What an exciting time to be involved in the fire service! Not only are jobs plentiful, but the message is being delivered loud and clear that we want firefighters to be safe and healthy. I recently attended Firehouse Expo in Baltimore, where the likes of Lt. Mike Wilbur, Chief Billy Goldfeder, FDNY Ladder 27 Black Sunday survivors and others were in attendance, continuing to lead us in pushing for accountability, safe driving, seatbelts, training, RIT/RAT crews and the collective message that “everyone goes home.” Who is in charge of firefighter safety? You’re looking at him or her the next time you look into a mirror.

While at the Expo, I was truly humbled and touched by the personal accounts of heroism, close calls and tragedies that affect today’s fire service. While assisting at the live-burn evolutions, I laughed at the humor of the FDNY fire officers but marveled at their collective wisdom and commitment to serious training. There was no sitting on couches while popping in a video or running through a PowerPoint presentation with these guys. It was more along the lines of, “Hey Bro, un-kink that line and hump it up the steps!”

I spoke with two young firefighters while they were in the rehab sector. Comparing reddened ears and checking their gear for signs of battle wear, they shared with me a sad fact. “Our department doesn’t do much training,” said one of the firefighters. “We both paid for the course out of our own money and made the drive here today.” I told them that they had a lot to be proud of. While completing the evolutions, I suggested that they keep their ears and eyes open. “You’re going to get a little beaten up today,” I said. “But a year from now, you’ll be sharing your experiences with an even younger new member of your department.”

A desire for community service and a little action inspired me to join the local fire department in 1980. But most of my day is spent filling the role of certified athletic trainer for the Sycamore School District in Cincinnati, Ohio. In brief, the job of an athletic trainer is to help prevent injuries, provide immediate care in the event of an injury, and assist with follow-up rehabilitation of athletic-related injuries. Check out www.nata.org for more information on certified athletic trainers who work with professional, collegiate and most secondary school athletes.

Twenty-six years of this blended job has provided me with countless experiences and memories. Sports medicine personnel work well with EMS and other emergency responders. The same pride that your local sports teams generate in your community can be seen in the fire service. Whether the goal is to extinguish a structure fire, untangle a roll-over accident or beat your arch rival in a Friday night football game, teamwork is the key.

So how does this relate to the fire service? My job as an athletic trainer is to keep athletes safe from injury and return them to active participation as quickly as possible. Similarly, the role of Firefighter Rehab (NFPA 1584) is to facilitate the rehabilitation of members operating within an incident management system rehabilitation component, including but not limited to: 1) medical evaluation and treatment; 2) food and fluid replenishment; 3) relief from climatic conditions; 4) rest and recovery; and 5) member accountability.

As athletic teams across the country began August conditioning and pre-season practices, Mother Nature turned up the heat and humidity. Typically, these environmental conditions are monitored by team medical personnel. Team physicians, certified athletic trainers and coaches must emphasize the importance of acclimation, hydration and emergency preparedness. This type of planning is, of course, equally if not more essential to the fire service. Where does this responsibility lie within your fire department? Do you have specific SOGs/SOPs relating to firefighter rehab at emergency scenes and training exercises?

Firefighting is an athletic activity. The physical demands on firefighters doing their jobs are considerable. To ensure personnel safety, attention must be paid in the pre-planning and implementation of actions directed toward firefighter rehabilitation. Just as any sports team provides behind-the-scene support for athletes, fire officers must be accountable for ensuring the same care for their emergency crews.

I encourage you to send me your department’s SOPs/SOGs and best practices concerning firefighter Rehab at Denehyp@sycamoreschools.org. In my next column, I will look at NFPA 1584. Until then, keep your athletes-slash-firefighters safe.