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Sustainable Fire Engineering
'Fire Safety for All': Open Call for Innovative Products & Systems
2015-02-02: This is NOT … I repeat NOT … a small niche market in the Global Multi-Billion Euro Fire Safety & Protection Related Construction Industrial Sector ! This IS the whole nine yards !!
This is an Open Call for Innovative, Well-Designed Fire Safety / Protection and Accessibility Related Construction Products and Systems, Other Measures and Means, Mechanical and Electronic Devices, ETC, ETC, ETC, ETC !
This Call is particularly aimed at Manufacturers, Suppliers and Distributors in China, India, Japan, and Mainland Europe !
We want to see 'Real' Products and Systems, Measures and Means, Mechanical and Electronic Devices, ETC, ETC, ETC, ETC … not flashy brochures … at the 2015 Dublin 'Fire Safety for All' Industrial Exhibition, on 9 & 10 April !
An Accessible Building is Safer, Easier to Use and More Comfortable for ALL Building Users
If Fire Safety for All is properly considered at Building Design Stage :
• Buildings are easier to understand (intuitive) during a Real Fire Evacuation
• Fire Evacuation Routes (obvious) are easier to find and to use
• Everyone can safely evacuate a Building on Fire – no more tragic tales about people being left behind in multi-storey schools and offices
• Reality – Reliability – Redundancy – are the 3 Essential Keywords
Client Organizations: A Building which is NOT Accessible is difficult, if not impossible, for everybody to evacuate during a real fire incident !
So …
Grab a Bicycle – Get a Horse – Take a Train or a Plane – Come to Dublin in April !
To Exhibit / To Sponsor … please go to the Event WebSite: www.fire-safety-for-all.ie
'Fire Safety for All' Update: Dublin Declaration & Press Release
2015-02-01: This important Event is still a few months away, but the following update will be of interest …. a mixture of some good news and some bad news …
To Register / To Attend … please go to the Event WebSite: www.fire-safety-for-all.ie … places are limited in the New Conference Venue.
1. 2015 Dublin 'Fire Safety for All' Declaration – A Call to Action & Successful Implementation !
From the beginning, we promised that this would not be a polite gathering in Dublin. It will, instead, be a time for hard work and straight talking by everybody attending … and a good opportunity to have some fun also. Dublin is a very 'sociable' city !
As an indication of our serious intent … please now download and examine the Proposed 2015 Dublin Declaration on 'Fire Safety for All' in Buildings (PDF File, 153 Kb) …
If you would like to comment on this document, or if you have any questions … please send an e-mail message to: firstname.lastname@example.com
Drafting of the CIB W14 Research Working Group V Reflection Document has already commenced.
2. Dublin Fire Safety for All Event's First Press Release
A strong message from and about the Dublin Event must be widely disseminated at international and national levels … download and read / forward / circulate / publish FireOx International's First Event Press Release (PDF File, 49 Kb), dated 1 February 2015 …
Please help us to spread the word !
3. Embarrassment about Original Conference Venue
Accessibility of a Building … encompasses the complete cycle of independent use, in a dignified manner and on an equal basis with others … and includes the approach, entry and use of a building and its facilities, egress during normal conditions and removal from its vicinity … and, most importantly, safe evacuation during a fire incident to a place of safety which is remote from the building and reached by way of an accessible route.
As I write … Ireland has a truck load of accessibility-related National Building Regulations and EU Safety at Work Law (transposed at national level a long, long time ago). We have strong Equality Law. We have ease of access to accessibility-related International Standards (such as ISO 21542: 2011) and National Standards from other European Countries, North & South America, and Asia. We have accessibility-related National Guidance Documents coming out of our ears, and easy access to all sorts of other guidance from around the world. Lots and lots and lots and lots of paperwork, in digital and hardcopy formats !
Ireland today … is still one of only a few remaining countries which have yet to ratify the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), the principal aim of which is to ensure that the Human Environment (including the built, social, economic, virtual and institutional environments) is sufficiently accessible for people with activity limitations to participate positively in all aspects of their local communities … a basic human right, which every able-bodied person takes for granted !
" This is not just a national disgrace, it is a huge embarrassment for our country when you consider that the European Union itself and most of the EU's Member States have already ratified this UN Convention."
AND … as I look around Dublin … the City is NOT accessible for its many vulnerable residents and foreign visitors !
Are you sitting comfortably ? Then I will tell you a short story … a 'real' story, not a fairy tale … about the Original Conference Venue …
Mr. Sean Sherlock, T.D., Minister of State at Ireland's Department of Foreign Affairs with responsibility for Overseas Development Aid, has agreed to open the Event on the evening of Thursday, 9 April 2015. All of Irish Aid's Partner Countries in Africa have ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Given the serious, socially transformative topic of this Conference … the Minister had also kindly offered to waive the fee for the hire of the Printworks Building in Dublin Castle – a very prestigious location in the City, and a building which was been extensively refurbished in time for Ireland's recent Presidency of the European Union. The audio-visual fit-out for this building is magnificently elaborate. Most unfortunately, the building's accessibility is entirely inadequate (ATROCIOUS would be a better word to describe it!).
However, with the right attitude and positive co-operation from the Venue Management Team, many improvements to the building's accessibility could have been made for the Conference. From the beginning, however, the Management Team's response to this issue was negative.
" It is entirely unacceptable that this State's New and Heritage Building Stock is designed, constructed, and/or managed without a full and proper consideration … and successful implementation … of Accessibility for All and Fire Safety for All ! "
The Venue Management Team has refused to honour the Minister's waiver.
We have had no other option but to move the Conference and Workshop to a far better Venue just around the corner … the Radisson Blu Hotel in Golden Lane, Dublin.
A Building which is NOT Accessible is difficult, if not impossible, for everybody to evacuate during a real fire incident …
'Rigorous enforcement of building codes and standards by state and local agencies, well trained and managed, is critical in order for standards and codes to ensure the expected level of safety. Unless they are complied with, the best codes and standards cannot protect occupants, emergency responders, or buildings.'
(2005 U.S. NIST NCSTAR 1: Final Report on the Collapse of the World Trade Center Towers … Page 202, Chapter 9: Recommendations)
United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
UN CRPD Article 33 – National Implementation & Monitoring
1. States Parties, in accordance with their system of organization, shall designate one or more focal points within government for matters relating to the implementation of the present Convention, and shall give due consideration to the establishment or designation of a co-ordination mechanism within government to facilitate related action in different sectors and at different levels.
2. States Parties shall, in accordance with their legal and administrative systems, maintain, strengthen, designate or establish within the State Party, a framework, including one or more independent mechanisms, as appropriate, to promote, protect and monitor implementation of the present Convention. When designating or establishing such a mechanism, States Parties shall take into account the principles relating to the status and functioning of national institutions for protection and promotion of human rights.
3. Civil society, in particular persons with disabilities and their representative organizations, shall be involved and participate fully in the monitoring process.
2015 Paris Hive Attacks & Fire Engineering for Urban Resilience !
2015-01-31: The beginning of this 21st Century is deeply unsettling … history is catching up on us, and old certainties are crumbling before our eyes …
The recent, extremely violent Paris Hive Attacks … which occurred between Wednesday and Friday (7-9 January 2015) … have again shown that co-ordinated attacks on a small number of carefully chosen, low-level targets can be just as effective in causing widespread social and economic disruption in a City as a single attack on a high-level target. Search for our previous detailed discussion, here, on the 2008 Mumbai 'Hive' Attacks.
On this tragic occasion, the attacks happened in Europe … not, as before, in far-off India.
Following the 2001 WTC 9-11 Attacks in New York City … the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), in 2005 and 2008, recommended that these Building Types should be treated as 'Risk Priorities' …
• Tall / High-Rise Buildings ;
• Iconic Buildings ;
• Buildings Having a Critical Function ;
• Buildings Having an Innovative Design.
However, a typical medium-rise office building (in Paris) and off-street supermarket do not fall into the above categories … another indication that the NIST Recommendations must soon undergo a thorough international review and updating.
In the real world, the whole urban and sub-urban infrastructure of a City is at risk from Extreme Man-Made Events … one more risk among significant others, i.e. Hybrid Disasters (e.g. 2011 Fukushima Nuclear Incident), Severe Natural Events (e.g. earthquakes, typhoons, tsunamis) and Complex Humanitarian Emergencies (e.g. mass human migrations, regional famines). And with 50% of the world's population already living in Cities, and substantial urban population growth projected over the coming decades … it is clear that, in the short to medium term, Cities must become much more resilient. Search for our continuing discussion, here, about Sustainable Urban Resilience.
