This week we look at vehicle extrication, vehicle construction with Michael Smith from Boron extrication.
LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE HERE.
Pete Lamb
Copyright 2013
Sunday, January 26, 2014
60 Second Safety - Driving Basics
This week we look at some basic driving techniques.
LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE HERE.
Pete Lamb
Copyright 2013
LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE HERE.
Pete Lamb
Copyright 2013
Saturday, January 25, 2014
Tactical Fire Problem - Dry cleaning store
This week we look at a very common occupancy that is found in many communities, a dry cleaning establishment.
1.) What do you know about the dry cleaning process in general? How is it done, what chemicals and products are used?
2.) Think about the fire load caused by clothes hanging on movable racks suspended off the floor, wrapped in flimsy lightweight plastic bags. What do you think that will do to flame spread and rapid fire growth?
3.) Think about smoke, mixed with steam, (maybe high pressure steam) and chemical vapor. A little more dangerous then our "normal" hostile environment.
4.) Based upon the conditions shown in the scenario, what are your actions? How many lines and where, how do you search this establishment, how do you vent, what do think your access is like from the rear of this building?
5.) When does a building fire transition into a Haz mat incident? Have you ever had this experience? Have you ever thought about it?
Stay safe, and stay thinking!
Pete Lamb
Copyright 2013
1.) What do you know about the dry cleaning process in general? How is it done, what chemicals and products are used?
2.) Think about the fire load caused by clothes hanging on movable racks suspended off the floor, wrapped in flimsy lightweight plastic bags. What do you think that will do to flame spread and rapid fire growth?
3.) Think about smoke, mixed with steam, (maybe high pressure steam) and chemical vapor. A little more dangerous then our "normal" hostile environment.
4.) Based upon the conditions shown in the scenario, what are your actions? How many lines and where, how do you search this establishment, how do you vent, what do think your access is like from the rear of this building?
5.) When does a building fire transition into a Haz mat incident? Have you ever had this experience? Have you ever thought about it?
Stay safe, and stay thinking!
Pete Lamb
Copyright 2013
Some structure fire safety considerations
This week I will discuss structure fires and some very basic safety procedures and considerations.
Please feel free to make this page information into an actual checksheet you can use on the fireground. Train all members what you expect and everyone will be involved in the safety process.
This is not a tactical worksheet to be used by an incident commander, but a secondary sheet to be used by a safety person after the fact.
The order of the activities can be adjusted or enhanced for your own departmental needs.
Structure Fires
Establish staging area and operating area. ( Hot zone and cold zone)
Establish on scene accountability.
Control building utilities.
Complete survey of all sides of the building for hazard potential.
Establish the need for and set up collapse safety zones.
Determine if adequate lighting is available.
Establish and EMS presence on scene for suppression crews.
Establish a REHAB area for operating crews.
Establish refreshments and re-hydration capabilities.
Determine if there is adequate manpower to support current operations.
Determine if there is adequate water supply for current operations.
What can I do, when I spot an unsafe action?
Can the action continue safely as is and be corrected after the fact? Someone who does not have a helmet on in the middle of rescue, should continue the rescue without intervention and be corrected after the fact., etc..
If it is a building safety, collapse type hazard the following 10 progressive steps might be employed. These steps have been summarized from Collapse of Burning Buildings by Vincent Dunn.
1.) Acknowledge the report and take no further immediate action.
2.) Provide additional lighting to the area of concern.
3.) Assign an experienced officer to inspect the area of concern.
4.) Increase overall supervision in the area of concern.
5.) Assign an officer to monitor the defect to say if danger is increasing.
6.) Rope / Tape off the area.
7.) Assign a danger area and restrict access and enforce.
8.) Command for an orderly withdrawal from the area.
9.) Withdraw firefighting operations.
10.) Order a rapid emergency evacuation.
Conduct an accountability check at any and all points of these steps as necessary.
