Training Is The Key To Safe Tanker Operation

By Joe Mercieri

Tanker operations are a vital part of rural firefighting. Unless rural departments are fortunate to have a pond, river or lake nearby to draft from, the only other water sources are the water on board the engines and tankers, or tenders, depending upon your region.

Unlike engine, rescue and ladder companies that respond to the scene and then remain stationary until the fire is out, tankers are constantly traveling from water source to portable tanks and back again.

Being totally reliant on a mobile water supply to extinguish a fire does raise the stress level of everyone involved, especially the tanker driver. How safe is your tanker operation? The U.S. Fire Administration has published an excellent report on safe tanker operations. The report can be downloaded at http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/downloads/pdf/publications/fa-248.pdf.

Improper Backing
Reading the report, it’s interesting to note that 22 percent of fire department motor vehicle accidents involved tanker trucks. Scoring number one were accidents involving firefighters’ personal vehicles. The report goes on to list the causes of tanker truck accidents.

The first reason listed was improper backing of apparatus. Let’s pause for a minute and think about this. How many departments have operating procedures or guidelines that outline the proper backing procedures for fire apparatus? It would be a safe bet that somewhere in a department’s backing procedure is the word spotter. Whatever happened to the “buddy system?”

Excessive Speed
The second reason for tanker accidents is reckless driving by the public. Most apparatus drivers have experienced the motorist who, upon hearing the siren, remains stationary in the road as the apparatus approaches and then, at the last second, decides to pull over to the left or right.

Most defensive driving classes incorporate words like anticipation, vehicle control, speed limit, and teach the importance of paying attention to weather conditions. That’s what a good department driver-training program ought to include.

The third cause of tanker accidents is excessive speed by the apparatus driver. Speeding is pointless. Yes, getting the water to the scene as fast as possible is a justifiable goal. The last thing we want to do is run out of water, but speeding isn’t the answer. It makes far more sense to call for more tankers than to have a few racing to keep up with water supply demands. Tanker operations should not be NASCAR events.

Combining reckless driving by motorists with excessive speed by apparatus drivers is a recipe for disaster. Not only is there a very real possibility of an accident, with the possibility of injury and death, but there’s the loss of water vital to the water supply that can definitely affect the safety of fire crews, not to mention the outcome of the fire, especially if the accident blocks the route to the water source.

Fire chiefs ought to have a zero tolerance for speeding, and violations should be cause for dismissal.

Qualified Drivers

The fourth accident causing criteria was lack of driving skill and experience by the apparatus driver. When are we going to learn training and experience are risk management tools and vital to the safety and welfare of both the firefighters and citizens served?

It’s interesting to note that in court cases involving accidents with fire apparatus, lawyers often pursue questions about driver training, experience and licensing. They raise questions like why are inexperienced, untrained people allowed to get behind the wheel of fire apparatus? It ought not to be just a matter of convenience because of limited numbers of personnel. NFPA 1500, 2007 edition, section 6.2.1 clearly states only qualified people ought to drive apparatus.

Legal Responsibility

Specifically, it says: “Fire apparatus shall be operated only by members who have successfully completed an approved driver training program commensurate with the type of apparatus the member will operate or by trainee drivers who are under the supervision of a qualified driver.”

Reading further, Appendix A.6.2.4 of NFPA 1500 states, “The driver of any vehicle has legal responsibility for its safe and prudent operation at all times. While the driver is responsible for the operation of the vehicle, the officer is responsible for the actions of the driver.”

Wow, imagine that! The officer is responsible for the actions of the driver. Imagine the looks on the faces of fire officers who may be reading this for the first time. Fire officers can be held accountable for the actions of their drivers.

The fifth and final cause of tanker accidents was poor apparatus design or maintenance. Poor design can be the result of in-house modifications. There are plenty of in-house engineers who love to modify apparatus to make them better, stronger and faster. The problem is the modification may become the cause of an accident.
Firefighters love to use every conceivable storage space on a truck. Lots of engine companies undergo a dramatic change and overnight become a modified engine/ladder/truck/rescue.

Yes, we tend to overdo it at times, and we need to stop and think about the modifications we make to solve problems that may just cause bigger problems. They can increase the amount of weight the truck carries, and that may possibly exceed the truck’s gross vehicle weight.

Modifications can also change the balance of a vehicle, affecting its turning characteristics. Some modifications add weight to the top of the truck, creating a higher apex that could cause a truck to rollover.

Lack Of Maintenance
Lack of maintenance is self-explanatory. Failing brakes, worn tires, damaged leaf springs, burned-out headlights and a favorite, the cracked windshield, are just a few maintenance items that certainly need to be addressed.

These same five major reasons for tanker truck accidents can be applied to almost all fire apparatus accidents.

So, what can be done to prevent accidents? Without a whole lot of intervention and not much money, a lot can be done. Simply

reinforcing and honing driving skills through refresher training can go a long way. Officers seeking to train new tanker drivers should seek help with their particular state fire academies, as every one of them has some sort of driver training program.

Resources

Another excellent resource is the community’s insurance carrier. Many insurance companies offer free defensive driving courses.
Another untapped resource is the department’s members.

Firefighters can help in designing an in-house course to complement any driver certification course. The course can be specific to the model and type of vehicles used in the department. There is no better way to train than on the vehicles used in the department.

Firefighters need to make every effort to maintain a safe and controlled work environment and that includes training drivers.
Stay safe.

Editor’s Note: Joe Mercieri, who has 27 years in the fire service, is the Littleton (N.H.) Fire Rescue chief. He has a master’s degree in public administration and an undergraduate degree in fire administration. He has been an instructor for the Connecticut Fire Academy, the New Hampshire Fire Academy and the Twin State (N.H./Vt.) Mutual Aid Fire Association.