Here is a CALL TO ACTION related to Firefighter
training:
Fairfax, Va., Feb. 6, 2013 - The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) is asking
all members (and of the fire service) to provide public comment in
support of a temporary interim amendment (TIA) currently under consideration by
the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1001 Technical Committee on
Firefighter Training. The proposed
TIA seeks to
ensure that candidates participating in an NFPA 1001-compliant training program
are physically capable of doing so through the completion of an NFPA 1582 physical.
Public comment is being accepted by the NFPA through February 13.
Background
The 2008 edition of NFPA 1001 included the requirement that individuals meet
NFPA 1582 prior to participating in an NFPA 1001 training program. In 2012, the
NFPA 1001 Technical Committee voted through appropriate process to remove that
requirement and inserted new language.
The new edition was intended to create greater flexibility to AHJs in
addressing disabilities at the local level but created the consequence of
substantially altering the requirements for candidates, and it places a
significant burden on certifying health-care practitioners. The language in the
new edition is confusing in that it requires job-specific evaluations without
actually requiring a medical exam ever be performed.
The leading cause of death among firefighters is cardiac-related events,
accounting for nearly 50% of all fatalities annually. On November 9, 2008, a
volunteer firefighter who hadn't received an NFPA 1582 physical before
participating in an NFPA 1001 training program died while participating in
training. In its recommendations, the NIOSH report describing the event specifically cited
the importance of an NFPA 1582 medical exam to reduce the incidence of similar
events.
Act Now
IAFC members are strongly encouraged to submit public comment supporting the
language proposed in the TIA. Submit comments via email to tias_errata_fis@nfpa.org;
please identify the TIA number (#1087) in the subject line and in the body of
the email. Comments can also be sent by mail to NFPA, 1 Batterymarch Park,
Quincy, MA 02169-7471.
The
closing date to submit comments is February 13, 2013. If you have
any questions concerning the content of the proposed TIA, please email Battalion Chief Matt Tobia :
FdTobia@aacounty.org, who is Chair of
the IAFC Safety, health and Survival Section.
