the deaths and injuries are not necessary. strated track record of making the trans­ It should not be a badge of honor to be in fer to life safety applications with the a profession that has one of the largest sprinkler that was designed 100 years ago death and injury rates of any occupa­ for property protection. tional group in the country. It is a dis­ grace and, at the same time, a challenge The data we have collected on fire to move forward and eliminate these deaths has given us our target audiences: kinds of statistics. Again, that should be the very young and the elderly. I think part of your charge. particularly of those more than 60 years of age who are a target because of several In another area, one that cannot be different reasons: the kind of housing emphasized enough, fire prevention was, they live in or are committed to, their is and will be a top priority. Fire preven­ economic status, their social status or the tion can be accomplished in several ways. fact that they often are neglected. There A serious educational effort is probably are a lot of strong, interesting, positive the cheapest investment that we can programs at the local level addressing this make at all levels of government and in problem, but the elderly are still a signifi­ the private sector to make the public cant target audience. more aware of the hazards of fire. And there are a lot of exemplary programs Fire is just one of the many problems that are doing just that. The NFPA, that must be dealt with by the local com­ Tobacco Institute and other organizations munity as part of its social environment. have been involved in these programs. However, it is unacceptable to find death from fire being relegated to the back pages The fire administration has programs of the community newspaper when some like the ‘National Awareness Campaign” other kinds of tragedies are getting more which has been quite successful in terms attention. of the amount of media attention given to it this past year. Our National Community Volunteer Fire Prevention Program will launch right Earlier speakers have alluded to the into our second National Awareness Cam­ fact that 80% of our homes are estimated paign. There are a lot of resources in the

America Burning Revisited 41 local communities. It was never the fed­ participated in fire administration pro­ eral government’s intent to start funding grams, but those agencies still belong to local fire programs. It was our intent to them and they are not inclined to let give them seed money, a kick-off so to somebody take them away. speak, so they would be able to generate their own independence and funding. We There is a whole litany of items I are probably up to 70 projects right now could recite here, programs that we are in 29 states and Washington, D.C. Not involved in and have been involved in at all of them are successful, but several the federal level. However, I would certainly are. rather challenge you in this meeting to give us direction. And “us” does not mean There is much to be said just by the federal fire programs, it means the presence and participation. That is why I fire service as a whole. This symposium like to call it a partnership. It is not the is not intended to be a blueprint for the $20,000 or $30,000 that we give to the federal fire programs. communities that is important; it is the fact that the federal government cares This meeting was not intended to be and would like to involve itself as a self-serving. It was intended to address partner, but would move away once the the nation’s fire problem through the year program is able to sustain itself. That is 2000. By intent, the invites to this a true partnership arrangement; that conference are a mix of people from shows interest. various disciplines and organizations which affect and influence the fire prob­ If nothing else, that kind of involve­ lem in this country. ment is symbolic. And I really feel that symbolism has been the rallying point for Certainly we would not even be here if the federal fire programs in recent years. it were not for the strong support of the The fire service had something symbolic nation’s fire service and its interest in Washington, a symbol around which to groups. However, we cannot be continu­ rally by writing their representatives and ally talking to each other, so reach out, senators in support of the fire programs. embrace and start talking to those other Many in the fire service have not at­ groups that are in attendance at this tended the fire academy and have not meeting. They can make a difference!

42 America Burning - The Present Section V

America Burning ­ The Future

Dr. John Granito

he first America Burning group faced a tremendous game of catch­ T up. There had never been any­ thing, resembling a national fire focus of that magnitude. In fact, there had been very little in the way of a national focus on the fire problem in the years preced­ ing those efforts in the late 1960s and early 1970s. As a consequence, the recommendations of the National Com­ mission on Fire Prevention and Control span a rather broad spectrum, ranging from suggested improvements in fire Dr. John Granito equipment and the placarding of hazard­ ous materials transport vehicles, to the very creation of a federal agency which be surprised to learn that not much would put its spotlight on fire protection. progress was made over the next 20 years. Well, several of those commission recommendations were never enacted, However, in the last 15 to 20 years, I while others received no financing or think there has been tremendous prog­ nourishment as perhaps they should ress. Some of that progress is the result have. These observations are obvious to of the efforts of people at the national anybody who looks at the fire scene in level. But, simply put, fire protection in the United States. the U.S. has improved substantially.

I became a fire fighter in October For example, we know the cure for 1949 on my 18th birthday and, despite structure fires, namely, detection sys­ my presence in the fire service, you will tems, automatic extinguishing systems,

America Burning Revisited 43 environmental monitoring systems and so head-on. That, of course, is the purpose forth. We understand the components of of a meeting such as this - to get our comprehensive fire prevention. In those ducks in order, so to speak, to rejuvenate communities where comprehensive fire our efforts, to motivate ourselves and prevention programs are being imple­ each other so we can meet this challenge mented, there have been significant of the future. improvements. In fact, the number of suppression runs in some cities has In thinking about the future of the fire declined considerably. service, most of us tend to envision a scene in some future time, after the Yet within this pleasant landscape, changes have occurred and everything there are some terrible and terrifying new is in place. We like to project our­ scenes. Smaller communities suffer selves to a point where a total package is disproportionate fire and life losses. A all set and operating. In fact, of course, number of metropolitan communities are the future arrives in bits and pieces, each struggling mightily to provide even the tomorrow following each tomorrow, and most minimal type of emergency medical the attention is most often on the journey services to their citizens. In many rural rather than the final destination. parts of the country, emergency medical service is almost non-existent. What is happening in the United States that might give us some hints about the future? There are a number of Many, many fire departments still concepts which are having a major impact allocate less than one percent of their and which portend what tomorrow and resources to fire prevention efforts. For the following tomorrows will bring. each news article that makes us heroes (us meaning you in the fire service), at least one other, and sometimes several, Risk management, calculated risk, indicts us, often justifiably. trade-offs and decisions made by broad- based community groups, not just the professionals, are concepts that have So, while we have come a great dis­ taken hold in our country. People are tance, there remains a great challenge willing to purchase some amount of before us. That challenge will be met protection, but they are not willing, or not because the bywords of the fire service able, to purchase all of the protection that always have been innovation and flexibil­ the professionals specify is needed in a ity, and I think they will serve us well as given instance. we meet the future. Another concept is local and regional I envision the future as a steamroller; planning, with fire protection as but one it is coming at us and there obviously is element of an integrated emergency not any way to stop it. We can try to run management system. There has been away; we can stand there, perhaps turn­ criticism of master planning as too cum­ ing our back, and be run over and bersome because it involves too many knocked flat; or we can meet the future people, but master planning is working in 44 America Burning - The Future Section V

many communities. There is a need to People want more bang for the buck emphasize mitigation and recovery as a today, so agencies must consider adding part of emergency management, as well related services to the municipal deliv­ as planning and response. ery package. There should be increased working relationships among agencies. Someone whispered to me very re­ There are hazardous materials incidents cently, just a few minutes ago in fact, today that bring to the scene representa­ ‘When will communities allocate the tives from more than 30 agencies, each resources that need to be put in fire one justifiably saying, “I have a right to prevention?” I think my response is, be here, I have responsibility in this kind ‘When we can diminish the sense of of incident, and I have some authority in excitement that one gets from red its command and control, and you had trucks, sirens and red lights.” Fire better listen to me.” prevention as a way to reduce fire loss is a concept that has taken hold through­ There need to be shifts in organiza­ out the nation. tional structures and staffing arrange­ ments. We cannot deliver new services Fire protection leadership at and using the same structures. from the national level, something that we did not have 20 years ago, certainly We must use technology to improve has made a significant difference. efficiency and effectiveness. Those con­ cerned with fire protection have not been Without any question, research, able to take full advantage of technologi­ development and improved databases cal advancements. In fact, on balance, have been of substantial assistance to there are some days on which I think the fire protection community. In the that high technology has brought us same vein, computerization, enhanced more hazards than advantages. That management information systems and the increased use of non-traditional personnel in all aspects of fire protection work have helped. By non-traditional “U.S. Representative Curt Weldon (R-PA) personnel, I mean civilians performing tasks that historically have been done by . ..Our ultimate goal...is to begin to form a caucus, a loose-knit organization of members of uniformed members of the fire service. Congress who are willing to give the fire service In some communities, this is such a more than lip service. And not just to deal with shocker that you dare not mention it on the issues at election time, but all year around. the first day of your visit. Not just to introduce bills that they know have no chance of passing, just to satisfy the These are national trends which constituents back home..., but members of reflect the growing concerns ‘of our soci­ Congress who really have a genuine interest in looking at your needs so that the next 10 years ety. These trends and concepts are can be more productive legislatively than the shaping our future in the fire service, as last 10 years.” is the need for accountability and cost effectiveness. America Burning Revisited 45 should not be the case. We should be which is purchasing small fire trucks and taking better advantage of technology. using a form of dry powder on many fires, and seems to be having reasonable suc­ But still the focus is on suppression! cess with it. Now, in which directions are we moving? We certainly are moving toward If this trend toward reduced suppres­ automatic detection and extinguishing sion, increased EMS and increased de­ systems and systems that will monitor mand for additional service as a measure the environment, give an instant read-out of cost effectiveness continues, one could and call for the necessary assistance. We predict that we would not have fire de­ are moving toward a focus on codes, a partments, but environmental protection focus on proper construction, rather than departments. Think of the kinds of just code enforcement, as part of what I services we could provide. For example, call comprehensive fire prevention. And with the growing concern for radon in our comprehensive fire prevention must homes, is this not an area in which an include public education. environmental protection department (I realize it needs a better name) could Where does this move us? When you work? consider that almost all our marbles have been put historically into fire suppres­ sion, one is struck with an interesting There is no doubt that fire depart­ ments are getting involved in EMS and fact. Nearly everything associated with all aspects of disaster planning and the fire service is there because we extin­ response, including natural and man- guish most fires with a chemical, water, transported to within approximately 30 made disasters and hazardous materials incidents. But there are some new as­ feet of the flames by portable tubing we call hose, and advanced by humans we pects as well, for example, a change in the vehicles we use to respond to an incident. call fire fighters. I said it that way be­ Imagine, if you will, a multi-purpose cause I want you to think about it a bit. Suppose that we could extinguish fires in department where crews are trained to operate along a broad spectrum of calls some other way that was practical and and the apparatus are called “rapid cost effective? Suppose we could extin­ guish fires, as indeed we can, by the intervention vehicles,” and where hazard­ ous materials transport vehicles are generation of sound waves of a certain tracked just like freight cars are tracked frequency, magnitude and amplitude, or in a railroad yard. by laser, as we certainly can? Suppose we could do this in a practical way? Think of the impact that would have on the fire We could tell what is coming into our suppression service, indeed I suppose, on communities, we could track the hazard­ fire prevention as well. The impact would ous material and get any kind of informa­ be staggering and it is coming. tion we needed instantly from the com­ puter read-out. I use this as a simple I read an article recently about the application of a technology which is Fort Wayne (Indiana) Fire Department already with us.

46 America Burning - The Future Section V

Environmental monitoring of struc­ We will play a less important role if tures through cable television and similar the future is pushed on us by whomever devices is being done now in a number of may be pushing at the moment. I would communities throughout the country. like to feel that, no matter what happens, some future will be pressed on us by com­ I predict that within the next two munities and citizens that need our decades, the names on the sides of the efforts. However, I am fearful that a less vehicles will change again. They used to important future will be thrust upon us say fire department, and now, in many and we will end up in a world where instances, they say fire and rescue de­ suppression runs are unusual. partment. I predict they will change to reflect multi-purpose emergency organi­ Suppression departments will remain zations designed, trained and equipped to in existence, but they will be small or­ respond to a wide variety of emergencies ganizations, with few resources, doing a not covered by the law enforcement job about which the public does not think agency in the community. or care. I hope that is not our future. I think that the fire service has much more to offer and I join with others who have The concern that I have in looking at been saying that the participants in this the future has to do with the issue of who conference have a splendid opportunity to will control the nature and shape of what put together some recommendations we currently call fire departments. Will which could shape the future in a way we have structures, shapes, responsibili­ that makes sense. ties and budgets forced on us by people who are not professionals in the field? In closing, what we need is a win/win Or, will we as professionals be able to situation, a situation in which our com­ shape that future ourselves? I submit to munities and citizens and their property you that we will do a better job of meeting and future are better off for our presence, future challenges if we can shape our own a situation in which we as professionals, futures or at least play a major role in represented by a wide variety of organiza­ that task. tions, are better off as well.

America Burning Revisited 47

Section V

Task Force 1 The Nation’s Fire Problem

Task Force Members:

Deputy Chief Steven C. Bailey, Fire Commissioner Charles A. Henry, Seattle (WA) Fire Department, State of Pennsylvania National Fire Information Council Mr. Matt Kane, National League of Dr. Richard E. Bland, Cities Pennsylvania State University Mr. William Randleman, Fire Chief Mr. Peter Brigham, American Magazine Burn Association Mr. Fred S. Ringler, People’s Mr. John C. Gerard, National Fire Firehouse, Inc. Protection Association Mr. Philip Schaenman, Tri Data Mr. John Glenn Hart, III, U.S. Corporation Fire Administration

MS Barbara Lundquist, Tri Data Corporation, Facilitator

I. Introduction II. Background The objectives of Task Force 1 were to As a result of a series of hearings and identify new issues, problems and trends related research, the National Commis­ associated with the overall fire protection sion on Fire Prevention and Control problem in the United States. Upon a prepared a narrative description of the review of Chapter 1, “The Nation’s Fire fire problem as perceived in 1972 - 1973. Problem,” and Chapter 2, “Living Victims Many of the recommendations made by of the Tragedy,” the task force members the commission to alleviate these prob­ were to update the state of the nation’s lems have been initiated. For example, fire problem as defined in America the commission recommended that Con­ Burning. In addition, the task force was gress establish a U.S. Fire Administra­ assigned the job of developing recommen­ tion (USFA) to provide a national focus dations that will guide future fire protec­ for the nation’s fire problem and to pro­ tion analysis and planning. mote a comprehensive program with

America Burning Revisited 49 caid, and support of medical research and training have contributed to this prog­ ress. In addition, the specialized training required for burn treatment personnel is being carried out on a broad scale by professional associations, emergency medical service programs and the burn centers themselves. How has the fire problem changed since 1973? The number of fire deaths has decreased by approximately 25% and the number of fires reported to the fire de­ partment has decreased by 20%. Never­ theless, the United States, along with Canada, still has the worst fire death rate for all the industrialized countries for which we have comparable data. The U.S. fire deaths per million population are almost twice the average fire death rates for other industrialized countries. Per fire, our loss (in deaths or in dollars) is not high. However, the num­ ber of fires in the U.S., even figured on a per capita basis, is extremely high. This suggests that our fire suppression efforts are relatively good, and that to reduce fire adequate funding to reduce life and deaths and dollar losses we need to property loss from fire. The U.S. Fire concentrate on fire prevention. Administration was indeed established in 1975, along with the National Fire Acad­ Over the past five years, we have emy and the Center for Fire Research. averaged more than 6,000 dead annually, The annual budget of the federal fire more than 100,000 injured, with two and programs, however, has been consistently a half million fires reported to the fire much lower than the funding levels service. Many, many more fires go unre­ recommended by the commission. ported each year, causing additional personal injuries and property loss. The commission also was concerned with upgrading the nation’s burn treat­ The total cost of fire in the United ment facilities. While there are no spe­ States, including losses plus the cost of cific programs to support this recommen­ protection (built-in systems, fire depart­ dation, much of it has been accomplished. ment and insurance overhead), is $30 By 1983, there were approximately 125 billion a year. This does not include the burn centers in the U.S., including one in value of labor donated by more than a virtually every metropolitan area. Such million volunteer fire fighters or such federal programs as Medicare and Medi­ indirect fire costs as medical expenses.

50 Task Force 1 - The Nation’s Fire Problem Section V

With respect to deaths, young children national cadre of thousands of fire fight­ (under 5) have a much higher risk of ers, trained at the National Fire Academy being killed in a fire than teenagers and in technical areas, prevention and man­ adults -50% to 100% higher than the agement, is moving into and up the officer average population. The elderly (over 65) ranks in local tire departments. And the are at highest risk - triple that of the rest absolute number of fire deaths occurring of the population. They sense fires less each year has gone down. easily, move less quickly and are killed more easily by burns and smoke than But a document cannot provide lead­ younger people. ership. The federal fire programs are not comprehensive. They have no continuity In addition to age, there is a racial and they are trivial in size as federal and ethnic dynamic to the nation’s fire- programs go. Inadequate staffing is as loss. Blacks have a fire death rate almost serious a problem as inadequate funding. double the national average. American Even the National Fire Data System is Indians have an even higher death rate fragile and may falter without more than blacks. Differences among these support. Today, federal staffing to man­ and other groups may result from differ­ age a data system that collects detailed ences in family income, education levels, information on almost a million fires a family stability, alcoholism levels, and year is down to two people. other social practices and problems which correlate with fire incidence and fire The need remains to analyze and death rates. communicate what we have. Much of the discussion of Task Force 1 concerning the Since America Burning, the respon­ “problems” underlying the nation’s fire sibilities of fire departments across this problem centered around critical informa­ country have expanded significantly to tion gaps and the need for more timely include most of the delivery of emergency and effective dissemination of the infor­ medical services in our communities, and mation we have. This information is the management of both hazardous needed both for planning effective fire materials incidents and natural disasters. prevention programs and raising the Some estimate that emergency medical awareness of the seriousness of the fire responsibility alone has more than problem with the public, elected officials doubled the demands for manpower, and even the fire service itself. training, and management time and attention in our fire departments. III. Critical Issues America Burning did lead us to de­ velop a federal focus, a set of key agen­ The theme that ran throughout the cies, namely, the USFA, National Fire discussion among Task Force 1 members Academy and Center for Fire Research. about the nation’s fire problem was A National Fire Data System has been “,.Let’s build on our successes to meet established in which 40 states are partici­ tomorrow’s challenges.” There was early pating. Interest and action on the part of consensus that the recommendations of the fire service in the field of public fire America Burning are still valid, and education has increased significantly. A that they will continue to be in the com-

America Burning Revisited 51 ing years. With America Burning as a 2) The need to understand and target the master plan, many successful programs underlying causes of fire and fire losses. have been delivered through federal, The underlying causes discussed range state and local governments. Based on from major national problems, such as our successful track record of having a poverty, to cultural orientation, meaning fire focal point to offer technical and the absence of any kind of punishment or financial assistance “when available,” the stigma when a fire occurs. task force members felt that the effort to One precept of this discussion was control and reduce the fire problem in the that much of the public education effort United States will continue to be success­ currently undertaken by the fire service ful. reaches middle-class or upper middle- The following is a discussion of the class children and adults in mid-size key issues identified by Task Force 1. communities and suburban areas. The These are not ranked in priority. fire departments in the best position to undertake public education serve an 1) Lack of awareness. We have failed to audience less in need of it than other convince elected officials of the serious­ communities. Another way to look at ness of the fire problem. While the fire this, however, is that even in America’s service has been effective in lobbying for “safer” communities, the risk of dying in a specific fire protection-related state laws fire is as great or almost as great as it is and local ordinances, its effectiveness at in most other countries overall. Our the federal level has been limited. By worst areas are much, much worse than and large, lobbying efforts have been the fire risks faced in other countries, but ineffective when they were targeted at even our best communities are bad. gaining support for the program budgets and staff of the federal fire agencies. The specific underlying causes about which more information is needed and The U.S. Congress (as well as other which, at this time, people believe should elected and appointed officials at the be targeted directly by public fire safety state and local levels) needs, first and education are: foremost, to be educated about the con­ cerns of the fire service, the seriousness of poverty; fire and other emergency management inadequate housing; problems, and the methods available to public apathy; address these problems. Another failure lack of knowledge about fire; in the area of lobbying is that the fire service has not worked with such other lack of stigma when you have a fire; parties as community service organiza­ lack of knowledge that there is a fire tions and industry with whom they might problem; productively form partnerships to bring alcohol and drug abuse; greater influence to bear on public offi­ lack of adult supervision of children; cials. Unless this problem is solved, and adequate resources will never become available. lack of qualified supervision of other dependent populations.

52 Task Force 1 - The Nation’s Fire Problem Section V

3) Information needs. We need to fill in­ greatly. Responsibilities have been formation gaps within our body of knowl­ broadened by public expectation, public edge about the nation’s fire problem and mandate, and the interest and concern to extend that body of knowledge to growing within the fire service itself. include EMS and hazardous materials EMS and hazardous materials are the requirements. Some of the specific infor­ two major new areas of demand. Fire mation gaps we need to fill include: service resources in contrast have not grown at a comparable rate. Personnel, reason for fire problem changes; money and equipment/materials have profiles of burn victims, their demo­ been diffused across these major areas. graphics, severity, and major causes of Fire prevention, particularly public fire fires that result in serious burn inju­ education, has suffered because of this. ries; 6) The maintenance of the positive im­ the total count of injuries from fire pact of smoke detectors and its extension overall; to high-fire-risk population groups. The installation of smoke detectors in homes time to flashover - a field measure of has been a landmark change in the fire this is needed; environment. Smoke detectors are be­ lieved to have been the most significant EMS - magnitude and characteristics factor in the decline of fire deaths in of the problem; and America. However, people with the highest fire rates have the fewest detec­ hazardous materials - magnitude and tors, and today, maintenance problems characteristics of the problem. are eroding detector effectiveness. The 4) Defining the fire problem. The role of smoke detector ranks along with only two the fire service in America has expanded or three other devices - the centrifugal

America Burning Revisited 53 pump, combustion engine and the radio ­ locally, the fire service should estab­ as technologies that have, in their time, lish citizens committees or involve advanced significantly the effectiveness of community groups to garner support fire protection delivery. for fire prevention programs. A simple tool, lacking today, that IV. Task Force would help in undertaking any or all of these actions is a brief, accurate descrip­ Recommendations tion of the nation’s fire problem. Seven to Many ways of attacking the above eight years ago, when the federal fire problems were discussed. The specific programs were getting considerably more solutions that Task Force 1 recommended support from Congress and the White as most important to undertake as soon House, this was available. It came in the as possible are listed below. form of Highlights of Fire in the United States, the U.S. fire death map 1) Failing to convince elected officials of and charts showing bar graphs of popula­ the seriousness of the fire death, injury tion groups at risk and the fire death and loss statistics was considered the trend line. Why are these no longer most serious problem because it is the available? path to resolving many other problems. The task force felt that success in this It is believed that the majority of area would open the door to resources public officials at all levels of government needed for the other problems. A number rank the fire problem very low as a topic of recommended solutions target this first of concern to them. It is disproportion­ problem. Below, the most important ately low in their concern, particularly alternate solutions are discussed first, when its seriousness is compared to such followed by other solutions considered in other problems as crime or housing. In the general discussion of how to solve this parallel, even officials who are concerned overall problem: are not convinced how the fire problem can be solved. Some do not believe public fire service organizations need to find fire education works. Unfortunately, their common ground and present there is little documentation of successful that with one voice; local programs that can be used to con­ vince them. A few case studies of pro­ we need to support and educate the gram effectiveness in the field of fire new Congressional Fire Services prevention would be a valuable tool in Caucus; this area. we must brutalize the fire problem to Within the fire service, concerned make it more vivid to the public and organizations have pulled in different to officials; ways instead of pulling together. Leader­ the base of organizations having input ship in fire is fragmented. Some “frag­ and/or membership in the Joint Coun­ ments” are self-serving. Officials, both cil of National Fire Service Organiza­ legislative and executive branch mem­ tions should be broadened; and bers, do not know to whom to listen. Further, important groups are excluded.

