The origins of the safety alert system
By GENE MADDEN
Back in late 2000/early 2001, the National Wildfire Coordinating Group’s (NWCG) Safety and Health Working Team (SHWT) discussed the effectiveness of its distribution of safety information and messages, as well as its classification methods for this information. The group was a bit frustrated by the slow process of sending out important safety information to the field via traditional means. As a result, the SHWT came up with what it felt was an improved way to disseminate safety information: safety alerts.
Slow Going
During the course of a year, a wide variety of messages and information comes to the SHWT from many different groups, such as other NWCG working teams and NWCG working groups; the NWCG parent group or one of its member agencies; other federal and state safety/consumer agencies; and vendors. But most often, the information comes from the Missoula Technology and Development Center (MTDC), which conducts most of its research on wildfire topics (e.g., clothing, fire shelters, hard hats, nutrition) for the U.S. Forest Service.
In 1980s and 1990s, whenever important safety information came to the SHWT, it lumbered forward via memorandums and word of mouth back through its representatives to their various constituents. After that, the process would slow down even more, sometimes to an agonizingly slow pace.
According to John Gould, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) representative to the SHWT who was instrumental in heading up the Safety Alert Project from its inception, “When we started this project, we recognized that important and critical safety information just wasn’t getting out to wildland groundpounders in a timely fashion through traditional methods,” he says. “Most of this information can really make a big difference in their well being.”
Types of Alerts
The Safety Alert Project consists of two main components: classifying the different types of alerts and creating a system to disseminate them. The SHWT modeled its classification system for safety alerts after a system created by our meteorological and mariner friends, which involves warnings and advisories for severe weather. There are three levels of safety alerts:
- Safety Warning: A warning of a safety hazard that poses an imminent threat to life or property.
- Safety Advisory: An advisory on safety information that isn’t related to imminent or potential threats of injury.
- Safety Bulletin: A factual confirmation of a serious accident, incident or fatality.
The Safety Alert System
Advancements in information technology (IT) during the past 10 years have dramatically enhanced everyone’s ability to communicate and have changed the way we fight fire. The SHWT strove to capitalize on these advancements with the creation of the safety alert system.
The safety alert system is a Web-based system intended to provide safety-related information to those in the field in the shortest possible timeframe. The SHWT began using the Web to post safety alerts as soon as the NWCG created its own Web site in the late 1990s, which was a major step toward reaching a large number of firefighters.
Alerts are posted on the NWCG’s Web site and managed at the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) in Boise, Idaho. The safety alert system sends safety alerts out in an e-mail message to an ever-increasing list of recipients. According to Gould, the list includes key individuals directly involved with wildland safety across the country in all levels of wildfire operations. These individuals are in turn expected to forward the message as soon as possible to subordinates, co-workers and interested parties within their organization. The goal: to move a safety alert message forward within the appropriate wildland fire and safety communities, down to the lowest levels, so that it receives the widest distribution in the shortest period of time.
The SHWT issued the first safety advisory for the safety alert system with an announcement of its establishment on April 12, 2001. The next day, a safety advisory was issued on fire shelter packaging defects. Over the past five years, the SHWT has issued nine safety warnings ranging from performance pills and Sigg-type bottles to fire shelter information; 40 safety advisories and 38 safety bulletins have also been issued to the wildland fire community.
How Information Becomes a Safety Alert
When the SHWT receives information, it is first verified for accuracy before it’s added to the safety alert distribution list. The source of the information largely determines whether or not it warrants further investigation. The next step: classifying the information as a safety warning, safety advisory or safety bulletin. Finally, the alert is disseminated by posting it on the SHWT Web site under “Safety Alerts” and sending it to those on the safety alert e-mail list.
What Does the Future Hold?
This spring, the SHWT, in cooperation with the National Predictive Services Group (NPSG), will discuss how regional safety alerts are issued to the wildland community by the 11 Geographical Area Coordinating Centers (GACC). “This makes a lot of sense to us,” says Tom Wordell, NPSG chair. “The NPSG, with the critical information it develops, always considers both the content and audience of the intended safety message.” From this collaboration, the SHWT will examine how to create clearer protocols and standardized safety alert templates and formats, as well as standards for issuing, distributing and posting safety alerts. In addition, the SHWT will review its own internal procedures to ensure the dissemination of time-sensitive data.
Conclusion
So now you know how and why safety alerts are made. The next time you see a safety alert issued, take the time to read it and pass it along to your friends and co-workers on the job. It may just save your life.
Gene Madden, an SOFI, is the chairman of the NWCG Safety and Health Working Team and a member of the NWCG Emergency Medical Support Group. Madden is employed as the division safety officer for the Florida Division of Forestry and is an IOFI and a medical unit leader. E-mail him at maddeng@doacs.state.fl.us.
