The intent is to define a more physically rugged portable radio designed for the rigors of interior firefighting, hazmat, and wildland operations. The impetus for the project came, sadly, when two firefighters died in a residential structural fire in San Francisco, California. San Francisco CA Fire Department SFFD Assistant Deputy Chief Jose Velo, who was part of the internal investigation team, stated at the time that it appeared that the cords connecting the portable radios to the remote speaker microphones had burned through 2 , making it impossible for the trapped firefighters to communicate with incident command.
After this tragedy, and as a result of the internal investigation report, SFFD Chief Joanne Hayes-White became aware that there were no national standards for the radios used by firefighters. She contacted the NFPA and requested it create a new standard for firefighter portable radios used in the hazard zone so that a radio failure would not in the future risk the lives of other firefighters. Ryan Callaghan. For the past five years, a group of firefighters, manufacturers, and experts have met across the United States to work on creating a new standard for portable radios.
Because National Fire Protection Association NFPA , Standard on Two-Way, Portable RF Voice Communications Devices for Use by Emergency Services Personnel in the Hazard Zone , is a new standard, and because a portable radio is a complex device, the effort has required much research into various areas such as easy-to-use ergonomics, voice intelligibility, survival in high-temperature environments, use of various accessories, intrinsic safety ratings, and many other areas.
The intent is to define a more physically rugged portable radio designed for the rigors of interior firefighting, hazmat, and wildland operations. The impetus for the project came, sadly, when two firefighters died in a residential structural fire in San Francisco, California. San Francisco CA Fire Department SFFD Assistant Deputy Chief Jose Velo, who was part of the internal investigation team, stated at the time that it appeared that the cords connecting the portable radios to the remote speaker microphones had burned through 2 , making it impossible for the trapped firefighters to communicate with incident command.
After this tragedy, and as a result of the internal investigation report, SFFD Chief Joanne Hayes-White became aware that there were no national standards for the radios used by firefighters. She contacted the NFPA and requested it create a new standard for firefighter portable radios used in the hazard zone so that a radio failure would not in the future risk the lives of other firefighters. NIOSH line-of-duty death reports have often cited radio communications as a factor.
Of the seven radios tested from different manufacturers , none continued to operate properly after the high-temperature exposure. Trebisacci and Committee Chairman Robert J. Athanas, a career firefighter with the Fire Department of New York. The committee consisted of 35 principle members and 24 alternates. Trebisacci and Committee Chairman Robert J. Athanas, a career firefighter with the Fire Department of New York.
The committee consisted of 35 principle members and 24 alternates. The committee members fell into seven major categories: users firefighters , enforcing authorities, labor, applied research and testing laboratories, manufacturers, special experts, and consumers. Per NFPA rules, no category can be more than 30 percent of the total committee membership, and all decisions on the standard must be made with majority consent of the committee members.
Drop tests will determine ruggedness. Ergonomics are required such that controls can be activated by large, gloved hands, and the configuration of the controls is being standardized. The remote speaker microphone will have some control functions available without having to go to the radio, which improves safety for those firefighters who wear the radio under their turnout coat.
Voice annunciation of certain control changes will be required. The radio will self-test on its initial turn-on as well as periodically during use, and it will alarm if certain failures are detected including those related to temperature. Multiple modes of operation are required including when in the hazard zone and when using the radio routinely for inspections and administration.
Several rigorous test methods are included in the standard so manufacturers and testing laboratories ensure that they meet the requirements. Therefore, the latter will have to be tested with the former in various combinations to ensure that the NFPA requirements are met for the various combinations. The next step is to allow public comment. Public comment has been opened and will close January 3, Once all the public inputs are received, the committee will reconvene in a first draft meeting in early The committee is required to review and either adopt or answer all of the public comments.
Because of the importance of this work, the committee asks that interested parties, especially firefighters and hazmat technicians, review the first draft document and provide input.
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