54 Task Force 1 - The Nation’s Fire Problem Section V

The burn/medical community, community available. The research findings, as they service groups and others are not in­ become available, can be used as “news” in cluded on the joint council. A broader public education campaigns to raise the base is needed. It is believed this would awareness and concern of targeted fire have the effect of helping the joint council risk audiences, as well as public officials achieve agreement on a few broad prin­ and others concerned with fire protection. ciples and programs to support, and would help it get beyond its image of 3) The solution to the problem of filling being constituted of a number of separate mqjor information gaps in the nation’s organizations continually at odds with fire problem is clear - money and man­ each other, no one of which is large or power. To address the problem of filling strong enough to be significant, particu­ major information gaps in the description larly when compared to the interest of the nation’s fire problem, some of the groups lobbying in other areas of national preliminary discussion focused on the fact concern. that there is a lot of good data now avail­ able. It is in use in many fire depart­ At the local level, cities that have ments and in some states. But greater established fire-related citizens commit­ data analysis capability needs to be tees appear to educate their local officials developed throughout the fire service, and more effectively. This model should be resources are not available for analyzing promoted in cities across the country as a the data now collected and for doing mechanism for significantly increasing special studies. From outside the fire resources available in fire prevention. It area, we need to capture and publicize also is known that cities having good fire available information on the burn injury data available appear to be more effective problem and to integrate burn and fire at educating their officials. data collection. Nationally, fire-concerned organiza­ Some specific recommendations are tions have not lobbied effectively. A that the USFA should support the prepa­ particular problem has been that they ration of model data analysis reports from have failed to follow up. Learning how to different size departments for other de­ lobby should be a priority for any fire partments to copy. The National Fire community leader seeking state or na­ Academy’s executive development courses tional office in a fire service organization. should improve data analysis training. Lobbying support should be a major Companion information on successful aspect of fire association staff work. ways to tackle a major fire problem should be identified and disseminated, 2) We need to understand and target the along with the statistics regarding that underlying causes of our fire problem. To problem, for example, the fire problems of solve this, we know what is needed first ­ the elderly and inner-city juveniles. money. The USFA already has the legis­ lative mandate to undertake these stud­ Consistent support is needed to keep ies, but lacks the money and manpower to the national fire incident reporting sys­ carry out such a research program. The tem going. Analyzed data no longer is USFA should conduct or sponsor this getting back to local fire departments. research, if and when funds are made Feedback is essential both to encourage

America Burning Revisited 55 alties at unreported fires that similarly are not reported to any­ one. Information on the seriousness of burn injuries is one of the most dramatic tools for educating and motivating elected of­ ficials and the public. We do know that burns are the most severe fire injuries, that the ratio between males and females is 2 to 1, and that the overall severity of burns has gone down. According to experts their participation and to improve the in the burn treatment field, out of the service they provide. More USFA staffing 6,000 fire deaths each year, 2,000 die in is needed here, as well as increased fund­ burn centers. But beyond this, little is ing. known. In the area where major gaps of infor­ The treatment of burn victims should mation exist, for example, why there have be included as part of our concern for the been changes in the trends of the major overall fire problem. The federal Health causes of fire, funding and staffing are Care Finance Administration should needed to oversee the research. Soft develop a payment system sensitive to the scientific research is needed on the hu­ special problems of burn centers. Govern­ man behavior and attitude aspects of the ment and relevant professional groups fire problem. There is a study underway need to address the increasing nursing by the USFA on the demographics of fire shortage problem which, in turn, is affect­ fatalities. This study is expected to ing burn treatment. Further, federal reveal some new information on high-fire­ support of research in burn treatment risk population groups, but to date, no and rehabilitation programs is needed. money has been available to examine the causes of fire and successful approaches 4) To a certain extent, the need to “‘rede­ to preventing it. fine the fire problem” was addressed in America Burning. It does contain recom­ The added problem in this area is that mendations in the areas of EMS and little is known about burn victims. There hazardous materials incidents and other is virtually no integration of fire and burn emergency response problems. However, injury data. All casualties at reported the federal agencies established under fires are not necessarily reported any­ the Fire Prevention and Control Act of where. In addition, there are many casu­ 1974 are concerned almost exclusively

56 Task Force 1 - The Nation’s Fire Problem Section V

with fire. They do not have either the clear mandate or the re­ sources to serve as a federal focus in these other areas, regardless of their importance to the fire service and the public. Task Force 1 felt that adequate funding, attention and staffing at the federal level was needed, not additional legislation. Everyone agreed that EMS and hazardous materials responsibili­ ties are here to stay. Some say fire depart­ ments are being drained of fire protection monitor the actions of the federal govern­ resources because they perform these ment and Congress regularly and to keep other functions. Alternately, some say the fire service adequately informed. The fire departments have their current USFA needs the resources to provide this resources only because of these other information clearinghouse. It is critical functions. both to the fire service and to the poli­ cymakers in Washington. An enhancement to the federal pro­ grams, either as part of the existing 5) Smoke detectors are no longer new. agencies or as special federal task forces There have been many campaigns pro­ on these issues, should be considered. moting detectors over the years, and, as a Someone needs to communicate to the result, they are used widely. We know, fire world what is going on at the federal however, that the households having fires level and, in turn, to represent the inter­ do not have detectors, and that many ests of the fire service to Congress and detectors are maintained poorly. The use the regulatory agencies. Congress needs of life safety systems in homes is probably to be more sensitive to the impact of their one of the most significant changes in the actions on state and local government. fire environment, but lack of maintenance The passage of the Superfund legislation is believed to be cutting down on smoke has been a classic example of an instance detector effectiveness. To achieve greater where the USFA should have been out reduction in fire deaths, the increased use front communicating the status and and maintenance of smoke detectors is implications of the legislation to the fire required. Many in the fire service believe community and representing the interests that changing the behavior of lower in­ of the fire service.There is not a single come families is much harder than chang­ fire association that has the resources to ing the behavior of “middle Americans.”

America Burning Revisited 57 Two primary solutions to this problem influencing elected officials. Namely, the were recommended. One is additional task force recommended establishing federal resources to identify and publicize citizens committees or involving commu­ successful local maintenance programs. nity groups to a much greater extent than The other is a solution that also was is done today to secure the resources and recommended with regard to attacking involvement of enough people at the local some of the underlying causes of fire and level to implement effective programs.

Supplemental Report to Task Force 1 prepared by Peter Brigham, MSW, and Arnold Luterman, MD American Bum Association

When America Burning was written out now on a broad scale by professional in 1973, its authors were handicapped by organizations, emergency medical service a serious shortage of data on burn injury programs and burn centers themselves at and other aspects of the fire problem. the regional level throughout the country. There was little understanding at the time of the distribution and severity of By focusing the interest of the fire burn injury in the general population. No service on the burn injury problem, general consensus existed as to which America Burning also helped to forge burns should be treated in general hospi­ local alliances between burn center tals and which in specialized treatment hospitals and the fire service which centers. While there was considerable continue to this day. Fire service leaders concern about the potential financial in many cities have played important impact of burn centers on their parent roles in fundraising for the initial devel­ institutions, there was little experience to opment and ongoing operation of burn rely on because the initial burn centers, centers. Their interest was often crucial for the most part, were located in spe­ in convincing hospital administrators cially funded research facilities. With that a decision to develop a burn center these factors in view, America Burning would receive broad public support. In expressed serious concern as to the Suffi­ the early days, fire service leaders pro­ ciency of burn treatment facilities and vided credible and valuable independent staffing in the United States. testimony on the importance of burn centers. As burn centers became estab­ America Burning also recommended lished, the focus of the burn center/fire special training of those providing emer­ service alliance at both the local and gency care for burn victims in general national level broadened to include efforts hospitals. This training is being carried to prevent burn injury.

58 Task Force 1 - The Nation’s Fire Problem Section V

Burn centers currently admit approxi­ compiled by the National Burn Informa­ mately 20,000 patients per year. The tion Exchange, the “LA 50” of hospitalized average length of stay per patient is 15 burn patients (the size injury at which days. More than 90% of these patients half of all patients will survive) has survive and are discharged to resume increased in most age groups to more their lives outside the hospital. Approxi­ than 60% body surface area. This is mately one-third of surviving burn center approximately double the size injury patients will return to the hospital at producing 50% mortality 20 years ago. least once for additional surgery. An­ While there is no comparable data on other 50,000 burn patients with less improvements in quality of life for survi­ severe injuries are admitted to all other vors, there have been great advances in hospitals. At least 10 times that number surgical and therapeutic techniques are treated and discharged from hospital during the same period. emergency departments. Clearly, there has been considerable Admissions to burn centers held progress over the past 15 years in the steady through the mid-198Os, while burn areas where recommendations were made admissions to other hospitals declined. in America Burning - burn center devel­ This trend reflects at least two phenom­ opment, training and staffing for burn ena. Physicians and administrators in treatment in burn centers and general general hospitals have increased their hospitals, and research. referrals of burn patients to burn centers, and the total number of serious burn The current challenge is to sustain the injuries has declined. At the same time, burn care system which has developed in pre-hospital patient care and transporta­ the past 15-20 years, while continuing to tion, often carried out under fire service improve the survival and quality of life auspices, have improved, contributing to outcomes of burn victims. Major areas of the smooth functioning of the burn care concern and related recommendations for system in most regions. federal action are listed below.

In America Burning, recommenda­ 1. Burn Center Reimbursement tions also were made for the funding of research in burn injury and smoke inha­ Many burn centers are facing increas­ lation. In the mid-1970s, the National ing financial problems. This has resulted Institute of General Medical Sciences from growing numbers of indigent pa­ granted funds for burn research programs tients, and changing payment methods at seven burn center hospitals; other which tend to discriminate against burn public grants supported research at other centers. This problem can be expected to burn centers. worsen, as burn center survival rates continue to improve, and as additional The dissemination of research find­ payer sources adopt the new reimburse­ ings and the increased clinical experience ment methods. resulting from the concentration of severe burn patients in burn centers has re­ Recommendation The federal Health sulted in improved survival rates and Care Finance Administration should improved functioning of survivors follow­ review the entire financial situation ing these injuries. According to statistics facing hospitals with burn centers. America Burning Revisited 59 2. Burn Center Staffing 3. Burn Research Funding The nation is facing a dramatically Major problems remain in burn treat­ increasing shortage of nurses. This has ment. These require a strengthened an especially serious impact on burn federal commitment to burn research. centers, with their high staff-to-patient Improved survival from burn injury has ratios and the requirement for a high produced a growing number of patients level of nursing skill. The total number of with residual disabilities. A concerted hospital-oriented nurses must be in­ research effort must be initiated to im­ creased substantially. prove our ability to rehabilitate this group of patients. Recommendation: The Congress and the Department of Health and Human Serv­ Recommendation: The National Institutes ices must work with the appropriate of Health should increase significantly professional groups in addressing this their sponsorship of research in burn problem. treatment and rehabilitation.

60 Task Force 1 - The Nation’s Fire Problem Section V

Task Force 2 The Fire Services: Operations

Task Force Members:

Mr. Tom Brennan, Fire Engineering Chief Edward J. Phipps, San Magazine Francisco (CA) Fire Department Chief Warren E. Isman, Fairfax Mr. Wayne Sandford, Connecticut County (VA) Fire and Rescue De- Commission on Fire Prevention partment, International Association and Control, National Association of Fire Chiefs of State Directors of Fire Training and Education Chief Roger McGary, Takoma Park (MO) Fire Department, International Society of Fire Service Instructors

Mr. William M. Neville, Jr., National Fire Academy, Facilitator

I. Introduction The objectives of Task Force 2 were to assess the operational requirements and ow can fire protection be improved?” possibilities for current and future fire The easiest answer to this question service activities and responsibilities. H is to increase fire department budg­ This assessment occurred within the ets to buy more equipment and hire more context of the issues and recommenda­ staff. This alternative was rejected tions discussed in Chapters 3-7 of Amer­ immediately by the National Commission ica Burning. on Fire Prevention and Control not only because significantly higher budgets were unlikely, but also because increased II. Background funding does not necessarily produce increased effectiveness. A more practical While basic fire service operations alternative lay in reviewing fire service essentially have remained unchanged for priorities and modes of operation in order more than 50 years, change within the to increase service delivery effectiveness last decade has been significant and wide and efficiency. ranging. This metamorphosis undoubt-

America Burning Revisited 61 edly will continue to unfold well into the use of fire protection master planning, next century. For example, many fire service delivery and personnel productiv­ departments have revised operational ity improvements, advanced and special­ priorities to meet demands for emergency ized education and training, emergency medical services, hazardous materials medical services, improvements in fire incidents and non-fire suppression re­ fighter protective equipment, equipment sponses. Other factors, such as reduced standardization, and the establishment of funding, the Equal Employment Opportu­ the National Fire Academy. nity Act, Age Discrimination in Employ­ ment Act, Fair Labor Standards Act and These topics may or may not remain Superfund reauthorization, have changed critical issues. However, the contempo­ the way fire departments recruit, train rary critical issues might include current and manage personnel. and projected missions and functions of the fire service, alternative processes and In 1973, personnel assigned to sup­ techniques for fire protection, shift sched­ pression companies generally would ules under the Fair Labor Standards Act, spend the majority of their active time fire fighter health and safety, physical training and responding to fire alarms. fitness, company staffing, in-service Now, structural fires have decreased, and activities, training, the Incident Com­ 80% of the alarms may be for emergency mand System, inspection/enforcement, medical incidents. The remainder of a public education, community relations, fire fighter’s time is devoted to public reflex time criteria for station location education, code enforcement inspections, and staffing levels, apparatus size and community relations and training/physi­ design, burnout, alcohol and drug abuse, cal fitness activities. and communications and dispatching. The labor pool for both volunteer and career departments has changed as well. III. Critical Issues On the positive side, many in the fire service have developed a more profes­ The task force members felt that the sional stance. Increased demands for future goals and values of the nation’s fire greater technical and managerial skills service must meet a two-fold test. They and more career opportunities have been still must be responsive to the traditional, contributing factors. For volunteer although diminishing, functions of fire departments, this change poses signifi­ suppression, while simultaneously be­ cant challenges because the increase in coming more dynamic to meet the chal­ training, education and responsibilities lenges of a rapidly advancing technologi- has impeded the recruitment and reten­ tion of personnel. In addition, inade­ quately prepared staff can result in legal U.S. Representative Sherwood P. Boehlert (R-NY) liability and greater public safety risk. “What America Burning concluded in 1973 Chapters 3-7 of America Burning remains a valid agenda today, yet the products of included recommendations to place a our past successes are threatened and we are still higher priority on fire prevention activi­ building the coalitions needed to achieve new ties, the recruitment of women, increas­ triumphs.” ing multi-jurisdictional cooperation, the 62 Task Force 2 - The Fire Services: Operation Section V cal world. The reordering of priorities and The task force felt that resistance to redirection cannot come from external change also occurs when society thrusts sources. The fire service needs to make its change and new responsibilities on the own decisions and be in control of its own fire service. Further, society often re­ fate. quires that the fire service perform these additional tasks and functions without The following describes the five critical the accompanying resources and training. issues identified by the task force. These are organized in priority of importance. 3) The lack of modern technology and methods. The fire service needs national 1) Human resource development. There standards to replace the Insurance Serv­ is a real need for the fire service to develop ices Organization Grading Schedule. its own human resources in order to New standards and methodologies are provide imaginative leadership and deci­ needed to guide staffing requirements, sionmaking capability with a local, na­ the deployment of equipment and appara­ tional and international perspective. The tus, and the location of stations. Of fire service leadership must be given the course, new and innovative technologies tools to develop these resources, have been developed within the past decade, including expanded automatic The task force identified four key and mutual aid agreements, the Inte­ components of this issue: grated Emergency Management System, a. upgrading officer selection and train­ civilians in fire suppression and training ing which must start at the level of the positions, and master planning. How­ company officer; ever, additional work is required to integrate these systems into the fire b. recruiting, training and retaining service and increase their credibility. volunteer fire fighters; A continuing problem experienced in c. recruiting minorities and women; and, the fire service is the lack of information for choosing and evaluating equipment d. training allied professionals. and apparatus. A “consumers guide” 2) What is the mission of the fire service? would be very helpful. The task force felt that the fire service’s The inability to plan on a comprehen­ goals and objectives are too narrow to sive basis is limiting effectiveness and meet society’s changing needs. This efficiency. Some tools, for example, problem is compounded by the public’s master planning and the FIRESCOPE perception of the fire service’s mission, products, are available, but more need to which is often inaccurate. The confusion be developed. then frequently results in resistance to change at all levels. Many fire service 4) "Instant” implementation of affirma­ officers instinctively reject new equip­ tive action adversely affects Standards ment, procedures and duties. The ongoing and the overall quality ofpersonnel. debate over company fire safety inspec­ Because all personnel have the same tions, greater priority for fire prevention, responsibility, they all should be trained and expanded emergency medical services to the same standard, and double stan­ are examples of this tension. dards must be eliminated. This problem

America Burning Revisited 63 is part of a much larger and fundamental it.” The task force raised the possibility issue, namely, the lack of standardized that it may be impossible to train volun­ minimum personnel requirements teers for all the functions expected of the throughout the fire service. career fire fighter. The impact of federal Occupational Safety and Health Admini­ Often, the lack of national standards stration training requirements for haz­ forces the local departments to develop ardous materials responders is an ex­ their own. This places the departments ample of the dilemma. A double standard in a difficult and hazardous position. between volunteer and career personnel Unless these requirements are validated poses legal liability and public safety by national experience, departments may risks. use biased and inaccurate requirements which will affect the quality of the per­ 5) Federal, state and local government sonnel and leave the departments open to intervention. The task force members felt discrimination complaints. that governments on all levels were passing along a lot of responsibilities to Such national professional qualifica­ the fire service without adequate funding tion standards as the National Fire or training. In addition, demands for Protection Association 1000 series do “instant compliance” with these imposed provide a benchmark, but any standard responsibilities lower morale and stan­ will need to be validated and used nation­ dards, ally throughout the fire service. Whether the personnel are career or volunteer fire In addition to the critical issues above, fighters is not a valid consideration for the task force reviewed the following defining this issue. “‘A fire behaves the problem areas (these are not ranked in same way no matter who has to deal with priority):

64 Task Force 2 - The Fire Services: Operation Section V

lack of alternate funding sources; lack of standardization in communica­ failure of managers, mayors, public tions and dispatching systems - prob­ and media to appreciate the positive lem for mutual or automatic aid; impact of emergency services or failure of tie service management to understand procedures; become involved in national or re­ lack of fire protection training for gional fire service issues; and construction engineers and architects; lack of professionalism at all levels of failure of the fire service to become the fire service. involved with other municipal manag­ ers; lack of time to schedule required IV. Task Force training; Recommendations lack of standard pre-training for The task force members chose to minorities and women; develop solution strategies for the highest lack of resources to deal with chemical priority issue - development of human abuse; resources. obsolete standard operating proce­ The task force recommended a com­ dures (SOPS) or lack of emergency prehensive program of research con­ sops; ducted by the U.S. Fire Administration to inconsistent and unreliable fire loss develop minimum standards for all fire data; service personnel. These standards then lack of information on new technology would be implemented by the National failures and successes; Fire Academy through training and

America Burning Revisited 65 certification programs. Specific program research results with the state and local areas include: agencies responsible for training and certi­ fying public safety personnel. Engineering 1. developing a job analysis of fire service and architectural organizations should be positions (volunteer and career) on a involved in this process as well. broad nationwide basis; The task force developed a three-phase 2. determining the applicability of exist­ implementation strategy for this national ing fire service position (volunteer and employment research and development career) professional qualifications program. (NFPA 1000); 3. determining appropriate selection Phase 1 - Short Term: The fire service procedures for fire service positions should participate actively in extra-jurisdic­ (volunteer and career); tional issues (e.g, surveys, committees) and national fire service organizations. 4. examining volunteer membership trends; Phase 2 - Medium Term: The fire service 5. researching the validity of pre-employ­ should budget to attend national standards meetings and training sessions (e.g., NFA, ment training for women and minori­ NFPA, ASTM), should adopt the national ties; recruitment and employment development 6. researching the credibility of the fire program, and should support performance- service with allied professionals, and based selection processes (both volunteer elected and appointed oficials; and and career). 7. researching the impact of mandatory Phase 3 - Long Term: The fire service and voluntary certification programs should adopt validated training programs on volunteer and career personnel. for minorities and women, should have a Once this research is conducted, the comprehensive officer development pro­ National Fire Academy should develop a gram, and should formalize the evaluation program to promote and coordinate the of state, metro, and county training pro­ grams.