Pete Lamb
Copyright 2013
Please feel free to make this page information into an actual checksheet you can use on the fireground. Train all members what you expect and everyone will be involved in the safety process.
This is not a tactical worksheet to be used by an incident commander, but a secondary sheet to be used by a safety person after the fact.
The order of the activities can be adjusted or enhanced for your own departmental needs.
Structure Fires
Establish staging area and operating area. ( Hot zone and cold zone)
Establish on scene accountability.
Control building utilities.
Complete survey of all sides of the building for hazard potential.
Establish the need for and set up collapse safety zones.
Determine if adequate lighting is available.
Establish and EMS presence on scene for suppression crews.
Establish a REHAB area for operating crews.
Establish refreshments and re-hydration capabilities.
Determine if there is adequate manpower to support current operations.
Determine if there is adequate water supply for current operations.
What can I do, when I spot an unsafe action?
Can the action continue safely as is and be corrected after the fact? Someone who does not have a helmet on in the middle of rescue, should continue the rescue without intervention and be corrected after the fact., etc..
If it is a building safety, collapse type hazard the following 10 progressive steps might be employed. These steps have been summarized from Collapse of Burning Buildings by Vincent Dunn.
1.) Acknowledge the report and take no further immediate action.
2.) Provide additional lighting to the area of concern.
3.) Assign an experienced officer to inspect the area of concern.
4.) Increase overall supervision in the area of concern.
5.) Assign an officer to monitor the defect to say if danger is increasing.
6.) Rope / Tape off the area.
7.) Assign a danger area and restrict access and enforce.
8.) Command for an orderly withdrawal from the area.
9.) Withdraw firefighting operations.
10.) Order a rapid emergency evacuation.
Conduct an accountability check at any and all points of these steps as necessary.
Pete Lamb
Copyright 2013
Firefighting Weekly Roundtable - Training discussion
Join us Sunday evening at 8:00 PM EST for our discussion on fire service training. What are you training on, what should you be training on? Who is giving the training? What resources outside your department can you use? These topics, and whatever else we stumble into!
View it on the google events page HERE.
View it live on YouTube HERE.
Pete Lamb
Copyright 2013
View it on the google events page HERE.
View it live on YouTube HERE.
Pete Lamb
Copyright 2013
Sunday, January 19, 2014
The Firefighter Training Podcast - Unanticipated Fireground Events ...Murphy's Law
This week we speak about incidents that go wrong for a variety of reasons on the fireground. These have little to do with the building on fire and more to do with operations.
Problems with drafting from water sources
Falls on the fireground due to unseen hazards
Laying hose inadvertently
Pumpers chocking on smoke and stalling
LDH hose being run over in dual wheels
Members falling ill upon arrival
Aerial frozen
Supply lines not charged and burning
Wrong direction, wrong address
Missed calls and more
LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE HERE.
Pete Lamb
Copyright 2013
Problems with drafting from water sources
Falls on the fireground due to unseen hazards
Laying hose inadvertently
Pumpers chocking on smoke and stalling
LDH hose being run over in dual wheels
Members falling ill upon arrival
Aerial frozen
Supply lines not charged and burning
Wrong direction, wrong address
Missed calls and more
LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE HERE.
Pete Lamb
Copyright 2013
60 Second Safety - Apparatus Maintenance
This week we are talking about simple apparatus maintenance during vehicle inspections.
LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE HERE.
Pete Lamb
Copyright 2013
LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE HERE.
Pete Lamb
Copyright 2013
Saturday, January 18, 2014
Firefighting Weekly Roundtable - Command Considerations
Join us Sunday January 19, 2014 at 8:00 PM Eastern time as the panel discusses command consideration in various size departments.
You can watch the episode here or get more information here.
Watch live on YOUTUBE HERE.
Pete Lamb
Copyright 2013
You can watch the episode here or get more information here.
Watch live on YOUTUBE HERE.
Pete Lamb
Copyright 2013
Tactical Fire Problem - Motel
This week we have a fire in a wood frame in an un-sprinklered motel.
