November/December 2007

The Road Warrior

by Allen Baldwin

It’s Our Responsibility To Keep Firefighters Safe

I write this column with a heavy heart, but a renewed commitment to help get the message out – life is short and our job is dangerous.

I have just returned from the funeral of a fallen firefighter and from spending a couple of days at the National Fire Academy for the Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend.

Those two events, once again, remind us not only of the dangers, but more importantly many of us have families and people waiting for us at home. We have a responsibility to make sure our brothers and sisters also make it home.

The faces of the families and department members involved in these tragedies really struck me. I realized that every day from now on would be tough for these families. And the holidays are just around the corner, always an especially difficult time for people who have suffered the loss of a loved one.

So, let me ask what are you doing to ensure that you and your people are going to be home for the holidays, not only this year, but in the coming years? The holidays are a season for renewed hope and commitment. What are we as individuals, line officers or departments going to do to ensure that people are home for the holidays and everyday?

Here comes the safety lecture.

The U.S. Fire Administration issued its annual report in July of this year detailing firefighter fatalities in the United States during 2006. Have you looked at the report? If not, why? There is a lot to be learned from it.

Copies of it can be downloaded at the USFA Web site. The report looks at various aspects of the fatalities for 2006. It also lists a case-by-case review of each fatality.

The USFA Report

Let me give you the quick “Readers Digest” version of what the report says. In 2006, 106 firefighters died while on duty, 77 volunteers and 29 career personnel. There were six firefighter fatality incidents where two or more firefighters were killed, claiming a total of 17 lives. Twenty two firefighters were killed during activities involving brush, grass, or wildland firefighting.

Activities related to emergency incidents resulted in the deaths of 61 firefighters, and nine firefighters died while they were engaged in training activities. Twenty firefighters died after the conclusion of their on-duty activity.

Heart Attacks

Heart attacks were the most frequent cause of firefighter deaths in 2006 – at 50 fatalities – while 19 firefighters were killed as a result of vehicle crashes.

When you look at the facts and figures, does anything jump out at you? Something should. Heart attacks are still the leading cause of firefighter fatalities.

Don’t think it only happens to the other guy or the older guy. When you take a look at the statistics, a lot of 40 something firefighters are dying of heart attacks. I like my hot wings just like the next guy, but it might be time to cut back a little and do some exercising and eating right if you want to be around a while longer in this business – and for your family.

If you need some guidance here, just visit the National Volunteer Fire Council Web site at nvfc.org and check out the Heart Healthy Firefighter for some great tips and information to help you and your crew.

It’s a shame, but we are still killing people while responding to and returning from alarms. Seatbelts continue to be an issue. Why? There should be no excuse for allowing our members not to wear seatbelts. You should be setting an example.

Go to the national Fallen Firefighters Foundation Web site and click on the National Fire Service Seat Belt Pledge and sign up and have your crew sign up.

While on the Internet, take a look at the National Volunteer Fire Council, the U. S. Fire Administration’s Emergency Vehicle Operations program and also the Volunteer Firemen’s Insurance Services Operation Safe Arrival Program. Better still, get this information out to your people so we can eliminate this problem.

NFFF Life Safety Initiatives

Speaking of resources, The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation has embarked on its 16 Life Safety Initiatives. If you’ve looked at them, you need to follow them and implement them in your department.

If you want more information, or would like copies to distribute, go  to  the  Everyone  Goes  Home   firefighter life safety initiatives Web site  at www.everyonegoeshome.com and download them.

Take a look at some of the other resources that are available at this great Web site. There are various other sites out there that can help foster good firefighter safety and survival. Two very good sites are www.firefighterclosecalls.com and www.respondersafety.com. Do some surfing and see what you can find to spread the word.

Yet another resource for firefighter safety can be found at the website of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation Web site at www.firehero.org.

For a moving and sobering reinforcement of the importance of firefighter safety, think about attending the Memorial Weekend in Emmittsburg, Md. You may even want to consider volunteering for the weekend.

All of this is good stuff and a real eye opener and goes a long way to reinforce the serious nature of our business and underscores the need to keep moving toward improving safety.

Let’s quit standing on the sidelines, and make sure everyone goes home, not only for the holidays but everyday.

On a lighter note, the holiday season is fast is here and it’s important to spend time with your family as the department extended family.

Low-Fat Milk And Cookies

Officers should get together with the troops and spend some time at the kitchen table in the engine houses. Break out the milk and cookies, not just for Santa, but for yourselves, too. Just make sure it’s low-fat milk and oatmeal cookies.

While thinking about the New Year, it’s a good time to start looking at, and planning the path toward safety improvements, even if you take the trip one step at a time.

Don’t forget to include the community. It might be a good idea to light up and decorate the station, even a little. It will raise the department’s profile in the community as well as preserve a long-standing tradition of doing things like this.

If you are working during the holidays, why not consider bringing your family to the station for a meal.

Happy holidays and see you on the other side in 2008.

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, served as chief of the Chambersburg (Pa.) Fire Department and is an instructor with the Pennsylvania State Fire Academy and several community colleges.