Jan 01, 0001

Fire Chief John S. Butler Testifies on the Fire Hazards of Lithium-Ion Batteries, Calls for Immediate Action

IAFC President Testifies on the Fire Hazards of Lithium-Ion Batteries, Calls for Immediate Action

Jan 01, 0001

Important NIST Findings on Firefighter Gear: Understanding the Risks of PFAS

Are firefighters at risk of increased exposure to cancer-causing chemicals in their protective clothing?

Jan 01, 0001

Department of Labor seeks to expand, establish protections for today’s emergency response workers

Proposal to update standard and expand safety & health protections for emergency responders.

Jan 01, 0001

Training: Batteries in the Fire Service, Tall Mass-Timber Buildings & Fire Department Concerns, and Codes that Safeguard Construction

Training on operational response and code requirements for batteries in buildings and energy storage systems

Jan 01, 0001

IAFC Presents on EV Battery Safety at the EV Charging Symposium

EV Charging Symposium brought together stakeholders to collaborate on EV battery safety

Jan 01, 0001

Spanish-Language Hazmat Instructor - Independent Contractor Opportunity

Seeking a minimum of two (2) independent contractors to serve as Spanish-speaking Hazmat Safety Instructors

Jan 01, 0001

The 2023 Safety Stand Down Quiz is Now Live – Test Your Knowledge on Lithium-ion Battery Response

In support of this year’s Safety Stand Down, emergency services personnel are encouraged to take and promote the quiz.

Jan 01, 0001

“Lithium-ion Batteries: Are You Ready?” is Announced as Theme for Safety Stand Down, June 18-24, 2023

The 2023 Safety Stand Down will be June 18 - 24. The week of the Safety Stand Down will cover topics relating to lithium-ion battery response and safety, which will be broken down into five daily focus areas: recognition of hazards, firefighting operations, firefighter safety, post-incident considerations, and public education.

Jan 01, 0001

Propane Emergencies: Basic Certifications with Propane Emergency

It is essential that all responders to understand the changes that have occurred that pertain to NFPA 470 and be well versed in the OSHA requirements.

Jan 01, 0001

Hazardous Materials Emergency Response Roundtable

Reports capture the findings from these assessments and the discussion from the recent Roundtable meeting.

Jan 01, 0001

Responding to Propane Incidents

While performing air monitoring of the structure for flammable gas there are a few items you need to remember to operate in a safe and efficient manner.

Jan 01, 0001

IAFC Launches Whole Community Planning for Disaster Online Training

This course will provide information on why/how community organizations and others can participate in inclusive emergency planning processes to improve resiliency.

Jan 01, 0001

New Ethanol Emergency Response Training Now Available

RFA and TRANSCAER announces new ethanol emergency response training.

Jan 01, 0001

Propane Emergencies: Responding to Flammable Gas Incidents

The basic steps and processes outlined in this article should be utilized by departments of all sizes, from small rural to large metropolitan departments.

Jan 01, 0001

Congress Passes Legislation to Address Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)

This year’s NDAA contains several provisions that address problems relating to Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS).

Jan 01, 0001

Save the Date: 3rd International Fire Operations Conference & Exhibition

A platform for academicians, researchers, managers, subject matter experts & students to share their research findings/best practices with the global audience.

Jan 01, 0001

Needs Assessment of US Fire Service

Fifth Needs Assessment shows some progress but continuing gaps in fire department resources.

Jan 01, 0001

Partnerships for Safer Emergency Response

The IAFC and PERC make sure that first responders and industry specialists work together in a safer, more efficient manner.

Jan 01, 0001

IAFC and TC Energy Mexico Pipeline Training

Training in 2020 was completed in the State of Veracruz and the State of Sinaloa and is presently underway in the State of Hidalgo October 28-29, 2021, and Guanajuato November 4-5, 2021.

Jan 01, 0001

Fire Department Response to Electric Vehicle Fires

This one-page bulletin is intended to guide our pre-response, response and post-event responses to electrical vehicle fires.

Jan 01, 0001

White House and EPA Release Three Year Strategy for PFAS ​

PFAS are often dubbed “forever chemicals” because some of the chemicals linger for decades in people’s bodies and seemingly forever in the environment.

