ALBEMARLE COUNTY FIRE AND RESCUE Summer 2001 S I R E N S Inside this issue Incident Rehabilitation 3 Who s the New Kid? 4 Caught In the Act 5 Calendar 8 Professionalism and Customer Service Fire Department Instructor s Conference Editor s Notes Support from each company, or the lack thereof, will determine the success or failure of Sirens. To be successful, we need representation from each agency. I look forward to your support. 9 10 Breaking Tradition 11 Volunteers: What Are They Worth? by: Jason Nauman, Recruitment and Retention Officer We rarely examine the true worth of the services provided by volunteers. The volunteer firefighter or rescue squad technician is usually so focused on operational and administrative issues, that they don t take the time to really think about their true worth. Each year, Independent Sector (IS) calculates the national dollar value of volunteer time. The volunteer hourly value is based on the average hourly wage as reported in the Economic Report of the President. Year 2000 figures indicate that the national average hourly value of volunteer time is $15.39. The value is based Difficult Fire Highlights Needs county and City-Wide Extensive fire load contributes to severe housefire Synopsis Some time before 2136 on Saturday, 17 February 2001, the resident at 3062 Scottsville Road noticed smoke in the basement of her home. She then attempted to extinguish a fire she believed was in the basement bathroom. Unsuccessful, she quickly went next door to her daughter s house for help. - See Needs page 2 - By: captain john oprandy, Training Officer Story At A Glance on various tasks and responsibilities performed by volunteers. The value ranges from simple tasks at minimum wage up to and including professional services provided by doctors, attorneys, accountants, etc. The Virginia Employment Commission (VEC) formulates similar estimates. Virginia s average hourly value is usually higher than the national average. Based on 1999 estimates, the average hourly value of volunteer time in Virginia is $17.90. Incident Location: 3062 Scottsville Road Incident Date: Saturday February 17, 2000 Incident Alarm Time: 21:36 First Arriving Apparatus: 21:45 Last Unit in Quarters: 04:50 (approx. 7 ½ hours) Apparatus: 4 Engines, 4 Tankers, 1 Heavy Rescue Squad, 1 Ambulance, 3 command vehicles, 2 Fire Marshals, Training 10, and Air Utility. Personnel: Over 50 personnel from 5 stations.
Page 2 Needs S I R E N S Summer 2001 Continued from page 1 Her daughter called 911, and the fire department was dispatched at 2136 hours. Engine 5 responded from City Fire Headquarters with 3 personnel and arrived on the scene 9 minutes later to find a large, two story house with heavy smoke conditions. Information gathered at the scene indicated everyone was out of the house, so Engine 5 s crew stretched two 1 ¾ inch handlines to the rear of the house, side 3-4 corner, and waited for additional personnel to arrive before entering. At 2153 and 2154, engines 32 and 73 arrived respectively. Sufficient personnel were now on the scene to begin an interior attack with a Rapid Intervention Team as backup. An aggressive interior attack was made on the fire in the basement utilizing handlines and two Thermal Imaging Cameras. The fire in the basement was reported out to the Incident Commander approximately 25 minutes after the attack began. While the basement fire was being attacked, additional resources arrived on scene. Chief 70 arrived on scene at approximately 2154 and assumed command. Late into the basement attack, heavy smoke was noticed coming from the first floor so an interior attack was attempted on that floor. The crew had difficulty advancing the line and finding the seat of the fire. Soon, the first floor was heavily involved with fire and heavy smoke pushed from the eves of the house. Additional tankers were called to respond at 2213. Water supply continued to be a problem throughout the evening, as the fire load far exceeded the ability of the tankers to provide an adequate flow. The fire eventually consumed the entire first floor and roof, leaving only the basement with a partial collapse of the first floor. Investigators were unable to determine the cause of the fire, however the origin was the basement bathroom. Evidence suggests the fire started there, then burned intensely in the ceiling area under the stairs to the first floor. The fire burned in the walls on the first floor before breaking out into the kitchen and hall area. There, fire spread rapidly throughout the house and into the attic due to the extreme fire load. It is important to note several things regarding this article. First of all, it is not an easy decision for a department to open themselves up to the scrutiny of others in the local fire and rescue service. Chief Tim Karr and Assistant Chief Tim Cersley demonstrate a commitment to leadership by sharing the lessons they learned at this fire with other members or our fire and rescue community. They wish to share these Dragging the efforts of lessons so that others through the mud we might use them to improve our while at the same time being incapable of overall