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Richard Marinucci |
As you might expect, I am biased toward fire-based emergency medical services (EMS).
I suppose you should expect this, as I have spent my career in organizations providing EMS. This does not mean that I don’t appreciate the private sector or that there are places where this service is doing a good job for the community. But, I do get more defensive when some people try to make the case that fire-based EMS doesn’t make a difference and that statistically there is no direct benefit. Try telling that to some of the people who have been resuscitated-or their family members!
More Than Numbers
While not exactly scientific, I think there are reasons the statistics don’t show a significant difference when you look at just the numbers. Fire departments go on an increasing number of EMS calls. As anyone who has responded can tell you, the vast majority of these calls are not what might be classified as true life-and-death emergencies. They could be difficulty breathing, broken bones, general malaise, or other medical situations that do not threaten the patient’s life. They do need care and transport but generally not special services. Medics or emergency medical technicians can take vitals, apply splints, administer oxygen, and provide other services. There usually is no sense of urgency during these types of calls. As such, they get handled competently by whoever shows up, and the outcome is predictable: The patient ends up at a definitive care center and receives the treatment he needs. Only a small percentage of calls require immediate action from highly trained and competent personnel. So, if you look at this statistically, you could say that only a few calls really benefit from the special talents of paramedics. When you consider the raw numbers, you may conclude that it doesn’t matter.
To prepare for these types of discussions, fire service professionals need to understand the benefits of fire-based EMS and be prepared to explain logically and succinctly their perspectives. The first question often asked is why the fire department is involved in EMS. Some people will try to paint the picture that fire departments do it because they are trying to justify their existence because the number of fires is down. I suggest you look at this issue closely. In most communities, fire departments respond to an increasing number of medical calls that drive up the percentage based on the total. This does not necessarily mean that the number of fire calls is fewer but that they are not increasing at the same pace as the EMS calls.
In my experiences, fire calls were steady or maybe even slightly increased from year to year while EMS calls grew at a much faster pace. Some people want to translate that so it appears that the fire calls are becoming less significant. I will admit that the number of serious fires-the kind that are likely to make the news-may be decreasing, but that does not always mean that there are fewer. Fire prevention, better response times, better built-in fire protection like alarms and sprinklers, and better trained firefighters are all contributing factors to this. But if one of these events occurs, you still need resources. Check out National Fire Protection 1710, Standard for the Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations, Emergency Medical Operations, and Special Operations to the Public by Career Fire Departments, if you need help determining what to send on a response. Don’t equate a smaller percentage to a need for fewer resources.
Where Statistics Fit
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Posted: Nov 2, 2016
By Ricky Riley
In the previous two articles of this series, I covered the fiery end to a piece of apparatus and the struggles to get it replaced. I then covered the bid specification process and the engineering portion of the replacement unit. This article will cover the new unit’s delivery and the final steps necessary to place it in service.
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| 1 The first look at the new rescue-engine sitting on “the Blue Floor” at Pierce Manufacturing. (Photos by author.) |
Once you have your apparatus on order, the manufacturer supplies your salesperson with a proposed ready for pickup (RFP) date. The RFP gives the customer an estimated delivery date from the factory, which in turn allows the department to plan out the other remaining activities required before the apparatus can take its first run. It’s always a good day when the salesperson contacts the department and advises the unit is on schedule and to start making plans for the trip out for the final inspection. Regardless of whether your department is career, combination, or volunteer, getting all the committee personnel to agree on a set of dates is always a challenge. Once you have everyone’s schedule straight and the trip planned, it’s time to go see the finished product. In our case, we all got on planes and headed to Pierce Manufacturing in Appleton, Wisconsin, to check out the new rescue-engine-something we had all been waiting to do for close to a year.
When the committee arrived at Pierce, we headed to the checkout area, otherwise known as “the Blue Floor.” This is the area where units ready for delivery are staged next to work stations and supplies for the customers to do the final checkout of their purchase. We got our first look at the newest member of our family, and we were all smiles. The new unit looked great, and the thoughts of how long it would be before we took it on the first run were running through our heads.