66 Task Force 2 - The Fire Services: Operation Section V

Task Force 3 The Fire Services: Management and Administration

Task Force Members:

Chief Paul Boecker, Lisle-Woodridge Chief Jerry Knight, St. Peters­ (IL) Fire Department, International burg (FL) Fire Department Fire Service Training Association Mr. Joseph O’Hagan, U.S. Commissioner Joseph Bruno, New Army and Federal Fire Service York City (NY) Fire Department Task Force Mr. William H. Hansell, Jr., Inter- Chief John B. Stewart, Jr., national City Management Associa- Hartford (CT) Fire Department tion Mr. Clarence Williams, Inter- Mr. Tom Herz, International Asso- national Association of Black ciation of Fire Fighters Professional Fire Fighters

Mr. Garry L. Briese, International Association of Fire Chiefs, Facilitator

I. Introduction II. Background Task Force 3’s area of concern lay in Fire chiefs and other fire service the issues and recommendations dis­ management and administrative person­ cussed in Chapters 3 through 7 of Amer­ nel have faced a wide range of major ica Burning. The objectives of the task changes over the 15 years since the force were to review the key managerial publication of America Burning. These and administrative issues in the current changes have included expanded depart­ and future fire protection environment, mental responsibilities, reduced operating identify the requirements and constraints budgets, increased personal and depart­ associated with these issues, and develop mental legal liability, revised personnel alternate strategies for meeting the management practices resulting from the requirements. Fair Labor Standards and Equal Employ-

America Burning Revisited 67 the only nationally recognized document which specifies resource requirements as a function of community size and haz­ ards. The fire protection master planning process was intended to provide a basis for determining departmental require­ ments. Even this approach, however, used selected components of the IS0 Grading Schedule because there are no other quantitative standards for making such determinations as the required number and location of stations and companies, and corresponding staffing levels. Many of the other concerns raised by the National Commission on Fire Preven­ tion and Control have been addressed. For example, significant efforts have been made to bring women and disadvantaged minorities into the fire services. To attenuate existing bias, affirmative action programs have been instituted, and actions have been initiated to reexamine and revise recruitment assessment guides and promotion examinations. The status and priority of fire prevention has under­ ment Opportunity Acts, heightened gone a major change. Many fire service employee health and safety concerns, and leaders see code enforcement, public increased competition for fewer resources. education and arson control as core In many cases, chief fire officers elements in combatting the fire problem. depended on the Insurance Services More significantly, fire prevention posi­ Office (ISO) Grading Schedule as the tions are being viewed as key rungs on basis for fire protection planning and the the career ladder in many departments. rationale for justifying personnel, equip­ The National Fire Academy is established ment and facilities. However, the influ­ and provides educational and training ence and value of this insurance-based planning guide have been declining as local government questioned its applica­ U.S. Representative Sherwood P. Boehlert (R-IVY) bility and the cost-effectiveness of its requirements. In addition, the IS0 has “There is little question that the work of defending stated that the Grading Schedule was the existing fire programs will have to continue, prepared for insurance industry use, and and we hope that this conference, by focusing attention on the seriousness of the issue, will make not as a fire department planning man­ the coming battles a little bit easier.” ual. Thus, fire chiefs generally have lost

68 Task Force 3 - The Fire Services: Management and Administration Section V opportunities where none existed previ­ ously. Finally, the federal fire programs have conducted research to increase the effectiveness of fire fighter protective equipment.

III. Critical Issues The task force participants empha­ sized that the problems facing today’s tire service must be faced by both career and volunteer fire managers. The problems must be recognized by large and small, urban and rural, and career and volun­ teer fire departments. A theme that ran throughout the many hours of discussion was that the fire service frequently has the authority and resources to solve many of its own problems. This theme is repeated at all levels of the fire service. The problems that face today’s fire service manager are primarily “people problems.” Many of the issues can be handled years. In addition, the past 15 years have internally by the fire service. Continued presented the fire service with many new support and financial encouragement are problems that were not anticipated in the needed (a true partnership) from the U.S. original report. Therefore, the list of Fire Administration to facilitate these problems and action strategies should be changes. even longer than that in the original report. The task force members felt that the “America Burning Revisited” conference The future of the fire service is being must reinforce the positive accomplish­ decided from outside by such groups as ments of the original America Burning, public managers, insurance companies otherwise the report of this conference and the federal government. It is clearly will not be complete. The many accom­ not in the best interests of the fire service plishments of the past 15 years should be to allow this to happen, and the fire acknowledged and highlighted. However, service should work with these outside many of the same problems discussed by special interest groups to gain more the commission in 1973 exist today, and influence over the external forces that some of these have grown worse over the define its mission and environment.

America Burning Revisited 69 cers, and their continuing education will be one of the primary challenges facing the fire service in the 1980s and 1990s. Existing fire chiefs, managers and admin­ istrators must continue with their man­ agement education as well. Labor and management, career and volunteer fire fighters, fire and non-fire organizations must quickly begin to work together in order to regain control of the future. This conference must serve as a call to those concerned with the future of fire and emergency services to renew and redouble their efforts. The conference must serve to refocus the attention of the fire service community on the absolute necessity of working together and recog­ nizing that we can set our own future course. The task force identified five key problem areas. Ranked in priority, they are: fire and emergency service health and safety; no adequate method for the evaluation This outside world views fire differ­ of fire and emergency service organi­ ently from those in the fire service. While zations and operations; fire may not be seen as a major problem by non-fire service citizens, government personnel management; managers and politicians, fire depart­ planning; and ments frequently are viewed as a prob­ lem. The fire service is not “selling” its the need for a shift of emphasis from programs and activities, nor is the fire suppression to prevention. service taking “credit” for what has been accomplished. Further, these outside The task force members identified groups are demanding change faster than numerous other issues that impede the the majority of fire service agencies can cost-effective delivery of fire protection make, or are willing to make, the services. These auxiliary concerns were changes. either included within the scope of the top five issues or were not considered a high We must recognize that the future of priority. The following issues are not the fire service is with its younger offi­ ranked in priority. 70 Task Force 3 - The Fire Services: Management and Administration Section V

1. Compensation programs for employ­ 11. There is inadequate use of civilian ees have no relationship to efforts to staff in the fire service. prevent emergency incidents or losses. 12. All fire fighter safety and health 2. The fire service needs more accurate issues should be given a higher information on the fire problem; all priority. jurisdictions (100% of all fire depart­ ments) should be participating in the 13. Fire departments must deal effec­ fire incident reporting system and in tively with hazardous materials management information systems. (right-to-know legislation).

3. The public should not regard fire as 14. Continuing education for chief fire socially acceptable. executives should not be ignored. 4. A local, regional and /or national 15. The fire service must discuss career/ equipment deployment model should volunteer personnel issues. be developed. 16. There is a lack of certification stan­ 5. National effectiveness measures and dards. standards are needed to help give fire 17. Support for master planning has managers benchmarks to evaluate been discontinued. performance. 18. There is a lack of innovative revenue 6. Arson prevention and detection meas­ sources to relieve taxes or allow for ures should be upgraded. expansion of services. 7. There is a need for fire chiefs to lead, 19. There is a lack of fire-safe design and or at least participate in, an inte­ materials in the working and living grated emergency management sys­ environments. tem in their areas. 20. The fire service is ineffective politi­ 8. There is a need for improved training cally at the local, state and federal at all levels, including chief fire ex­ levels. ecutive. 21. Federal/state mandated actions that 9. There is a need to improve fire-police add responsibility without additional relationships. finding should not be tolerated by 10. The firehouse should be used as a the fire service. community base or resource. 22. Programs must be initiated to pre­ vent /reduce fire deaths and injuries in poorer communities. U.S. Representative Doug Walgren (D-PA) 23. Fire and building officials do not "...The thing that stands out when you look at communicate about, nor lobby for, America Burning is that we clearly have failed fire and life safety issues. to implement it..."

America Burning Revisited 71 24. Unions must be brought on board 36. Information about innovations must with changing management philoso­ be shared in order to increase the phies. effectiveness of fire protection service delivery, 25. Collective bargaining agreements limit the potential of management 37. There are too many fire fighter inju­ and employees for increasing produc­ ries and deaths, and not enough tivity and initiating innovation. research into fire fighter safety and health. 26. AIDS and communicable disease issues must be addressed 38. A shift of emphasis from suppression to fire prevention and education must 27. There is inadequate recruitment and be accomplished without increased promotion of women, blacks and resources. other minorities (equal employment opportunity). 28. Hazardous material right-to-know V. Task Force Recommendations issues must be addressed. The recommendations of the task 29. Fire departments must be staffed force are organized around the five most and equipped (including apparatus) important issues for the management and adequately. administrationof the fire service today and in the future. Both the problem 30. Fire chiefs must change with the areas and the solution strategies identi­ times. fied to address these problems are listed by priority. 31.No adequate measuring standards or instruments exist for fire department 1) Fire and emergency service health evaluation. and safety. 32. The roles of fire chief as department a Programs should be implemented to manager and head fire fighter should provide for insurance loss reimburse­ be examined. ments to governments or fire depart­ ments for fire fighter injuries or 33.Ways should be studied to organize deaths on the fireground. local government so it can make better policies and deliver services de­ b.National Fire Protection Association signed to prevent and meet emergency Standard 1500 should be recognized situations. as a guideline by all fire departments. 34.Greater emphasis should be placed c. A program should be developed to test on fire prevention to allow for rapid and rate fire equipment and appara­ implementation at local level. tus. The task force members felt that a system similar to the Underwriters 35.The fire service must deal with sub­ Laboratory rating program would be a stance abuse, abuse prevention and good model for this type of program. employee assistance program (EAP) issues.

72 Task Force 3 - The Fire Services: Management and Administration Section V

d. More sophisticated and in-depth data 2) No adequate method exists for the on health and safety issues should be evaluation of fire and emergency service collected and disseminated. organizations and operations. e. The U.S. Fire Administration should a. Establish a national evaluation method take a leadership role in hazardous to measure the effectiveness and effi­ materials issues at the federal level. ciency of fire and emergency service agencies and systems. The develop­ f. Duplication of right-to-know legisla­ ment of this methodology should in­ tion should be avoided in state and volve a broad spectrum of fire and federal legislation. emergency service, governmental management and non-governmental Physical fitness standards should be g. resources. developed, adapted, validated and en­ forced for all fire and emergency serv­ b. Chief fire officers should recognize, ice personnel. lead and implement the Integrated Emergency Management System h. AIDS is a major concern to emergency (IEMS) concepts into fire and emer­ medical service personnel. This gency service planning and operations illness is a communicable disease and at the local level. should be treated as a public health issue, not a civil rights issue. 3) Personnel management. Federal legislation is needed to edu­ a. Encourage the development of labor- cate emergency service personnel con­ management committees to focus at­ cerning their exposure to AIDS and tention on productivity and innovation other communicable diseases. (given the constraints of labor agree­ ments or legislation). i. Research programs on fire and emer­ gency service health and safety issues b. Encourage aggressive implementation should be re-initiated. These research of equal employment opportunity programs should include, but not be programs, involving recruitment, reten­ limited to, physiological aspects, psy­ tion and promotion of minority groups chological aspects, toxicity concerns in the fire and emergency services for and protective equipment. both career and volunteer departments. j. Employee assistance programs (EAPs) c. Develop and distribute specific pro­ should be designed and made avail­ grams and publications to assist volun­ able for fire and emergency personnel teer fire departments in recruiting and and their families. retaining volunteer fire fighters. k. Any programs imposed on the fire d. Management education should be service by federal or state govern­ targeted at all position levels within ments should be accompanied by ade­ the fire service. Educational opportuni­ quate funding to pay for the program, ties should be made available at the or the mechanism to provide such local, state and national levels, as well funding. as at the National Fire Academy.

America Burning Revisited 73 e. There should be an identification of d. Local communities must involve the the skills and knowledge necessary for fire service in all building and fire the position of fire chief (volunteer or code development, including its adop­ career, large or small, urban or rural). tion and enforcement. Continuing education requirements and the certification of chief fire e. Any mandated actions by the federal officers should be considered. or state governments must be accom­ panied by adequate funding or fund- f. Management courses taught at the ing mechanisms (fiscal impact). National Fire Academy should be evaluated and updated every two f. Research should be done on the iden­ years by a team of active fire chiefs tification of alternative revenue and public managers (for example, sources for fire and emergency serv­ members of the International City ices, with a special emphasis placed Management Association). on user fees to better distribute costs between the public and private 4) Planning. sectors. a. Master planning must be reinstated g. Research should be encouraged to as a major program of the U.S. Fire identify fire-safe designs in materi- Administration and National Fire als. Academy. h. Fire departments must participate in b. Fire departments must use the con- community-based programs and cepts of master planning in the devel­ should use fire stations as the focus opment of long-range goals and objec­ of the program. tives. 5) Shift the emphasis of the fire depart- c. The U.S. Fire Administration should ment from suppression to prevention. initiate the evaluation of alternative delivery systems for fire and emer­ No solution strategies were identified for gency services. this final issue because of a lack of time.

74 Task Force 3 - The Fire Services: Management and Administration Section V

Task Force 4 Fire and the Built Environment

Task Force Members:

Mr. George B. Barney, Portland Ce- MS Janet Kimmerly, Firehouse ment Association Magazine Mr. Paul Fitzgerald, Factory Mutual Mr. Richard P. Kuchnicki, Coun- Corporation cil of American Building Offi­ cials Mr. Earl Flanagan, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Mr. Peter G. Sparber, The To­ bacco Institute Mr. Rolf Jensen, P.E., Society of Fire Protection Engineers

Mr. Henry Roux, Armstrong World Industries, Inc., Facilitator

I. Introduction high-rises), construction and furnishing materials, and uses (e.g., the processing The objectives of Task Force 4 were to of hazardous materials) have created new define the fire protection environment hazards and have dramatically increased vis-a-vis the built environment, assess safety risks. Futhermore, it is expected the progress that has been made since the that this process of eliminating and publication of America Burning and creating fire safety hazards will continue recommend strategies for improving in the future. For example, future de­ building fire safety. mands for affordable housing may result in increased densities and pressure for the use of lower-cost materials that may II. Background compromise fire safety. Trade-offs of current fire code requirements in return The fire protection aspects of the built for installation of automatic detection and environment have changed dramatically suppression systems may become a during this century. Building and fire common approach to providing fire pro­ codes have eliminated many hazards, for tection in the built environment. example, inadequate exits, and have required such new fire safety features as Significant changes in the building smoke detectors and sprinklers. How­ and fire codes often have occurred as a ever, new building designs (e.g., atriums, result of major fires. The MGM Grand America Burning Revisited 75 for materials, building fire safety design, realistic material test standards and procedures, the systems approach to fire safety, fire safety effectiveness state­ ments, consumer product design, fire safety education for architects and engi­ neers, community code adoption and enforcement, use of smoke detectors, hazardous materials, and motor vehicle, aircraft, marine and railroad fire safety. A lot of progress has been made since 1973. The Center for Fire Research has been a leader in researching the basic processes of ignition and combustion. It has provided technical assistance to the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s efforts to establish mandatory and volun­ tary flammability standards in such products as mattresses, upholstered furniture, heating equipment and ciga­ rettes. CFR has developed methods for predicting the growth and spread of fire and has conducted a broad program of research into suppression and detection technologies. The fire community has gained some control of many fire variables. Fire Hotel fire in 1980 resulted in revisions in departments conduct surveys of commer­ Nevada, and influenced other states and cial and institutional buildings, inspect­ communities to review safety require­ ing for fire hazards and compliance with ments for hotels and motels. Of course, it fire codes. Cigarette ignitions of bedding would be preferable that a comprehen­ and upholstered furniture used to be a sive, long-range program for achieving major cause of fires and accompanying fire safety in the built environment be deaths and injuries. The mattress flam­ established and implemented prior to mability standard promulgated by the disasters that result in death and injury. Consumer Product Safety Commission, and the voluntary Upholstered Furniture Chapters 8-12 of America Burning Action Council (UFAC) flammability included the following topics: residential program has significantly improved this fire safety, commercial and industrial fire hazard area. protection, major fires, building materials and furnishings, toxic products, inade­ Additional fire standards developed by quate building codes, flammable fabrics, the Center for Fire Research and Ameri­ occupancy fire loading, fireworks, com­ can Society for Testing and Materials bustion dynamics, combustion standards (ASTM), as well as additional mattress 76 Task Force 4 - Fire and the Built Environment Section V and upholstered furniture regulations required by such jurisdictions as Boston and California, have resulted in even safer products. Other building product tests, for example, the pill test for drapes and carpets and the National Institute of Building Sciences’ combustion toxicity test effort, will result in additional life safety. Code compliance has always been a problem. But the code enforcement process has changed substantially within the past 15 years. The majority of states have adopted model building and fire codes as minimum building requirements. Many local jurisdictions supplement these state requirements by adopting their own codes. Fire departments have expanded their fire prevention programs, and state and local governments have established training requirements for personnel involved in inspection and enforcement activities.

IV. Critical Issues

The task force’s discussion on fire around the country show that people are safety in the built environment focused on barely aware that there is a fire problem, problems related to public behavior, much less aware of its scope and serious­ technology and code enforcement. The ness. range of topics that were raised under­ scores the complexity of this issue. The 2) Lack of control of the building five key concerns are organized in content. There is a need for combustion priority. and toxicity data on products used to construct and furnish buildings. The 1) Lack of public awareness of the fire problem of not being able to control the problem. The public does not recognize or contents of a building is aggravated realize the consequences of a fire. A 1976 further when its occupancy or use U.S. Fire Administration study of public changes, and the contents then may attitudes with regard to residential fire represent an even greater danger. safety determined that the fire safety issue was not a prominent one. New 3) Fire hazard methodology. The task information obtained by the USFA con­ force noted that there are really no ade­ firms this conclusion. Focus groups held quate methods for conducting a fire America Burning Revisited 77 hazard analysis, The engineering tools Illinois Institute of Technology’s fire needed to undertake this task are not science program was discontinued in presently available. Some research has 1984, as was Harvard’s doctoral program. been conducted in this area by the Center A masters degree is offered at Worcester for Fire Research, and the Hazard I Polytechnic Institute and only a bachelors methodology provides a critical starting degree at the University of Maryland. point. The Hazard I analysis protocol is Further, while there are a number of cer­ applicable to single-family dwellings and tificate and associate degree programs permits the calculation or modeling of fire offered by the model code organizations, growth by tracking the development and community colleges, associations and the distribution of heat, smoke and toxic National Fire Academy, their programs gases. The objective of the model is to be lack the required comprehensiveness and able to predict the probability of occu­ uniformity. pants being able to escape from the dwelling during a fire. Much of this problem stems from a lack of leadership within the fire commu­ 4) Fire safety education. The task force nity, as well as the awareness concerns lamented the poor training or lack of expressed in Issue 1 of this task force. training of the many actors involved in Many in the code and design professions the construction and code enforcement are unaware of the need to design fire- system. This lapse ran the gamut from safe buildings. There is a reluctance even fire fighters to more senior code enforce­ on the part of some fire officials to accept ment officials to architects and engineers. the recommendations of the Society of Fire fighters need to have more knowl­ Fire Protection Engineers. edge about building construction, not only to conduct code enforcement inspection, The model code arena is another area but to combat fires (e.g., to anticipate where design input from fire safety potential roof collapse on the fireground). officials and engineers is limited. It is most unfortunate that fire safety is Often it has been members of the fire not given a higher priority in architec­ protection community that have taken a tural and engineering curricula. back seat to initiatives that were of prime There is not a cohesive education for concern to them. For example, the fire protection engineers, starting from a American Society of Civil Engineers is bachelor’s degree now in the process up to a doctorate. of adopting a na­ The standards and “U.S. Representative Curt Weldon (R-PA) tional fire protec­ certification criteria tion design stan­ needed to coordi­ The purpose of this (caucus) is not to dictate to dard for the per- nate this effort are you what should be done, but rather to listen to formance of struc­ just not available. the needs of the fire service, take information tures. The process from gatherings such as this, from meetings that Further, there are was started without are held at the National Fire Academy or input from the too few academic around the country, and then to provide the programs, and none SFPE. While the legislative supportpolitically to help you turn SFPE is involved for the advanced those recommendations into actions.” student. The now and is partici­

78 Task Force 4 - Fire and the Built Environment Section V pating in the deliberations of other model the cost and quality of sprinkler and code organizations, the example is illus­ detection systems and their installa­ trative of the need for the fire community tion; to take a leadership role in areas with which it is concerned. the lack of national uniformity in building/fire codes; 5) The problem of existing buildings. The majority of structures that will be the lack of information on the storage used for residential, commercial and of hazardous materials; industrial occupancies in the year 2000 the lack of a national insurance pro­ are already built. Many of these proper­ gram; ties have hazards and risks that have not been addressed by current building codes. the disunity and combativeness What’s to be done? Buildings can be among the members of the building retrofitted with sprinkler and detection community (i.e., owners, manufactur­ systems and other fire protection meas­ ers, fire service, building officials); ures. With some notable exceptions (e.g., hotels/motels in Florida and Nevada, and the lack of fire department involve­ high-rises in New York), few state and ment in new construction; and local building codes require existing subjective fire test methods. buildings to meet current code require­ ments, unless the building is being reno­ vated substantially. Some building owners and managers, in particular the IV. Task Force Recommendations Marriott Corporation, are voluntarily The task force prepared solution retrofitting their buildings with sprinkler strategies for the first two critical issues. systems. However, they are the excep­ The issues are ranked in priority, as are tion, not the rule. the recommended solutions. Other issues discussed by the task 1) Lack of awareness. Regarding the force, but not considered a priority, in­ public’s lack of awareness to the fire cluded: problem, the task force recommended the the lack of casualty fire loss data; following solutions. the traditionally low priority of fire a. Develop an awareness plan that prevention within most fire depart­ would start with a survey of the ments; dynamics of the public’s current attitude. This survey would update the cost of improved, safer building the 1976 USFA study which examined materials and furnishings; public attitudes with regard to resi­ dential fire safety. The survey then competitive safety issues (e.g., radon) would be supplemented with objective and competitive building features; case studies examining both the the cost of overprotection - redundant tangible and intangible consequences of fire. Specific incidents are impor­ systems; tant because the task force wanted to

America Burning Revisited 79 “brutalize” the fire experience in order fire problem. Adults need to learn to make it appear more vivid and real­ what steps they can take to minimize istic. The final stage of the plan the ignition and growth of fire. Sug­ would be to developan implementation gested approaches include the use of strategy outlining target audiences the electronic and print media (e.g., and methods for communicating the movies, novels), and an effort similar message to them. to the “Neighborhood Watch” pro­ grams that have been developed b. The task force felt that the most effec­ successfully by many police depart­ tive overall strategy for cultivating a ments to combat home burglaries and sensitivity to fire hazards was to start other neighborhood crimes. communicating this message at an early age. Fire education needs to d. Incentives that encourage fire safety begin with kindergarten and be rein­ could have a beneficial effect. Tax, forced continually in succeeding years. insurance, legal and social incentives, People need to understand that there as well as deterrents, would go a long are consequences to their behavior. way toward modifying both personal Positive, fire-safe behavior is re­ and business behavior. warded, while negative or careless behavior ends in the tragedy and loss 2) Lack of control over the building resulting from fire. contents. The task force approached this problem in an unusual manner. Instead c. Adults need to be educated about fire of controlling the fire hazards and risks safety as well. The task force recom­ associated with construction materials mended a public relations program and furnishings, we need to control the aimed at encouraging the public to be fire performance of the room or dwelling. a part of the overall solution to the If information is available on the room’s

80 Task Force 4 - Fire and the Built Environment Section V rate of heat release and total heat content voluntarily label their products as and how it will perform during a fire, it is being environmentally safe. The possible to calculate whether the room manufacturers are modestly enthusi­ would go to flashover. With this informa­ astic about the program and have tion, limits could be established so that found it an effective marketing tool. the room would not go to flashover and the fire would burn itself out. This infor­ mation also would be useful for designing Attachment 1 a sprinkler system, an approach being Other Recommended Solutions taken by Factory Mutual for non-residen­ tial occupancies. For residential occupan­ The task force identified a number of cies, this information could be used to alternative solution strategies for the first design the response pattern and location two priority issues discussed in the body of detection systems, as well as fire bar­ of its report. These alternatives are listed rier requirements. Instead of using by issue. The task force members did not general fire rating requirements derived assign a priority to these suggested from some consensus fire scenario, a solutions. builder could install fire walls or parti­ tions that are tailored to the specific 1. Lack of awareness hazards and risks of the building’s con­ a. Require product manufacturers to tents relative to its use. However, in install fire safety instructions. order to implement this approach, two types of information are required. b. Require an Underwriters Labora­ tory label on all building contents. a. First, research is needed to develop tests and standards in the areas ofig­ C. Conduct a national survey of the nitability, fire growth (i.e., rates of perception of the residential fire mass loss and heat release), combus­ problem. tion toxicity and suppressibility. d. Provide a fire safety instruction sheet to all hotel guests. b. Second, ‘we need information on the fire characteristics of building con­ e. Have meeting planners check for tents. All products used in buildings fire safety. should have a label describing their f. Have fire departments launch a heat release performance, total heat fire safety program in the schools. content and gas generation character­ istics. The publication and labelling g. Promote Fire Prevention Week. of these should be a “requirement.” There are some initiatives underway h. Promote Building Safety Week both in this country and abroad that with the National Conference of provide some basic information on the States on Building Codes and pros and cons of fire hazard labelling. Standards (NCSBCS) and Council For example, West Germany has of American Building Officials started a voluntary “right-to-know” (CABO). project called the Blue Eagle Program. i. Continue “Learn Not To Burn” in Under this program, manufacturers schools and on television.

