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Application

Illinois State Library

FY 2007 Library Services and Technology Act

Goal 8

In Memory of Our Heroes: Developing a Digital Image Collection of Illinois Firefighter Line of Duty Deaths

(IFLODD)

Submitted by

Lian Ruan Director/Head Librarian

Illinois Fire Service Institute University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Email: [email protected] Phone: 217 265-6107 Fax: 217 244-6790

May 2006

FY 2007 LSTA Grant Application Digital Imaging

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Outline of Application

1. Preprinted Cover Sheet ………………...………………………………4 2. Project Description………………………………………………………5 3. Target Audience Needs and Outcomes…………………………….….15 4. Implementation Plan…………………………………………………...18 5. Management Plan………………………………………………………24 6. Communication/Promotion Plan………………………………………25 7. Project Sustainability…………………………………………………...26 8. LSTA Budget Chart………………………………………………….…26 9. LSTA Budget Explanations……………………………………..…..…27 10. Local Contribution Budget Chart……………………………..……..30 11. Local Contribution Budget Explanations………………..…………..31 12. Assurance & Certification Guarantee………………………….…….32 13. Supporting Documentation…………………..……………………….35


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Dedicated to the Illinois firefighters who served with courage, pride, and honor, and heroically sacrificed their lives in the line of duty. Through the lessons learned from their passing, it is hoped that future lives will be saved.


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1. Preprinted Cover Sheet


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2. Project Description

Historical Background With its fire training history dating back to 1925, the Illinois Fire Service Institute (IFSI) was designated as the statutory State Fire Academy in 1980. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign operates IFSI as a continuing education and public service activity. The central objective is to help Illinois firefighters and other emergency services providers develop the core skills required to effectively meet the emergency fire service needs of their communities. IFSI’s mission is to help firefighters do their job with a goal of reaching every Illinois firefighter with the training, education and information he/she requires each year. The state’s fire service community consists of 1,293 fire departments and 42,675 firefighters with a 20% annual turnover rate. Seventy percent of the firefighters are volunteers. Since 1999, when the IFSI Library established an outreach program that provides no cost library and information services and programs to every Illinois firefighter, we have received eight (8) Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant awards from the Illinois State Library. These LSTA grants, ranging from $1000 to $81,626, have helped transform the IFSI Library from a small in-house library operated by a solo librarian to a well-respected outreach library with a professional staff team that serves firefighters statewide. In addition, the LSTA grants have also encouraged us to try out new ideas, build innovative services, maintain a user-centered approach, and go beyond the traditional library service model. As the only fire science-dedicated library in Illinois, and as one of three top fire academy libraries in the nation (see Attachment 1), the IFSI Library continues seeking new ways to meet firefighters’ dynamic and ever-changing information needs.

Related Line of Duty Death(LODD) Statistics and Databases Despite decades of training enhancements, research-based equipment developments, and firefighter and fire officer training improvements, contemporary firefighters still face a high risk of losing their life in the line of duty. Firefighter fatalities are regularly featured in newspaper headlines, as danger cannot be removed from the fire service profession. In 2005, thirty-three states experienced line-of-duty deaths (LODD, see Attachment 2), including Illinois. On average, approximately 100 U.S. firefighters are killed each year while on duty. Of these 100 annual deaths, research findings indicate that approximately one-half die from cardiovascular disease-associated problems and roughly one-quarter die as the result of vehicle accidents that occur en route to and from emergency incidents. Other causes of death include burns, building collapses, being struck by objects (vehicles, trees) at the incident scene, falls, air tanker and helicopter crashes, electrocution, drowning, and assault. The incidence of firefighter LODD per 100,000 incidents increased between 1991 and 1999, with 1999 having the highest rate of firefighter fatalities per 100,000 incidents since 1978, as shown in Figure 1. Research findings also reveal that firefighters today are dying inside structure fires at a significant


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rate that parallels the firefighter LODD of decades ago, regardless of the overall decline in the number of structural fires.

National Firefighter Line of Duty Deaths, 1977-2003

157

172

125

138 136127

113119

128120

131136

118

107 108

7579

10497 96 99

91

112103 102

97105

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

1977 1979 1981 1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003

Figure 1. National Firefighter LODD (1977-2003)

Source: NFPA Journal 2004 Note: NFPA study excludes the 343 FDNY firefighters killed on September 11, 2001. During the past 150 years (1857-present), 82 Illinois fire organizations have experienced LODD tragedies. As of May 2006, at least 709 Illinois firefighters have died in the line of duty, with roughly 85% of those deaths occurring in Chicago alone.

Illinois Firefighter Line of Duty Deaths, 1857-2006

0

20

40

60

80

1850

s 11

1860

s 12

1870

s 13

1880

s 22

1890

s 57

1900

s 35

1910

s 64

1920

s 73

1930

s 47

1940

s 62

1950

s 61

1960

s 76

1970

s 48

1980

s 72

1990

s 37

2000

s 19

Figure 2. Illinois Firefighter LODD (1857-2005)

Source: IFSI Deputy Director David F. Clark’s personal collection on “Illinois Firefighters Who Died In The Line Of Duty” In the last decade, several high-profile incidents involving firefighter LODD have brought national attention to the issue of firefighter mortality in the USA. The deaths of firefighters have far-reaching effects, as they profoundly affect not only the families left behind, but also the communities in which the firefighters lived, the firefighters with whom they served, and the fire service as a whole. Numerous national organizations collect statistics on firefighter LODD, but this information is often incomplete or only includes national statistics. Some examples are:


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National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). As part of their overall mission of reducing the burden of fire and related hazards on society, NFPA collects annual data on U.S. firefighter fatalities resulting from injuries or illness that occurred while on duty. A detailed account of the previous year’s death and injury statistics is then published in NFPA Journal every year, but these annual reports only focus on statistical research pertaining to national firefighter LODD and do not offer statistics and research on individual states. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). NIOSH conducts investigations of firefighter LODD through their Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program, with the goal of formulating recommendations for preventing future deaths and injuries. The program of investigation of firefighter LODD provides a database based on on-site data collection, but the database only includes fatality reports on thirteen Illinois firefighter fatalities, covering just the period from February 1998 to April 2004 (see Attachment 3). United States Fire Administration (USFA). The USFA’s website features the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Database (http://www.usfa.fema.gov/applications/ffmem/), but this database only contains information on deaths since 1981. Records in this database contain a summary of the incident and information about the fire department, along with various metadata fields, including age, cause of death, rank, nature of death, type of fire department (“classification”), incident date, duty type, and date of death. However, a close look at the 129 records for Illinois firefighter LODD (1981-2004) in this database reveals that not all firefighter fatalities are enumerated and the different records contain varying levels of information. Fatalities from the early part of the 1990s are particularly sparse and some records contain nothing more than a name and fire department. Illinois Office of State Fire Marshal (OSFM). Since 1993, OSFM holds an annual Fire fighting Medal of Honor Awards Ceremony and Fallen Firefighter Memorial Service every May (http://www.state.il.us/osfm/Memorial/Overview.htm). While OSFM maintains “Illinois Fire Death Statistics,” some of this information is inconsistent with statistics elsewhere. For example, USFA has information about seven Illinois firefighter LODD for 2004, while OSFM only lists one. Other organizations. The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), and the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) have begun to develop additional programs or new initiatives intended to promote firefighter health, safety, and well-being. Similarly, efforts are underway to develop training programs to teach firefighters how to rescue themselves and their fellow firefighters in the event they become trapped or disoriented in a fire (see Attachment 4). None of these projects, however, involve a systematic study of firefighter LODD. To our knowledge, there is no definitive list of Illinois firefighters who died in the line of duty. In fact, the resources maintained by various fire organizations contradict one another. Furthermore, as these resources mainly focus on investigations into the


