ON THE ISSUE OF DETERMINING THE QUALITY OF FOAMING AGENTS DURING THEIR STORAGE AT FACILITIES

В статье представлены результаты анализа экспертных заключений по отчетным материалам, выполненным испытательными пожарными лабораториями ФГБУ ФПС в 2021 году по контролю качества пенообразователей и смачивателей, хранящихся в пожарных частях, на объектах, а также в установках пожаротушения. There are presented the results of analysis of expert reports on the reporting materials carried out by fire testing laboratories of FGBU FPS in 2021 concerning quality control of foaming agents and wetting agents stored in fire departments, at facilities, as well as in fire extinguishing installations.

A model of response efficiency in the hierarchical control system based on the assessment of readiness of fire departments

Introduction. The readiness of all levels of subsystems that comprise the Unified State System for Emergency Prevention and Liquidation (USSEPL) is one of the most important characteristics that determine its effectiveness. To support decision-making at the upper levels of the management hierarchy, it is important to have a set of models that adequately represent the dependence between key response efficiency indicators and particular indicators of lower levels of the system (fire and rescue departments). In most cases, a regulatory approach to the construction of such models, by virtue of which analysts set their structure and parameters, turns out to be unproductive due to their non-adaptive nature in the context of dynamically changing external conditions and technological capabilities of modern devices. The use of an approach based on solving inverse problems that close the feedback loop and provide for an adaptive adjustment of parameters and the structure of models, ensures the current adequacy of models amid changing conditions.The relevance of the study lies in the development of a technology for constructing polynomial models that allow to assess the USSEPL response effectiveness based on estimated indicators of readiness of subsystems at lower levels obtained using expert evaluation techniques (testing) by means of internal control.Goals and objectives. The aim of the work is to build and test the technology for developing analytical polynomial models that allow to adequately assess performance indicators of the USSEPL response depending on the readiness indicators of lower-level subsystems (fire and rescue departments). In compliance with this goal, the tasks of choosing the type of model and methods of obtaining the necessary initial data are also set.Methods. The study uses methods of analysis of hierarchically organized systems, mathematical statistics, simulation modelling, and methods of expert evaluation. The research is backed by materials from domestic and foreign publications.Results and discussion. The proposed method of constructing an efficiency model of the USSEPL operation, relying on the readiness of subsystems, serves as the basis for constructing models that can take into account other indicators of subsystems.Conclusions. The solution to the problem of constructing a polynomial model, that features dependence between the USSEPL response efficiency and lower-level readiness indicators, serves as the basis for other similar models that will support decision making systems.

The ResQCPR System: An Objective and Systematic Review

The resource-limiting environment of the pre-hospital setting necessitates the continuous development of tools and interventions that maximise the capabilities of emergency medical services (EMS) municipalities. One such product developed by Zoll, the ResQCPR system, attempts to enhance the effectiveness of prehospital cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). The ResQCPR system is comprised of the ResQPOD, which is an impedance threshold device (ITD), and the ResQPUMP, which is an assisted compression-decompression (ACD) device. Limited data exists regarding Zoll’s specific apparatuses as well as similar such devices. This systematic analysis comprehensively summarises a number of related studies. Their methods, limitations, results, and other aspects are outlined in the respective sections. Conclusion: This review concludes by determining that the effectiveness of the ResQPUMP, in particular (and ACD devices in general), is promising while the ResQPOD’s is uncertain. Future studies are needed to determine whether the effectiveness of the ResQPUMP markedly diminishes when used independently of the ResQPOD. This is an important feature for fire departments and other EMS municipalities because outfitting all appropriate units with both devices can be quite costly. Further studies are also needed to demonstrate reproducibility in humans (because 2 of the studies used pigs as test subjects) and with a greater amount of test subjects.

