Traffic Incident Management...

USFA, Federal Highway Administration Complete Study of Traffic Incident Management Systems

 (USFA Press Release) 

Updated Traffic Incident Management Systems manual contains technical information and training programs for fire and emergency service providers

Emmitsburg, MD. – The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Federal Highway Administration, working in partnership with the International Fire Service Training Association (IFSTA) have, through a study of current traffic incident management practices and policies, updated the 2008 edition of the Traffic Incident Management Systems (TIMS) (PDF, 5 Mb) manual.  The 2012 edition provides the most current technical information and training programs in traffic incident management for fire and emergency service providers in this area as well as guidance to local fire departments on compliance with the latest edition of the DOT Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD).

"Effective traffic incident management can enhance roadway safety for firefighters and other emergency responders of which too many have been killed on duty from being struck by vehicles," said U.S. Fire Administrator Ernest Mitchell. "The USFA was pleased to work with the DOT Federal Highway Administration and IFSTA towards reducing this number."

This project included research into effective roadway operations safety and management examining such technology and practices as:

• roadway safety vests and other personal protective equipment,
• effective distance of placement of roadway warning signs,
• correct amount and type of emergency vehicle warning lighting (e.g., intensity, color, etc.), and
• roadway operations safety training.

"We're committed to enhancing the safety of firefighters and emergency responders working on our nation's roadways," said Victor Mendez, Federal Highway Administrator. "We must provide for the safety of these men and women who act selflessly to risk their lives to protect and assist the motoring public."

The updated TIMS manual includes case studies of roadway incidents that have taken the lives of firefighters, highway scene safety survival basics, incident command for roadway incidents, and examples of effective traffic incident management programs.

"Traffic incident management is an important operational and safety issue for today's fire service," said Mike Wieder, IFSTA Executive Director.  "IFSTA was proud to work with USFA and the U.S. Department of Transportation in this initiative to protect firefighters operating on the roadway."

Further information about this study and other roadway safety projects may be found on the USFA website.

The following YouTubes are presented by Maj. (Ret.) Thomas E. Melville, served 34 years with the Indiana State Police and as chair of IN-TIME, Indiana-Traffic Incident Management Effort. He presented Traffic Incident Management (TIM) best practices at a workshop held in Oklahoma City on Feb. 21, 2012:

(The usual disclaimers: I am not a journalist; This is a blog that expresses an outlook and is not conclusive in any shape or manner.)

TFPFP Podcast [01]

(The usual disclaimers: I am not a journalist; This is a blog that expresses an outlook and is not conclusive in any shape or manner.)

FiremanRich End of Year (2010) Review

The 2010 Year of being online Blogging, YouTubing, Tweeting, and Audiobooing for me has been a good fulfilling year of fun, as well as a year that has been interesting and knowledgeable in what other had to say or express. I guess I can throw Facebook into the mix also, but I’m still not fully convinced that Facebook is all that it’s been made to be when compared to other online social media platforms. I’m still keeping an open mind about Facebook though. At any rate, if it wasn’t fun and interesting of doing what I’m doing on the internet I wouldn’t be doing it, so I’m still here with my presents on the internet that started with my blog Tioga Fire Protection and Fire Prevention.

Since creating the Tioga Fire Protection and Fire Prevention on Blogger I have started a second blog this year called FiremanRich: Different Various Subjects To Include Fire Protection And Fire Prevention over on WordPress.com to be able to write & post on subjects other then “Fire Safety,” though my main reason for blogging is for the interest I have in fire protection & fire prevention subjects. It’s been a good part of my life and I think it’s always a good thing to share information that will keep one safe. I’ve even branched out even still to where you can find FiremanRich on HubPages which are interesting to do if I find a particular subject to write/post about to a place in a different online format other than the typical blog posting. HubPages are fun to do also.

On the YouTube front I have the TFPFP Channel but also started a second YouTube channel which would be the RichTVTioga Channel that has a pretty good video intro. Think I need to work on a intro for the TFPFP Channel in 2011, :: makes a note, intro for tfpfp youtube ::. Doing the YouTubes have been great fun and having the second channel gives a flexibility to doing YouTubes where again one channel is for fire safety/protection subjects and the other channel to branch out with different subject matter. Plus on RichTVTioga Channel my good friend & pal Max can appear as my side kick.

Though I don’t have the big number of subscribers on the YouTube channels as compared to other YouTubers, for me it’s not about numbers as it is about the fun in doing them. With a total of 25 YouTube videos done from both my channels for 2010 I have had a lot of fun and plan on continuing doing the YouTubes in 2011. I do get some views and knowing that they are being viewed and receiving comments makes it worth the time & effort.

