Use the National Firefighter Safety Stand Down to fix some of the issues of firefighter survival
By DEPUTY CHIEF BILLY GOLDFEDER, EFO
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Here's a fact: Approximately 25 percent of firefighter line-of-duty deaths are a result of vehicle-related incidents, many of which could be avoided by just slowing down, stopping at red lights and stop signs and doing something as simple as wearing your seatbelt. Seems simple enough, right?
That's why next month, fire departments across the United States and Canada will participate in the National Firefighter Safety Stand Down, focusing on safe vehicle operations. Here's some tools you can use to get involved and teach your members a valuable lesson that stays with them throughout the year.
Getting Started
Starting June 21, and continuing until all personnel and duty nights have been covered, fire departments — volunteer and career — are asked to suspend any non-emergency activity and focus instead on firefighter safety, especially vehicle safety.
The stand down is for everyone in the fire service — career, volunteer, EMS, ARFF, private, military and wildland fire personnel, to name a few. No one should be left behind. If you respond to emergency calls, this IS for you.
It's easy to find information to plan your department's stand down. Visit the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) Web site at www.iafc.org/standdown for daily schedules, a chief officer's guide, examples of policies and procedures from across the nation, vehicle safety drills and articles on vehicle safety and operation. Think of this list of resources as a menu: Pick what will fit your needs, train on those policies and procedures, then enforce them. More simple stuff.
While it may seem impossible to fix all your department's safety problems in a week, there are some easy and in-their-face issues departments should address to impact the needed changes. Use the safety stand down to deal with the following issues so they're a priority for you and your firefighters — forever.
Seatbelts
Spend time reviewing your seatbelt policy to make it clear to every riding member — then, take it a step further. Use this week as a way to inform your firefighters that the policy will be strictly enforced … starting now. Include in your discussion the consequences of noncompliance — consequences that include the loss of a brother or sister firefighter. Pull articles off the Internet and hand them out to your crew for a discussion that personalizes the unnecessary "LODD" deaths of firefighters who failed to wear seatbelts. Want to honor the memory of firefighters who were killed? There is no better way than to have your firefighters learn from their tragic deaths. Personalize the facts and failures that allowed tragic deaths to occur. We must stop beating around the bush and start facing what is really killing firefighters.
Are seatbelts a problem? Yep. Sometimes firefighters wearing all of their gear can't find the seatbelts, or the belts won't fit over the gear. Does the apparatus manufacturing industry need to change the design of cab seatbelts? Absolutely. Current seatbelts are designed to fit civilians riding in cars, not firefighters wearing bunker gear … or SCBAs.
The SCBA issue is a hot one. Some folks want SCBAs taken out of the cab so firefighters can more easily wear their seatbelts. We could spend the whole week debating that one: Some firefighters claim it will delay their ability to be ready when arriving on scene; other firefighters claim speed of response hardly matters if you get ejected while on the way to the call.
Until we can get safely belted in while wearing all of our gear, here's my suggestion: All personnel must be belted in at all times — no excuses. If you can adjust your belts so that everyone can wear all their gear and be safely belted in, do it. If you can't, leave off the SCBA and whatever else is in the way, and belt in. In other words: We must enforce a "Getting ejected sucks, so wear your seatbelt" policy.
To reiterate, I understand there's a practical problem with wearing seatbelts that we must fix: Manufacturers continue to use normal vehicle seatbelts in fire apparatus. At a meeting at FDIC this year, one apparatus manufacturer suggested that while riding to a call, firefighters should not wear their gear, carry items on their belts or wear radios — just get in and put all that "stuff" on later. To me, that comment was like a waiter telling me what I would order off the menu. It doesn't work that way. Apparatus manufacturers have no trouble providing everything from custom chrome "spinners" on apparatus wheels to custom stereos. Now, they must work with the fire service and the National Fire Protection Association to design seatbelts or restraint systems that work — easily — for firefighters going to fires. Until the manufacturers work with us to solve the problem, however, we must do whatever it takes to wear the belts we have — even if it means storing some of our stuff in a compartment until we arrive on scene. It's just a matter of how serious we are about everyone coming home after every alarm.