system. The lessons learned evaluating your own actions or the actions of your are not unique, department at a similar and can be seen at many incident is unacceptable. of the major emergencies in - Captain Oprandy this area. Please thank Chief Karr and Assistant Chief Cersley the next time you see them. Secondly, we can all be very thankful that we did not lose a sister or brother at this fire. The fire load in the house was tremendous. Shelving units in the basement were stacked high with boxes, tools, clothing, and numerous other items. Furniture, clothing, and boxes filled the first floor. There was a partial collapse of the first floor at the precise location Assistant Chief Cersley and Engine 5 s crew had been attacking the fire only minutes before. You have read the articles and headlines so you know the risks. Be thankful! Most firefighters at this fire have since said, We re lucky we didn t lose someone that night. Finally, I have heard several comments in my travels regarding this fire. Most come from those who really had no idea what occurred that night. Questions are acceptable. Curiosity as to what may have gone wrong so that one might learn from the mistakes of others is admirable. Dragging the efforts of others through the mud while at the same time being incapable of evaluating your own actions or the actions of your department at a similar incident is unacceptable. There were a number of things that went very well that night. The rescue squad support was exceptional. Squad 134 s light tower helped increase scene safety and squad personnel assisted with firefighting activities as well as handling the rehab sector. It was great to see so much help available. There were over 50 volunteers at the scene, and all of them made it home the next morning. Safety was a high priority as is evidence by the fact that so many people worked so long, at such a large fire in a house that had a dangerous fire load, and there were no injuries. All of the personnel did a great job of looking out for one another throughout the night. Please review the following lessons learned or reinforced and compare them to recent operations your department may have been involved with. Are they similar? Will they be listed as a lesson learned after your next major incident, or will you address these issues before they occur? - See Lessons Learned on page 7 - Many of the water supply lessons learned are addressed in the Tanker Task Force program adopted by the Fire and Rescue Advisory Board. Once the equipment orders and training classes are complete, we will have a rural water supply system that works well enough to improve our ISO rating! Read more about valuable lessons that can be
S I R E N S Summer 2001 Page 3 ANNUAL VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION day and picnic Sunday, 16 September 2001 Chris Greene Lake Games, Fun, Food, Prizes R&R Contact: Reannan Nefos Telephone: 434.973.1717 Watch for more information! Oprandy to Speak at Firehouse Expo Captain John Oprandy Captain John Oprandy, Albemarle County Fire and Rescue Training Division, will deliver the presentation Technology and the Fire Officer at the Firehouse Fire, Rescue, and EMS Exposition in Baltimore, Maryland during 24-29 July 2001. Captain Oprandy will deliver a look into how technology is affecting the fire officer. What does today's fire officer need to know to be successful? How does technology affect promotional opportunities? This look into the past, present, and future of technology is for the seasoned veteran officer as well as the new or aspiring officer candidate. For more information, visit the Firehouse website at www.firehouse.com. Incident Rehabilitation: Taking Care of Us By: Jason Nauman, Recruitment and Retention Officer The physical and mental demands associated with firefighting, extrication, and other emergency operations, coupled with the environmental dangers of extreme heat and humidity or extreme cold, create conditions that can have an adverse impact upon the safety and health of the individual emergency responder. Personnel who are not provided adequate rest and rehydration during emergency operations or training exercises are at increased risk for illness or injury, and may jeopardize the safety of others on the incident scene. When emergency responders become fatigued, their ability to operate safely is impaired. As a result, their reaction time is reduced and their ability to make critical decisions diminishes. Rehabilitation is an essential element on the incident scene to prevent more serious conditions such as heat exhaustion or heat stroke from occurring. The purpose of rehabilitation is to maintain sound physical and mental conditions of all members operating at the scene of an emergency or training evolution. Rehabilitation is nec- essary to ensure that conditions do not deteriorate to a point that affects the safety of each member or jeopardizes the safety and integrity of the operation. Incident rehabilitation is needed year-round at significant emergency scenes and training evolutions, but hot summer months like June, July, and August deserve special attention.
