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Fire Chief Considerations: The Accident Review
Fire Chief Considerations: The Accident Review
Posted: Apr 18, 2025

Fire Chief Considerations: The Accident Review

According to the National Fire Protection Association, in 2023, an estimated 19,225 collisions involved fire department emergency vehicles responding to or returning from incidents, resulting in 1,450 injuries.

Although motor vehicle collisions are an unfortunate reality of the fire service, it is important that fire chiefs recognize that each accident offers a learning opportunity for themselves and the members of their department. One way to help ensure that lessons are learned after each accident is to ensure a comprehensive accident review process is undertaken. It is vital that each accident is properly investigated so immediate and root causes can be identified and hopefully prevented in the future. Accident review protocols should be established within all departments to ensure information is shared and identified issues are addressed before a recurrence. A proper accident review process includes five main steps.

STEP ONE: IMMEDIATE RESPONSE AND SCENE PRESERVATION

The first priority of any accident is to ensure that the scene is safe from further hazards and that anyone who may have sustained injury during the accident is promptly assessed and provided medical treatment or transported to an appropriate medical facility. Once the scene is safe and protected from further hazards, the investigation process should begin as soon as practical. The investigator should work with responding police officers to control the scene and access to the site. The investigator should also ensure the preservation of evidence from alteration or removal, attempt to determine loss potential, and make the appropriate contacts per department protocols.

As with any investigations, the sooner an accident investigator can speak with witnesses and those involved, the more likely it is to obtain accurate information. If it is impossible to conduct full interviews at the scene, at a minimum the investigator should attempt to obtain the names of those injured and the names and contact information of all the witnesses. As with most investigations, the more time that passes between the event and interviews, the more likely it is to forget or miss details.

STEP TWO: COLLECT RELEVANT INFORMATION

The second step includes collecting information. This can be done through observations on scenes, the collecting photographs and videos, and interviews with witnesses and those involved. While there is often much information to collect on the scene, additional information will likely be collected at other times and locations following the event.

The main goal of investigators on scene should be to observe and collect as much information related to the circumstances of the accident as possible. They should note weather and road conditions, take photographs/videos, and draw a sketch of the position of all vehicles and any objects involved in the collision. Additionally, investigators should collect and note the identification numbers of the vehicles involved and collect any relevant operating logs or records.

Conduct interviews as soon as possible to ensure the most accurate information. This is often the most important information an investigator will collect in the cause determination process. Fire chiefs should ensure that investigators are trained in proper interview techniques so that the most information possible can be retrieved.

STEP THREE: ANALYSIS OF COLLECTED INFORMATION

The next step is analyzing the information collected from the scene and reviewing any follow-up information collected or subsequent interviews. During this step, the investigator should begin to draw some preliminary conclusions about the likely immediate causes and root causes of the accident. This is a very important step, as it has implications for all remaining processes.

An immediate cause of

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Interesting Rigs at FDIC International 2025, Part 1
Interesting Rigs at FDIC International 2025, Part 1
Posted: Apr 18, 2025

Interesting Rigs at FDIC International 2025, Part 1

I was unable to attend last week’s FDIC International 2025, so I asked several people to forward me photographs of some apparatus displayed. My captions are based upon what I observed from the photos. Unless noted, the following photos are courtesy of Tom Shand.

Photo 1. This KME pumper’s roto-ray warning light is mounted well below the windshield where it will not distract the driver – a smart move. The mechanical siren is semi-recessed in a bumper notch. The bumper’s fascia is notched allowing a “straight through” preconnected soft suction sleeve. It eliminates the friction loss in two elbows when a swiveling elbow is provided above the apron. Note the low hosebed and the rear large-diameter hose (LDH) connection on the rig in the left background.
Photo 2. This Deep South tanker has a semi blacked-out rear-end. Slide-in storage labeled “Dump Pond” is on the driver’s side.  Slide-in storage on the officer’s side is labeled ladders and pike poles. There’s a 2½-inch direct tank fill on each side of the dump valve.  A 2½-inch discharge is mounted high on the right side.  Hard sleeves are probably slid in the compartments at the upper rear each side.
Photo 3.
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Logos, Patches, and Pride—Greensboro (NC) FD Style
Logos, Patches, and Pride—Greensboro (NC) FD Style
Posted: Apr 18, 2025

Logos, Patches, and Pride—Greensboro (NC) FD Style

The city of Greensboro is in Guilford County, North Carolina. Greensboro, also the county seat, is protected by the Greensboro Fire Department, whose roots go back to the early 1800s. The city has many historic sites, but one old company, no longer in business, stands out. The old Woolworth building, located downtown, was the site of the historic Woolworth sit-ins and launched the sit-in movement. The building now houses the International Civil Rights Center and Museum.

In 1833, fire protection started in the city when the city commissioners put into law a requirement that said each household was to have two ladders on its premises, with a length long enough to cover the distance from the ground to the top of the house, and to make sure property was clear of debris and hazards. In its early days, the department was a volunteer force, but, as with most cities after expansion and growth, it became a career department by 1926. The department’s first apparatus was a steam engine and operated out of Steam Engine Company 1, also known as the General Greene. The city was named after the Revolutionary War Major General Nathanael Greene, commander of rebel American Forces, which fought the British at the Battle of the Guilford County Courthouse.

