Bettendorf Professional Fire Fighters Association

Bettendorf Professional Fire Fighters Association Local 3190

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"In the fire department, when duty is the motivating force, sacrifice will always follow."

Dennis Smith

New Residential Fire Study Shows Effects of Crew Size on Fire Fighting Operations

April 28, 2010 -- A landmark study released by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) shows that the size of fire fighting crews has a substantial effect on the fire service's ability to protect lives and property in residential fires. Click here to read the news release.

Conducted by a broad coalition in the scientific, fire fighting and public safety communities, the study results found that four-person fire fighting crews were able to complete 22 essential fire fighting and rescue tasks in a typical residential structure 30 percent faster than two-person crews and 25 percent faster than three-person crews.

The report is the first to quantify the effects of crew sizes and arrival times on the fire service's lifesaving and fire fighting operations.

This and other scientific data in the report will help educate public officials, fire chiefs and other decision-makers on the importance of adequate staffing and deployment with respect to fire fighter and public safety.

Study investigators from NIST and the IAFF announced the results of the study at a press conference at the Hilton Washington in Washington, DC, before the start of the annual Congressional Fire Services Institute meeting of top fire safety officials from the across the nation.

Click here for the full report.

The study is funded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Assistance to Firefighters grant program.

Read General President Harold Schaitberger's blog, "Fire Fighter Staffing and Deployment Study Released"

For more information, contact Lori Moore-Merrell at lmoore@iaff.org or (202) 824-1594.

Firefighters See Increase In Emergencies

In 2009, the Firefighters of Local 3190 responded to 2874 emergency calls, including fires, car accidents, hazardous material spills, and medical emergencies. This number is an 8% increase from the previous year and is consistent with annual call increases. Since 2000, the Bettendorf Fire Dept. has seen an increase in call volume of 29%. These upward trends are expected to continue as the population of the city and the fire protection district grows. Also contributing to the increase is the rapid development of previously undeveloped land. These developments include commercial structures, housing sub-divisions, and highly populated structures such as apartment buildings and senior living centers. In an attempt to keep up with this growth, the fire department has added staff, increased training, and improved proceedures. The members of L3190 are commited to maintaining excellence during this growth and look forward to the continued support of management, city leaders and the community.

Firefighter Line of Duty Fatalities 1977-2008

Each year in the United States and its protectorates, approximately 100 firefighters are killed while on duty and tens of thousands are injured. Although the number of firefighter fatalities has steadily decreased over the past 20 years, the incidence of firefighter fatalities per 100,000 incidents has actually risen. Despite a downward dip in the early 1990's, the level of firefighter fatalities is back up to the same levels experienced in the 1980's.

	Total
1977		157
1978		171
1979		126
1980		140
1981		135
1982		126
1983		113
1984		119
1985		126
1986		121
1987		131
1988		136
1989		119
1990		108
1991		108
1992		77
1993		81
1994		106
1995		103
1996		99
1997		100
1998		93
1999		114
2000		105
2001		105/450 *
2002		101
2003		113
2004		119
2005		115
2006		107
2007		118
2008		118

* Includes events related to September 11, 2001.

In the last decade, several high-profile incidents involving firefighter fatalities have brought national attention to the issue of firefighter mortality in the United States. While the attention from the national media has been fleeting, the awareness of the continued high level of fatalities has changed the fabric of the fire service and prompted many organizations and fire departments to initiate programs to protect firefighters.

Ultimately, some forces and circumstances that lead to firefighter fatalities are simply beyond human control. However, through research, study, training, improved operations, development of new technologies, the appropriate use of staffing, and other factors, it should be possible to significantly reduce the number of firefighters killed each year.

If you have any questions or comments, contact us at: info@iaff3190.org