America Burning Revisited 81 j. Require fire drills in public build­ cies and voluntary for residential ings, schools, offices and nursing occupancies. homes. c. Begin additional flammability 1. Bequest government subsidies of research on building contents for fire safety equipment and public non-residential occupancies. service advertisements. d. Require product manufacturers to k. Use building wardens for fire develop and implement a fire safety education and inspection. safety awareness program. m. Involve the American Bed Cross e. Base insurance rates on the haz­ and similar organizations in fire ards and risks posed by occupancy safety endeavors. and building contents. n. Require builders to include fire f. Mandate code inspections when safety instructions in new homes. any change of building occupancy occurs - non-residential. o. Brutalize fire consequences to make fire more vivid to the public. g. Require all product manufacturers to publish fire growth characteris­ Use the media to promote fire p. tics of products stored, shipped safety - movies, radio, public and used. service announcements, newspa­ per articles, soap operas, etc. h. Establish a heat release limit for rooms to prevent flashover. q. Coordinate existing fire safety programs. i. Develop heat release criteria for designing sprinklers. r. Initiate a public relations cam­ paign. j. Develop heat release or mass loss information to design detector s. Create tax and insurance incen­ systems and barriers. tives and disincentives for fire behavior. k. Develop combustion/toxicity tests. t. Increase the public visibility of l. Require all building owners to local fire departments. publish and label fire growth char­ acteristics for all rooms. u. Offer free home inspections by local fire departments. m. Develop an occupancy certification system. 2. Lack of control over building contents n. Hold building owners legally liable a. Institute an upholstered furniture to record occupant/occupancy flammability study, examining changes. both fire experience and possible new regulatory requirements. o. Improve cost-effective fire protec­ tion control systems for building Increase fire department inspec­ b. contents; develop maximum stan­ tions of building contents - manda­ dard for fuel loading. tory for non-residential occupan­

82 Task Force 4 - Fire and the Built Environment Section V

Task Force 5 Fire and the Rural Wildlands Environment

Task Force Members:

Chief Louis J. Amabili, Delaware Chief Richard Lamb, Wayne State Fire School Township (IN) Volunteer Fire De­ partment, National Volunteer Fire Mr. Colin A. Campbell, Alexandria, Council Virginia Mr. James B. Roberts, Maryland Chief Mary D. Chambers, Bernallillo Department of Natural Resources County (NM) Fire District Mr. Kenneth H. Stewart, National Mr. Olin Greene, Oregon State Fire Criminal Justice Association Marshal

Mr. Gerard Hoetmer, International City Management Association, Facilitator

I. Introduction ited resources, long response times, inadequate (or nonexistent) water sup­ Task Force 6 concentrated on the plies, declining volunteer participation, issues and recommendations discussed in lack of adequate training and a dramatic Chapters 13 and 14 of America Burn­ increase in hazardous materials inci­ ing. The group’s task was to evaluate the dents. The major problem may be the issues facing rural and wildland fire provision of a sufficient number of ade­ protection in light of current and future quately trained personnel who can re­ requirements for controlling fire in these spond on a timely basis. Many volunteer environments. In addition, the task force fire departments have reported difficul­ members were to identify alternate ties in recruiting and retaining sufficient solution strategies for meeting those numbers of personnel. requirements. These personnel problems result from a variety of reasons, including people II. Background working outside of the community, re­ duced opportunity for fire fighting (with­ The majority of the nation’s fire out a corresponding interest in emergency departments protect small communities medical services), and a general apathy and rural areas. These departments face concerning voluntarism. Employers may a multitude of problems, including lim­ be reluctant to permit personnel to leave America Burning Revisited 83 included the reduction and modification of fuel, prescribed burning, adoption of special codes for involved structures and public education. Arson in rural and wildland areas is of continued concern. The lack of exper­ tise and resources to detect incendiary fires, conduct an investigation and pursue prosecution may encourage arson in these areas.

III. Critical Issues Chapters 13 and 14 of America Burning included the following topics: rural residential fire safety, long response times, volunteer fire fighter training, regionalization, water supplies, small community and rural master planning, transportation fires, rural arson, private brigades, forest fire prevention, incendi­ ary forest fires, urban-wildland interface, fuel management, weather modification, model state forest/grassland fire protec­ tion laws and their enforcement, public education, fire hazard and weather fore­ work to respond to an alarm, especially casting, and wildland fire suppression when these alarms are for emergency techniques (including air attack). medical incidents rather than fires which are more visible and dramatic. The task force identified the following seven problem areas which are organized Fire protection for wildlands has been by priority. complicated by the construction of homes and other occupancies in the urbanized 1) Public education. The highest prior­ communities bordering the wildlands. ity problem identified by the task force Life safety is now a much larger issue for was public education or, more accurately, the wildland environment. There have the public’s lack of awareness about the been several significant developments in fire problem. The public does not seem to wildland fire protection since 1973. For understand the fire hazards associated example, the FIRESCOPE Program, with rural areas and wildlands. Unfortu­ which produced the Incident Command nately, this lack of awareness affects key System, was conducted originally to political support of, and funding for, fire improve suppression of wildland fires. protection services. A public relations/ Fire prevention for wildland areas has information campaign needs to be waged

84 Task Force 6 - Fire and the Rural Wildlands Environment Section V to turn this problem around. However, the lack of leadership and expertise will impede this effort. Basic information is unavailable. For example, there is little behavioral information available that examines the public’s attitude toward the fire problem and suggests possible ways to overcome it. 2) Insufficient land use planning. The task force felt that inadequate land use planning is a critical flaw in rural devel­ opment and an impediment to a compre­ hensive fire protection strategy. Land use and fire prevention and control mas­ ter planning go hand in hand. Zoning is an important tool for controlling the fire problem. For example, growth or devel­ opment patterns in many areas can be regulated by the availability of adequate water supplies for fighting fires. Land use planning can regulate access for apparatus and the density of subdivi­ sions, all of which are important fire prevention and control variables. The urbanization of rural and wildland areas is producing a number of new fire problems. As more people build inappropriate. In other words, codes residences in remote, poorly regulated designed for cities or suburban areas can areas, there has been an accompanying have less relevancy for rural or forested increase in building/fire code violations, areas. For instance, the task force dis­ improper use and storage of hazardous cussed the issues of combustible building materials, and inadequate access roads materials, particularly roofing, and fuel for emergency apparatus. Recognizing load clearing which have a much greater this new problem, a collaborative effort impact on the fire problem in more re­ among the U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fire mote areas. A task force member cited a Administration and National Fire Protec­ wildland fire during which houses were tion Association was undertaken to saved, in neighborhoods that were devas­ identify the problems and search for tated, because those houses were built on solutions. a more secure location and combustible fuel around the houses had been removed. 3) Code development. The fire service has too little input into the development If the fire service is going to respond of building and fire codes. For the rural to this issue, its national leaders and local and wildland areas, codes are often executives are going to have to be more

America Burning Revisited 85 active and aggressive. The fire service support. If fire prevention and control typically has taken a backseat approach services are going to meet the require­ on codes and fire prevention. More train­ ments set by the community, the fire ing in code development and enforcement service needs the tools to accomplish the for chief fire officers is needed. job. 4) Training. During the past 15 years, 6) Insurance. Insurance plays a signifi­ much progress has been made in the area cant role in fire safety. It can provide of fire service training. The National Fire incentives, as well as disincentives, for Academy is among the many organiza­ fire safety behavior. Unfortunately, tions that have had a major impact on the many insurance companies misunder­ management and technical capabilities of stand the dynamics of risk associated fire service leaders. Nevertheless, more with fire. Underwriting practices stress needs to be done. For many rural depart­ loss potential and not good practice or fire ments, state and county agency training safety behavior. Sprinklers are an ex­ programs are not readily or easily avail­ ample of this approach. While sprinklers able. The problem, however, goes beyond reduce the risk of large fire loss and access because even when these training premium credits are given for them, sessions are available, volunteers have overall insurance savings can be negated difficulty attending them because of work by increased costs for potential loss from commitments or penalties levied by water damage. employers. 7) Technology. The answer to the fire Rural arson is becoming a more problem lies in behavior and technology, substantial problem. Training resources Built-in protection that lowers fire risks and efforts need to be marshaled to and hazards can be realized through the respond to this problem. development and use of less combustible and/or toxic building materials and the 5) Fire protection resources. Fire protec­ use of automatic fire protection systems. tion in rural and wildland areas often involves interagency cooperation, Unfor­ The requirements and constraints of tunately, even with the models provided the rural and wildland environment are through FIRESCOPE and IEMS, commu­ different from more urban areas, and this nication among agencies both within and difference needs to be reflected in build­ across jurisdictions remains poor. New ing and fire codes. work needs to be done in the area of inter- and intra-jurisdiction relationships. Action plans to control major fires and conflagrations would benefit greatly from “U.S. Representative Curt Weldon (R-PA) this better coordination among key actors. . . Legislators..,have got to be held accountable Fire service organizations need re­ for their votes, and their leadership or lack of it, sources to deliver required services. that they take on your national priorities here in These necessary resources include fund­ Washington.” ing, community commitment, equipment and personnel. The task force felt that all of these elements needed additional 86 Task Force 5 - Fire and the Rural Wildlands Environment Section V

IV. Task Forces b. Seek low-cost loans for water conser­ Recommendations vation and supply systems through the Rural Development Act. The task force identified solution strategies for all of the seven problem c. Educate local officials to the dangers areas. The strategies are ranked in and hazards in the wildland environ­ priority by both the importance of the ment. Officials need to know about the problem area and the solutions. dynamics of fire, the cost of fire pro­ tection and fire loss data. 1) Public education d. Develop model state laws and codes a. The fire service must market itself relating to fire protection in the forest, and its mission, The fire service needs e.g., burning permits, zoning and to make better use of the electronic building regulations, fire safety de­ and print media for these efforts. The vices on motorized equipment, con­ initial step of the public relations plan struction of fire breaks, access and is to conduct a needs assessment to escape routes, and emergency meas­ determine the necessary details and ures for the closing of the woods. scope of the education effort. Re­ search needs to be conducted to iden­ 3) Code development tify target audiences, their attitudes a. Codes and standards appropriate for toward fire safety and appropriate rural areas must be developed, methods for communicating with adopted and enforced. them. b. Publicize code enforcement successes. b. Educate the political officials to their The public needs to know that good responsibilities and roles in rural fire fire safety practices work. For ex­ protection and control. ample, citizens need to know that the c. The national fire information ex­ use of non-combustible roofing mate­ change network needs to be reinstated rial can save their house. so that information on successful c. Local executives need training in code approaches can be shared. development and enforcement. d. The fire service needs to communicate 4) Training with other groups in the jurisdiction to promote fire safety. The fire service a. State and county agencies should no longer can afford to talk to itself. make training easily available to rural Coalitions need to be established with fire departments. key interests in the jurisdiction, e.g., other public officials, builders, archi­ b. Legislation should be introduced at tects, educators and business leaders. the state or national level to allow vol­ unteers to attend training sessions or 2) Lund use planning to respond to an emergency incident without penalty from employers. a. Urge greater use of fire prevention and control master planning tech­ c. Continue to distribute the National niques by political jurisdictions. Fire Academy training programs. America Burning Revisited 87 d. Develop a training needs assessment system in order to ensure that pro­ grams concentrate on the issues and needs of the fire service. e. The scheduling of training programs must be tailored to the unique time constraints of volunteers. d. The stipend program at the National Fire Academy needs to be secure. Most volunteer and rural fire depart­ ments do not have the resources to participate without financial assis­ tance. e. Strengthen state training programs with funds and expertise. f. Unify the different incident command systems being used around the coun­ try; communications techniques and procedures should be compatible. g. Develop a national system for fore­ casting fuel build-up. 5) Fire protection resources a. Institute programs to coordinate local and state group purchasing of equip­ service needs to communicate with ment and supplies in order to reduce other rural departments in the na­ unit costs through greater economies tional wildfire coordination group. of scale. Training in community development techniques should be made available b. Provide added funding in Title IV of to fire departments. the Rural Development Act for the training and equipping of local fire The fire service must involve the com­ protection forces. munity in identifying the fire problem, as well as the services and resources C. Rural and wildland fire departments required to address it. National, state need to reach out to other groups in and local training organizations the community, state and nation to should expand theirprograms to teach obtain their involvement and increase these skills. access to resources. The fire service needs to educate and inform elected d. Provide reasonable and justifiable officials of their responsibilities and funding. Existing funding vehicles es­ roles in fire protection. The fire tablished through the Farmers Home

88 Task Force 5 - Fire and the Rural Wildlands Environment Section V

dating building and fire inspection services have increased the efficiency and effectiveness of many fire pro­ grams. Continued work in this area is essential.

g. Establish a national fire weather service. h. Encourage use of the National Volun­ teer Fire Council’s recruitment and retention programs. i. Data is essential for managing fire protection programs. All fire depart­ ments should be contributing their fire loss data to the National Fire Incident Reporting System. The U.S. Fire Administration should develop incentives to encourage fire depart­ ments to contribute. 6) Insurance a. Urge the National Association of Insurance Commissioners to seek leg­ islation in each state to require on-site inspection of any dwelling prior to any purchase and subsequent renewal of Administration and the Rural Devel­ insurance. opment Act should provide no- or low- b. Establish a coalition of insurance and interest loans. fire service interests to develop practi­ e. Rural master planning needs to be cal incentives and penalties to modify encouraged. Fire departments need to fire safety behavior. For example, there could be a premium credit or in­ use this tool for organizing and deliv­ crease based on whether inhabited ering fire protection services effec­ areas are clear of fuel load. tively and efficiently. Master plan­ ning methodologies need to be devel­ c. Develop a train-the-trainer fire safety oped for the wildland environment. course for the insurance industry and require it for licensing. f. New ideas should be encouraged, developed and disseminated through­ 7) Technology out the fire service. Such innovative ideas as using retirees for fire preven­ a. Increased funding should be made tion programs, employing civilians in available for technological research. fire command positions, and consoli­ Information is needed on the fire per-

America Burning Revisited 89 formance characteristics of a room, c. Develop a residential sprinkler stan­ fire suppression equipment, and the dard appropriate for rural use; the combustion/toxicity characteristics of standard should take into account such building materials and furnishings. characteristics as longer response times and less water supply. b. Establish national standards for the combustibility of construction mate­ d. Institute a comprehensive technology rials (e.g., roofing shingles). These transfer program that would compile standards could be implemented and disseminate information on new through the model building codes or techniques, studies and programs. It is NFPA 101, The Life Safety Code. essential that this information be dis­ tributed widely to local fire officials.

90 Tack Force 6 - Fire and the Rural Wildlands Environment Section V

Task Force 6 Fire Prevention

Task Force Members:

MS Travis Cain, Office of Juvenile Chief Richard Moreno, Tucson (AZ) Justice and Delinquency Preven­ Fire Department tion, U.S. Department of Justice Mr. Patrick Murphy, U.S. Confer­ Deputy Chief Joseph M. DeMeo, ence of Mayors New York City (NY) Fire Depart­ ment Chief Bert T. Parker, Washington County (OR) Fire District No. 1 Chief Charles H., Kime, Phoenix (AZ) Fire Department Dr. Anne Phillips, MD, National Smoke, Fire and Burn Institute Dr. Arnold Luterman, MD, Univer­ sity of South Alabama Burn Center Mr. James V. Ryan, American Asso­ ciation of Retired Persons Mr. Edward H. McCormack, Inter­ national Society of Fire Service In­ Mr. Robert B. Smith, Fire Marshals structors Association of North America Mr. Robert Burns, Fire Loss Manage­ ment Systems, Facilitator

I. Introduction excluded from the fast track of fire service career paths. Chapters 15 - 17 of America Burning included discussions on a wide The commission recognized that chang­ range of fire prevention activities: fire ing the realities and perceptions underlying safety education, fire safety for the fire prevention was a key element in any home, and fire safety for the young, old plan to combat the fire problem because fire and handicapped. The National Com­ is dealt with more effectively and efficiently mission on Fire Prevention and Control if prevented or controlled early. The com­ noted that fire prevention was assigned mission recommended a series of actions to too frequently a much lower priority increase the impact of fire prevention. The than other fire department activities, mission of Task Force 6 was to review these particularly suppression. Further, fire recommendations in light of the progress service personnel avoided fire prevention made over the past 15 years and recom­ assignments because many perceived, mend new strategies to address current and often correctly, that these positions are anticipated fire protection requirements. America Burning Revisited 91 II. Background that are independent of actions taken after ignition occurs (e.g., education, code Fire prevention was given major enforcement). emphasis in America Burning. The commission recognized that there were Much has been accomplished since limits to the capabilities of suppression to 1973. Many (if not most) of the nation’s control fire loss. In fact, the commission fire departments have significantly noted that communities which rely too increased fire prevention activities over heavily on suppression forces for their fire the past decade. In-service company fire protection may be assuming extraordinar­ safety inspections and participation in ily higher risks. Moreover, the commis­ public education programs are now com­ sion reflected that this approach was also mon. Fire departments have enlarged inefficient; it was unlikely that increasing their role in supervising the fire safety of the resources for fire suppression (i.e., ap the built environment. They are more paratus, personnel) would result in pro­ involved in overall land use planning and portionate reductions in fire losses. reviewing plans for proposed develop­ ments. Fire departments frequently are Fire protection consists largely of two involved in the development and adoption types of activities, namely, suppression of model fire codes and the acceptance of and prevention. Suppression essentially local amendments to strengthen these is a reaction to events. Resources are codes (e.g., codes requiring installation of mobilized and deployed following an smoke detectors in existing dwellings). incident - the ignition of fire. Prevention is more active. It involves the effort to While conclusive data is not yet decrease the chances of fire and, failing available, many experts feel that the this, to control its destruction by methods increased emphasis on fire prevention has

92 Task Force 6 - Fire Prevention Section V contributed to the declining number of area is part of the problem. There is a reported fires and fire deaths. Fire need to evaluate the effectiveness of these prevention activities may become even programs. Are they communicating the more important in the future if fire de­ correct message? Are they targeted at the partment resources continue to decline, right audience? There are really no following the maxim, “...it is cheaper to systematic answers to these questions. prevent a fire than to fight it.” Also, Moreover, while the proliferation of community volunteers may become key organizations and media promoting fire members of a fire prevention program, safety is a blessing, they rarely are coor­ especially because the training and dinated at the national, regional or, even, physical fitness requirements differ from local levels. This disorganization pro­ those required in fire suppression, duces a mixed, confused message to the public and wastes scarce resources.

III. Critical Issues There has been a shift in the building and furnishings industries toward fire While Task Force 6 identified more safety. Pressure from the fire service, the than 20 problem areas that need to be federal government and model code addressed to increase the effectiveness of changes have produced significant gains the nation’s fire prevention efforts, it in the last 15 years. Mattress and uphol­ concentrated on the two most important stered furniture resistance to cigarette issues. These are rank ordered by ignition has improved greatly. Work is priority. being conducted on cigarette fire safety. The fire service needs to continue these 1) Lack of knowledge and recognition of efforts. More incentives (and disincen­ the fire problem and the value of fire tives) need to be developed to reduce fire prevention. While much yet needs to be hazards. done, a number of programs have been developed within the last 15 years that 2) Luck of support for a standardized effectively address this area of concern. reporting system to document needs/ Some of these public education programs problems and program results. The task provide an excellent base for continued force recognized that many of the prob­ work, including NFPA’s "Learn Not To lems just noted revolve around the inabil­ Burn” program, the National Smoke, Fire ity to identify systematically problem and Burn Institute’s “Smoke Drills,” Exit areas and evaluate alternatives for ad­ Drills in the Home (EDITH), and the dressing them. The problem comes down Smokey Bear fire safety program. to the lack of data. The task force re­ flected that much of its work would have One measure of success is the degree been easier if it had more information for of concern about the fire problem on the analyzing problems and selecting solu­ part of many private and public organiza­ tions to resolve them. tions and the amount of effort directed at education programs. The task force noted that the national fire data system is inadequate. Data is Ironically, the sheer number of pro­ not collected in a uniform manner, nor is grams and organizations working in this there a national focal point to coordinate

America Burning Revisited 93 and direct its collection. There is data 3. Lack of fire safety education in coming from burn agencies, hospitals, public and private schools, and a medical facilities and the fire service. minimum standard for each grade But how good is this information? How level. valid is it? Training and quality control programs set up originally by the U.S. 4. No public understanding of the haz­ Fire Administration have not been sup­ ards of fire and its cost to society. ported. Task force members raised ques­ 5. Lack of funds for studying the impact tions about the quality of the data en­ of fire (i.e., a cost/benefit analysis of tered into the system. prevention activities). While a system for collecting data has 6. Disproportionate impact of budget been established and is operated by the reductions on non-suppression forces USFA, the information needed by the fire (fire prevention). service is not available. Of course, there is much more information today than 7. No recognition by the fire service and there was 15 years ago, but this just the public of the scope of the fire underscores the problem. The effort has problem or the value of fire preven­ not been a complete one. There is infor­ tion. mation that can rank order the origins of fire, geographical fire problems, and the 8. Lack of support for the development dynamics of age, race and ethnicity in of new technology for automatic much more detail than what could have sprinkler systems which are accept­ been done 15 years ago. However, there able to homeowners. are a lot of holes in the information. We 9. Inadequate data at both the national do not know what causes the numbers to and local levels to document the fluctuate. We know the context of the extent and impact of fire problem; in­ problems, but not the problem itself. formation is needed to define the Further analysis is needed desperately. problem. The severe reduction of data analysts in the USFA has seriously hampered this 10. Lack of federal incentives to develop effort. The information currently avail­ and implement fire safety programs able is weak, and basic decisions on fire (e.g., fire-safe cigarettes, interior protection cannot be made. finishes). The following lists, in priority, the 11. No national criteria for fire preven­ other problem areas considered by Task tion activities, namely, investigation, Force 6. education, inspection and enforce­ ment. 1. Lack of funds and personnel to estab­ lish community relations services 12. Reluctance by private and public which allow fire service personnel to sector organizations to accept fire conduct prevention activities (proac­ protection/prevention methods (e.g., tive versus reactive fire protection). code and standard adoption and en­ forcement, and product combustibil­ 2. More effective use of available time ity/toxicity). by fire fighters for fire prevention.

