Creating a Tradition of Safety

Bob Day
NYS Certified Safety
Officer
Chief is overall responsible for safety

 Delegates
 Ensure improving safety on
a continual process
 Provide adequate resources
 Helps members understand
safety while on training ,
fireground, responding and
returning, and in the station
Safety Officer
 Direct obligation to focus on
safety aspects of the
operation
 Has authority to alter,
suspend, or terminate unsafe
acts or dangerous activities
 Can bypass the chain of
command to correct any
perilous actions and remove
personnel from immediate
danger
Develop a Safety Culture

 Embrace the concept of working safely

 No longer tolerate behavior potentially
hazardous to members
 Have a Safety and Health committee
 Establish Safety goals and objectives
 Indoctrinate new members with the importance
of safety tradition there first day of training
Employ crew resource management

 Refers to the effective use of all resources to

minimize errors, improve safety and improve
performance
 Uses communications, skills, teamwork, task
allocation, decision making, situational awareness
 TEAMWORK – Everyone works together and
watches out for each other
 Accountability – Know where your FF’s are
Accountability Program

 Required by PESH
 Accountability program all personnel know
 Incident Commander establish an
accountability officer, not done by the Safety
Officer
 Used when a Mayday is called
MARC

 Member Accountability Roll Call

 Should be conducted every 20 minutes for
FF’s in an IDLH environment
 The IC shall make a report over the radio
of the progress of the incident.
 If no progress is being made, a change in
strategy and tactics is probably needed
Apparatus Safety is Paramount
 25% FF fatalities occur
responding or returning
 Personnel in Full turnout
before climbing aboard.
 Don SCBA onboard
 SEATBELTS
 Driver and Officer
responsible for seated and
seatbelted personnel aboard
Know where you are going
 Map book
 When in doubt, ask
dispatcher to repeat
location
 Preplans
 Road construction
 MUTCD
 Traffic Vests for MVA
Develop and enforce driving standards

 Training Requirements
 Annual training for
drivers
 True emergency
 Weather conditions
 POV’s to station or
scene
 SEATBELTS!!!
Be fully prepared for interior firefighting
operations

 Personnel operating in
a hostile environment
must have basic fire
behavior and FF tactics
 Incident Command
 Rapid intervention team
 Automatic Mutual Aid
 NFPA 1720
Implement and enforce respiratory
protection standards

 OSHA
 2in/2out
 Chief is responsible
 Physicals/Fit tests
 Personal face piece
 2 bottle rule enforced
 Line Officers
understand RPS
program
Read the smoke
 Fire Conditions can change
rapidly
 IC’s and Safety Officers
responsible for monitoring
immediate risks.
 This should start with smoke
assessment and ability to
“read” smoke conditions.
 How much volume, speed
leaving.
 Density and color
 Flashover and back draft
potential
Risk management assessment
 Initial size-up on scene
 Offensive or defensive
attack
 Size, location, and stage of
fire
 GPM for size of structure
 Enough personnel for
structure
 Correct sized hand lines for
GPM
 High Frequency/Low risk???
10 Rules of Engagement
 No building is worth the life of a FF
 All interior firefighting involves inherent risk
 Some risk is acceptable, in a measured and
controlled manner
 No level of risk is acceptable where there is no
potential to save live or savable property
 FF’s shall not be committed to interior offensive
operations in abandoned or derelict buildings
10 Rules of Engagement (cont)

 All feasible measures shall be taken to limit

or avoid risks though risk assessment by
qualified officer.
 It is the responsibility of the incident
commander to evaluate the level of risk in
every situation.
 If conditions change and risk increases,
change strategy and tactics.
10 Rules of Engagement (cont)
 No building or property is worth the life of a
firefighter.
Use Thermal Imaging cameras
 Allows FF’s to see though
smoke.
 More effective primary and
secondary search
 Efficient and quick
assessment of fire
conditions and spread
potential.
 Ability to read temperatures
 Search for hot spots.
 Locate downed FF’s
Be aware of overhaul hazards
 Use of full PPE required for
overhaul
 Measure Carbon Monoxide
levels
 SCBA for inhalation hazards
such as CO and airborne
contaminants ie- dust,
asbestos, smoke
 Tripping hazards, sharp
objects such as nails,
metals, or broken glass
 Structural integrity of
building
NFPA Standards 1710 & 1720
 Guidelines for Career
and Volunteer Depts for
Initial Attack.
 Adequate Staffing
 Offensive vs Defensive
 Capabilities to deliver
the required fire flow
 Proper sized hand lines
or master streams
Qualified Officers
 Incident Command Training
 Experience
 Education
 Good ole boys
 Able to change with the
current times
 Encourage training for all
members
 Minimum qualifications for
Chiefs and Line Officers
Know when to call for Mayday
 Lack of training
 May be too late to address
the problems
 Train on Mayday procedures
 Don’t become complacent
 It is not a sign of weakness
to call Mayday
 Know when to call mayday!!
Residential fires and Commercial
structures are not the same

 Train in both
 Know the different
types of building
construction
 Buildings kill
Firefighters
(Charleston, SC)
 Preplan your buildings
Manage your air supply

 Air consumption varies with the individual’s

physical condition and level of training.
 Waiting until the low-air alarm sounds may
not provide adequate time for exiting the
hazardous environment
 30 min vs 45 mi vs 60 min SCBA’s
PPE vs Moisture
 Moisture barrier and
water absorption are
critical factors in burn
injuries
 Changes in thermal
environment can cause
serious injuries.
 Train so that you can
recognize how moisture
affects your PPE
Constantly be aware of your situation

 Awareness
 Reality – what is really
going on
 Perception – what we
think is going on
 Maintain a high state of
alertness
 Remain vigilant for
conditions changing
REHAB
 Set up on all working
incidents
 Medical evaluation, fluid
replenishment, and rest to
the rehab area.
 2 bottle rule
 Assigned to rehab after 20-
30 of exhaustive work.
 Pre – medical sheet with
vitals for all dept members
Operating on highways
 Never trust approaching
traffic
 Avoid turning you back to
approaching traffic
 Wear high-visibility reflective
vests
 Know the rules of MUTCD
 Have a blocker for
personnel
 Use traffic cones and flagger
 Watch out for the five “D”s –
Drunk, Drugged, Distracted,
Drowsy, Dumb
Fire Attack Plan

 2/3 nations fire depts are understaffed

 Worst shortage is volunteers
 NFPA 1720 – FD shall identify minimum
staffing requirements to ensure that sufficient
numbers of members are available to
operate safely and effectively.
In conclusion

 Safety is everyone responsibility

 Dept’s should establish a safety and health
committee
 Safety Officer’s should take Incident Safety
Officers Course
THE END

 References:
 Thomas W. Aurnhammer, 2007, Creating a
Tradition of Safety; Fire Engineering
Magazine July 2007
 Bob Day, 2007, NYS Fire Instructor, NYS
Certified Safety Officer