Cyanide Poisoning Treatment Coalition Awarded $394,000 From DHS Grant To Help Protect Firefighters

  • Jul 06, 2010

Since January 1 the CPTC has tracked 1,100 civilians treated for smoke inhalation, 413 smoke inhalation deaths, and 125 firefighters who were transported for smoke inhalation treatment. Contrary to popular belief, whether a civilian or a firefighter, smoke inhalation isn't a minor injury -- it's deadly.

Annually thousands of civilians die from smoke inhalation because they don't wear air masks to prevent smoke exposure from a fire they never thought would strike.

On the other hand, firefighters are exposed to smoke by profession -- not accidentally, according to Kevin Reilly, president of the CPTC and Ridgewood, N.J. firefighter.

"Firefighters have self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) to prevent smoke inhalation, but many firefighters don't use air when they should, and are therefore exposed to what we call, The Toxic Twins, CO and HCN, which work synergistically to kill," he said.

Acute and chronic smoke exposure caused by firefighters not wearing and using air is more than likely the cause of heart attacks, diseases and illnesses which now plague the profession. In a message to fire service leaders Capt. Mike Gagliano, Seattle Fire Department, said, "I can think of no greater hypocrisy than fire service leaders berating politicians for not caring about firefighters until one of us dies, while exhibiting the exact same behavior when they look the other way and ignore shoddy air management practices in the hope that nothing goes wrong inside the fire. Hope is not a plan. Air management is."

Fire smoke myths and misunderstandings will also be corrected.

"I recently heard a firefighter state that smoke color is indicative of the presence of hydrogen cyanide," said Rob Schnepp, chief of special operations for the Alamenda County (Calif.) Fire Department. "That is absolutely not true. HCN and CO are colorless gases. The last thing we need in the fire service is misinformation. Determining whether HCN is or is not present on the fireground cannot be based on the color of smoke. This training program guarantees firefighters will receive accurate research and information from qualified and respected HCN and fire industry experts.”

First responders will also learn about the Cyanokit or Hydroxocobalamin, an effective and safe antidote for acute cyanide poisoning from fire smoke. In fact, it has saved the lives of several firefighters and civilians in the last two years.

"Clearly, this will be the most comprehensive live saving and behavior changing HCN training program that exists. In addition, as more first responders learn how to treat smoke inhalation with the Cyanokit, we anticipate a reduction in the number of civilian smoke inhalation deaths," said Shawn Longerich, executive director.

The program will officially launch at FDIC in March 2011.


 

Featured

  • Ransomware Attacks Rise for the First Time in Six Months

    Ransomware attacks have risen for the first time in six months, increasing by 28% month-on-month to 421 attacks. While overall attack volume remained below 500, the uptick may signal a renewed escalation heading into the year’s most active period for cyber criminals. Read Now

  • Report: 47 Percent of Security Service Providers Are Not Yet Using AI or Automation Tools

    Trackforce, a provider of security workforce management platforms, today announced the launch of its 2025 Physical Security Operations Benchmark Report, an industry-first study that benchmarks both private security service providers and corporate security teams side by side. Based on a survey of over 300 security professionals across the globe, the report provides a comprehensive look at the state of physical security operations. Read Now

    • Guard Services

  • Identity Governance at the Crossroads of Complexity and Scale

    Modern enterprises are grappling with an increasing number of identities, both human and machine, across an ever-growing number of systems. They must also deal with increased operational demands, including faster onboarding, more scalable models, and tighter security enforcement. Navigating these ever-growing challenges with speed and accuracy requires a new approach to identity governance that is built for the future enterprise. Read Now

  • Eagle Eye Networks Launches AI Camera Gun Detection

    Eagle Eye Networks, a provider of cloud video surveillance, recently introduced Eagle Eye Gun Detection, a new layer of protection for schools and businesses that works with existing security cameras and infrastructure. Eagle Eye Networks is the first to build gun detection into its platform. Read Now

  • Report: AI is Supercharging Old-School Cybercriminal Tactics

    AI isn’t just transforming how we work. It’s reshaping how cybercriminals attack, with threat actors exploiting AI to mass produce malicious code loaders, steal browser credentials and accelerate cloud attacks, according to a new report from Elastic. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • Luma x20

    Luma x20

    Snap One has announced its popular Luma x20 family of surveillance products now offers even greater security and privacy for home and business owners across the globe by giving them full control over integrators’ system access to view live and recorded video. According to Snap One Product Manager Derek Webb, the new “customer handoff” feature provides enhanced user control after initial installation, allowing the owners to have total privacy while also making it easy to reinstate integrator access when maintenance or assistance is required. This new feature is now available to all Luma x20 users globally. “The Luma x20 family of surveillance solutions provides excellent image and audio capture, and with the new customer handoff feature, it now offers absolute privacy for camera feeds and recordings,” Webb said. “With notifications and integrator access controlled through the powerful OvrC remote system management platform, it’s easy for integrators to give their clients full control of their footage and then to get temporary access from the client for any troubleshooting needs.”

  • EasyGate SPT and SPD

    EasyGate SPT SPD

    Security solutions do not have to be ordinary, let alone unattractive. Having renewed their best-selling speed gates, Cominfo has once again demonstrated their Art of Security philosophy in practice — and confirmed their position as an industry-leading manufacturers of premium speed gates and turnstiles.

  • ResponderLink

    ResponderLink

    Shooter Detection Systems (SDS), an Alarm.com company and a global leader in gunshot detection solutions, has introduced ResponderLink, a groundbreaking new 911 notification service for gunshot events. ResponderLink completes the circle from detection to 911 notification to first responder awareness, giving law enforcement enhanced situational intelligence they urgently need to save lives. Integrating SDS’s proven gunshot detection system with Noonlight’s SendPolice platform, ResponderLink is the first solution to automatically deliver real-time gunshot detection data to 911 call centers and first responders. When shots are detected, the 911 dispatching center, also known as the Public Safety Answering Point or PSAP, is contacted based on the gunfire location, enabling faster initiation of life-saving emergency protocols.