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incidents where firefighters died, none of these resources include digitized photos, newspaper clippings, fire station logbooks, stories, interviews, or historical recollections about fallen firefighters and their lives. There is no central searchable database for firefighter LODD in Illinois and no deaths have been documented in an online digital image collection.

Project Activities Our proposed project, “In Memory of Our Heroes: Developing a Digital Image Collection of Illinois Firefighter Line of Duty Deaths (IFLODD),” aims to collect, organize, digitize, preserve, and provide access to historical and cultural materials that document the ultimate sacrifice of more than 700 Illinois firefighters over the past 150 years. The IFSI Library will partner with fire organizations, historical societies, fire museums, and libraries to digitize photographs, newspapers, fire station logbooks, and other resources that detail these tragedies for inclusion in an online database. Providing access to this history will memorialize the firefighters, increase awareness of their sacrifice, and supply contemporary firefighters with valuable “lessons learned” from the various deaths. This new service will also enhance the educational endeavors of firefighters and could help prevent future tragedies. Furthermore, the project will strengthen partnerships the IFSI Library has already established with fire departments, fire organizations, and public libraries throughout Illinois. This project will also help build relationships with historical societies and fire museums. To achieve our goals, the proposed project will take these steps:

1) Conceptually design and develop “IFLODD: The Illinois Firefighter LODD Digital Image Collection Database” (see Figure 3). It will contain Internet-ready electronic versions of materials with searchable metadata (see Table 1) and be available through the Project Web Page on the IFSI’s Website (http://www.fsi.uiuc.edu). IFLODD will be linked to multimedia resources available through the IFSI Library’s Online Public Access Catalog and other important LODD Internet resources by using Coldfusion programming language, and also be stored on our Microsoft SQL (MS-SQL) server;

Figure 3: IFLODD Conceptual Design

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Facet Metadata Field

Personal Data Name Date of Birth Affiliation Career; Volunteer; Paid on-call; Combination… Type of Agency Paid (full-time); Paid (part-time); Volunteer… Rank

Firefighter; Company officer (captains, lieutenants, and sergeants); Chief officers (fire chiefs, deputy chiefs, assistant chiefs, and battalion/district chiefs)…

Age Range 20 and under; 21 to 25…over 60 Gender Male; Female Place Fire Department Name Community Size (Population) Under 1,000; 1,000-5,000; 5,000-10,000… Fire Department Location (City/Zip) Place of Incident (City) Location of Incident

Residential structures; Nonresidential and Industrial structures; Educational or Health-care facilities; Public assembly; Institutional; Correctional properties; Special structures; Road/Highway; Railway; Water; Outdoors; Fire Station; Training facility/area…

Time Date of Incident Date of Death Time of Death Vehicle (Used at the Incident) Engine/pumper; Tanker; Personally owned vehicle

(POV); Ladder truck/aerial tower; Heavy rescue; Ambulance…

Cause Attributes of Fire Ground Deaths

Incendiary and suspicious fires; Search and rescue operations; Motor vehicle crashes; Emergency Medical Service (EMS); False call…

Cause of Death Stress; Flashover; Structural collapses; Fell/slipped...

Nature of Death Cardiac arrest/heart attack; Internal trauma… Pre-existing Conditions

Prior heart attack; heart bypass; cardiovascular other; arteriosclerosis; hypertension; diabetes; dehydration; fatigue; blood clots; virus/infection; asthma; anemia; seizures; embolism; aneurysm; stroke/CVA; pulmonary disease...

Contributing Factors Human communication error; communication equipment failure; insufficient resources; lack of accountability system; lack of proper incident size; lack of SOPs; lack of effective incident command system…

Incidents Summary Table 1. Content Object Description Facets and Metadata Fields for IFLODD

Source: NFPA Annual Firefighter Fatalities Reports; NFPA 901 (1981 edition); USFA Firefighter Fatalities Study in 2002. Note: Every record in IFLODD will not necessarily contain each of these fields. In some cases our project will be limited by information availability and privacy concerns. Source of materials will be indicated and credited. Controlled vocabularies will be assigned.


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2) In parallel with Step 1, conduct extensive research at participating fire stations, historical societies, fire museums, newspaper archives, and libraries statewide to search, identify, collect, digitize, and organize pertinent information for inclusion in IFLODD. We propose to travel to all fire departments with more than two firefighter LODDs. For the rest of departments, we plan to work with onsite partners to determine the necessity of a field visit (up to five site visits) or to acquire information and images through alternative options and means, such as certified mail and/or online delivery. As the fieldwork will include research about the historical and cultural nature of firefighter LODD, we will compile footnotes and bibliographies related to the material being digitized. Potential types of materials for digitization may include, but are not limited to, archival records, fire station logbooks, maps, photographs, drawings, newspaper clippings, and three-dimensional artifacts;

3) Arrange to link IFLODD to the “Digital Illinois Fire Departments Training Network Database,” which was built through the successful FY2006 LSTA grant entitled “Creative Use of Libraries (CUOL Grant!) - Deliver Right Information to Illinois Firefighters at Right Time.” The Network Database contains training calendars from various Illinois fire departments, indicates local training needs, and is linked to the IFSI Library and other web-based resources so that firefighters can find relevant information at their fingertips;

4) Build links within IFLODD to information about firefighter LODD procedures and protocols, and resources for survivors (See Attachment 4). These resources are available through federal, state, local and private sources, including labor organizations;

5) Utilize FireTalk (http://www.fsi.uiuc.edu/content/library/FireTalk), the IFSI Library’s controlled vocabulary, in assigning appropriate subject terms to the materials in IFLODD. These same terms will help IFLODD users search relevant materials (see Attachment 5) in the Library’s OPAC multimedia collection;

6) Inventory and update the IFSI Library’s OPAC multimedia collection on firefighter LODD by identifying, selecting, and purchasing new or additional copies of multimedia library materials in direct support of the new service. These materials in the augmented collection will be available for loan to both firefighters and the general public through their local library’s ILL services;

7) Design, develop and test virtual workshops for firefighters, staff at historical societies and fire museums, public librarians, and the general public, on proper use of IFLODD and how it can help them find information related to their work, research, or personal interests;

8) Offer audio descriptions of selected digital images for people with print disabilities and participate in the Illinois State Library’s training on how to write audio descriptions;

9) Provide adequate reference and interlibrary loan (ILL) services to public libraries, historical societies and fire museums, along with online services to firefighters and citizens throughout the state;

10) Promote the new service and collection to fire emergency professionals, historical societies, fire museums, and library communities;

11) Develop evaluation plans.


