MFRI

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University of Maryland Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute

Report To

Maryland State Firemen’s Association Executive Committee

The following report is a synopsis of significant events that have occurred within

the Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute since our last meeting.

MFRI Statistical Report for FY-2012

The following statistical information reflects the quantitative measurement of MFRI training and educational programs for FY-2012.

Emergency Services Programs: 1,678

FPS 1,115

SPS 316

CDs 161

Seminars 87

Students by Programs: 34,327

FPS 23,864

SPS 5,979

CDs 2,433

Seminars 2,051

Student Hours by Program: 829,690

FPS 719,927

SPS 91,350

CDs 9,035

Seminars 9,378

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Students by Discipline: 34,327

FIRE 7,497

EMS 7,248

ALS 2,197

RES 2,199

MGMT 4,301

HM 2,525

SPECIALTY 3,876

CDs 2,433

SEMINARS 2,051

This report consists of numbers but please consider the work of the MFRI faculty,

staff and Field Instructors who make this system function each and every day. They are to be commended for what they contribute to the success of our students and programs.

MFRI Student Transcripts

Effective September 1, 2012 MFRI students will be able to request unofficial student transcripts at any time for themselves through the MFRI Student Zone, a feature of the MFRI website. In order to make a request for their unofficial transcript students will use their name, birth date, and SSN to uniquely identify themselves to the system.

Students will receive a PDF of their unofficial transcript documenting their MFRI course work. They can print this PDF file or save it to their local computer. In the event of a discrepancy, the student will be provided directions on how to submit the appropriate documentation to correct their record. Students who require an “official” transcript will continue to use the current system for that.

The addition of this feature to the MFRI Student Zone will provide immediate feedback to students by leveraging our IT infrastructure to quickly respond to their request any time of the day.

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EMT Program Effective July 1, 2012

MFRI has completed the statewide “Instructor” roll-out classes for the MFRI EMS Instructors who will be instructing the new EMT Course effcective July 1, 2012. In additon, MFRI is in the process of completing two “pilot” EMT classes to the new educational standards. MFRI has also created and reviewed the examinations utlized for the module exams. This work has been accomplished in prepreration for the implementation of the new 165 hour EMT Course that will be the curriculmn used for all EMT courses that begin after July 1, 2012.

MFRI requested additonal financial respources in our FY-2013 operating budget request for the funds necessary to cover the costs associated with the new course and its increase in hours. Governor O’Malley has included in the state budget sent to the General Asembly the necessary funds to provide for the new EMT course. The additoinal funding necessary to present the new EMT course has been approved by the General Assembly and is in our FY-2013 budget. Thanks to all who worked to make these training resources possible.

MFRI Medical Clearance Policy Analysis

The MFRI Medical Clearance Policy was implemented on July 1, 2011. Since that date, there have been 122 classes conducted in Field Programs for which students were required to obtain medical clearance. There were 2,470 students seated in these 122 classes. More than 75% of the students served in these classes obtained medical clearance through a departmental physical or evaluation by a licensed healthcare provider of their choice.

Of those opting to complete the online MFRI Medical Clearance Questionnaire, nearly three‐quarters were approved for participation without further evaluation. Of those referred, the vast majority had pre‐existing medical conditions or significant risk factors for cardiovascular disease. These medical issues were identified to the student and they then completed medical physicals before participating in the class.

Overall, the implementation of the MFRI Medical Clearance Policy has been very successful and beneficial toward improving firefighter health and safety. The policy has been well received by fire departments and fire service organizations statewide. A complete analysis of the one-year history of the MFRI Medical Clearance Policy is attached to this report for your information.

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Pro Board Accreditation Review

This July the National Board on Fire Service Professional Qualifications, (Pro Board) visited Maryland to conduct the five-year accreditation review of the MFSPQB certification system. The MFSPQB, MFRI and the ATRA’s all participated in this very important review that determines whether or not the MFSBQB will be nationally accredited to certify to the various NFPA standards. A complete and thorough review was conducted that included the review team visiting MFRI and two ATRA’s within Maryland.

