Commissions news and events

Questionnaire

One of the Fire Prevention Commission's goals is to reduce fire deaths and casualties. As we would like to follow our goals as much as possible, we have prepared a short questionnaire where we would like to collect some of the fire prevention related data. The topic was discussed at the Fire Prevention Commission meeting that was held 4-5 June 2014 at the SPEK camp and training center in Padasjoki, Finland. This document is meant to be used a base for our future work and proposals for guidelines, analysis and cooperation with other commissions.

We kindly ask you to fulfill the form and send it to: ales.jug@varensem.si before March 15 2015.

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Youth fire brigade commission meetings 2015

Date: 
Saturday, 25. July 2015 (All day)
Friday, 16. October 2015 (All day)

17. April till 19. April 2015 in Opole (Poland)

25. July 2015 in Opole (Poland)

16. October till 18. October 2015 in Portugal

 

XX. International Youth Fire Fighters Gathering

Date: 
Sunday, 19. July 2015 (All day) to Sunday, 26. July 2015 (All day)
Location: 
Opole, Poland

The announcement of the 20th International Youth Fire Fighters Gathering is made following approval by the executive council of the CTIF.

The 20th IYFG will take place from Sunday, July 19 through Sunday, 26 July 2015 in OPOLE / Poland, under the auspices of the International Youth Leaders Commission of CTIF.

The local Association of Volunteer Fire Departments of the Republic of Poland is responsible for the organisation of the event.

The organization's management for the CTIF accepts the chairman of the International Youth Leaders Commission, Jörn-Hendrik KUINKE.

The organization’s management of the competitions accepts the International Competition leader, BR Ignaz MASCHA, Austria.

The technical execution of the international youth firefighters competitions will be in compliance with the International Competition Rules for youth brigades (7th Edition May 2012) and the information from the judges’ training from 2014.

In case of differences in the interpretation of the rules, the competition GERMAN VERSION alone is valid.

This invitation is sent to all national fire service organizations of CTIF and it is hoped that as many organizations as possible send youth groups to the event.

Recommendations for vehicles with standard and alternative fuels/ engines

Because of new technologies and energy sources, the industry is increasingly focusing on alternative drives and fuels. These recommendations are focused on flammable gases, liquids, combustion engines with electric motors and many other combinations more.

The document was prepared together by the Hazardous materials commission and the commission on Extrication & new technology.

Protokoll CTIF history 2014

Protokoll der 17.Sitzung
Mittwoch, 1. Oktober 2014, 10.00 bis 16.00 Uhr
Niedersächsische Akademie für Brand- und Katastrophenschutz, Celle, Deutschland

POP-ALERT Expert Group Meeting and Stakeholder Forum Workshop

The POP-ALERT Project Consortium is delighted to announce the conclusion of two succesful events 26. November 2014. The events brought together stakeholders from crisis management community to share ideas and experiences on populations behaviour in the context of a crisis, the ways in which different populations are organised in communities, the best ways to reach and raise awareness within these communities, the priority issues for European citizens, etc.

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CTIF Forest fires Commission Meeting

Date: 
Tuesday, 13. January 2015 (All day) to Thursday, 15. January 2015 (All day)
Location: 
Center of Valabr, France

The CTIF-forest fires Commission meets on 13 and 15 January 2015 at the Center of Valabre in France WWW.ENTENTE-VALABRE.COM

The purpose of this meeting is to define together the objectives and  organization of this Commission. In particular it should be designated the Chairman of the Commission and shall be developed the issues upon which put the emphasis in the coming years.

You find attached the program and the registration form

For any information contact the following addresses.

For accommodation and transfer from airport:  S.GIRAUDI@VALABRE.COM

For any other information:
DANIELERYSER@BLUEWIN.CH; PHONE: +41 79 478 31 21

CSB Recommends Safety Improvements to U.S. Department of Transportation Emergency Response Guidebook Widely Used by Firefighters

Washington, DC, October 8, 2014—The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) is recommending critical safety improvements to the widely-used Emergency Response Guidebook published by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) for emergency responders to use when confronting chemical fires, explosions and releases of hazardous materials. 
 
The CSB noted that while the manual is provided for responders to use in transportation incidents, CSB investigators have found over the years that the guidebook is often used by emergency responders – firefighters, medical technicians and police officers -- dealing with chemical accidents at fixed facilities.  However, the CSB found some of the directions given in the manual are vague.  The CSB document specifically cited guidebook changes needed for handling ammonium nitrate fires such as the one that led to a massive explosion at a fertilizer storage facility in West, Texas last year.  
 
The CSB recommendations are contained in a seven-page response to a formal Request for Information (RFI) the transportation department issued as it seeks comment on a proposed revision issued on August 29, 2014, an edition scheduled for public release in 2016. The current guidebook was released in 2012.  The guidebook – jointly produced with Canada and Mexico and in use in those countries as well –  is used across the country by emergency responders who can quickly look up correct responses to a myriad of chemical accidents.  The department’s website states that “DOT's goal is to place an ERG in every emergency service vehicle nationwide.”
 
CSB Chairperson Rafael Moure-Eraso said, “We have respectfully submitted our comments to the DOT, based on years of our incident investigations, which show that responders are often not aware that this important manual is intended only for responding to chemical releases or fire incidents in transportation accidents, such as railroad tankers or truck-hauled containers, and not fixed facilities.  Directions on how to respond to incidents at fixed chemical or manufacturing facilities may be much different.”
 
The CSB proposed that the Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG) place a cautionary note at the front of the manual – rather than on page 356 where it is now – to read, in capital letters, “Only intended for use when responding to transportation incidents.”   
 
CSB Investigation Team Lead Johnnie Banks noted, “The CSB recommended the ERG include additional guidance on where responders can find chemical hazard information in responding to incidents at fixed facilities, such as Material Safety Data Sheets or EPA-required ‘Tier 2’ information which specifies the chemicals on hand at facilities. We feel responders need to know where to go for data quickly in the heat of battle.” 
 
The CSB found what investigators called “vague or poorly defined terms” in the proposed new guidelines.  Where firefighters are told, for instance, to “fight fire from maximum distance,” the CSB recommended DOT specify the distance so firefighters are not left to guess what “maximum” means.  
 
The CSB noted the catastrophic explosion at West Fertilizer resulted in 15 fatalities and over 250 injuries, and that twelve first responders perished which fighting the blaze when the storage facility exploded.  The CSB reviewed the DOT guidance in the ERG for ammonium nitrate fertilizer, classified as an oxidizer. Within Guide 140 for a large fire, the guidance states “Flood fire with water from a distance.”  In the case of an ammonium nitrate fire similar to West Fertilizer, the CSB response to DOT notes that “flooding the fire with water from an undefined distance could result in serious injuries or fatalities if the ammonium nitrate detonated.” 
 
The CSB RFI response addresses in detail the need for additional language in DOT guidance regarding ammonium nitrate fertilizer to consider its “unpredictable and explosive nature” and the “potential for detonation within a very short time frame.” 
 
The CSB is an independent federal agency charged with investigating industrial chemical accidents. The agency's board members are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. CSB investigations look into all aspects of chemical accidents, including physical causes such as equipment failure as well as inadequacies in regulations, industry standards, and safety management systems.
 
The Board does not issue citations or fines but does make safety recommendations to plants, industry organizations, labor groups, and regulatory agencies such as OSHA and EPA. Visit our website, www.csb.gov.
 
For more information, email CSB public affairs public@csb.gov, or call Sandy Gilmour, Public Affairs, cell 202-251-5496.

source: http://www.csb.gov/csb-recommends-safety-improvements-to-us-department-o...

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