94 Task Force 6 - Fire Prevention Section V

13. Need to regulate fire behavior of IV. Task Force interior furnishings in elderly, child Recommendations care and health care facilities. The task force developed comprehen­ 14. Better sharing of information on fire sive solution strategies for the two critical prevention programs, techniques issues. These are discussed below in and training. priority order. While the task force 15. Lack of public appreciation of the identified a host of additional solution value of maintenance inspections; strategies, it did not have time to develop public is unwilling to be more re­ them fully. These candidate solutions are sponsible for fire safety. listed in Attachment 1. 16. Limits placed by labor contracts on 1) Lack of knowledge of the fire problem fire department prerogatives to and the value of fire prevention. The task assign personnel to fire prevention force directed this charge against many activities. actors in the fire protection community, including the fire service, the general 17. Lack of public fire safety education public, educators and elected officials. acceptance by fire service, educators The task force identified more than 25 and public. programs to address this problem. The five highest in priority are listed below. 18. Lack of fire safety education stan­ dard for teacher accreditation. a. Initiate a mass media program to 19. Range of personnel (both civilian educate and influence the public. In- and uniform) needed for fire preven­ conjunction with the National Adver­ tion programs. tising Council, the fire service would present, on a nationwide basis, the 20. Federal government does not see fire problems of fire and its tragic effects problem as a national priority. on life. 21. Lack of more comprehensive and b. Join and support the Congressional expanded home fire safety pro­ Fire Services Caucus to educate and grams. lobby national legislators.

C. Require that fire prevention education standards become a part of career U.S. Representative Curt Weldon (R-PA) paths for fire service personnel. Fifty percent of training time should be de­ “The fire service is the heart and soul of voted to fire prevention. Service re­ America...the fire service forms the backbone quirements should be at least two of our country, and it has since our country years active time for entry-level chief was founded more than 200 years ago.” officers and three years active time for department chiefs. d. Develop vivid and practical informa­ tion for special groups, including the

America Burning Revisited 95 hotel/motel industry, handicapped, eld­ erly and others at high risk. e. Promote the adoption and application of residential sprinklers nationally. 2) Lack of support for a standardized reporting system to document needs/ problems and program results. The task force identified only eight recommended solutions to this problem. They follow in priority order. a. Re-evaluate and reorganize the cur­ rent national data system; a national task force under the aegis of the US. Fire Administration should be formed to review the operations of the Na­ tional Fire Incident Reporting System. Specifically, the task force should be charged with reviewing the number and type of organizations which should contribute data, methods for dissemi­ nating information and reports, data collection methods, purposes and uses of data, hardware and software re­ quirements, and scope of data base (whether EMS and hazardous materi­ als data should be included). e. The USFA should publicize the data b. The task force should identify total reporting system and all of its prod- funding requirements and possible ucts, which should be distributed to funding sources. Funding sources the fire community in a timely man- might include federal, state and local ner. Further, the USFA should edu­ government organizations, industry cate the fire protection community in grants, federal incentives and private the use of the data for decisionmaking (for profit) endeavors. at the local level.

c. The task force should not have an f. Suggested reporting agencies for the open-ended agenda, and it should keep standardized data system include the to its assigned schedule. fire service, hospitals, doctors, medical d. Upon the release of the task force’s examiners and industry. The objec­ report, the fire service should support tive is to develop a reporting system and continue to expand the established that has a broad constituency which standardized national reporting sys- not only will contribute to the system, tem. but will be able to benefit from it.

96 Task Force 6 - Fire Prevention Section V g. Suggested reporting agencies should 7. Develop information and materials be represented on the task force. to be posted in public areas; seek the assistance of the private sector to h. The data system should be an organic help pay for development and one; the organization should provide placement costs. training to the reporting agencies, a data feedback system and a vehicle for 8. Recruit non-traditional agencies for readily sharing information. assistance, e.g., youth development, parks and planning. 9. Develop a Speakers bureau to take Attachment 1 the fire problem to special interest Other Possible Solutions groups. 1. Collect objective data on the value of 15. Encourage new technology for any prevention program. automatic fire protection systems; maintain continuous contact 2. Continue and enhance such current between these industries and the fire fire safety programs as “EDITH,, service. “Learn Not To Burn,” ‘Smoke Drills” and so forth. 16. Solicitpublic official endorsements 3. Upgrade the national data system and support. with in-depth investigation and 17. Develop publications for teachers on analysis; dissemination of, and fire safety in the school and home. access to, this information should be augmented as well. 18. Adopt code requirements mandating maintenance of fire protection 4. Educate the fire service to the need systems. for changing its role (proactive versus reactive). 19. Encourage fire prevention successes, especially for fire service personnel Increase visibility in public places, 5. (e.g., increased recognition, other than during emergencies and financial incentives). inspections. 20. Urge all media to remind citizens to 6. Change fire service attitude to clean, test and repair smoke reward fire prevention detectors at the beginning and end of accomplishments; suppression efforts daylight savings time. should be regarded as failures.

America Burning Revisited 97

Section V

Task Force 7 Preparing for the 21st Century

Task Force Members:

Chief Michael Conley, Interna- Mr. Martin Mintz, National Asso­ tional Fire Service Training Asso- ciation of Home Builders ciation, Stillwater (OK) ­ Chief Vic Porter, Berkeley (CA) Chief M.H. “Jim” Estepp, Prince Fire Department George’s County (MD) Fire Dept. Dr. Jack Snell, Center For Fire Re- Dr. John Granite, St. James City search, National Institute for Stan­ (FL) dards and Technology Mr. David A. Lucht, Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Mr. Harvey Ryland, Tampa (FL), Facilitator

I. Introduction II. Background This section presents the results of There have been significant changes Task Force 7, “Preparing for the 21st in the concept and scope of fire protection Century.” The task force’s objectives since America Burning was published were: (1) to review the issues and recom­ in 1973, and it is almost certain that even mendations presented in Chapters 18,19 greater changes will occur as we enter the and 20 of America Burning; (2) to 21st century. forecast the characteristics of the fire protection environment in the 21st cen­ Some of the key changes that have tury and the requirements and con­ occurred since 1973 include reduced straints associated with that environ­ resources for fire departments, resulting ment; and (3) to prepare a general de­ in closed companies or lower staffing scription of fire protection in the 21st levels; greatly expanded use of smoke century and recommend alternate con­ detectors and automatic detection and cepts, policies, programs, techniques and suppression systems; significant in­ activities for use by fire departments and creases in fire service involvement in other fire safety organizations in plan­ emergency medical services, hazardous ning and preparing for the future. materials incidents and emergency man- America Burning Revisited 99 agement activities; revised personnel several years in which there was a possi­ policies and schedules as a result of the bility that the United States Fire Admini­ Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA); in­ stration budget would be zero. Conse­ creased drug abuse in the fire service; quently, many of the fire programs envi­ and the creation of a federal fire effort sioned by the commission were curtailed implemented through the United States because of inadequate funding. Fire Administration, National Fire Acad­ emy, and Center for Fire Research of the The commission recognized that, as National Institute of Standards and important as federal research is for Technology. combatting the nation’s fire problems, the responsibility is not solely the govern­ A “new" issue discussed in the task ment’s. It recommended that the building force was the increasing relationship materials and furnishings industry between environmental protection, or the sponsor research directed toward improv­ control of hazardous waste, and fire ing fire safety in the built environment. protection. In 1973, few fire officials even While we have learned a lot in the past considered that harming the environment decade, much more information is needed could be a spillover effect from fighting a to understand and control the fire haz­ fire. But it is a real possibility and under­ ards and risks posed by construction scores the complexities of modern life. materials and building contents. Such For example, there have been incidents associations as the Chemical Manufactur­ where contaminated water runoff result­ ers Association, The Society of the Plas­ ing from suppressing a chemical plant tics Industry, Carpet and Rug Institute, fire polluted local groundwater. Environ­ International Association of Sleep Prod­ mental control agencies have expressed ucts, American Furniture Manufacturers concern that the traditional fire fighting Association, and Concrete and Masonry tactic of venting a building to release heat Institute have initiated studies to under­ and smoke also may release hazardous stand the combustion and toxicity haz­ gases. In addition, halon gases used in ards associated with their products. automatic suppression systems may be harmful to the ozone layer. Forecasting future trends, the com­ mission attempted to plan for fire protec­ America Burning proposed the de­ tion needs and demands in the 21st velopment of the federal fire effort and century. Examples of projected aspects of recommended the creation of the United life included increased average life span, States Fire Administration, National Fire possibly to 120 years; extensive use of Academy and Center for Fire Research, high-density housing; expanded adult and with a proposed annual budget of continuing education programs as people $124,840,000 (1973 dollars). The commis­ work until 100 years of age; automatic sion stated that the projected costs “can medical systems built into the body; use serve as an indication of minimum oper­ of exotic information and communications ating program needs and as a starting equipment; and a continued reduction in point for discussion.” However, the the fire suppression activities of fire maximum budget ever received by the departments. Such changes will have a U.S. Fire Administration was approxi­ major impact on fire protection in gen­ mately $24 million, and there have been eral, and on the fire service in particular.

100 Task Force 7 - Preparing for the 21st Century Section V

Of course, even within a span of 15 losses. Examples of views and attitudes years, many of the commission’s individ­ that people have which contribute to our ual conclusions and recommendations for relatively poor fire safety record (espe­ the 21st century are no longer applicable cially compared with other industrialized or now may have a different priority. As nations) include: the environment changes, so do the challenges and demands placed on the “it can’t happen to me” fire service. Updating America Burning “odds are that it won’t happen to me” will require a constantly revised picture the insurance company will take care of the future. We will need new informa­ of me" tion to identify upcoming fire protection conditions, requirements, constraints and “it is not a disgrace to have a fire” priorities. This planning is critical if the “I can set fires for revenge” fire service is going to meet tomorrow’s demands. “people come out better after a fire” “I will help those unfortunate people who had a fire” III. Critical Issues “they’re just children playing, they Chapters 18-20 of America Burning didn’t know any better” included the following topics: public and The consensus of the task force was private involvement; basic and applied that a high level of fire safety will not be fire research; special research in human achieved until these views and attitudes behavior, fire dynamics, and smoke and are changed. toxic gases; development of automatic detection and suppression systems; 2) Political action infrastructure, An dissemination of results of research and organized and coordinated capability that development projects; private research can, at the national level, identify overall activities; improvement of burn treat­ problems, establish priorities and “make ment; establishment of the U.S. Fire things happen” (i.e., pass legislation, Administration and National Fire Acad­ obtain budget increases) does not exist for emy; and operation of a national fire data fire protection. Unlike many other social system. and economic issues that have coordi­ nated national representation, lobbying Task force members identified many and public relations programs, fire safety issues which they. felt were most impor­ appears to be a poor stepchild and only tant in preparing for the 21st century. receives extensive public attention follow­ After consolidating these and ranking ing a major incident. them in priority, the task force identified the following key issues (in priority The national representation for fire order). safety issues is fragmented, at best. The Joint Council of National Fire Service 1) Cultural orientation. The single most Organizations, the only national group critical factor to be considered is that concerned with fire safety, is composed public attitudes, behavior and values primarily of fire service organizations. contribute significantly to our high fire For fire safety to become a higher public

America Burning Revisited 101 ing of buildings has increased the hazard and makes it critically impor­ tant to know how a material will react in fire. Frequently, a new material is used without an understanding of how its properties react when heated or burned, until a tragedy occurs. Then, an after-the­ fact research effort is initiated. If this understanding isa­ priority, a more comprehensive and chieved in advance, these properties broader coalition of interests must be could be predicted, and unsafe materials formed that includes the active participa­ could be kept out of the built environ­ tion of all actors in the fire protection ment. community. Associations and nationally recognized leaders of such professions as The general technology is available city and county managers, code and to support the development of advanced building officials, and architects/engi­ automatic smoke detection and fire neers must be a part of the fire safety suppression systems. However, budget solution. restrictions at the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Center for 3) Development of new and improved fire Fire Research have limited the agency’s protection technology. Basic knowledge is ability to pursue aggressively the devel­ needed in the physics and chemistry of opment of these systems. The center’s combustion, especially concerning the involvement is essential because, appar­ generation of products of combustion and ently, the market does not provide suffi­ the process of extinguishment. Research cient incentives to encourage private needs to be done on the next generation of industry to take on this task. affordable, smart smoke detection and 4) Fire protection information. Continu­ fire suppression systems. ous and complete data collection and Most fire deaths are from smoke analysis to identify fire protection prob­ inhalation, not heat or burns. Therefore, lems and solutions have been, and still it is necessary to understand the compo­ are, top priorities. Unfortunately, the nents of smoke (i.e., products of combus­ data collection and analysis efforts being tion), including how they are generated, conducted within the fire community are disseminated, and lead to injury and in disarray and not achieving the in­ death. The increasing use of synthetic tended objectives. For example, while the materials in the construction and furnish­ U.S. Fire Administration has made 102 Task Force 7 - Preparing for the 21st Century Section V significant progress with the National estimates that the annual number of fires Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS), has decreased from slightly more than 1 not all cities and states are participating million in 1977 to 800,000 in 1986. Plus, in that network. Further, although this when the other America Burning rec­ fire incident data is important, the fire ommendations are implemented, this tra­ service needs other types of information. ditional role of the fire department will be Case studies of successful management reduced and redefined further, although techniques and new technologies that never eliminated. may have fire protection applications The loss of federal General Revenue would be useful for fire managers. Sharing funds and other local govern­ There is not sufficient analysis of the ment budget restrictions have reduced information that is collected currently. the resources of many departments, and The U.S. Fire Administration’s budget this has affected company numbers and restrictions have impeded the analysis staffing levels. and reporting of the NFIRS and other Thus, the dual forces of limited re­ data collected by the National Fire Data sources and evolving demands for serv­ Center. In recent years, personnel and ices are expected to have a major impact contracting funds devoted to analyzing on the fire service. Few task force mem­ NFIRS data have been cut severely. bers felt that enough departments are A comprehensive data collection and prepared for these challenges, or are even analysis capability would help the fire in the process of preparing for them. service. The information could be used to develop better fire spread models, predict There are three key areas of fire service operations in need of examination. the occurrence and location of fires, and establish improved tactical procedures. a. What are the roles and responsibili­ Also, this capability would support the ties of the fire department of the infrastructure requirements discussed future? During the past 20 years, the above. For example, better data might fire service has assumed a major role help in the adoption of improved fire in providing emergency medical safety legislation. services (EMS), to the extent that such incidents now constitute a major­ 5) Redefine the traditional public safety service delivery system. The roles and ity of some departments’ runs. Fire department responsibility for hazard­ responsibilities of the fire service must be ous materials protection also has been redefined to meet the changing local increasing, and with the role specified government environment and the needs in the 1986 Emergency Preparedness of the future. and Community Right-To-Know Act, A fundamental change is occurring in otherwise known as Title III of the the nature and scope of what long has Superfund Amendments and Reau­ been considered the fire service’s main thorization Act (SARA), this involve­ responsibility, fighting fires. Within the ment will continue and possibly past decade, there has been a downward expand further. Many fire depart­ trend in the number of structural fires ments have increased their responsi­ being handled by fire departments. The bility for building and environmental National Fire Protection Association code enforcement, even in a few cases, America Burning Revisited 103 to the extent of providing overall build­ 2) Build and maintain a national fire ing department services. safety constituency through the Congres­ sional Fire Services Caucus, a fire safety b. What are the most effective and efficient political action committee (PAC), and a methods for accomplishing these roles "conference board, n composed of strong and responsibilities? It may be, for leadership from each public interest group example, that a combination inspection/ and fire association, that will lobby on EMS/rescue/fire suppression unit that Specific issues. uses smaller apparatus will replace some of the standard engine companies in a 3) Fund and begin the development of a community. Consolidated building and new generation of affordable, automatic fire departments have proved to be an smoke detection and fire suppression effective choice for many municipalities. systems, and initiate actions within the model code groups and legislatures c. Is even the name “fire department” becoming obsolete? A few departments around the county to install these systems in all dwelling units. already are changing their names to reflect their expanding missions. For 4) Develop and implement a widely acces­ example, such names as the “Fire and sible fire safety data base network, which Life Safety Department” and the “De­ will include the models and data needed partment of Fire and Emergency Man­ for fire risk and hazard prediction and agement” are becoming more common. fire safety program productivity measure­ ment. Hardware and software needed to access this data base should be provided to V. Task Force Recommendations local fire departments. Upon reflecting on the impact of their 5) Fund and conduct a comprehensive deliberations, the members of the task force project to develop recommended future fire decided to issue only a limited number of department roles and priorities and a new recommendations. While all of the alterna­ departmental name, with leadership tive solutions had merit and should be provided by the Joint Council of National pursued, it was felt that the task force Fire Service Organizations in collabora­ report would have greater impact if it were tion with elected and appointed local concise and targeted. Consequently, the government officials and recognized task force’s report consists of the five most national interest groups. important actions that need to be taken to improve fire protection in the future. These recommended actions, in priority Attachment 1 order, are: Other Possible Solutions 1) Mount an on-going national campaign The task force identified a number of to change cultural orientation to one of fire alternative solution strategies for each of safety consciousness, involving complete the critical issues just discussed. These saturation of fire safety concepts to all age alternatives are listed within each issue. groups, using proven behavioral modifica­ The task force members did not assign a tion, marketing and simulation techniques. priority to these suggested solutions.

104 Task Force 7 - Preparing for the 21st Century Section V

1) Cultural orientations sponsors for fire safety campaigns. (Note: The negative aspects of fire may a. Fire safety public education programs preclude some companies from partici­ should be mandated in schools for pating in such programs.) grades K through 12 i. Prominent national persons should be b. Harsher legal penalties should be used in promotional materials and established for people whose careless­ campaigns. Dick Van Dyke was very ness results in a fire. effective in the “Learn Not To Burn” c. Negative cultural characteristics, spots.Football players could demon­ which lead to unsafe fire practices, strate “stop, drop and roll” for informa­ should be identified, and positive, safer tion targeted to younger children. behavior should be encouraged and j. Neighborhood fire brigades should be reinforced. developed to increase citizen awareness d. A Mothers Against Drunk Driving and education and provide first aid (MADD) type program should be devel­ services. oped for citizen awareness and sensi­ k. A massive public education training tivity toward negligent fires and those program for fire service personnel, with who cause them. This program should support materials, should be developed provide for positive intervention at and offered nationwide. every opportunity to change behavior, especially for “latch-key” children, l. Media coverage should be obtained for fire department accomplishments, e. A symbol or theme for fire safety (e.g., activities and such fire service events as Sparky) should be established which the fire fighter Olympics. has national recognition and visibility similar to that achieved by “Spuds m. Research should be conducted to deter­ McKenzie.” mine what it takes to motivate members of each group in our society to improve f. Fire safety programs are often ama­ its fire safety practices; special attention teurish and less than effective. Ex­ should be given to identifying positive perts skilled in advertising, promotion, techniques. and public relations need to be in­ volved. n. Quality fire protection television spot announcements should be developed to g. Government and other institutions can be shown on local stations and cable encourage fire safety by offering finan­ systems. cial incentives (i.e., tax rebates or re­ ductions) to those who do not have o. Model public education programs should fires, practice fire safety behavior or be developed for specific ethnic and install automatic fire protection sys­ economic target groups. tems. p. Traffic tickets should be issued for fire h. The private sector needs to be an active protection code violations in structures other than single-family dwellings; fire participant in fire safety, which is good fighters should have the authority to for business and society. The fire serv­ write tickets. Mandatory public service ice needs to identify and use corporate should be required to work off violations. America Burning Revisited 105 q. Provide graduate education (e.g., engi­ c. Institutionalize technology transfer neering and architecture) for fire safety through federal legislation requiring professionals in all applicable fire that fire service spinoffs be explored protection disciplines. following major technological inno­ vations in the behavioral, manage­ 2) Political action infrastructure rial or engineering sciences. a. Everyone should ask their federal d. Continue and expand research into representatives and senators to join the the combustion, toxicity and fire Congressional Fire Services Caucus. suppression phenomena. b. Establish a consolidated and compre­ e. Develop inexpensive automatic hensive political action committee smoke detection and fire suppres­ (PAC) to pursue fire safety programs. sion systems that can: (1) recognize c. Establish a fire protection “conference different types of fires; (2) direct board” to lobby for specific issues. The suppressants toward the fire loca­ “conference board” would be composed tion; and (3) turn off when the fire is of strong leaders from each public out. interest group and fire protection pro­ 4) Fire protection information fessional association. a. Establish a national laboratory net­ d. Establish a mechanism to educate work for fire cause analysis and in­ local, state and national policymakers vestigation. Ensure that the infor­ on fire protection requirements and mation is readily accessible to local issues. fire departments. e. Encourage the public to lobby for b. Establish a national fire information improved fire protection at local, state database network that, ideally, and national levels. would be a combination of NFIRS, f. Provide incentives for fire protection UFIRS, and non-incident informa­ organizations to work together, and tion and ideas. disincentives for not working together. 5) Redefine the traditional public g. The resources and influence of all local safety service delivery system and national organizations (e.g., Ameri­ a. Establish certification and licensing can Association of Retired Persons) requirements for fire protection pro­ should be used to improve fire protec­ fessionals. tion. b. Consolidate building and fire inspec­ 3) Development of new and improved fire tion services under fire departments. protection technology c. Increase local fire department au­ a. Conduct needed fire research which is thority and responsibility to estab­ complete and thorough enough so the lish and accomplish goals. results can be put to end-item use. d. Establish a significant national fire b. Establish an effective mechanism for leadership training institute, e.g., evaluating new fire protection engi­ expand the Harvard program to neering methods and disseminate permit greater participation. results to potential users.

