November 2002 Vol 4, Issue 11 One Year Later... Fire Fighters Honored at Memorial Service Editor’s Note: With the memories of September 11, 2001 still vivid in Special Interest: our minds, Michigan’s fallen fire fighters were honored at the annual Michigan State Firemen’s Memorial in Roscommon on September 21. CPSC - Overfill Prevention Captain Mark Dougovito, State Fire Marshal, spoke at this year’s Devices ............................ 3 memorial service. His words so clearly illustrated what we all felt, and still feel, that we wanted to reprint his speech for those who did not NFPA Reports Drop in Home have an opportunity to attend the memorial. Fire Deaths ...................... 5 One year ago, many of you years from now, will see that MAPC Juvenile Arson stood on these hallowed same blank stare on their Capt. Mark A. Dougovito Conference ...................... 8 grounds, wondering what the children’s faces as they remember future would bring for our where they were and what they know that whatever happens, if MFFTC Web Site Links ... 11 nation, our state, and our were doing when the towers anything happens, the citizens of VIP Classes Offered ........ 11 families. The attack we all came down. this state are in good hands witnessed left us with an I know that’s going to happen, because of your dedication and emotional loss of such magni- because everybody standing devotion to duty. tude that we may never fully here today probably had a Last year, Captain Ed Burke recover. I know we will never flashback as I was just talking stood behind this same micro- forget. about it. phone and expressed the grief Inside this Issue: I remember growing up and I don’t know what the future and horror that we all felt. If you listening to my parents recall not will bring - none of us do. I do will allow me, I would like to September Fire Deaths .... 2 only where they were, but what quote Ed: “This is a time for us to NFIRS ................................ 4 they were doing when Pearl grieve and pay tribute to our Harbor was attacked. While it’s fallen comrades. It is also a time Public Education ............... 6 probably a child’s perspective, I for us to reach down deep inside recall thinking back then “Why and show the world what makes Fire Investigation Training would you want to remember the American fire service what it Schedule .......................... 9 that?” is. It is a time for us to unite Before last September, I recall together and recommit ourselves MFFTC Issues and seeing on my son’s face what was to each other and the citizens we Answers .......................... 10 probably the same blank stare serve. We are no strangers to MFFTC Registered that I had years ago, as my wife loss, we are not afraid of a Training ......................... 12 and I talked to him about our challenge, and we have shown ability to recall where we were we are willing to lay down our Hazardous Materials and what we were doing when very lives to protect what makes Training ......................... 15 President John F. Kennedy was America great.” assassinated. Those words are still true Announcements .............. 15 Unfortunately, what happened today. Once again we gather last year was of such magnitude here to remember those who have that there is little doubt in my gone before us and to pay tribute 1935 PA 59 Number of copies printed: 4,000 mind that my son’s generation, to those fire fighters who have Total Cost: $1,481.75 Cost Per Copy: $0.37 (continued on page three) Michigan Fire TIES — November 2002 1 Fire Deaths 14 Fire Deaths Reported in September 2002 Smoke Smoke Date of Responding Cause of Detector Detector Name Age Sex Fire Cause of Fire Fire Dept Death Present Operational Evans, M. 3 0 M 1/13/02 arson Detroit/8207 burns unknown Courtney, E. 7 0 M 1/24/02 accidental Detroit/8207 smoke inhalation unknown Spencer, D. 3 4 M 1/24/02 Hollon, M. 6 9 F 1/25/02 accidental Baraga/0701 asphyxiation no Stapert, J. 2 4 M 7/8/02 arson Grand Rapids/4112 smoke inhalation no McKing, D. 4 F 9/2/02 undetermined Detroit/8207 smoke inhalation yes no McKing, T. 5 F 9/2/02 Lotz, M. 3 0 M 9/15/02 accidental Bangor/8001 trauma yes no Lotz, A. 3 1 F 9/15/02 Reppert, P. 5 6 F 9/15/02 Lotz, C. 1 M 9/15/02 Lotz, C. 4 M 9/15/02 Burgess, J. 8 2 M 9/12/02 accidental Flint/2507 exposure unknown Jackson, H. 2 F 9/13/02 accidental Flint/2507 exposure unknown Send fire death information to Collene Shaner at [email protected] or by fax to 517.322.2908 Fire Fact of the Month Including the events of September 11, there were a total of 6,196 