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The proposed project will rely on various partnerships with fire departments, historical societies, fire museums, and libraries. As a state leader in fire emergency training for the past 81 years, IFSI has strong relationships with the Illinois fire service community as a whole, including the departments that have lost firefighters in the line of duty. These departments include Chicago, Quincy, Aurora, Naperville; Carthage, Springfield, Alton; Aroma; Ashton; Canton; Countryside; Earlville; Litchfield; Monmouth; Mt. Carmel; Oak Park; Waukegan, Ashkum Township; Atlanta; Belle Rive; Berwyn; Bourbonnais; Brimfield; Cary; Champaign; Channahon; Chebanse; Cherry Valley; Cicero; Depue; Downer’s Grove; Elk Grove Township; Evanston; Fairmont; Foosland; Galesburg; Gladstone; Glenbrook; Godfrey; Great Lakes; Granville; Green Valley; Greenville; Gulfport; Gurnee; Herrick; Herrin; Hinsdale; Holbrook; LaGrange Park; Libertyville; Logan-Trivoli; Ludlow; Macomb; Mattoon; Morris; New Lenox; Northbrook; Orland; Peoria; Pleasantview; Robbins; Rockford; Seneca; Seward; South Holland; South Pekin; Steger; Stone Park; Vernon; Villa Grove; Warsaw; Washburn; Western Springs; Westmont; Winthrop Harbor; Woodmere; and Wood River. Other organizations that have experienced firefighter LODD include the U.S. Forest Service, the Reynolds Metal Company, the Union Oil Company in Romeoville, and IFSI (which lost an instructor from New York City on September 11, 2001). Support letters from some of these organizations are included in Attachment 6, along with a letter from Michael Kimmerling, Chairman of the IFSI Library Advisory Committee Member. Fire department partners will share information retained in their fire stations, such as logbooks, newspaper clippings, and photos (see samples in Attachment 7), and also provide workspace for the project staff to organize, select, and digitize relevant materials. Fire departments will also act as project liaisons by suggesting additional resources, and by assisting and supporting the project activities as needed. Several individual firefighters who have especially rich experience and knowledge about their department history may be viewed as individual partners. Partners from the local historical societies, fire museums, and public libraries will provide research assistance and access to relevant materials within their collection, and grant us permission to digitize those materials. The Fire Museum of Greater Chicago, the Aurora Public Library, the Aurora Regional Fire Museum, the Champaign County Historical Archives, and the Illinois Fire Museum were all contacted during the proposal development stage and each of these partners responded with strong interest and enthusiastic support (see support letters in Attachment 8). In addition, the IFSI Library has been a full member of the Lincoln Trail Libraries System (LTLS) since November 1998. Our ILL services with local public libraries statewide is part of our daily library operations and the IFSI Library has maintained good relationships with local public libraries. In addition, we will rely on IFSI in-house support in areas of information technology, fire fighting knowledge, and networking with the fire service community. Table 2 below lists fire departments that have lost firefighters in the line of duty along with local partners for this project. As the project develops, we expect to add many additional partners who were not contacted during the grant proposal stage.


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Fire Organization Number of

LODD Potential Partner

Chicago 591 · Chicago Fire Department* · Individual Firefighters · Fire Museum of Greater Chicago* · Chicago Public Library

Union Oil Fire Brigade (Romeoville) 10 · Romeoville Public Library · Romeoville Fire Department

Quincy 7 · Quincy Fire Department* · Historical Society of Quincy and Adams · Quincy Public Library

Aurora 5 · Aurora Regional Fire Museum* · Aurora Historical Society · Aurora Fire Department · Aurora Public Library*

Naperville 4 · Naperville Fire Department* · Naperville Public Library

Carthage; Springfield (2) 3 · Illinois Fire Museum* · Springfield Fire Department · Carthage Fire Department · Carthage and Springfield public libraries

Alton; Aroma; Ashton; Canton; Countryside; Earlville; Litchfield; Monmouth; Mt. Carmel; Oak Park; Waukegan (11)

2 · Oak Park Fire Department* · Local public libraries or historical societies

Ashkum Township; Atlanta; Belle Rive; Berwyn; Bourbonnais; Brimfield; Cary; Champaign; Channahon; Chebanse; Cherry Valley; Cicero; Depue; Downer’s Grove; Elk Grove Township; Evanston; Fairmont; Foosland; Galesburg; Gladstone; Glenbrook; Godfrey; Great Lakes; Granville; Green Valley; Greenville; Gulfport; Gurnee; Herrick; Herrin; Hinsdale; Holbrook; IFSI; LaGrange Park; Libertyville; Logan-Trivoli; Ludlow; Macomb; Mattoon; Morris; New Lenox; Northbrook; Orland; Peoria; Pleasantview; Reynolds Metal Company; Robbins; Rockford; Seneca; Seward; South Holland; South Pekin; Steger; Stone Park; U.S. Forest Service; Vernon; Villa Grove; Warsaw; Washburn; Western Springs; Westmont; Winthrop Harbor; Woodmere; Wood River (64)

1 · Champaign County Historical Archives* · Individual firefighters, fire departments, local libraries, and historical organizations · History, Philosophy, and Newspaper Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Total 82 709 Table 2. Organizations with Firefighter LODD and Partners

Note: Asterisks indicate letters of support received.


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Project Goals Match ISL Long Range Plan By targeting special types of historical materials, the proposed project addresses one of the goals in the Illinois State Library’s Long Range Plan for the Use of LSTA Funds FY2003-FY2007. The project meets the LSTA Goal 8, which is to: Continue to support the preservation and digitization of historic Illinois information and materials” and “to provide the opportunity for libraries to preserve and digitize materials of historical value to Illinois, using the standards developed by the Illinois State Library. Goal 8’s benefit will allow librarians to continue to preserve information, develop access to the information, and to make residents aware of these documents. Its outcome is that more materials of historical value to the residents of Illinois will be available using a variety of methods.

