(Above, L-R: Dr. Paul O. Davis, Rommie Duckworth)
Question: During the past year, was there an event, an occurrence, or a bit of knowledge you came across that moved you to think, “Wow! I must remember to include that in my FDIC class or workshop this year”?
Mike Daly
Those who have attended the “Drive to Survive” seminar are well aware that fire apparatus have longer stopping distances than a typical car. This difference can pose a significant safety hazard, especially if the fire apparatus is being driven too fast. In 2016, I set up a large-scale study to evaluate the braking efficiency of fire apparatus. My goal was to evaluate the reduced braking efficiency of fire apparatus by conducting full-scale skid tests.
On September 19, 2016, several police department crash reconstruction teams in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, region joined forces with local fire departments to conduct the skid testing. Thirty fire apparatus skid tests were conducted under controlled circumstances. All of the tests were documented using scientific instruments; the results proved invaluable.
The data collected during the tests validated the information taught in the “Drive to Survive” seminar. Furthermore, vehicle inspections conducted prior to testing revealed that 20 percent of the fire apparatus participating in the test had improperly adjusted brakes. The fact that so many fire apparatus arrived in an unsafe condition was extremely concerning. I realized this information must be passed along to every fire department as soon as possible. This information is now part of every “Drive to Survive” training seminar. I look forward to discussing these tests at this year’s FDIC International “Drive to Survive” seminar on Thursday, April 27, 2017 at 10:30 a.m.
For more information on the skid tests, please visit Fire Apparatus and Emergency Equipment Magazine…http://www.fireapparatusmagazine.com/articles/print/volume-21/issue-12/features/fire-apparatus-skid-testing-exercise-offers-unique-training-opportunity.html
Paul O. Davis, Ph.D., FACSM, director First Responder Institute, Maryland
Reading a National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health report of a line-of-duty death during a recruit academy, it occurred to me that this needless death may have prevented if the department had meaningful hiring standards.
Dena Ali, Dena Ali, Engine 24 A, Raleigh, North Carolina
In the last year, so much has changed regarding firefighter suicide and awareness of the issue. The problem surrounding firefighter suicide is not new. Dr. Janet S. Savia's 1999 retrospective, 15-year study, “Suicide among North Carolina professional firefighters: 1984—1999” discovered that firefighters were three times more likely to die of suicide than in the line of duty.
However, in the past year, for the first time, we have seen firefighter suicides being shared over Facebook and by news outlets. My course objective that firefighter suicide is a dark secret is changing. People nationwide are recognizing the problem and want to help prevent further occurrences.
In the past year, I have been invited to teach my class across North and South Carolina. Additionally, two nonprofit groups that I work with (Carolina Brotherhood and 555 Fitness) have asked me if they could expand their mission to include firefighter behavioral health, specifically suicide prevention. As a result, the class I created a year ago has evolved. We have found more mechanisms that can help prevent firefighter suicide, and we are seeing that agencies are willing to recognize the problem and par