Page 4 S I R E N S Summer 2001 By now, many of you have already met Jason Nauman, the first Volunteer Recruitment and Retention Coordinator for Albemarle County. If he hasn't already been to one of your regular meetings, he'll be there soon! I'd like to take a moment to share some history, about Jason and his position. The Volunteer Recruitment and Retention Coordinator's position was approved during the last budget cycle, but it took several months to define the job and to find the right person, and in March, Jason became a part of our team. As chair of the Recruitment and Retention Committee, I had the responsibility of serving on the interview committee, and I have had the privilege of working with Jason once he accepted the position. His ideas and enthusiasm are abundant, and he has plenty of experience with emergency services. Jason has been a volunteer with the Bridgewater Rescue Squad for six years. Currently, he serves as Deputy Chief. He is certified as an EMT-Shock Trauma, and through the Department of Fire By: Channon Moore, R&R Committee Chair up! I hope each of you will take the time to get to know Jason. On behalf of Jason and myself, I would like to extend an open invi- Programs, he is certified as Officer I, including Instructor I. Previously, Jason was employed by the Commonwealth of Virginia as a Volunteer Services Director at Staunton Correctional Center. He coordinated the services of over 250 volunteers, who gave their time and taught various skills to the inmates. Jason also studied political science during his tenure at Bridgewater College. Jason is a "valley" native, married to Wisconsin native, Shannon. They enjoy camping, hiking, and fishing, and I suspect that anyone who offers to take Jason golfing won't be turned down. The Recruitment and Retention Committee, together with Jason and the chiefs and captains of your agencies, is committed to strengthening our volunteer system. Jason contends, The key to success in recruiting and retaining volunteers is effective and dynamic leadership at the local level. Good recruitment can attract people, but only good volunteer management keeps people. Recruitment actually continues throughout the life of the volunteer, since retention is simply the process of re-recruiting the volunteer every time he/she shows Volunteer Fire and Rescue Training Academy GRADUATION AND AWARDS CEREMONY THURSDAY, 28 JUNE 2001 1800 HOURS EAST RIVANNA VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANY Who s the New Kid? The key to success in recruiting and retaining volunteers is effective and dynamic leadership at the local level. Good recruitment can attract people, but only good volunteer management keeps people. Recruitment actually continues throughout the life of the volunteer, since retention is simply the process of rerecruiting the volunteer every time he/she shows up! - Jason Nauman tation to attend any of the Recruitment and Retention Committee meetings, held on the first Thursday of each month, at 1800 hours, at the County Office Building. Your R&R representative would appreciate your support, ideas, or suggestions. Together, we can build a stronger volunteer system, to better serve our communities! Please feel free to contact Jason at: jnauman@albemarle.org SUBMISSIONS NEEDED FOR the fall 2001 edition of Sirens SUBMISSIONS ARE NEEDED FOR THE FALL 2001 EDITION OF SIRENS. PLEASE SUBMIT ARTICLES, CARTOONS, PHOTO- GRAPHS, CLASSIFIEDS (BUY-OR-SELL), LETTERS- TO-THE-EDITOR, UPCOMING TRAINING, STATION NEWS, JOKES, UPCOMING EVENTS, AND OTHER ITEMS TO THE FIRE AND RESCUE OFFICE BY FRIDAY, 14 SEPTEMBER 2001. TELEPHONE: 434.296.5833 FAX: 434.972.4123 E-MAIL: JNAUMAN@ALBEMARLE.ORG MAIL: 401 MCINTIRE ROAD CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA 22902-4596
S I R E N S Summer 2001 Caught in the act A Photographic Collection Page 5 Vehicle Fire 3 June 2001 Photo by Wally Quast Frank Ix Fire 18 May 2001 Photo by Wally Quast Firefighter I Class Training 6 May 2001 Photos by Wally Quast Vehicle Into A Structure 24 May 2001 Photo by Wally Quast If you have photos you would like to submit, please send them anytime for consideration in the next issue of Sirens. Send digital pictures (.jpg preferred) to jnauman@albemarle.org or other pictures to Albemarle County Fire and Rescue 401 McIntire Road Charlottesville, Virginia 22902-4596
Page 6 S I R E N S Summer 2001 Western Albemarle rescue News East Rivanna News Contributed by: Channon Moore, East Rivanna Volunteer Fire Company Contributed by: Christian Martin-Gill, Western Albemarle Rescue Squad We are currently holding an EMT class, from April 17th until mid July. We are glad to welcome EMT students both from our community and from other areas in Albemarle County. We look forward to increasing our membership when the class ends in mid July. New members: Mary Buckingham Erin Swanson Matthew Hyman 2001 Officers Allison Kern, President Bill Wood, Secretary Greg Paquin, Treasurer Kostas Alibertis, Captain Tom Goodrich, 1st Lieutenant Tina Baber-Baldino, 2nd Lieutenant Recently welcomed to our Board of Directors are: Katie Schaffer, Community Board Member Bob Stramara, Community Board Member Brad Basham, Member-at- Large Engagement of Frank Scopelliti and Jennifer Brown. The wedding has been scheduled for June 2, 2001. New Officers/Promotions: Montie Bryant, Captain; Mark Moore, Battalion Chief; Scott Davis, Deputy Chief New Members: Calvin Butler, Frank Scopelliti Welcome Back: Robert Wyant Firefighters-of-the-Month January Captain O.J. Johnson Lieutenant Mark Moore February David Johnson Dustin Bryant March Barry Powell David Moody April Danny Vanderploeg Annual Meeting Scott H. Nesbit Award Lindberg Johnson Chief s Award Don Riggs Monticello Fire and rescue news The advisory committee