Here’s a video expressing some additional thoughts and outlooks as we begin to enter into the New Year of 2011:

I sincerely wish everyone an awesome New Year! I’ll end this 2010 year by saying to you all. . .

May your heart be light and happy,
May your smile be big and wide,
And may your pockets always have
a coin or two inside!

Best of Luck to you in 2011!

Happy New Year! : )

(The usual disclaimers: I am not a journalist; This is a blog that expresses an outlook and is not conclusive in any shape or manner.)

Gnomedex 2010: Attended At A Distance. . .

Before the event even started I looked at the possibility of attending.

Cost to get in the door, no problem. Cost for a plane ticket and hotel room, well....slightly tight but doable.

It's when it came down to the "time" involved, it wasn't going to work. "Time" became the stopper in attending. This wasn't going to be a total wash though, because with today's technology and social media formats that are online via the internet, I felt I could follow Gnomedex 2010 in a scaled down sort of small way. I even made a YouTube video on the RichTVTioga YouTube channel of what I was going to do. Here's the video...

So, I was all geared up to pay close attention to the goings on at Bell Harbor Conference Center in Seattle WA via all the online internet tool that were available. Well, I wasn't disapointed. The #gnomedex Twitter feed was good as well as following individuals on Twitter who attended. The YouTube videos that were recorded by individuals attending were great also. All you have to do is do a Goggle Search for "Gnomedex" or head over to the lockergnome's Channel http://www.youtube.com/user/lockergnome#p/f on YouTube and you'll see a wealth of videos to watch.

The two online tools of Twitter & YouTube alone were great on keeping up, again in a small way, with what was happening at #gnomedex. It's when you add in the factor that Chris Pirillo had all the event's presenters/speakers that took to the stage streamed LIVE feed through UStream that it made you feel that you were actually there from a distance. Now Gnomedex 2010 is a event toted as "the Conference of Inspiration and Influence - where we showcase how Technology is changing the world!" The event's web page gives a very good breakdown and idea of all the happenings in Seattle WA for the two day event. http://www.gnomedex.com/ I think that Gnomedex once again accomplish exactly what it was billed as.

Now there was thousands of thousands of videos and pictures taken at Gnomedex but there was a certain picture that was quickly making the rounds at the conference as well as on Twitter...

The title of the famous photo is "How geeks go to the bathroom at #Gnomedex." You talk about a Kodak Moment! lol

It wasn't till later on the final day, at the sing along of the Gnomedex 2010 Song, that it was reveailed who belonged to the iPad on the stall floor and who was the owner in the stall. lol

Here's Derek K. Miller playing & singing the Gnomedex 2010 song with all attending singing along also...

This is the #Gnomedex conference that had a action pack lineup of speakers that keeped you engadged even while checking that Twitter feed on the TweetDeck.

Robert Scoble, @Scobleizer, a attender stated about Gnomedex, "This is the first conference where everyone is on a computer and using it during the conference and typing on it while the conference is going on."

Mattew Inman, @Oatmeat, one of the highlighted speakers/presenters said at the events after party, "I thought it was a PR Marketing conference and I was puzzling surprised it was just a big geek mix."

For me, I attended Gnomedex 2010 where there was a distance from Up-State New York to Seattle of about 2300 miles. But, because of todays technology as well as a forward thinking person, I as well as others attended "From Afar" virtually via the LIVE UStream feed. I was at #Gnomedex and I say Thank-You Chris Pirillo for providing the LIVE feed.

I felt like I was there & I was there at #Gnomedex 2010! : )

"We'll E You Later!"

(The usual disclaimers: I am not a journalist; this is a blog that expresses an outlook and is not conclusive in any shape or manner.)

FiremanRich on AudioBoo: On The Porch

FiremanRich is now on audioBoo!

You can view or I should say listen over at...

http://audioboo.fm/FiremanRich


I came across audioBoo after viewing YouTuber Barry Aldridge talk about it and he has a collection of his own audioBoos to which I listen to. You can also follow Barry Aldridge on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/BarryAldridge and he is well worth following on the YouTube front.

Now you can only get 5 minutes of record time at a time, and I think that's more then enough for me to say or state something in a web base audio format. Any more then 5 minutes I think one could always get a blogtalkradio account and broadcast that way. I don't plan on doing the blogtalkradio bit but I do listen to them. To see what a blogtalkradio web base audio format for longer then 5 minutes is like you can check out Firefighter Netcast which I join online when I can. When I can't join I always follow up with the recording that are done and I do have a portal to Firefighter NetCast over on the right side column. Their on iTunes also.