Budget Summary

An LSTA grant would support the IFSI Library with the much-needed one-time, start-up money for additional human resources, travel funds, and equipment that would allow us to complete this project in a more timely and effective manner. The requested funds of $20,000 in the proposed budget would support the project staff’s field research and visits ($4,196); the hiring of two graduate student assistants ($12,804) to help facilitate the project by contributing on design, development, implementation, research, coordination, and evaluation tasks; the purchase of equipment, including a portable scanner ($580), digital camera ($300), and digital recorder ($207) to bring to the field for research and digitization purposes, along with an SCSI drive for additional storage capacity on our web server ($350); and the acquisition of multimedia library materials ($1,500) needed to support the new service. IFSI will make a significant local contribution of $38,140 to the project, including staff’s time contributions with fringe benefits ($32,690), public relations ($350), supplies, postage and printing ($500), phones and telecommunications ($600), and additional indirect costs ($4,000). Since the IFSI Library is a special library and no children use our library, CIPA does not apply to this project. By focusing on preserving and digitizing materials of historical value, IFLODD will reach the following desired outcomes: increase awareness of firefighter LODD among the fire emergency service community and the general public; provide access to Illinois-related historical and cultural materials in a digital format; help users recognize the value of digitized local history materials, such as newspapers and other type of materials. As a multifaceted reference tool, IFLODD will be an important component of the IFSI Library’s Outreach Program. This database will be the first of its kind to focus on LODD in an organized, digital form. It will help increase our users by including the general public, and add a new, effective dimension of digital image service. To our knowledge, this service and collection will be the first of its kind among inFIRE (international network of Fire and Information Resources Exchange, an international fire library consortium) member libraries worldwide.


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3. Target Audience Needs and Outcomes

Target audience needs were identified and desired project outcomes were delineated by studying national firefighter LODD research, by investigating Illinois LODD resources, by evaluating the IFSI Library’s reference services on this topic, and by IFSI Library’s development of the Significant Fire and Emergencies in Illinois History poster exhibit.

Target Audience Needs

Most studies indicate that it should be possible to significantly reduce the number of firefighter LODD through research, study, training, information, improved operations, development of new technologies, the appropriate use of staffing, and other factors. Generally, most firefighter LODD are the result of a chain of events, which, if detected early, can be broken, preventing many, or even most, fatalities. Although many of the components that make up the fire service have improved, the National Firefighter LODD Study (1977-2003) reveals that, in many cases, firefighters are not being killed by new dangers, but instead the same dangers that have been an issue for decades. These facts drive IFSI’s Research Program, which focuses on reducing firefighter fatalities and injuries by analyzing trends to identify the most common causes of firefighter LODD. For example, recent failures of some escape rope systems that caused multiple firefighter fatalities has lead IFSI to investigate the effects of high temperature on ropes. IFLODD could be used to steer the research program by remembering what lessons have been learned and pointing out those that remain. In addition to impacting research, this awareness of the continued high number of fatalities has changed the fabric of the fire service and prompted many organizations, including those in Illinois, to initiate programs that protect firefighters. Fire departments throughout the country are adjusting their tactics to promote firefighter safety and reduce firefighter deaths and injuries. They continually strive to protect the communities they serve AND their firefighters through training, innovative technologies and techniques, and a constant desire to improve their skills. Many fire departments reinforce the need to learn the lessons from these previous firefighter fatality incidents by addressing the issue through training. As Chief Ronny Coleman states, “Training is the heart and soul of competency.” Comprehensive prevention strategy efforts, such as changes in operational strategies and tactics, the designation of rapid intervention teams/crews (RIT/RICs) and incident safety officers, the development of personnel accountability and roadway safety policies, more stringent adherence to standard operating procedures (SOPs), and the expansion of physical fitness and dietary change efforts, are necessary if firefighters are to safely and effectively respond to emergency incidents. Providing firefighters with pertinent and innovative information services is essential to training programs, and the efficient management and distribution of lessons learned from firefighter LODD can further contribute to these efforts. IFLODD will help inform and stimulate additional training endeavors.


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Target Audience #1: Firefighters on the Job

There are 6,000 to 8,000 entry-level firefighters that join the profession each year in Illinois. Considering the fact that 70% of Illinois firefighters are volunteers, the fire service experiences an annual turnover rate of 20%. In a 1998 IFSI Library survey, we found that only 4.5% of all fire departments in Illinois have a library, only 3% have over 500 titles, and 49% have fewer than 50 items. Similarly, according to a 2003 survey of the 28 County Firefighter Association libraries, no library has over 500 titles and 39% have fewer than 50 items. Among all fire department libraries, none have a librarian and 90% have no personnel to manage the library. Generally, local information resources are fragmented and unbalanced for use in training programs. This lack of onsite professional support for collection development, organization, and access to fire emergency information resources is supported by IFSI Library’s Outreach Program, including the ILL and web reference contacts the Library currently maintains with this audience.

Target Audience #2: Firefighters as Students Brian Brauer, a Fire Fighting instructor at IFSI, teaches an LODD class in which students are required to complete a written report on a firefighter fatality. Students conduct research on the fatality to determine who the firefighter was, the size and structure of his or her department, and information about the family the firefighter left behind. The student then dissects the events that led up to the fatal event and compares this to a set of standard operating guidelines allowing the students to identify corrective actions that could have made a difference. Brauer believes this report has a practical application in the basic fire fighting courses at IFSI, as the lessons learned from these deaths are written in blood and help new firefighters vicariously learn from the losses of other departments and the sacrifices of other firefighters. This program began in 2003, and has been well received by the students and staff. As of May 2006, 44 students have completed the course and the required LODD written project, with another 27 expected to complete the course in the fall of 2006. Because the IFSI Library does not have a LODD database and instead the pertinent resources are scattered in other reference sources, Reference and User Training Librarian Diane Richardson and her student team must compile the information into a binder for the students to use. Each year they collect sources and update a pathfinder for the students to use for their research. To maintain a well-trained fire fighting force in Illinois, it is imperative and obligatory for the IFSI Library as the State Fire Academy Library to develop and implement this proposed IFLODD to help prepare all firefighters, career or volunteer, for the fire fighting challenges they face on the job. With rich content and digital images, the IFSI Library will meet their LODD information needs by making IFLODD available and accessible to firefighters and the general public. The proposed project is not intended to judge the actions of the firefighters included in the database. It will document the fire, the strategy employed, and what options were available to the members of the crew as they developed and implemented their incident strategy. The database will help firefighters learn safety techniques and also contribute to


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the development of enhanced approaches to training involving LODD by developing critical resources in support of these programs.

Target Audience #3: General Public

IFLODD will be made available to the general public and will help memorialize Illinois firefighter LODD, increase public awareness of their ultimate sacrifice, and contribute to their better understanding of Illinois firefighters and the fire service profession.

Target Audience #4: Historians and Researchers IFLODD will also be made available to historians of the state’s cultural heritage and researchers of the fire service profession. It will help historians and researchers enhance their studies of Illinois firefighter LODD, gain in-depth understanding about firefighter LODD in Illinois, and preserve the history of the Illinois fire service as part of state’s overall history.