During the exit interview, there was unanimous praise by the Accreditation Review Team for the Maryland system, its accomplishments and management. Noteworthy Program Elements and Observations:

• Responsiveness to the needs to their constituents to provide training and support when and where needed

• High level instructor credential process • MFRI regional offices and ATRAs share resources, both facilities and

equipment, to provide maximum access for constituents • Students must pass medical clearance (for specified courses) in order to

attend training • A thorough academic dishonesty policy for students, instructors and those

involved in the evaluation process • Involved in research, such as firefighter location system, to improve the safety

of firefighters everywhere • One of the strongest factors for the system are the barriers that have been

removed to allow collaboration between volunteers, career and firefighting organizations

• MFSPQB and MFRI have made certification a culture in the state of Maryland for fire service professionals which allow mobility within the state for career growth

• An organized process for portfolio review that allows for checks and balances within the system

My thanks to the MFSPQB who under the leadership of Chair Michael Robinson

and it’s Board have done an outstanding job of building and maintaining an excellent certification system within Maryland. Thanks also to the MFRI faculty and Staff who work day in and out to make the system work successfully for the benefit of the fire service.

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MFRI Instructor Injury and Change to EVOC Class

In April of this year, a MFRI Field Instructor Dominick Troiano was seriously injured during an EVOC class in Southern Maryland. I am very pleased to report that Dominick after several days in Shock Trauma and several weeks at Kernan Rehabilitation Center is doing well and is expected to continue his instructor duties in the near future.

As a result of this accident MFRI conducted a thorough “Injury Analysis” of the event by the MFRI Risk Management Committee. This group as a result of the investigation made a series of recommendations to improve the safety of our programs and to prevent such an occurrence in the future.

This group recommended that the “Left/Right Lateral Evasive Maneuver” be eliminated. Instead, focus should be placed upon a current evolution entitled “Controlled Braking Exercise” to meet the needs of our students and job performance requirements. The “Left/Right Lateral Evasive Maneuver” has students change lanes in an “offensive” manner, meaning that it does not emphasize the use of brakes. The “Controlled Braking Exercise” is similar in that it simulates a sudden move around an obstacle, but requires the student to come to a complete stop, which this group considers a more “defensive” and safe driving maneuver.

Besides having the advantage of allowing students to experience an evasive maneuver in a training environment, a clear concern of our instructors, the “Controlled Breaking Exercise” does not require anyone to be positioned on the travel portion of the grounds used for the evolution and at risk of being struck by a trainee’s vehicle. This recommendation and other EVOC curriculum changes have been approved and will be implemented in the near future.

 

 

    Medical Clearance Policy 

Year End Review           July 2011‐June 2012 

Angela Bennett 

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Overview  The MFRI Medical Clearance Policy was  implemented on  July 1, 2011. Since  that date,  there have been 122 classes conducted in Field Programs for which students were required to obtain medical clearance. There were 2470 students seated in those 122 classes.   More than 75% of the students served  in these classes obtained medical clearance through a departmental physical or evaluation by a licensed healthcare provider of their choice. Of those opting  to  complete  the  online MFRI Medical  Clearance Questionnaire,  nearly  three‐quarters were approved for participation without further evaluation. Of those referred, the vast majority had pre‐existing medical conditions or significant risk factors for cardiovascular disease.    During the 122 courses conducted, there were 37 incidents reported involving 36 students. Of those 36 students, only three were approved for participation after completing a MFRI Medical Clearance Questionnaire. Two of these students sustained minor musculoskeletal  injuries. The third experienced a new onset cardiovascular event, but had no predisposing  factors or past medical history that would have predicted the event.   Overall,  the  implementation  of  the MFRI Medical  Clearance  Policy  has  been  successful.  The policy has been well received by all stakeholders.   Program Administration  Implementation of  the Medical Clearance Policy has gone very smoothly within  the  Institute. The regional offices are doing an excellent job of communicating the policy to the students that preregister  for  the  six  courses  that  require medical  clearance. The prospective  students  that complete the online medical clearance questionnaire are receiving a response on average  less than 24 hours after electronic submission.   While the process  is working well,  it would be helpful  for both the reviewer and the regional office staff  if the students were required to provide some  information regarding the class  for which  they are  registered.  It  is  recommended  that a  field  for  the  type of  course and  course location be added  to  the online questionnaire. Prospective  students are more  likely  to know these two pieces of information than the log number, even well in advance of pre‐registration. While gathering log number would be ideal, having the course type and location will meet the need  to  simplify  the  process  of  matching  students  without  over‐complicating  the  online questionnaire.  