106 Task Force 7 - Preparing for the 21st Century Section VI

Appendix A. Project Steering Committee

Dr. Jack Snell Howard Tipton Center for Fire Research City Manager National Institute of Standards and P.O. Box 551 Technology Daytona Beach, FL 32015(904) 252-6461 Gaithersburg, MD 20899 (301) 921-3143 Gerard Hoetmer International City Management Association Garry Briese 777 North Capitol Street, N.E. International Association of Fire Chiefs Washington, D.C. 20002 1329 18th Street, N.W. (202) 962-4600 Washington, D.C. 20036 (202) 833-3420 Deputy Chief Ray Alfred District of Columbia Fire Department Joseph O’Hagan 1923 Vermont Avenue, N.W. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Washington, DC. 20001 Building 203, USAEA CA (202) 462-1762 Fort Myer Arlington, VA 22211-5050 Philip Schaenman (202) 696-38 13 Tri Data Corporation 1500 Wilson Boulevard AI Whitehead Arlington, VA 22209 International Association of Firefighters (703) 841-2975 1750 New York Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20006 Rich Adams (202) 737-8484 Editorial Director WUSA-TV Tom Owens 4001 Brandywine Street, N.W. Volunteer Coordinator Washington, D.C. 20016 Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department (202) 364-3905 4031 University Drive Fairfax, VA 22032 Edward M. Wall (703) 691-2126 Deputy Administrator U.S. Fire Administration Harry Hickey Emmitsburg, MD 21727 Johns Hopkins University (301) 447-6771 Applied Physics Laboratory Johns Hopkins Road - Building 46 James F. Coyle Laurel, MD 20707 Assistant Administrator (301) 792-5154 U.S. Fire Administration Emmitsburg, MD 21727 (301) 447-6771

America Burning Revisited 107 Alternates

Howard Markman P.O. Box 177 Northfield, NJ 08225 (609) 645-7744

Colin A. Campbell Colin A. Campbell & Associates 15-B East Windsor AvenueAlexandria, VA 22301 (703) 684-13 18

Hal Bruno Political Director ABC News 1717 DeSales Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20036 (202) 887-7777

108 Appendix A Section VI

Appendix B. America Burning Revisited Participants

Task Force Professor Richard E. Bland 1 435 East Irvin Avenue Louis J. Amabili 5 State College, PA 16801 Director (814) 237-7262 Delaware State Fire School RD 2, Box 166 Chief Paul Boecker 3 Dover, DE 19901 Chairman, Executive Board (302) 736-4773 International Fire Service Training Association Deputy Chief Steven C. Bailey 1 Lisle-Woodridge Fire District President 1005 School Street National Fire Information Council Lisle, IL 60532 Seattle Fire Department (312) 964-2233 301 Second Avenue South Seattle, WA 98104 Clyde A. Bragdon, Jr. (206) 386-1470 Administrator U.S. Fire Administration George B. Barney 4 16825 South Seton Avenue Divisional Director Emmitsburg, MD 21727 Engineering Services Division (301) 447-1080 Portland Cement Association 5420 Old Orchard Road Tom Brennan 2 Skokie, IL 60077-4321 Editor (312) 966-6200 Fire Engineering Magazine 250 Fifth Avenue Julius W. Becton, Jr. New York, NY 10001 Director (212) 481-5771 Federal Emergency Management Agency Federal Center Plaza Garry L. Briese 3 500 C Street, S.W. Executive Director Washington, D.C. 20472 International Association of Fire Chiefs (202) 646-3923 1329 18th Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20036 Bob Blair (202) 833-3420 Chief, Intergovernmental Affairs Federal Emergency Management Agency Peter Brigham 1 Federal Center Plaza President 500 C Street, S.W. Burn Foundation Washington, D.C. 20472 1311 Chancellor Street (202) 646-4600 Philadelphia, PA 19107 (215) 735-4060

America Burning Revisited 109 Commissioner Joseph Bruno 3 James F. Coyle Fire Department of the City of New York Assistant Administrator 250 Livingston Street U.S. Fire Administration Room 408 16825 South Seton Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11201 Emmitsburg, MD 21727 (718) 403-1200 (301) 447-1181

Robert B. Burns 6 Deputy Chief Joseph M. DeMeo 6 President Bureau of Fire Prevention Fire Loss Management Systems Fire Department of the City of New York 1667 Springer Road 250 Livingston Street Mountain View, CA 94040 Brooklyn, NY 11201 (415) 964-2377 (718) 403-1367

Chief Robert Butler 7 Chief M.H. “Jim” Estepp 7 Fire Department of the City of New York Prince George’s County Department of Public 250 Livingston Street Safety . Brooklyn, NY 11201 County Administration Building, Room 5032 (718) 403-1434 14741 Governor Oden Bowie Drive Upper Marlboro, MD 20772 MS Travis Cain 6 (301) 952-5335 Program Manager Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Paul Fitzgerald 4 Prevention Vice President U.S. Department of Justice Factory Mutual Corporation Washington, D.C. 20531 1151 Boston-Providence Turnpike (202) 724-5914 P.O. Box 9102 Norwood, MA 02062 Colin A. Campbell 5 (617) 762-4300, Ext. 2800 President Colin A. Campbell & Associates Earl Flanagan 4 15-B East Windsor Avenue Codes Advisor Alexandria, VA 22301 U.S. Department of Housing and Urban (703) 684-1318 Development 4517th Street, S.W. Chief Mary D. Chambers 5 Washington, D.C. 20410 Bernallillo County Fire District 10 (202) 755-6590 11683 South Highway 14 Tijeras, NM 87059 John C. Gerard 1 (505) 281-5187 Washington Representative National Fire Protection Association Chief Michael Conley 7 1110 North Glebe Road, Suite 560 International Fire Service Training Washington, DC. 22201 Association (703) 524-7170 Oklahoma State University Stillwater, OK 74078-0114 (405) 744-5727

110 Appendix B Section VI

David Goldston Gerard Hoetmer 5 Technical Consultant Staff Associate Science, Research and Technology International City Management Association Subcommittee 777 North Capitol Street, N.E. U.S. House of Representatives Washington, D.C. 20002 2319 Rayburn House Office Building (202) 962-4600 Washington, D.C. 20515 (202) 225-8844 Chief Warren E. Isman 2 President Dr. John Granito 7 International Association of Fire Chiefs 2961 Bowsprit Lane Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department St. James City, FL 33956 4031 University Drive (813) 283-2438 Fairfax, VA 22030 (703) 691-2546 Olin Greene 5 State Fire Marshal Rolf Jensen, P.E . 4 3000 Market Street Plaza President Suite 534 Society of Fire Protection Engineers Salem, OR 97310-0198 60 Batterymarch Street (503)378-FIRE Boston, MA 02110 (312) 948-0700 William H. Hansell, Jr . 3 Executive Director Matt Kane 1 International City Management Association Staff Associate 777 North Capitol Street, N.E. National League of Cities Washington, D.C. 20002 1301 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. (202) 962-4600 Washington, DC. 20001 (202) 626-3000 John Glenn Hart, III 1 Assistant Administrator Assistant Chief Charles H. Rime 6 U.S. Fire Administration Fire ‘Marshal 16825 South Seton Avenue Phoenix Fire Department Emmitsburg, MD 21727 520 West Van Buren Street (301) 447-1105 Phoenix, AZ 85003 (602) 262-6002 Charles A. Henry Fire Commissioner MS Janet Kimmerly 4 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Editor Box 3321 Firehouse Magazine Harrisburg, PA 17105-3321 210 Crossways Park Drive (717) 783-5120 Woodbury, NY 11797 (516) 496-8000 Tom Hem 3 International Association of Fire Fighters Chief Jerry Knight 3 1750 New York Avenue, N.W. St. Petersburg Fire Department Washington, D.C. 20006 1429 Arlington Avenue, North (202) 737-8484 St. Petersburg, FL 33705 (813) 893-7694

America Burning Revisited 111 Richard P. Kuchnicki 4 Chief Roger McGary 2 President President Council of American Building Officials International Society of Fire Service 5203 Leesburg Pike Instructors Falls Church, VA 22041 Takoma Park Fire Department (703) 931-4533 7201 Carroll Avenue Takoma Park, MD 21215 Chief Richard Lamb 5 (301) 270-4242 National Volunteer Fire Council Wayne Township Fire Department John McNichol 6456 West Ohio Street Legislative Assistant Indianapolis, IN 46224 U.S. Representative Curt Weldon (317) 247-8501 1233 Longworth House Office Building Washington, DC. 20515 Professor David A. Lucht 7 (202) 225-5222 Director Center for Firesafety Studies John Marshall Worcester Polytechnic Institute Fire Program Specia1ist U.S. Fire Worcester, MA 01609 Administration (617) 793-5593 16825 South Seton Avenue Emmitsburg, MD 21727 MS Barbara Lundquist 1 (301) 447-1122 Tri Data Corporation 1500 Wilson Boulevard Martin Mintz 7 Arlington, VA 22209 Senior Technical Advisor (703) 841-2875 National Association of Home Builders 15th and M Streets, N.W. Arnold Luterman, M.D 6 Washington, D.C. 20005 Director, Burn Center (202) 822-0200 Ripps-Meisler Professor of Surgery University of South Alabama Chief Richard Moreno 6 2451 Fillingim Street Tucson Fire Department Mobile, AL 36617 P.O. Box 272210 (205) 47 l-7049 Tucson, AZ 85726-7210 (602)791-4511 Hugh McClees Aspen Systems Corporation Patrick Murphy 6 1600 Research Boulevard U.S. Conference of Mayors Rockville, MD 20850 1620 I Street, N.W. (301) 251-5159 Washington, DC. 20006 (202) 293-7330 Edward H. McCormack 6 Executive Director William M. Neville, Jr . 2 International Society of Fire Service Superintendent Instructors National Fire Academy 20 Main Street 16825 South Seton Avenue Ashland, MA 01721 Emmitsburg, MD 21727 (617) 881-5800 (301) 447-1123

112 Appendix B Section VI

Joseph C’Hagan 3 James B. Roberts 5 Federal Fire Service Task Force State Forester Fire Prevention Specialist Maryland Department of Natural Resources Building 203 USAEA CA Forest, Park and Wildlife Service Fort Myer Tawes State Office Building Arlington, VA 22211-5050 Annapolis, MD 21401 (703) 696-3813 (301) 974-3776

Chief Bert T. Parker 6 Henry Roux 4 Fire Marshal Armstrong World Industries, Inc. Washington County Fire District No. 1 Research and Development 20665 S W Blanton Street P.O. Box 3511 Aloha, OR 97007 Lancaster, PA 17604 (503) 649-8577 (717) 396-5224

Anne Phillips, M.D 6 James V. Ryan 6 National Smoke, Fire and Burn Institute American Association of Retired Persons 990 Sargent Road 10817 Old Coach Road Brookline, MA 02146 (617) 742-1609 Potomac, MD 20854 (202) 872-4700 Chief Edward J. Phipps 2 San Francisco Fire Department Harvey Ryland 260 Golden Gate Avenue 2630 East Holmes Road San Francisco, CA 94102 Memphis, TN 38118 (415) 861-8000, Ext. 281 (800) 824-58 17

Chief Vie Porter 7 Wayne Sandford 2 Assistant City Manager Chairman Office of Public Safety National Association of State Directors of Fire 2121 McKinley Street Training and Education Berkley, CA 94703 Commission on Fire Prevention and Control (415) 644-6666 294 Colony Street Meriden, CT 06450 William Randleman 3,1 (203) 238-6587 Editor Fire Chief Magazine Philip Schaenman 1 307 North Michigan Avenue Tri Data Corporation Chicago, IL 60601 1500 Wilson Boulevard (312) 726-7277 Arlington, VA 22209 (703) 841-2875 Fred S. Ringler 1 People’s Firehouse, Inc. Chuck Smeby 7 113 Berry Street Office of the Fire Chief Brooklyn, NY 11211 Prince George’s County Fire Department (718) 388-4696 9201 Basil Court Fourth Floor East Landover, MD 20785 (301) 952-4730

America Burning Revisited 113 J. Thomas Smith U.S. Representative Doug Walgren Fire Fighter Health and Safety Specialist Chairman U.S. Fire Administration Science, Research and Technology Federal Center Plaza Subcommittee 500 C Street, S.W. 2319 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC. 20472 Washington, D.C. 20515 (202) 646-2449 (202) 225-8844

Robert B. “Skip” Smith 6 Edward M. Wall Fire Marshals Association of North America Deputy Administrator Suite 1210 U.S. Fire Administration 1110 Vermont Avenue, N.W. 16825 South Seton Avenue Washington, D.C. 20005 Emmitsburg, MD 21727 (202) 667-7441 (301) 447-1080

Dr. Jack Snell 7 U.S. Representative Curt Weldon Director Chairman Center for Fire Research Congressional Fire Services Caucus U.S. Department of Commerce 1233 Longworth House Office Building National Institute of Standards and Washington, D.C. 20515 Technology (202) 225-5222 Gaithersburg, MD 20899 (301) 975-6850 Clarence Williams 3 President Peter G. Sparber 4 International Association of Black Vice President - Public Affairs Professional Fire Fighters The Tobacco Institute P.O. Box 22005 706 Upham Place Seattle, WA 98122 Vienna, VA 22180 (206) 329-9870 (202) 457-9313

Chief John B. Stewart, Jr. 3 Hartford Fire Department 275 Pearl Street Hartford, CT 06103 (203) 722-8200

Kenneth H. Stewart 5 Associate Director for Public Safety Programs National Criminal Justice Association 444 North Capitol Street, N.W. Suite 608 Washington, D.C. 20001 (202) 347-4900

114 Appendix B Section VI

Appendix C. Status Report on the 90 Recommendations from America Burning

Section I This report contains 90 recommenda­ Introduction tions concerning the improvement of fire protection in the U.S. These recommen­ One of the major events of the United dations cover the following general areas: States fire service occurred in June 1973 - the publication of America Burning. burn prevention and treatment; This document is the report of the Na­ fire fighter health and safety; tional Commission on Fire Prevention and Control, a presidential commission building and fire codes and standards; appointed by President Richard M. Nixon. Richard E. Bland (associate professor, automatic detection and suppression; Pennsylvania State University) was fire protection master planning; commission chairman, and W. Howard McClennen (president of the Interna­ fire department organization and tional Association of Fire Fighters) was operation; vice chairman. Commission members included members of Congress, the Secre­ rural and wildland fire protection; taries of the Departments of Commerce and Housing and Urban development, public education; and representatives of public and private fire prevention inspection and enforce­ organizations concerned with fire protec­ ment; tion, including the fire service, insurance industry, news media, academia and the incentives for improved fire safety; building industry. transportation fire safety; and The commission conducted research into the U.S. fire problem, held a series of establishment of federal organizations hearings throughout the country and for fire protection research, data deliberated the solutions to these prob­ collection and analysis, planning and lems. training. The result of this two-year effort was In the 15 years since America the commission’s report, America Burn­ Burning was published; many of the rec­ ing. ommendations have been accomplished,

America Burning Revisited 115 and other recommendations have been ac­ Section III. Summary of Accomplish­ complished partially. Some recommenda­ ments - contains a general discussion of tions have been attempted without suc­ (1) recommendations which have been cess, and others apparently have not been substantially accomplished; (2) recom­ attempted at all. mendations that have not been accom­ plished to any practical degree; and (3) The most visible accomplishment was recommendations for which significant the creation of the U.S. Fire administra­ progress has been made, but continued tion, National Fire Academy and Center effort is still required. for Fire Research at the National Insti­ tute of Standards and Technology. How­ ever, some fire protection leaders have Section II stated that this is only a partial success because the funding for these organiza­ Recommendations and tions has never come close to the amounts Accomplishments recommended by the commission. Significant successes also have been 2.1 Chapter 1 The Nation’s Fire achieved in such areas as installation of Problem smoke detectors, improvement of fire and Recommendation building codes, and fire protection master planning. Some success has been 1 The commission recommends that achieved for other recommendations, e.g., Congress establish a U.S. Fire Admini­ expanding public education programs and stration to provide a national focus for the increasing fire department involvement nation’s fire problem and to promote a in fire prevention. Other recommenda­ comprehensive program with adequate tions were not included in the legislation funding to reduce life and property loss resulting from America Burning (P.L. 93­ from fire. 498) and, therefore, have not been imple­ mented. For example, recommendations Accomplishments pertaining to fire department grants for The United States Fire Administra­ training and equipment were not in­ tion (USFA) was established in 1975 as cluded in the legislation. Thus, such the National Fire Prevention and Control recommendations have not been accom­ Administration. Also established were plished at all. the National Fire Academy (NFA), origi­ nally a unit of the fire administration, The remainder of this report consists and the Center for Fire Research (CFR), a of the following sections: unit of the National Institute of Stan­ Section II. Recommendation and dards and Technology. The commission Accomplishments - lists each of the 90 recommended an average annual budget . recommendations contained in America for the first five years of $125 million. Burning along with a discussion of the However, the largest annual budget ever extent to which each has been accom­ received was less than $24 million, in­ plished. cluding funding for the CFR.

116 Appendix C Section VI

Recommendation support of medical research and training 2.. The commission recommends that a have contributed to this progress. national fire data system be established to provide a continuing review and analy­ Recommendation sis of the entire fire problem. 4.. The commission recommends that Congress, in providing for new burn Accomplishments treatment facilities, make adequate The National Fire Data Center provision for the training and continuing (NFDC) was established in 1975 as a support of the specialists to staff these major component of the USFA. The facilities. Provision also should be made National Fire Incident Reporting System for the special training of those who (NFIRS) was implemented as the founda­ provide emergency care for burn victims tion of the NFDC, and now has 37 states in general hospitals. and 20 metropolitan areas reporting data. Currently, the NFDC is conducting Accomplishments general data analysis, as well as special Not included in legislation (P.L. 93­ studies of fire fighter and residential fire 498), thus, there are no corresponding facilities, and major and unusual fires. In programs. However, through other addition, the NFDC is conducting a resources, this training is being carried project to improve fire department long- out now on a broad scale by professional range planning and tactical decisionmak­ organizations and emergency medical ing capabilities through automated service programs, and by burn centers management information systems. throughout the nation.

2.2 Chapter 2 Living Victims of the Recommendation Tragedy 5.. The commission recommends that the National Institutes of Health greatly Recommendation augment their sponsorship of research on 3.. The commission recommends that burns and burn treatment. Congress enact legislation to make pos­ sible the attainment of 25 burn units and Accomplishments centers and 90 burn programs within the In the mid-1970s, the National Insti­ next 10 years. tute of General Medical Sciences granted funds for burn research programs at Accomplishments seven burn center hospitals and other Not included in legislation (P.L. 93­ public and private grants supported 498), thus, there are no corresponding research at other burn centers. programs. However, by 1983, there were approximately 125 burn centers in the Recommendation United States, including one in virtually 6.. The commission recommends that every metropolitan area with a sufficient the National Institutes of Health admini­ population base, a significant achieve­ ster and support a systematic program of ment. Such federal actions as the enact­ research concerning smoke inhalation ment of Medicare and Medicaid, and injuries.

America Burning Revisited 117 Accomplishments Accomplishments Not included in legislation (P.L. 93­ The number of women in the fire 498), thus, there are no corresponding service has increased significantly over- programs. Also, see recommendation the last 14 years. The first career woman number 35. fire fighter was hired by the Arlington County (Virginia) Fire Department in 1974 and is now a captain with that 2.3 Chapter 3 Are There Other department. The USFA promoted the Ways? inclusion of women in the fire service and provided information to assist fire depart­ Recommendation ments in recruiting and retaining women 7.. The commission recommends that for fire fighting duties. This USFA pro­ local governments make fire prevention gram included the conduct of a conference at least equal to suppression in the plan­ on women in the fire service (1981), and ning of fire department priorities. preparation of the reports, Role of Women in the Fire Service, and Issues for Women Accomplishments in the Fire Service. The USFA is cur­ In general, fire prevention efforts rently developing protective clothing and have increased dramatically, including equipment sizing information for use by expanded bureau and in-service company manufacturers in supplying items espe­ inspections and enforcement, improved cially designed for female fire fighters. public education programs, and increased involvement in land use planning and Recommendation building/fire code development. The 9.. The commission recommends that USFA, NFPA and other fire protection laws which hamper cooperative arrange­ organizations have conducted numerous ments among local fire jurisdictions be projects to promote and support the changed to remove the restrictions. expansion of fire prevention activities by local departments. While these projects Accomplishments have helped to increase the amount of local government resources devoted to fire There are no known statistics on the prevention, the goal of making “fire number of mutual (including automatic) prevention at least equal to suppression” aid agreements that have been imple­ is yet to be reached, except in a few mented over the past 14 years, or revision departments. For example, the Visalia of associated laws. However, the use of (California) Fire Department currently such agreements has been promoted by devotes approximately 60% of its annual the USFA (through its Integrated Emer­ budget to prevention. gency Management System [IEMS] project, for example), and by conducting a Recommendation fire service seminar on mutual aid. It is felt that the number and extent of use of 8.. The commission recommends that mutual aid agreements have increased. communities train and use women for fire The budget limitations experienced by service duties. local governments probably have contrib­ uted to this increase.

118 Appendix C Section VI

Recommendation Recommendation 10.. The commission recommends that 12.. The commission recommends that every local fire jurisdiction prepare a the proposed U.S. Fire Administration act master plan designed to meet the commu­ as a coordinator of studies of fire protec­ nity’s present and future needs in fire tion methods and assist local jurisdictions protection, to serve as a basis for program in adapting findings to their fire protec­ budgeting, and to identify and implement tion planning. the optimum cost-benefit solutions in fire protection. Accomplishments The USFA has served as a clearing­ Accomplishments house for fire protection studies, ideas Numerous fire departments have and information, and has disseminated prepared fire protection master plans as a such information through the Learning result of the commission’s recommenda­ Resource Center and such publications as tion and a comprehensive program con­ the arson and public education resource ducted by the USFA. This program exchange bulletins. included the development of the master planning process (for both single and multi-jurisdictional planning), prepara­ 2.4 Chapter 4 Planning for Fire tion of a set of manuals for use by depart­ Protection ments in preparing plans, a national Recommendation conference on master planning, a report to Congress on master planning, training 13.. The commission recommends that courses and a planning support team. the proposed U.S. Fire Administration The number of departments that have provide grants to local fire jurisdictions prepared a master plan is unknown, but for developing master plans for fire it is known that many plans have been protection. Further, the proposed U.S. prepared and some departments have Fire Administration should provide updated their plans several times. technical advice and qualified personnel to local fire jurisdictions to help them Recommendation develop master plans. 11.. The Commission recommends that Accomplishments federal grants for equipment and training be available only to those fire jurisdic­ The legislation (PL 93-498) did not tions that operate from a federally ap­ provide for grants to fire departments for proved master plan for fire protection. master planning. The USFA provided on- site master planning technical assistance Accomplishments during the period 1978-1982. This sup­ port was discontinued when the USFA The legislation (PL 93-498) did not was reorganized in 1983. provide for grants for training and equip­ ment.