Desired Outcomes By achieving our proposed project goals, we anticipate four major desired outcomes. We plan to measure the level of success of the proposed project, specifically focusing on our success in supporting the preservation and digitization of historic Illinois information and in providing firefighters and the general public with easy access to these materials. Outcome #1: Illinois firefighters on the job and in training and the general public will have access to IFLODD, a digital image collection database 24/7. IFLODD will be available online halfway through the project calendar. Upon completion of this stage, 100 or more firefighters and 50 or more staff members from libraries, historical societies, and fire museums will receive a one-hour long virtual training workshop on how to use the new service and how it relates to the IFSI Library’s services. The virtual training workshop will also be open to the general public and can be scheduled upon request. We plan to use an online training workshop survey to track Google hits on our Website to measure user satisfaction with the new service and the IFSI Library. Outcome #2: Illinois firefighters and the general public will recognize the value of digitized history materials in meeting their information needs. IFLODD will help improve firefighters’ and Illinois citizens’ knowledge of LODD and also influence firefighters’ training and emergency response. This service will especially benefit firefighter end users who serve in fire departments that lack funding and resources. The quality and efficiency of local fire department LODD training programs and activities will be enhanced. Through IFLODD, firefighters will have high quality, rich history, and up-to-date firefighter LODD training materials readily available from


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the IFSI Library to directly support their LODD training needs and activities. Local training needs on LODD will be met in a timely fashion and use of the IFSI Library by firefighters will be increased. Illinois firefighters will make informed decisions about the effectiveness of their training, emergency incident response techniques, and efforts to protect themselves. Based on the survey questionnaire about decision-making used in our FY2006 LSTA grant project and additional survey questionnaires used in various other user studies, we will customize a questionnaire to analyze how a firefighter’s decision-making process and behavior modification efforts are influenced by the new firefighter LODD database. Furthermore, the Internet-capabilities of firefighters will be improved. With virtual training tools and reference desk help, firefighters can access IFLODD on their own. IFLODD will be the first time that systematic, centralized, and digitalized firefighter LODD information is widely accessible in a searchable format. IFLODD will contribute to resource sharing, information exchange, and collaboration among fire departments. Outcome #3: Illinois’ cultural history will have enhanced resource access via IFLODD. IFLODD will bring together diverse collections from across the state to improve access to these unique materials and to aid historians and researchers in their efforts to preserve Illinois’ cultural history. Outcome #4: Partnerships with multiple participating organizations will be initiated, strengthened, and expanded to provide rich historical information in a timely fashion to firefighters and the general public. Partnerships developed in the course of this project will have a synergistic effect on the collaboration and sharing efforts necessary for providing access to firefighter LODD information resources. The IFSI Library will monitor the number of ILL requests answered to measure the effectiveness of this new level of partnership. Community impact during and beyond the project year can also be assessed and measured. The proposed project’s success can be used as a tangible example of service in promoting firefighter LODD library and information services in both the Illinois fire emergency service community and among the general public. The project can be replicated in other libraries across the nation for integrating digital image collection with training, emergency incident response management, and public awareness.

4. IMPLEMENTATION PLAN

Goals

Firefighters and the general public will have easy and effective access to IFLODD and other IFSI Library resources. IFLODD will enhance awareness, understanding and knowledge about firefighter LODD, provide lessons learned, and include information


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about resources, contemporary firefighter training efforts, and the overall history of fire service profession. The IFSI Library will ensure timely access to adequate information resources and services that support training programs and emergency incident management across all fire departments, and also the information needs of Illinois citizens. Three specific project goals of this proposed project are to:

a) Document and memorialize firefighters who died in the line of duty; b) Supply contemporary firefighters with “lessons learned” from the deaths,

including information on where to turn for help following the death of a firefighter;

c) Increase public awareness of their sacrifice and the profession’s history. Research on each firefighter LODD will result in a succinct summary report in IFLODD. This report will include information about the circumstances of each fatality, along with details about related investigations and subsequent analysis of the incident. IFLODD will provide insights for prevention and intervention activities as shown in Figure 3.

Detailed Action Plans

We will take the following detailed actions to meet these goals: 1) Creation of IFLODD. By working with Nicholas Voss, IFSI Research Programmer and project technical advisor (see Attachment 9), IFSI administrators and instructors, and other subject advisors, Archivist Adam Groves and project staff will create IFLODD. Voss plans to use a Microsoft SQL (MS-SQL) server and Coldfusion programming language to build IFLODD and connect the digitized materials to the IFSI Library’s Online Public Access Catalog, and the “Digital Illinois Fire Departments Training Network Database (see Figure 3). A completely relational database structure links people to events, and events to places. The public accessible Web site will be database driven, always displaying content from the underlying data structure designed in the first stage of the plan. The search and navigation processes will be faceted, with state-of-the-art capability providing beyond A-Z searching. Access to the database will be accomplished by modifying and adding to systems that are already in existence at IFSI. Additional server space will be used to store the digital images and a Graphical User Interface (GUI) will maintain IFLODD. Partners will help us determine the final content made available in IFLODD and the IFSI Library staff will carefully manage copyright permissions and privacy issues. Table 1 indicates the metadata fields that will be included in IFLODD, mainly based on the 2004 NFPA firefighter fatalities research and other studies. The metadata will be modified further based on our fieldwork and research in an effort to match Illinois fire service needs.


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Updating IFLODD will be done on a continuous basis depending on continuing research and digitization efforts. We will design statistical reports and customized search reports based on the end users’ needs and also provide adequate online support and tutorials. Firefighters with a three-shift working schedule and the general public, using a wide range of computer operating systems and browsers, can access this web-based information 24 hours a day, seven (7) days a week. The project’s web page will provide instructions and online help for searching IFLODD in the form of a graphic tutorial with explanatory captions and images from actual search screens. The web page will also include links to the IFSI Library multimedia collection, online resources provided by participating partners, and other online resources relevant to the project. 2) Extensive Research in the Field. At partner sites, IFSI Archivist Groves will work with partners to search, identify, collect, digitize, and organize historical materials about firefighter LODD. The project graduate students will assist him in coordinating research visits, entering data, managing content, and determining any copyright issues. The IFSI Library will encourage partners to share their knowledge, expertise, and resources in an effort to preserve this history and increase awareness and usage of these materials by firefighters and the general public. 3) Collection Development. In addition to the acquisition of digital image materials from participating partners, we will update the IFSI Library’s multimedia collection ability to support IFLODD by identifying, selecting, purchasing and processing library materials dealing with LODD (see samples in Attachment 5). These materials may include books, videotapes, DVDs, CD-ROMs, and other electronic resources (such as NFPA Online National Fire Codes). The multimedia collection will be linked to IFLODD and available to all firefighters and the general public for circulation or interlibrary loan during and after the project term (see Figure 3). Through IFLODD, the IFSI Library will remain the state’s clearinghouse for comprehensive fire emergency information resources. 4) Virtual Partner and User Training Program. We propose to continue the training initiatives built in previous LSTA grant projects by designing, developing, and conducting workshops, manuals, and online tutorials about how to access IFLODD and other web-based resources. 5) Reference and ILL Services. The IFSI Library staff answers questions in-person, by walk-in or toll-free telephone number and fax. We also take questions through mail, electronic mail or online forms. Digital reference services will also be available through chat reference, as the IFSI Library participates in AskAway Virtual Reference Service (administered by the Illinois State Library). We will integrate IFLODD into the IFSI Library routine reference and online services. It will also be linked to local fire training programs through the already built Network Database. Partnerships with historical institutions and libraries will help us reach citizens and meet their information needs. 6) Evaluation and Online Tracking System. This project will track both qualitative (e.g. open-ended questions asked in the training evaluation form) and quantitative (e.g. number of digital image records entered; number of reference questions answered; number of ILL requests filled, etc.) evaluative data. Statistics generated from various


