The fire service has an important event approaching: the Third Annual International Firefighter and EMS Safety Stand Down, June 17-23, sponsored by the International Association of Fire Chiefs and the International Association of Firefighters.
Each Thanksgiving, we take time to reflect on the blessings we’ve been provided. Well, the Stand Down is like a fire service Thanksgiving; each year, it allows fire and EMS responders to reflect on the importance of responding safely and all the things we need to do to make that happen.
It’s not enough to just give the Stand Down lip service; you must accompany talk with action. This year’s theme is “Ready to Respond,” covering everything from our own physical fitness level to making sure the engine’s tires are properly inflated. There’s not a single fire or EMS department in the country that doesn’t have a few operational readiness issues, ranging from apparatus maintenance to standard operating procedures (SOPs).
The Stand Down’s main goals are to improve firefighter safety and reduce deaths, and approximately 25 percent of our annual deaths are related to apparatus accidents. Therefore, your department’s Stand Down activities should focus at least in part on improving emergency driving.
Following are three drills perfect for Stand Down week because they improve your crew’s familiarity with its response area and underscore safe driving practices. Back in the old days, before onboard computers and commercially produced map books, company officers had their crews spend a lot of time studying their “territory.” I know that sounds really old school, but it worked then, and it will help you now.
Knowing your response area enhances your ability to respond quickly and, more importantly, safely. It involves knowing which streets go through and which ones don’t, where apparatus from other stations may meet during an alarm response and where railroad crossings and dangerous intersections (all of them) are located. If we can reduce or eliminate the 25 percent of driving-related firefighter fatalities, we will make a significant impact on annual firefighter fatalities.
Drill 1: Response Area Familiarization
Setting: Your department’s response area
Time: 30 minutes-1 hour
Equipment Needed: Apparatus
Step 1: Select a section of your response area that’s large enough to include different challenges and types of obstacles you’ll encounter, but small enough for your crew to thoroughly learn.
Step 2: Take your crew out on the apparatus and drive around the area. Get a feel for the streets so that when someone says “the 400 block of Main Street,” you know where that’s located in relation to major intersections and can picture the area. Identify dead-end streets and blind intersections where the view of approaching traffic may be blocked.
Step 3: Allow different members of the company to drive while learning the area. This provides a great chance for some driver training under direct supervision.
Drill 2: Territory Test
Setting: At the station
Time: 15 minutes
Equipment Needed: Map book, corrective fluid, pens
Step 1: Using your map book or another map, locate the area that you just drove through in Drill 1. Copy the map and, using corrective fluid, “white out” the street names and numbers.
Step 2: Make copies of the map for each member of your company.
Step 3: Instruct each crewmember to write on the map as many street names and numbers (the hundred blocks at major intersections) as they can. Give bonus points if they can identify hydrant locations.
Step 4: Review the individual results with the larger group. At first, you’ll probably see poor results overall, but after repeating Drill 1 a few times, you’ll see quick improvement.
Drill 3: Case Study
Setting: At the station
Time: 30 minutes
Equipment Needed: None
Step 1: Go to the NIOSH Web site (www.cdc.gov/niosh/fire/) and select a case study related to a firefighter death involving apparatus.
Step 2: Print copies of the report for each member of your company.
Step 3: At the firehouse kitchen table, discuss with your crew the incident and suggested recommendations. How could the tragic ending have been avoided? Does your department follow the recommendations outlined in the report? Note: If you’re presenting to a larger group, consider making a PowerPoint presentation by downloading photos (if you’re working from a PC, this is as simple as “right-clicking” on the photos and saving them to your desktop) and text from the NIOSH Web site. You can also distribute the presentation via e-mail.
Stand Down!
Take time during the week of June 17-23 to get involved in the Firefighter and EMS Safety Stand Down. This year’s theme, “Ready to Respond,” provides many areas to train on. For more information, go to www.iafc.org/standdown. You’ll find drill samples, SOPs and a media guide.
