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| From the Editor's Desk... |
We're happy you are enjoying the newsletter. We send out reminders for articles on the AList, but you are welcome to send one at any time during the month. Please put NEWSLETTER ARTICLE in the subject line to avoid deletion. If you would like to send and article or have a suggestion, contact:
Puddin Race,
St. Lucie County
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| Greetings from Jon |
Greetings:
On August 16 and 17th, 2007, the Board of Directors met in Okeechobee to discuss strategic objectives and directions for the coming years. The outcomes of this session will be presented in a business plan format at our annual business meeting in Cocoa Beach for member approval. Key issues for our future include member involvement and outreach. Please plan to be at the business meeting, or we will make the document available on-line.
There are many opportunities ahead and there are many potential organizational stumps as well. As we previously discussed, tax reform is at the forefront of everybody's planning platter. However, we cannot lose sight of the day-to-day business we conduct and the legislative issues we must continue to remain focused on. Fireworks, fire hydrant maintenance, high rise retrofit, continuing education are all things we must continue to monitor. To prosper we have to partner with others to remain informed and we must identify persons well versed in subject matter issues. Please be prepared to step up to the plate and be a part of the process. Our association is only as strong as the membership and building bridges and partnerships with our other fire service peers will only make us stronger.
1st Vice President Hayes has been tasked with and has created a code review / development committee. The committee is charged with reviewing any issues related to new code development or modification to existing codes. The committee has already handled two assignments which are forwarded to the Board of Directors for official FFMIA endorsement. Find out what this committee is all about and what has been accomplished by contacting 1st Vice President Hayes.
Please remember to look around your area as we are seeking this year's nominations for Fire Marshal, Fire Inspector and Fire Investigator of the Year. Three (3) deserving professionals will be recognized in front of the membership at our annual banquet. Who is it going to be?
Don't forget to check the website frequently for training opportunities in your area. If you have any questions regarding training needs contact your regional director or any member of the Board of Directors.
Until next month,
Sincerely yours in a fire safe State of Florida,
Jon W. Pasqualone, President Florida Fire Marshals and Inspectors Association |
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Salutations from Vicky
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As busy fall quickly approaches, and the "lazy days" of summer wind down, we in Public Education are gearing up for what promises to be a season jam-packed with the Fire Prevention message. I hope you have had a little R & R time this summer and are ready for the new school year!
Alas, our Association and our Board must say good-bye to Elaine Lewis, Public Relations and Policy Task Force Chair! Elaine has fallen victim to the tax cuts that are affecting so many of our departments. We will all miss her friendship and her service to our Association as she was such a valuable contributor. But we wish her well in her new endeavor with the Clearwater Police Department's Special Ops Section. Best wishes to you, Elaine!
In September I will be traveling to Washington D.C. representing FAFLSE as one of the partners for the United States Fire Administration's "Smoking and Home Fires Campaign". Other partners are the American Fire Sprinkler Association, Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturer's Association International, Burn Foundation, Home Safety Council, Safe Kids Worldwide and other national and international associations. We can be very proud and honored that our Association was the only educators association that was asked to participate. The campaign is scheduled to be launched in November 2007.
At the Best Practices Conference a few months ago with the Home Safety Council, many new products were being introduced. One of those products addressed one of the most common household fires - stove-top cooking fires. It is called SAFE-T-ELEMENT™ and is an electronically controlled solid cover plate that is installed on top of existing electric coiled stovetop burners. A patented control unit inside the stove controls the temperature of the plate cover allowing it to only reach a maximum of 350°C/662°F. When the plate reaches that temperature, it automatically shuts the stove off and allows it to cool to just below that temperature. Then the stovetop burner is turned on again. It allows normal cooking without allowing grease and oils and other materials to reach ignition temperature! Who knew?! Sounds like a great idea!
Have a great month, and remember to work smart, not hard! But most of all, find a way to make it fun!
Victoria Yeakley
FAFLSE Chair
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| Free Bilingual Brochures for Safety In and Around Cars Available |
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FREE BILINGUAL BROCHURES FOR SAFETY IN & AROUND CARS With record high temperatures this summer, the Automotive Coalition for Traffic Safety (ACTS) is helping parents prevent tragedies that happen to children in and around cars such as heat stroke and backovers. Until now, no national research had been conducted to identify parents' behavioral norms and perceptions. The survey results are shared to encourage parents to provide greater supervision via a new brochure and an interactive bilingual web site, www.safetyfeature.org, which offer parents what they really want - a sense of what other parents are doing. ACTS has partnered with diverse groups including WIC Centers, public health clinics, auto dealers, state highway safety agencies and others to share brochures with parents. To help share these important tips, order the free brochures online athttp://www.safetyfeature.org.
Article Provided By:
Jane A. Correia
Environmental Specialist III
Coordinator, Florida Birth Defects Registry
Florida Department of Health
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| Free Kit from Home Safety Council |
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If you have not received your FREE All Ways Fire Safe at Home safety kit, I urge you to contact HSC to get it. It is full of curricula, master copies, a DVD and more for all ages.
HSC also has the DVD from Oklahoma State University for the Deaf and hard of hearing called "Fire Safety For You at Home".
It is Open Captioned and in American Sign Language.
A website that is theirs for kids with a lot of really fun games on it
is www.coderedrover.org |
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IMPAIRMENTS TO FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEMS |
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A protection impairment occurs when a fire prevention, protection, alarm or supervisory system is shut off, impaired or otherwise incapable of performing its design function. Fire protection systems include sprinkler, water spray, carbon dioxide and clean agent systems. Two examples of protection impairments are: a valve supervisory device that is jammed and cannot function, and a sprinkler system that has been shut off in order to replace a sprinkler head.
