Editor’s note: It is with great pleasure that I introduce Chief Dennis Rubin as the newest member of the FireRescue1 columnist family. Our primary goal is to give firefighters the tools they need to be safe and effective through tactical and strategic expertise. Chief Rubin’s column will address the latter. His time as fire chief, consultant, speaker and author makes him an authority on fire officer development. Whether you are a seasoned officer or a firefighter looking for that first jump in rank, I’m confident Chief Rubin’s wisdom and insights will be a great addition to your career development.
As you may already know, there are several military components that operate under the United States Special Forces Command. These elite forces use “Tip of the Spear” as their motto. This motto reminds us that these highly specialized forces are the “first and most meaningful into action” when it is time to protect our country.
When I think of the role of a company or chief officer, they are always “first and most meaningful into action” to protect their community regardless of the type of hazardous situation.
The number-one responsibility of every single fire and rescue officer is the safety of the members assigned under his or her command. The goal is to have each and every firefighter return back to quarters or their home with all their fingers and toes (physically whole) as well as in the same mental condition they were in before they left for the response.
A Note from the AuthorWhat an honor to be asked to be a part of FireRescue1. My focus will be on officer development both at the company and chief levels. This assignment should be great fun for all involved. I am looking forward to this new assignment, but you the reader will be the energy that makes this effort successful. It is my hope that you can use this information in your own hometown and at your fire station on a daily basis. The tips and tricks will cover both emergency work as well as station duties. I want to hear from you. If questions arise from my writing or in general, please do ask me for an answer. I will give you my best response or find someone that can help us both learn new information. Further, if there is a specific topic that you want to learn more about, I’ll be happy to add it to the list of topics to be covered in this new series. |
For many years now, our corporate focus has rightfully been placed on firefighter safety. With the injury and fatalities reaching an unacceptable plateau — about 90 firefighter line of duty deaths and 80,000 reportable injuries per year — we have to keep our focus on changing our inputs. That means changing our tactics, recruitments and medical physicals, training, decision making and culture to drive the LODD numbers lower.
No one walks alone
A lot of great people are doing a lot of great work in the field of firefighter safety. And although there are too many to mention, here are a few of our standout professionals. Chief Alan Brunacini’s Blue Card and Command Safety Courses; Chief Billy Goldfeder and his FirefighterCloseCalls.com website; Chief John Tippet formerly with the IAFC Near Miss Program; Chief Ron Siarnicki with the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation; Chief Rich Gassaway with his situational awareness program and Chief Billy D. Hayes the firefighter safety columnist for FireRescue1.
So, any officer, acting officer or aspiring officer should not have to take the firefighter safety improvement journey alone. There are a lot of folks willing to help anyone out there, just ask.
My favorite story that relates to firefighter safety is “The Sandy Lee Story: Caught Under the Wheels.” I had a chance to see Sandy’s amazing lecture program twice, presented by her from a hospital gurney. The impact that Sandy had on my career has been profound.
As time has marched on, I am very fearful the lessons that we have learned by blood and fire in the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s have been forgotten. I am not sure why we tend to forget our past, but it just seems to happen.
I will ask the training classes, “Who remembers the Sandy Lee Story?” Only about 5 percent to 10 percent of those in attendance have any recollection of this important case study. It is heart wrenching to know that we have a very short collective memory for the harsh lessons learned in the past.
However, the situation presents a great opportunity to teach a generally very willing and interested group of folks trying to break the poor safety habits of the past.
Sandy’s story
Sandy Lee’s story starts out one evening with Sandy participating in a community aerobics class held in her fire station — Prince George’s County, Md., Fire Station 22 — Tuxedo-Cheverly.
As the class was getting underway, the ladder company Sandy was assigned to received an alarm for an apartment building on fire. Sandy told her aerobics classmates that she would be right back and to save her spot in the exercise class.
Being in the exercise class left her a greater distance from her riding position; she was a few seconds delayed to arriving at her assignment. To save time and to get the truck out the door to the apartment fire, Sandy climbed into the right jump seat of the 100-foot rear-mount 1977 Seagrave ladder truck.
Instead of locking into the bucket (local jargon to describe the jump seat position back in the ‘80s), Sandy opted to begin dressing in her turnout gear as soon as she was in the seat.
As you will likely guess, Sandy failed to attach the seatbelt or drop the metal retaining bar. Within seconds, Sandy Lee’s life and career changed forever as she slipped from her jump seat.
Truck 22 was turning right out of the firehouse and still on the apparatus driveway when Sandy fell from the jump seat and into the path of the oncoming rear dual wheels. Sandy was crushed under the right rear wheels.
The injuries Sandy sustained were unbelievable. She had just become a major multi-systems trauma victim and transported to not one, but two level-one trauma centers.
That she survived is amazing and the wonderful part of this story.
Painful lessons
As Sandy started the long recovery process, she wanted to prevent a similar situation from ever happening again to another firefighter. So, with more energy and enthusiasm than I have ever seen from a person, she developed and began presenting the “Caught Under the Wheels” program.
She delivered this shocking firefighter safety and survival program to thousands with tremendous support of her boss, Fire Chief M.H. “Jim” Estepp. From her portable hospital bed, Sandy explained in graphic details with full color pictures her ordeal and how she failed to follow department policy.
She took full responsibility for her actions and closed each program by pointing out that because of her, “the ladder truck did not make it to the apartment fire that night; the engine company was not able to respond.” Likewise, the ambulance, medic unit and battalion chief did not have the chance to respond and assist the residents that called for help that night.
I still get chills thinking about Sandy’s injuries and her recovery process. It is hard to imagine a more compelling firefighter safety program than this one.
The brave and amazingly selfless statements that Sandy makes in her program are priceless. If you are injured while responding to, returning from or operating at an alarm, you will not be able to help anyone.
Remember, if you are hurt you will be a resource drain to your department. Rather than helping to resolve the emergency that your neighbor is having, you too will be a consumer of fire and rescue resources.
Sandy never asked for pity, never pointed out that she lost her leg and never complained that she was forced to retire from the career she loved. She just simply underlined that fact that if you get hurt, you can’t help.
She is a great American fire service hero for what she gave to our business after her tragic accident. Sandy Lee can claim being part of the “Tip of the Spear.”