   

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54%21%

15%

8%

2%

Figure 2Age Distribution as Portion of 

Students Evaluated

16‐24

25‐29

30‐39

40‐49

50+0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

16192225283134374043464952555861

NUmbe

r  of  Stude

nts

Age  in Years

Figure 1Age Distribution

Age, Gender and Morphometry 

Medical Clearance Questionnaires of 769 prospective students were evaluated between July 1, 2011  and  June  30,  2012.  The  prospective  students  ranged  in  age  from  16‐62  years with  an overall  mean  age  of  26.33  years.  The  age  distribution  was  skewed  towards  the  younger segment  of  the  population  as  we  would  expect  (Figure  1).  More  than  half  (54%)  of  the prospective  students  were  between  17‐24  years  old  and  nearly  three‐quarters  of  the prospective  students were under  the age of 30  (74%). Only 10% of  the prospective  students were over 40 years old (Figure 2). Male students accounted for 81% of the Medical Clearance Questionnaires evaluated during this period. There was no significant difference in the  average age of male and female students evaluated (Table 1).   

 

Prospective students self‐reported height and weight on the Medical Clearance Questionnaire. This  information  was  used  to  calculate  Body  Mass  Index  (BMI)  that  was  used  to  classify individuals as underweight, overweight or obese. Prospective students were classified using the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria (Table 2).  

   

TABLE 1: AGE AND GENDER  Questionnaires Submitted  Average Age of Students 

Males  626  26.31 Females  143  26.46 Total  769  27.33 

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3%

37%

33%

19%

7%

1%

Figure 4BMI Classfication

Underweight

Normal Weight

Overweight

Obese Class I

Obese Class II

Obese Class III

TABLE 2: INTERNATIONAL CLASSIFICATION  Classification  Principal Cut Off Point (BMI) 

Underweight  <18.50 Normal Range  18.50‐24.99 Overweight (Pre‐Obese)  25.00‐29.99 Obese  > 30.00    Class I  30.00‐34.99    Class II  35.00‐39.99    Class III  > 40.00  

The BMI of the 769 prospective students ranged from 16‐47 with an overall mean BMI of 26.63 (Figure  3). More  than half  (60%) of  the prospective  students  are  classified  as overweight or obese  based  on  BMI  (Figure  4).  BMI may  not  correspond  to  the  same  degree  of  fatness  in different populations due, in part, to different body proportions, but the health risks associated with increasing BMI are continuous and thus these findings should still be considered cause for concern.  Male  students  had  a  slightly  lower  average  BMI  (26.53)  as  compared  to  female students  (27.08). When  analyzed  by  student  age,  there was  a  slight  increase  in  BMI  as  age increased (Table 3).  