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mechanisms will help measure how the local needs are being met and also help to determine the overall effectiveness of IFLODD and the IFSI Library. 7) Dissemination Plan. As we have done with previous LSTA projects, we will prepare papers for publication, and presentations at conferences, such as the Illinois Fire Chiefs Association Conference, inFIRE Conference, Midwest Archives Conference, etc. We will also disseminate the results and findings on the IFSI Website and in the IFSI Newsletter.

Individual and Participant Responsibilities The development and implementation of this proposed project requires partnerships and community involvement in finding a feasible solution for preserving and sharing firefighter LODD materials. Throughout the proposal writing stage, we have worked with many individuals, including organizational partners to measure their input and support. Many individuals and organizations have expressed a willingness to assist in the project’s implementation and evaluation if it gets funded (see support letters in Attachment 6, 8). The following are the respective responsibilities of project staff and partners: Project Director – Lian Ruan, IFSI Director/Head Librarian. 10% time contribution (see Attachment 10). Main duties: 1) Direct and oversee day-to-day project activities by working closely with participating partners, the project team, IFSI Research Programmer, IFSI administrators, program directors, and other stakeholders; 2) Keep project partners, team, IFSI, and other stakeholders (e.g., key Illinois fire organizations) informed of all events and activities; 3) Assemble, lead and supervise the project team; 4) Oversee and monitor project design, development, budget planning and execution, marketing, implementation, evaluation, and dissemination of project results and findings. Project Staff – Adam Groves, IFSI Archivist/Metadata Librarian. 35% time contribution (see Attachment 11). Main duties: 1) Work with Project Director, project team, IFSI Research Programmer, and various partners to create and develop IFLODD; 2) Conduct extensive field work and research at partner sites to identify, select, digitize, and organize various types of materials; 3) Seek copyright permission as needed; 4) Assist IFSI Library’s reference services on requests; and help the catalogers with mapping FireTalk terms to IFLODD; 5) Assist Project Director in collection development, evaluation, and dissemination of project results; 6) Perform other project related tasks as needed. Project Staff - Graduate Student A - to be hired from Graduate School of Library and Information Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). 10 hours per week. Main responsibilities include, but are not limited to: 1) Work with IFSI Research Programmer to handle technical aspects of the project and all web- and computer-related issues; 2) Contribute to the design, development, implementation and maintenance of IFLODD structure; 3) Develop, maintain and update the IFLODD Website; 4) Link all participating partners’ websites to the IFLODD Website, and build other relevant links; 5) Provide technical support to the project team and online help to the end users and partners; 6) Update and maintain online tracking system, online evaluations, and dissemination activities; 7) Perform other project tasks as needed.


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Project Staff - Graduate Student B - to be hired from Graduate School of Library and Information Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). 10 hours per week. Main responsibilities include, but are not limited to: 1) Assist IFSI Archivist with site visit schedules, appointments, and copyright issues; 2) Contribute to the design, development, implementation and maintenance of IFLODD structure, focusing on data entry and record management; 3) Help IFSI Archivist scan and digitize various types of materials; 4) Assist IFSI Archivist with updating and maintaining links between IFLODD and FireTalk; 5) Help IFSI Archivist conduct virtual training workshops via telephone and Internet; 6) Provide reference assistance; 7) Assist with evaluations and dissemination activities; 8) Perform other project related tasks as needed. Partner. Technical Advisor – Nicholas Voss, IFSI Research Programmer. 10% time contribution (see Attachment 9). Main responsibilities include: 1) Working with the project team, in setting up an adequate IT environment for the creation of IFLODD; 2) Administer and manage the Microsoft SQL (MS-SQL) server; 3) Provide technical support, advice and consultation to project staff, in particular to Graduate Student A; 4) help integrate the new service within the existing IFSI Library and IFSI websites. Fire Department Partners (see Table 2). Time contribution and project activity coordination will depend on the amount of firefighter LODD materials they have available. The main responsibilities include: 1) Coordinate the field trip visit; 2) Provide workspace during the site visit; 3) Grant us access to the department’s LODD files; work with us in selecting, digitizing and sharing information through IFLODD; 4) Help customize IFLODD to meet their local training needs; 5) Coordinate, support and participate in the virtual training workshops; 6) Support and utilize the new service; 7) Help collect feedback and data from surveys and evaluations; 8) Help promote the new service and the IFSI Library; 9) Help disseminate training materials, project results and findings. Individual firefighter partners will have similar responsibilities, but will especially serve as information gatekeepers by helping us identify relevant resources. Fire Museums, Historical Societies and Public Library Partners (see Table 2). Contribution will depend on the amount of relevant information about firefighter LODD they have available, and the degree of interest among their local firefighters and public. Main responsibilities include: 1) Provide research assistance to IFSI Archivist during field research and site visit; 2) Help select and grant permission to digital relevant information about firefighter LODD; 3) Provide reference and ILL services as requested by local firefighters and citizens (libraries only); 4) Participate in the IFSI Library’s virtual training workshops; 5) Help promote the new service and IFSI Library; 5) Help disseminate training materials, project results and findings through websites, newsletters and etc.

Timeline with Major Project Tasks and Milestones

Our major project tasks and milestones with a proposed implementation schedule within the contract time frame are listed as follows:


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Phase Major Tasks and Milestones

Phase I (Month 1-3) (October-December 2006)

Preparation, Planning and Development

1) Confirm the participating partners; 2) Hire, assemble, and train the project team members; Hold weekly team meetings; 3) Design, develop and test IFLODD in connection with IFSI Library and other online resources; 4) Design and test virtual training workshop and evaluation form; 5) Coordinate visit schedules to start the extensive fieldwork and research; 6) Search, identify, select, digitize various types of materials (obtain copyright permission as needed); Test choices for metadata fields; 7) Identify, purchase and process the new multimedia materials in the Library OPAC and OCLC; 8) Update FireTalk, IFSI Thesaurus based on the index terms need for IFLODD resources; 9) Develop and test virtual training program, online tutorial, and online evaluation form; 10) Enhance digital and ILL references; 11) Attend the LSTA Grants Reporting Requirements Meeting.