for the new fire and rescue station has been hard at work. Station Layout: 2 bay, 6 apparatus setup with approximately 13,250 square feet. Total cost: $2.6 million Apparatus: Truck 15 will be transferred to Station #11 and a Pierce Dash pumper/tanker has been ordered for the station. R&R: the committee is actively recruiting members for the new station. If you have friends or neighbors who may be interested in volunteering, please contact us at 434.296.5833. Contributed by: Charles Anson, Co-Chair Constitution, By-Laws, Applications, etc.: the committee is requesting a copy of each department s constitution, by-laws, and membership application. Training: Captain Oprandy informed the committee that the County and Region would handle most training for firefighting, rescue, and EMS. Insignia/Emblem: the committee is currently discussing an insignia/emblem for patches, uniforms, and apparatus. The Station #11 advisory committee has embraced the TEAM philosophy: T together E everyone A accomplishes M more
S I R E N S Summer 2001 Page 7 Lessons Learned CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2 A Follow-Up of the 3062 Scottsville Road Incident Incident Management Despite the fact that there were a large number of people at the incident, command personnel were at a premium. Almost everyone had been committed to the firefight, leaving Chief Karr to handle command operations by himself. The command structure consisted mainly of the IC and an Operations Officer, Assistant Chief Stephens. The training and experience of the personnel on scene further limited Chief Karr because some of his officers were in key driver/operator or interior positions. This left a number of new firefighters who could not be expected to perform as an officer. The IC has far too much to organize, keep track of, and decide on for there to be only one person at the command post. To run a scene safely and effectively while fully accounting for all personnel takes a command team. Chief Karr had limited use of a vehicle as a command post, due in part to the fact that he had insufficient personnel available to help manage one. An officer from any department should be able to use any vehicle to set up an effective command post. -Captain Oprandy It would be helpful if equipment carried on a command vehicle and equipment used to set up a command post were standard throughout the city and county. An officer from any department should be able to use any vehicle to set up an effective command post. The Charlottesville-Albemarle Rescue Squad has recently ordered a box similar to what FDNY uses to manage their incidents. A command box would be very practical in that it would fit in just about any vehicle and it is portable, allowing a command post to be set up independent of a vehicle if necessary. Accountability at an incident this large is a job that takes the full attention of one individual if done correctly. It was impossible for Chief Karr to fully account for all personnel without additional staffing at the command post. Our system of accountability does not lend itself well to integration with our command post operations. A system of accountability that is easier to use and that would assist us with managing the incident instead of adding additional burden would be preferred. The command box mentioned above is capable of integrating accountability with incident management. Water Supply Many of the water supply lessons learned are addressed in the Tanker Task Force program adopted by the Fire and Rescue Advisory Board. Once the equipment orders and training classes are complete, we will have a rural water supply system that works well enough to improve our ISO rating! When considering water supply, always set up for what may occur. Setting up for what is happening with the fire at that moment often leads to difficulties in staying ahead of the fire as it grows larger. Taking a few extra minutes setting up initially will save you a lot of time in the long run. When possible, position the apparatus and dump tank so that tankers can approach from any direction to deliver water. Plan early for a second dump tank, then set it up as soon as possible. If we get in the practice of dropping two tanks, it will become second nature. Often times the second engine on the scene positions quickly to provide water to the attack engine. Once the apparatus is in place and hose is on the ground connecting it to the attack piece, it is very difficult to reposition that apparatus. Unless that unit is a tanker carrying a couple thousand gallons of water, the extra minute or two it takes to position for drafting from a tank and supplying the attack engine will save time and provide a better water supply in the long run. Call for additional tankers early to keep your supply ahead of the fire. Set up an adequate fill site as close to the fire as possible reducing the turn around time for your tankers, thus increasing your flow rate. When utilizing a hydrant to fill numerous tankers, don t depend on a single hydrant. Split the tankers up and use several hydrants to improve turn around time. In this instance, a single hydrant was utilized by four tankers for the majority of the night. There were several other hydrants near by. Communications How many times have you attended a critique during which some aspect of communications was not identified as a lesson learned? Our biggest problem lies within our two-channel system. We must work on some means of temporarily fixing the problem instead of continually Training Now that many departments are carrying thermal imaging cameras, it would be a good idea for us to train together with them and identify common SOGs for their use. At this fire, both available cameras were committed to the