In this context, compliance solely with the minimal and limited fire safety objectives in current national legislation – from whatever source around the world – is so far from being either adequate or acceptable … that it is no longer worth a moment's consideration.
A Fire Engineering which is 'fit for purpose', i.e. is both ethical and professional, in today's complex and dynamic Human Environment … has an essential and critical part to play in the realization of a Safe, Resilient and Sustainable Built Environment for All !
Global Event: 'Fire Safety for All' in Buildings – Reboot & Reload !
2014-12-09: FireOx International, the Fire Engineering Division of Sustainable Design International Ltd., is very pleased and proud to present the following Global CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) Event …
9 & 10 April 2015 – Dublin Castle, Ireland
'Fire Safety for All' in Buildings – Reboot & Reload !
[ www.fire-safety-for-all.ie ]
Co-Sponsored by CIB & RI-ICTA
Kindly supported by Fáilte Ireland
This will not be a polite gathering intended just for an Irish audience, or even for Europeans … this is a Global Event – a catalyst for Substantive Social Transformation everywhere !
Within the professional discipline of Fire Engineering … either a building is Fire Safe or it is not ; the design philosophy of the fire engineer is irrelevant. Similarly, now, we must begin to think and act in the simple terms of a building either being Accessible for All, or not. And if the building is accessible for all, does it tick all of the right accessibility boxes well, i.e. effectively ?
While building fire safety codes and standards exist in almost every country … guidelines relating to the Fire Safety of People with Activity Limitations – IF those guidelines exist at all – are technically inadequate, entirely tokenistic, blatantly discriminatory, and rarely implemented.
This is a very significant obstacle to Effective Building Accessibility everywhere !!
Accessibility is now understood to mean the full cycle of independent building use, in an equitable and dignified manner … and this term includes the approach, entry to and use of a building, egress during normal conditions and removal from the vicinity of the building … and, most importantly, evacuation during a fire incident to a 'place of safety' which is remote from the building. (ISO 21542 : 2011)
Cogently mandated in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2006) … the CRPD's principal aim is to ensure that the Built, Social, Economic and Virtual Environments are sufficiently 'accessible' to permit a vulnerable and major(!) population group in all of our societies to enjoy the fundamental freedoms and human rights described in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948).
Refer to Preamble Paragraph (g) in the UN Convention …
' Emphasizing the importance of mainstreaming disability issues as an integral part of relevant strategies of sustainable development,'
and to … Article 3 (General Principles), Article 9 (Accessibility), Article 11 (Situations of Risk & Humanitarian Emergencies), Article 19 (Living Independently & Being Included in the Community), Article 20 (Personal Mobility), Article 24 (Education), Article 27 (Work & Employment), Article 31 (Statistics & Data Collection), Article 32 (International Co-Operation), and Article 33 (National Implementation & Monitoring).
The focus of this event, therefore, is Real Accessibility. In other words, Effective Accessibility for People with Activity Limitations (which includes people with disabilities, and children under the age of 5 years, frail older people, women in the later stages of pregnancy, and people with health conditions, etc.) … an accessibility which actually works well for all potential building users. And it is appropriate also, now, to introduce the concept of Monitoring and Targeting this 'real' accessibility … independently, i.e. by 3rd Parties !
It is time to Reboot this ridiculous, professionally negligent and obsolete old system … Reload with innovative and practical building design, construction, management and personal self-protection solutions … and Implement !
FireOx 'Fire Safety for All' Matrix – Revised & Updated
2014-10-17: Within the professional discipline of Fire Engineering … either a building is 'fire safe', or it is not. The Design Philosophy of the Fire Engineer is irrelevant. In fact, nearly everybody involved with fire safety in buildings would collapse in a fit of laughter at the delusional notion that a design philosophy was relevant. People's lives are at stake !
Similarly, now, we must begin to think and act in the simple terms of a building either being 'accessible', or not. At stake, this time, is the quality of life and living for very many vulnerable people in all of our societies.
Accessibility for All, according to International Standard ISO 21542 (2011) … includes the approach, entry to and use of a building, egress during normal conditions and removal from the vicinity of the building … and, most importantly, evacuation during a fire incident to a 'place of safety' which is remote from the building.
Concerning that All above … FireOx International's 'Fire Safety for All' Matrix shows who exactly we are talking about … and who must be considered in the development of a Fire Safety Strategy for every building … not just some buildings !
This is not just good design practice … it is also mandated in International Human Rights Law.
FireOx International's 'Fire Safety for All' Matrix (2014) – PDF File, 25 Kb
Building Fire Safety Codes and Standards exist in almost every country. However – IF they exist at all – those guidelines relating to the Fire Safety of People with Activity Limitations are technically inadequate, entirely tokenistic and/or blatantly discriminatory.
Refer to my previous post … BS 9999:2008 & BS 8300:2009 – Sleepwalking into Problems ?
It is time to Reboot this ridiculous, professionally negligent and obsolete old system … Reload with innovative and practical building design, construction, management and personal self-protection solutions … and Implement !
2015 'Fire Safety for All' Global CSR Event – Dublin, 9 & 10 April
Register Now !
Upcoming CIB/NIST Workshop on Structural Reliability in Fire ?!?
2014-05-16: Anybody with even the slightest interest in the Future Development of Fire Engineering Design, and Structural Fire Engineering in particular, should pay attention to the proceedings of an upcoming CIB/NIST Workshop, which will be held on 21-22 May 2014, at the NIST Campus in Maryland, USA …
CIB/NIST Fire Resistance/Resistant/Resisting/Resistive Structures Workshop
It is essential to read 3 White Papers … produced by three separate teams of experts, contracted by NIST, in advance of the Workshop … to get a 'real' flavour of how discussions may, or may not, develop next week. All three papers are available to download from the NIST WebSite (and the links below). I suggest that you get your hands on them … ASAP !
1. Fire Behaviour of Steel Structures (March 2014). 20 Pages, 786 Kb.
2. State-of-the-Art on Fire Resistance of Concrete Structures: Structure-Fire Model Validation (March 2014). 32 Pages, 1.26 Mb.
3. Fire Resistance of Timber Structures (March 2014). 20 Pages, 998 Kb.
After reading these 3 NIST White Papers … I was not surprised by the large number of 'unknowns', or the enormous gaps in our 'knowns' …
Taken in whole and all together, however, the three documents are a public confirmation that today's general practice of Fire Engineering is more akin to that of mid-19th Century Alchemy. Blinkered practitioners are isolated from the building design process … because they have no understanding of that process, and have no means of effective communication with the many other design disciplines involved. And minimal, i.e. 'cost-effective'(?), compliance with the limited and inadequate fire safety objectives in current building codes/regulations is widely regarded as the one and only target for their efforts … a minor one compared to the fundamental, long-term target of realizing a Safe, Resilient and Sustainable Built Environment for All. At the same time, frontline fire service personnel are forced to operate on shoestring budgets … and, when a fire emergency inevitably occurs, they are regarded as nothing more than an expendable resource.
!! Structure … Does Not A Building Make !!
Some comments on the 3 NIST White Papers …
A. The Papers contain a number of important technical errors:
- A similar Introduction in two of the Papers refers only to the 2005 NIST Report (NCSTAR 1) on the 9-11 Collapse of WTC Buildings 1 & 2 in New York City, which contained 30 Recommendations. However, NIST published a later Report in 2008 (NCSTAR 1A) on the Collapse of WTC Building 7, which contained a further 13 Recommendations … 1 new, and 12 revised/updated from the earlier 2005 Report.
- There is a reference in one of the Papers to a 1989 European Directive on Construction Products (89/106/EEC), and as later amended. This Directive was repealed, in 2011, by Article 65 of the new European Union (EU) Regulation No.305/2011 on Construction Products. Unlike a Directive, a Regulation is addressed directly to the EU Member States, and does not permit any flexibility with regard to national implementation. Annex I of Regulation 305/2011 sets out 7 Basic Requirements for Construction Works:
- Mechanical resistance and stability ;
– Safety in case of fire ;
– Hygiene, health and the environment ;
– Safety and accessibility in use ;
– Protection against noise ;
– Energy economy and heat retention ;
– Sustainable use of natural resources.
