Applied Research Project Awards
The Nobel Prize, the Pulitzer Prize, and the Olympic Gold Medal are recognized world wide as symbols of human excellence. These awards are bestowed on individuals in recognition of achievements that have made significant contributions to society. When individuals are recognized as outstanding, the entire culture benefits because our ability is pushed to the outer limits of what is possible and imaginable. Based on this, the National Fire Academy (NFA) Executive Fire Officer Program (EFOP) Outstanding Research Award was created.
A significant measure of the professionalism of any occupation is the quality and quantity of the research the discipline is based on. The Outstanding Research Award helps the NFA achieve its mission of increasing the professionalism of the fire service.
The faculty have selected these papers as examples of outstanding work; to recognize the authors, contribute to the fire service literature, and inspire others to achieve new heights of excellence.
2012 Outstanding Research Award Winners
For the first time, the NFA has selected six fire service executives to receive the 2012 Outstanding Research Award. While historically only four awards are presented, one for each year of the EFOP, the large number of research projects receiving a perfect score of 4.0 in 2012 prompted NFA to increase the number of awards by two.
These research efforts demonstrate creativity, excellence in research design and results that will save lives and reduce property loss in the United States in the years to come. Congratulations to the winners!
2012 Applied Research Roll of Honor Inductee
Fire Chief Cindy Dick, City of Tallahassee (FL) Fire Department, has been inducted into the Executive Fire Officer Program Applied Research Roll of Honor for completing all four of her Applied Research Projects at a 4.0 level.
Chief Dick is only the ninth EFOP student to attain this honor in the history of the EFOP, which now has over 3,300 graduates. Congratulations Chief Dick!
25th Anniversary Applied Research Legacy Award Winners
To celebrate the progress resulting from thousands of Applied Research Projects over the 25-year history of the EFOP, eight prior Outstanding Applied Research Award winners have been selected as Applied Research Award Legacy winners. The work of these fire service executives represents the best of the best. Of these eight, four are further recognized by an elite panel of evaluators from John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Harvard University and the National Science Foundation as Silver Anniversary Research Award winners:
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Stephen Abbott |
California, June 2011 |
Assessing the Effects of Energy Beverages Upon Firefighter Health and Safety (PDF, 332 Kb) |
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Brian Ashton |
Idaho, 2011 |
The Fire Risks of a Corn Field Maz (PDF, 1.1 Mb) |
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Joseph Lynch |
Alabama, June 1997 |
Nocturnal Olfactory Response to Smoke Odor (PDF, 459 Kb) |
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David Mager |
Massachusetts, 2002 |
Evaluating the Results of a Modified Bunker Gear Policy (PDF, 656 Kb) |
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Cecil Martinette |
Virginia 2002 |
Learning Organizations and Leadership Style (PDF, 5.5 Mb) |
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Vincent Werner |
Texas, 2002 |
Evaluating Compliance with NFPA 1710 (PDF, 2.6 Mb) |
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Dr. Bernard Williams |
Canada, 1995 |
Development of a Strategy for Conflict Management During Fire/EMS Department Amalgamation (PDF, 145 Kb) |
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Kenneth Wood |
Illinois, 2001 |
A Quality Control Program for the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal (PDF, 1.7 Mb) |
= Silver Anniversary Research Award Winners
Previous Outstanding Research Award Winners
- Rooftop Solar Photovoltaic Feasibility Study for the Mesa Fire Department (PDF, 6.5 Mb)
Executive Development Course Awardee: Scott Somers, Administrator, City of Mesa Fire Department, Mesa, Arizona
- The Fire Risks of a Corn Field Maze (PDF, 1.1 Mb)
Executive Analysis of Community Risk Reduction Course Awardee: Brian Ashton, Captain, City of Boise Fire Department, Boise, Idaho
- Aligning South Kitsap Fire and Rescue School Fire Safety Education Program with Community Risks (PDF, 860 Kb)
Executive Analysis of Community Risk Reduction Course Awardee: Steven T. Wright, Deputy Fire Chief, South Kitsap Fire & Rescue Department, Port Orchard, Washington
- Assessing the Effects of Energy Beverages Upon Firefighter Health and Safety (PDF, 317 Kb)
Executive Analysis of Fire Service Operations in Emergency Management Course Awardee: Stephen Abbott, Battalion Chief, North County Fire Protection District, Fallbrook, California
- Emergency Plans at Santiago Elementary School: Are Current Plans Adequate for Responding to Wildfire Threats? (PDF, 123 Kb)
Executive Analysis of Community Risk Reduction Course Awardee: Edward Fleming, Division Chief Orange County Fire Authority, Irvine California
- What Are the Efficiencies of a Mass Vaccination Drive-Through Clinic Compared to a Walk-In-Clinic? (PDF, 673 Kb)
Executive Analysis of Fire Service Operations in Emergency Management Course Awardee: Darin Reid, Deputy Chief, Stanwood Camano Fire & Rescue, Camano Island Washington
- Can They Be Saved? Utilizing Civilian Survivability Profiling to Enhance Size-Up and Reduce Firefighter Fatalities in the Fire Department, City of New York (PDF, 885 Kb)
Executive Leadership Course Awardee: Stephen Marsar, Captain, Fire Department of New York, New York City New York.
