Resolution No. 50 COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENT: Health & Safety Re: Wildland/WUI

Transcription

1 Resolution No. 50 COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENT: Health & Safety Re: Wildland/WUI 1 WHEREAS, the number of homes being built in 2 the wildland and WUI environments are increasing at 3 a staggering rate across North America. In some 4 areas, up to 35% of new homes are being built in 5 areas in which a wildfire will expose both homes and 6 IAFF fire fighters to wildland and WUI fires; and 7 WHEREAS, IAFF fire fighters are ever 8 increasingly being tasked to respond to wildfires, 9 Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) fires, and wildfire 10 initiated conflagrations across the United States and 11 Canada. Very little research has been done on the 12 effectiveness of current response policies and 13 training of structural fire fighters operating in this 14 environment. Standardization of training and 15 response best practices need to be developed and 16 implemented to ensure safer operating practices; and 17 WHEREAS, little research has been done on the 18 exposure of wildfire, WUI, and wildfire-initiated 19 conflagrations on fire fighters. Exposures from 20 smoke, heat stress, psychological impacts as well as 21 carcinogens from multiple exposure routes need to be 22 researched. Wildland fire fighters are not equipped 23 with SCBAs to prevent smoke exposures in the WUI 24 environment; and 25 WHEREAS, since 1985, the number of large 26 wildfires in North America has increased fourfold 27 relative to the previous 15 years. Multiple 28 environmental factors have created a situation in 29 which fires are not only becoming more frequent, but

2 30 the intensities of these fires continues to increase. 31 Each of the past 10 years have seen records set for 32 both the frequency of wildfires and the intensity of 33 wildfires. Traditional wildfire seasons are no 34 longer the norm, we now see wildfires throughout the 35 year in many parts of North America; and 36 WHEREAS, wildfires in North America today are 37 more likely to involve structures with the continued 38 development into the wildland environment. IAFF 39 fire fighters traditionally operating as strictly 40 structural fire fighters are now being tasked with 41 protecting these homes and their occupants during 42 wildfires; and 43 WHEREAS, in many parts of North America, 44 80% of wildfires are within 2 miles of communities 45 that IAFF fire fighters protect; and 46 WHEREAS, the NWCG wildland firefighting 47 training programs, including the crosswalk or gap 48 classes, do not adequately relate to the structural 49 firefighting rank system, nor do these programs 50 address the inherent capabilities of IAFF structural 51 fire fighters already possessed for WUI fires. The 52 NWCG programs do not address urban conflagration 53 fires which are becoming more and more prevalent 54 with climate change; and 55 WHEREAS, the IAFF is committed to ensuring 56 the safety and proper training of its members as a 57 priority; therefore be it 58 RESOVLED, That the IAFF will include the 59 mission of Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) and 60 wildland firefighting as integral to the IAFF 61 collective firefighting mission and consistent with the 62 IAFF direction of the all-hazard structural fire fighter

3 63 concept; and be it further 64 RESOLVED, To better assist with the growing 65 national wildfire problem, the IAFF will develop and 66 work to implement a federally-accepted 67 reimbursement process which would allow properly 68 trained all-hazard structural fire fighters to respond, 69 upon request, nationally to major WUI/wildfire 70 events and have their respective jurisdiction 71 reimbursed for the cost; and be it further 72 RESOLVED, That the IAFF will develop an 73 IAFF nationally recognized wildfire firefighting 74 training program which will identify critical wildland 75 firefighting skills that structural fire fighters need to 76 be safe and effective in two situations: when making 77 an initial attack on a WUI/wildland fire in their 78 jurisdiction, and when working with state and federal 79 wildland fire fighter agencies; and be it further 80 RESOLVED, That the IAFF training program 81 will be position based and will rightly provide 82 training credit for the comprehensive skill sets and 83 the experience of structural fire fighters that live 84 within all fire fighter ranks; and be it further 85 RESOLVED, That the IAFF training program 86 will be designed for and by all-hazard structural fire 87 fighters so to reduce, as much as possible, the 88 redundancy of effort it takes to obtain the training, 89 education and certification necessary to perform 90 wildfire firefighting operations; and be it further 91 RESOLVED, That the IAFF lobby the National 92 Wildland Coordinating Group (NWCG) and any 93 other authority needed to ensure that the IAFF 94 WUI/wildfire firefighting training program is 95 recognized as equaling the NWCG standards; and be

4 96 it further 97 RESOLVED, That three cents per capita, will be 98 allocated to the IAFF WUI/wildland firefighting 99 training program development, implementation, and 100 management beginning October 1, Submitted by: Local 975, Austin, TX Montana State Council of Professional Firefighters Local 3082, Round Rock, TX Local 624, San Antonio, TX Local 2881, CAL FIRE, CA South Carolina Professional Fire Fighters Association Florida Professional Fire Fighters Local 157, Oklahoma City, OK Local 4848, Travis County District 4, TX Washington State Council of Fire Fighters Local 341, Houston, TX South Carolina Professional Firefighters Association Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts Alberta Fire Fighters Association Professional Fire Fighters of Oklahoma Cost Estimate: 3 cents COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION: CONVENTION ACTION:

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