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| 2 Looking at the coffin compartments, generator, and hosebed lighting while members are on top of the rig. |
Getting to Work
After the initial gawking, it was time to get to work. Randy Swartz, our salesperson from Atlantic Emergency Solutions, went over the checkout plan. The first thing we received was a final component list outlining all the changes and modifications we made at the engineering conference. We also received a marked-up engineering print that reflected a number of component placements also revised at the engineering conference. Committee members had gathered all the e-mails and correspondence from the riding members of the department outlining their questions and concerns. Each committee member going over the rig received copies of all these materials, and it was now business time.
Committee members inspected each line on the component list and checked the engineering print for accuracy. This involved climbing the new apparatus top to bottom, front to rear, and underneath the cab. The group checked each component and option against the lists and the department’s expectations. These inspections usually bring up a number of questions, such as, “Why was this or that done?” “Why was it manufactured like this?” a
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- 305
- Article rating: No rating
Posted: Nov 2, 2016
By Ricky Riley
In the previous two articles of this series, I covered the fiery end to a piece of apparatus and the struggles to get it replaced. I then covered the bid specification process and the engineering portion of the replacement unit. This article will cover the new unit’s delivery and the final steps necessary to place it in service.
|
| 1 The first look at the new rescue-engine sitting on “the Blue Floor” at Pierce Manufacturing. (Photos by author.) |
Once you have your apparatus on order, the manufacturer supplies your salesperson with a proposed ready for pickup (RFP) date. The RFP gives the customer an estimated delivery date from the factory, which in turn allows the department to plan out the other remaining activities required before the apparatus can take its first run. It’s always a good day when the salesperson contacts the department and advises the unit is on schedule and to start making plans for the trip out for the final inspection. Regardless of whether your department is career, combination, or volunteer, getting all the committee personnel to agree on a set of dates is always a challenge. Once you have everyone’s schedule straight and the trip planned, it’s time to go see the finished product. In our case, we all got on planes and headed to Pierce Manufacturing in Appleton, Wisconsin, to check out the new rescue-engine-something we had all been waiting to do for close to a year.
When the committee arrived at Pierce, we headed to the checkout area, otherwise known as “the Blue Floor.” This is the area where units ready for delivery are staged next to work stations and supplies for the customers to do the final checkout of their purchase. We got our first look at the newest member of our family, and we were all smiles. The new unit looked great, and the thoughts of how long it would be before we took it on the first run were running through our heads.
|
| 2 Looking at the coffin compartments, generator, and hosebed lighting while members are on top of the rig. |
Getting to Work
After the initial gawking, it was time to get to work. Randy Swartz, our salesperson from Atlantic Emergency Solutions, went over the checkout plan. The first thing we received was a final component list outlining all the changes and modifications we made at the engineering conference. We also received a marked-up engineering print that reflected a number of component placements also revised at the engineering conference. Committee members had gathered all the e-mails and correspondence from the riding members of the department outlining their questions and concerns. Each committee member going over the rig received copies of all these materials, and it was now business time.
Committee members inspected each line on the component list and checked the engineering print for accuracy. This involved climbing the new apparatus top to bottom, front to rear, and underneath the cab. The group checked each component and option against the lists and the department’s expectations. These inspections usually bring up a number of questions, such as, “Why was this or that done?” “Why was it manufactured like this?” a
Read more
- 280
- Article rating: No rating
Posted: Nov 2, 2016
By Ricky Riley
In the previous two articles of this series, I covered the fiery end to a piece of apparatus and the struggles to get it replaced. I then covered the bid specification process and the engineering portion of the replacement unit. This article will cover the new unit’s delivery and the final steps necessary to place it in service.
|
| 1 The first look at the new rescue-engine sitting on “the Blue Floor” at Pierce Manufacturing. (Photos by author.) |
Once you have your apparatus on order, the manufacturer supplies your salesperson with a proposed ready for pickup (RFP) date. The RFP gives the customer an estimated delivery date from the factory, which in turn allows the department to plan out the other remaining activities required before the apparatus can take its first run. It’s always a good day when the salesperson contacts the department and advises the unit is on schedule and to start making plans for the trip out for the final inspection. Regardless of whether your department is career, combination, or volunteer, getting all the committee personnel to agree on a set of dates is always a challenge. Once you have everyone’s schedule straight and the trip planned, it’s time to go see the finished product. In our case, we all got on planes and headed to Pierce Manufacturing in Appleton, Wisconsin, to check out the new rescue-engine-something we had all been waiting to do for close to a year.