- Turnout Time Analysis for South Metro Fire Rescue Authority (PDF, 5.6 Mb)
Executive Development Course Awardee: Michael Dell-Orfano, Assistant Fire Chief, South Metro Fire Rescue Authority, Centennial Colorado.
- Developing a Fall Prevention Program for Older Adults in Londonderry, New Hampshire (PDF, 2.5 Mb)
Executive Analysis of Community Risk Reduction Course Awardee: Donald Waldron, Fire Lieutenant, Londonderry Fire Department, Londonderry New Hampshire.
- Developing Activation Protocols for the New York City Fire Department’s Incident Management Team (PDF, 1.2 Mb)
Executive Analysis of Fire Service Operations in Emergency Management Course Awardee: Stephen Marsar, Captain, Fire Department of New York, New York City New York.
- Evaluating Laguna Beach Fire Department’s Association Between Cardiopulmonary Arrest Outcomes and Advanced Life Support (ALS) Time Standards (PDF, 525 Kb)
Executive Leadership Course Awardee: Michael Macey, Fire Chief, Laguna Beach Fire Department, Laguna Beach California.
- An Analysis of Red Lights and Siren Use Responding to Emergency Medical Services (PDF, 3.6 Mb)
Lieutenant Donald Waldron, City of Londonderry Fire Department, Londonderry, New Hampshire.
- Determining Fire Hazards When Educators Decorate Their Classroom in Clinton Mississippi (PDF, 489 Kb)
Fire Chief J. Barry Burnside, City of Clinton Fire Department, Clinton, Mississippi.
- Determining Core Emergency Scene Operational Standards for Eastside Fire & Rescue (PDF, 533 Kb)
Fire Chief Lee. A. Soptich, Eastside Fire & Rescue Department, Issaquah, Washington.
- Firefighter Rehabilitation in The Orange County Fire Authority: Are We Meeting the Need? (PDF, 404 Kb)
Battalion Chief Michael E. Boyle, Orange County (Ca.) Fire Authority, Irvine, California.
- Identifying Requirements for Reporting Hazardous Materials Storage to Local Fire Departments
Carl Blanksvard, Fire Inspector, Rock Springs Fire Department, Rock Springs, Wyoming
- Sink or Swim: Is St. Petersburg Fire & Rescue Doing All They Can to Prevent Drowning?
Steven Knight, Fire Lieutenant, St. Petersburg Fire Rescue Department, St. Petersburg, Florida
- The Damage Assessment Process in Cape Coral, Florida Following Hurricane Charley
David Kilbury, Battalion Commander, Cape Coral Fire & Rescue/EMS Department, Cape Coral, Florida
- Examining the 72 Consecutive Hour Work Limit
Steven A. Zwirn, Battalion Chief, Park City Fire Service District, Park City, Utah
- After Dark: Assessing Hydration and Glucose Levels during Late Night Operations
A. Lynn Schofield, Provo Fire and Rescue, Provo, Utah
- Safety Culture Within the Anne Arundel County Fire Department
Allen S. Williams, Anne Arundel County Fire Department, Anne Arundel County, Maryland
- Incident Activity Information Reporting for Cost Recovery Purposes
Deborah A. Prouty, Los Angeles County Fire Department, Los Angeles, California
- High Reliability Organization Theory and the San Bernardino City CA Fire Department
James M. Fratus, San Bernardino City Fire Department, San Bernardino, California
- Evaluating Instructional Efficiency in a National Response Plan Training Course
Kevin O. Milan, Golden Fire Department, Golden, Colorado
- Evaluating the Amarillo Department Mayday Guidelines
Marcus G. Lusk, District Chief, City of Amarillo Fire Department, Amarillo, Texas
- Identifying Alternative Approaches To Fire and Hazard Protection at Procter & Gamble
Ray A. Webber, Fire Chief, The Procter & Gamble Company, Cincinnati, Ohio
- Evaluation of Electronic Student Response Technology in an Introductory National Incident Management System Training Course
Kevin O. Milan, Division Chief, City of Golden Fire Department, Golden, Colorado
- The Effectiveness of Fire Safety Training for Employees in Commercial Premises
Mark Brown, Superintendent, New South Wales Fire Brigades, Sydney New South Wales, Australia
- Assessing the Impact of the Los Angeles County Fire Department Management Development Program
Deborah A. Prouty, Assistant Chief, Los Angeles County Fire Department, Los Angeles, CA
- Stakeholder Views in Relation to the Introduction of Residential Sprinkler Legislation in New South Wales, Australia
Mark M. Brown, Superintendent, New South Wales Fire Brigades Sydney South, New South Wales, Australia
- Drowning...The Silent Killer of Children: Should the Fort Lauderdale Fire-Rescue Department Take a Proactive Approach in the Development of a Preventive Program?