Concerning fire safety in buildings … it is incorrect to state, or even suggest, that only the second Basic Requirement is relevant … a building must satisfy all of the Basic Requirements taken together, i.e. the 7 Basic Requirements are inter-dependent.
B. Having carefully read the Papers … none of the expert teams appear to have paid any attention to any of the NIST Recommendations, in either the 2005 or the 2008 Reports ! Note well that two separate series of posts on both sets of NIST Recommendations have been carried here on this Technical Blog.
C. If we have learned anything from the WTC 9-11 Building Collapses, it is that the Fire Engineer must be able to communicate effectively with other mainstream building design disciplines … especially 'ambient' structural engineers who speak the language of Structural Reliability, Limit State Design and Serviceability Limit States. The Fire Engineer must also become an active participant in the creative, trans-disciplinary process of design. These issues have not been seriously considered in any of the Papers.
D. All of the Papers lack a common and precise starting point … relevant structural fire engineering concepts are either not defined or badly defined … and the 'dynamic, complex architectural interaction between a building's structure and fabric under conditions of fire' requires immediate and urgent investigation …
Structural Reliability
The ability of a structural system to fulfil its design purpose, for a specified time,
under the actual environmental conditions encountered in a building.
Structural Fire Engineering
Those aspects of fire engineering concerned with structural design for fire …
and the dynamic, complex architectural interaction between a building's structure and
fabric, i.e. non-structure … under conditions of fire and its immediate aftermath,
including but not confined to the 'cooling phase'.
Fire-Induced Progressive Damage
The sequential growth and intensification of structural deformation
and displacement, beyond fire engineering design parameters*, and the eventual failure
of elements of construction in a building – during a fire and the 'cooling phase'
afterwards – which, if unchecked, will result in disproportionate damage,
and may lead to total building collapse.
[ *fire serviceability limit states ]
Disproportionate Damage
The failure of a building's structural system:
(i) remote from the scene of an isolated overloading action ;
and (ii) to an extent which is not in reasonable proportion to that action.
[ Fire-Induced Progressive Damage and Disproportionate Damage are fundamental concepts in the Fire Engineering Design of All Buildings ! ]
E. It is not acknowledged in any of the Papers that the Fire Safety Objectives in Current Building Codes/Regulations are, of necessity, limited in scope … and entirely inadequate in the context of Annex I in EU Regulation 305/2011, and the long-term goal of realizing a Safe, Resilient and Sustainable Built Environment for All. Refer to the updated Scope, Aims & Objectives of CIB Working Commission 14: 'Fire Safety'.
F. Once and for all … use of the term Fire Resistance (and any number of variations thereof, e.g. resistant, resisting, resistive, etc.) in connection with any aspect of structural performance in fire … is ridiculous ! It is roughly comparable to use of the term Fire Proof during the first half of the 20th Century.
G. Finally, for now … the current unwise focus on Crude Pass/Fail Results from the 'standard fire' testing of single loadbearing structural elements must evolve … must be transformed into the more detailed and precise measurement of all aspects of 'real' structural system performance over the full duration of a 'design' fire (including the cooling phase afterwards) … using a much wider range of performance monitoring equipment, e.g. short wave infra-red thermography.
It is no longer acceptable for Fire Engineering to exist in an isolated Twilight Zone … completely removed from the everyday realities of Mainstream Building & Construction.
Model Disability Policy Statement for Educational Establishments
2014-04-21: Notwithstanding the, by now, well-established existence of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD), International Standard ISO 21542: 'Building Construction – Accessibility & Usability of the Built Environment', a host of other national accessibility standards, and a plethora of accessibility design guidance materials … not every 'real' site, or building, or built environment, situation is covered. It would be physically impossible.
Unless it is fixed in your mind … or, more importantly, in the 'group-thinking' of an organization … that Accessibility-for-All should be, for example, both independent (i.e. it is not necessary for a person to have an assistant) and inclusive (i.e. friends can do things together and no special deal is made about accessibility for one person) … it can be very difficult to emerge from beneath the weight of those documents referred to above … and to apply important disability-related principles flexibly and adaptively in the real world.
At a recent meeting with some teachers in an Irish school (which shall remain nameless) … I advised that a very good and positive start can be made by discussing together and agreeing on a Disability Policy Statement, which will help to guide future actions. More steps are required, of course, but those will come later.
Model Disability Policy Statement for Educational Establishments
Insofar as it relates to the educational activities of
Name of School/College/University/Institute
and its relationships in the wider local community …
We recognise and respect the rights of people with activity limitations:
- to lead a fulfilling life – autonomously, independently, and with dignity ;
- to integrate into the civil, political, economic, social, cultural and educational mainstream ; and
- to participate in the general life of the wider local community on a basis of equal opportunity with everyone else.
Good Education is an Important Key to Social Inclusion
In order to ensure your autonomy and independence, your civil, political, economic, social, cultural and educational integration, and your active participation in the general life of the wider local community – the principle of equal opportunity shall not prevent the adoption or maintenance of services, systems and policies providing for your support or assistance within this establishment.
[ Discussed and Agreed by the School/College/University/Institute Management Board on …… ]
2012 Doha Shopping Mall Fire – 5 Jail Sentences for Negligence !
2013-07-19: Once upon a time, back in 1979, when I was flying to Sydney, Australia … one of the scheduled stops on the route was Bahrain and the New International Airport Terminal there. In spite of the flashy and expensive building, I noticed how obsolete looking (and functioning) were the fittings in the toilet area. Could it possibly be, I wondered, that the Arab Gulf Region was being supplied with shoddy, second rate construction products from you-know-where ??
Fast forward to a few years ago … in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia … and I encountered one building – the same building – where one half had a 110 Volt electrical supply, and the other half had a 220 Volt supply. Amazing !?! Two different consultants, or contractors, or whatever … one from North America, and the other from Europe … with the Saudis in the middle, having to tolerate this nonsense !!
DOHA City Fire – Monday, 28 May 2012 …
I distinctly remember that some Irish people who had actually witnessed the Fatal Fire Incident at the 'Villaggio' Shopping Mall (www.villaggioqatar.com), in Doha (capital city of Qatar) … were afterwards talking to Mr. Joe Duffy, on the lunchtime 'Liveline' Programme (Ireland's RTE Radio 1 Station).
19 People were killed on that Monday morning in Doha … 13 Children, 4 Teachers, and 2 Firefighters. Many more were injured from inhaling toxic smoke.
According to various news reports … an electrical fire, caused by a light fitting (which was not 'fit for its intended use') in a Nike Shop, engulfed a section of the shopping centre … spreading to the Gympanzee Drop-and-Shop Childcare Centre on the first floor.
The staircase leading to the Childcare Centre collapsed … trapping victims inside. One of their fire exits led directly to the seat of the fire, while the other fire exit was locked from the outside.
In addition, the 'Villaggio' – a luxury mock-Italian shopping centre (one of the most popular in the country !) where customers could ride around Venetian-style Canals, in Venetian-style Gondolas – was later found to be in breach of legislation because Essential Fire Safety Measures were either inadequate or missing, at the time of the fire: the fire sprinkler system was not working properly; inflammable paint and decorative mouldings were used in the construction; the building did not have effective fire evacuation procedures in place; the building was not equipped with proper fire-fighting equipment; and the fire alarm wasn't loud enough.
A Qatari Court – Thursday, 20 June 2013 …
The recent outcome from this Qatari Court Case has been nagging at me ever since I saw the news on Al Jazeera (English) … www.aljazeera.com
Only Some of the People having Control / Responsibility were convicted for the Negligence which resulted in the 19 Deaths, and many injuries, at the 2012 'Villaggio' Fatal Fire Incident.
Four people received six-year jail terms, while the fifth received a five-year term. All five are currently out on appeal, and will remain out of custody until the appeals process is completed.
Those convicted include Two Co-Owners of the Childcare Centre, and Members of the Mall's Management Team. Sheikh Ali Bin Jassim Al Thani, one of the co-owners, is also currently Qatar's Ambassador to Belgium … while Iman Al-Kuwari, the other co-owner, is the daughter of Qatar's Culture Minister.
Two other defendants, including the Mall's Assistant Manager and Head of Security, were cleared of all charges.
