Thousands of fire departments across the United States and Canada began Wednesday, June 21, the 2006 International Fire Fighter Safety Stand Down.
In conjunction with the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) and the Volunteer and Combination Officers' Section of the IAFC the focus of the national safety stand down this year is emergency vehicle safety
Departments continue to respond to all emergency calls as normal, but between calls, firefighters, officers and chiefs were to take the time to conduct safety training and drills; review safety-related standard operating procedures; discuss accident reports and have an open conversation about fire fighter safety in the department.
Around the nation
"ATTITUDE and BEHAVIOR are the driving forces behind policies, regulations, and safety mandates," said Virginia's Richmond Fire Department Fire Chief Robert Creecy as he addressed his personnel. "Without the right attitude and true accountability for consistent safe behavior, the rest is just words on paper."
Richmond Fire and Emergency Medical Services are observing a six-week Stand Down. "Some people are sick, some are out on leave, you can't reach everyone in one day. Everyone in my department will be taught. This is not something you accomplish overnight," Creecy explained.
Creecy's teaching methods must be effective. There was a 50 percent drop in Richmond Fire Department injuries and illnesses in 2005 over 2004, and motor-vehicle collisions were reduced by about one-third.
"If we are the brothers and sisters of Fire Service Family that we claim to be," challenged Creecy, "then we will not allow each other to engage in the complacent behaviors and unsafe practices that tempt our fate. In truth, we can no longer continue to live with what we seem to be so willing to live with. That is what the Stand Down is really all about. Changing for the better means coaxing bad habits down the stairs, a little bit each day. And developing a new attitude and changing behavior takes time, so one day could never make a real difference. That is why we stood down all summer last year, and that is why we start again this year with the same plan. Only this time, we understand better the purpose, and make the conscious decision to change. It has been said, If you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything. If Richmond Fire Stands Up for Safety, we might well never have to Stand Down again."
At the conclusion of the five-day safety stand down, on June 26, 2006, the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service in Maryland will be dedicating a new state-of-the-art driver simulator in honor of Montgomery County Paramedic James Nicewarner. The dedication ceremony will take place at the Montgomery County Public Safety and Fire Training Academy, in Rockville.
Paramedic James Nicewarner died in the line-of-duty on June 26, 1977 as a result of a collision with a drunk driver. On that date, twenty-nine years ago, a crew of three on board Medic 3 was struck while transporting a patient. Paramedic Nicewarner died. He was the last line-of-duty death to occur in Montgomery County, Maryland.
The state-of-the-art driving simulator system manufactured by DORON Precision Systems, of Binghamton, NY replicates the driving compartment of a typical fire truck used in Montgomery County, Maryland. It includes essential components found in late model trucks, including air-brakes, tilt steering wheel, foot switch activated air horn and siren, air suspension driver's seat, emergency lighting system and console and two-way radio. Any combination of other emergency vehicles can be linked to create real-time scenarios enabling the development of team based skills and for teaching important policy considerations specific to Montgomery County. The Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service is one of the first fire departments in the nation to utilize this simulation technology to reinforce and compliment existing classroom teaching and practical hands-on training.
Volunteers at Pine Level Volunteer Fire Company in North Carolina discussed safety issues and reviewed a power point during their regular meeting Monday night.
Chief Phillip McDaniel said he adapted the program to get the message out to as many people as he could. "With volunteers, it's hard to get them together. Wednesday wouldn't have worked so we're going to try to catch our volunteers all week."
The chief said he reiterated the importance of safety to his members, and the consequences of ignoring it.
A career firefighter in Morrisville, McDaniel said all three shifts at the department spent time reviewing safety measures.
In Urbandale, Iowa, crews didn't simply take a seat and watch the power points. Each firefighter checked out their turnout gear, climbed into the engines, belted up and practiced donning SCBA while seated and buckled up.
Assistant Chief Jim Mitchell said members of the combination department also reviewed the SOPs, and discussed safety messages. "The amount of resources available this year was incredible..."
At Fort Detrick in Maryland, shifts started with a moment of silence for those who've paid the ultimate sacrifice.
Firefighters discussed causes of fatal crashes and close calls, and the importance of safety in every aspect of their jobs, said Chief Dave Eskildsen.
They also conducted a safety inspection of their station, and determined that they are 98 percent compliant with NFPA recommendations.
At the Lockport Township, Illinois department, all apparatus drivers have been through a new course and certified by the state fire marshal's office. "We were ahead of Stand Down," said Chief Rob Cronholm, adding that safety has always been on the front burner.
The 63 firefighters also are sporting t-shirts designed to promote the annual Stand Down. "I've always been a t-shirt kinda guy," the chief said. "It's gone well beyond our wildest dreams."
Lockport Township lost a firefighter in 1976 when the roof of a bowling alley collapsed on him, and Cronholm said that loss stays with his company. "Safety is always on our firefighters' minds."
