Caroline Reed: OSU FST Director

I’m pleased to share that after many months of development, testing, and refinement, the National Firefighter Registry (NFR) is officially open for registration!

Greetings Oklahoma Firefighters!

OFCA Ex Officio https://www.cognitoforms.com/FireProtectionPublications/_90thannualifstavalidationconferenceifsjlmresearchsymposiumregistration

Developed by NIOSH, the NFR is the largest effort ever undertaken to understand and reduce the risk of cancer among U.S. firefighters.

The NFR is actively recruiting all U.S. firefighters -paid and volunteer, active and retired, with and without cancer -- to help researchers better understand and reduce cancer in the profession.

Firefighters can join the NFR through NIOSH’s secure web portal. Participation is vol untary and registration takes about 30 minutes.

NIOSH will match the informa tion provided by participating firefighters with cancer diagnosis information from state cancer registries. This data will help NIOSH study the relationship between firefighting and cancer outcomes over time.

FSRI is proud to collaborate with NIOSH in promoting this important tool. Our online training course, “Comprehensive Cancer Prevention Strategies for the Fire Service,” that was originally launched last fall now includes a demonstration of how to register for the NFR.

We hope you will join us in amplifying this effort and the results will help protect members of the fire service from developing cancer, lessen the impact of cancer on firefighters’ families and friends, pave the way for new health and safety measures, and improve our understanding of cancer risk among minority, female, and volunteer firefighters.

Thanks for all you do!

It is my pleasure to invite each of you to the International Fire Service Journal of Leadership and Management Research Symposium on Saturday, July 8, from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency Downtown Tulsa (100 East 2nd Street).

Wait! Before you read “research” and stop reading the rest of this article, please bear with me and continue reading.

The Research Symposium will have a slate of speakers that most would pay time, travel and hotel to hear.

This annual event is designed to bring the latest research into the hands of those on the front lines of the fire service and fire service administration.

This event is FREE and a free lunch is included.

The 2023 Research Symposium speakers include Dr. Lori-Moore-Merrell, U.S. Fire Administrator; Dr. Stephen Kerber, Vice –President of Research and Director of the Fire Safety Research Institute; Dr. Sara Jahnke, Director and Senior Scientist, Center for Fire, Rescue, & EMS Health Research, and Chief Otto Drozd III, Executive Secretary of the Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association.

Topics for the symposium include applied fire science in burning buildings, bullying, wildland fires, leading change, firefighter health and bringing science to the station.

Each of these topics is relevant across the United States and Oklahoma. Please don’t miss this opportunity to hear the brightest minds in fire service research discuss meaningful science and research and you can apply in your fire department.

So, what do you have to do?

1. Register at this link no later than May 31, 2023.

2. Show up! Again, the event is free. We ask that you register so we can plan for the correct numbers for lunch.

Career, volunteer, rookie or chief, this event is for you. If you have questions about the event, please contact me. I hope to see you there.

Until next time, be safe, be well, be well trained.

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) released its 21st edition of the Fire Protection Handbook (FPH).

The two-volume printed set is now available for pre-order. One of the organization’s most significant publications, the Handbook is a comprehensive, one-of-a-kind reference guide of fire and life safety prevention and protection information for students and professionals across a wide range of First published in 1896 as the Handbook of the Underwriter’s Bureau of New England, the NFPA Fire Protection Handbook provides exclusive content unparalleled anywhere else in the industry. Through 21 editions and its 126 years of impact on safety, NFPA has regularly updated the Handbook’s contents according to industry trends, the latest training methods, case studies, and code requirements at the time of publication.

The new edition reflects the very latest fire protection and fire safety information, research and data, emerging technologies, and safety practices. The last edition was published in 2008.

As industry practitioners advance in their careers and new workers enter the labor force, professionals including engineers, designers, building managers, fire prevention managers, fire service members, insurance agents, inspectors, students, and other individuals who have responsibilities related to fire prevention and protection can use the Fire Protection Handbook to get the answers they need to their fire protection questions.

The information and methodologies used for calculations, system designs, and related processes give students and professionals not only the opportunity to enhance their understanding of a given concept, but they also can put that knowledge into practice to help safeguard lives and property and mitigate hazards in their communities.

With input from more than 200 industry specialists and NFPA subject matter experts, the 21st edition of the Fire Protection Handbook features 210 revised and updated chapters, 21 sections grouped by industry topic, full-color images, and accompanying index tabs for navigation.

Visit the NFPA catalog for more info.