Other People having Control / Responsibility were also Careless, Incompetent, and Negligent …
RF-Based Firefighter Communication Performance in Buildings
2013-05-22: Whatever Service Providers claim … every day, we experience mobile/cell phone reception variability, drop-off and failure in buildings … whether we are fully conscious of it or not. It's inconvenient, but all we have to do is change location, even slightly … and 're-dial'. However, if we are travelling on a train or bus, and it enters a tunnel … the problem can be annoying, as the situation is beyond our control !
On the other hand, however … not too far from where I live, there is an art house cinema with underground screens on different levels. In this particular case, mobile/cell phone reception failure can be a positive joy – it will not be necessary to listen to someone else's loud conversations during the film !
BUT … emergency first responders use radio frequency-based communication systems during the normal course of their work … and in the current built environment, these systems can also be unreliable. Improved climate resilience in our future building stock will make matters worse. So, it makes a lot of sense to take this issue seriously now !
Fire Departments equip their firefighters with a Radio Frequency-Based Personal Alert Safety System (PASS) … also known as an Automatic Distress Signal Unit (ADSU) … which sends out a signal to a fire incident base / control centre / command post when the firefighter is motionless or in distress, with a clear indication of his/her location … or, if necessary, a general warning can be sent from the fire incident base / control centre / command post to all firefighters to evacuate a building immediately … for example, if extensive structural collapse is imminent.
Recently, the National Institute of Science & Technology (USA) issued Technical Note 1792. I have just a few short comments to make before jumping into the document …
1. The Empire State Building and a Subway Station in New York City are both iconic building types … and unusual, in the context of the USA generally … but not so in Europe, with our long tradition for 'hard/heavy' construction. Challenging environments for radio frequency-based communication systems are encountered in our basement / underground building types, and low-rise complex building types … never mind high-rise and tall buildings.
2. Outside buildings, adequate external access routes for Firefighting Vehicles are mandated in building codes and standards … and Firefighter Lifts are provided inside buildings, etc., etc., etc. Facilitating reliable radio frequency-based emergency communications should become a normal part of thinking about … and designing for … Safe Firefighter Access. And … before new buildings are occupied, it should become routine to carry out an emergency communications check, as part of a wider collaborative effort between Building Management Teams and Local Fire Services.
3. This NIST Technical Note is further evidence … as if any more evidence were needed … that it is a continuing and difficult process to fully implement the 2005 & 2008 NIST WTC 9-11 Recommendations. To date, the easier low hanging fruit (system and procedural inadequacies !) have been tackled, which may be presented and/or described as substantive changes in building codes and standards … mere window dressing … tokenism, at its worst ! However, as discussed here before many times, some European countries continue to completely ignore these important NIST Recommendations.
March 2013 – NIST Technical Note 1792: 'Performance Analysis of RF-Based Electronic Safety Equipment in a Subway Station and the Empire State Building'.
To Read/Download NIST TN 1792 (PDF File, 9.02 MB), go to … http://dx.doi.org/10.6028/NIST.TN.1792
NIST TN 1792 – Summary & Conclusion (Page 59)
Radio Frequency (RF) PASS Tests were performed in a New York Subway Station and the Empire State Building because these types of structures provide challenging RF propagation-channel environments. In the Subway, the RF PASS systems were limited in their ability to communicate beyond the initial entrance level. Without the use of repeaters, most of the systems could communicate only a short distance beyond the bottom of the stairwell that connected the token booth corridor to the street. Two systems used repeaters to extend the coverage area. When a repeater was located at the base of the stairwell leading up to the street, those two systems were able to communicate the RF PASS alarms between the street level and the first passenger platform. However, with only a single repeater, neither of the two repeater systems was able to communicate between the external receive site and the second passenger level. This suggests that for structures with sizable subterranean sections, a repeater system will likely be required to reach an external incident command post. If the structure has multiple subterranean levels of increasing depth, a multiple-hop relay system will likely be necessary to ensure the reliability of the communication channel.
In the path-loss measurements and analysis performed at five frequencies, ranging from 430 MHz to 2405 MHz, there are several important insights. Based on the upper adjacent values in the box-plot statistical representation of the path-loss data from the Empire State Building (see Figure 36), path-loss values of 140 dB to 175 dB are possible for high-rises. For the Subway, the path-loss values exceed 210 dB to 240 dB at the lower two passenger platforms (see Figure 35). The frequency dependence is more pronounced for the Empire State Building results, but less apparent in the Subway data. Thus, while a system may function well at the lower end of the frequency spectrum in the above ground portions of a large building, the subway results demonstrate that subterranean structures can cause path-loss values greater than 200 dB across the 430 to 2400 MHz range.
The testing completed here focused on RF PASS system performance and RF propagation-channel measurements in a high-rise and subway station. While a primary goal of the effort was to look at the correlation between the system performance and path-loss behaviour, a secondary goal was to gather path-loss data in two high-attenuation settings. Thus, parameter values for log-normal distributions that will allow simulation of the measured path-loss conditions are included in this report. The authors hope that the data presented here, along with future sets of data, can be used to develop a complete suite of test methods, not only for RF-based PASS systems, but also for other RF-based electronic safety equipment. The path-loss values obtained here are general and could be used to develop standards for other equipment as the need arises for standards for these systems.
In Ireland … 10 UHF Channels have been allocated to the Fire Services for use with hand portable radios …
Mainstream Good Design & Accessibility for All Signage ?
2013-03-06: Further to an earlier Post, dated 30 November 2012 … on Sustainable Accessibility for All …
Accessibility IS a Fundamental Human Right !
' For many Weak and Vulnerable People, today's Complex Human Environment is inaccessible and unsafe … a hostile 'reality' which prevents independent functioning and participation in a local community; it is a blatant denial of their human rights.'
Relevant Human Environment (social – built – virtual – institutional) Factors … factors which are external, or extrinsic, to the context of a person's life and living situation … include policies and standards, negative attitudes and stigma, lack of services, problems with service delivery, inadequate funding, lack of accessibility in the built environment and to electronic, information and communication technologies, lack of consultation and involvement, and an absence of reliable data and evidence.
Accessibility for All …
Take a really close look at the photograph below … and see a staircase which, in spite of all the legislation in the EU Member States, contravenes almost every accessibility-related design guideline. It is far from being an unusual scene in our European Built Environment …
Now, imagine the consequences of one, tiny slip …
Which is why our concern must be with Accessibility for All … which includes consciously thinking about children under the age of 5 years, women in the later stages of pregnancy, and frail older people (not all older people !) … and how they use and interact with their surroundings.
In addition, however … our attention must also turn to the large numbers of people, in all of our societies, with health conditions which result in serious impairments, activity limitations and participation restrictions. As a prime example, consider the Big-4 Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD's): Cardiovascular Diseases (e.g. heart attacks and stroke), Cancers, Diabetes, and Chronic Lung Diseases.
These 4 NCD's – targeted in a World Health Organization (WHO) Global NCD Campaign – share health risk factors (tobacco use, unhealthy diet, lack of physical activity, harmful alcohol use) … cause more than 36 million deaths annually (almost 80 % of deaths, from such diseases, occur in low and middle-income countries) … and result in a high proportion of disability (66.5 % of all years lived with disability in low and middle income countries).
NCD's can limit one or more of a person's major life and living activities … such as walking, eating, communicating, and caring-for-oneself. Examples of common NCD-related impairments include paralysis due to stroke, and amputation as a result of diabetic neuropathy.
When Easily Assimilated Signage IS Essential in Buildings …
Good Architectural Design IS 'intuitive and obvious' for building users … design characteristics which are critical in the case of Fire Engineering Design. However, what is intuitive and obvious in Ireland may not be so intuitive and obvious in Turkey … and what is intuitive and obvious in Europe will certainly not be intuitive and obvious in Africa, India, or China.
Architectural & Fire Engineering Design must, therefore, be adapted to Local conditions … culture, social need, etc., etc.
When a building is NOT 'intuitive and obvious' for the broad range of potential building users … easily assimilated signage IS essential …
International Standard ISO 21542: 'Building Construction – Accessibility & Usability of the Built Environment' was published in December 2011, as a full standard. In its Introduction, ISO 21542 is linked to the U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) … almost like an umbilical cord.
The scope of ISO 21542 covers public buildings. The Accessibility Agenda in the U.N. Convention is very broad … so much standardization work remains to be completed at international level.