1.) How does your first alarm assignment stack up against the potential life safety problem here? What will you do about this deficit?
2.) What is the potential path of spread? Explain how you would prioritize you search? Floor above first? Adjacent units? Unit of origin?
3.) Based on your response to question 2, where does your first line go?
4.) How do you verify that everyone is accounted for from a civilian occupancy point of view?
5.) Consider that the best tactical choice you have with limited personnel may be to put the fire out as quickly as you can! Your circumstances dictate your procedures.
Pete Lamb
Copyright 2013
1.) How does your first alarm assignment stack up against the potential life safety problem here? What will you do about this deficit?
2.) What is the potential path of spread? Explain how you would prioritize you search? Floor above first? Adjacent units? Unit of origin?
3.) Based on your response to question 2, where does your first line go?
4.) How do you verify that everyone is accounted for from a civilian occupancy point of view?
5.) Consider that the best tactical choice you have with limited personnel may be to put the fire out as quickly as you can! Your circumstances dictate your procedures.
Pete Lamb
Copyright 2013
On the job stress
There is an awful lot of talk about stress in the fire service and I thought I would share some views here and get your input as well.
The most common thing we all think of is the Critical Incident Stress of a horrible or traumatic incident which has affected us. I think that most departments have come to realize this is a real issue and most agencies have taken some steps to correct and intervene in these situations. It is unfortunate that I still hear of cases across the country from folks who did not have a debrief after a very significant event. I also wonder about folks like myself that went through many years of a career witnessing these events and some of those old demons remain around maybe to pop up another day. There is a whole generation of firefighters still on the job everyday that did not have the benefit of CISM until much later in their career.
What about a different stress on the job? The stress caused by interacting with coworkers. Maybe interacting with folks who don't feel the same way about the fire service as you might. Doesn't it frustrate the heck out of you when someone doesn't take this job seriously? How are you handling that and what do you do to personally cope with it?
When you come in early everyday with a cup of coffee for everyone and you check your equipment as the first task even before coffee, and you are relieved by a guy or gal at 2 minutes before shift change who reports out of uniform and can't wait to get into the recliner and check their stock report and read the paper?
These are very real forms of job stress that relate to us. We must develop a personal coping mechanism to not be consumed about what is going on on "B" shift and what other folks around us are doing. If we let it it would eat us alive and I have seen a number of good firefighters consumed by this and become bitter and unhappy in their job.
What about the crystal ball stress of the job? That is the stress caused and created by who will become the next lieutenant. "When the chief retires, and captain Smith retires, I am number three on the promotion list and then Freddie will..... "Some folks will sit around the firehouse and expound and predict their career away and cause others to get involved in this frenzy. This serves no useful purpose, promotes talking negatively about everyone, and can whip a group or a shift into a frenzy. The system is what it is, accept it or change it, but theorizing doesn't do anyone much good except get them all jacked up and bitter and they could have probably done that by themselves. Try to defuse these conversations while they are happening or walk away and do not let yourself become part of them. You will have a lot less personal stress.
Political stress. No matter how big or how small your department is, there will always be some problems with the local politics as it relates to the fire department. The city will reduce budgets, close fire houses, never give you enough manpower, and all that goes along with it. We need to be proactive and we need to be vocal in positively expressing our needs in a professional manner. After we have done everything within our power in the best manner we can, then we need to learn to let it go. I am not suggesting give up and not fight for what we need. What I am saying is if there is no movement, your continued pursuit and discussion in these matters will consume and eat you alive. I have seen good firefighters who no longer are valid in their positions because "This city sucks" or whatever their negative venomous attitude is toward city hall.
Do what you can do, but then get on with continuing knowing you have done your best.
Life Stress. The everyday get the kids around from event to event, the wife is working so you both have a job or maybe even two. There is no family time and any family quality time is spent planning and scheming how to get through the next week. You are both working hard, there are lots of bills and lots of demands and all of that has it's cumulative effects.