Phase II (Month 4-7) (January-May 2007)

Implementation and

Evaluation Data Collection

1) Launch and promote the new service; 2) Continue to coordinate fieldwork schedules to acquire and digitize various types of materials (obtain copyright permission as needed); 3) Continue to identify, purchase and process the new firefighter LODD multimedia materials in the Library OPAC and OCLC; 4) Continue to map subject terms in FireTalk, IFSI Thesaurus and update the thesaurus as needed; 5) Conduct training workshops via Internet, telephone and face-to-face (at the field visits); 6) Provide reference and ILL services; 7) Collect qualitative and quantitative data on the usage of the new service and evaluation; 8) Revise the contents of service and training materials based on feedback.

Phase III (Month 7-8) (May-June 2007)

Review and Evaluation.

Reporting and Dissemination

1) Continue to improve the service; 2) Analyze data to measure and assess desired outcomes and impact; 3) Disseminate results at conferences; 4) Continue to fine-tune and improve the new service beyond the project year.

Table 3. Major Tasks and Milestones


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Considering the enthusiastic partnerships involved in this project, the strong support from IFSI administration, the skills of the project staff, and the proven successes from previous LSTA grants, we believe that we will complete all the proposed project activities and reach all the proposed goals on time.

5. MANAGEMENT PLAN

Capacity of the IFSI Library

The IFSI Library is the largest fire science-dedicated library and information center in Illinois. With strong administrative support from IFSI Director Richard Jaehne (see Attachment 12), the Library has a proven track record of capacity and infrastructure to serve as the project home and subsidize the LSTA type of reimbursable grant. IFSI has financial and administrative staff to support the grant activities.

Qualification of Key Project Personnel and Description of Their Roles

As founding librarian, Lian Ruan has worked at IFSI as Director/Head Librarian since 1990 while serving as Library Consultant at Champaign Fire Department at the same time (see Attachment 10). Ruan has been an active leader in promoting fire information services in the library profession, fire service and library communities at local, university, state, national and international levels. She has actively served on numerous library committees, such as the Illinois State Library’s ILLINET Network Advisory Council (INAC) (2003-2007) and the Illinois Library Association’s Cultural and Racial Diversity Committee (2004-2005). She also served on the Downstate Board of Directors for the Special Libraries Association Illinois Chapter (2002-2004), on the inFIRE Committee (1996-2001) and has been the inFIRE Treasurer since 2001. Under her leadership, the IFSI Library has made impressive progress toward its goal to be one of the best fire emergency libraries in the world. Ruan served as Project Director for all grant awards received from the Illinois State Library in the period of 1999 to 2006. She and her team completed all funded projects successfully and on time. Through a variety of projects, she acquired rich grant management experience and demonstrated her abilities to administer project activities and staff. Because of her accomplishments, she has won both the University Chancellor's Academic Professional Excellence (CAPE) Award and the Special Libraries Association’s Diversity Leadership Development Award in 2003. She was selected to participate in the Synergy: The Illinois Library Leadership Initiative in 2004. The ALA Annual Conference Poster Committee accepted her poster on the FY2006 LSTA grant project and she will present it in New Orleans on June 24, 2006. Built upon previous LSTA grant experiences and accomplishments, Ruan and her team for this proposed project are capable of delivering a high-quality performance. As Project Director, Ruan will contribute 10% of her time to manage the project’s day-to-day operation and oversee the whole project. IFSI Archivist/Metadata Librarian Adam Groves (see Attachment 11), with his professional knowledge and experience in organizing and managing archival collections and his prior work with digital image libraries, will contribute 35% of his time to various key project activities, in particular the


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extensive fieldwork and research. The IFSI Library will also hire skilled graduate students from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s top-rated Graduate School of Library and Information Science to assist Ruan and the project staff for the entire period of the grant.

Potential Challenges

One of potential challenges we anticipate lies in scarce and/or scattered information about firefighter LODD, particularly in the years prior to the 1970s. As there is no definitive list containing the names of Illinois firefighter LODD, the IFSI Library must reach out to the individuals who have compiled this information informally over the years. For some historical periods, it may take extra time to uncover relevant information about firefighter LODD, but partnerships with various organizations and individuals will help with this challenge. We also anticipate that some desired information might be unavailable or reported as “unknown” in the publications or reports associated with the fatality. We will make necessary adjustments in such cases. Copyright and privacy issues may also pose challenges. We will work with organizational and individual partners, owners of private collections, publishers, and IFSI staff, to solve such issues as they arise from the project. We also recognize that a comprehensive digital image collection database on firefighter LODD, like ours, can include chronic illnesses (such as cancer) that arise from occupational factors. At this time, however, there is no good mechanism for identifying fatalities that are due to illnesses that develop over long periods because of limitations in tracking the exposure of firefighters to toxic environments and substances and the potential long-term effects of such exposures. This may create an incomplete picture when comparing occupational illnesses to other factors as causes of firefighter deaths.

6. COMMUNICATION/PROMOTION PLAN

The success of the proposed project’s preparation, planning, development, and longevity will rely on direct support and sincere contributions from various partners, IFSI, and project staff. It is critical to maintain effective and regular communication about the project activities and outcomes with partners and the target audience. Our communication and promotion plan is outlined as follows:

a) Build and strengthen the proposed project on the foundation already developed through previous LSTA grants accomplishments and the IFSI Library’s continual outreach efforts;

b) Design a brochure about IFLODD for online and print distribution;

c) Use various media outlets, such as websites and newsletters by IFSI and other various partners, and publications and presentations to promote the new service


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and disseminate news on project-related activities, results and findings at various conferences and meetings for fire, archives, and library professionals;

d) Take full advantage of field research opportunities to promote the new service and

demonstrate the new database functionality;

e) Integrate the communication and promotion into routine IFSI reference and ILL services and User Training Program;

Fire department partners will be encouraged to provide testimonial statements before state legislators if appropriate and as needed. These efforts would be designed to encourage the state and federal governments to provide support (financial or otherwise) to the expansion of the use of technology (e.g., digital images) in firefighter efforts to safely and effectively protect the communities they serve.

