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Richard Marinucci |
Throughout my career, I have heard many times that firefighters are the most valuable resources when providing fire services.
This has come from politicians, city managers and mayors, fire chiefs, union officials, and firefighters. While there are some who could be accused of paying this “lip service,” there seems to be much more interest in protecting firefighters and putting resources toward this endeavor. In some ways one could say that firefighter safety is “en vogue.” This cannot be just a trend and must become part of the permanent culture of the fire service.
There are many reasons for this change in attitude, and much can be attributed to fire service leadership. Regardless, there needs to be more done, and efforts need to continue. There continue to be too many cases where preventable injuries or fatalities occur. For more improvements to take place, organizations need to take a systems approach to protecting firefighters. This must include firefighter health, the best equipment, sound and continuous training, competent supervision, and comprehensive policies.
Firefighter HeaLth
A review of injury and fatality causes provides valuable information that should provide direction regarding protecting firefighters. Clearly there is a health and wellness issue. There is much more information being provided every day that bolsters the need for more fit firefighters-mentally and physically. A climate of wellness must be fostered, and departments and individual members must embrace this. There is not enough space to address this issue in this article, but the importance of this in organizations sincerely interested in addressing safety cannot be overstated. Individuals and departments must be totally committed to effect significant change. All of the other elements needed to establish a climate of protecting firefighters depend on the commitment and attitude of the people in the organization-from top to bottom.
Training
Training and education, if done properly and frequently (daily), can do the most to protect firefighters. The more people know about their trade, the better they are at performing the tasks. There must be practice to develop unconscious competence and continual study to learn about advancements in the profession. While firefighting is dangerous for various reasons, there are other occupations that are very risky. In many of those, there is a commitment to preparation through study and training to minimize the risks. Today’s fire service has more information available than ever before, and it can access it easily. The job is not as simple as it may have once been because of many technological advances in society. As such, those wishing to be the most successful must commit to continual education and training.
While on the topic of training, having competent and capable safety officers is an important element of a systems approach to protecting firefighters. Being an incident safety officer (ISO) is so much more than serving as the “bunker police.” ISOs need to prepare to view the big picture during an emergency and also must develop the tact and diplomacy needed to influence proper behavior. They must be totally competent in their knowledge so they can establish “street credibility” within their organizations. Health and safety officers (HSOs) must also know their job inside and out. They have the responsibility to develop, implement, and manage programs for the welfare of the firefighters on their department. Both the ISO and HSO have challenging jobs, but if they are prope