I guess my message this week, was to point out that there are lots of stressors in our life that are affecting us, besides working in a very hazardous and unpredictable occupation. Let's look at some ideas:
* Realize there are a number of things that could be stressing you in addition to the ones listed above.
* Know the signs of stress. Physical and emotional signs. Talk with your significant other and your coworkers and see if they have noticed any changes in you.
* Intercept these things by being able to recognize some of the things I pointed out. When you see that stuff happening at work and these conversations that will invariably be raised, then either sit back and chuckle, because you won't be drawn in, or walk away. You will feel a lot better about it.
* Take time to take care of yourself. Go have some fun. Pay the baby-sitter and you and your significant other go out and do something fun.
You can be in control of your own stress reduction policy. Recognition is truly the key.
Pete Lamb
Copyright 2013
Sunday, January 12, 2014
Sandy Hook Elementary Scool - Interview with Fire Chief William Halstead
This week we have an interview with Fire Chief William Halstead of the Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire Department in Newtown Connecticut. Chief Halstead was involved on December 14, 2012, when 20 children and 6 adults were murdered in a horrific crime at the Sandy Hook Elementary school.
The fire department had a supporting role in this primarily police operation.
This episode is in memory of those lives lost and the families directly affected. We are only discussing the fire department operation because that is the nature of the Firefighter Training Podcast.
Our thoughts are with the families who suffered loss of life to family, friends and loved ones, and also we respect and honor the police officers in Newtown as well as the Connecticut State police and many of the other agencies that responded.
At the end of the episode there is a website given by the chief where any listener who would like to assist in some small way might be able to do so.
LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE HERE.
Pete Lamb
Copyright 2013
The fire department had a supporting role in this primarily police operation.
This episode is in memory of those lives lost and the families directly affected. We are only discussing the fire department operation because that is the nature of the Firefighter Training Podcast.
Our thoughts are with the families who suffered loss of life to family, friends and loved ones, and also we respect and honor the police officers in Newtown as well as the Connecticut State police and many of the other agencies that responded.
At the end of the episode there is a website given by the chief where any listener who would like to assist in some small way might be able to do so.
LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE HERE.
Pete Lamb
Copyright 2013
60 Second Safety - Response Preparation
This week 60 second safety is about response preparation.
LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE HERE.
Pete Lamb
Copyright 2013
LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE HERE.
Pete Lamb
Copyright 2013
Saturday, January 11, 2014
Weekly Firefighter Roundtable - Sunday, January 12,2014 8:00 PM EST
SUNDAY EVENING JANUARY 12, 2014 8:00 PM EST
Join us on the Firefighting Weekly Roundtable by viewing on YouTube. We will be discussing the first alarm decisions, how to make the first alarm, safer and more efficient even while sometimes trying to do more with less.
We also how science might be affecting our decision making, if at all.
View us on the events page of google + HERE.
https://plus.google.com/events/c1sq6s2k62ier4l2mn526j2fu54
Watch on YOUTUBE HERE.
Pete Lamb
Copyright 2013
Join us on the Firefighting Weekly Roundtable by viewing on YouTube. We will be discussing the first alarm decisions, how to make the first alarm, safer and more efficient even while sometimes trying to do more with less.
We also how science might be affecting our decision making, if at all.
View us on the events page of google + HERE.
https://plus.google.com/events/c1sq6s2k62ier4l2mn526j2fu54
Watch on YOUTUBE HERE.
Pete Lamb
Copyright 2013
Tactical Fire Problem - Response to the laundromat
This week you have received a call of "the laundromat is on fire", this building has immediate adjacent exposures. Base your decision on what you see and your experience.
1.) In your experience have you ever mistaken steam for smoke early in your career? If you have not had this experience learn how to recognize the difference.
2.) Indicate the mostly like cause of a fire scenario in these establishments? Two come immediately to mind.(yes there are many)
3.) What is the content fire load in this building?
