The public comment period for OSHA’s proposed Emergency Response Standard has closed, and a public hearing is scheduled. So what happens now? In this session, presenter David Denniston will provide a brief overview of the proposed standard, what it could mean for your organization, where we are in the process, and what comes next. Attendees will hear a summary of the public comments published to date and how you can take action by testifying at the informal hearing and communicating with your elected officials. The session will conclude with time for Q&A.

“Vulnerability” is not just for talking about our feelings! In terms of community risk reduction (CRR), vulnerability is the likelihood that an individual or group will suffer harm or loss from a hazardous situation, environment, or event. CRR specifically defines 5 types of vulnerability as they relate to hazards: human, social, economic, environmental, and political. All CRR models use those vulnerability types to determine high-risk areas in a community, and who is at most risk from the hazards that exist. We can apply those vulnerability types to our own communities and personalize the risk that wildfire presents for different populations in our response areas. By doing so, we will raise community awareness of the dangers and long-term damages of wildfire, in turn helping our community members to embrace mitigation efforts and protection plans.

The public comment period has ended for OSHA’s proposed Emergency Response Standard, so what happens now? Join Ryan Woodward, NVFC chief of legislative and regulatory affairs, for an overview of OSHA’s upcoming virtual public hearing regarding the proposed standard. The hearing will begin on November 12, and anyone who submits a written request by September 27 can testify. This webinar will focus on how the hearing will be structured, how to testify, and what witnesses may want to focus on in their testimony.

This presentation involves an overview of behavioral health awareness for wildland firefighters, with an emphasis on understanding emotional and physical stressors. This course covers communication skills, addiction, depression, PTSD/PTSI, suicide statistics, retirement and creating a behavioral health program. The program will:

• Introduce participants to emotional and behavioral awareness.
• Introduce participants to the various emotional stressors that affect EMS providers, including stress, anxiety, depression, PTSD, suicide, and other behaviors.
• Discuss Cultural Brainwashing
• Discuss suicide rates within the EMS and fire services.

Move over millennials, there’s a new kid in town. Generation Z – those born between 1997-2012 – are becoming young adults. Harnessing the energy and potential of Gen Z volunteers is crucial for organizational success. This session will explore the unique characteristics, motivations, and communication preferences of Gen Z individuals to equip you with the tools necessary to attract and retain this dynamic demographic. From leveraging social media platforms to understanding their passion for purpose-driven initiatives, participants will explore innovative strategies tailored to effectively recruit and empower Gen Z volunteers.

First responders are routinely exposed to traumatic events, and many are still suffering from the psychological toll of frontline work during the pandemic. Experiencing these traumas and situations that go against a person’s deeply held beliefs and expectations can result in post-traumatic stress or a moral injury. In this webinar, presented by Wendy Norris, discover how moral distress and survivor guilt impact the mental well-being of first responders and learn practical strategies to overcome these challenges. This session will also offer insights into coping with traumatic events and reconnecting with our values. This webinar was sponsored by ESO.

Utility-scale battery energy storage is a critical component to achieving decarbonization objectives while maintaining a reliable and resilient power grid. Deployment of utility-scale battery energy storage capacity is accelerating dramatically in the U.S. However, both local firefighters and people living near proposed energy storage project sites have questions about the safety of these facilities. This presentation by Mike Simpson of AES will address the characteristics of lithium-ion battery energy storage systems (BESS), potential hazards such as thermal runaway, and new approaches to mitigate those risks. These advancements encompass equipment safety approaches; a four-stage approach to effective protection against thermal runaway; advancements in enclosure design; monitoring systems; standardized testing; codes and standards; safety evaluation processes; and passive and active safety measures. The presentation will also provide examples of how clean energy project developers can work together most effectively with local fire departments on hazard mitigation analyses, project site design refinements, and emergency response planning to further enhance energy storage safety.

Leading a combination department with both career and volunteer personnel can bring unique challenges for officers. This webinar will provide an overview of challenging issues and considerations facing emergency service leaders and chief officers in combination department settings. Topics covered will include administration, delegation, setting expectations, mentoring, and human resource issues, among others. Presenter Quentin Cash will also provide tips and tools to produce success around communications, leadership, and supervision.

This webinar is sponsored by Amazon. For NVFC members who are always on the move, Amazon Business brings convenience and efficiency right to your fingertips. As a dedicated first responder, you can access a wide range of supplies and equipment essential for your work, enjoy exclusive discounts, use an invoicing credit line, and benefit from fast, free shipping on vital items. Leveraging Amazon's vast selection, including a specialized First Responder Storefront, you get the flexibility and resources to focus on what you do best: saving lives and serving your community. This partnership is tailored to meet the unique demands of your role, ensuring that you have everything you need, whenever you need it.

Warehouses utilizing robotics and other high challenge facilities bring a set of difficulties for volunteer fire departments, who may not be used to dealing with these technologies. While responding to emergency incidents in these types of facilities is not common, when they do happen the risk is high. This webinar will introduce participants to some of the high challenge facilities that they may encounter. Join speaker Michael Spaziani of FM Global as he helps participants better understand the challenges and how to prepare for an emergency response to the facility.

This webinar is sponsored by Stonehouse Media. Established in 1995, Stonehouse Media Incorporated is an award-winning digital media company focused on producing credible, vetted, engaging training for the fire service and first responders through creating and maintaining online training networks, interactive programs, and websites in partnership with leading fire service and emergency response organizations. Our proprietary online learning network powers CFITrainer.Net (International Association of Arson Investigators), FHLN.Net (National Fallen Firefighters Foundation), RSLN.org (Emergency Responder Safety Institute), and FMGlobalFireServiceResources.com (FM Global). The training and professional development tools we produce are delivered and measured with the latest technology, integrated with social media, and distributed on multiple platforms. To learn more visit: www.stonehousemedia.com

On February 5, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) published a proposed rule revising its emergency response standard. This is the first time OSHA revised this standard since 1980, and the public has until June 21 to provide comments. If enacted as is, this proposed rule would bring immense challenges to volunteer departments, and some may even be forced to shut down. It is important that the volunteer fire service understand how this rule would impact them and provide their comments to OSHA before June 21. This NVFC webinar highlighted some of the biggest concerns with the proposed revised emergency standard, discussed which volunteers will be impacted, explained the NVFC’s strategy for addressing the proposed revision, and suggested best practices for departments wishing to comment on the revisions.

The text of the proposed revised OSHA emergency response standard and information on how to submit comments can be found here: https://www.federalregister.go...