The Firefighter Netcast Crew of Rhett Fleitz and John Mitchell over at http://www.firefighternetcast.com/ do a very good set of blogtalkradio broadcasts on news, information, and opinion concerning fire fighting issues. If your in the fire fighting field these podcasts are well worth the time to listen to.

So here is my 2nd audioBoo which will give you an idea what one is. . .



The audioBoo in this TFPFP blog post is my secound one and in my first, which was that first "Test"one, I mentioned of how I haven't seen any real types of online reviews of this web audio platform. I thought even that Internet Guru Chris Pirillo of http://chris.pirillo.com/ hadn't done a review when he actually did post a great YouTube concerning audioBoo. . .



Now, I'm still on Twitter where you can follow me @FiremanRich of course along with a cast of others, there's the TFPFP YouTube channel with some future videos are in the works, and I do have the TFPFP Blog here. Some very nice web base platforms and tools to keep all informed on Fire Protection and Fire Prevention matters. I just think it's neat to be able to provide alittle audio via audioBoo now is I choose to do so in a blog post.

If you haven't checked out audioBoo I recommend that you do so. Even if you just listen to the huge collection that are on the web page again at http://audioboo.fm/ you expand your online knowledge of thing.

"Audioboo. Because sound is social."

(The usual disclaimers: I am not a journalist; this is a blog that expresses an outlook and is not conclusive in any shape or manner.)

"Double Dipping Twitter Tweets No More!"

Anyone that has been reading & checking the TFPFP blog here you might have noticed that a slight change taking place over the last few weeks. That's the nice thing that I like about blogging and that is, it's pretty flexible in being creative and changing it up when you feel the need to. Ok now it was back a few months, on the April 18th blog post here at TFPFP that I started posting
"Twitter Weekly Updates" and "Social Media Updates" from my Twitter account @FiremanRich and I stated the following...

April 18th blog post: "Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-04-18":

With my second year of blogging started, I figure it wouldn’t hurt to place the tweets I made over on Twitter for the week as a weekly blog post here on TFPFP. There’s other bloggers that do it from what I see and it gives one another reference spot to check out those tweets of interest. CONTENT, CONTENT! That’s what blogging is all about. CONTENT is KING!

If you blog and it becomes to rigid to where you start getting the feeling "Oh my God I have a deadline to meet," then your not having fun in doing the blogging process in my opinion. If you differ from that view then I can respect that, but for me something wasn't feeling right with my blogging. After looking over the pass two months of doing the blog thing I started to not like what I was seeing. All those "Social Media Updates" were looking like alot of CLUTTER! The "Twitter Weekly Updates" were looking more and more also like I was "Double Dipping" with my Twitter posts.

What do I mean by "Double Dipping," well here's a very good YouTube video of that classic Seinfeld double dipped chip scene that sort of explains what I mean and how I feel about "Double Dipping Twitter Tweets". . .



For me though after two months of doing weekly "Social Media Updates" in blog posts, because I saw other other bloggers doing it and I thought it would be neat to do for the extra blog content as my reason, I've decided to stop doing it. No more Double Dipping Twitter Tweets and or Clutter Twitter Tweets! Besides on the sidebar of my blog there's a Twitter Update section showing my last five current Tweets that I made and that is more then enough. Remember, you can follow me on Twitter @FiremanRich where I'll be doing the "Tweet on Tweeter & Have Fun!" thing.


Today, the 4th of July, is the United States of America's Birthday and the Good Old U.S.A. is a young 234 years old.

I wish every one a great & enjoyable Independence Day holiday.

When you BBQ ensure you do it safely and keep it fire safe so nobody gets burned.

If your shooting of any type of fireworks do so it safely. The previous blog post of the NFPA's press release has warnings as well as some very important & informative warnings when using fireworks.

Myself along with family will be watching the professionals fire off those fireworks. Not only safe but more enjoyable.

Keep it Fire Safe All & Learn Not To Burn!


(The usual disclaimers: I am not a journalist; this is a blog that expresses an outlook and is not conclusive in any shape or manner.)

Train With Open Eyes. . .

This month has been a great month for training for me. We all have our required training to keep up-to-date each month, quarterly, and yearly. Had my yearly OSHA training at the local fire station and as many times that I’ve had this type training I never take it for granted that it’s a waste of time. OSHA training is especially important because the whole reason for it is to keep each one of us safe that work in emergency services.