Jo-Ann Lorber, Fire Lieutenant, City of Fort Lauderdale Fire-Rescue Department, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
- Research Based Guidelines for Decision Making in Hurricane Conditions: When Do We Stop Responding?
Elaine Fisher, Fire Lieutenant. Orange County Fire Rescue, Winter Park, FL
- Evacuation and Shelter Instructions for Residents of Large Apartment Buildings for the Executive Development Course
D. John Garino, Battalion Chief, Wayne Township Fire Department, Indianapolis, Ind.
- Identifying and Addressing Sick Leave Use Trends for the Tulsa Fire Department for the Executive Leadership Course
David A. Hayes, Deputy Chief, City of Tulsa Fire Department, Tulsa, Okla.
- Expansion of the Incident Command System in a 'Mayday Situation for the Executive Analysis of Fire Service Operations in Emergency Management Course
Shane Ray, Fire Chief, Pleasant View Volunteer Fire Department, Brentwood, Tenn.
- Fire and Life Safety Education for the Elderly
Andrew G. Smerz, Deputy Chief, City of Milwaukee Fire Department, Milwaukee, Wisc.
- Residential Fire Alarm Systems: The Verification and Response Dilemma
Peter J. Finley, Jr., Deputy Fire Chief, Vineland Fire Department, Vineland, New Jersey
- Evaluating the Results of a Modified Bunker Gear Policy
David Mager, Deputy Fire Chief, Boston Fire Department, Boston, Massachusetts
- Learning Organizations and Leadership Style
Cecil V. Martinette Jr., Fire Chief, Lynchburg Fire and EMS Department, Lynchburg, Virginia
- Evaluation Compliance with NFPA 1710
Vincent J. Werner, Battalion Chief, Garland Fire Department, Garland, Texas
- Distress Alert Signals From Personal Alert Safety Systems Devices Do Not Trigger Physiological Responses
BY: Donald R. Adams, Sr., Fire Chief, of the Osceola County Emergency Services Department, Kissimmee, Florida
- Arousals And/Or Wake Patterns Associated With Pheromones Administered In The Ambient Environment During Sleep
BY: Joseph L. Lynch, III, Executive Assistant, of the Center Point Fire District, Birmingham, Alabama
- Gender Issues and Fire Stations Facilities
BY: Francis J. McElroy, Fire Chief, of the St. Johns County Department of Emergency Services, St. Augustine, Florida
- Public Safety Departments: A Second Evaluation Of The Consolidation Of The City of Mercer Island's Department Of Public Safety
BY: Christian D. Tubbs, Battalion Chief, of the Mercer Island Fire Division, Mercer Island, Washington
- A Quality Control Program For The Office Of The Illinois State Fire Marshal
BY: Kenneth E. Wood, Fire Protection Engineer, of the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal, Chicago, Illinois
- Protective Ensembles for Firefighting Challenge the Balance and Stability of Firefighters
BY: Donald R. Adams, Sr., Fire Chief, King's Point Volunteer Fire Department, Osceola County, Florida
- Firefighters' Attitudes Toward Fire Prevention Activities
BY: Marilyn Arnlund, Fire Marshal, Maple Grove Fire Prevention Bureau, Maple Grove, Minnesota
- Value Statements: A Bedrock Foundation for an Organizational Constitution
BY: Carl Ray Austerman, Battalion Chief, Glendale Fire Department, Glendale, Arizona
- The Incident Command System: A 25-Year Evaluation by California Practitioners
BY: Dana Cole, Assistant Chief, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, St. Helena, California
- Identifying the Core Values of the City of Markham Fire Department
BY: H. Michael Drumm, Fire Chief, City of Markham Fire Department, Markham, Illinois
- Identifying and Evaluating Training Criteria for the Development of a Company Officer Training Program
BY: David Ott, Division Chief, Coronado Fire Department, Coronado, California
- Improving Fire Apparatus Life Span Projections in the Norfolk Department of Fire and Paramedical Services
