Fire Department Concern For Safety
Fire Department Concern For Safety
During the month of January, I had the opportunity to conduct training for two organizations. My first stop was in St George, Utah where the Utah Fire and Rescue Association (UFRA) held their annual winter fire school. I conducted two training programs while in St. George. One with my partner John Mittendorf titled, “Contemporary Firefighting Strategy and Tactics.” The other was a leadership program titled, “Practical and Effective Fire Station Leadership.” There were 700 people in attendance.
From Utah I went to San Marcos, Texas in order to conduct training for the Texas A & M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX). I conducted two leadership programs there. There were over 1,200 in attendance at this symposium.
During my discussion portion of the Contemporary Firefighting Strategy and Tactics training I asked the participants a series of questions regarding firefighter safety at emergency fire incidents.
The first question I asked was, “in your opinion and as a supervisor, what is the most important priority at a fire incident?”
The response was overwhelming “firefighter safety.”
Next question “has firefighting become a high risk low frequency event?”
Again the answer was “yes.”
Question. “Do you all agree that high risk low frequency emergency incidents are the most dangerous responses?”
I then asked, “do you have your team members practice the basic skills on a regular basis?”
The “yes” answer was not so affirmative this time.
Then I asked the next and most important question. “Raise your hand if you are willing to bet me a Pepsi that you can assemble your crew right now and have them don their breathing apparatus in the required 1 minute time frame with no task errors or safety errors.” Less than 5% of the firefighters in attendance raised their hands.
So, here is the point. When we have the potential of facing a high risk, low frequency emergency incident we must have a good grasp of the basic skills required to mitigate the incident. This concept certainly applies to donning breathing apparatus. Your breathing apparatus is your life line in and your life line out. It allows you to do the job you are paid to do in an efficient, effective, and safe manner.
My point here is to get the participants to realize how important it is to be competent and efficient with the basic skills. I informed the supervisors it is their responsibility to keep their people safe at fire incidents and in order to accomplish this important safety concept, their people must be efficient in the basic skills. This certainly applies to donning breathing apparatus.
I hope I was successful.
Train Like Your life Depends On It. …….
Stay Safe
VIVI BENE- LIVE WELL
RIDI SPESSO- LAUGH OFTEN
E AMA MOLTO- LOVE MUCH
Fire Department Concern For Safety
During the month of January, I had the opportunity to conduct training for two organizations. My first stop was in St George, Utah where the Utah Fire and Rescue Association (UFRA) held their annual winter fire school. I conducted two training programs while in St. George. One with my partner John Mittendorf titled, “Contemporary Firefighting Strategy and Tactics.” The other was a leadership program titled, “Practical and Effective Fire Station Leadership.” There were 700 people in attendance.
From Utah I went to San Marcos, Texas in order to conduct training for the Texas A & M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX). I conducted two leadership programs there. There were over 1,200 in attendance at this symposium.
During my discussion portion of the Contemporary Firefighting Strategy and Tactics training I asked the participants a series of questions regarding firefighter safety at emergency fire incidents.
The first question I asked was, “in your opinion and as a supervisor, what is the most important priority at a fire incident?”
The response was overwhelming “firefighter safety.”
Next question “has firefighting become a high risk low frequency event?”
Again the answer was “yes.”
Question. “Do you all agree that high risk low frequency emergency incidents are the most dangerous responses?”
I then asked, “do you have your team members practice the basic skills on a regular basis?”
The “yes” answer was not so affirmative this time.
Then I asked the next and most important question. “Raise your hand if you are willing to bet me a Pepsi that you can assemble your crew right now and have them don their breathing apparatus in the required 1 minute time frame with no task errors or safety errors.” Less than 5% of the firefighters in attendance raised their hands.
So, here is the point. When we have the potential of facing a high risk, low frequency emergency incident we must have a good grasp of the basic skills required to mitigate the incident. This concept certainly applies to donning breathing apparatus. Your breathing apparatus is your life line in and your life line out. It allows you to do the job you are paid to do in an efficient, effective, and safe manner.
My point here is to get the participants to realize how important it is to be competent and efficient with the basic skills. I informed the supervisors it is their responsibility to keep their people safe at fire incidents and in order to accomplish this important safety concept, their people must be efficient in the basic skills. This certainly applies to donning breathing apparatus.
I hope I was successful.
Train Like Your life Depends On It. …….
Stay Safe
VIVI BENE- LIVE WELL
RIDI SPESSO- LAUGH OFTEN
E AMA MOLTO- LOVE MUCH