My Dad, who was a Volunteer Fireman from way back, once told me there are no un-important jobs, just jobs that need to get done. I apply the saying to the fire training I received where even if I do know the particular subject I’m going to listen and absorb it because the instructor has taken the time to prepare to teach something of importance. Such was the case with the OSHA training, I walked at the end of the training have current update information to keep me safe.

Seems also, I’m always following up on that OSHA training by checking and viewing the information that’s available online. I found for starters the OSHA 10-Hour General Industry Outreach-Trainer Presentations just for starters. Basic simple information to keep you safe and to go home at the end of the day.

The best training I had for the month though, plus really fun doing, was doing drivers/training with the Oshkosh Striker 1500 Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighting (ARFF) vehicle. Three targets were setup at different location and different angle approaches on the flight line that you had to drive to. Once driving to and reaching/approaching near the target you had to position the turret, engage pump, press the trigger on joystick to discharge water, and move your turret to discharging upwards to 750 gpm of water you take aim and hit the target. Now I did tell you that your doing all this while driving the ARFF vehicle to each target area and when doing so trying to conserve water in the process. Almost sounds like your playing a video game. lol

It’s more than that though, to where your learning to be in control as well as being one with a very big fire fighting apparatus that can quickly put a lot of water on a lot of fire if needed. Your doing the training safely and having fun doing so. Most important though is your getting & having confidence in yourself and the equipment to be able to get the job done when called upon.

One of the items that are on an Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighting (ARFF) vehicles that are at large frame aircraft airports/airfields is a “Snozzle.” What’s a “Snozzle?” Well, here’s a very good YouTube video showing you a a “Snozzle” on a Oshkosh Striker 3000 ARFF vehicle . . .

Now that looks like a some fun training with a “Snozzle” and really shows the technical advances in Crash Rescue/Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighting to date.

Have fun training, learn from the book training, do the hands-on training, and apply the training when needed to get the job done. Be open minded to new training ideas and information. But, the most important item above all is be safe. Scene safety from the get-go lets us get the job done and we all go home afterwards.

(The usual disclaimers: I am not a journalist; this is a blog that expresses an outlook and is not conclusive in any shape or manner.)

Something New On Facebook!

I was working a long 12 hour day yesterday and I’m still catching up on the news of the Facebook’s new privacy controls that rolled out yesterday (Wednesday, May 26, 2010).

An explanation of these new privacy controls can be reviewed & checked out over on http://www.facebook.com/privacy/explanation.php

Here’s a YouTube video of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg talking about the new privacy controls . . .



Wanted to and thought it was the right thing to do to follow-up on my “To Facebook or Not Facebook?” blog post with one that indicates to me that the people of Facebook are listening to the customer and user. Plus it’s current up-to-date information that those that use Facebook need to know about. It’s coming straight from the CEO’s month too in the YouTube, so it seems to me their serious as well as, at least, trying to help to make things simpler. You’ll still have the critics that won’t be satisfied with Facebook's new privacy protections. If you’re not satisfied then move on and that is always an option if you’re not happy with something.

I’ll be checking the new privacy controls over the next few days and I hope you do so also.

Oh, you can also follow Tioga Fire Protection and Fire Prevention on Facebook at . . .

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tioga-Fire-Protection-and-Fire-Prevention/109187259118803

I’m go to continue to use, post, and have fun on Facebook. Also to understand how usefully Facebook can be and has been thus far in maintaining contact with family, friends, co-workers, and the possibility to meet new friends on this social network program. So if your doing the Facebook do so safely and enjoy the fun that the platform has to offer you.

I’m even reading the book “The Accidental Billionaires” about the founding of Facebook to better understand it. Maybe that’ll be a future blog post for a book review.

Have a good weekend all and I’ll be seeing you out there on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and on the Blog Sphere.


(The usual disclaimers: I am not a journalist; this is a blog that expresses an outlook and is not conclusive in any shape or manner.)

To Facebook or Not Facebook?

There’s been some talk that’s popped up on the internet radar that I’ve seen over the last week about bailing from Facebook on May 31st, 2010. A “Mass Exodus” sort of speaks over the privacy of personal data that may reside on individual Facebook accounts. There’s even a web page for the “Mass Exodus” over at http://www.quitfacebookday.com/ .

Now concerning the “privacy of personal data” on Facebook, I do recall this past April 27, 2010 of a new Facebook privacy setting update for me, as well as others using Facebook, called “Instant Personalization” that shares data with non-Facebook websites and it is automatically set to "Allow.”

In order to remove this “Instant Personalization” setting form “Allow” to “NOT ALLOW” you simply go to Account > Privacy Settings > Applications and Websites and then uncheck "Allow". Again you have to “UNCHECK” the box to “NOT ALLOW.”