Jan 01, 0001

CSB Releases New Safety Video on Aghorn Operating Investigation Entitled "Silent Killer: Hydrogen Sulfide Release in Odessa, Texas"

The CSB also made two recommendations to federal and state regulators, OSHA and the Railroad Commission of Texas, addressing the requirements for protecting workers from hazardous air contaminants and from hazardous energy.

Jan 01, 0001

Walking the Walk: How FDs are Setting the Example to Cure ‘Dirty Helmet Syndrome’

Fire service leaders share what works at their departments.

Jan 01, 0001

CSB U.S. Chemical Safety Board

Tracking, monitoring, investigating the causes of, and preventing accidental chemical releases remains a top priority for the CSB

Jan 01, 0001

FCC Refers Carriers to Enforcement for Failing to Meet Key 911 Location Accuracy Deadline

Vertical location is critical to helping first responders quickly locate 911 wireless callers, particularly in buildings taller than three stories.

Jan 01, 0001

Webinar: Lessons Learned from Fukushima

This presentation will share experiences and lessons that will greatly benefit decision makers and responders who have to prepare for wide area environmental remediation to respond to and recover from radiological contamination events.

Jan 01, 0001

NHTSA Encourages First Responders to Review its Guidelines for Incidents Involving Electric of Hybrid Vehicles Following NTSB Study on Risks Posed by These Vehicles

Guidance for responders when responding to incidents including electric vehicles.

Jan 01, 0001

Congress Passes Three Year Reauthorization of PHMSA

The PIPES Act reauthorizes the PHMSA through FY 2023 and contains a number of provisions that improve pipeline safety.

Jan 01, 0001

Keep Your Community Safe

The goal of this survey is to identify the strengths of fire departments that can be helpful to other LEPCs.

Jan 01, 0001

Hazmat and Local Emergency Planning Committees

Industrial partners are encouraged to be active in their Local Emergency Planning Committees (LEPC).

Jan 01, 0001

USDOT Announces Updated Hazmat Emergency Guidebook

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) announced the publication of the 2020 edition of its Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG).

Jan 01, 0001

PFAS incineration in New York spurs legislation, loss of federal contracts

PFAS incineration has been a source of interest for some companies, with U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) contracts offering an access point.

Jan 01, 0001

Chemical Safety in Shared Communities: What Fire Chiefs Can Do

Learn four things fire chiefs can do to keep communities safe.

Jan 01, 0001

National Emergency Declaration: What Fire Chiefs Need to Know

President Trump on March 13 declared a national emergency over the coronavirus pandemic, invoking the Stafford Act.

Jan 01, 0001

IAFC Launches Coronavirus Task Force

The Task Force will be monitoring COVID-19 and developing recommendations for ways that fire departments can protect their members while continuing to serve their communities.

Jan 01, 0001

LEPC 101: Las Vegas Prepares for Earthquake Response

The members of the North Las Vegas Fire industrial and first responder communities participated in an earthquake tabletop exercise.

Jan 01, 0001

Essential Hazmat Training Criteria for Responders, Leaders

Do you know your training programs strengths? Weaknesses?

Jan 01, 0001

LEPC 101: What is an LEPC and Why is it Important

This program is designed to create community training in preparing for over the road, rail and pipeline Hazardous Materials and other emergency incidents, especially in rural areas.

Jan 01, 0001

Critical Information During a Chemical Response

To increase the chemical information available to firefighters requires a combined effort

Jan 01, 0001

What Chiefs Need to Know About Hazmat Preparedness

Chief, are you prepared for a hazmat incident?

Jan 01, 0001

Congress Passes PFAS Legislation

There is a concern that firefighters’ exposure to PFAS may lead to cancer and problems with the thyroid and immune systems.

Jan 01, 0001

Continuing Education: The Lifeblood of the Hazmat Responder

Hazmat Responders Need to be Informed and Prepared.

Jan 01, 0001

IAFC and TC Energy Partnership Continues to Evolve

The partnership has led to successful training and community engagement.

Jan 01, 0001

U.S. DOT Proposes Major Rule for the Safe Transportation of LNG by Rail Tank Car

Currently, LNG may only be transported via rail in a portable tank with an approval from FRA. However, the HMR does authorize the DOT 113 specification tank car for other flammable cryogenic liquids

Jan 01, 0001

Phase Two of the IAFC Community Safety Grant Launched

Defining the LEPC. Do you understand the functions of the local emergency planning committee?