civilian fire deaths in the U.S., the highest total since 1988. The good news is that home civilian fire deaths were down 9.1% - a total of 3,110. Source: NFPA 2 Michigan Fire TIES — November 2002 Cover Story Continued (continued from page one) given the ultimate sacrifice service, we are protectors of our you as you go forward to meet protecting their communities communities from all manner of these challenges. and our way of life. catastrophe, both natural and Thank You and God Bless In closing, I challenge each of man-made. We will not falter, we America. you to draw strength, motivation will not fear, we will not forget, and commitment from their and we will not fail. sacrifice. As members of the fire May God watch over all of Consumer Product Safety Commission CPSC Investigates Overfill Prevention Devices (OPDs) By Joseph S. Vogel, Compliance Officer, Recalls and Compliance Division The Office of Compliance of filling the cylinders, even though staff’s review. the U.S. Consumer Product other methods of checking the Please call me at 301.504.0608, Safety Commission is propane levels are supposed to extension 1169, if you have any investigating allegations of be used. Overfilled cylinders can questions or discover any broken broken Overfill Protection present serious risks of fire or or failed OPD’s. Devices (OPD’s) used in 20-lb explosions to consumers. propane cylinders. Specifically, We are seeking your we have received complaints and assistance to obtain broken, allegations that parts of the damaged or failed OPD’s from OPD’s have been found broken propane cylinders in the field. off and/or “rattling around” in Please contact me directly if you these propane cylinders. The encounter any cylinders with staff is concerned that overfilling broken OPD’s so that I can make of propane cylinders could occur arrangements to obtain the if a broken OPD is relied on when product(s) for our technical In Memoriam Retired Fire Chief, Ambulance Service Founder Remembered Leonard “Baldy” St. Louis, 79, three positions in Michigan. In and used it as an ambulance died August 31 in St. Ignace. He 1976, he was elected president of driven by members of the St. was a veteran of World War II, the Association, presiding over a Ignace Fire Department. He and a member of the Dolan membership representing more served as manager of the Robinson VFW Post in St. than 200 fire departments and ambulance service for 19 years Ignace, serving as its chaplain for 4,000 fire fighters. He retired from until he retired from that job in many years. the department in 1989. 1986. Leonard served the city of St. After his daughter, Gayle Ann, He is survived by his wife of 56 Ignace for 43 years as a fire was fatally injured in a vehicle years, three sons and two fighter, the last 36 as its Fire Chief. accident in 1967, he was credited daughters and their families. Leonard St. Louis He was elected to the Michigan with starting the first ambulance State Firemen’s Association service in St. Ignace. He Board of Directors in 1962, one of renovated an old station wagon Michigan Fire TIES — November 2002 3 NFIRS/Statistics Bulk Import Utility to Users of Vendor Software By Mary Nemeth, NFIRS Program Manager The Bulk Import Utility allows Enter. https://www.nfirs.fema.gov/ necessary, to bring into view the fire departments using vendor tools/ specifications check boxes software packages (does not NOTE: The web site address “Accept Invalid” and “Overwrite apply to users of the USFA Data must start with https NOT http. existing” located to the right. Entry Tool) to upload their NFIRS 3. The NFIRS Tools home page 9. To Accept invalid incidents 5.0 transaction file directly to the will be displayed. during import, check the box to FEMA web site rather than send- 4. Select a sidebar link and hit specify YES. To Overwrite ing it on a disk or as an e-mail Enter. The “Bulk Import Info “link existing incidents during import, attachment. To begin using the takes the user to NFIRS 5.0 Bulk check the box to specify YES. (If Utility, your department will need Import Utility Information Page, the box is checked, in the returned If you have to register with Mary Nemeth, which contains pertinent log file TRUE will be shown for questions, contact: State Program Administrator, by information on the use of the BIU. the specification. If the box is not Mary Nemeth, going to www.nfirs.fema.gov. System specifications are located checked, the log file will show Fire Reporting and Go to Home Page, User here as well as information on FALSE for the specification.).