Firefighting & Rescue Social / Professional Network
Dead Firefighter Walkin'- the Next LODD
I had just finished reading a depressing thought I found on facebook by Christopher Naum:
“There’s an awful lot of time, energy and resources being committed and directed towards fire service safety. Is anyone really listening? Does anyone really care?” Are we just running against the wind?
Almost immediately after reading that, I find out that a downstate Illinois fire protection district has a problem. Some of their firefighters do not have the proper qualifications for responding to and working a structure fire.
“I see there are firefighters with zero hours in training,” one trustee said. “Either you are a firefighter or you’re not.”
Most were the older guys, retired, and unable or unwilling to commit the time and energy needed to meet the requirements set forth by the state of Illinois.
According to the Illinois Fire Protection Act, firefighters are required to meet a minimum of 24 hours of training per year. I'm still trying to confirm that number.
I did some quick math. My 3rd grade daughter confirmed my calculations. That’s two hours a month. 30 minutes a week.
Tell me there aren’t firefighters out there that are donning equipment with which they are not completely familiar, advancing the wrong size line with the wrong nozzle into a ‘burning box’ just waiting to collapse, unable to recognize the deadly warning signs of a catastrophic fire event for which their equally untrained buddies will have to come in and effect a rescue they are ill-prepared to attempt potentially killing them all.
Please tell me this is a unique situation. TELL ME!
Recognizing the liability of untrained firefighters on the fireground, the trustees of this fire protection district are considering their chief’s proposal to form a second tier of membership- call it an auxiliary role.
Keep the guys active, but don’t put them into a position where they could hurt themselves or others. There are other things these guys could do in a support role.
Sounds like a great idea, right?
You’ve read this far, you earned your payoff:
After the news of the proposed change appeared on the FireRescue1 website, one lonely comment appeared. It’s so bizarre; I’m not quite able to accept that it wasn’t posted as a facetious remark. Here it is, by ‘tommy517’:
“I think it is unreal what law makers are trying to require volunteer firefighters training for responding to calls. I know they feel it is for firefighter safety they come up with some of the stuff, and anything to make it safer is better. However, someone who has done it for years should be given some credit for years of service. I’m a volunteer and I love it. There isn’t anything much better to me than running on fire and rescue calls. I took all the required classes I needed at the time. Now they are wanting to come up with new stuff all the time. When I started I was a student in high school. Now I have a family and work full time. Its hard to get all the “new” trainings that are out there. I wish I had the time to go and take all the new classes and find out what is new in the fire service. With a job and family now its hard to respond to calls sometimes let alone run here and there for classes. Really what has changed? We still gear up get on the truck and put the wet stuff on the red stuff…”
Like he said, “Really, what has changed?’”
Seriously, folks. How many line of duty injuries and worse do we have to endure before this kind of mindset changes?
Don't be the next LODD. Don't be a dead firefighter walking.
“There’s an awful lot of time, energy and resources being committed and directed towards fire service safety. Is anyone really listening? Does anyone really care?” Are we just running against the wind?
Almost immediately after reading that, I find out that a downstate Illinois fire protection district has a problem. Some of their firefighters do not have the proper qualifications for responding to and working a structure fire.
“I see there are firefighters with zero hours in training,” one trustee said. “Either you are a firefighter or you’re not.”
Most were the older guys, retired, and unable or unwilling to commit the time and energy needed to meet the requirements set forth by the state of Illinois.
According to the Illinois Fire Protection Act, firefighters are required to meet a minimum of 24 hours of training per year. I'm still trying to confirm that number.
I did some quick math. My 3rd grade daughter confirmed my calculations. That’s two hours a month. 30 minutes a week.
Tell me there aren’t firefighters out there that are donning equipment with which they are not completely familiar, advancing the wrong size line with the wrong nozzle into a ‘burning box’ just waiting to collapse, unable to recognize the deadly warning signs of a catastrophic fire event for which their equally untrained buddies will have to come in and effect a rescue they are ill-prepared to attempt potentially killing them all.
Please tell me this is a unique situation. TELL ME!
