Fire Service Online Resources

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These days you can easily access a wealth of current information relative to this course on the web. The following are some quality web-based resources that you may be interested in viewing and incorporating into your written assignments or the discussion area (don't forget to cite any materials you use):

GOVERNMENT WEBSITES (International, Federal, and State)

Building and Fire Research Laboratory - http://www.bfrl.nist.gov/
The Building and Fire Research Laboratory studies building materials; computer-integrated construction practices; fire science and fire safety engineering; and structural, mechanical, and environmental engineering. Products of the laboratory's research include measurements and test methods, performance criteria, and technical data that support innovations by industry and are incorporated into building and fire standards and codes. Visit the Building and Fire Research Publications database BFRL/NIST at http://fire.nist.gov/bfrlpubs/

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (BATF)-http://www.atf.treas.gov
The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) is a tax-collecting, enforcement and regulatory arm of the U.S. Department of the Treasury. In common with all other members of the executive branch, ATF's responsibility is established by congressional action. ATF cannot enact a law, nor can it amend the law. Charged as it is with fiscal oversight of some of the most controversial topics in Western civilization, ATF strives to maintain professional neutrality while giving a 35-to-1 return on every dollar it spends. ATF has the best cost-to-collection ratio in the federal family.

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission-http://www.cpsc.gov
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from more than 15,000 types of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product incidents cost the nation more than $700 billion annually. The CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazard or can injure children. The CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products - such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters, and household chemicals – contributed significantly to the 30 percent decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 30 years.

Federal Emergency Management Agency -http://www.fema.gov/
The Federal Emergency Management Agency - a former independent agency that became part of the new Department of Homeland Security in March 2003 - is tasked with responding to, planning for, recovering from, and mitigating against disasters. Click here http://www.usfa.fema.gov/public/factsheets/facts.shtm to view the factsheet on Fire in U.S., where they occur, what the causes are, who's at risk, and what saves lives.

National Association of Fire Marshalls-http://www.firemarshals.org/
State Fire Marshals' responsibilities vary from state to state, but marshals tend to be responsible for fire safety code adoption and enforcement, fire and arson investigation, fire incident data reporting and analysis, public education, and advising governors and state legislatures on fire protection. Some State Fire Marshals are responsible for fire fighter training, hazardous materials incident responses, wildland fires, and the regulation of natural gas and other pipelines. View the NAFM's website to review national news reports and existing programs regarding fire safety and protection.

National Criminal Justice Reference Service - http://www.ncjrs.gov
This site offers justice and substance abuse information to support research, policy, and program development worldwide.

National Institute of Justice-http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/
NIJ is the research, development, and evaluation agency of the U.S. Department of Justice and is dedicated to researching crime control and justice issues. NIJ provides objective, independent, evidence-based knowledge and tools to meet the challenges of crime and justice, particularly at the State and local levels. NIJ's principal authorities are derived from the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, as amended (see 42 USC § 3721-3723) and Title II of the Homeland Security Act of 2002. Find programs, publications, funding opportunities, and different events relating to law enforcement, public safety, and solicitations when visiting this website.

National Institute of Standards and Technology, Fire Research - http://www.fire.nist.gov/
Fire on the Web is a collection of resources from the Building and Fire Research Laboratory's Fire Research Division at NIST. These web pages provide links to fire-related software, experimental fire data, and mpeg/Quicktime movies of fire tests that can be downloaded and/or viewed with a web browser.

Occupational Safety and Health Administration -http://www.osha.gov/oshstats/sicser.html
OSHA was created to encourage employers and employees to reduce workplace hazards and implement new or improved safety and health programs; establish separate but dependent responsibilities and rights for employers and employees to achieve better safety and health conditions; maintain a reporting and recordkeeping system to monitor job-related injuries and illnesses; develop mandatory job safety and health standards and enforce them; and provide for the development, analysis, evaluation, and approval of state occupational safety and health programs.