 

  

TABLE 3: AGE AND BMI  Questionnaires Submitted  Average BMI of Students 

16‐24 Years  418  25.46  25‐29 Years  157  27.26 30‐39 Years  117  28.50 40‐49 Years  60  28.88 50‐62 Years  17  28.88 

 

0

20

40

60

80

161820222426283032343638404244

BMI

Figure 3BMI Distribution

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73%

27%

Figure 5Evaluation of Medical Clearance Questionnaire

Approved Referred

Evaluation of the Medical Clearance Questionnaire 

Prospective students answered a series of questions designed to identify cardiovascular disease risk  factors,  existing medical  conditions  or  injuries  that might  limit  the  student’s  ability  to perform  job  related  duties.  Based  on  the  information  provided  on  the  Medical  Clearance Questionnaire, 558 prospective students (72.56%) were cleared to participate without further medical evaluation (Figure 5). Nearly three quarters (74.60%) of male students and 63.64% of females students evaluated were approved via the Medical Clearance Questionnaire (Table 4). There  was  a  decrease  in  the  percentage  of  prospective  students  cleared  via  the  Medical Clearance  Questionnaire  as  age  increased,  especially  in  those  students  40  years  of  age  or greater (Table 5).  

 

TABLE 4: GENDER AND CLEARANCE  Approved  Referred 

Males  467 (74.60%)  159 (25.40%) 

Females  91 (63.64%)  52 (36.36%) 

Total  558 (72.56%)  211 (27.44%) 

 

TABLE 5: AGE AND CLEARANCE  Approved  Referred 

17‐24 Years  324 (77.51%)  94 (22.49%) 

25‐29 Years  119 (75.80%)  38 (24.20%) 

30‐39 Years  81 (69.23%)  36 (30.77%) 

40‐49 Years  29 (48.43%)  31 (51.67%) 

50‐62 Years  5(29.41%)  12 (70.59%) 

 

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There were 211 prospective students referred for further medical evaluation. More than 90% of those  students were  referred  based  on  existing  cardiac  or  respiratory  disease  or  significant cardiovascular disease risk factors (Figure 6). The prospective students referred had an average of  2.2  cardiovascular  disease  risk  factors.  In  the  entire  population  of  prospective  students evaluated,  the  number  of  cardiovascular  disease  risk  factors  increased  significantly  with increased age (Table 6.)  

 

 

TABLE 6: AGE AND RISK FACTORS  Average Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors 

17‐24 Years  1.17 

25‐29 Years  1.36 

30‐39 Years  1.97 

40‐49 Years  2.45 

50‐62 Years  2.61 

 

While we are not able to quantify the number of students that were unable to obtain clearance after being referred, we know anecdotally that there have been instances where students have failed to receive clearance from a licensed healthcare professional. 

 

 

 

66%

27%

7%

Figure 6Reason for Physician Referral

Cardiac Respiratory Other

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Medical Clearance Questionnaire Sampling 

One of  the  concerns expressed prior  to  implementation of  the Medical Clearance Policy was that the referral criteria would be perceived as  inflexible or too strict. Of the 211 prospective students  referred  for  further  evaluation,  only  three  students  contacted  MFRI  to  express concern over that decision. In most cases, it can be assumed that the individuals referred fully understood  the  rationale  for  that  decision.  The  following  examples  describe  a  few  of  the students referred based on the online medical clearance questionnaire. 

A 62‐year‐old overweight (BMI 26) male with a history of cardiac arrhythmia and open‐heart surgery currently on medication for hypertension. 

  A  57‐year‐old  obese  (BMI  33) male with  a  history  of  hypertension,  heart  attack  and 

stroke.   

A 46 year old overweight (BMI 28) male, smoker with history of heart attack and open heart surgery, high cholesterol, and a family history of cardiovascular death prior to age 55 on medication for heart disease and hypertension 

  A  29‐year‐old  morbidly  obese  (BMI  41)  female,  smoker  with  diabetes  and  high 

cholesterol.  

A 23‐year‐old overweight (BMI 29) female, smoker with a history of asthma.  

An 18‐year‐old male with a history of surgery  for bilateral hip dysplasia and a residual difficulty in bending, kneeling and climbing.