America Burning Revisited 119 2.5 Chapter 5 Fire Service issues. The USFA assumed responsibility Personnel for some of the fire projects initiated by NSF and NIST, for example, the pumping Recommendation apparatus specifications and fire protection 14.. The commission recommends that master planning projects. Projects con­ the proposed U.S. Fire Administration ducted by the USFA in these ‘areas re­ sponsor research in the following areas: sulted in the preparation of the following productivity measures of fire depart­ documents (as examples): Model Perform­ ments, job analyses, fire injuries and fire ance Criteria for Structural Fire Fighters’ prevention efforts. Helmets, Development of a Job-Related Physical Performance Examination for Fire Accomplishments Fighters - A Summary Report, Survey of Numerous projects were conducted Fire Fighter Injuries (in cooperation with within these areas, especially fire fighter IAFF), and National Fire Service System./ safety and fire prevention. The major Task Analysis Phase I: Development of the productivity projects included a fire de­ Analysis Process. The USFA currently is partment working relationships study sponsoring a fire fighter mortality study and the analysis of alternative company being conducted by the University of staffing levels. The apparatus staffing Washington. study was not completed because of USFA budget limitations. Currently, the Recommendation USFA is conducting a study of alternative 16.. The commission recommends that methods of providing fire protection, with the nation’s fire departments recognize results being prepared for dissemination advanced and specialized education, and to state and local governments. hire or promote persons with experience at levels commensurate with their skills. Recommendation 15.. The commission urges the federal Accomplishments research agencies, for example, the Na­ Many fire departments have recognized tional Science Foundation and the Na­ that specialized education and advanced tional Institute of Standards and Technol­ degrees can be of benefit to the depart­ ogy, to sponsor research appropriate to ment, and have included such criteria in their respective missions within the areas recruiting or promoting for specific posi­ of productivity of fire departments, causes tions. of fire fighter injuries, effectiveness of fire prevention efforts and the skills required Recommendation to perform various fire department func­ 17.. The commission recommends a tions. program of federal financial assistance to local fire services to upgrade their training. Accomplishments The primary effort in these areas was Accomplishments accomplished by the USFA (see #14 The NFA currently provides financial above) because the missions of these assistance to local fire services through agencies evolved into more technical both resident and field training programs.

120 Appendix C Section VI

This assistance includes student stipends grams over the past 14 years. The USFA for resident classes, “train the trainer” has conducted a number of activities to (provides for training of state and local promote the establishment of fire service training personnel in the delivery of EMS programs, for example, the “Na­ courses prepared for hand-off to state or tional Workshop for Fire Service EMS local training organizations), direct Needs - the Rockville Report.” In addi­ supplementary delivery (supplements tion, the EMS standards established by state and local training efforts), Academy DOT for personnel, vehicles and equip­ Planning and Assistance Program (pro­ ment have had a major impact on improv­ vides technical and training assistance to ing EMS programs at the local level. state and local fire service organizations), However, there are communities which and Open Learning for the Fire Service still do not have adequate EMS programs. (provides fire service personnel with the opportunity to earn baccalaureate degrees in fire administration or fire technology). 2.6 Chapter 6 A National Fire Recommendation Academy 18.. In the administering of federal funds for training or other assistance to Recommendation local fire departments, the commission 20.. The commission recommends the recommends that eligibility be limited to establishment of a National Fire Acad­ those departments that have adopted an emy to provide specialized training in effective, affirmative action program areas important to the fire services and to related to the employment and promotion assist state and local jurisdictions in their of members of minority groups. training programs. Accomplishments

Accomplishments The National Fire Academy has been operational since 1975 and has operated This recommendation has been accom­ the fire training facility at Emmitsburg plished through the Federal Procurement since January 1980. The academy has Regulations because these regulations numerous programs to provide special­ have equal opportunity requirements ized training (hazardous materials, for applicable to grantees. example) and has provided assistance to local training activities, including course Recommendation development and “train the trainer” 19.. The commission recommends that courses. fire departments, lacking emergency ambulance, paramedical and rescue Recommendation services, consider providing them, espe­ 21.. The commission recommends that cially if they are located in communities the proposed National Fire Academy where these services are not provided assume the role of developing, gathering adequately by other agencies. and disseminating, to state and local arson investigators, information on arson Accomplishments incidents and on advanced methods of Numerous fire departments have arson investigations. implemented and expanded EMS pro­ America Burning Revisited 121 Accomplishments Accomplishments The NFA conducts arson investigation The NFA pays up to 75% of the cost of and related training. The USFA main­ attending courses at the academy. Gener­ tains an arson research and information ally, the only cost to the attendee is a dissemination effort, with the fire data nominal payment for mealsand for local center collecting and analyzing informa­ transportation at the departure location. tion on arson incidents. Currently, the This financial subsidy even includes USFA is developing a community-based airfare for attendees. However, continued organization anti-arson program, a juve­ subsidy is dependent on the availability of nile firesetter program and an Arson corresponding funds in the NFA budget. Information Management System, and is disseminating the results of a study of the needs of the rural arson investigator. The 2.7 Chapter 7 Equipping the Fire previously published Arson Resource Fighter Directory is being updated, and the Arson Resource Center, located at the Learning Recommendation Resource Center, is now computerized for rapid access and updating. The CFR 24.. The commission urges the National compiled the information, edited and Science Foundation, in its Experimental published a Fire Investigation Handbook Research and Development Incentives that is in widespread use among arson Program, and the National Institute of investigators. Standards and Technology, in its Experi­ mental Technology Incentives Program, to give high priorityto the needs of the Recommendation fire services. 22.. The commission recommends that the National Fire Academy be organized Accomplishments as a division of the proposed U.S. Fire Administration which would assume The National Science Foundation responsibility for deciding details of the stopped its applied fire research activities academy’s structure and administration. upon establishment of the USFA and CFR. The NIST Experimental Technol­ ogy Incentives Program did conduct a Accomplishments major project on methods for fire retard­ During the period 1975-1981, the NFA ing polyester/cotton apparel fabrics before was a component of the USFA. In 1981, the ETIP program was stopped. The CFR the NFA was separated administratively program has included several projects in from the USFA. response to the needs of the fire services, for example, fire fighter turnout coats, Recommendation helmets, lightweight air tanks and meth­ 23.. The commission recommends that odology for locating fire stations. the full cost of operating the proposed National Fire Academy and subsidizing Recommendation the attendance of fire service members be 25.. The commission recommends that borne by the federal government. the proposed U.S. Fire Administration review current practices in terminology,

122 Appendix C Section VI

symbols and equipment descriptions, and Recommendation seek to introduce standardization where 27.. The commission recommends that it is lacking. the proposed U.S. Fire Administration undertake a continuing study of fire Accomplishments service equipment needs, monitor re­ The USFA, NFA and CFR have pro­ search and development in progress, moted several areas of standardization, encourage needed research and develop­ including the National Fire Incident ment, disseminate results and provide Reporting System, fire fighter protective grants to fire departments for equipment clothing and equipment, the Incident procurement to stimulate innovation in Command System, terminology and equipment design. through training courses at the NFA. Accomplishments Recommendation To date, the USFA’s equipment re­ 26.. The commission urges rapid im­ search and development activities have plementation of a program to improve been focused on fire fighter protective breathing apparatus systems and expan­ equipment, smoke detectors and report­ sion of the program’s scope where appro­ ing systems, automatic detection and priate. suppression systems, and specifying pumping apparatus. All of these activi­ Accomplishments ties have resulted in the improvement of Tremendous progress has been made equipment design and operation, as well in the design of safer, more effective as the dissemination of corresponding breathing apparatus. In the early 1970s information. The USFA and NASA have the NIST conducted a research and developed and are testing a “hands-free” development project on the design of communications device which is fully higher pressure, lighter weight air tanks. compatible with self-contained breathing The USFA’s Project FIRES, conducted in apparatus. The USFA legislation did not cooperation with the National Aeronau­ provide for grants for equipment procure­ tics and Space Administration (NASA), ment. A new portable monitor that will produced a new generation of breathing quickly detect and identify hazardous apparatus which is now widely available chemical vapors is being field tested by and used. The NFPA, under a USFA fire departments under USFA sponsor­ grant, prepared the Manual for Selection, ship. The USFA is cooperating with the Use, Care and Maintenance of Fire U.S. Coast Guard in the lab testing of Fighter Self-Contained Breathing Appa­ chemical protective clothing, and with the ratus. In addition, a USFA project with Coast Guard and the Department of the Bureau of Mines addressed the design Energy in evaluating a hazardous chemi­ and testing of a (closed circuit) “Low cal protective ensemble. Profile Rescue Breathing Apparatus.” A prototype long-duration (two-hour), Recommendation positive-pressure oxygen-breathing 28.. The commission urges the Joint apparatus has been developed and is Council of National Fire Service Organi­ being field tested zations to sponsor a study to identify

America Burning Revisited 123 shortcomings of fire fighting equipment lates from the flame, e.g., soot and carbon and the kinds of research, development or monoxide. The work in polymer degrada­ technology transfer that can overcome the tion is leading to the ability to design and deficiencies, produce more fire-safe materials. Meas­ urement methods are being developed Accomplishments that will provide the scientifically based Members of the joint council have data needed as input to the predictive contributed to numerous USFA and NFA models. activities, especially as members of proj­ ect advisory committees and the NFA Recommendation Board of Visitors. However, the specified 30.. The commission recommends that study was not conducted. The USFA did the new Consumer Product Safety Com­ conduct a project to establish fire protec­ mission (CPSC) give a high priority to the tion research and development priorities. combustion hazards of materials in their end use.

2.8 Chapter 8 No Recommendations Accomplishments The CPSC, with technical backup from the CFR, has addressed the fire hazard of many consumer products by 2.9 Chapter 9 The Hazards Created establishing mandatory standards, pro­ Through Materials moting voluntary standards, urging Recommendation product recalls and providing consumer information. Included products are 29.. The commission recommends that children’s sleepwear, general apparel, research in the basic processes of ignition mattresses, upholstered furniture, blan­ and combustion be strongly increased to kets, fire-safe cigarettes, cigarette light­ provide a foundation for developing ers, matches, fireworks and heating improved test methods. equipment.

Accomplishments Recommendation The CFR conducts, both in-house and 31.. The commission recommends that through a research grants program, the present fuel load study sponsored by fundamental and applied research in the the General Services Administration and physics and chemistry of fire leading to conducted by the National Institute of improved methods for measuring fire Standards and Technology be expanded properties and fire performance of materi­ to update the technical study of occu­ als and products. The work ranges from pancy fire loads. flame chemistry and polymer degradation to the development of measurement and Accomplishments predictive methods. The fundamental research is used to underpin the more The CPR conducted the fuel loads applied work. The research in flame study for the GSA. The development by chemistry is leading to the ability to CFR of methods to predict the growth and predict the evolution of gases and particu­ spread of fire from measured fuel charac­

124 Appendix C Section VI teristics indicates the need for new sur­ ignition. During the period 1980 - 1984, veys to provide information for fire haz­ cigarette-ignited upholstery fires de­ ards and risk calculations. creased by approximately 24%.

Recommendation Recommendation 32.. The commission recommends that 33.. The commission recommends that flammability standards for fabrics be all states adopt the Model State Fire­ given high priority by the Consumer works Law of the National Fire Protec­ Product Safety Commission. tion Association, thus prohibiting all fireworks except those for public displays. Accomplishments The NIST and CPSC have imple­ Accomplishments mented four flammable fabric standards, The NFPA, USFA and other organiza­ two which are mandatory and two which tions have promoted the adoption of this are voluntary in cooperation with manu­ law, and many states have adopted this facturers and trade associations. The or similar laws. children’s sleepwear standard is manda­ tory. Prior to its adoption, there were Recommendation approximately 60 child sleepwear-related 34.. The commission recommends that fire deaths per year; now this number is the Department of Commerce be funded approximately two deaths per year. A to provide grants for studies of the dy­ voluntary nightwear standard is being namics of combustion and the means of prepared in cooperation with industry. its control. This standard will provide for point of sale comparative information on the Accomplishments flammability of various fibers. At the present time, approximately 75% of The National Science Foundation apparel fire deaths are persons over 66 RANN program on fire research was years of age. This consumer information transferred to the CFR (a part of the program should help to reduce that National Institute of Standards and number. The Mattress Flammability Technology which is an agency of the Standard is mandatory and, as a result, Department of Commerce) in the mid­ almost every mattress being produced 1970s. CFR added funds from its base today will resist ignition by cigarette. appropriation to increase the grants The value of this standard is demon­ program to $2 million per year and annu­ strated by the fact that, during the period ally funds more than 20 grants, mostly at 1980 - 1984, there was an approximately universities. The CFR grants program is 32% reduction in cigarette-ignited mat­ an integral part of the CFR program and tress fire deaths. In 1977, industry is a way to bring the best scientific exper­ accepted a voluntary standard for uphol­ tise in many disciplinary fields to focus on stered furniture. Before this standard, the fire problem. (See recommendation approximately 10-15% of upholstered number 29 for a further description of the furniture would resist cigarette ignition; CFR program.) now approximately 68% will resist such

America Burning Revisited 125 Recommendation Accomplishments 35.. The commission recommends that The CFR prepares both short- and the National Institute of Standards and long-term research plans based on an Technology and the National Institutes of assessment of current and future needs of Health cooperatively devise and imple­ fire research results. In addition, CFR ment a set of research objectives designed has established the National Fire Re­ to provide combustion standards for search Strategy Conference to prepare materials to protect human life. and continually update a fire research strategy for the nation. A major CFR Accomplishments thrust has been the translation of re­ CFR has conducted a broad program search results into a systematic body of of research into such fire problem areas engineering knowledge to provide guide­ as ignition, flame spread, products of lines, formulae, models, etc., to establish combustion, extinguishment, detection a soundly based fire protection engineer­ and heat release. This program has led to ing profession. Progress includes a set of the establishment or modification of engineering formulae known as FIRE­ many standards, mostly through the FORM, a prototype fire hazard assess­ consensus standards-setting process, for ment method called Hazard I, and several example, the CPSC children’s sleepwear, engineering models of varying sophistica­ mattress and insulation standards; the tion that calculate fire growth and smoke flooring radiant panel test for floor cover­ spread. ings adopted by ASTM, NFPA and ISO; testing and installation standards for Recommendation smoke detectors adopted by NFPA, UL 37.. The commission recommends that and others; and the flame spread test for the National Institute of Standards and wall lining materials adopted by the Technology, in cooperation with the International Maritime Organization. National Fire Protection Association and However, standards have not specifically other appropriate organizations, support been developed in cooperation with the research to develop guidelines for a National Institutes of Health. systems approach to fire safety in all types of buildings. 2.10 Chapter 10 Hazards Through Design Accomplishments The systems approach to building fire Recommendation safety continues as a major project in the 36.. The commission urges the National CFR. An important series of develop­ Institute of Standards and Technology to ments were the Fire Safety Evaluation assess current progress in fire research Systems for various occupancies adopted and define the areas in need of additional in consensus standards and/or in various investigation. Further, the institute regulations. A more scientifically based should recommend a program for trans­ system is currently in development. lating research results into a systematic body of engineering principles and, ulti­ Recommendation mately, into guidelines useful to code 38.. The commission recommends that, writers and building designers. in all construction involving federal 126 Appendix C Section VI money, awarding of those funds be contin­ sene and wood heaters to identify ways to gent upon the approval of a fire safety improve design and maintenance. The systems analysis and a fire safety effec­ CPSC has issued a regulation requiring tiveness statement. labels on wood stoves which provides critical consumer information on installa­ Accomplishments tion, use and maintenance. (Approxi­ A “Study of Fire Safety Effectiveness mately 20% of residential fires are caused Statements” was conducted by the USFA by wood heating equipment.) as part of this effort, with the conclusion that liability issues would preclude the Recommendation practical application of this concept. The 40.. The commission recommends to General Services Administration now schools giving degrees in architecture and uses the fire safety systems analysis engineering that they include in their concept in designing new federal build­ curricula at least one course in fire safety. ings. Further, we urge the American Institute of Architects, professional engineering Recommendation societies and state registration boards to 39.. The commission urges the Con­ implement this recommendation. sumer Product Safety Commission to give high priority to matches, cigarettes, Accomplishments heating appliances and other consumer The CFR has been instrumental in products that are significant sources of establishing courses in fire science and burn injuries, particularly products for fire safety engineering at several small which industry standards fail to give colleges and universities. The referenced adequate protection. organizations have not implemented the recommendation, however. Accomplishments The CPSC, with technical support Recommendation from the CFR, has addressed fire safety 41.. The commission urges the Society of issues associated with matches, ciga­ Fire Protection Engineers to draft model rettes, cigarette lighters and heating courses for architects and engineers in equipment, resulting in the adoption and the field of fire protection engineering. use of mandatory requirements for matchbooks; the completion of a study of Accomplishments the technical and commercial feasibility The accomplishment in this area was of producing a cigarette that would not achieved through a USFA grant to the ignite material; the initiation of a ciga­ Society of Fire Protection Engineers to rette lighter project which includes a prepare a methodology for fire-safe build­ study of how lighters start fires (approxi­ ing design. The results of this project mately 200 people die each year from were documented in the report, Document fires caused by lighters) and the consid­ the Final Fire Safety Methodology. Ref­ eration of lighter designs which are more erenced model courses have yet to be difficult for use by children (i.e., “child developed. proof’); and a study of electric, gas, kero­

America Burning Revisited 127 Recommendation tively the local building and fire preven­ 42.. The commission recommends that tion codes. Representatives from the fire the proposed National Fire Academy department should participate in review­ develop short courses to educate practic­ ing the fire safety aspects of plans for new ing designers in the basis of fire safety building construction and alterations to design. old buildings.

Accomplishments Accomplishments The NFA has developed and offers Building/fire code enforcement has resident, hand-off and Open Learning improved significantly as fire depart­ courses in fire-safe building design. ments have expanded their fire preven­ tion programs (see Recommendation #7). Local and state governments (Florida, for 2.11 Chapter 11 Codes and Standards example) have established training requirements for company and fire pre­ Recommendation vention bureau personnel who will be 43.. The commission recommends that involved in inspection/enforcement activi­ all local governmental units in the United ties. Relationships between fire and States have in force an adequate building building departments have been en­ code and fire prevention code or adopt hanced in many communities, and, in whichever they lack. some cases, the fire department has an inspector assigned to the building depart­ Accomplishments The USFA and NFA ment. Furthermore, fire departments have promoted the adoption of building/ have become more involved in land use fire codes and the strengthening of exist­ planning and review of proposed develop­ ing codes. While quantitative data is not ments. The master planning program available, it is known that many commu­ has helped in all of these areas because it nities have adopted new codes or im­ stresses proactive fire protection activi­ proved existing codes. For example, ties. The USFA and NFA have promoted many communities have adopted auto­ the improvement of inspection/enforce­ matic detection and suppression system, ment capabilities through national con­ smoke detector, fireworks and/or non­ ferences, manuals and training courses. combustible roof ordinances. The NFA The USFA recently has developed a new offers resident and field courses that code implementation training program address code development. There are still and has sponsored several related re­ many communities that do not have ports, including Management and En­ adequate codes, and some do not have forcement of Fire Codes, Administrative codes of any kind. Aspects of Code Enforcement, and a four- volume set prepared by the American Bar Recommendation Association, Alternatives for Effective 44.. The commission recommends that Code Enforcement and Compliance Pro­ local governments provide the competent grams at the Local Level. The four vol­ personnel, training programs for inspec­ umes are for judges, prosecutors, local tors and coordination among the various officials and code officials. To promote departments involved to enforce effec­ effective code enforcement, the USFA

128 Appendix C Section VI sponsored numerous meetings for city matic Detection and Remote Alarm managers, fire chiefs and state governors. Systems, as well as numerous other The NFA offers several courses which reports which support the improvement of cover inspection and plan review, includ­ model codes in these areas. There are ing “Fire Prevention Specialists I and II,” still many communities which do not and “Plans Review for Inspectors.” have adequate codes for detection and suppression systems, especially for high- Recommendation risk occupancies. 45.. The commission recommends that, as the model code of the International 2.12 Chapter 12 Transportation Fire Conference of Building Officials has Hazards already done, all model codes specify at least a single-station, early-warning Recommendation detector oriented to protect sleeping areas 46.. The commission recommends that in every dwelling unit. Further, the the National Transportation Safety Board model codes should specify automatic fire expand its efforts in issuance of reports extinguishing systems and early-warning on transportation accidents so that the detectors for high-rise buildings in which information can be used to improve many people congregate. transportation fire safety.

