Dan Rossos Recognized By Oregon Fire Chiefs Association (OFCA) Safety And Health Section (SHS) (Photo) -05/03/19
At its annual conference and kick-off of the 100th anniversary of the Oregon Fire Chiefs Association (OFCA), its Safety and Health Section recognized DPSST Technical Consultant Dan Rossos for his commitment to fire service safety and health.
Dan Rossos, a resident of Estacada, Oregon, has over 35 years of experience in the fire service. Dan is currently a technical consultant regarding fire industry safety, training, and standards for the State of Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST). Before joining DPSST as a consultant, he served for 30 years with the Portland Fire and Rescue. During his time with Portland he was assigned to Training, Administration, Special Operations and Marine Divisions. Dan retired from Portland having achieved the rank of Lieutenant.
Dan was recognized for his many years of commendable service and for his commitment to firefighter safety and health, around the state and nation.
Dan serves as the Chair of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Technical Committee on Respiratory Protection Equipment. The committee is responsible for the following documents:
- NFPA 1981 – Standard on Open-Circuit Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus for Fire and Emergency Services
- NFPA 1852 – Standard on Selection, Care, and Maintenance of Open-Circuit Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus
- NFPA 1989 – Standard on Breathing Air Quality for Fire and Emergency Services Respiratory Protection
- NFPA 1984 - Standard on Respirators for Wildland Fire Fighting Operations
As chair of this NFPA Technical Committee, he is automatically a member of the NFPA Technical Correlating Committee on Fire and Emergency Services Protective Clothing and Equipment.
In addition to his work on firefighter respiratory protection, Dan is also an active member of the NFPA Technical Committee on Fire Service Training. This committee is responsible for the following documents:
- NFPA 1403 – Standard on Live Fire Training Evolutions
- NFPA 1404 – Standard for Fire Service Respiratory Protection Training
- NFPA 1405 – Guide for Land-Based Fire Fighters Who Respond to Marine Vessel Fires
- NFPA 1410 – Standard on Training for Initial Emergency Scene Operations
- NFPA 1451 – Standard for a Fire Service Vehicle Operations Training Program
Dan’s passion for the important issues discussed on the NFPA committees listed above is evident by his tireless work.
When Dan retired from Portland Fire & Rescue he wanted to continue to serve and ensure that the safety and health of career and volunteer firefighters being addressed by these committees did not stop which is why he joined DPSST.
His work on these important NFPA committees has had an impact on the occupational health and safety of firefighters around the nation who embrace the NFPA standards, as do the manufacturers who build this specialized equipment used by firefighters on a daily basis for structural and wildland firefighting, as well as during responses to specialized emergencies such as those involving hazardous materials and CBRNE (chemical, biological, radioactive, nuclear, and explosive) materials.
Dan participates in at least a dozen meetings a year on firefighter safety and health topics around the nation. He also provides free classes to fire agencies around the state in partnership with DPSST. He also speaks at national fire service conferences regarding the work of the NFPA SCBA committees to ensure fire service personnel, safety officers, administrators, and manufacturers, understand the intent of the standards and how they are met. He does all of this free of charge. As any firefighter, career or volunteer, will tell you – their self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) is their lifeline to ensure they can safely enter an emergency incident where the atmosphere contains toxic and possibly deadly gases.
DPSST Director Eriks Gabliks said "the agency is very proud of the work Dan has done and the impact he has made in the fire service around the nation. I would be remiss if I did not share an international project Dan was involved in, when Portland Fire & Rescue was asked to train firefighters from Lima (Peru) in the use of SCBAs and fireground management techniques. Lima is a large city of nearly 9 million inhabitants, served by 59 fire stations. Station 120, located in the southernmost of the four districts, covers 25 square kilometers with a population of 750,000 residents in their fire management area alone! They have 60 volunteers based out of their station. Lima’s firefighters, like most throughout South America, are nearly all volunteers. MSA generously agreed to ship 30 MSA Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) down to Lima and Portland Fire & Rescue Retired Lieutenant, Dan Rossos, was kind enough to consult and work with Portland Fire & Rescue staff to develop a very comprehensive training program which was translated into Spanish and taught in Lima."
## Background Information on the DPSST ##
The Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST) operates the Oregon Public Safety Academy which spans more than 235 acres in Salem. The Academy is nationally recognized for its innovative training programs and active stakeholder involvement. Eriks Gabliks serves as the Director, and Sheriff Jason Myers of the Marion County Sheriff’s Office serves as the Chair of the Board. The department implements minimum standards established by the Board for the training and certification of more than 40,000 city, tribal, county and state law enforcement officers, corrections officers, parole and probation officers, fire service personnel, telecommunicators, emergency medical dispatchers and private security providers.
DPSST provides training to more than 25,000 students each year throughout Oregon and at the Oregon Public Safety Academy in Salem: certifies qualified officers at various levels from basic through executive; certifies qualified instructors; and reviews and accredits training programs throughout the state based on standards established by the Board
