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A season of milestones: National Helicopter Rappel Program

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Rappellers descend from the Super Puma Type 1 Helicopter. The Super Puma is larger and can carry more firefighters and gear. (USDA Forest Service photo) For firefighters who rappel down ropes from helicopters, this year brought historic achievements and a renewed sense of purpose. The USDA Forest Service’s…
#FireAndAviationManagement, #Firefighters, #FirefighterSafety

eSafety program now collects additional injury info

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The eSafety program is changing to better serve firefighters, fire support personnel and leadership. The changes will enhance the understanding of fire and all-risk-related injuries by providing trends related to injuries and hazards. This will allow those in fire to better understand the risks encountered by employees engaged in…
#FirefighterSafety

Aviation Lessons Learned

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Interagency (IALL) and Forest Service (FSALL) Lessons Learned  Aviation Lessons Learned are purple-bordered and will be utilized to disseminate lessons learned from mishaps and their subsequent investigations.IALL 202626-01 Channelized Attention, (PDF, 246 KB)IALL 202525-06 Aeronautical Decision Making – Make the Precautionary Landing, (PDF, 390 KB)25-05 Human Factors – Expectation Bias…
#Fire, #FireAndAviationManagement, #Firefighters, #Drones, #Aviation, Federal Aviation Administration, #FirefighterSafety, #Safety

Arduous duty firefighters: Initiate your eMedical packets now

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Firefighters on the 2017 Thomas Fire, Ventura, California. USDA Forest Service photo by Kari Greer. WASHINGTON, D.C.—Wildland firefighting isn't for the faint of heart—it's a job that demands grit, stamina and a healthy dose of courage. Picture this: You're out on the fire line managing a…
#FirefighterSafety, #Health, Human Health

Ping-pong balls and drones: Future of fire in the forest

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Ping-pong balls to ignite prescribed fire can be used with drones larger than this Vision Aerial Switchblade Elite (Type 4). USDA Forest Service photo by Kaitlyn Tyler. ARIZONA—Drier, hotter days create the perfect climate for wildfires to spread violently, rushing into neighboring…
#Drones, #FirefighterSafety, #Safety, #WildlandFirefighting, #PrescribedFire, #UnmannedAircraftSystems

2023 National Defense Authorization Act and Cancer: What firefighters need to know

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  In December 2022, the Fiscal Year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act. Section 5305 titled “Fairness for Federal Firefighters,” identified that certain conditions will be “presumed” to be work-related for “federal employees in fire protection activities.” The list of presumptive illnesses…
#Firefighters, #FirefighterSafety, #Health, #FireAndAviationManagement