By Kevin Ferrara
The podcast currently has 56 episodes available.
Welcome to the first episode of 2023!
In this podcast, host Kevin Ferrara will talk about January as Firefighter Cancer Awareness Month and why it is important to have clear turnout gear. Then after a short break to hear about the podcast's sponsor, Fire Department Coffee, Kevin speaks about the recently released Mil-Spec document and how he feels it contains some information that is questionable and contradicting.
LINKS:
Firefighter Cancer Support Network
2013 NIOSH Firefighter Cancer Study
Fluorescent Aerosol Screening Test
Mil-Spec Document
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As always, keep supporting your local fire and emergency services, stay safe, and keep on listening!
Host Kevin Ferrara speaks his mind regarding the $858 billion dollar 2023 National Defense Authorization Act that once passed, would enable certain federal firefighters to file medical claims for various diagnosed medical illnesses to include several types of cancer. While on the surface this may seem like a win for federal firefighters, Kevin talks about how it limits those eligible to a select group while alienating others who are dealing with one or more of the listed medical illnesses or cancers.
Because of the limitation on who is eligible, Kevin encourages his audience members to contact their Congressional representatives and demand the 10-year time limit for firefighters to be diagnosed is removed.
Links:
H.R. 7900 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023
House Armed Services Committee Statement on 2023 NDAA
Feedspot 15 Best Fire Protection & Safety Podcasts
Feedspot 30 Best Firefighting Podcasts
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As always, keep supporting your local fire and emergency services, stay safe, and keep on listening!
In this episode, host Kevin Ferrara speaks with the founder and CEO of Safespill, a small Houston, Texas based military friendly company that has developed a new product that essentially eliminates the need to use Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF) or High Expansion Foam (HEF) in hangars.
CEO Tristan Mackintosh introduces himself and his company and, over the course of the podcast, explains how his vision to eliminate the use of toxic firefighting foam in hangars came to fruition which resulted in the Safespill Flooring System being installed in hangars, in particular several throughout the DoD.
Links:
Safespill
Safespill Military Friendly
Safespill NFPA 409
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Feedspot 15 Best Fire Protection & Safety Podcasts
Contact AFSO21's Weekend Wrap-up Podcast -
As always, keep supporting your local fire and emergency services, stay safe, and keep on listening!
In this episode, host Kevin Ferrara starts off by recognizing the 100th Anniversary of NFPA's Fire Prevention Week and the importance of this years theme, "Fire Won't Wait. Plan Your Escape." Kevin talks about how having a plan that variates from time to time will enable those escaping from a fire to be better prepared for the unexpected.
As the podcast continues, Kevin talks about firefighter cancer and how Virginia Beach Fire Department Captain Matt "Chevy" Chiaverotti is currently engaged in a battle to overcome Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer (metastatic carcinoma), a rare and aggressive form of cancer that accounts for less than 2% of thyroid cancers.
Matt is the Captain of VBFD Engine 7, the busiest engine in the department, and is a Search Team Manager with FEMA Virginia Task Force 2, an organization Matt has been with for over 16-years.
Support Events:
Links:
Contact AFSO21's Weekend Wrap-up Podcast -
As always, keep supporting your local fire and emergency services, stay safe, and keep on listening!
In this episode, host Kevin Ferrara speaks with Susan Wind who has been researching and speaking about Coal Ash that has polluted water sources around the country and is linked to cancer. IN fact, Susan's daughter developed cancer likely because of her exposure to polluted water that contained coal ash that was dumped within her community.
As Susan speaks about yet another pollutant that is plaguing our communities, she speaks of the lack of transparency, accountability, and enforcement regarding coal ash usage and disposal despite evidence that shows coal ash has been a known pollutant and carcinogen for years.
As the podcast wraps up, Susan speaks about the peaceful protest that will be held at the EPA Headquarters in Washington DC, 20 September 2022. More information on the event can be found by clicking the link below.
Links:
Susan Wind Had a Reason to press State Officials About A Possible Cancer Cluster Near Lake Norman. Her Daughter Had the Disease.
EPA Protest Event
EPA Protest Facebook Page
Coal Ash Basics (EPA)
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As always, keep supporting your local fire and emergency services, stay safe, and keep on listening!
In this episode, host Kevin Ferrara provides the Weekend Wrap-up audience with a recap of his presentation at the 2022 PFAS Conference. During the conference, presenters were allotted only 10-minutes to speak so Kevin thought it would beneficial to recap his presentation and go more in depth to what his message was for conference attendees.