Concerning Accessibility Symbols and Signs … reference should be made to ISO 21542: Clause 41 – Graphical Symbols … and on Pages 106, 107, 108, and 109 … the following will be found:
- Figure 66 – Accessible Facility or Entrance ;
- Figure 67 – Sloped or Ramped Access ;
- Figure 68 – Accessible Toilets (male & female) ;
- Figure 69 – Accessible Toilets (female) ;
- Figure 70 – Accessible Toilets (male) ;
- Figure 71 – Accessible Lift / Elevator ;
- Figure 72 – Accessible Emergency Exit Route.
I use the word 'accessibility', and not 'access' … because Accessibility has been defined in ISO 21542 as including … 'access to buildings, circulation within buildings and their use, egress from buildings in the normal course of events, and evacuation in the event of an emergency'.
A note at the beginning of the standard also clarifies that Accessibility is an independent activity, i.e. assistance should not be necessary … and that there should be an assurance of individual health, safety and welfare during the course of those (accessibility-related) activities.
During the very long gestation of ISO 21542, an overwhelming consensus emerged in favour of using the term Accessibility for All … thereby sidestepping the thorny issue of different design philosophies which are described as being accessibility-related but, in practice, are limited and/or no longer fit-for-purpose.
The Accessibility Symbol used throughout ISO 21542 is shown above. I know that a small group of people from different countries worked very hard on this particular part of the standard. My only contribution was in relation to the inclusion of Figure 72, concerning Fire Evacuation.
This 'accessibility' symbol is an attractive, modern and, of course, abstract representation of a concept … a person with an activity limitation using a wheelchair. The symbol succeeds very well in communicating that concept.
However … as an Accessibility for All Symbol … encompassing people with other than functional impairments, e.g. hearing and visual impairments … and children under the age of 5 years, women in the later stages of pregnancy, frail older people … and people with the four main types of non-communicable disease discussed above … is this symbol, also, limited and no longer fit-for-purpose ??
Shown next, above, is the proposal for a new Area of Rescue Assistance Sign … which is contained in ISO 7010:2011 / FDAM 115 (2013). While it is nice to finally see this Safety Sign appear in the mainstream of safety signage … the title being proposed for the sign and the explanatory texts which accompany it are very problematic …
- The technical term being proposed – Evacuation Temporary Refuge – is too long and too difficult to understand ;
- The explanatory texts which accompany this Sign are very confusing and misleading.
This problem has arisen because the people who drafted ISO 7010:2011 / FDAM 115 (2013) hadn't a bull's notion that ISO 21542 even existed !
In ISO 21542, we use the term Area of Rescue Assistance … which is easy for everybody to understand, including building users, building managers and firefighters, etc., etc.
We also explained, in ISO 21542, that a Place of Safety is a remote distance from the building … not anywhere inside the building !
Mainstreaming Disability …
U.N. CRPD – Preamble
(g) Emphasizing the importance of mainstreaming disability issues as an integral part of relevant strategies of sustainable development,
As 'disability' moves closer towards … and is integrated and fully included in the 'mainstream' of sustainable community life and living … it is absolutely imperative that individuals and organizations who make up the Disability Sector become much more cohesive (far less fractious within) … that they begin to fully understand the practices and procedures of the mainstream … and actively and robustly engage with that mainstream.
It is ridiculous, for example, that a large amount of the Sector's energy is still being diverted into meaningless meditations and endless tracts on whether it is 'universal design', or 'design-for-all', or 'inclusive design', or 'facilitation design', etc … when an entirely new design paradigm is being demanded by a world (our small planet when seen from the moon !), which is experiencing enormous levels of human poverty, natural resource shortages, human rights violations, and severe weather events. The overriding priority must be 'real' implementation … Effective Accessibility for All !
NASA's Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth
And … Effective Accessibility for All is but one component of …
'Social Wellbeing for All in a Sustainable Built Environment'
Refer also to …
2004 Rio de Janeiro Declaration on Sustainable Social Development, Disability & Ageing
Update: 2013-05-31 …
While the wider international design community is working hard on developing an array of Accessibility Symbols to facilitate different health condition and impairment categories, and to suit different environmental situations, e.g. a fire emergency in a building … I recently encountered another interesting contribution …
Any comments ??
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|« Feb
- 'Spirit of Ireland' Project – National Energy Independence. At last … some 'real' Innovation in this country !
- 2bscene Web Design & Development – Dublin, Ireland.
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Owls defeat CGB at home
The Hancock girls basketball team won 72-37 over Clinton-Graceville-Beardsley in Pheasant Conference action on Jan. 26, in Hancock.
The highlight of the night was Bree Holleman breaking the career scoring mark.
Holleman set the new mark with 1:36 remaining in regulation with a free thow. The previous record of 2,054 career points was held by Courtney Brewer, a 2003 Hancock graduate. Holleman finished the game with 26 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Spring Break Camp at the Arden
Mar 31, 2015 - Apr 3, 2015
Spring Break Camp for grades K-5 is an action-packed camp taught by theatre professionals. Kids will spend Spring Break taking classes in acting, improv, music, dance, storytelling and design. Kids can take the whole week of camp or just one day.
Spring Break Camp
Mar 31, 2015 - Apr 3, 2015
This event occurs weekly on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
Kids, ages 10-13, can attend Arts Council of Princeton's Spring Break Camp. Supplemental one-day camp options offered on Friday, 4/3 (Good Friday) from 9am-3:30pm.
Body Worlds: Animal Inside Out
Mar 31, 2015 - Apr 12, 2015
Did you know that a bull's heart is five times larger than a human heart? That chickens can travel up to 9 miles an hour? Embark on an anatomical safari and explore the intricate biology, zoology and physiology of the world's most spectacular creatures—large and small. From goats to giraffes, squids to sharks, and octopuses to ostriches, see how intricate the blood...
DCM Block Party
Mar 31, 2015 - Apr 26, 2015
This event occurs daily, every 1 day(s).
Use your imagination and grab hold of wood and foam blocks, plastic tubes and other architectural materials to build a city of structures. FREE with admission.
Picnics in Nature
Mar 31, 2015
Hear a story about the local Native Americans, try some Lenape food and explore how the Lenape hunted, farmed, gathered and ate. This program is designed for kids of all ages and their favorite adult. There will be picnics in different locations with a theme. Each program includes a snack, fun and learning about the natural world.
A Colorful Folk: Pennsylvania Germans & the Art of Everyday Life
Mar 31, 2015 - Jan 3, 2016
This event occurs daily, every 1 day(s).
This exhibition explores the unique world of the Pennsylvania Germans and their colorful folk art, including decorated manuscripts (fraktur), textiles, furniture, metalwork and pottery.
Elliot Erwitt: Dog Dogs
Mar 31, 2015 - May 24, 2015
Elliott Erwitt: Dog Dogs features 65 of Erwitt's best pictures of dogs. Photographed around the world between 1946 and 2004, this selection demonstrates the artist's affectionate eye and love of surrealist juxtapositions. Funny, poignant, and beautifully composed, these photographs of tiny Chihuahuas, inquisitive poodles, and glowering bulldogs record the relationship...
Sensory Play
Mar 31, 2015 - Aug 30, 2015
This event occurs daily, every 1 day(s).
Explore sights, sounds, textures and smells in the sensory play area. Match the sounds, guess mystery scents, build with blocks and test the light table. FREE with admission.
Dinosaurs of the Deep
Mar 31, 2015 - Jul 5, 2015
This event occurs daily, every 1 day(s).
Prehistoric marine reptiles that ruled the primeval seas more than 100 million years ago are taking over Adventure Aquarium. Five thousand square feet of large-scale skeletons, ancient fossils and more than 20 life-size replicas will be on display to teach guests about the most intriguing sea monsters that ever existed – from massive pliosaurs and prehistoric armored fish to the whales,...
Open Studio: Construction Junction
Mar 31, 2015 - Apr 1, 2015
This event occurs daily, every 1 day(s).
Join the Delaware Children's Museum to create abstract art using paint and tiny construction vehicles. Paint on the easels and connect nuts and bolts on their sensory table


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guys this is my first album. give me a break
Digging: Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp a Butterfly
I saw this album had a high rating and I decided to listen a bit and it was way too boring. I'm sorry you guys don't agree
tim hecker >
Digging: Kendrick Lamar - Delete this album
I haven't heard this in a long ass time so I dunno how to feel about it mindles :$
Album Rating: 5.0 | Sound OffI don't find it boring, but I see where your coming from.