Oh, by the way I am a Facebook user for a little over a year now. I find using Facebook pretty good in maintaining contacts with family members, friends (both current & old).

Matter fact it was a few good friends that informed me of the “Instant Personalization” setting and advised me it's best to uncheck for better “privacy of personal data” when using Facebook. Seemed like a good idea and I took their advice and did the simple instructions that updated my security posture on my Facebook account.

Will I be taking part in the “Quit Facebook Day” on May 31st, 2010? Probably not because the reason given to quit is “Sick of Facebook's lack of respect for your data? Add your name and commit to quit!” is somewhat… well…lacking. Facebook in my opinion is providing a pretty good online social service for us all on the internet to meet up on and I think they respect to a certain degree all those that have an account. Of course I’m not going to put my life story and bank account numbers or other really, really personal information. Let me see…something to the affect of…ummmm…using common sense comes to mind.

We are all responsible for what we do and what we say in this world we live in. At least that’s the way I was brought up. I have at times not shut up when it’s best not to say anything and found myself in a pickle or sort. We live & learn, part of life’s lessons, and hopefully for the better.

There have been a few examples in the pass weeks of an individual’s sort of getting caught in what I would call a Facebook Pickle…

The first Facebook Pickle being about how a “Facebook post costs waitress her job”. Basically waitress waits on customer, and custom ore leaves a less then fair tip for services. The waitress cries/complains about it on Facebook, and then waitress’ boss sees the Facebook post. The result from the waitress’ boss is that this was “…violating company policy against speaking disparagingly about customers. … “ and that a another policy was broke by “… casting the restaurant in a negative light on social networks. …” Sometimes it’s always best just to let it go and not cross a line in such a public place that Facebook can become to vent off to where it comes back to bite you.

The second Facebook Pickle happen last week when five fire fighters from McMinnville City, Tennessee posting on Facebook while on duty. The five fire fighters were using laptops that they owned but they were doing their Facebook posting while on the City McMinnville’s time. I would take it that there is a city policy that while you are on duty, apparently, you are not allowed to doing this type of activity because the five firefighters were given & received an oral reprimand and a copy of the incident was placed in their employment records. Basically a slap on the wrist but hopefully a lesson learned not only by the fire fighters but for the city government also to ensure that all policies are clearly stated, and if there is a gray area then explain it to where there is none.

We all must educate our selves with the uses and changes when dealing with Facebook. We all make choices and hopefully they are the best choices. Everyone is putting something online with the result being someone will see it. I put this blog post online for others to see & read and to learn a little.

As far as “Facebook Privacy” goes you have to do it with a “K.I.S.S.” (Keep It Simple Stupid) and in the following video from our very good online friend Chris Pirillo, over on http://chris.pirillo.com/ , the simplicity of being careful couldn’t be made anymore simple. Thank-you Chris for the best advise one could use on their Facebook account, greatly appreciated. View and enjoy…

Chris Pirillo’s perfect two-step plan to help solve the problem of me To Facebook or Not Facebook?

Step 1: STOP SHARING SHIT ONLINE THAT YOU DON’T WANT THE WORLD TO KNOW.

Step 2: Repeat step 1.

This simple two-step plan can apply to Twitter, YouTube, Home Web Pages, Blogs, and even emails. Once it’s out there, it’s out there, so take responsibility and be careful just like anything we do in our daily lives.


(The usual disclaimers: I am not a journalist; this is a blog that expresses an outlook and is not conclusive in any shape or manner.)

YouTube Is 5 Years!

It has to be called an “InterNet Bench Mark.”

HaPpY BiRtHdAY YOUTUBE!

Wow! I thought YouTube had been around with us a lot longer then just five years and it sure seems like it. Came across the Birthday Wishes today while doing my normal internet surfing. Which included looking at that good (not to old) YouTube! : )

Watched by millions around this “Blue Marble” we live on, YouTube has entertain us, has educate us, made us laugh, made us cry, and informed us all on all there is to know about and what can be put into a video.

YouTube is an online platform for everyone that is on this internet to use & view, and has even crossed over into the main stream TV world. It seems that we see it first on YouTube before seeing it on main stream TV. It is a part of our internet community & culture that I’m very thankful for.

You can check out & follow the celebration over at. . . http://www.youtube.com/fiveyear








Thank-You YouTube for being a wonderful viewing window, and also for being what you are, a really really really cool thing on the internet.

Again. . .

HaPpY BiRtHdAY YOUTUBE!


(The usual disclaimers: I am not a journalist; this is a blog that expresses an outlook and is not conclusive in any shape or manner.)