By Scott Ziegler
We have around 100 deaths every year in our profession. And every time a firefighter dies in the line of duty, we take a look at what happened and how we can avoid that from ever happening again. Which is, of course, what we should do.
When a firefighter is killed by a reversing fire engine, we make new rules such as always having a spotter. Or maybe we push for drive through bays because they are safer. We enact seat belt programs to get all of our firefighters wearing them because ejection is a serious issue in a fire truck accident. When a firefighter is killed alongside a highway by a passerby, we order a box of bright shinny orange and yellow reflector vests to go over our reflective fire coats. When a firefighter is killed in a house fire while performing an interior attack, we take a look at what happened at that scene. What went wrong. How can we fix it. Which again, we should.
But what bothers me is that there is a bigger problem and it’s not getting the attention it deserves. Fifty percent of our deaths are health related. Heart attacks. Now I know that it isn’t something that has been totally pushed aside. I know there are programs to keep firefighters in shape. I know a lot of departments adopt such programs. But the buzz I personally hear the most about regarding firefighter deaths is how we need to change our tactics, how we need to be less aggressive.
It seems like every time a firefighter dies due to a heart attack, it’s quiet. We all pay our respects in our own ways, and then everyone moves on. But if a firefighter dies battling an aggressive interior attack, we hear an uproar about how we are not smart enough in fighting fires. People talk about how we need to change the way we do things. Yet still, every year, the numbers are basically the same.
Why no uproar about our health? We subject our bodies to an incredible amount of stress, not to mention all the chemicals that are absorbed through our skin and that we inhale on a regular basis. Our bodies are being set up for failure. Rather than trying to change our tactics, we need to put more value into changing the way we take care of ourselves. The moment we all stop being aggressive (and intelligent) is the moment we will become unnecessary.
