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Swiftwater Rescue Award Nominations Sought
The Swiftwater Rescue Committee of the National Association for Search & Rescue is seeking nominations for the 1998 Higgins & Langley Memorial Awards for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Swiftwater Rescue.
The annual awards honor civilian rescuer, Earl Higgins, who lost his life while attempting to save a child being swept away in the flood-swollen Los Angeles River in 1980, and Los Angeles County firefighter/paramedic Jeffrey Langley, who died in a helicopter accident in 1993.
The awards recognize outstanding achievement in the field of swiftwater-flood rescue. In addition to individual incidents and acts of heroism, swiftwater rescue team efforts, those who have dedicated years of service to developing and implementing swiftwater-flood rescue training programs, and public safety media-education efforts will be considered for nomination.
Deadline for submissions is March 1, 1998. For more information and copies of the nomination forms, contact: Paul McMinn, National Association for Search & Rescue, Swiftwater Rescue Committee, c/o South Bend Recreation Dept, 727 Eddy St, South Bend, IN 46615.
Emergency News Website Passes Second Anniversary with 1.25 Million Hits
The Emergency Response & Research Institute (ERRI) recently celebrated the second anniversary of its popular free Website.
According to Tom Lorinczi, Technical Services manager, the ERRI site has received more than 3.1 million total "hits" or accesses, including graphics and menu pages, during its first two years of operation, 1.25 million of which were to article pages.
The ERRI site is believed to be one of the largest and busiest multidisciplinary emergency/security service Websites on the entire Internet. There are now more than 1,000 articles/reference papers on line for free use by visitors.
The EmergencyNet News service, which has been described as "the CNN of law enforcement, fire, and emergency responders," is a subscription publication that provides 24-hour-a-day coverage of important military and emergency incidents, as well as expert analysis of the events, by some of America's leading emergency service, military, and crisis management thinkers.
The ERRI Website has received at least fifteen awards for Website excellence from both media and emergency service organizations. See ERRI's Web site at http://www.emergency.com or e-mail a message with your first name, address, agency, phone and e-mail address to firenat@emergency.com to receive a free two-week trial subscription to Emergency Net News.
9-1-1 Information Included on Ameritech Website
Looking for background information and data on the 9-1-1 system? Ameritech has expanded its Internet Web Site to provide an educational tool for the general public as well as an information resource and communications vehicle for Ameritech's 9-1-1 service customers.
Point your Web browser toward http://www.ameritech.com/products/911/. The Web site gives browsers a glimpse of the technology that makes 9-1-1 work, using graphics and animation to illustrate the route a 9-1-1 call travels between public and PSAP. By using an ID issued by the company, Ameritech's 9-1-1 customers can access data such as maps of Ameritech's 5-state region that show where emergency service providers are located.
"Our mission is to provide public safety officials with information that will help them respond quickly to emergency situations," said Gene Valentine, Ameritech's area manager of implementation and customer support for Illinois and Wisconsin. "This Web site will fulfill dual goals: it will streamline our ability to send and receive information with our customers as well as help the general public increase their understanding of the complexities behind a seemingly simple 9-1-1 call."
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Emergency Service The Internet Emergency Grapevine is a new advanced bulletin board and real-time chat room designed to help the worldwide emergency services community share information with each other. By the end of 1997 the BB had a registration close to 1,500 members. Twenty-eight International communities are now represented. In a little over four months this formidable message forum has become a dynamic and timely communications platform that extends around the world. "You will find an unparalleled variety of people that represent about every possible link in the Fire, Police, Medical and Emergency Management Services response and recovery chain," said Grapevine administrator Jerry Smith. "Members comprise a very resourceful public and private representation of assorted skills and experience. It's exciting to know that so many people in the emergency services community around the world are interested in becoming an active part of this timely Internet discussion forum." The Emergency Grapevine was launched late last year. Among its first members was Fire Chief John M. Buckman from the German Township Fire Department in Indiana. He posted a question, and within 6 days had received over 125 responses to his post. By the end of the 30 day post period, John received a total of 184 messages. To register, direct your Internet browser to http://www.wionline.com/ics/emerforum.htm and set up a users account. Click on New Users Set Up Account, where you will be asked to post a username, and a personal password. Don't lose your password as it becomes encrypted. Once the sign-up process is completed and you've relogged on, you can now select the thread/category or chat forum you wish to use. |
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Fire Truck Logo Includes
Driving through one community near Fairfax, Virginia, you'll see more than the department name on the sides of the fire trucks. You'll also see the agency's Web address. In a unique marketing idea, the Burke Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department decided to paint the URL of their web site (http://www.bvfrd.org) on the sides of their rigs to bolster community interest and support. "Putting our Web address on our apparatus sends two important messages," said Fire Chief Tim Butters. "It says `we have a wealth of information about Burke VFRD and fire and life safety for you and this is where you can get it.' And, in a more subtle way, we are saying `Burke VFRD continues to be a progressive organization with vision, and this is another example of that vision.' We recognize that Internet communication is a technology that is a part of any successful organization's operation." The Burke VFRD is part of Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Dept. With 9 career personnel on duty and about 60 active volunteer members, BVFRD operates a 75' Quint, a heavy duty rescue squad, and a basic life unit out of a single station. The Department also has a reserve pumper, a second EMS unit, a brush truck, a boat, and a couple of utility vehicles. Call volume is about 2500 incidents a year. "The Website idea resulted from a fire we had at our station in January, 1997, which destroyed part of our building and heavily damaged most of our apparatus," said Chief Butters. "As part of the recovery and community outreach, we set up a Website with the help of HLP Associates, whose president, Derek Rowan, is a fellow volunteer in neighboring station. It has been a very good source of information and communication to our community and our members." Department members decided to print their Internet URL on the side of their equipment to help spread the word out about it. "That, in an understated way, sent the message to our citizens that Burke VFRD was continuing to be a progressive and `visionary' organization that was taking advantage of emerging technology," Butters said. |