Bacteria Associated with Healthcare-Associated Infections on Environmental Samples Obtained from Two Fire Departments

(1) Background: Firefighters spend about 64% of their time responding to medical emergencies and providing medical care without a patient history, which can render them vulnerable to healthcare-associated infections (HAI). Infection prevention, control, and surveillance systems have been instituted at hospitals. However, the prevalence of firefighters’ exposure to HAI is unknown. The objective of this study was to document evidence of HAI on surfaces in fire stations and engines to inform disinfection procedures and identify which pathogens might contribute to occupational exposures. (2) Methods: High-touch or high-use surfaces of two fire departments were sampled during five separate occasions. One fire station from one fire department was sampled over a 4-week period, whereas four fire stations were sampled from a different fire department only once. Sampled surfaces included: entryway floor, washing machine, medical bag, back seat of engine, keyboard of reporting computer, engine console, and uniform pants. (3) Results: Multiple statistical models determined that bacterial contamination was similar between the two fire departments and their stations. Keyboards were the most contaminated surface for all fire stations and departments, E. coli was the most common bacteria detected, and C. difficile was the least detected bacteria. Adjustments for rates of contamination found that contamination rates varied between fire stations. (4) Conclusions: Comprehensive environmental sampling and clinical studies are needed to better understand occupational exposures of firefighters to HAI.

Patterns of communication during full-scale emergency/disaster drills

The motivation for developing, administering, and participating in full-scale disaster drills is multifold. Emergency drills not only test the capacity of emergency systems but also allow organizations to learn as well as improve processes and communication structures before disasters strike. They have been used as a platform to develop and maintain collaborative networks. This article examines the extent to which organizations collaborate with others during emergency/disaster drills. A social network analysis is employed to determine the patterns of communication and interorganizational networks during the planning and implementation of a full-scale emergency exercise. Specifically, we seek to understand the communication lines that stakeholders used to receive updated information, who they reached out to when standard communication channels were down, and what backup systems were in place. The research was conducted in a municipality located in north central Texas. This study was based on field observations and involved 14 face-to-face interviews with experienced public officials and first responders involved in a municipal government emergency drill/exercise. The interviews were administered after the 2017 full-scale emergency drill. Three major findings can be emphasized from this study. First, two types of organizations, namely, city fire departments and a university partaking in the exercise, played central role as a “bridge” between various organizations during the emergency drill. Second, the types of information considered important during the exercise can be categorized as strategic, procedural, and technical information. Finally, several back-up systems including ham radio, cellphones, internet back-up, and satellite were used to maintain communication channels.

Using Timely Overdose Data to Address a Spike in Nonfatal Overdoses and Inform a Coordinated Community-Level Response in Rhode Island, 2019

The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) uses emergency department data to monitor nonfatal opioid overdoses in Rhode Island. In April 2019, RIDOH detected an increase in nonfatal opioid overdoses in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, and sent an alert to state and local partners (eg, fire departments, emergency departments, faith leaders) with guidance on how to respond. To guide community-level, strategic response efforts, RIDOH analyzed surveillance data to identify overdose patterns, populations, and geographic areas most affected. During April–June 2019, nonfatal opioid overdoses in Woonsocket increased 463% (from 13 to 73) when compared with the previous 3 months. Because of the sustained increase in nonfatal opioid overdoses, RIDOH brought together community partners at a meeting in June 2019 to discuss RIDOH opioid overdose data and coordinate next steps. Data analyses were essential to framing the discussion and allowed community partners at the event to identify an unexpected increase in cocaine-involved nonfatal opioid overdoses in Woonsocket. Many patients with cocaine-involved nonfatal overdoses also had fentanyl in their system, and input from community partners suggested that many patients were unaware of using fentanyl. Community response actions included targeting harm reduction services (eg, distribution of naloxone, mobile needle exchange); deploying peer recovery support specialists to overdose hotspots to connect people to treatment and recovery resources; placing harm reduction messaging in high-traffic areas; and targeted social media messaging. After the meeting, nonfatal opioid overdoses returned to pre-outbreak levels. This case study provides an example of how timely opioid overdose data can be effectively used to detect a spike in nonfatal opioid overdoses and inform a strategic, community-level response.

Assessment of the possibility of human rescuing during fire in residential building

