Health & Safety
A Fire Fighters Union-initiated lawsuit in New England could lead to changes for firefighting agencies nationwide.
The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) has sued the National Fire Protection Association over a rule that sets the standards for the ideal protective material inside firefighting turnout gear. The IAFF alleges PFAs are the only component that can meet the criteria, therefore putting firefighters at increased risk of contracting cancer.
Click here for more information in a WPDE news article about the lawsuit.
Congressman Dan Kildee is fighting to remove PFAS chemicals from the environment, including from firefighting gear.
Kildee introduced the Protecting Firefighters from PFAS Act.
Click here for more on Kildee's efforts to protect firefighters.
First Responder Safety Issues
We have been in contact with Firefighter Unions across the Country to assist us in a very important matter. Our firefighters and other first responders are in serious danger with this new technology involving Electric Vehicle Charging Stations. By 2017, there will be an estimated 1.7 million Charging Stations installed on our City Streets. The Government has set up training for the Electric Vehicle through the NFPA and no plans have been set for the Electric Vehicle Charging Stations.
We have been in contact with multiple agencies and manufacturers across the country and have invited an" agencies to our training program. Please read on to learn more about this important matter. We are the owners of GreenStar Concepts, LLC, a "Certified Contractor" of Electric Vehicle Support Equipment (EVSE); we specialize in Electric Vehicle Charging Stations. Over the past two years, we have invested a substantial amount of time in research of Electric Vehicles and EVSE.
It has truly been exciting to see the enthusiasm of our Citizens, Business Owners, and Government Officials when we talk to them about Electric Cars and their benefits, and answer their questions regarding both Electric Cars and the Electric Vehicle Support Equipment. It is not unusual for us to field questions during our conversations, regarding the safety of Electric Vehicle Charging Stations; we noted that many people were concerned with the safety of this equipment, but because of our involvement and knowledge in this industry, it was easy to respond to their concerns.
We did however take note of a particular question we received from many Business Owners and Consumers regarding the safety of the Electric Vehicle Charging Stations due to their concerns about the high voltage used to power them. Some Business Owners, Local Government Representatives, and Citizens have asked if a Charging Station was hit or run over by a vehicle, would it be safe? Considering plans by the Federal Government to deploy 1.7 million Electric Vehicle Charging Stations throughout our Communities, their concerns and questions were held merit and deserved an "honest" response.
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Our Goals
The Fire Fighter Cancer Foundation will promote knowledge, awareness, and advocacy for the fire fighter diagnosed with cancer. The foundation will continue to support active and retired fire fighters by promoting occupation specific cancer screening and wellness testing. We are seeking volunteers, medical and fire service advisers, benefactors, and partnership with organizations of similar goals.
We are here to: S.P.E.A.R.
• Support – Offer emotional support and social assistance for fire fighters and family members battling cancer.
• Promote – Encourage health and well being by endorsing annual occupation specific cancer screenings and wellness testing.
• Educate – Provide resource information to assist the fire fighter diagnosed with cancer to better understand their disease. Partner with other international cancer organizations to offer education and awareness programs.
• Assist – Establish a national prescription assistance program for fire fighters diagnosed with cancer. Provide our members enduring chemotherapy with a home air purification unit to help them remain healthy during treatment. Effect improved communication among retired fire fighters.
• Research – Identify leaders in medicine and science who can offer treatment options. Educate national and regional elected officials to advance national fire fighter cancer studies.
www.ffcancer.org
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The Firefighter Injury Research & Safety Trends program (FIRST), led by Drexel University Associate Professor Dr. Jennifer Taylor of Dornsife School of Public Health, is working to share fire fighter safety research findings with fire fighters nationwide.
FIRST is a research enterprise based at the Dornsife School of Public Health at Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA, organized to support the United States fire and rescue service through objective data collection and analysis.Their goal is to make their research findings publicly known and free to access. An article on a recently published manuscript in the American Journal of Health Behavior can be found here.
Through a newly awarded Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA) funded grant supporting FIRST's partnership with the Fire Department Safety Officers Association (FDSOA), research on U.S. Fire Service safety culture will continue.