U.S. Fire Administration home page -http://www.usfa.fema.gov/
As an entity of the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the mission of the USFA is to reduce life and economic losses due to fire and related emergencies, through leadership, advocacy, coordination, and support. We serve the Nation independently, in coordination with other Federal agencies, and in partnership with fire protection and emergency service communities. With a commitment to excellence, we provide public education, training, technology and data initiatives. Click here to view Applied Research: http://www.usfa.fema.gov/training/nfa/efop/applied_research/. Click here to view Learning Resource Center: http://www.lrc.fema.gov/index.html

Weather Information Network (NOAA) -http://www.noaa.gov
NOAA supplies information to its customers that pertains to the state of the oceans and the atmosphere. This is clearly manifest in the production of weather warnings and forecasts through the National Weather Service, but NOAA's information products extend to climate, ecosystems and commerce as well. NOAA also is the steward of national coastal and marine environments. In coordination with federal, state, local, tribal and international authorities, NOAA manages the use of these environments, regulating fisheries and marine sanctuaries as well as protecting threatened and endangered marine species.

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION WEBSITES

interFire Resource Center - http://www.interfire.org/res_file/menu_ab.asp
A rich collection of resources on the following topics: arson basics, fire and arson statistics, fatal fire investigation, report writing, and more. The online training center provides interactive tutorials on critical fire and arson investigation procedures. Visit the fire investigation resource center by subject or date which covers fire investigation from before the fire through to follow-up and legal preparation. You will be able to access fire investigation materials that include arson investigation abstracts, articles and tutorials, United States Fire Administration technical reports, fire investigation links and more. You can get hands on training by assessing our calendar of fire investigation training programs covering topics from arson awareness to fire insurance fraud and fire codes and standards. The Our Resource Center is a compilation of documents, tools, abstracts, and references to help you explore specific fire and fire investigation topics.

International Association of Fire Chiefs - http://www.iafc.org/
Established in 1873, the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) is a powerful network of more than 12,000 chief fire and emergency officers, the world's leading experts in firefighting, emergency medical services, terrorism response, hazardous materials spills, natural disasters, search and rescue, and public safety legislation.

International Association of Fire Fighters - http://www.iaff.org/
The International Association of Fire Fighters is the AFL-CIO, CLC-affiliated labor union representing more than 250,000 professional firefighters and emergency medical personnel in the United States and Canada. The IAFF is headquartered in Washington, DC, and operates a Canadian national office in Ottawa.

National Fire Protection Association - http://www.nfpa.org
This is a membership organization whose primary purpose is to advocate fire prevention through the development of safety codes and standards, training, and education. Offers online access to codes, a wide variety of training and education programs and materials, fire-related research data, and professional development seminars and conferences. NFPA has made its key ANSI codes and standards available for review online, to include: NFPA 1, Uniform Fire Code (2003 Edition), NFPA 1, Fire Prevention Code (2000 Edition), NFPA 30, 30A, 54, 58, 59A, 70, 471, 472, 473, 654, 909, 914, 1002, 1123, 1144, 1221, 1403 ,1451, 1710,1720, 1951, 1981, 1991, 1994, 1999, 5000. Visitors must register, but may access codes instantly.

ONLINE PUBLICATIONS and JOURNALS

Journals Available for Free Through the Web:

Fire Engineering Magazine - http://www.fe.pennet.com
Fire Engineering magazine provides training, education, and management information for fire and emergency services personnel worldwide. Articles are written by experts in the fire service and focus on lessons learned. The website includes a discussion board, a list of conferences and events, and links to a variety of current news articles on topics related to the field.

Fire Findings-http://www.firefindings.com
Fire investigation's most useful reference for broadening your knowledge of origin and cause. So much is riding on you making the right determinations in your fire investigation cases today. It's essential to call them right and be able to back up your decisions. "Seat-of-the-pants" or "off-the-top-of-the-head" determinations just aren't good enough.

Fire House Magazine - http://www.firehouse.com/
A comprehensive site for firefighters, including a variety of forums, an online magazine, current news articles, job listings, career and training information, and events calendar. Visit their Firehouse.com NY Firefighting Resources at http://cms.firehouse.com/content/fhnet/fh_network.jsp?Location=State&LocValue=37

Fire Protection Engineering magazine (free on the web) - www.FPEMAG.com
The mission of Fire Protection Engineering is to advance the practice of fire protection engineering and to raise its visibility by providing information to fire protection engineers and allied professionals.

Journals That May Be Available Through Your College Library:

Check with your reference librarian to determine if your library can provide online access to these journals. If these titles are available, the reference librarian should be able to provide you with "persistent URLS" to connect students to the journal's home page.

