The Road Warrior
by Chief Allen Baldwin
Apparatus Safety Relies On Good Drivers/Design
When it comes to apparatus safety, there’s enough stuff to debate for decades, but there are two topics of vital concern that I’d like to focus on: The first being the human element of apparatus safety, and the second being apparatus design.
The discussion of apparatus safety needs to start with the human element. That means looking at ourselves in the mirror and setting the right example. There’s one simple thing that can be done to make apparatus safe, and that is to buckle up.
In 2005, fire department emergency vehicles were involved in an estimated 15,885 collisions while responding to or returning from incidents. These collisions resulted in 1,120 firefighter injuries. The sad fact is most of these injuries could probably have been prevented and/or lessened by the simple task of buckling up.
The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation has developed the National Fire Service Seat Belt Pledge. The pledge is one of the foundation’s primary goals aimed to decrease firefighter fatalities and encourage safety practices among firefighters. Dr. Burton A. Clark, (EFO, CFO) an instructor at the National Fire Academy, created it in honor of 2005 fallen firefighter Brian Hunton.
It reads: “I pledge to wear my seat belt whenever I am riding in a fire department vehicle. I further pledge to insure that all my brother and sister firefighters riding with me wear their seat belts. I am making this pledge willingly; to honor Brian Hunton, my brother firefighter, because wearing seat belts is the right thing to do.”
Christopher Brian Hunton, age 27, was a member of the Amarillo (Texas) Fire Department for one year. On April 23, 2005, he fell out of his fire truck responding to an alarm. He died two days later from his injuries. Brian was not wearing his seatbelt.
The goal of the program is to collect one million firefighter signatures by June 21, 2007. If you are a member of the fire service, we encourage you and the members of your department to sign the pledge and always wear a seatbelt. The pledge forms can be downloaded from www.trainingdivision.com/seatbeltpledge.asp.
The bottom line is, particularly if you are the officer or driver, make sure your “kids” are buckled up before you move the apparatus.
Driver Selection
While on human factors, let’s talk about driver selections and requirements. Every fire department should review how it selects drivers and have a written policy. Departments should have, or at least think about, annual recertification requirements and also medical examinations and requirements.
All departments need driver-training programs, and qualification should be a specific written document that outlines needs and expectations.
Another human factor area is the actual driving skills and attitude. Take a good look at who is driving the apparatus and their performance and attitude. The department really doesn’t need a driver who has to be first in no matter what the cost, nor does it need a jet pilot who isn’t happy if he isn’t going Mach II and out running the siren.
Other drivers that departments don’t need include the guys who say “my mother could drive faster” or the nervous Nelly who shakes so badly he can’t push the clutch or the starter button. My favorite is the zombie guy who gets a blank stare and a funny smile when he’s behind the wheel, lost in the moment.
The point is to make sure you have the right people driving apparatus for the right reasons, not just someone driving because the department needs to get the rig on the street.
If the driver needs discipline for bad actions, let’s do it and not reinforce bad habits. Let’s face it, the driver has one of the biggest responsibilities as he literally has the lives of the crew in his hands. Let’s instill good driving and vehicle safety practices for everybody so everyone goes home.
From a vehicle design and technology standpoint, again, we could spend hours, days and months discussing this topic too. I recently ran across an innovative program on apparatus safety that is emergency medical service (EMS) based. It contains a lot of proactive things when looking to designing and upgrading our apparatus.
The program is the Ambulance Safety Awareness Program (ASAP). This program is the brainchild of Paramedic Paul Shiring of Baldwin EMS, located in Pittsburgh and providing services to the boroughs of Baldwin and Pleasant Hills.
The program produced not only a unique apparatus, but also a unique partnership involved with research and funding of the vehicle.
The project got its start in October 2005, while Shiring was taking part in a regional safety conference. After leaving the conference, he began thinking about how to make it safer for prehospital professionals.
Safety Innovations
In January 2006, Baldwin EMS met with the regional EMS management group and several manufactures and began to put together some ideas on design and goals. In April 2006, the committee met with NIOSH in regards to their crash testing process and to review some of their findings.
In October 2006, the committee met with the state’s bureau of EMS and asked for assistance under special project funding. Soon after, the state reviewed its plans and granted approval.