Recognizing the liability of untrained firefighters on the fireground, the trustees of this fire protection district are considering their chief’s proposal to form a second tier of membership- call it an auxiliary role.
Keep the guys active, but don’t put them into a position where they could hurt themselves or others. There are other things these guys could do in a support role.
Sounds like a great idea, right?
You’ve read this far, you earned your payoff:
After the news of the proposed change appeared on the FireRescue1 website, one lonely comment appeared. It’s so bizarre; I’m not quite able to accept that it wasn’t posted as a facetious remark. Here it is, by ‘tommy517’:
“I think it is unreal what law makers are trying to require volunteer firefighters training for responding to calls. I know they feel it is for firefighter safety they come up with some of the stuff, and anything to make it safer is better. However, someone who has done it for years should be given some credit for years of service. I’m a volunteer and I love it. There isn’t anything much better to me than running on fire and rescue calls. I took all the required classes I needed at the time. Now they are wanting to come up with new stuff all the time. When I started I was a student in high school. Now I have a family and work full time. Its hard to get all the “new” trainings that are out there. I wish I had the time to go and take all the new classes and find out what is new in the fire service. With a job and family now its hard to respond to calls sometimes let alone run here and there for classes. Really what has changed? We still gear up get on the truck and put the wet stuff on the red stuff…”
Like he said, “Really, what has changed?’”
Seriously, folks. How many line of duty injuries and worse do we have to endure before this kind of mindset changes?
Don't be the next LODD. Don't be a dead firefighter walking.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by John Crabbe on -
I alluded to this thread and your post in the "tranning" thread....maybe there could be some more comments. :-D
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Permalink Reply by FireDaily.com on -
Thanks, John. More eyes, more thoughts...
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Permalink Reply by Alan Shaw on -
I have heard the idea of posting everyone's totals before, from both in and out of my department. My concern with this would be confidentiality rules. I know that as an instructor I can not put someones scores up for all to see, but as a training officer can I put how far or close to meeting a standard someone is? I don't know, but it seems like that might be the same thing.
As for the requirements, the training officers can track them on a more frequent basis, but I think that it creates a problem if you make a requirement you know many members can not meet, then allow make up training (which, as was pointed out, is often less than what it replaces). By making the requirement annual, and issuing frequent (as needed) reminders to those who are in danger of not meeting the requirement, we can hopefully prevent someone from falling too far behind.
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Permalink Reply by Eric Bowen on -
I know its getting harder and harder for many volunteers to meet the ever expanding and changing training requirements. Its such a comitment on your part and its going to continue to expand. Volunteer Departments play a vital role for so many areas and most are rural. They will continue to do so well into the future. Many do a excellent job, but some really are an accident waiting to happen. Its the Officers of these departments that need to implement SOG's to protect the volunteers that don't have the time to train as much as others. They need to fill the support roles. If your going do perform interior fire fighting you must have trained fire fighters. If not, someone will be hurt or worse. This is an ever changing industry, construction, fuels, etc...You have to train on shift, at drill, when ever you can to keep up. This old school mentality has got to go before more brothers and sisters do...Be Safe
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Permalink Reply by Bill on -
"what has changed"???? Every year things are changing with fire and rescue. I am a professional fire fighter and we do way more then 24 hrs in a month training. There is no way that you are ever done training. Get out there find training or go back over your training. And if there isn't a class get back in the book and learn it again
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Permalink Reply by James L.Hoffman, Jr on -
I'm the captain in the rescue squad i'm also married have 3 kids raising my nephew.. untill just a couple of months ago i did have a job . but i still took classes and didn't miss a traniing. we have training once a week usually on the weekend so everybody has a chance to make it. training runs from 4 to 6 hours a day. we all get together to take classes!!!!!! 24 hours a year for training is way to low!!!!!!!!!!!! ff that fight fires in that state should realize that. and also we still get together on off training days to go over the equipment and train on it. so we have more training in a month then they require in a year the law makers better wake up and start getting their ff some more training! remember everyone STAY SAFE & BE SAFE
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