I personally think it's one of the best albums ever
Digging: Ghost Bath - Moonlover
Album Rating: 4.0F# >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Digging: Jeff Rosenstock - We Cool?
Album Rating: 4.0I personally think it's one of the best albums ever
Watch those kind of statements yaks the sputnik collective will attack you but its godspeed so you're probably safe
Album Rating: 5.0 | Sound OffTrust me it's already happened.
People are bad at saying "I disagree"
so brave
Digging: Bisk - Twisted
Album Rating: 5.0 | Sound OffSorry I can't be as elitist as you sixxy
Album Rating: 4.0wrong album yakz
Album Rating: 5.0 | Sound OffI hear that a lot Punch.
They're both 5s to me though
Album Rating: 4.0nah wrong album
godspeed you! tim hecker
I was partially serious, harmony in ultraviolet > this
f# is untouchable tho
Album Rating: 4.0six lets jam
Bands: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z


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OC3D Reviews ›› Systems
Mega Matrix Competition
Systems | 30th March 2015
We have teamed up with PC Specialist to bring you all our greatest competition to date. 5960X, 980 Matrix SLI and a Rampage 5 full gaming system anyone?
OCUK Titan Envy M Evo System Review
Systems | 2nd March 2015
The Overclockers UK team have produced a variety of excellent systems over the years, so it's time we run our critical eye over the latest in their range, the Titan Envy M Evo. Compact and powerful.
PC Specialist Minerva System Review
Systems | 10th November 2014
High performance hardware at reasonable pricing made us wonder what you can do for a grand, and the PC Specialist Minerva is the result.
OC3D Articles ›› Systems
Parvum Systems ITX Project Build
Danny Cosker | 10th September 2013
Every once in a while, a project catches our attention with its level of sophistication, creativity, and sheer beauty - today's example is just that - beautiful.
The NurburgRig - OC3D Racing Series?
Tom Logan | 8th November 2012
OC3D Racing Series....? We dust off The NurburgRig to test the water with you guys on a regular competition / racing night we could hold.
CKC - The Curtain Call
Tom Logan | 17th May 2012
We take a quick look at the complete Coolermaster Koolance Cosmos system we built with Specialtech
Win a Dell XPS with OC3D & Dell Outlet
James Napier | 1st May 2012
So you didn't win anything in OC3D's 2012 madness competition? Well don't despair, Dell Outlet have teamed up with us once again.
WIN Asus STRIX GTX780 6GB Custom System
Systems | 19th August 2014
We are giving away our custom design and built Asus STRIX Themed show system to one of our lucky readers!
MSI GS70 Stealth Pro Laptop Review
Systems | 7th May 2014
In a world in which 'thin is King', MSI have produced one of the thinnest laptops you're ever likely to find. We take a look.
MESH Elite Mini Gaming OC Review
Systems | 16th April 2014
Today we review a power-packed, pocket-sized system from MESH Computers, with a 4770K and 290X in an iTX case.
Battlefield 4 Budget Build Performance
Systems | 12th February 2014
How much do you need to spend to get a decent gaming rig? With the help of PCSpecialist, we've put together a great rig for an impressive price.
Zotac Zbox Plus ID45 Review
Systems | 5th February 2014
We take a look at the latest Zbox from Zotac - the first one they've ever released with a dedicated graphics chip capable of running games!
Arctic Cooling Home Entertainment Systems
Ian Mulcrone | 2nd February 2012
Arctic Cooling today Announce three new entertainment systems
Intel show Ivy Bridge Ultrabook
Paul Fletcher | 11th January 2012
CES News - Intel show a Ivy Bridge Ultrabook, playing COD:MW3, with NO discrete graphics!
ZOTAC kicks off CES 2012 with trio of new PCs
Adam Ferrol | 9th January 2012
ZOTAC kicks of CES with a Trio of new ZBOX mini-pcs
Razer Blade Delayed to 2012
Adam Ferrol | 23rd December 2011
The New Razer Blade Gaming Notebook is being delayed to January 2012
ZOTAC Debuts Compact ZBOX Nano AD10 Mini-PCs
Mark Lewis | 1st September 2011
Brand new ultra compact ZOTAC ZBOX Nano AD10 Series released...
Ultimate Cooler Master Storm Enforcer Project
Mark Lewis | 17th July 2011
TTL has another exciting high performance system build for us today. Can the Ultimate Enforcer live up to its name?


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2015's Top Ten Tech Cars
This year's cars are super fuel efficient. But with today's gas prices, will anyone care?
This year's cars are super fuel efficient. But with today's gas prices, will anyone care?
What happened to the technologies exemplified in the 100 cars Spectrum has featured over the years?
Doubling down on hydrogen fuel cells
Bosch looks to bring 12,000 new hires—mainly engineers—aboard in 2015
A millionaire's gull-winged dream
Fast, but it won't run away from you
An aluminum truck for the masses
The best bang for your buck
Luxury-car brains at mass-market prices
Choose your power: gas, diesel, or electric
A green machine on the racing scene
Satellite to Earth: Downshift a bit
Rich in carbon, not in carbon emissions
Boeing files a patent for a system that combines lasers, microwaves, lightning, projectiles, magnetic fields, and plasma to defend vehicles from shockwaves
What will we call driving, when we no longer drive?
A self-driving car outfitted with Delphi technologies readies for a 5600-kilometer road trip
Goodyear wants to capture the wasted energy where the rubber meets the road
An East Coast company files suit; Tesla's Musk appears to like competing with Apple for engineers
I'll worry about an Apple car when Apple starts worrying about a Mercedes phone, he says
Volvo looks to test a fleet of 1,000 cars that can share information about road conditions
With gaming controls and an LTE connection, Ford can park golf carts from thousands of miles away
All it needs is a Jaguar V8 engine, a jet, a rocket and a driver with the right stuff
Rumor has it that the company will update its P85D supercar to go even faster when in "insane mode"
The SciCast prediction market is offering more than $30,000 in prizes for top forecasters
Video-game video, plus analysis, lets Corvette's Performance Data Recorder replay your driving—and improve it
Chevrolet reveals concept for mid-range EV
The U.S. space agency and automaker plan to begin testing autonomous vehicles starting in 2015
Join in the IEEE Spectrum/SciCast technology-prediction tournament
Holland, Germany, and Austria's Cooperative ITS Corridor is setting standards for the world
The first fully functional version of Google's self-driving car combines steering, braking, and brains—but no steering wheel


text:
Allentown might not happen
View Single Post
Registered User
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Oklahoma City
Posts: 99
vCash: 500
Originally Posted by
I like that Billy Joel song.
Well we're living here in Allentown
And they're closing all the factories down
Out in Bethlehem they're killing time
Filling out forms
Standing in line.
Well our fathers fought the Second World War
Spent their weekends on the Jersey Shore
Met our mothers at the USO
Asked them to dance
Danced with them slow
And we're living here in Allentown.
But the restlessness was handed down
And it's getting very hard to staaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay
aaaaaaah aaahhhhh ooooooooh ooooooh ohhhhhhh.
Well we're waiting here in Allentown
For the Pennsylvania we never found
For the promises our teachers gave
If we worked hard
If we behaved.
So the graduations hang on the wall
But they never really helped us at all
No they never taught us what was real
Iron or coke,
Chromium steel.
And we're waiting here in Allentown.
But they've taken all the coal from the ground
And the union people crawled awaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah aaaaaaaaaaah aaaaaah.
Every child had a pretty good shot
To get at least as far as their old man got.
If something happened on the way to that place
They threw an American flag in our face, oh oh oh.
Well I'm living here in Allentown
And it's hard to keep a good man down.
But I won't be getting up todaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyy
aaaaaaaaaaah aaaaaaaaaaah aaaaaaaaah.
aaaaaaah aaaaaaah aaaaaaah oh oh oh.
And it's getting very hard to staaaaaaaaaaaaaay.
And we're living here in Allentown.