7. PROJECT SUSTAINABILITY This proposed project will allow the IFSI Library to develop new dimensions of collection and service by providing access to digital images that will benefit Illinois firefighters, historians, researchers, and the general public. It will also help preserve this aspect of fire service and Illinois history. As the statutory State Fire Academy Library, the IFSI Library has played an important role with great responsibilities in fire department training programs and emergency incident response management. With the unique service of IFLODD, the IFSI Library would be able to proactively add another integrated component to fire department training and incident management, and further connect the Library to meet the needs of fire departments. Through this project, the IFSI Library will fill current gaps in digital image information service for Illinois firefighters and the general public. It will demonstrate its true value as the State Fire Academy Library to the Illinois fire service and the general public, and also to public libraries, museums, and historical societies. The partnerships established, expanded and strengthened through this project will be in place to serve this project and many more beyond the project year. Director Jaehne explicitly expresses his endorsement in his support letter (see Attachment 12) and is committed, as firmly as the IFSI Library, to enhancing the library services and programs. With competent IFSI Archivist Groves in place as a full-time staff member, we are confident that we will sustain the new service in every way as it is being created and will continually enhance it even after the project ends.


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13. Supporting Documentation

Attachment 1: The IFSI Library The IFSI Library’s mission is to provide fire emergency library and information assistance and services to IFSI’s instructional staff and students, Illinois fire departments, and firefighters, and other fire/emergency-related users to assist in the successful and effective performance of their jobs. Making appropriate library resources and services available for local firefighters is one of the most important components of the IFSI Library Outreach Program as the Library’s resources and services are an essential part of many local training programs. To better serve its constituencies, a multi-million-dollar new library building has been approved by the University Chancellor’s Capital Review Committee and is under preparation. The new library will significantly increase the library space from 700 sq. ft. to 10,000 sq. ft.


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Attachment 2 Definition of Firefighter: For the purpose of this proposed project, we follow the definition from the USFA Firefighter Fatality Retrospective Study (2002). The term firefighter covers all members of organized fire departments in Illinois. Included are career and volunteer firefighters; full-time public safety officers acting as firefighters; privately employed firefighters, including employees of contract fire departments; and trained members of industrial fire brigades, whether full time or part time. It also includes contract personnel working as firefighters or assigned to work in direct support of fire service organizations. According to NFPA Journal in 2005, the term “volunteer” refers to any firefighter who isn’t a full-time paid member of a local or municipal fire department. The term “career” refers to full-time paid members of a local or municipal fire department or employees of career organizations whose assigned duties include fire fighting. Firefighter training activities often include live fire scenarios, physical fitness exercises, Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) instruction, apparatus drills, driver training, equipment drills, underwater/dive, water rescue, en route/returning from incident drills, competitions, disaster drills, classes/seminars/meetings, and other activities. What Constitutes Line of Duty Deaths (LODD)? According to NFPA Journal in 2005, the term on-duty refers to being at the scene of an alarm; responding to or returning from an alarm; and performing other assigned duties including training, maintenance, public education, inspection, investigation, or fund raising. On-duty fatalities include injuries that prove fatal and any fatal illness that was incurred because of actions while on duty. Illnesses (including heart attacks) are included when the exposure or onset of symptoms are tied to a specific incident or on-duty activity. Fatal injuries and illnesses may be included even in cases where death is considerably delayed. According to the 2002 USFA study, the term line of duty or on duty refers to involvement in activities at the scene of an emergency (whether it is a fire or non-fire incident); en route to or returning from an incident; performing other officially assigned duties such as training, maintenance, public education, inspection, investigations, court testimony, and fundraising; or while on call, under orders, or on standby duty, except at the individual’s home or place of business. Line of duty deaths include any injuries or illnesses sustained while on duty that prove fatal. These fatalities may occur on the fire ground, in training, while responding to or returning from alarms, or while performing other duties that support fire service operations. A fatality may be caused directly by accident or injury, or it may be attributed to an occupational-related fatal illness. A common example of a fatal illness incurred on duty is a heart attack.


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Attachment 3


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Attachment 4: Selected Key LODD Resources

Organization URL Brief Description Order through http://www.usfa.fema.gov/applications/publications/

Taking care of our own: a resource guide The National

Fallen Firefighter Foundation (NFFF)

http://ww.firehero.org Standard operating procedures (SOPs) and guidelines developed by fire departments.

National Interagency Fire Center

http://www.nifc.gov/reports Historical Wildland Firefighter Fatalities

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NOISH)

http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/fire/. The Firefighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program

http://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/publications/fa-156-press.pdf

Firefighter Autopsy Protocol

http://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/publications/fa-299.pdf

Firefighter Fatalities in the United States

http://www.usfa.fema.gov/fatalities/memorial/ National Fallen Firefighters Memorial

http://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/publications/fa-220.pdf

Firefighter Fatality Retrospective Study 1990 – 2000

http://www.usfa.fema.gov/fatalities/ USFA Firefighter Fatalities Web Page

United States Fire Administration (USFA)

http://www.usfa.fema.gov The Aftermath of Firefighter Fatality Incidents: Preparing for the Worst. United States Fire Administration, Technical Report Series, Report 089.

International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC)

http://www.iafc.org/associations/4685/files/06Investigations.PDF

Guide for Investigation of a Line of Duty Death

The Firefighters Safety Association

http://www.firefightersafety.net/benefits.html Provides a benefit to the families member firefighters who are killed in the line of duty.

VFIS http://www.vfis.com/ An insurance company that specializes in providing insurance services to volunteer firefighters as well as other emergency service organizations.

National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)

http://www.nfpa.org/ Provides consensus codes and standards intended to minimize the possibility and effects of fire and other risks.

The Public Safety Officer’s Benefit (PSOB) Program

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA/grant/psob/psob_main.html

Provides a significant source of information on firefighter fatalities.


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Attachment 5: A Sample List of LODD Topics Matching FireTalk, IFSI Thesaurus with Nonprint Materials

Note: FireTalk is a search aid that displays the terms we use to describe all the Fire Science subjects in IFSI Library catalog and related databases, such as National Fire Academy Library.

LODD Topics FireTalk Match Nonprint Title

Format Cost

Firefighter fatalities Firefighter fatalities Fire fighter fatalities, NFPA special report

Video $186.25

Structural fire fighting Structural fire fighting operations

Methods of structure fire attack

Video $39.99

Wildland fire Wildland fires Wildland fires Video $207.00 Heat Stress Heat Stress Heat! : Working in hot

environments Video $395.00

Flashover Flashovers Your office fire Video $105.00 Physical fitness Physical fitness Firefighter Physical

Fitness Video: Stamina Video $49.00

Structural collapses Structural collapses Action Training Systems Fire Service Rescue Series 4: Structural Collapse

Video $140.00

Heart Attack Heart Attacks Heat, Heart, and Health Video $199.00 Heat Stroke Heat Stroke Heat Stroke Prevention

video Video $95.00

Residential Structures Residential Buildings NFPA Special Report: Multiple Fatality Residential Fires Video

Video $229.00

Health-care facilities Health care facilities Evacuation of Health Care Facilities

Video $429.50

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