basement of the house. It would have improved the ability of those operating on the first floor to make an attack on the fire if they had a camera. Rapid Intervention Teams (RIT) are an important part of the safety of our personnel. Most departments have been using RIT for some time; however, has the proper training been provided to all personnel who may be assigned this task? What are the IC s expectations when he assigns the role of rapid intervention? It should not matter what department you are from, if you are assigned the role of rapid intervention by an IC, you both should know exactly what that means and exactly what to do to prepare yourself for that role. In this article, safety is listed as both a positive outcome and a lesson reinforced. We can always improve on scene safety. Is a Safety Officer assigned at every major incident you respond to? Chief Karr assigned me as Safety Officer, but not until almost three hours into the incident. Again, this was due to the limited number of personnel available for command positions. I began circling the building and dealing with safety problems, but was not easily identifiable as the Safety Officer. That was the first of two mistakes that I made. A vest would be helpful so that those who are getting the what for about not having a helmet on understand why! I also was distracted several times by conversation while walking around the house and soon found myself to be more of a bystander socializing about the fire than the Safety Officer. Remember to stay ahead of the fire. Even if you believe the fire is in the basement, commit a line to the 1 st floor for extension. Better to assume that the fire has extended than not. Consider pre burn time when thinking about extension. This fire burned at least 20 minutes before an attack was made increasing the likelihood of extension. identifying it as a lesson learned. One idea for a solution would be to use citizen band radios. We are using them with success during training evolutions. It will be at least two years before the 800 MHz system is up and running, so we should identify a solution that will carry us to that point. - See Lessons page 12 -
Page 8 S I R E N S Summer 2001 Mark your calendar June 7 R&R Committee Meeting 12-14 NREMT-P Test Site, Chesterfield 13-17 VAVRS Rescue College 18 Regional EMS Test Site 20 ACFR Continuing Education 18-22 Station #4 Junior Academy 25 Regional EMS Test Site 27 ACFRAB Meeting 28 Fire and Rescue Academy Graduation August 2 R&R Committee Meeting 7 ACFR Fire Training 15-18 VSFA Convention 15 ACFR Continuing Education 24 EMS Awards Nominations Deadline 27-31 Albemarle County Fair 29 ACFRAB Meeting October 1 TJEMS EMT-I Network Meeting 2 ACFR Fire Training 3 TJEMS CISM Meeting 4 R&R Committee Meeting TJEMS Regional RSAF Grant Review 10 ACFR Continuing Education 12 OEMS Symposium Registration Deadline 24 ACFRAB Meeting 28 VAVRS District I Meeting 29 Regional EMS Test Site July 3 ACFR Monthly Fire Training 5 R&R Committee Meeting 6-8 Virginia State Fire Instructor College 11 TJEMS Board and MCRC Meeting 11 ACFR Continuing Education 15 VAVRS District I Meeting 16, 18 NREMT-P Test Site, Richmond 18 TJEMS EMT-I Network Meeting 16-20 Station #6 Junior Academy 23 TJEMS CISM Meeting 24-29 Firehouse Expo 25 ACFRAB Meeting September 1 Albemarle County Fair 4 ACFR Fire Training 6 R&R Committee Meeting 8-9 Central Virginia Regional Fire School 12 TJEMS Board and MCRC Meeting 12 ACFR Continuing Education 15 County MCI Drill 16 Annual Volunteer Appreciation Day and Picnic 17 RSAF Grants Application Deadline 24 Regional EMS Test Site 26 ACFRAB Meeting 26-29 VAVRS Convention 27-29 Haz-Mat Conference November 1 R&R Committee Meeting 6 ACFR Fire Training 8-11 OEMS Symposium 14 TJEMS Board and MCRC Meeting 14 ACFR Continuing Education 28 ACFRAB Meeting December 1 Adjunct Fire Instructor In-Service 3 Regional EMS Test Site 4 ACFR Fire Training 6 R&R Committee Meeting 10 Regional EMS Test Site 12 ACFR Continuing Education 26 ACFRAB Meeting Training Opportunities Vehicle Rescue 2000 Rescue Tech I EVOC II & III LPG Emergencies 11-17 June 11-12, 18-19 August 11-12 August 22 July Stuarts Draft Rescue Squad Charlottesville-Albemarle R.S. 20-24 June Haz-Mat Awareness ACLS Introduction to CISM Augusta Medical Center 2, 5 July 18-19 August 17 July, 9 August, 20 September Regional Fire and Rescue Schools Central Virginia 8-9 September CVCC, Lynchburg, Virginia Winchester Regional 20-21, 27-28 October Winchester, Virginia Virginia Weekend 29-30 September U.S. National Fire Academy Charlottesville-Albemarle R.S. Help! I Need Members! 1 December 2001 Augusta County Keep Em Coming Back 1 December 2001 Augusta County Communicating with the Deaf 12 July 3-4 November PALS 7-8 July, 20-21 October Firefighter I 9 July-1 October Firefighter II 5 July-9 August Dive Team Medic 18-19 August UVA Spanish for EMS 25 August UVA Incident Commander for Ground Search and Rescue 1-3 June Charlottesville
