By Jamie Thompson
FireRescue1 Senior Editor
INDIANAPOLIS — Firefighting safety — including everything from live fire training to staffing levels — came under the microscope during a session at FDIC on Wednesday.
Deputy Chief Billy Goldfeder, of the Loveland-Symmes, Ohio, Fire Department, FDNY Lieutenant Ray McCormack, Orlando, Fla., Firefighter Walter Lewis and Chief Ron Siarnicki, executive director of the NFFF, made up a panel that focused on a variety of topics.
Fielding questions from moderator Captain Bradley Pinsky, of the Manlius, N.Y., Fire Department, and the audience, the four offered their views on issues related to safety.
When asked about the impacts reduced staffing levels on engines have, Chief Siarnicki highlighted the importance of ensuring firefighters are protected.
“That means calling more units, getting more units on scene,” he said. “If staffing levels are two firefighters on a truck, then keep calling trucks until you get 40 firefighters there.”
If the media picks up this fact, Chief Siarnicki said, it can help the department tell its story of the impacts of reduced staffing.
“If you need a valet parker for all the fire trucks, that sends a clear message to your community there there’s a problem,” he said.
Addressing the issue of firefighters not using seat belts, Chief Siarnicki said he has heard a lot of different excuses for non-compliance.
“I even had one firefighter tell me he couldn’t tell the difference between a seat belt and an SCBA harness strap. I was thinking, ‘Maybe you shouldn’t be in this business if you don’t know the difference.”
When asked about the role of live fire training for new recruits, Lt. McCormack said he wanted to see a system put in place that standardizes the burn structures across the country.
He told the audience it would mean everyone in the country would know the right thing to do, which would help remove the fear factor in using them.
On the subject of safe response speeds and handling apparatus, Chief Siarnicki said it is critical firefighters are trained in driving the rigs they actually use.
“We provide a basic driving training program using the oldest, slowest rig ... and that’s what we train everybody on,” he said.
When the panel was asked about mandatory and regular fitness checks for firefighters, Lt. McCormack expanded the debate to focus on firefighter skills.
“I would like to see skills testing, let’s make sure your skills are up to par every year,” he said.
‘When somebody’s home is on fire, we are the only people who can handle that emergency. Our skill levels have to be sharp all the time, 24 hours a day.”
During a debate on whether the NFPA is a hindrance to firefighters and if its standards are too industry-driven, Chief Goldfeder said a solution to those who feel this way is to get more involved with the process.
“I think that’s the way to do it,” he said. “We need to take personal accountability and jump on those committees.”