Рассмотрены общие методологические положения, позволяющие оценить возможность спасения людей при пожаре в жилом здании. Они базируются на расчетах временных интервалов развития опасных факторов пожара и перемещения пожарных подразделений, а также учитывают фактор потери огнестойкости строительных конструкций здания. Для дальнейшего интегрирования этих методологических положений в «Методику определения расчетных величин пожарного риска в зданиях, сооружениях и пожарных отсеках различных классов функциональной пожарной опасности» использованы положения этой Методики в части прогноза распространения пожара между помещениями и предельно допустимых значений опасных факторов пожара для спасаемых людей. Приведен пример расчета на конкретном объекте. The provisions of 80 Clause of the Federal Law No 123-FZ dated July 22, 2008 «Technical Regulations on Fire Safety Requirements» provide that structural, space-planning and engineering solutions of buildings and structures should ensure not only the possibility of people escape to a safe zone before harm to their life and health due to exposure to hazardous fire factors, but also the possibility of rescuing people. The process of forced movement of people outward when exposed to dangerous fire factors or when there is an immediate threat of this impact is understood as the rescue of people according to modern regulatory documents. This implies that rescue is carried out independently, with the help of fire departments or specially trained personnel, including the use of rescue equipment, through evacuation and emergency exits. Self-rescue of people presupposes their independent movement through emergency exits. The rescue of people by the personnel of the facility and/or by fire departments in case of fire in practice is due to the following main circumstances: - the absence of alarm and warning systems in buildings or failures of these systems, as a result of which some people do not receive information about the fire in a timely manner, and if they receive information about the fire late, they cannot use the escape routes due to their blocking by fire; - the presence of nonmobile groups of people in buildings; - the impossibility to ensure the fire safety of children on the basis of their independent evacuation in maternity hospitals, nursery groups of preschool educational institutions, in kindergartens of a compensating type (specialized), etc.; - the arrangement of fire-safe zones in buildings, from which the rescue of people should carried out by the forces of fire departments. The effectiveness of fire protection systems in terms of ensuring the safe escape of people is currently being assessed on the basis of fire risk calculations performed according to approved methods. It is currently difficult to conduct a comprehensive and substantiated assessment of the effectiveness of fire protection systems in terms of ensuring the possibility of rescuing people in case of fire due to the lack of unambiguous quantitative criteria and methodological provisions that would allow such assessment. The purpose of this study is to develop general methodological provisions that make it possible to assess the possibility of saving people in case of a fire in a residential building, based on the calculations of time intervals for the development of hazardous factors of fire and the movement of fire departments.

GIS-Based Simulated Annealing Algorithm for the Optimum Location of Fire Stations in the Madrid Region, Spain: Monitoring the Collapse Index

Recent increases in incidents make it unlikely for emergency systems to be able to meet incident requirements. In this paper, we formulate a new territorial measurement approach for the reliability of fire departments, the collapse index, to help decision makers determine their response capability. This new index expresses the maximum simultaneous workload in a pixel over one year, measured over time. Based on this index, we propose a new fire station (FS) optimum location model by applying the simulated annealing method in conjunction with a geographic information system. The formulation of the cost function as the minimum standard deviation of the FS workload, combined with the constraint that the maximum collapse index in any pixel must be less than a certain threshold, are two contributions of this work. Five optimisation processes are developed to locate between up to five FS and create collapse index maps in the Madrid Region. The maximum collapse index in a pixel with a new FS decreases from its initial value of 10,485 min to 2500 min when five new FS are built. The conclusion is that the proposed optimisation model meets the need for reliability in the emergency services and that the collapse index is a good measure to prevent overlapping in the system.

Analysis of the Plan to Receive Emergency Fire Response Teams for Large-Scale Disasters in Japan

In the event of large-scale disasters requiring state-level responses in Korea, the Fire Commissioner of the National Fire Agency (NFA) mobilizes the fire-fighting forces from the cities or provinces of the entire country. Korea does not have a suitable system to receive support in disaster-affected cities or provinces. There is, however, a system to support disaster-ravaged cities or provinces in accordance with the fire-fighting force mobilization system under the Framework Act on Fire Services. Unlike Korea, Japan mobilizes registered emergency fire response teams (EFRTs) to address large-scale disasters. In addition, fire departments of all prefectures and municipalities have established plans to receive EFRTs to prepare for large-scale disasters within their jurisdictions. This study analyzes the plan to receive EFRTs when large-scale disasters occur and EFRTs are mobilized in disaster sites in Japan. The receiving plan includes the following: procedure for requesting EFRT mobilization; establishment of a fire support coordination headquarters within the emergency operations headquarters of prefectures; establishment of command headquarters and command support headquarters in municipalities; establishment of air command headquarters in the fire air corps of prefectures; and appointment of the heads of command for support units and command support teams. Additionally, the plan addresses the establishment of advance points, hutment places, fueling stations, command systems, communication operation systems, task assignment systems, and unit movement and withdrawal procedures.