Links:
2022 PFAS Conference
WTKR News 3 Interview Regarding PFAS Contamination in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia
DoD Firefighter PFAS Blood Test Survey
Veterans Affairs PFAS Blood Test Stance
Eurofins / EmpowerDx PFAS Blood Test Kit
EPA Drinking Water Health Advisories for PFAS Fact Sheet for Communities
DoD Draft Performance Specification Fire Extinguishing Agent, Fluorine-Free Foam (F3) Liquid Concentrate for Land-Based, Fresh Water Applications
5th Annual Firefighter Health and Wellness Conference
Pennsylvania Senate Bill 302, Restricting PFAS Chemicals from Firefighting Foam
H.R. 3967 - Honoring our PACT Act of 2022
AFSO21 Subscribe Link (Scroll down on home page and enter E-mail)
Feedspot 30 Best Firefighter Podcasts (Weekend Wrap-up is ranked 16th)
Feedspot 15 Best Fire Protection & Safety Podcasts (Weekend Wrap-up is ranked 5th)
Contact AFSO21's Weekend Wrap-up Podcast -
As always, keep supporting your local fire and emergency services, stay safe, and keep on listening!
In this episode, host Kevin Ferrara talks about the need for regulating and managing fire departments, in particular volunteer organizations.
In addition to his discussion in managing fire departments, Kevin talks about PFAS legislation that is currently being discussed that will impact Federal firefighters, and how PFAS has impacted a New Mexico Dairy farmer.
Links:
H.R. 2499 Federal Firefighters Fairness Act of 2022
Pennsylvania Workers' Compensation Act - Cancer in the Occupation of Firefighter
Daily Herd Management - Air Force Pollution Forces New Mexico Dairy to Euthanize 3,665 Cows
AFSO21 LLC Blog - Managing PA Fire Departments
Pennsylvania SR6 Final Report
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As always, keep supporting your local fire and emergency services, stay safe, and keep on listening!
In this episode, host Kevin Ferrara talks with Andrew Patterson and Taryn McKnight from Eurofins and EmpowerDX about their PFAS Blood Test Kit.
Highlights of the episode include talking about who Eurofins are and how they became involved with testing for PFAS as well as some of the behind the scenes efforts that went into developing the test. Also discussed during the podcast is defining half-life of PFAS substances.
PFAS Blood Test Kit Giveaway
Eurofins is giving one lucky audience member a free PFAS Blood Test kit.
To be eligible, you must subscribe to our YouTube channel or one of our podcast channels.
Links:
EmpowerDx PFAS Blood Test Kit
Eurofins
AFSO21's Weekend Wrap-up YouTube Channel
Feedspot Best 30 Firefighter Podcasts
Feedspot Best 15 Fire Protection & Safety Podcasts
Contact AFSO21's Weekend Wrap-up Podcast -
As always, keep supporting your local fire and emergency services, stay safe, and keep on listening!
Kevin welcomes audience members for their continued support which has been instrumental in the podcast being ranked number 15 of the "Best 30 Firefighter Podcasts" and number 5 of the "Best 15 Fire Protection & Safety Podcasts" in the world!
Kevin addresses legislation affecting Federal Firefighters (H.R. 2499), recently discussed during "mark-ups", and is now sitting in the House of Representatives awaiting further action.
Kevin discusses H.R. 7089, the Vet PFAS Act which calls to furnish hospital care and medical services to veterans and dependents who were stationed at military installations and exposed to PFAS, to provide for a presumption of service connection for certain veterans who were stationed at military installations at which the veterans were exposed to such substances, and for other purposes.
Mentioned is the upcoming Senate Confirmation Hearing for Bill LaPlante who if confirmed, will be the new Department of Defense (DoD) Undersecretary for Acquisition and Sustainment (A&S) which would make him responsible for issues pertaining to PFAS issues plaguing the DOD.
Kevin encourages audience members to contact their Senators and ask what their stance is on Mr. LaPlante as well as asking them some questions below in this description. The focus of these questions is to hold the DoD accountable for PFAS remediation efforts and reporting requirements, some of which the DoD has already missed deadlines of.
Questions to ask Senators:
Links:
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As always, keep supporting your local fire and emergency services, stay safe, and keep on listening!
In this episode, host, Kevin Ferrara clarifies what "Burn Pits" is defined as and how it is misleading to military firefighters.
The Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act, recently passed by the U.S. House of Representatives, proposes to establish presumptive of 23 service connected medical conditions to include respiratory illnesses and cancers for eligible veterans who deployed to certain locations where "Burn Pits" were in operation. Kevin explains how these provisions will not affect military firefighters exposed to toxins from fire training "burn pits".
In addition to the legislative provisions, Kevin talks about the AFFF registry that will only apply to "eligible" individuals.
As always, please comment on the episode and share your questions with Kevin and his audience.
Links:
Plan to give new benefits to burn pits victims passes House, faces difficult path ahead (Military Times Article)
H.R. 3967, Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2021
Link to H.R. 3967 actions
Michael Lecik Military Firefighters Protection Act
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As always, keep supporting your local fire and emergency services, stay safe, and keep on listening!
The podcast currently has 56 episodes available.