S I R E N S Summer 2001 Page 9 Stony point News Contributed by: Benjamin F. Carr, stony point volunteer Fire company Seminole Trail News Contributed by: Reannan Nefos, Seminole Trail Volunteer Fire Department We would like to extend a welcome to all new members and those members who rejoined. Due to the participation of the new members and those members who have rejoined, motivation has increased tremendously around the fire station. We also welcome our new Board of Directors; we are looking forward to accomplishing a lot in the coming year. We have a new brush truck (Brush Truck 64). This truck is used for brush fires and first responder calls. Some of the specifications of this truck are: Ford with an F350 Chassis 200 Gallon Water Tank Class A Foam Congratulations are extended to FF Carr and his wife on the arrival of their granddaughter, Precious. We also extend congratulations to Chief Alan Norford and his wife, Robin on the soon to be marriage of their daughter, Amanda. The wedding will be June 23, 2001. Twelve members completed CPR which was a requirement for the First Responder Class. Fifteen members have signed up to take the First Responder Class, which will start on June 13, 2001. On our recent participation in the Apple Blossom Parade in Winchester, VA we came back with two trophies. One was for first place for an Elliptical tanker; the other one was for second place for Brush Truck 64. January Working extrication on 29 at Hydraulic Road Intersection Welcome new members Greg Clatterbuck and Brian Rea February Fire on Bennington Road FFI class had their live burn and ACFR academy graduated their first FFI class March Station 8 members spent weekends in Vehicle Extrication training May Station 8 and many others from the fire and rescue service and community extended their deepest sympathy's to the Smyther's family for the loss of Cecil Smythers. Welcome new members Walker Sisk and Bob Reimenschnider. Upcoming Reannan Nefos is planning the R&R Committee Volunteer Appreciation Day and Picnic again this year. It will be at Chris Greene Lake. Watch for more information to come! Seminole Trail Volunteer Fire Department is almost 25 years old! There are plans in the making for the anniversary party in celebration of this event. Professionalism and Customer Service Whether volunteer or career providers, we all want to do our best with every patient or situation that we encounter. We do these jobs because we want to help. Doing our best gives us pride in our own accomplishments, promotes our organization or agency, and provides a positive image with the public: this is professionalism. Sometimes that becomes more difficult when we perceive that our services have been requested for nonemergent problems. Then we feel our time is being wasted, or we are being taken away from more vital activities. However, fire and EMS have attained the status of heroes from years of attention in the BY: Dr. Sabina A. braithwaite, Omd media and on television. The public has been trained to call 911 when they feel helpless and we will help solve their problem. Unfortunately, the public s perception of our role and our own can be very different. Most of us want to be there for the real emergency the house fire, the bad car accident, the cardiac arrest. It s harder to get excited about the food burning on the stove, or the old lady in the nursing home with a fever, but those people are looking to us for comfort, reassurance, and brief interventions. On the other hand, it has certainly happened more than once that food burning on the stove turned into a major house fire, or that a sick patient in the nursing home got really sick, and both turned into what we consider more of a real emergency. So next time you get a smells and bells or a sick person call, remember that two things could happen: you could be a hero, or you could be a helper providing reassurance and comfort in time of need. Show your professionalism and extend your helping hand graciously and willingly.
Page 10 S I R E N S Summer 2001 Fire department instructors conference By: Jeff Snead, Firefighter/EMT-CT In February, I had the opportunity to travel to Indianapolis, Indiana to take part in the Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC). The FDIC is a packed week of classes, seminars, meetings, and exhibits held in the Indiana Convention Center and RCA Dome and throughout the City of Indianapolis. The FDIC s H.O.T. (Hands on Training) program features four-hour and eight-hour drill sessions spanning two days. The H.O.T. program consists of 120 instructors and 1,800 attendees. Included were such classes as school bus extrication, live fire attack, collapse void search, confined space rescue, and many more interesting classes. Other than the 47 H.O.T. classes offered, there are over 120 classroom workshops covering a variety of critical fire service topics. All of the FDIC instructors and speakers are seasoned, handpicked instructors from around the Country, including such familiar names and faces as Frank Brannigan, Alan Brunacini, John Norman, and Bob Pressler of FDNY. And if exhibits are your forte, the FDIC has over 700 exhibitors pertaining to the fire service and world of EMS and more that 175 pieces of apparatus. If for some rhyme or reason you become tired of exhibits and classes, you could also attend the National Firefighter Hockey Tournament, the Fire Department Honor Guard Competition, the Apparatus Pull Team Challenges, or the Masters Celebration. One of the more interesting classes I attended was Fireground Tactics by John Norman of FDNY. This course on strategy and tactics is designed to reinforce strategic and tactical principles. In addition, it provides practical tips on how to achieve tactical goals and their application within the context of minimal initial resources, paid or volunteer. He used case studies and hypothetical situations to fine-tune our focus on the art of structure firefighting. Survival size-up should be a habit forming routine performed on every incident regardless of size. Sizeup is an evaluation of conditions encountered and those likely to be encountered at the fireground. There are many different tools used to accomplish a complete size-up. Many Chiefs and first arriving officers use the 13 point approach to size-up, which consists of: 1. Life Hazards 2. Building Construction 3. Occupancy 4. Area of Building 5. Height of Building 6. Exposures 7. Water Supply 8. Time of Day 9. Apparatus and Manpower Required 10. Street Conditions 11. Weather 12. Status of Standpipes and Sprinklers 13. Location and Extent of Fire Although this is a very good method, it is too complex for the average firefighter on the nozzle or conducting a primary search. What he/she needs is a guide to a quick size-up that will allow him to operate safely and efficiently throughout the entire incident. This is called a survival survey. Elements to be considered in the Survival Survey: 1. What is occupancy? Is the hazard to life high or low? 2. Where are the occupants? Are they in danger? 