A proactive approach was taken in addressing the need for fire apparatus seat belt use reform during a group discussion comprised of members from the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation and the Fire Apparatus Manufacturers Association.
The July 26 session occurred during Firehouse Expo Pre-Conference sessions in Baltimore, Md. FDNY Lieutenant and Opening Ceremonies keynote speaker Mike Wilbur, said he plans to touch on the importance of seat belt safety and the need for firefighters to do their part.
"The departments are trying to make a policy and they really can't," he said, stressing that firefighters must taken it upon themselves to wear seat belts.
Lack of Convenience
Many of the experts on hand believed the main reason firefighters don't use seat belts while traveling to and from incidents is due to convenience.
The seat belts are "not easy to use them and I think we have taken steps to do that, but some of this data is finding that there is a lot more we can do to improve them," Paul Bostrom, vice president of sales and marketing for seat manufacturer HO Bostrom, said.
Gordon Routley, a member of NFFF's and IAFC's safety committees echoed Bostrom's sentiments. "The biggest thing, and what we are dealing with here, is the issue that the seat belt systems are not user friendly and it is difficult to fasten them," he said. "If people don't feel inclined to wear their seat belts, and it's typically difficult to wear them, then they're less likely to wear them."
Finding Solutions
In order to alleviate the usage problem, Roger Lackore, director of research and development for fire truck manufacturer Pierce, presented preliminary data measuring the dimensions of the average firefighter. Lackore said since most complaints about apparatus seat belts involve the size of the belts and ability to get in and out of them, the dimensions of the average firefighter wearing bunker gear would have to be taken into account.
A system to measure the size of a firefighter wearing gear through a partnership of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation and the Fire Apparatus Manufacturers Association.
The process involves a level, tape measure, bathroom scale and carpenters squares. Through the use of these items, a sampling of firefighters measured the height of their sitting position, weight, width, depth and shoulder belt length.
The entire process takes between 10 and 12 minutes, according to the group's data. Currently there are 60 samples, but Lackore believes more are needed.
"I think 1,000 samples would give us good credibility," he said.
Once the data is compiled, however, Lackore said that's when the real work will begin. "Once you know what the data is, you're struggling with how to implement it," he said. One goal Lackore said FAMA is considering is to develop a plastic mold of a firefighter's torso built from data taken from firefighters wearing bunker gear to use in design stages.
These models would be used by manufacturer's to test new apparatus and by department heads to make sure old apparatus meet standards set by the data. "We could set them at the end of the line and before you ship the truck, the last guy makes sure they can fit in the belts," he said. "This could become a useful tool for us in establishing standards."
Observing Problems
Several pitfalls involved in developing these standards included the placement of Self Contained Breathing Apparatus on the truck and where to store helmets. Members of the group said the helmets shouldn't be worn in the cab, but that it is hard to find a place they can be stored.
The argument was made for the SCBAs to be stored in an outside compartment of the truck, but Wilbur believes that's easier said than done.
"I was of the mindset to take the SCBA out of the cab. One reason is to allow them to stop and size up the situation. Another idea is to make the truck safer," he said. "The other overwhelming idea, however, is if FAMA decides to take it out, some departments would put it in the cabs without brackets and it's going to be a worse problem than we already have."
While there will be setbacks in finding a way to make fire apparatus seat belts more practical, all agreed a proactive stance must be taken by the manufacturers. "I think our responsibility is to make sure the seat belts are easy to use as possible, that's really as much as we can do," Bostrom said. "Then it is up to the fire department to use them and enforce the use."
Although alterations must be made to current seat belt configurations, it isn't necessary to start from scratch, according to Lockore. "It's not like our three-point system isn't safe," he said. "We just need to make it easier to use and fit on."
Routley said while the manufacturers are trying to do their part in improving seat belt usage, a large part of the responsibility falls on the firefighters themselves.
"We think we're invincible and what we're doing overrides the need to wear seat belts," he said. "So just as a matter of firefighter attitude and culture, we think we don't need to wear seat belts.
"A failure to supervise is a failure to lead. A lot of departments believe they have a seat belt policy but its members just don't follow it."
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