By David Cain, Deputy Chief of Operations, Boulder, CO (ret)

It has become very apparent that over the last 10 years technologies in the Fire Service are changing at rapid pace.  My recent trip to FDIC International was a reminder of how competition among manufacturers has created the latest and greatest technological advantage. Fire trucks, aerials, squads, brush trucks, tactical armored vehicles, communication vans and rehab trailers are changing every year. 

The race to have the next greatest whatever is ever-present and changing. Vehicles are not the only thing going through this race to outdo their competition. Turnout gear or bunker gear, whatever you want to call it, is also racing to the finish line. Add to that advancement in SCBA, medical equipment and many other items, and you now have a steady stream of potential change with a big price tag.

Not to be outdone, the software industry is also crushing our brains with programs to manage training, staffing, response, payroll, RMS, dispatching, narcotics controls and many other functions.  There is no magic bullet that can do all of this. However, increasingly reliable systems are available to address key parts of the equation. Cloud technology is rapidly becoming a tool of choice for many agencies to address a variety of needs.  The Cloud can reduce the need for many IT functions, and yes, security is assured with established providers demonstrating a solid track record.

So, the question is, how do we manage, track, test and account for all of this? The logical answer is building an organized system that will be maintained and tracked by a few people. It is inefficient and wasteful to have these tasks spread out among different people, namely firefighters.  At some point, the size of the department will determine the structure of managing assets and logistical support.

Depending on the size of the fire department, a planning/logistical Chief should be created.  I have seen many departments that have done this.  In many cases, the person in charge does not have to be a Chief or a uniformed person.  A civilian position could be created for an individual with the skill set to build a comprehensive system capable of detailed program tracking that serves as a safety net to ensure everything important is tracked and maintained.  

One key part of this equation looks at a department’s assets--including apparatus/vehicles, PPE, SCBA, Stations, narcotics, and critical assets.

• Apparatus includes all first response units, including command vehicles. We also have staff vehicles, trailers, boats and other motorized units.
• SCBA includes packs, bottles, masks, respirator and compressors and testing devices.
• PPE includes turnout gear, hoods, gloves, boots, helmets and other personal protection-related items.
• Stations need to be checked based on many factors that may vary from station to station—inventories within the stations, kitchen items, living and sleeping quarters items, etc.
• Narcotics and EMS supplies.  Many departments do not have controlled meds, but those that do need to have a robust system of control, and it must be documentable on the spot when regulatory agencies or others come calling. This documentation can be critical to avoiding legal liability.
• Critical assets include TICs, radios, power tools, batteries, etc.

This sounds like a lot and it is a big task to track, test, and account for all of the above. But, we cannot provide the best service possible or be totally accountable if we don’t know what we have, how it’s performing, and what needs to be addressed to ensure optimum performance and trackability. There is great saying that sums it up: “You cannot manage what you can’t measure.”  

I will add to that by saying that planning and finance are a big piece of g

Introduction

Training fires may constitute a major portion of some firefighters’ occupational exposures to smoke. However, the magnitude and composition of those exposures are not well understood and may vary by the type of training scenario and fuels.

Objectives

To understand how structure fire training contributes to firefighters' and instructors’ select chemical exposures, we conducted biological monitoring during exercises involving combustion of pallet and straw and oriented strand board (OSB) or the use of simulated smoke.

Methods

Urine was analyzed for metabolites of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and breath was analyzed for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) including benzene.

Results

Median concentrations of nearly all PAH metabolites in urine increased from pre-to 3-hr post-training for each scenario and were highest for OSB, followed by pallet and straw, and then simulated smoke. For instructors who supervised three trainings per day, median concentrations increased at each collection. A single day of OSB exercises led to a 30-fold increase in 1-hydroxypyrene for instructors, culminating in a median end-of-shift concentration 3.5-fold greater than median levels measured from firefighters in a previous controlled-residential fire study. Breath concentrations of benzene increased 2 to 7-fold immediately after the training exercises (with the exception of simulated smoke training). Exposures were highest for the OSB scenario and instructors accumulated PAHs with repeated daily exercises.

Conclusions

Dermal absorption likely contributed to the biological levels as the respiratory route was well protected. Training academies should consider exposure risks as well as instructional objectives when selecting training exercises.

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