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text:
By Lynne Phillips
News Editor
Spring clean up for New London residents has been scheduled for the last full week of April, administrator Shawn Pickworth reported to council during Monday night's meeting."We know residents have got the 'spring cleaning' itch," said Pickworth. He suggested dumpsters be provided at the village garage for residents who wish to start hauling items for disposal prior to the actual start of the clean up at no charge. He noted the village crew will make sure the dumpsters are emptied on a daily basis so residents can make as many trips as needed. "This is something we can try, providing there is no illegal dumping of items the village cannot take to the landfill."The spring clean up schedule for the Tuesday route will be April 21 and Thursday route will be April 23. Pickworth said those are the only two dates items for the clean up will be picked up. "We will not come back. If we are requested to return by residents charges will apply."The following rules for the clean up apply:• Different materials are to be in separate piles and placed on the lawn for pick up.• Items normally picked up on the regular trash route are to be separated from spring clean up items.The following will not be picked up:• Asbestos materials, gas tanks, chemicals, paint, yard waste, sod, dirt, rocks, concrete or batteries.There will an additional charge of $5 (each) for small tires without rims, $10 (each) for small tires with rims, $6 (each) for large tires without rims, $12 (each) for large tires with rims, $10 (each) semi tire without rims, $15 (each) for semi tires with rims.* Brush clippings will be picked up at a different time.Pickworth briefly discussed a possible roof replacement on the municipal building.He told council some of the concerns relate to possible asbestos in the existing roof materials. "A core sample and test are recommended to determine this." He added, "We will need a permit for this and we will have to have technical specifications drawn up for application for the permit. This will cost the village $5,500." Council members agreed to have Pickworth seek quotes for the project.Spring clean up is for New London Village residents only.Pickworth reported on other matters as follows:• Crews will be flushing hydrants throughout the month of April on Wednesdays and Thursdays as well as sometimes on Fridays in the afternoon."That means there will be some stirred up and rusty water," Pickworth stated.• A water leak on SR 60 was dug up and repaired on March 10.• The Sanitary Sewer Overflow Elimination Project is pretty much completed."We do have a problem section," Pickworth said. "On Park Avenue there is a section that goes east of the Catholic Church. It is seven feet below the floor of their basement." He added, "It is going to be tricky to do and we are trying to see what and how we can do it. It will not be as easy as slip lining it. The inlet from the church disconnected from the tap, so it washed out the dirt from around the pipe. It is like a cave in."The expected cost of the additional work, according to Pickworth is about $10,000.• New London will host the annual Huron County Development Council Luncheon on April 10 at the Hileman Building."This is a great opportunity for the village to promote and show off a little about New London," said Pickworth.Residents are reminded that all residents 18 years or older must file a village tax return. For more information contact Michelle Poppa at 419-929-4091 between the hours of 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.Joe Thomas, director of parks and recreation reported as follows:• Breakfast with Easter Bunny will be from 8 a.m. to noon on Sunday, March 29 at the Hileman Building. The Pancake and Sausage Breakfast will include activities and a holiday related movie.All proceeds benefit the village's park system, according to Thomas.• A reverse raffle for the Veteran's Monument will be held on Saturday, April 11 at the Hileman Building. Doors open at 5 p.m. and tickets will be sold until 6:30 p.m. with the first draw at 7 p.m.Tickets are available at Gilbert's Hardware and at the village office.Thomas also reported many people have been utilizing the park but the restrooms have not been opened. "We won't be opening them till the weather breaks," he commented.A new playground is slated for construction at the reservoir park. "We will be receiving a NatureWorks grant totaling $13,500 from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources," said Thomas.In other business council members approved first reading of four ordinances.Ord. 15-04 relates to current replacement pages in the village's codified ordinances.Ord. 15-05 authorizes an agreement with the Ohio Department of Transportation to participated in the state cooperative salt purchasing program.Ord. 15-06 relates to amending the employee handbook to designate pay ranges for positions in the village's park department.Ord. 150-07 authorizes a revolving loan fund administration agreement with State of Ohio Development Services Agency.A special meeting has been set for Monday, March 30 at 7 p.m. to address the ordinances.Council members adjourned their regular meeting in favor of a closed door session to discuss personnel. There was no action taken after the executive session.New London Council meets regularly on the second and fourth Mondays of each month in council chambers at 7 p.m.


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Author Archives: Phil Bundy
Latest 2016 Presidential Polls – 24 March 2015 Edition
Here we go, the 2016 Presidential Election season has officially started! The Republican Tea Party (GOTP) clown car has lurched away from the curb with the very junior senator from Texas, Ted Cruz at the wheel. Cruz announced his intention to win the White House at uber-right-wing Liberty University to a packed house of students required to attend the rally or face a fine. Nothing quite says "liberty" like forcing students to attend a political rally.
So, where are we in the early moments of the 2016 campaign?
In the New Hampshire Republican Presidential Primary, a Gravis Marketing poll of potential voters conducted from 25 March 2015 has Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker leading a huge pack of likely candidates – other than Cruz.
Scott Walker 19%, Jeb Bush 18%, Rand Paul and Chris Christie 10%, Marco Rubio 7%, Ted Cruz and Ben Carson 6%, Mike Huckabee 4%, Bobby Jindal, Rick Perry and Rick Santorum 1% respectively.
On the Democratic side, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is far in the lead of undeclared candidates with 49%, followed by Elizabeth Warren at 20%, Bernie Sanders 12%, Joe Biden 5%, and Jim Webb and Martin O'Malley with 2%.
If the general election was held today, the latest CNN/Opinion Research poll of potential voters has Hillary Clinton beating all GOTP comers by double digits.
Clinton 54/Paul 43
Clinton 55/Rubio 42
Clinton 55/Huckabee 41
Clinton 55/Bush 40
Clinton 55/Walker 40
Clinton 55/Christie 40
Clinton 56/Carson 40
So, according to recent polling data available, if the election was held today Hillary Clinton would be the 45th President of the United States.
Canadian runs for President – ay!
He's thrown his hat into the ring, Republican Tea Party (GOTP) very junior Senator from Texas, Ted Cruz has officially announced he's running for the office of President of the United States. The man who hates the government enough to shut it down now wants to lead it.
But where did Senator Cruz from Texas decide to launch his campaign, somewhere in his adopted home state of Texas? Adopted home state because the state of his birth is Alberta – as in Canada. Did he choose a site in Texas? Oh no, he chose to launch his presidential aspirations from possibly the single most conservative college campus in all the country, the late Reverend Jerry Falwell's Liberty University.
While making his first presidential pitch, Cruz told his captive audience – as in the students forced to attend the rally under threat of a fine – to imagine a future without abortion rights, the IRS or the Affordable Care Act, aka, Obamacare — and to further imagine they how can make all this happen by supporting him in his quest.
Although, it does seem odd for a candidate to start his ambitious run for the White House with lies and fictitious promises, that's what Cruz has done. No President can overturn Roe v. Wade – considered to be settled law. No President can dismantle the Internal Revenue Service, and no politician is going to seriously strip 16.5 million fellow Americans of their health care insurance. Well, no sane politician. But of course sane is not the usual word used to describe Cruz, the man who decided to stage a 21 hour filibuster in a bid to defund Obamacare, a filibuster where he chose to read, Green Eggs and Ham, as the Federal Government went into a partial shutdown, and his party came out with green egg all over its collective political face. A shutdown that left him no friends outside the uber-far right fringe.
He has also recently demonstrated his lack of Constitutional understanding as to the Senate's role in treaty negotiations when he attached his signature with 46 other GOTP senators to the infamous "open letter" to the leaders of Iran. Not a glorious exhibition of his foreign policy prowess or expertise.
The Tea Party poster child is the son of an American mother and Cuban-born father, a father who is an evangelical minister, who has suggested among other things that his son has been, "…anointed to bring about end time transfer of wealth," and who has also declared that atheists and secular humanists beliefs eventually lead to, "sexual immorality, leads us to sexual abuse, leads us to perversion. And, of course, no hope. No hope." Isn't it interesting that after the kind of major stink the right raised about the President Obama's connections to Reverend Jerimiah Wright, there has not been one whimper from the same about Ted's connection to the crazed rants of his father.
Yes, the 2016 GOTP clown car has left the garage, and currently Ted Cruz is at the wheel.
Just a thought…
An Open Letter
Forty-seven Republican Tea Party (GOTP) members of the United States Senate have written an open letter to the leadership of Iran.
To undermine the legitimacy of the President of the United States and his Constitutional authority to conduct foreign policy for, and in behalf of, the United States.
