After the events of Sept. 11, America’s first responders can’t be too careful. With the threat of terrorism, both foreign and domestic, anthrax concerns and the possibility of other types of attacks, we have to operate differently than ever before.
Because of the almost never-ending reports of suspicious packages and letters, bomb scares and other responses we have decided to publish several emergency bulletins in upcoming issues. On page 79 you will find a Quick Reference Guide compiled and recently updated by the Montgomery County, MD, Fire & Rescue Service. These handy guides, the first in a series, provide first responders with basic information on several serious situations that can confront first-arriving troops. These guides can be used until personnel with expertise can further evaluate the situation.
We first published some of these guides a few years ago. After Sept. 11 and the threat of anthrax and other possible terrorism, we asked Deputy Chief Ted Jarboe and his group in Montgomery County to review and update the reference guides. With the threat of terrorism still looming, these guides are more valuable than ever before.
Including the 343 firefighters killed at the World Trade Center, as of Dec. 6, 442 firefighters were killed in the line of duty in the United States in 2001. A terrible toll for the fire service. Several thousand FDNY firefighters who operated at Ground Zero are now complaining of or being treated for respiratory distress. We can only hope and pray that they will not suffer any serious health problems in the future. Among the lessons learned from the World Trade Center for future operations will certainly be the need to have respiratory and eye protection on hand for firefighters wherever they operate.
Contributing Editor Vincent Dunn answers the question, “Why did the World Trade Center buildings collapse?” in his Safety & Survival column, which is found on page 18. Chief Dunn examines the type of construction and other factors in the building of the trade center and how it differed from other high-rise structures, such as the Empire State Building. He also reviews the current state of high-rise construction and the lessons learned from previous high-rise incidents, and makes recommendations for rebuilding at Ground Zero.
After an incident as large and deadly as the World Trade Center attack, another big item is the need for critical incident stress debriefing. The toll of responding to Ground Zero, realizing that many co-workers and friends were killed, attending funerals and memorial services, and working with the surviving families has taken a toll that can’t really be calculated. Many people are suffering and need help. We just hope that they seek the help that is being offered to the firefighters and their families.
You can’t do your job, whether it is a fire, emergency or an EMS call, if you can’t respond to the scene safely. On page 62 we provide an overview of the latest and greatest fire apparatus around the nation. They come in all shapes and sizes, colors and paint schemes, with sophisticated color graphics and logos. Please drive safely.
Under the same topic, see page 71 for another installment of The Apparatus Architect series written by Tom W. Shand and Michael Wilbur. Every fire department operates some type of pumping apparatus. The mission of the engine company apparatus is to successfully deploy personnel, a fire pump, hose and water to the incident in a safe and controlled manner. The next few installments will describe some of the concepts that you should consider when developing specifications for engine company apparatus.
I know both of these authors and they put a lot of time and energy into their work. Paying attention to what they say can save a lot of heartache later.
