ICHIEFS MOVES TO SUPPORT NFPA 1710 

    Fairfax, VA  -- On December 1, 2000, the Board of Directors of the International Association of Fire Chiefs (ICHIEFS) approved a motion to support the proposed NFPA 1710 (Standard on Organization and Deployment for Career Fire Departments).  This motion contained the stipulation that the NFPA 1710 Technical Committee accept the provisions contained in comments submitted by ICHIEFS to the Reports on Comments (ROC) draft document.  These comments related to the following: 
     

      • Maintain the allowance for multiple-apparatus configurations within the definition of a company. 
       
      • Modify the response time objective to separate turnout time from response time, which would add up to an additional 60 seconds from the time units acknowledge notification of an emergency until they arrive at the scene.
       
      • Require that any other agency or private organization providing EMS beyond the first responder with AED level must meet the provisions of the standard in any contract or service agreement.
         
      • Units that provide ALS transport will be staffed and trained at the level prescribed by the state agency responsible for EMS licensing. 
        
      • The requirement for two paramedics and two EMT-Basics on ALS calls can be assembled from more than the fire department, such as a third party EMS provider.
       
       
        "The board has made a conscious decision that this organization take a leadership role in supporting NFPA 1710 as a benchmark for the deployment of fire department resources in substantially career departments," said Chief Mike Brown, ICHIEFS president. 

        ICHIEFS submitted comments to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) regarding NFPA 1710 in October 2000.   On December 6, 2000, NFPA's technical committee approved ICHIEFS comments, satisfying the stipulation issued by the board of directors.  

        In an effort to provide clear and decisive leadership to the members of the association, the fire service and peer organizations, ICHIEFS will prepare resources necessary to inform chief fire officers and fire 
    departments methods for implementing the organization and deployment standard.  

        "ICHIEFS realizes the potential benefits NFPA 1710 brings to the fire service and the challenges fire chiefs may face in implementing these benchmarks.  As leaders of the fire service, we must be prepared to take 
    charge and ensure the passage of this standard," said Brown. 

        In May 2001, the standard will go to a floor vote before the NFPA membership at the association's annual meeting in Anaheim, CA.
 
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