Driving & Backing
Another area to review during the stand down: your department's driving and backing policies. Again, do a little research and make use of the resources at www.iafc.org/stand down. Review what other departments are doing and put a face on the firefighters who were killed or injured due to unsafe apparatus operation. Show your members the articles, the pictures, the videos — whatever it takes. Show them the "before" pictures of the firefighters who were killed when their own apparatus ran them over. Look at the articles and the NIOSH reports — it's all in there.
Then, make it clear to the firefighters and the officers that you will hold them responsible from that day on for their own actions. Officers riding the front seat are supervisors and should be held accountable for the actions of their apparatus operators. S-U-P-E-R-V-I-S-E, damn it! There are some officers who haven't in the past. How about this: The first time you get caught without a backer, you get a warning. The second time, suspension.
The third time, this fire department is not for you — leave, quickly. Think that's too harsh? Don't enforce it, and see how you feel when one of your firefighters is backed over. It really isn't that hard for a crewmember to get out of the apparatus and help safely back it up. Hell, you can even count the "getting out of the cab" part as physical fitness for the day. Maybe.
Vehicle Checkout & Operation
You can also use the stand down as an opportunity to review your vehicle checkout and operating procedures. Work with drivers-in-training, substitute and new drivers to help them become accustomed to the checkout and operation of your apparatus. Consider adjusting your policies to allow substitutes and drivers-in-training to drive more frequently than just when they are needed. One day your regular driver is going to call in sick or not be able to answer the call, and then the "other driver" is at the wheel: Ready, set, … uh, what do I do? Is that the day you want your substitute driver to finally get some driving experience?
Another issue worth discussing: the person who drives your apparatus. What's their level of training? How often do they re-qualify? What's the process? How many fail the process? What are the laws in your state related to apparatus drivers? Is there an age limit — in other words, can a "kid" who just got their driver's license now qualify to drive your apparatus? Is a firefighter at age 18, 19 or even 21 experienced enough for you to trust them driving a multi-ton apparatus at 60 mph? How often do you conduct driver's license checks to ensure every driver is a legal driver? Just a few questions for thought.
Beyond Vehicle Safety
Although this year's stand down emphasizes vehicle safety, don't forget we face many other firefighter injury and death issues. Use this week to require firefighters to inspect their personal protective equipment, review building construction issues or practice stretching lines (how quickly can they get water on the fire?). Spend some time reviewing infectious disease control policies. Most importantly, think about how we treat our bodies. Medical events still kill more than 50 firefighters a year — these are line-of-duty deaths, but they're hardly heroic. Discuss the health and fitness issue with your firefighters — how we eat and how we exercise. It's an issue for all firefighters, career and volunteer alike. And set the example yourself: Start working out (just start walking) and eating a little healthier. You can find sample recipes of healthy meals on the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) Food Fit Web site, www.foodfit.com/iaff. Cook healthy meals with your family or your crew at the firehouse; it will motivate you and make all of them better off. Whatever you do, start making some changes for your health and the health of your firefighters.
Get the Word Out
Don't just think of the stand down from an internal perspective. Take this opportunity to invite reporters to come to the firehouse or to participate in a ride-along, where they can experience first-hand the obstacles firefighters face every day en route to emergency scenes.
The IAFC, the IAFF and the VCOS have developed a media kit to help you promote the stand down to your local media. The kit includes sample press releases, radio scripts, PSAs, talking points and letters to the editor that you can customize for your department and community. All you have to do is want to do it — and be willing to change your department's culture. If you don't have your kit by now, go to www.iafc.org for details.
A Call to Action
The week of June 21 is coming up quickly. You can go on with your usual business and hope things change, or you can get all of your troops to focus on their own safety and survival. Help your firefighters understand why a few simple behavioral changes can make a big difference. Remind your officers that they play the most critical role in the chain of firefighter safety and survival: setting the example and enforcing the policies.
Encourage all of your company and chief officers, your union president and your volunteer company or department president to lead by example and to communicate the safety message to all members, every day, through education and enforcement.
You have a choice: Ignore the stand down, sit on your butt and do nothing — or take the stand down seriously, and require your firefighters to do so too. Why not make the right decision: Set your stand down schedule now, and start planning today. Doing so just might help you avoid a trip to the memorial in Emmitsburg.
