LACK Program Identifies LODD Causes

This year’s theme for Fire/EMS Safety, Health and Survival Week–Surviving the Fire Ground: Fire Fighter, Fire Officer & Command Preparedness–should have hit home with all of us. As leaders, we owe it to our people, their families and our communities to ensure that our firefighters go home with the same levels of physical and mental wellness as those they arrived with.

The LACK Program
As part of Safety Week, my department was introduced to the new LACK program, a presentation by the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) that examines the root causes of line-of-duty deaths (LODDs) and the role of Leadership, Accountability, Culture and Knowledge in managing dangerous environments. Through research of LODD reports, the LACK program identifies and links six common root causes related to firefighter fatalities: unpredictable events; lack of effective policies and procedures; lack of leadership; lack of preparedness; lack of appropriate decision-making; and lack of personal responsibility.

Five of the six root causes are directly tied to what we lack in fireground preparedness, and I believe that the “unpredictable events” cause is tied to a lack of situational awareness. So as leaders, we must work hard to fill these gaps. Let’s take a closer look at each root cause.

Unpredictable Events
As stated, I view this as a lack of situational awareness. Barriers to situational awareness include fatigue, time pressure, inexperience, overconfidence, distraction, supervisory and peer pressure, and subjective perception. Overcoming these barriers is vital to accurate information-gathering as well as preventing distorted perceptions. Accurate size-up of events, understanding and predicting where the event may go, and accurate hazard assessment must be top priorities for us.

Lack of Effective Policies & Procedures
Policies and procedures allow everyone in the organization to understand the expectations for themselves and the department. Policies set the rules; procedures help ensure that they’re applied safely and practically.

Lack of Leadership
Leadership is one of those qualities that you can’t buy–but you can learn and earn. If you’re in a position of authority, most likely, you already have certain leadership skills. However, you must seek out resources so that you can continue developing and sharpening your skills.

Lack of Preparedness
If we’re not preparing at every level of the organization, failure will occur. What are the target hazards of your community or your district? What tools do you have to deal with the challenge? Do your incident assignments compensate for the increased hazard? Are you physically and mentally prepared for the challenges?

Lack of Appropriate Decision-Making
Decision-making at all levels must be done with safety in mind, and this comes through knowledge and experience. The “Rules of Engagement for Firefighter Survival” poster clearly identifies the rules to follow that will allow us to deliver services while maintaining a safe environment.

Lack of Personal Responsibility
We work in a team environment with both formal and informal leaders. As with any team, success is achieved by blending complementary performance, knowledge and skill sets, but safety is everyone’s responsibility. So don’t blame bad or unsafe performances on others. Take responsibility when things go bad and, most importantly, fix them. YOU control YOUR destiny.

In Closing
Please take a moment to visit the IAFC’s Safety, Health and Survival Section website at www.iafcsafety.org. There you will find comprehensive resources, including the “Rules of Engagement” poster, which will help you better prepare yourself and your organization to provide a safer service delivery.