Jan 01, 0001

Chief Rader: Change Begins With Leaders

Chief Jan Rader walks through ground zero of the opioid epidemic in her state by exploring how the community and first responders are making a difference - especially through community partnerships.

Jan 01, 0001

Rural Communities: Know Where Hidden Hazards Reside

It is vital for rural fire departments to fully understand local risks and how to seek training and assistance before a call to action.

Jan 01, 0001

T-Band Voter Voice Campaign Launched

The IAFC has launched a Voter Voice campaign to support preserving public safety’s access to the T-Band.

Jan 01, 0001

Final Rule from PHMSA and FRA seeks to make preparedness and mitigation easier

New rule regarding High Hazard Flammable Trains (HHFTs) went into effect earlier this year (April 1).

Jan 01, 0001

Make Your Voice be Heard

The Importance of Educating Elected Officials About Fire and EMS Issues

Jan 01, 0001

IAFC Hazmat Center Brings in Experts from Across the US to Help Develop Community Safety Tool-Kit

First responders and safety experts meet in Baltimore to discuss issues facing LEPCs across the nation.

Jan 01, 0001

Preventing Occupational Exposure to Illicit Drugs

Reduce the risk of inadvertent exposure while handling or testing fentanyl or other illicit drugs by following these steps.

Jan 01, 0001

Pipeline Incident Response Requires Coordination, Training and Federal Support

IAFC President Dan Eggleston today told a House of Representatives panel that an effective response to a pipeline/hazmat incident requires pipeline operators, local fire departments and other state and local officials to work together.

Jan 01, 0001

President’s Letter: Highlighting the “International” in the IAFC!

The IAFC is a world leader in the fire service, and we are proud to present the second International Fire Operations Conference in Manama, Bahrain – the result of our vision to expand the IAFC’s reach beyond North America.

Jan 01, 0001

Community Safety Planning and Training 

​The IAFC Hazmat Center is proud to announce that they received the Community Safety–Emergency Planning Response and Outreach (CS–EPRO) Grant from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration in November 2018.

Jan 01, 0001

Rural EMS and Wildland Fire Funding Survive Final Farm Bill

Final version of the Farm Bill contains Rural EMS funding, cross-boundary fuel removal grants, and preserves current fire-safe cigarette laws.

Jan 01, 0001

Alaskan Communities Receive Hazmat Training

In August, the IAFC Hazmat Center ventured to Alaska to provide training on how to plan for and respond to a rail event.

Jan 01, 0001

PHMSA Sends Out a Request for Comments for the 2020 ERG

PHMSA has requested comments and input for the 2020 ERG to improve the guidebook as it develops the 2020 edition.

Jan 01, 0001

Safety and Health: All-Hazards Response and Scenario Planning

All-hazards response isn’t a new concept, so what’s the point of talking about it yet again? It’s not about the past; it’s about scenario-planning for the future.

Jan 01, 0001

President’s Letter: Preparing Our Departments for All Hazards

The fire service handles things outside our traditional mission of firefighting: from community paramedicine and terrorism to hazardous materials and technical rescue, our world’s fire service is the benefactor of all-hazards solutions.

Jan 01, 0001

The American Fire Service and the FBI-Joint Terrorism Task Force

Why can’t the fire service get information from the feds that is as relevant as it is to law enforcement? The fact is that we can; we just have to ask, then commit to developing a partnership with them.

Jan 01, 0001

ALERT Grant Enables IAFC to Continue Rail Safety Program

Thousands of responders trained both online and in person.

Jan 01, 0001

IAFC and TransCanada Extend Partnership

Agreement Supports Pipeline Emergency Response Training across North America

Jan 01, 0001

AskRail Version 3.0 Is Now Available

During the last emergency rail response you were on, did you have all of the information you needed to safely and effectively do your job? What would you say if there was a tool that will help during major rail incidents?

Jan 01, 0001

Hazmat Initiatives at the IAFC: Program Update and Learning Opportunities

Here’s what’s been happening at the IAFC in the Hazmat Center.

