For every serious incident there are 300 near misses.
Sharing those close calls is invaluable, and has saved countless lives, said John Tippett, coordinator of the National Fire Fighter Near Miss Reporting System.
As the program, sponsored by the International Association of Fire Chiefs, nears its first anniversary, about 900 reports have been submitted. Tippett, a battalion chief in Montgomery County, Md., said errors are part of human nature. And, the willingness of people to share those mistakes and lessons learned are making a difference.
>> John Tippett Interview Video: View in Player Now or Right Click Here and "Save As" to Download WMV (3MB)
The case studies are used not only to generate discussions in firehouses, they also are being incorporated into curricula at state fire academies.
The near misses are coded in such a way to protect the identity of the department, and the reporting firefighter. Tippett said he believes that feature has encouraged people to report close calls without fear of intimidation.
Some also have agreed to provide video clips or pictures of near misses. One shown to a class at Firehouse Expo on Thursday depicted an officer in street clothes walking beside a burning structure. Just as he turned around to walk back, an explosion occurred.
Tippett said the officer admitted he violated his company policy by approaching the structure without turnout gear. Had he not turned around, he would have been seriously injured or killed.
In addition to near misses on incident scenes, at drills and around the firehouse, submissions also have included equipment failures. Tippett said it's important to report difficulties with vehicles as soon as possible to alert other departments.
In addition to the lack of command, distractions, fatigue, complacency and lack of resources, Tippett said: "Culture is killing us."
He reviewed a fatal incident in which a rookie on the end of a hose line approaching the building had seen smoke coming through the cracks in a sidewalk. Although he thought it was unusual, he didn't say anything because his lieutenant had warned him about speaking. Moments after entering the burning building, the floor collapsed and the other firefighters on the hose line fell through the floor and perished.
Tippett said it's important that the fire service embrace crew resource management, and approach every incident as a team. Had the rookie felt like a valuable member, things may have turned out differently.
Also at Firehouse Expo on Thursday, Retired Seattle Chief Gary Morris said many things need to change to reduce the unacceptable number of firefighter deaths.
He said it's past time that the U.S. fire service get tough and hold people accountable for their actions and those of their subordinates.
In the United Kingdom, there were 33 firefighter deaths between 1990-99, while there were 961 in the United States. While some would argue that American crews are more aggressive, Morris said the dollar losses due to fire also are low in the UK.
>> Chief Gary Morris Interview Video: View in Player Now or Right Click Here and "Save As" to Download WMV (7MB)
Unsafe practices and equipment are not acceptable in the UK, and the Health and Safety Executive keeps a close eye on departments. They issue improvement notices, and if things aren't changed, they will prohibit the firefighters from responding to calls.
Should the violation involve gross negligence, the executive also will prosecute, said Morris, chief of Rural Metro in the Phoenix area.
Morris said he also was astounded by statistics that show that of cardiac-related deaths, 52 percent of the firefighters had existing conditions. He said it's unacceptable that those people are still allowed to function in the dangerous business.
Until departments crack down on reckless behavior, and hold officers accountable, little will change. He said while chief in Seattle, he watched a firefighter climb out of a moving ladder truck in front of the fire station. The officer on the truck was sent home pending an investigation, and the firefighter wound up being reprimanded as well. Morris said while everyone is responsible for their own personal safety, chiefs need to crack down on unsafe practices.
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