Today, the ISO Class 1 fire department protects citizens and visitors by providing full emergency services, which include fire protection and prevention, emergency medical services (EMS), hazmat and technical rescue responses, and emergency preparedness. The department operates 25 engine companies, 11 ladder companies, one heavy rescue company, two hazmat units, one light and air unit, and one USAR unit. The department currently employs more than 600 members and operates out of 27 firehouses across the city. The pride the individual units have in their companies can be seen by the display of their approved logos, which adorn apparatus, T-shirts, challenge coins, kitchen tables, and many other places throughout their fire stations.

Photos by Mike Ciampo.

The Triple Nickel Firehouse: Engine, Ladder, and Rescue 5.
The tower ladder’s bucket with a High 5 doing high-angle tactics.
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Columbia (MO) FD Places Ladder Truck in Service at Station 7
Columbia (MO) FD Places Ladder Truck in Service at Station 7
Posted: Apr 18, 2025

Columbia (MO) FD Places Ladder Truck in Service at Station 7

The Columbia Fire Department placed Ladder 7 into full-time service at Fire Station 7 Monday, April 14, expanding the department’s citywide rescue and fire response capabilities, the city said in a press release.

Ladder 7 joins Ladder 1 and Ladder 2 in providing comprehensive rescue services across Columbia. Each ladder company is staffed with four personnel and is equipped with tools for vehicle extrication, technical rescue and special operations incidents. The addition of Ladder 7 enhances the department’s ability to respond quickly and effectively, especially in the growing southern region of the city. 

Ladder 7 is not a newly purchased truck, but rather a reserve apparatus that has been placed into active service to better meet the needs of the community. Reserve apparatus are older vehicles that are kept in the department’s fleet as backups. They are not typically staffed or used on a daily basis, but are maintained and ready for deployment when frontline vehicles are unavailable due to maintenance, repairs or extended emergency responses. By reassigning this vehicle and its capabilities to Station 7, the department is making strategic use of its resources to improve coverage without additional capital investment.

“The capability Ladder 7 brings to southern Columbia and the overall emergency response system is powerful, especially on incidents when every second counts,” Assistant Chief of Operations Eric Caszatt said. “We’re committed to improving our service and coverage throughout Columbia, and this is another innovative step forward in protecting our community without adding additional cost to the taxpayers.”

Station 7 is located at 400 Green Meadows Circle in southern Columbia.

The post Columbia (MO) FD Places Ladder Truck in Service at Station 7 appeared first on Fire Apparatus: Fire trucks, fire engines, emergency vehicles, and firefighting equipment.

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Rescue Cutting Torches: Oxygen/Acetylene and Oxygen/Propane Torch Setup and Operation
Rescue Cutting Torches: Oxygen/Acetylene and Oxygen/Propane Torch Setup and Operation
Posted: Apr 17, 2025

Rescue Cutting Torches: Oxygen/Acetylene and Oxygen/Propane Torch Setup and Operation

In this article, we will discuss general features and operating principles of flame cutting metal of the two most popular torch fuel types: acetylene and propane.

OXYGEN/ACETYLENE TORCH

This is a handheld gas torch that burns a mixture of acetylene and oxygen to produce a high-temperature flame (5,800°F). It is one of the most popular tools for cutting ferrous metals, not stainless steel, bronze, or copper. It does not do well with heavily rusted metal. Have an angle grinder as part of your torch kit to remove rust.

One tank is filled with acetylene while the other is filled with oxygen. The two gases are then combined and passed through the torch tip to produce an extremely hot, narrow stream of fire that can weld or cut. Never allow the torch tip to touch the work piece during this process. Typical flame coupling distance is about inch, depending on the tip size, ideally just close enough so the tips of the preheat flames contact the work piece.

Acetylene is extremely unstable. The gas is shipped in special cylinders designed to keep it stable. The cylinders are packed with porous materials such as diatomaceous earth, then filled to around 50% capacity with acetone. The cylinder is then topped off with acetylene, which is absorbed into the acetone, stabilizing it and making it safer for handling. This method is necessary because above 15 pounds per square inch (psi), acetylene is unstable and may explode. Only open the acetylene valve a third to a half open so you can close it quickly in an emergency.

Always keep the acetylene bottle upright, especially during cutting operations. The torch is made to burn gas, not liquid. If laid on its side, the liquid acetylene/acetone will be drawn in the regulator and forced down the hose to the tip system (which burns the gas) and may cause an explosion. If the bottle is delivered (unknown amount of time) on its side, it must be turned upright for at least 12 hours before use, to allow the liquid to drain back to the bottom of the tank. If you lay it down, note the time, and before you begin torch operations, have the bottle upright for the same amount of time. Do not withdraw more than 1/10 of the bottle’s volume in less than an hour. You can risk drawing liquid acetylene into the torch system. The tip chart can help in determining rate of consumption vs. bottle volume.

Never use oil/lubricants on any torch threads/connections. Be careful when handling the tank. Even denting it can cause an explosion.

There are many different styles of torch/bottle threads, so keep some adaptors with your torch kit (photo 1). Many acetylene bottles will have left-handed thread and male or female valves (photo 2). Left hand or reverse thread is noted by the notches on the corners of the nut. Note the double male adapter for the propane tank to regulator.

A full tank has about 250 psi. Acetylene, when combined with oxygen, burns at 5800°F to 6,300°F. The primary disadvantages of acetylene, in comparison to other fuels, are high cost, chemical instability, and hazardous transport issues.

Acetylene is lighter than air, which means it can rise into roof spaces and empty areas. Detecting acetylene gas is easy because it has a distinctive garlic-like smell, even in concentrations below 2%.

1 A brass thread adapter allows propane threads to fit a torch/fuel regulator. (Photos by author.)

2 A female-to-female thread adapter. Note the notches, indicating a left-hand thread.

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