Cronholm said he adapted the program to fit his department's needs, and is lucky to have a union also committed to safety. Later this month, they will hear from a chief who lost a member in a fire truck crash.
For larger departments such as those in Los Angeles and Miami, the Stand Down allows time to focus on important issues in an otherwise hectic atmosphere. At the L.A. Fire Department there are 103 stations with a total of 3,500 paid firefighters and close to 1,100 crew members working each shift.
Battalion Chief Louis Roupoli said his department made use of a lot of the materials provided by IAFF and IAFC, as well as other information available through the Internet. He said that as more information has become available, the event has become much easier to conduct.
"I think the program has been very effective," he said. "Here we've capitalized on firefighter safety in driving apparatus." Roupoli said the department's training for driving safety included an EVOC (Emergency Vehicle Operators Course) with obstacles and skid-outs. He said the training is important because "too many firefighters are dying in traffic accidents and in our history we've quite a few."
City of Miami Department of Fire-Rescue Captain John Carlton said the event has allowed his department to zero-in on safety issues that need to be looked at. One of those issues was safety aboard driving apparatus. "We were still allowing guys to stand on the back of tailboards when backing up apparatus and now we have stopped that," he said.
With the Stand Down still in its infancy, however, Carlton believes it has been successful but still has a ways to go in fulfilling goals. "I think it'll take a little time to realize what its function is," he said. "It's a slow process, but once it is around for a while I think it will catch on and serve its purpose."
At the Yakima City Fire Department in Yakima, Washington, Deputy Chief Charlie Hines said the Stand Down has been a huge success with strong participation.
"We took it very seriously last year," he said. "I've been in the fire service for over 30 years and it's been like 'Duh, why did take us so long to think of this.'
"It's a very proactive move on our part, which is different because firefighters by nature are reactive," he said. "I think that through the use of things like the Stand Down you will begin to see those accident numbers go down."
Many departments across the country have expressed the need for the Stand Down and have cited a vast improvement in this year's event from its inaugural run.
"It's a little better organized this year than last year, and I think it will even be better next year," Columbia, S.C. Fire Department Chief Scott Fulkerson said. "I've heard nothing but good back from both our firefighters and chiefs so far."
"It's given us time to just sit back and take a look at look at different things that may need to be looked at," he said. While they used suggested materials from the IAFF and IAFC, Fulkerson said he also has focused on issues of concern in their area.
"Right now we have a heat wave sweeping though with high humidity," he said. "We've been telling them to get hydrated." Fulkerson stressed the importance of hydration for his department in the summer months to prevent fatigue during travel to and from calls on apparatus.
Chief David Roberts of the Biloxi, Miss. Fire Department said the training conducted during the Stand Down isn't anything new to firefighters, but that it helps supplement their daily training.
"It's not something that you're never doing because you go through safety every day you train. But it makes us focus on it all at one time," he said. "This is just something that emphasizes safety issues that need to be looked at."
Other departments, such Clearwater, Fla. Fire and Rescue, have added incentives to the program. All of Clearwater's members receive a Howd strap and a karabiner at the end of their program.
"We've used this as more of morale thing," Assistant Chief Ron Gemsheim said. "To give them something like this that can be tied into firefighter safety is really great and everybody likes something for free."
Chief Ron Koan of the Sturgis Fire Department , South Dakota, says they won't do the training on the designated training days because they are a volunteer fire department that does not gather all the time. However, this month, they will discuss vehicle safety, "moreso than the normal month." They will discuss seatbelts, and whether vehicles have breathing apparatus.
Niskayuna Fire Department in New York, is a combination department. Chief Dale Lingenfelter said they will be "adjusting more stringently for seat belt use." They will be "updating apparatus and response policy". He said they will be taking advantage of the IAFF piece on response safety. He added that regarding safety, "We're not looking at it as a one day event."
Just how well-received was the second annual Stand Down?
That's what the International Association of Fire Chiefs wants to know, and a survey will be in the mail next week.
"I believe there has been increased interest this year," said Shawn Stokes, IAFC Stand Down program coordinator. "We really think people are grasping what's going on. We're raising awareness, and hopefully reaching tens of thousands..."
Stokes said fire service organizations tried to give departments the necessary tools to deliver the safety messages. Regardless whether it's a large metropolitan crew or the tiniest volunteer company, everyone needs to know the importance of safety. "We want to raise awareness that we have a problem."
The initiative was born last year after officials realized the number of line-of-duty deaths due to crashes was increasing. Stokes said it was evident that something had to be done quickly to stop that deadly trend.
The survey, being compiled by Stokes and Lisa Silverboard, will give officials an idea how things went as well as how to plan for future events.
Officials attending the National Fire Academy for the next two weeks will begin each day with a safety message or exercise. Administrators from across the country are at the Maryland campus to take a variety of courses.
Also contributing to this story was Becky Robinette Wright.
Related:
'Stand Down' Near-Miss Reporting System
Fire Service Organizations Call for Second Annual Fire Safety Stand Down