The 47 GOTP Senators – aka the Gang of 47 – are led by a very freshman senator from Arkansas, Senator Tom Cotton, who is so new to the Senate he probably has to still ask directions to the men's room. Like other brash junior GOTP senators – think Cruz, Rubio and Paul – Cotton is walking around shooting from the political hip and shooting himself in the foot, and a whole lot of his associates in the majority party. He has not taken the time to learn what the Senate does, nor what its role and responsivities are under Article I of the Constitution. It appears doubtful the freshman senator has ever read the Constitution, and if he has he certainly does not understand it. The Senate, for example, does not have purview over foreign relations except when the Executive sends it a treaty – after it has been negotiated – to ratify. Utilizing its Constitutional power of "advice and consent" it may debate and wrangle with the President concerning the treaty, but it may not negotiate with foreign countries. In fact, it is against federal law for the Senate to contact foreign countries and discuss foreign policy in any way, shape of form.
In 1798, a state legislator – George Logan – from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania took it upon himself to privately negotiate with France during a period of United States history known as the "Quasi War." The Federalist members of Congress were so angered by Logan's self-appointed mission, they passed the Logan Act in January of 1799.
The Act simply states, "Any citizen of the United States, wherever he may be, who, without authority of the United States, directly or indirectly commences or carries on any correspondence or intercourse with any foreign government or any officer or agent thereof, with intent to influence the measures or conduct of any foreign government or of any officer or agent thereof, in relation to any disputes or controversies with the United States, or to defeat the measures of the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both."
Not only have the Gang of 47 committed a huge act of overreach of its authority, it is also clearly in violation of the Logan Act. The little group has committed one of the greatest political acts of stupidity possibly in the annals of the United States Senate.
Although it should be abundantly clear to anyone the Senators in question had no authority to send any kind of correspondence to the leaders of another country, just in case anyone still thinks the Congress has the right to interfere, let us remove all lingering doubt.
The Supreme Court in 1936 ruled in United States v. Curtiss-Wright Export Corp. (1936), "[T]he President alone has the power to speak or listen as a representative of the nation. He makes treaties with the advice and consent of the Senate; but he alone negotiates. Into the field of negotiation the Senate cannot intrude, and Congress itself is powerless to invade it." The Senate "cannot intrude" and the Congress "is powerless."
Technically, the President could ask the Justice Department to investigate whether the Gang of 47 committed any crime with its letter and could seek prosecution. Probably not something the President will do. The real problem for these GOTP members of the Senate is they look like rank amateurs and fools and have made their country look foolish as well.
Additionally, there is a very real political problem will be for those members of the Gang of 47 who have Presidential aspirations. Senators Ted Cruz (who can never be president), Marco Rubio and Rand Paul have all just proven – beyond a shadow of a doubt – their foreign affairs experience is somewhere between pre-K and Second Grade. One day these very junior senators will have to debate some adults, and when they do this letter will come back and bite them very deservedly in their political buttocks.
One last bit of reality for the Gang of 47 – and its groupies. The ongoing negotiations with Iran are not bilateral – meaning between the United States and Iran – but are multilateral. The United States is one of half a dozen nations negotiating Iran's nuclear future. Currently involved in the discussions – besides the United States – are Great Britain, China, Russia, France and Germany, under the auspices of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons or NPT, and as such any agreement could only be changed, or nullified, if all the signatories agreed to do so, not simply if the United States Congress, or some future GOTP President decided to so. The NPT became part of international law in 1970, being extended indefinitely in 1995. Any agreement reached through the negotiations would be a United Nations' Security Council Resolution, and not something any future U.S. President or any member of the Congress has the authority to undo.
Maybe next time Senator Cotton thinks he needs to write a letter – along with his buddies – to another country's leaders he'll ask a responsible adult if it's OK first.
Just a thought
The above picture has been making the rounds on social media. It claims that because Muslims invaded "Christian" lands almost 1,400 years ago that today's Muslims cannot claim to be victims, this is a premise based on ignorance and shrouded in hate.
More than 1 million and possibly as many as 3 million died in the Holy Land in the name of "Christianity" during the period of the First Crusade to the Last Crusade
Millions of Hindus died under British rule in India – while spreading its "Christian" Empire
Millions of Jews were slaughtered throughout history at the hands of "Christians."
Millions of Native Americans were slaughtered from the time Conquistadors arrived in the New World under the cross of "Christianity."
Millions of Africans were enslaved under the guise of "Christianity."
Too many innocents have suffered and died in the name of religion.
I have served alongside members of the military who are followers of Islam, and I have taught many students who follow the teachings of Mohamed. They are some of the finest people I have been blessed to know. Their religion is NOT a religion of violence.
Ignorance is not bliss; it is simply ignorance. Those who claim to be Disciples of Christ do not make threats against others because of which Holy Book they choose to read, or because of which Prophet – or Prophets – they choose to follow. They do not run secret prisons and torture people while spouting platitudes of "Freedom" and then attending Christian Church Services the next Sunday.
Yes, atrocities have been committed in the name of Allah and yes, atrocities have been committed in the name of Christ. It does not change the fact we are all children of our Heavenly Father.
"An eye for an eye will make the whole world blind," said Mohandas Gandhi, and we are a world blinded by fear and hate. A world staggering in blood.
Do not misunderstand me, ISIL is a terrorist group claiming to follow the teachings of Islam, its actions demonstrate this is not true. The members of ISIL need to be hunted down and eliminated. Not because they are Muslim, but because they are criminals. They need to be hunted down because they are members of a terrorist organization, not because of the religion they claim to follow.


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Originally written on Buffalo Wins | Last updated 11/16/14
The Bills & Texans played a professional football game on Sunday and here are my quick thoughts 2 days later: MVP: The Bills really had no MVP here. I thought Mario Williams stood out, leading the Bills in tackles (7) and had a sack. I do want to give the Bills a shout out however in the uniform department. The Bills have finally nailed it when it comes to their uniforms. They may be losing, but they sure look good doing it. LVP: The Bills' Linebackers and Secondary (not including Jairus Byrd). Andre Johnson had 8 catches for 118 yards. Owen Daniels chipped in with 4 catches for 62 yards. James Casey had 3 for 49. That's 15 catches for 229 yards. 15.2 yards per catch. Ever since Ben Coates played, the Bills haven't been able to cover a tight end. They also continue to play this off man coverage. No pressing or bump and run. The Texans killed Buffalo on play action roll outs all game long. Gilmore was a very good bump and run corner in college. Maybe, JUST MAYBE th...
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Suggestions for Kitchen Faucets Under 9" Tall
Our California shutters cannot open unless the faucet is under 9" tall. I went to four places and found only two options under 9" tall and neither were very nice. I had one installed Christmas Eve and it's leaking already. Does anyone have any suggestions of a good faucet? I bought a Moen and besides the leaking, it cut my water pressure in half. I am not impressed but it was Chistmas Eve and I couldn't do a special order and go over the holidays without water.
It has to be a single hole faucet. I just had my granite installed on Sunday and I would rather not add any other holes.
Thanks is advance for any suggestions!
Kohler Karbon deck mount would work but you might need to drill a second hole.
when i was looking for a lower faucet for my prep island, there were many single hole options. you might want to look at prep faucets. many of them have the same functionality as a main sink faucet.
i am not sure what style faucet you like, but i got the kohler purist for my prep sink. mine is not installed yet so i canot tell you if i like the functionality, but if i recall, it is less than 9" high.
Here is a link that might be useful: kohler faucet
We have been very happy with this single lever one hole faucet, since about 2006. It comes in many finishes.
After about 5 years it started leaking at the swivel joint.
The faucet did not leak when shut off.
The company was very responsive both on the telephone and emails, but after sending a new cartridge (which did not fix the "Swivel leak") They replaced the faucet, (free of charge)!
Great Customer service!!!
Here's the company information:
Sigma Single Lever Kitchen Faucet - 1.3695020
Replacement cartridge: 18.07.144
American Faucet and Coatings Corporation
3280 Corporate View
Vista, California 92081
Customer Service:1-760-598-5895
Toll Free Fax at: 1-800-621-8383
Email: email@example.com
Here is a picture of the faucet (Ours is Antique Copper) but it comes in many finishes. The faucet is just under 8 inches tall, alto the lever (which is in front) is about 10 inches high.
My Kohler Forte is less than 9" closest to the wall, although the handle curves upward toward you another couple inches.


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