4.) In addition to a hose line what equipment should be carried in for the initial investigation?
5.) What initial actions should be taken in relation to utilities, and what are you looking for as you examine the exposures?
Stay safe, and stay thinking!
Pete Lamb
Copyright 2013
1.) In your experience have you ever mistaken steam for smoke early in your career? If you have not had this experience learn how to recognize the difference.
2.) Indicate the mostly like cause of a fire scenario in these establishments? Two come immediately to mind.(yes there are many)
3.) What is the content fire load in this building?
4.) In addition to a hose line what equipment should be carried in for the initial investigation?
5.) What initial actions should be taken in relation to utilities, and what are you looking for as you examine the exposures?
Stay safe, and stay thinking!
Pete Lamb
Copyright 2013
SOP Testing
Whether you are in a small department, or a large one the following two scenarios can be a helpful training suggestion. It also works if you are just able to affect the company or station house you are with.
I have approached this two different ways and either one has merit if you use the results in a positive and not a critical manner.
At your next drill, create a 25 question exam based upon your department's SOPs. Give the exam without any warning, and be prepared to correct it somehow that same time. Give the troops a break and correct the test.
When everyone has come back, review the results as best you can. You will find that different members will have different results. They may be all over the place, they may be different by station or group or shift, and many will not even resemble what the SOP actually says.
The second way to do this is to pick and SOP that covers a particular topic such as first alarm response or something of the sort. Forward lay, reverse lay or some measurable practical topic. Gather the companies and just give the most basic simple command such as a simulated non emergency response to a target hazard and allow the drill to continue to whatever level you choose. When all companies return and come back in service, gather them up, and measure the performance at the drill directly to what the SOP says should have happened.
Again you will find that the results sometimes do not even resemble what they are supposed to do.
You can bet that what was expressed in writing or what was done at the drill is probably what will be done at the actual emergency scene.
As the training person you need to decide if the SOP needs to be modified (and sometimes they do) or if there needs to be reinforced training on the SOPs. If the incident commander actually believes that a certain set of procedures is going to be followed and in fact they are not serious safety issues will arise.
There is an old military adage that says, Train like you fight, and fight like you train.
Make sure that is what is going on in your department today, you might be surprised.
Pete Lamb
Copyright 2013
I have approached this two different ways and either one has merit if you use the results in a positive and not a critical manner.
At your next drill, create a 25 question exam based upon your department's SOPs. Give the exam without any warning, and be prepared to correct it somehow that same time. Give the troops a break and correct the test.
When everyone has come back, review the results as best you can. You will find that different members will have different results. They may be all over the place, they may be different by station or group or shift, and many will not even resemble what the SOP actually says.
The second way to do this is to pick and SOP that covers a particular topic such as first alarm response or something of the sort. Forward lay, reverse lay or some measurable practical topic. Gather the companies and just give the most basic simple command such as a simulated non emergency response to a target hazard and allow the drill to continue to whatever level you choose. When all companies return and come back in service, gather them up, and measure the performance at the drill directly to what the SOP says should have happened.
Again you will find that the results sometimes do not even resemble what they are supposed to do.
You can bet that what was expressed in writing or what was done at the drill is probably what will be done at the actual emergency scene.
As the training person you need to decide if the SOP needs to be modified (and sometimes they do) or if there needs to be reinforced training on the SOPs. If the incident commander actually believes that a certain set of procedures is going to be followed and in fact they are not serious safety issues will arise.
There is an old military adage that says, Train like you fight, and fight like you train.
Make sure that is what is going on in your department today, you might be surprised.
Pete Lamb
Copyright 2013
Sunday, January 5, 2014
60 Second Safety - Cold Weather Firefighting
This week the cold temperatures are expanding across the US, so some thoughts on cold weather operations.
LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE HERE.
Pete Lamb
Copyright 2013
LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE HERE.