3. Where is the fire? Is it in problem or routine areas? 4. How do we get into this building? 5. When things go very badly, how do we get out? What are the alternate escape routes? 6. What is the fire doing to this building? Is there collapse or extension potential? As soon as the building comes into view, begin looking for the answers to these questions. The occupancy of the building should give firefighters an idea of what hazards they may encounter. Occupancies such as hardware stores and exterminating companies are likely to involve hazardous materials. If firefighters do a quick mental survey of the building s contents, it is possible to reduce the risk. Occupancies that are of high value such as banks and jewelry stores will have an increased security, which may impede the progress of entry and egress. If a firefighter tries to use an alternate route of escape, rather than the way they came in, he/she may find themselves behind a door or window that may need to be forced open. The occupancy may also lead you to the answer of another survey item, the building construction. Certain construction types provide a rapid means for fire extension, possibly trapping and injuring unsuspecting firefighters. A classic example is a bowling alley that is often associated with bowstring truss construction. Any building with this type of construction is prone to collapse when fire involves the truss area. Grocery stores, warehouses, and churches all require large open floor space and are often built with truss construction. Older private homes built with balloon construction also will increase the rate and amount of fire extension. Along with building construction, the location of the fire greatly affects fire operations and the safety of firefighters. Basement fires mean that firefighters must descend through the chimney to get to the seat of the fire. Fires in high-rise or windowless buildings often mean ventilation is poor or non-existent, increasing the chances of flashover and backdraft. The possibility of flashovers and backdrafts should be a continuous evaluation throughout the incident. This class was an excellent review of incident command along with the bread and butter operations of routine fires. This and all the other classes I attended made FDIC an invaluable training experience. In addition to the classes, there is also the unique ability to network with over 20,000 firefighters. If the opportunity ever presents itself, I highly recommend you grasp the opportunity with both hands and attend the FDIC.
S I R E N S Summer 2001 Breaking Tradition Page 11 100 years of tradition, unimpeded by progress. It s the informal motto of the fire service. We ve all joked about it. We reference the motto when new training practices are introduced that firefighters scoff at, or we read about a new piece of equipment or product that some say we don t need. Just put the wet stuff on the red stuff, they say, That s all you need to know. And while we all joke about this motto of tradition, have you ever stopped to think that by its acceptance, we continue to kill firefighters on a regular basis? Despite years of progress in the fire service, including better gear, improved equipment, training requirements, safety recommendations, and fire prevention education, we still manage to kill an average of 100 firefighters each year. Why? What more can we do in the fire service to improve safety? Despite technological advancements in gear and equipment, I believe that the numbers of brothers and sisters that we bury each year will never decrease until attitudes change about the way we do business. NFPA recently released their year 2000 Line of Duty Death (LODD) report for the fire service. Nationally, we lost 102 firefighters. Of the total, 39% of those deaths occurred as a result of heart attacks, a higher percentage than any other category. Everyone knows that being a firefighter takes its toll on even the fittest bodies. The adrenaline that gives us our firefighter high is the same stuff that wears on our heart when we constantly go from a resting state to full speed over the years. We could do a lot to reduce our LODD by placing a bigger priority on physical fitness. Now I m just By: Captain Nickie Carter, Firefighter/EMT-CT as guilty as anyone of not logging enough hours on the ol treadmill, but I do think there needs to be a greater awareness of fitness levels in this profession. We should have regular agility tests and medical exams, as well as the equipment to support these standards. In addition, the standards should apply across the board. Of the total deaths reported last year, 57 were volunteers and over a third were over the age of sixty. Other countries such as the UK, whose LODD statistics are much lower than ours, impose a mandatory age 55 retirement on their firefighters. The second highest cause of death (24%) was a result of vehicle collisions while responding to or returning from fire calls. That is an astronomical amount of loss from driving down the road as we do every day. The difference here is the level of mental distraction. Whether it s in your personal vehicle or an emergency vehicle, we should remind ourselves that while we need to respond in a timely manner to help those in need, it is still not our emergency. Not