BY: Edward L. Senter, Jr., Battalion Chief, Norfolk Fire and Paramedical Services, Norfolk, Virginia
- Addressing a Problem of Employee Morale
BY: Everett K. Ward, Jr., Fire Chief, Wrightsville Beach Fire Department, Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina
- Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Fire Prevention Enforcement by the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal
BY: Kenneth E. Wood, Fire Protection Engineer, Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal, Chicago, Illinois
- Evaluation of Fire Apparatus Design Changes in the Norfolk Department of Fire and Paramedical Services
BY: Edward L. Senter, Jr., Battalion Chief, Norfolk Fire and Paramedical Services, Norfolk, Virginia
- Compressed Air Foam Systems in Limited Staffing Conditions
BY: Robert G. Taylor, Captain, Morristown Fire Bureau, Morristown, New Jersey
- The Effects of Oxygen Enriched Air on Firefighter Job Performance
BY: Bernard E. Williams, PhD, Deputy Chief, Edmonton Emergency Response Department, Alberta, Canada
- The Fire Experience in Home Day Care Occupancies
BY: Kenneth E. Wood, Fire Protection Engineer, Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal, Chicago, Illinois
- Fire Service Planning in Montgomery County to Manage the Consequences of Terrorism Involving Chemical Warfare Agents
BY: Theodore Lee Jarboe, Deputy Chief, Department of Fire and Rescue Services, Montgomery County, Maryland
- Nocturnal Olfactory Response to Smoke Odor
BY: J.L. Lynch, Fire Chief, Irondale Fire and Rescue Service, Irondale, Alabama
- New Medical/Physical Standards for Frederick County Firefighters
BY: Andrew D. Marsh, Director, Frederick County Department of Fire/Rescue Services, Frederick, Maryland
- Initiating a Marketing Planning Process in the Norfolk Department of Fire and Paramedical Services
BY: Edward L. Senter, Jr., Battalion Chief, Norfolk Fire and Paramedical Services, Norfolk, Virginia
- Aides for Command Level Officers
BY: J. Curtis Varone, Battalion Chief, Providence Fire Department, Providence, Rhode Island
- Problems and Success Factors Inherent in Fire Service Retirement
BY: Gearld Bates, Battalion Chief, Tucson Fire Department, Tucson, Arizona
- Fireground Radio Communications and Firefighter Safety
BY: J. Curtis Varone, Providence Fire Department, Providence, Rhode Island
- Evaluation of a Mitigation Procedure for Small Liquid Oxygen(LOX)Spills
BY: Craig H. Kampmier, Swansea Fire Department, Swansea, Massachusetts
- A Marketing Strategy for Wildland Fuel Reduction in Palm Coast, Florida
BY: Mike Kuypers, District Manager, Florida Division of Forestry, Bunnell, Florida
- Providence Fire Department Staffing Study Revisited
BY: J. Curtis Varone, Providence Fire Department, Providence, Rhode Island
- Development of a Strategy for Conflict Management During Fire/EMS Department Amalgamation
BY: Bernard E. Williams, Ph.D., Deputy Chief, Edmonton Emergency Response Department
- A Study of Standby Water Fees/User Fees for Fire
BY: Thomas R. Wood, Division Commander, Boca Raton Fire-Rescue ServicesDepartment, Boca Raton, Florida
- Structure Triage During Wildland/Urban Interface/IntermixFires
BY: Keith Brown, Lake Dillon Fire Authority, Silverthorne, Colorado
- Cognitive Development Considerations in Preschool Fire SafetyEducation
BY: Steven Dalbey, Fire Chief, Muscatine, Iowa
- Defining the Organizational Culture of the Fairborn FireDepartment
BY: T. David Harlow, Battalion Chief, Fairborn Fire Department, Fairborn, Ohio
- Providence Fire Department Staffing Study
BY: J. Curtis Varone, Providence Fire Department, Providence, Rhode Island
Children with Autism and Fire Drills and Fire Alarms (PDF, 999 Kb)