Pete Lamb
Copyright 2013
The Firefighter Training Podcast - Quotable Leadership
This week we take quotes from everyday life and put a fire service twist on them. The episode is good for fire officers, firefighters, chiefs, and for anyone, it's really about life in general with a fire service twist.
The new year is all about resolutions so maybe there is something for you to take from .
LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE HERE.
Pete Lamb
Copyright 2013
The new year is all about resolutions so maybe there is something for you to take from .
LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE HERE.
Pete Lamb
Copyright 2013
Saturday, January 4, 2014
Weekly firefighting Roundtable - The new year....
Feel free to join us for our Sunday Evening weekly Roundtable Chat at 8:00 PM Eastern time.
We will be talking about what we will do this year, our fire service resolutions, what we expect to see in the service this year in terms of technology and procedures and tactics, and if there is anything we need to leave behind in 2013!
Watch live on YouTube and interact with the panel.
https://plus.google.com/events/c88mue479ofhp4heiriq3fco67k
Pete Lamb
Copyright 2013
We will be talking about what we will do this year, our fire service resolutions, what we expect to see in the service this year in terms of technology and procedures and tactics, and if there is anything we need to leave behind in 2013!
Watch live on YouTube and interact with the panel.
https://plus.google.com/events/c88mue479ofhp4heiriq3fco67k
Pete Lamb
Copyright 2013
Tactical Fire Problem - Fireworks Store
This week we have a roof fire or something more in a very specialized occupancy. I am not sure if fireworks are legal or not in your area but if they are or if they are in a mutual aid area you should be prepared.
Just one question this week instead of five:
What's your plan?
Pete Lamb
Copyright 2013
Just one question this week instead of five:
What's your plan?
Pete Lamb
Copyright 2013
Some Fire Service Simple Solutions
How confused we sometimes get in the fire service when we try to overcomplicate things and we put a fire service spin on them because "WE" have to operate differently. This week I have some oversimplified thoughts for your consideration. Some of these are tactically related and some are in fact leadership and people related.
Use the ones you want, disregard the rest and feel free to send some of the ones you have thought of yourself.
I have been reading a lot about leadership and how to treat people. Good officers and bad officers. Hey I got an idea, treat others the way you might want to be treated. Ha! Stole that one from the bible I did. If people just treated others in a fair manner we would not have to have all of these complex management ideas and techniques. Just a thought.
Hold yourself and others accountable for your or their actions. If we started to do this more there would be a lot less problems in the fire service. The problem is that, holding someone else accountable can be an uncomfortable feeling for the moment, so we let it go. We need to do more. Simple.
Understand the new realities and science in the study of ventilation. Know when to vent, when to control the air flow, and always have a charged line available at the seat of the fire when you vent.
Preplan buildings and circumstances in your jurisdiction before the fire. They are a lot easier to view without all of that nasty smoke and heat. Good solid preplanning is a simple safety solution that is underutilized in the fire service.
Remember the fire doesn't know how much manpower you have. Call the resources you need, from wherever you need them. No excuses. Operating with not enough people is our own fault not anybody else's. Sure we all need more staffing but if your city, town or district wont give you the personnel, call for them at the fire when you need them.
Write disaster plans that are goal or resource oriented rather than incident specific. Forget that you are planning for a plane crash or a tornado, plan for the outcome. Mass casualties, big fires, wide spread destruction or what have you. Who cares what the cause was, plan for the outcome. You will have a better plan.
Train more than you feel like it.
Realize that your department wants to be full service to all of your people. realize that all of the special teams like haz mat and confined space are specialties and are exciting to do, but your department cannot be all things to all people. Do what you can with what you have, whenever you can do it. Sometimes all of these specialty functions take away from our core mission of fire and EMS.
Check on your people often and supervise them as you should. We often say in the firehouse that " your mother doesn't work here". Maybe she should. She knew where we were, how to check up on us and made us tow the mark. Huh, what a concept for the fire service eh?
