November 26, 2007

In this issue:

1. Fire Corps National Advisory Committee to Meet on December 7
2. Register Now for Home Safety Council Webinar: Multiculturalism and the Fire Service
3. Fire Corps Member Receives Honor
4. Practice Winter and Holiday Safety
5. Department Profile: Manteca Fire Department, Manteca, CA
6. Calendar of Events

Fire Corps National Advisory Committee to Meet on December 7

The Fire Corps National Advisory Committee (NAC) is scheduled to meet on December 7 in Washington, DC. The Committee is comprised of representatives from 15 national fire and emergency service organizations and provides valuable insight and input into the direction of Fire Corps.

"We look forward to acquiring information and feedback from our NAC members," said Melissa Speed, Director of Fire Corps. "Their knowledge and expertise in the field are greatly valued and assist the national office in expanding the program, implementing new outreach efforts, and developing additional resources departments can use to implement Fire Corps at the local level."

Fire Corps is a locally-driven initiative under Citizen Corps that increases the capacity of fire/EMS departments by engaging the talents and skills of community volunteers in non-emergency roles. These citizen volunteers enable department personnel to focus their efforts on emergency response and training while allowing departments to provide additional services they may not otherwise be able to offer. In return, citizens gain an intimate understanding of the fire and emergency services and become better prepared to handle their own emergencies as well as those of their neighbor.
  
Click here to view the organizations that comprise the Fire Corps NAC. Fire Corps is administered through a partnership between the National Volunteer Fire Council and the International Association of Fire Chiefs and is supported by several affiliate organizations including the United States Fire Administration, the Department of Homeland Security, and Citizen Corps. For more information about Fire Corps, visit www.firecorps.org or email info@firecorps.org.

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Register Now for Home Safety Council Webinar: Multiculturalism and the Fire Service

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, about 8 million more people spoke a foreign language at home in 2006 than in 2000. Nationally, one in five people (19.7 percent) over the age of five spoke a language other than English at home in 2006, compared to 17.9 percent in 2000.

With these growing statistics comes a need for departments to understand and incorporate multiculturalism in their daily activities and services. Whether it is providing fire prevention education to non-English speaking residents or translation services, there are many resources Fire Corps members can utilize to help departments reach out to these diverse populations and provide safety and security to all U.S. residents.

Fire Corps would like to encourage local programs to Register now for the Home Safety Council's (HSC) November Webinar, Multiculturalism and the Fire Service: Addressing the Safety Challenges of Communities with Cultural, Generational and Language Differences, which will take place November 27 from 1-2 pm EST.

FIRE 20/20T, a research and education nonprofit organization, recently studied risk, injuries, and the loss of life to both firefighters and community members in multicultural communities. The research explored the safety challenges faced by the fire service and members of communities with multiple languages, differing cultural traditions, and generational differences. The HSC Webinar presents the results of this new research and teaches best practices for working more effectively with multicultural communities, as well as strategies for developing and implementing multicultural recruitment programs and prevention and public service campaigns to reduce the toll of fire-related injuries and deaths.

View archived HSC webinars and find more information about the HSC at www.homesafetycouncil.org. Visit the Fire Corps National Preparedness Month Resource Center to find out more information about multicultural preparedness in communities.

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Fire Corps Member Receives Honor

During a stop in San Antonio, TX, on November 8, President George W. Bush honored Citizen Corps volunteer Gloria Sanchez with the President's Volunteer Service Award. The Award recognized Sanchez's commitment to her local Fire Corps and Community Emergency Response Team (CERT).

Sanchez has led a life of service to the community. In 2004, she joined the Bexar County Emergency Scene Rehab (E.S.R.), a joint CERT and Fire Corps program. E.S.R. is a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization that provides on-scene support, such as basic medical services, food and drink replenishment, and temperature-controlled shelter to all fire, law enforcement, and search and rescue departments responding to extended emergency scenes. Sanchez responds regularly as a volunteer with the South unit of Bexar County E.S.R, located in Northwest San Antonio. She actively recruits volunteers to go through the CERT training and on a few occasions has hosted CERT trainings in her home and at the Ata-Bexar Volunteer Fire Department, where she sits on the Board of Directors. She also hosts fundraisers for the volunteer fire department. Sanchez volunteered over 300 hours during Hurricane Katrina, helping set up shelters and staging areas for incoming evacuees. She personally recruited volunteers, sorted donated items, and helped serve food to evacuees, volunteers, and emergency personnel.

In addition to Fire Corps and CERT, Sanchez has also been active in other Citizen Corps programs. She was instrumental in starting a Neighborhood Watch Program in her area and was involved in the grassroots effort to start a Citizen Corps Council in the Alamo region.

"We appreciate Gloria and all the people who serve our local communities as volunteers. Volunteering to support local first responders through Citizen Corps is an excellent way to make your community safer and better prepared," said Regina Chapline, Texas Citizen Corps Manager.

For more information on the Bexar County E.S.R., contact Robert Briggs at rvbriggs@satx.rr.com. For more information on the Texas Citizen Corps Program, go to www.texascitizencorps.org.

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Practice Winter and Holiday Safety

The holiday season is a time to celebrate with friends, family, and good food, but it is also a time to be conscientious of everyday hazards that may be amplified during the winter months. Utilize these safety tips and information to help prepare your family, friends, and neighbors and ensure a safe and happy holiday season for all.