Accomplishments Accomplishments Significant advancement has been The NTSB currently performs this made in getting requirements for smoke function, for example, smoke detectors detectors and automatic detection and are required now in the cabins of all suppression systems in codes. Currently, commercial passenger aircraft. every major national model code requires smoke detectors in all new construction of Recommendation dwelling units. In addition, some commu­ nities have amended these codes to re­ 47.. The commission recommends that quire the retroactive installation of detec­ the Department of Transportation work tors in all dwelling units. The USFA and with interested parties to develop a NFA have been extremely active in pro­ marking system, to be adopted nation­ moting the inclusion of requirements for wide, for the purpose of identifying trans­ detection and suppression systems in portation hazards. various codes. (The USFA provided significant input into the revision of the Accomplishments NFPA sprinkler standard [#13] and the The DOT placard system has been development of the standard for residen­ developed and implemented. tial sprinklers [#13D]). The USFA and CFR have conducted research into the Recommendation effectiveness of such systems, held a 48.. The commission recommends that number of conferences and workshops on the proposed National Fire Academy these subjects, and prepared the National disseminate to every fire jurisdiction Directory of Automatic Suppression appropriate educational materials on the Systems and National Directory of Auto­ America Burning Revisited 129 problems of transporting hazardous Accomplishments materials. Regulations for the transportation, storage and transfer of hazardous materi­ Accomplishments als, which would affect international The NF’A offers on-campus courses in commerce, have been implemented, but “Chemistry of Hazardous Materials” and by the DOT and EPA rather than the “Hazardous Materials Tactical Considera­ treasury department. tions,” and has developed hand-off haz­ ardous materials training packages for Recommendation use by state and local fire departments. 61.. The commission recommends that However, there are still many fire service the Department of Transportation set personnel (especially volunteers) who mandatory standards that will provide need, but have not received, such train­ fire safety in private automobiles. ing. The NPA hazardous materials training program is expected to be ex­ Accomplishments panded over the next three years as a The DOT established a burn rate test result of the Superfund reauthorization requirement for interior materials in legislation. automobiles. Most of the fire safety standards for automobiles arevoluntary. Recommendation 49.. The commission recommends the Recommendation extension of the CHEMTREC system to 62.. The commission recommends that provide ready access by all fire depart­ airport authorities review their fire ments and to include hazard control fighting capabilities and, where neces­ tactics. sary, formulate appropriate capital im­ provement budgets to meet current Accomplishments recommended aircraft rescue and fire The CHEMTREC system has been fighting practices. expanded to provide increased informa­ tion and assistance to fire departments. Accomplishments There is now a need to provide hazardous The intent of this recommendation materials information using terminology has been accomplished by the DOT. that can be understood easily by fire service personnel (i.e., plain english). Recommendation Recommendation 53.. The commission recommends that the Department of Transportation under­ 50.. The commission recommends that take a detailed review of the Coast the Department of the Treasury establish Guard’s responsibilities, authority and adequate fire regulations, suitably en­ standards relating to marine fire safety. forced, for the transportation, storage and transfer of hazardous materials in inter­ national commerce. Accomplishments This is an on-going Coast Guard effort.

130 Appendix C Section VI

Recommendation tance to community fire protection facili­ 54.. The commission recommends that ties projects be contingent upon an ap­ the railroads begin a concerted effort to proved master plan for fire protection for reduce rail-caused fires along the nation’s local jurisdictions. Accomplishments rail system. This recommendation has not been implemented by the Department of Agri­ Accomplishments culture. However, the USFA has devel­ Progress has been made in this area oped and promoted a master planning through the use of hot-box detectors and process designed especially for small spark arresters. towns and rural areas, the Basic Guide for Fire Prevention and Control Master Recommendation Planning. 55.. The commission recommends that the Urban Mass Transportation Admini­ stration require explicit fire safety plans 2.14 Chapter 14 Forest and as a condition for all grants for rapid Grassland Fire Protection transit systems. Recommendation Accomplishments 58.. The commission recommends that Grants for rapid transit systems now the proposed U.S. Fire Administration include fire safety plan requirements. join with the U.S. Forest Service in ex­ ploring means to make fire safety educa­ tion for forest and grassland protection 2.13 Chapter 13 Rural Fire more effective. Protection Accomplishments Recommendation The USFA has been working with the 56.. The commission recommends that U.S. Forest Service since 1975, and an rural dwellers and others living at a active program is underway. Further­ distance from fire departments install more, the USFA is a member of the early-warning detectors and alarms to National Wildfire Coordinating Group. protect sleeping areas. Recommendation Accomplishments 59.. The commission recommends that The USFA and other fire organiza­ the Council of State Governments should tions have conducted extensive public develop model state laws relating to fire education programs to encourage the use protection in forests and grasslands. of detection and warning systems in rural areas. Accomplishments This recommendation has not been Recommendation initiated. 57.. The commission recommends that U.S. Department of Agriculture assis­

America Burning Revisited 131 Recommendation 2.15 Chapter 15 Fire Safety 60.. The commission urges interested Education citizens and conservation groups to examine fire laws in their respective Recommendation states and to press for strict compliance. 63.. The commission recommends that the Department of Health, Education and Accomplishments Welfare (now the Department of Health and Human Services) include in accredi­ Individuals and organizations have been performing this function (lobbying tation standards fire safety education in for fire-safe roofing laws, for example). the schools throughout the school year. Only schools presenting an effective fire However, these efforts have not been coordinated at the national level. safety education program should be eligible for any federal financial assis­ tance. Recommendation 61.. The commission recommends that Accomplishments the U.S. Forest Service develop the meth­ odology to make possible nationwide Some states and local school districts forecasting of fuel build-up as a guide to have adopted requirements for fire safety priorities in wildland management. education. However, it is not known if the Department of Education has estab­ lished accreditation standards. Accomplishments The USFS has an active fuel manage­ Recommendation ment program in progress which includes pre-deployment of resources as a function 64.. The commission recommends that of fuel loading, weather and other factors. the proposed U.S. Fire Administration sponsor fire safety education courses for educators to provide a teaching cadre for Recommendation fire safety education. 62.. The commission supports the devel­ opment of a National Fire Weather Serv­ Accomplishments ice in the National Oceanic and Atmos­ pheric Administration and urges its accel­ The USFA has actively promoted fire eration. safety education through conferences and preparation of manuals and materials. For example, the USFA prepared the Accomplishments Public Fire Education Planning Manual, This recommendation has been accom­ and the report, Young Children as New plished; the National Fire Weather Serv­ Targets for Public Fire Education. The ice is operational. NFA conducts training courses to help in working with educators and the school system, for example, “Introduction to Fire Safety Education” and "Advanced Fire Safety Education.”

132 Appendix C Section VI

Recommendation fire prevention, education and protection 66.. The commission recommends to the programs. states the inclusion of fire safety educa­ tion in programs for future teachers and Recommendation the requirement of fire safety knowledge 67.. The commission recommends that as a prerequisite for teaching certifica­ the proposed U.S. Fire Administration, in tion. conjunction with the National Advertising Council and National Fire Protection Accomplishments Association, sponsor an all-media cam­ The degree to which states have paign of public service advertising de­ implemented this recommendation is signed to promote public awareness of fire unknown, which probably means that safety. little has been accomplished.

Recommendation The USFA has conducted a number of 66.. The commission recommends that national campaigns (e.g., the national the proposed U.S. Fire Administration smoke detector installation and mainte­ develop ‘a program, with adequate fund­ nance campaign). In fiscal year 1985, a ing, to assist, augment, and evaluate renewed public education and awareness existing public and private fire safety effort was initiated as a result of addi­ education efforts. tional Congressional support, An all- media campaign conducted in conjunction Accomplishments with the National Advertising Council Since 1975, the USFA has conducted a has not been accomplished. However, program to support local public education such a program still is being pursued. activities. The extent of this program has varied according to the extent of funding Recommendation available each fiscal year. This program 68.. The commission recommends that has included the general promotion of the proposed U.S. Fire Administration public education efforts by local agencies develop packets of educational materials through meetings (e.g., the “Public Fire appropriate to each occupational category Education Planning Conference”); prepa­ that has special needs or opportunities in ration of support materials (e.g., Media promoting fire safety. Ideas Workbook); and provision of limited financial support through the “Public Accomplishments Education Assistance Program” (PEAP) Although packets have not been which was offered during the period 1979­ developed for specific occupations, materi­ 1981 and had to be discontinued as a als for pre-school children and teachers result of funding reductions. The USFA were developed in cooperation with the is sponsoring the Community Volunteer Children’s Television Workshop (i.e., Fire Prevention Program to promote the “Sesame Street”). The award winning cooperation of local fire departments and Sesame Street Fire Safety Program is citizen groups in conducting community being expanded to include older children.

America Burning Revisited 133 2.16 Chapter 16 Fire Safety for the installing approved early-warning fire Home detectors and alarms in their homes.

Recommendation Accomplishments 69.. The commission supports the Op­ As a result of vigorous programs eration EDITH (Exit Drills In The Home) involving the USFA, other federal agen­ plan and recommends its acceptance and cies, national fire service organizations, implementation both individually and and state and local fire protection agen­ communitywide. cies, smoke detectors are now in an estimated 80% of dwelling units nation­ Accomplishments wide. There is now a need for programs The NFPA has made a significant to ensure that these detectors are tested effort in accomplishing this recommenda­ and maintained properly. tion. The EDITH program is accepted and used widely by local fire service and Recommendation community groups. 72.. The commission recommends that the insurance industry develop incentives Recommendation for policyholders to install approved 70.. The commission recommends that early-warning fire detectors in their annual home inspections be undertaken residences. by every fire department in the nation. Further, federal financial assistance to Accomplishments fire jurisdictions should be contingent Many residential fire insurance poli­ upon their implementation of effective cies now offer discounts for use of smoke home fire inspection programs. detectors and residential sprinkler sys­ tems. Accomplishments Home fire inspection programs of Recommendation various types are conducted by most fire 73.. The commission urges Congress to departments. The USFA has encouraged consider amending the Internal Revenue the initiation of such programs through Code to permit reasonable deductions research (e.g., Project RIDFIRE and the from income tax for the cost of installing Municipal Fire Insurance Analysis): approved detection and alarm systems in conferences (e.g., “Dynamics of Fire homes. Prevention”); and preparation of materi­ als (e.g., the Edmonds [Washington] Accomplishments Home Survey materials). Because of the The USFA actively pursued this constitutional issue of eminent domain, a recommendation. However, the IRS did more direct federal role is not considered not feel that the income tax could be used appropriate. as a fire safety incentive. Furthermore, a sponsor was not identified for the neces­ Recommendation sary legislation. However, in a related 71.. The commission urges Americans to area, California adopted a constitutional protect themselves and their families by amendment excluding the value of newly

134 Appendix C Section VI

installed automatic detection and sup­ for Use in Residential Occupancies, and pression systems in establishing property Sprinkler Performance in Residential value for taxing purposes. Fire Tests). In addition, the USFA was a sponsor of “Operation San Francisco” Recommendation which was a series of tests of retrofitted 74.. The commission recommends that sprinkler systems (including a residential the proposed U.S. Fire Administration occupancy) using advanced designs and monitor the progress of research and materials. The USFA also has been development on early-warning detection active in sponsoring a number of meet­ systems in both industry and government ings to disseminate the results of these and provide additional support for re­ efforts and encourage the implementation search and development where needed. of such systems. For example, the USFA currently is sponsoring a nationwide Accomplishments series of sprinkler workshops in coopera­ tion with the International Association of The USFA and CFR have been in­ Fire Chiefs. volved extensively in smoke detector research and development. Examples of corresponding publications include New Recommendation Concepts of Fire Detection, Analysis of 76.. The commission recommends that Fire Detector Test Methods/Performance, the National Fire Protection Association and Detector Sensitivity and Siting and American National Standards Insti­ Requirements for Dwellings. The CFR is tute jointly review the Standard for studying the detector false alarm problem Mobile Homes and seek to strengthen it, in hospitals. particularly in such areas as interior finish materials and fire detection. Recommendation 75.. The commission recommends that Accomplishments the proposed U.S. Fire Administration The CFR, after considerable research, support the development of the necessary recommended guidelines for fire safety to technology for improved automatic extin­ HUD, directed primarily at interior guishing systems that would f5nd ready finish, for the agency’s minimum property acceptance by Americans in all kinds of standards for mobile homes. These dwelling units. guidelines were adopted and imple­ mented. Accomplishments As a result of USFA activities, signifi­ Recommendation cant progress has been made in the 77.. The commission recommends that development and installation of residen­ all political jurisdictions require compli­ tial sprinkler systems. These activities ance with the NFPA/ANSI standard for have included support of system design mobile homes, together with additional (e.g., Development of Low-Cost Residen­ requirements for early-warning fire tial Sprinkler Protection: A Technical detectors and improved fire resistance of Report, Study to Establish the Existing materials. Automatic Fire Suppression Technology

America Burning Revisited 135 Accomplishments required in all facilities for the care and As a result of NFPA activities, mobile housing of the elderly. home standards now require the installa­ tion of smoke detectors in new mobile Accomplishments homes, as well as exiting requirements All national codes and state statutes and interior flame spread restrictions. now require such protection for congre­ gate care facilities. Recommendation 78.. The commission recommends that Recommendation state and local jurisdictions adopt the 81.. The commission recommends to NFPA Standard on Mobile Home Parks federal agencies and the states that they as a minimum mode of protection for the establish mechanisms for annual review residents of these parks. and rapid upgrading of their fire safety requirements for facilities for the aged Accomplishments and infirm to a level no less stringent Many jurisdictions have adopted the than the current NFPA Life Safety Code. NFPA standard. Accomplishments The code development process pro­ 2.17 Chapter 17 Fire Safety for the vides for the accomplishment of this Young, Old and Infirm recommendation.

Recommendation Recommendation 79.. The commission strongly endorses 82.. The commission recommends that the provisions of the Life Safety Code the special needs of the physically handi­ which require specific construction fea­ capped and elderly in institutions, special tures, exit facilities and fire detection housing and public buildings be incorpo­ systems in child day care centers, and rated into all fire safety standards and recommends that they be adopted and codes. enforced immediately by all the states as a minimum requirement for the licensing Accomplishments of such facilities. This recommendation must be accom­ plished by standard-setting and code Accomplishments organizations. The USFA has analyzed Many states and communities have these problems (e.g., Fire and Life Safety adopted NFPA’s Life Safety Code. for the Handicapped) and has encouraged improvement of standards and codes and Recommendation adoption by state and local governments. 80.. The commission recommends that The NFPA has addressed the special early-warning detectors and total auto­ needs of congregate care facilities in the matic sprinkler protection or other suit­ Life Safety Code (101). If federal funds able automatic extinguishing systems be are involved, such facilities must meet the codes and standards.

136 Appendix C Section VI

Recommendation Accomplishments 83.. The commission recommends that This recommendation would be imple­ the states provide for periodic inspection mented through local zoning regulations of facilities for the aged and infirm, either and codes. Many communities now by the state fire marshal’s office or by require central station monitoring of local fire departments, and also require automatic detection and suppression approval of plans for new facilities and systems in these occupancies. inspection by a designated authority during and after construction. 3.18 Chapter 18 Research for Accomplishments Tomorrow’s Fire Problem Many states and local jurisdictions now have such requirements. The USFA Recommendation has encouraged the adoption of these 86.. The commission recommends that requirements. the federal government retain and strengthen its programs of fire research Recommendation for which no non-governmental alterna­ 84.. The commission recommends that tives exist. the National Institute of Standards and Technology develop standards for the Accomplishments flammability of fabric materials com­ Fire research programs have been monly used in nursing homes, with a view conducted by the USFA and CFR, but not to providing the highest level of fire to the extent envisioned in America resistance compatible with the state-of­ Burning because of budget limitations. the-art and reasonable costs. For example, the commission recom­ mended an annual research budget Accomplishments (USFA and CFR) of $33,250,000 (1973 The CPSC, with technical support dollars). The largest budget ever given to from CFR, has established several stan­ the USFA for all programs was approxi­ dards under the Flammable Fabrics Act mately $24 million. that are also applicable to the needs of nursing homes. In addition, CFR devel­ Recommendation oped the Fire Safety Evaluation System 87.. The commission recommends that for health care facilities that aids in the the federal budget for research connected objective fire safety evaluation of such with fire be increased by $26 million. facilities by both the fire service and owner/operators. Accomplishments See recommendation 86. Recommendation 85.. The commission recommends that Recommendation political subdivisions regulate the loca­ 88.. The commission recommends that tion of nursing homes and housing for the associations of material and product elderly and require that fire alarm sys­ manufacturers encourage their member tems be tied directly and automatically to the local fire department. America Burning Revisited 137 companies to sponsor research directed posed budget were not included in subse­ toward improving the fire safety of the quent U.S. Forest Service funding. built environment. Therefore, this recommendation is not applicable. Accomplishments Associations and manufacturers have increased fire research activities, for Section III example, the Chemical Manufacturers Summary of Accomplishments Association, The Society of the Plastics Industry, Carpet and Rug Institute, The recommendations which have Tobacco Institute, and Concrete and been fully or substantially accomplished Masonry Institute. These associations generally have been associated with the also have sponsored research at such agencies created as a result of America private laboratories as the Southwest Burning or those with a public safety Research Institute, Factory Mutual and mission such as the Consumer Product Underwriters Laboratories. Safety Commission. Conversely, those recommendations not accomplished were generally the 2.19 Chapter 19 Federal Involvement responsibility of agencies not primarily concerned with fire safety, for example, Recommendation the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 89.. The commission recommends that Department of Education and the Council the proposed U.S. Fire Administration be of State Governments. located in the Department of Housing and Urban Development. 3.1 Recommendations Generally Accomplishments Accomplished Originally, the USFA was in the The recommendations that are fully or Department of Commerce and was moved practically accomplished are listed below: to the Federal Emergency Management Agency in 1979. 1 The commission recommends that Congress establish a U.S. Fire Admini­ Recommendation stration to provide a national focus for the 90.. The commission recommends that nation’s fire problem and to promote a federal assistance in support of state and comprehensive program with adequate local fire service programs be limited to funding to reduce life and property loss those jurisdictions complying with the from fire. (Note; The USFA was estab­ National Fire Data System reporting lished, but never funded at the recom­ requirements. mended levels.) 18.. In the administering of federal Accomplishments funds for training or other assistance to The federal assistance funding catego­ local fire departments, the commission ries included in the commission’s pro­ recommends that eligibility be limited to

138 Appendix C Section VI those departments that have adopted an provide ready access by all fire depart­ effective affirmative action program ments and to include hazard control related to the employment and promotion tactics. of members of minority groups. 50.. The commission recommends that 20.. The commission recommends the the Department of the Treasury establish establishment of a National Fire Acad­ adequate fire regulations, suitably en­ emy to provide specialized training in forced, for the transportation, storage and areas important to the fire services and to transfer of hazardous materials in inter­ assist state and local jurisdictions in their national commerce. training programs. (Note: The NFA was established, but never funded at the 52.. The commission recommends that recommended levels.) airport authorities review their fire fighting capabilities and, where neces­ 42.. The commission recommends that sary, formulate appropriate capital im­ the proposed National Fire Academy provement budgets to meet current develop short courses to educate practic­ recommended aircraft rescue and fire ing designers in the basis of fire safety fighting practices. design. 55.. The commission recommends that 45.. The commission recommends that, the Urban Mass Transportation Admini­ as the model code of the International stration require explicit fire safety plans Conference of Building Officials has as a condition for all grants for rapid already done, all model codes specify at transit systems. least a single-station early-warning detector oriented to protect sleeping areas 62.. The commission supports the devel­ in every dwelling unit. Further, the opment of a National Fire Weather Serv­ model codes should specify automatic fire ice in the National Oceanic and Atmos­ extinguishing systems and early-warning pheric Administration and urges its accel­ detectors for high-rise buildings in which eration. many people congregate. 77.. The commission recommends that 46.. The commission recommends that all political jurisdictions requirecompli­ the National Transportation Safety Board ante with the NFPA/ANSI standard for expand its efforts in issuance of reports mobile homes, together with additional on transportation accidents so that the requirements for early-warning fire information can be used to improve detectors and improved fire resistance of transportation fire safety. materials. 47.. The commission recommends that 80.. The commission recommends that the Department of Transportation work early-warning detectors and total auto­ with interested parties to develop a matic sprinkler protection or other suit­ marking system, to be adopted nation­ able automatic extinguishing systems be wide, for the purpose of identifying trans­ required in all facilities for the care and portation hazards. housing of the elderly. 49.. The commission recommends the 81.. The commission recommends to extension of the CHEMTREC system to federal agencies and the states that they America Burning Revisited 139 establish mechanisms for annual review 57.. The commission recommends that and rapid upgrading of their fire safety U.S. Department of Agriculture assis­ requirements for facilities for the aged tance to community fire protection facili­ and infirm to a level no less stringent ties projects be contingent upon an ap­ than the current NFPA Life Safety Code. proved master plan for fire protection for local jurisdictions. 59.. The commission recommends that 3.2 Recommendations Not the Council of State Governments under­ Accomplished take to develop model state laws relating The recommendations without any to fire protection in forests and grass­ significant accomplishments are listed lands. below: 73.. The commission urges Congress to 6.. The commission recommends that consider amending the Internal Revenue the National Institutes of Health admini­ Code to permit reasonable deductions ster and support a systematic program of from income tax for the cost of installing research concerning smoke inhalation approved detection and alarm systems in injuries. homes. 11.. The commission recommends that 87.. The commission recommends that federal grants for equipment and training the federal budget for research connected be available only to those fire jurisdic­ with fire be increased by $26 million. tions that operate from a federally ap­ 89.. The commission recommends that proved master plan for fire protection. the proposed US. Fire Administration be 28.. The commission urges the Joint located in the Department of Housing and Council of National Fire Service Organi­ Urban Development. zations to sponsor a study to identify 90.. The commission recommends that shortcomings of fire fighting equipment federal assistance in support of state and and the kinds of research, development or local fire service programs be limited to technology transfer that can overcome the those jurisdictions complying with the deficiencies. National Fire Data System reporting 40.. The commission recommends to requirements. schools giving degrees in architecture and engineering that they include in their curricula at least one course in fire safety. 3.3 Recommendations Partially Further, we urge the American Institute Accomplished of Architects, professional engineering societies and state registration boards to All of the remaining recommendations implement this recommendation. fall into this category. Each recommen­ dation has been accomplished to some 41.. The commission urges the Society of degree, but additional effort is required. Fire Protection Engineers to draft model In some cases, the recommendation may courses for architects and engineers in never be accomplished fully because it is the field of fire protection engineering. on-going and general in nature.

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In many cases, recommendations fighter deaths also have been reduced could not be completed because of a lack significantly. of resources, especially considering that the USFA, NFA and CFR were never Even greater reductions in fire deaths funded at anywhere near the levels have been achieved within special recommended by the commission. categories. Clothing fire deaths have fallen by 73% over the period 1968­ 1983. In addition, children’s clothing 3.4 Conclusions fire deaths have dropped by 90%. The accomplishments discussed in The number of fires reported to fire this report are truly significant. In fact, departments has decreased by ap­ 79 of the 90 recommendations have been proximately 20% over the period 1975­ accomplished to some degree, and the 1985. The number of reported fires consequences of these accomplishments has been decreasing even though the have had a major impact on the protec­ population is increasing which means tion of life and property. For example: that the number of fires is declining even on a per capita basis. The annual number of fire deaths has decreased by 23% from 1975 to These achievements demonstrate 1985 (an average annual reduction of what has been accomplished since Amer­ 1900 deaths). On a cumulative ica Burning was published, and the basis, this reduction means that an potential for what could be accomplished estimated 6,900 lives have been if the remaining recommendations were saved between 1975 and 1985. Fire substantially completed.

America Burning Revisited 141

* U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1990 - 7 2 4 - 1 5 6 / 2 0 4 3 0