Riding lists are not accountability, really. I don't know how this one got in here as a simple solution but I am leaving it in. A perfect simple accountability system costs about $ 100,000.00. The system costs less than $ 1000.00 and you should mandate and fire the first person who doesn't participate in it. You will need the other $99,000.00 for legal fees but it will almost guarantee full participation in whatever system you choose.
Throw a lot more ladders than you normally would, it helps us get out of the building when we need to.
There are a million of these techniques and tips out there, but I truly believe the fire service is a very trendy organization steeped in culture and tradition. Just because there is some new procedure and technique out there, it does not mean we as the fire service should jump on it.
Let us be more concerned about simple solutions to complex problems instead of the expensive flashy ones with all of the glitz and glitter. We sometimes get too wrapped up in the "sex sells" and all that glitters that it blinds us from the obvious. When you have a problem in your department either operational in nature or personnel related, look for the root problem and the simplest solution possible.
It is a lot easier, and I have never known a firefighter that would not take the easiest solution to any problem.
Pete Lamb
Copyright 2013
Use the ones you want, disregard the rest and feel free to send some of the ones you have thought of yourself.
I have been reading a lot about leadership and how to treat people. Good officers and bad officers. Hey I got an idea, treat others the way you might want to be treated. Ha! Stole that one from the bible I did. If people just treated others in a fair manner we would not have to have all of these complex management ideas and techniques. Just a thought.
Hold yourself and others accountable for your or their actions. If we started to do this more there would be a lot less problems in the fire service. The problem is that, holding someone else accountable can be an uncomfortable feeling for the moment, so we let it go. We need to do more. Simple.
Understand the new realities and science in the study of ventilation. Know when to vent, when to control the air flow, and always have a charged line available at the seat of the fire when you vent.
Preplan buildings and circumstances in your jurisdiction before the fire. They are a lot easier to view without all of that nasty smoke and heat. Good solid preplanning is a simple safety solution that is underutilized in the fire service.
Remember the fire doesn't know how much manpower you have. Call the resources you need, from wherever you need them. No excuses. Operating with not enough people is our own fault not anybody else's. Sure we all need more staffing but if your city, town or district wont give you the personnel, call for them at the fire when you need them.
Write disaster plans that are goal or resource oriented rather than incident specific. Forget that you are planning for a plane crash or a tornado, plan for the outcome. Mass casualties, big fires, wide spread destruction or what have you. Who cares what the cause was, plan for the outcome. You will have a better plan.
Train more than you feel like it.
Realize that your department wants to be full service to all of your people. realize that all of the special teams like haz mat and confined space are specialties and are exciting to do, but your department cannot be all things to all people. Do what you can with what you have, whenever you can do it. Sometimes all of these specialty functions take away from our core mission of fire and EMS.
Check on your people often and supervise them as you should. We often say in the firehouse that " your mother doesn't work here". Maybe she should. She knew where we were, how to check up on us and made us tow the mark. Huh, what a concept for the fire service eh?
Riding lists are not accountability, really. I don't know how this one got in here as a simple solution but I am leaving it in. A perfect simple accountability system costs about $ 100,000.00. The system costs less than $ 1000.00 and you should mandate and fire the first person who doesn't participate in it. You will need the other $99,000.00 for legal fees but it will almost guarantee full participation in whatever system you choose.
Throw a lot more ladders than you normally would, it helps us get out of the building when we need to.
There are a million of these techniques and tips out there, but I truly believe the fire service is a very trendy organization steeped in culture and tradition. Just because there is some new procedure and technique out there, it does not mean we as the fire service should jump on it.
Let us be more concerned about simple solutions to complex problems instead of the expensive flashy ones with all of the glitz and glitter. We sometimes get too wrapped up in the "sex sells" and all that glitters that it blinds us from the obvious. When you have a problem in your department either operational in nature or personnel related, look for the root problem and the simplest solution possible.
It is a lot easier, and I have never known a firefighter that would not take the easiest solution to any problem.
Pete Lamb
Copyright 2013
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