Fire Corps' Fire Prevention Week Resources
The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) and Fire Corps teamed up during Fire Prevention Week  (October 7-1) to provide fire safety tips. Topics include practicing an escape plan, home heating safety, smoke alarms, candle safety, and more.

Fire Corps' National Preparedness Month (NPM) Resource Center
Fire Corps developed the NPM Resource Center to provide tools, resources, and materials that Fire Corps teams can utilize to help ready themselves and their community for emergency situations. Here you will find information on children, business, multicultural, and home and family preparedness.

Cooking Safety
According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), cooking fires are the number one cause of home fires and home fire injuries. Visit this site to learn how to be safe in the kitchen.

Home Heating Safety
Heating equipment, especially portable space heaters, fireplaces and wood stoves, require careful use and proper maintenance. Together, Lowe's and the Home Safety Council offer tips to help families prevent fire and burn-related injuries during the winter months.

Holiday Decorating Safety
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission provides an educational brochure outlining general holiday decorating tips about Christmas trees, lights, candles, fireplaces, and more. Share this brochure with friends, families, neighbors, and fellow Fire Corps members to spread decorating safety messages throughout your community.

Winter Weather Safety
The Federal Emergency Management Agency's Winter 2007 "Are You Ready?" newsletter focuses on educating people on how to prepare for winter storms, including creating an emergency survival kit and what to do if trapped in a car during bad weather. It also offers safety tips to protect people from carbon monoxide poisoning, fire, and frostbite during winter weather.

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Department Profile: Manteca Fire Department, Manteca, CA

Firefighters and EMS personnel often take on the role of public safety educators by going to local schools and teaching important fire and life safety messages to students. While this is a critical and even life-saving community service, the use of first responders for these activities can take away from a department's ability to respond to emergencies by pulling firefighters and EMS personnel from the frontlines.

The Manteca Fire Department, a career department located an hour from the San Francisco Bay Area in California, decided to address this issue and called on retired community members for help. Their solution was SAFE, or Seniors Assisting the Fire Effort. A registered Fire Corps program since April 2006, SAFE consists of 24 senior citizens who, through their non-emergency assistance, contribute to the department's mission to "protect, prevent, prepare, and provide." SAFE members help with the department's Fire Awareness In The Schools (FAITS) Program, an injury prevention program that educates Manteca's elementary schools from second to sixth grade about various fire and life safety concerns. Manteca's first responders are often on-call during FAITS presentations. For that reason, SAFE volunteers arrive in uniform at the school with the engine company; should a call come in, SAFE members can step in and continue the training until either the engine returns or the session is over.

"These events make a major difference in our communities' quality of life, and we know from talking with the students years later that they remember the training and what to do in an emergency," said Jim Fey, Manteca Fire Department's Administration Supervisor of the SAFE program. "This would not be possible without the help of our SAFE volunteers."

In addition to the educational outreach assistance, SAFE members help the department in a variety of other ways. SAFE activities include:

• Community Event Reinforcement: SAFE volunteers distribute fire safety literature and provide children with an overview and tour of the department's fire engines. The members also participate in the local "Heart Lab" training for students, educating students on very basic CPR, First Aid, and healthy living and lifestyles, such as the benefits of exercise, good nutrition, and not smoking.
• Training Assistance: The SAFE team recently assisted the department in a three-day mass-casualty training event where they posed as victims with mock injuries, which added an element of realism to the exercise.
• Clerical Duties: SAFE volunteers help the fire prevention bureau with clerical duties related to the department's weed abatement program. This program is intended to prevent fire hazards created by vegetative growth and the accumulation of flammable debris.
• Technical Assistance: One SAFE member is a radio/communications expert and has been a valuable resource in evaluating options to overcome current dispatch challenges.
• Disaster preparedness: SAFE members have been cross-trained as Ham radio operators and will serve as a valuable resource to the department in the event of disaster. These operators were trained by a SAFE member, a retired Senior whose background was in communications.
• Explorer Program: A team of youth Explorers is assigned to a SAFE volunteer at community events. The SAFE member supervises while the Explorers help children try on turnout gear and explore the department's apparatus. One SAFE member has taken on the role of an Explorer program advisor. The Explorer program currently has 20 members and is a way for youth to give back to the community while gaining invaluable experience.

Administration Division Chief Kirk Waters noted that the relationship between the department and volunteers has been successful because the seniors are able to use their life skills to perform roles and responsibilities they are interested in, while at the same time meeting the department's needs and serving the community. "Everyone has something to contribute, and we are very grateful for their enthusiasm and fortunate to have their support," he said.

For more information on the Manteca Fire Department's SAFE program, visit www.ci.manteca.ca.us/fire.

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Calendar of Events

Below is a list of events, conferences, conventions, and shows that Fire Corps staff will be attending, as well as nationally recognized dates which Fire Corps would like to acknowledge.

Texas Homeland Security Conference
December 3-7
San Antonio, TX

Fire Corps National Advisory Committee Meeting
December 7
Washington, DC

Fire Department Instructor's Conference (FDIC)
April 7-12, 2008
Indianapolis, IN

Firehouse Expo
July 22-27, 2008
Baltimore, MD

Fire-Rescue International
August 14-16, 2008
Denver, CO

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