only must we stay focused on the task of driving and not the call, it is also important to watch out for the rest of the folks on the road. We witness everyday the complete inability of some drivers on the road to cope with red lights. It s almost a Pavlovian reaction by citizens where red flashing lights signal vapor lock. This situation tends to worsen when those flashing lights are on personal vehicles because most folks just do not get the concept. Allow for this and realize that missing the first truck out, or getting on scene one minute later is a lot better 100 years of tradition unimpeded by progress...we reference the motto when new training practices are introduced that firefighters scoff at, or we read about a new piece of equipment or product that some say we don t need. - Captain Carter than not getting there at all. The highest percentage of LODD are caused by factors that do not even pertain to the actual fire. However, it s the actual fireground arena where attitudes are the hardest to change. In our current fire service culture of patches, tee-shirts, and bumper stickers touting No Fear, Hell sent me back, and skull and crossbones logos, we have created a culture where death is promoted. These symbols seek to convince us that we are invincible, or that the potential for death in this profession is to be expected. Why is death an acceptable risk in the fire ser- vice? How many of us think or have seen firefighters who think it s cool to come out of a training fire with your shield melted or gear scorched? Is this why we joined the fire service? The problem lies in the attitudes that are fostered in the fire service. We can make every effort to teach new recruits safe fireground practices and proper equipment use, but one of the most important rites of passage in the firehouse is acceptance into the clan. And until we can convince generations of the clan that safety must be accepted as a culture, the cycle continues. Sometimes progress occurs one retirement at a time, but it s the ideas that need to be retired, not the individuals. Risk assessment is a basic firefighting term that has been around for many years. Risk a little to save a little, Risk a lot to save a lot. Yet, we continue to put firefighter lives in danger on a daily basis to rescue buildings that will be torn down the next week and covered by insurance. Risk assessment needs to be a priority. Now I realize there s a gray area here. We cannot revert to surround and drown on all unoccupied buildings. However, I think better officer training is needed nationwide to help determine when a structure is salvageable and when it is not. I welcome the day when an incident commander can feel confident in deciding not to risk a lot to save a little. Because I would venture a guess that one will never feel comfortable making the decision not to send in additional firefighters to save those fallen. 102 of our brothers and sisters died last year in the line of duty. As of June 8, 2001, that number is already at 42. Together we must change attitudes. It s time to break the tradition.
S I R E N S Albemarle County Fire and Rescue 401 McIntire Road Charlottesville, Virginia 22902-4596 www.albemarle.org/fire Funding for Sirens provided by Albemarle County Division of Fire and Rescue Page 12 Website Addresses County Fire and Rescue Division www.albemarle.org/fire Charlottesville-Albemarle Rescue Squad www.carsrescue.org Scottsville Rescue Squad www.svrs.org Western Albemarle Rescue Squad www.westernalbemarle.org Earlysville Volunteer Fire Company Juniors www.evfdjuniors.com East Rivanna Volunteer Fire Company www.ervfc.com Monticello Fire and Rescue www.albemarle.org/fire/station11 North Garden Volunteer Fire Company www.ngvfc.com Scottsville Volunteer Fire Company www.scottsvillefire.org Seminole Trail Volunteer Fire Company www.stvfd.org Stony Point Volunteer Fire Company www.cstone.net/~spvfd/index.html...www... S I R E N S Summer 2001 Lessons Continued from page 7 partment has recently placed a greater emphasis on ensuring more command officers respond, as has the Charlottesville Albemarle Rescue Squad by instituting a 24 hour duty officer. Additionally, training is necessary so that all officers are on the same page when it comes to incident management and command post operations. A City/County officer development program is needed to address this training need. The program should be specifically designed to meet our needs and probably should last at least one weekend. I appreciate your time and would like to thank all the members of the Scottsville Fire Department again for their will- Many of the lessons learned at this fire could be addressed county wide to strengthen our system and improve our ability to manage emergency scenes. For instance, we need to begin erasing the lines in the sand that prevent an officer from one department from being in command or assisting at the command post of an incident in another department s first due area. The truth is, we need officers from other departments to respond and assist each other with command post operations. I have responded to a number of large incidents, both city and county, and have ended up a part of the command team. The City fire deingness to share this information. The success of our Fire/ Rescue system depends on all departments putting their heads together and planning for the future. We have a good system, but I believe it will be much better. Let s continue to work together and build this fire and EMS system into one that jurisdictions around the nation will look to as an example of how it should work. If you have any questions or comments regarding this article, please contact me: Captain John Oprandy Training Officer joprandy@albemarle.org 434.296.5833