• Combustion and Flame
• Fire
• Fire Chief
• Fire International
• Fire Safety Journal
• Fire Safety Engineering
• Fire Technology
• NFPA Journal

GENERAL INFORMATION

CFITrainer.net-http://www.cfitrainer.net
CFITrainer.net is the International Association of Arson Investigator's (IAAI) latest innovation in providing high quality training to fire investigators at all levels of education, training, or certification. CFITrainer.net is a comprehensive system that allows participants to register for programs, track their progress as they complete educational modules, take online evaluation tests regarding the information in the modules and document their participation.

Forest Products Laboratory - http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/
We use science and technology to conserve and extend our nation's forest resources. Our mission is to promote healthy forests and forest-based economies through the efficient, sustainable use of our wood resources. Many breakthrough technologies that influence the way we live started at FPL. See the highlights.

IAAI -http://www.firearson.com/
To foster, support and promote fire prevention and arson awareness through education and training. The International Association of Arson Investigators, Inc., (I.A.A.I.) seeks to crusade against arson, educate to better protect life and property from crimes of insurance fraud and arson.

Lund University - Fire Protection Engineering Department - http://www.lth.se/english/education/engprog3/fire_protection_engineering/
The department does research in the fire protection and risk areas. In the former research related to modelling fire course, human behaviour during fires, extinguishing means and effect, optimizing industrial fire protection, risk-based technical fire protection dimensioning, and the public emergency and rescue services. Visit http://www.brand.lth.se/english/publications/meny.htm to view papers and research reports.

Materials Safety Data Sheets - http://www.med.cornell.edu/ehs/msds.htm
MSDS Search is one of the most comprehensive single address for free information related to Material Safety Data Sheets, providing access to over 850,000 MSDSs and 800 links directly to manufacturers in the manufacturers links section. MSDS Provider is a free MSDS resource that allows you to receive the latest MSDS's direct from the manufacturers to your computer.Where to find Material Safety Data Sheets on the internet? This site has links to many other MSDS locations and also other chemical-information related sites.

Society of Fire Protection Engineers - http://www.sfpe.org/
The purpose of the Society is to advance the science and practice of fire protection engineering and its allied fields, to maintain a high ethical standard among its members and to foster fire protection engineering education. The Society supports the development of the annual Professional Engineer licensing exam in fire protection and the grading of those exams under the auspices of the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying. Several volunteer committees and task groups work under the Society's auspices on technical projects to further advance the state of the art. The Society's activities include a series of educational seminars and short courses, technical symposia and conferences, books and publications, designed to advance the state of the art of fire protection engineering and provide technical information to the fire protection community. The Society publishes a bimonthly newsletter SFPE Today, a peer reviewed quarterly Journal, and a quarterly technical magazine Fire Protection Engineering.

Synergy Techologies - http://www.synergytech.net/
This web site contains publications on the Classifications of Electrical Overheating, Analysis on Electrical Fires, Mechanical Failures, and Injury Prevention. You will also find Pump & Lightning Damage Testing and Product and Process Design.

The FPE & CFS Department at Worcester Polytechnic Institute - http://www.wpi.edu/Academics/Depts/Fire/
The Fire Protection Engineering Program was created at WPI in 1979. It offered the first fire protection engineering master's degree program in the United States. The goal of this educational effort is to prepare men and women for careers in fire protection engineering practice, advanced levels of specialization, research, and teaching. The first-of-its-kind fire protection engineering doctoral degree has been offered since 1993. The Department of Fire Protection Engineering serves as a crossroads for bringing together talents from many disciplines on campus such as mechanical, chemical, civil, and electrical engineering as well as computer science, physics, management, and mathematics.

University of Canterbury's Fire Engineering Programme Research Reports - http://www.civil.canterbury.ac.nz/fire/fe_resrch_reps.shtml
Contains published research projects available to download directly as PDF files.

University of Maryland's Department of Fire Protection Engineering - http://www.fpe.umd.edu/department/modeling/index.html
A comprensive site that has a web-based Introduction to Fire Modeling.

Worcester Polytechnic Institute - Fire Protection Engineering & Center for Firesafety Studies - http://www.wpi.edu/
Visit WPI and explore the courses available in Fire Protection Engineering, Career Opportunities, Course Descriptions, and the different programs of study.

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