In November 2006, the engineering plans for the Ambulance Safety Awareness Program Unit were finalized with an order placed in December. Delivery of this unit was taken in March.
The apparatus has a list of safety specific items that, even though they’re designed for EMS operations, could be applied to rescue apparatus as well.
The innovations include: exterior markings with 360 degrees high visibility exterior safety markings; LED emergency lighting with enhanced clear lens visibility with tiered front and rear displays with emergency an on scene modes; 360 degree high-intensity scene lighting; compartment door caution/warning lights with perimeter safety marking and high-intensity LED step lighting.
Compartments are also designed with safety in mind and include full-length transverse immobilization compartments that provide safe working environments for curb and street side access. Compartments are provided for all hazard personal protective equipment, and the compartments for large and small hand tools are located for easy access.
Compartments are also dedicated for traffic safety equipment, mass casualty incidents (MCI) and triage. Inside and outside compartments are built for advance and basic life support equipment as well as pediatric supplies.
There are inside and outside compartments for weapons of mass destruction (WMD) equipment, as well as an exterior biohazard material storage compartment.
Inside The Cab
Safety is built into the cab as well with features like: dual radio headsets with dispatch and intercom capabilities; dual emergency Buell air horns and a Federal Q2B electronic siren; a drive cam safety device; AudioVox reverse camera and monitor with forward, rear and patient compartment viewing by drivers and attendants; OnSpot severe weather chains; and non-slip exterior entry steps.
The chassis and patient loading equipment also have built-in safety features, including a link air ride patient loading system and a Zico retractable patient loading system.
The Patient Compartment
The patient compartment is loaded with innovative safety features including: Simpson loose equipment strapping systems; reduced sharp edges with soft padding enhancements; dual interior lighting panels for easy use and reach; hands free headset system with an intercom system; a non-slip compartment floor; 14-inch LCD remote screen with drivers’ view for caregiver; a primary attendant captain’s chair with a 5-point emergency vehicles safety harness; National Custom Enterprises Lifepak 12 securing device in reach of primary attendant; easy access for sharps disposal and garbage compartments; and easy access patient vitals and information board.
Also inside the patient compartment is an airway captain’s chair with an integrated child safety seat and a three-point harness emergency vehicle service seatbelt system and an airway station with close proximity to the chair.
The second patient bench and safety seat also features a five-point harness and an elevated height for a seated second patient caregiver.
The best ideas are the crew restraint systems and vehicle exterior and compartment door lighting. A little thought and research can go a long way.
Some other things to look at from a basic apparatus safety standpoint are pretty basic. These include limiting the amount of equipment mounted in the cab area of the apparatus.
A lot of departments and even the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) are leaning towards not mounting anything in the crew area of the apparatus to ensure occupant safety. If items are mounted in the cab, make sure they are properly secured and sharp edges are covered. The idea is to keep things safe and secure so there are no flying objects or anything occupants can be impaled upon in the event of an accident.
Another basic safety item is apparatus lighting – not emergency lighting, but ground and area lighting around the apparatus. Let’s make sure there’s enough lighting around the vehicle and in the compartments so everyone can see.
Securing Equipment
A final item is how equipment is mounted and stored in the apparatus and in compartments. Heavy equipment needs to be put on the lower shelves and properly stored and secured so it does not roll out and hurt people as compartment doors are opened.
It’s always a good idea to take time and do a general safety review of all the apparatus in the fleet, thinking about where changes can be made to improve safety. It’s also a good idea to seriously consider safety in the specifications of new apparatus.
This is the best time of year with all of the equipment shows to go and take a good look of what is new and improved. Attendees will likely pick up good safety ideas to improve existing rigs or to include on the new ones.
I’d like to extend a special thanks to Chief William Plunkett and Paramedic Paul Shiring of Baldwin EMS for their assistance in this article.
As always, stay safe and return to quarters.
Editor’s Note: Allen Baldwin is the manager of operations and incident response for the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission and a volunteer captain with the Gettysburg (Pa.) Fire Department. He has been a firefighter and EMT for over 25 years, once serving as a career fire chief, and is an instructor with the Pennsylvania State Fire Academy and several community colleges.