Jan 01, 0001

Taking the Lead: Preparing Responders for New Types of Hazmat Incidents

The transportation of crude oil has grabbed national headlines as the nation experiences an energy-production boom. States such as North ...

Jan 01, 0001

Hazmat Training: Electronic Learning Community

Approximately 80% of fire-protection services within the United States are composed of volunteers or are combination departments. These departments’ members ...

Jan 01, 0001

Specialized Services: Rapidly Changing Hazmat Response

The world of emergency response is ever evolving. A few short decades ago, the thought that the fire service would ...

Jan 01, 0001

C-Kit Continues to Be an Important Tool in Hazmat Response

The IAFC Hazardous Materials Committee is urging responders to educate themselves on the Chlorine Institute C-Kit and the benefits if ...

Jan 01, 0001

Near-Miss Reporting: Stop, Look and Listen; This Is a Hazmat Call

Recognizing that you``re operating on the scene of a hazardous materials emergency is key to keeping responders safe during operations ...

Jan 01, 0001

Teaming Up for Hazmat Rail Response

Thousands of shipments of hazardous materials traverse the United States every day, travelling via one of the nation’s rail carriers. ...

Jan 01, 0001

The IAFC at 140: Helping Responders Help Responders

One of the benefits of any association is taking the lessons learned from any specific knowledge base or interest group ...

Jan 01, 0001

Spread the 811 Word: A Letter from the IAFC President and PHMSA

Dear IAFC Member, The IAFC and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) ask the nations fire service leaders ...

Jan 01, 0001

Lame Duck or Productive Duck?

As 2014 starts winding down and winter is fast approaching, Congress is increasing its workload. Immediately after the mid-term elections, ...

Jan 01, 0001

Company Officer Leadership - Applied Research and Hazmat Issues

Applied research is a form of systematic inquiry involving the practical application of science; it refers to the scientific study and research that seeks to solve practical problems. Those of us that are enrolled in or have graduated from the ...

Jan 01, 0001

A Potential Game Changer for the Next Call

The pipeline incident may have happened more than six years ago, but it’s a vivid memory that hasn’t faded for ...

Jan 01, 0001

How Research Changes Response

Let’s go back to the early 1980s: the fire service was just starting to respond to a new emergency response, ...

Jan 01, 0001

Company Officer Leadership: Applied Research and Hazmat Issues

Applied research is a form of systematic inquiry involving the practical application of science; it refers to the scientific study ...

Jan 01, 0001

Planning for a Chemical Emergency

In December 1984, a gas that’s used in the production of insecticide was accidentally and unknowingly released upon the public. ...

Jan 01, 0001

IAFC to Develop Rail Safety Program Thanks to ALERT Grant

Fairfax, Va. - With support from a new $2.6 million federal grant, the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) will ...

Jan 01, 0001

New Rules for High-Hazard Flammable Trains

On May 1, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) issued final rulemaking that addresses the ongoing hazards and risks associated ...

Jan 01, 0001

Preplanning for All Hazards

NFPA 1620, Standard for Pre-Incident Planning, sets guidelines to develop preplans for specific locations. As written, nothing limits 1620 to ...

Jan 01, 0001

IAFC President: First Responders Must Be Prepared for Chemical Weapons Threat

Fairfax, Va. Fire Chief G. Keith Bryant, IAFC president and chairman of the board, testified before a U.S. House ...

Jan 01, 0001

Rail Transportation of Hazardous Materials

The fire service continues to experience concerns related to the various hazards that face our communities; responders face ...

Jan 01, 0001

IAFC: Education Through Planning and Training in Enhancing Crude Oil Shipment Safety

The IAFC today responded to the U.S. Department of Transportation's May 7 Emergency Restriction/Prohibition Order requiring all railroads operating trains ...

Jan 01, 0001

IAFC Member Offers NTSB Ideas to Plan for the Safe Rail Transport of Crude Oil and Ethanol

Fairfax, Va. - Assistant Chief Rick Edinger, vice chair of the IAFC's Hazardous Materials Committee, today testified at the National ...

Jan 01, 0001

PHMSA Emergency Recall: Propane Tanks

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) has issued an emergency recall order of 55,000 propane tanks manufactured by ...