When the committee arrived at Pierce, we headed to the checkout area, otherwise known as “the Blue Floor.” This is the area where units ready for delivery are staged next to work stations and supplies for the customers to do the final checkout of their purchase. We got our first look at the newest member of our family, and we were all smiles. The new unit looked great, and the thoughts of how long it would be before we took it on the first run were running through our heads.
|
| 2 Looking at the coffin compartments, generator, and hosebed lighting while members are on top of the rig. |
Getting to Work
After the initial gawking, it was time to get to work. Randy Swartz, our salesperson from Atlantic Emergency Solutions, went over the checkout plan. The first thing we received was a final component list outlining all the changes and modifications we made at the engineering conference. We also received a marked-up engineering print that reflected a number of component placements also revised at the engineering conference. Committee members had gathered all the e-mails and correspondence from the riding members of the department outlining their questions and concerns. Each committee member going over the rig received copies of all these materials, and it was now business time.
Committee members inspected each line on the component list and checked the engineering print for accuracy. This involved climbing the new apparatus top to bottom, front to rear, and underneath the cab. The group checked each component and option against the lists and the department’s expectations. These inspections usually bring up a number of questions, such as, “Why was this or that done?” “Why was it manufactured like this?” a
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- 238
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Posted: Nov 2, 2016
In this day of electronic media, there are many ways to learn and sharpen your skills without ever leaving the station.
There are videos, blogs, Webinars, and Google searches, just to name a few. So, why bother sending your fire department staff to a live symposium when the alternatives are easier on department budgets? At the Fire Apparatus Manufacturers’ Association (FAMA), we feel that there is still a great advantage to getting out of the box and being able to meet face to face, ask questions, shake hands, and learn from each other. This is the reason our member companies dedicate time and energy each year, partnering with the Fire Department Safety Officers Association (FDSOA) to bring you the Annual Fire Apparatus Maintenance and Specification Symposium.
Advantages of a Live Event
Attending a conference in person has a number of benefits you can’t get from a computer at the station. Here are just a few:
- Networking: In-person events provide opportunities to exchange experiences and information. During breakout sessions, lunches, and networking time, new relationships with industry experts and other firefighters can be formed, and old relationships can be strengthened.
- New tools: Knowledge is power. There are a lot of tools out there that can improve your department’s efficiency and effectiveness. The key is knowing where to look. From presentations to vendor displays and whether asking your own questions or overhearing the conversation next to you, a live event is a rich source of power through education.
- Learning in a new space: Breaking out of the station and learning in a new space can free up time to focus on the job of learning. Being confined to the regular routine can make it very difficult to become inspired to see things in a new light.
- Breaking out of your comfort zone: Live events force us to break out of our comfort zone. The Apparatus Maintenance and Specification Symposium offers class sizes conducive to asking questions, making comments, and sharing experiences. Many of the presentations emphasize attendee participation.
- The energy of like-minded individuals: There’s nothing like being in a room of like-minded people to generate ideas and effective solutions. The situation promotes discussion with other people who are willing to take time away from the office to learn something new and to “better” themselves. When you sit in a classroom or auditorium, you discover that you’re not alone in wanting to improve your skills and bring something back to your office or organization.
Returning to Florida
The 29th Annual Apparatus Specification and Maintenance Symposium returns to Orlando, Florida, in 2017 with a new lineup of educational presentations. The Symposium is a collection of presentations by industry experts covering a wide variety of apparatus and ambulance topics. FAMA member companies will support the symposium with presenters, sponsors, and a product exposition.
For the second year in a row, the Symposium will take place the same week as the FDSOA Annual Safety Forum. Attendees who wish to do so can spend Sunday through Wednesday at the Apparatus Maintenance and Specification Symposium and then round out the week at the Safety Forum. In addition to educational presentations, the Symposium includes interactive sessions where participants can seek answers to questions posed to apparatus engineers.
Regular attendees know that they will be exposed to the late
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