While planned protection impairments may be necessary during maintenance, renovation and new construction, it must be understood that when any protection impairment occurs, the facility is in jeopardy. Many large losses might have remained small if the protection impairments had been properly managed. When an impairment is planned or occurs accidentally, precautionary measures are necessary to minimize the risk. These may include arranging temporary protection, reducing hazards and ensuring continual and speedy progress on restoration efforts.
There are three types of impairments: emergency; planned; and hidden. An emergency impairment occurs when an unforeseen event partially or totally impairs the effectiveness of a fire protective system. A sudden break in sprinkler piping is an example.
A planned impairment occurs when it is necessary to shut down a fire protection system for maintenance or modification. Shutting down a sprinkler system to add sprinklers is an example. While this may seem to be a straightforward operation, experience has shown that improperly handled planned impairments greatly increase the extent of loss that occurs while the system is impaired.
A hidden impairment is not known to exist and is therefore the most serious type; e.g., a system shut down and inadvertently left out of service upon completion of work, a system shut down without proper notification, or a system maliciously shut down. Proper impairment notification and handling procedures can reduce the chance of experiencing this type of impairment. A good inspection program can reveal the hidden impairment, allowing prompt restoration of vital protective equipment.
We must take every practical step to:
· Limit the frequency, extent and duration of all impairments;
· Work continuously on impaired equipment until it is restored to service;
· Reduce the possibility of fire during the impairment by shutting down hazardous processes;
· Enhance surveillance and firefighting capability during the impairment;
· Restore all fire protection systems promptly after an impairment;
· Verify by appropriate test that all fire protection systems have been restored.
Article Provided By:
Deputy Chief Rodger Kemmer, CFPS
City of Boynton Beach Fire Marshal |
| Nominations Open for 2007 Injury Prevention Award |
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On Behalf of Lisa VanderWerf-Hourigan, Manager, Office of Injury Prevention (OIP) -
We are pleased to announce that the Florida Injury Prevention Advisory Council (FIPAC), in conjunction with OIP, plan to honor an individual with the 2007 Injury Prevention Award. The award will be presented during the FIPAC meeting October 16-17, 2007 in Tampa. This award is consistent with Goal 1. - Strategy 1J of the 2004 - 2008 Florida Injury Prevention Strategic Plan which directs that FIPAC and OIP "design and establish annual recognition for an influential individual who has demonstrated commitment to injury prevention."
Toward this end, we are seeking nominations for our 2007 Injury Prevention Award. Attached above is the 2007 Injury Prevention Award Nomination Application whichmust be completed in order to nominate someone for this award. The two-page application is in word format so that you can type on it. After you have completed it, please return it as an e-mail attachment to: Freida_Travis@doh.state.fl.us |
| Chaplain's Corner |
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The Mystery of Time
There is an occasion for everything, and a time for every activity under heaven:
A time to give birth and a time to die;
a time to plant and a time to uproot;
a time to kill and a time to heal;
a time to tear down and a time to build;
a time to weep and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn and a time to dance;
a time to throw stones and a time to gather stones;
a time to embrace and a time to avoid embracing;
a time to search and a time to count as lost;
a time to keep and a time to throw away;
a time to tear and a time to sew;
a time to be silent and a time to speak;
a time to love and a time to hate;
a time for war and a time for peace.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
This Word in the Old Testament, I believe, speaks to us concerning what has followed since September 11, 2001. It's ok to mourn, and it's ok to dance, or you could say, it's ok to move on and it's ok to remember. I have heard many in past years ask, "Why do we need to have another 911 memorial?" My answer back has been, "Why not?"
Article Provided by:
Woody Bollinger, FFMIA Chaplain
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| Fire Code Development Committee |
During our second to last Board Meeting, each Director was informed by President Pasqualone to provide names of individuals to serve on the Fire Code Development Committee. Each Director did in fact provide names. This Committee is designed to review those code changes that the proponent would like FFMIA support. We have had a number of submittals, so we are well on our way.
Those wishing to have FFMIA support are to send their request to my e-mail address, which can be found on the FFMIA website. In turn, the requested change is forwarded to all of the members of the committee to see if we suggest the backing of the FFMIA Board. The Committee forwards its finding to the FFMIA Board. Once the FFMIA Board makes a decision of support (or not), our President will then provide a document to the Proponent.
This is a great move and opportunity for our membership. This committee provides a path to all of our members directly to the Board. There are so many times we hold meetings and I wonder if the membership really knows what we are up to. The FFMIA Board works very hard and spends a lot of time discussing issues that affect all of us. I sincerely hope that the members of the FFMIA utilize this Fire Code Committee to its fullest.
I cannot reflect enough on how important it is to be involved and express your views. As a member of the Executive Board, I understand we owe it to our members to support and recognize what they do. Equally, I think it is important that you give your views and concerns to the Board. There have been meetings where we make decisions with little influence from our members. I pray we are being prudent and considerate of everyone in making the decisions we vote. Heaven knows we spend endless hours in discussion.
For those individuals that have agreed to be on the Fire Code Development Committee, my hat is off to you. Those people are: Bryan Parks, (Broward County), Jackie da la Osa, (Collier County), Ricco Longo, (Collier County), Tim Fernandez (Bonita Springs), Kevin Rausch, (Lake County), Maurice Majszak, (Tallahassee), Joey Smith, (Auburndale), Don Damaron, (Sarasota County), Thomas Eadie (SFMO, Jacksonville), Chip Earls, (Clay County), and Leigh Grosvenor, (Ormond Beach).
Article Provided By:
Wes Hayes, Fire Marshal
Polk County, Florida
First VP, FFMIA
Fire Code Development Committee Chair
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