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Unconventional Methods
Some fire departments' unique ways of ensuring firefighter safety
In my travels, I have seen some pretty cool stuff that helps reduce firefighter injuries and deaths. Some examples include:
The New York City Fire Department (FDNY) uses a program called "Pass It On." Whenever a firefighter "close call" occurs, the department's safety folks review, document and share the information with all companies and divisions, citywide. The Pass
It On program does just what it says — it passes on the facts of an event and what can be done to prevent it from happening again. Pass It On safety bulletins are similar to After-Action Reports. They highlight problems and dangerous situations experienced by any and all field units, and recommend actions to prevent further injuries. Department personnel also started a Pass It On program for FDNY-EMS, which puts critical information regarding issues such as how to avoid needle sticks directly into each EMS station; the program has been well received.
In the past year, FDNY has begun delivering a daily safety message to its EMS units via the CADS on board their vehicles. The daily message provides lessons learned from previous experiences and fosters a dialogue on issues between supervisors and EMTs/paramedics. This simple but effective program can be implemented at any fire department, no matter the size.
The FDNY also sends a safety message out to all fire units at 1400 hrs and 1900 hrs every day (the normal start times for drills). The department has the capability of changing the firefighter safety message to address incidents as soon as they occur. It's a good way to get some quick information to the units. Both the fire and EMS safety messages are also available on the FDNY intranet.
Philadelphia Fire Department dispatchers make a predetermined announcement on a regular basis to remind companies operating in the field, or in quarters, to focus on a specific safety focus goal of the day. This program has been in place for many, many years. Examples: "All personnel are reminded to fully check their protective equipment at the start of each shift." On most runs, the dispatcher announces, "All companies responding to (location of run) will use caution while responding." By making short and to-the-point announcements, the department keeps the priority of firefighter safety — and survival — on the minds of Philly firefighters.
The Phoenix Fire Department has removed SCBAs from all of its apparatus cabs and seats. SCBAs are now stored in apparatus compartments; firefighters exit the cabs and pack up outside.
The East Franklin Volunteer Fire Department in New Jersey requires firefighters to perform a drill to ensure they understand how to use the seatbelts in their apparatus. Yes, a drill so that everyone knows how to wear their seatbelt! Seem a bit far-fetched? It eliminates any excuse of not being able to find your seatbelt or not knowing how to properly belt up. This policy is one example of "Where there's a will, there's a way!"
Several years ago, the St. Louis Fire Department (SLFD) established an "On the Quiet" response system, in which only certain calls require lights and sirens. Many other fire departments have also followed the example, dictating when lights and sirens will be used — and when they won't. For example, SLFD companies respond with no lights or sirens for automatic alarms, sprinkler alarms, natural gas leaks, wires down, calls for manpower, highway wash-downs, lockouts, carbon monoxide detector alarms, and fires in rubbish, weeds and dumpsters.
If a call is dispatched as a quiet response and the dispatcher receives additional information indicating a life is in danger, people are injured or there is a working fire, dispatch will upgrade the call to "urgent" and the responding apparatus' lights and sirens will be activated. Since the SLFD implemented the silent alarm policy for non-emergency response, the department has significantly reduced the number of intersection vehicle crashes … and the city is still standing.
Some firefighters get all pissed off when their departments enact these kinds of policies. If you face such a reaction by a member of your department, you may want to consider a psychological evaluation — just a thought. Sure, such policies take away the "fun" of lights and sirens, but maybe firefighters (and civilians) won't get run over and killed as often. How do we justify — to ourselves, to civilians, to firefighters' families and to the courts — apparatus responding with lights and sirens and then crashing, when going to a call that is not a danger or hazard to anyone? A smoke alarm sounding for more than an hour is not an emergency, try as we might to make it one, and neither are other similar calls.
How much time are we really saving when going lights and sirens? What is your department's policy for lights and sirens on EMS calls — both to the scene and transport? Sure, some calls require us to respond as fast as possible, but others simply do not justify an emergency response. |
William Goldfeder, EFO, is the deputy chief of the Loveland-Symmes (Ohio) Fire Department. He is a contributing editor of FireRescue as well as other fire service magazines. Goldfeder is a member of the boards of directors of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation and the September 11th Families Association of New York, and serves as vice chairman of the IAFC's Safety, Health and Survival Section. Goldfeder, along with Gordon Graham, hosts the Web sites www.FirefighterCloseCalls.com and www.EMSCloseCalls.com.
