Recently, I read an article about the line-of-duty death of FDNY Firefighter Tony Shands of Engine Company 297. The article informed me of his death on October 20, 1984, and how he died as a result of injuries sustained while operating at Box 4310 in Queens.
Intrigued, I conducted further research into the untimely passing of this firefighter. I discovered that he was performing a task at a car fire that many of us don’t give much thought to: rolling up the booster line or, as we do today, picking up the hoseline used to extinguish the vehicle fire.
While Tony was doing this, a drunk driver struck the rear of the engine, killing him. The article noted that at the time of this incident, FDNY sent a single engine to car fires that were not on a highway, with no blocking apparatus to protect the members operating at the scene.
This led me to consider how many other articles have been written or stories have been told regarding the loss of a firefighter’s life, resulting in changes to the way we operate at a fire scene. We often take these articles for granted, failing to realize that the loss of a firefighter’s life somewhere across the country could be the reason for our current practices.
I vividly recall the name Firefighter John Nance during our Rapid Intervention Team (RIT) training. John Nance was a firefighter from Columbus, Ohio, who fell through a hole in the floor of a commercial building into the basement. Despite efforts to rescue him, Firefighter Nance died in the line of duty, six months away from retirement at age 51.
Today, his name is known nationwide, and firefighters practice what is called the “Nance Drill,” a method of rescuing firefighters using a rope and tying a series of knots together to pull them up through the hole in the floor they have fallen through. The name “Nance” is unforgettable to most of us.
Many articles have been written about firefighter deaths, but my question to you is: How many of these line-of-duty death reports have you read and shared with your members? There should be a media source within our organization dedicated to all the LODDs across this nation, containing these stories and the lessons learned from the incidents.
At your fire department, you can attach copies these stories or reference them in your policies, procedures, SOPs, ROGs, best practices, and general orders. Make note of your response to an action that resulted in the death of a firefighter, which could potentially occur again at your fire department. Teach your recruits about those we have lost so they understand why we do things differently today. As they say, “Don’t let history repeat itself.”
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the U.S. Fire Administration track and collect information on the causes of firefighter fatalities in the United States. Additionally, the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) maintains a LODD database with information on firefighter line-of-duty deaths. These are just a few places to start your research.
Reflecting on Firefighter Tony Shands, who died in 1984, in most fire departments across the country since that time, we respond to roadway incidents with another apparatus, usually a ladder truck, to block the scene, ensuring the safety of our members on the engine while extinguishing the fire and safely putting the hose back on the rig before returning to quarters. We don’t refer to Shands’ name when blocking a scene, but we have addressed firefighter safety at the scene.
Do the research. Ask questions. Conduct training sessions to practice what occurred and what our solution would be to that incident if it happened here. Don’t let the line-of-duty death of a firefighter go unnoticed. Those firefighters we have lost are trying to teach you and your members a lesson, so let’s learn from others’ experiences.
David Traiforos, a 52-year veteran of the fire service, retired as the chief from the Franklin Park and Berkeley (IL) Fire Departments. He teaches at the McHenry County College Fire Academy in Crystal Lake, IL; and nationally, as the lead instructor of Great Lakes Fire & Rescue Solutions. He has been a HOT instructor and a presenter at FDIC International for more than 20 years.
