Chris Mc Loone

I usually shy away from using this space as a means to describe what is in the current issue, but this month I’m going away from that approach because you need to read one article in particular. You need to read it, cut or print it out, and post it everywhere you can.

Chris Daly’s article this month addresses total stopping distance. We are all taught to be defensive drivers, to be watching for and ready for the unexpected. The idea is to prevent accidents from happening by driving under control and not too fast so that when something happens, we can stop in time. What Daly’s article does is give us a bit of math to digest when it comes to stopping a fire apparatus and reveals an element of stopping a vehicle that we don’t pay enough attention to.

I was in an apparatus accident once, and I was the driver. As luck would have it, I was driving at a speed that was quick enough to get where we were going but slow enough to avoid a real catastrophe. A passenger vehicle is not going to win in an accident with a fire apparatus, particularly when the car runs a stop sign. When all was said and done, I skidded to a stop; ended up rubbing a curb; and practically gave my officer a heart attack because, as he said, he was watching a utility pole get closer and closer. In the end, I did not hit the vehicle. The other vehicle hit me-much to the chagrin of my chief at the time, since the truck I was driving was only five months old.

I’ve always thought that although it could have been worse, the outcome of the incident was positive in that there were no injuries to firefighters or to the driver of the striking vehicle. However, after reading Daly’s article, I’m not so sure there isn’t more I could have done to avoid the situation altogether.

When we talk about total stopping distance, we’re not only talking about how long it takes the vehicle to slow down and come to a complete stop. I’ve often thought that as long as I drive under control and appropriately for the road conditions, that I’ll be able to get us to the incident and back without any problems. But, one component of the total stopping distance is the time it takes me to register that something is happening and react to it. If you think about it, I got hit, which means I was driving fast enough that I did not have enough total stopping distance to bring the truck to a halt and avoid the accident. It was a sobering realization-especially since I always thought I had done a pretty good job.

Don’t be afraid of the math in the article. It’s necessary to determine the distance you are going to need to stop an emergency vehicle at different speeds. And for the veteran chauffeurs out there, don’t think that just because you have a ton of years behind the wheel that you are any better off than the rookie driver. The math is the math, and physics are physics. Neither discriminates based on driving experience.

Again, read the article, cut it out or print it out, and make sure you make the concept of total stopping distance part of your driver/operator training.

Final Thought

After attending a vehicle extrication evolution involving a fire apparatus at FDIC International 2015, I wrote an editorial describing the evolution and stated that we need to start treating extrication from apparatus the way we treat RIT-preparing to save our own. I asked, “How often do we drill on how and when to call a Mayday, on self-rescue techniques, and on RIT? The one area we do not drill on is f

Chris Mc Loone

I usually shy away from using this space as a means to describe what is in the current issue, but this month I’m going away from that approach because you need to read one article in particular. You need to read it, cut or print it out, and post it everywhere you can.

Chris Daly’s article this month addresses total stopping distance. We are all taught to be defensive drivers, to be watching for and ready for the unexpected. The idea is to prevent accidents from happening by driving under control and not too fast so that when something happens, we can stop in time. What Daly’s article does is give us a bit of math to digest when it comes to stopping a fire apparatus and reveals an element of stopping a vehicle that we don’t pay enough attention to.

I was in an apparatus accident once, and I was the driver. As luck would have it, I was driving at a speed that was quick enough to get where we were going but slow enough to avoid a real catastrophe. A passenger vehicle is not going to win in an accident with a fire apparatus, particularly when the car runs a stop sign. When all was said and done, I skidded to a stop; ended up rubbing a curb; and practically gave my officer a heart attack because, as he said, he was watching a utility pole get closer and closer. In the end, I did not hit the vehicle. The other vehicle hit me-much to the chagrin of my chief at the time, since the truck I was driving was only five months old.

I’ve always thought that although it could have been worse, the outcome of the incident was positive in that there were no injuries to firefighters or to the driver of the striking vehicle. However, after reading Daly’s article, I’m not so sure there isn’t more I could have done to avoid the situation altogether.

When we talk about total stopping distance, we’re not only talking about how long it takes the vehicle to slow down and come to a complete stop. I’ve often thought that as long as I drive under control and appropriately for the road conditions, that I’ll be able to get us to the incident and back without any problems. But, one component of the total stopping distance is the time it takes me to register that something is happening and react to it. If you think about it, I got hit, which means I was driving fast enough that I did not have enough total stopping distance to bring the truck to a halt and avoid the accident. It was a sobering realization-especially since I always thought I had done a pretty good job.

Don’t be afraid of the math in the article. It’s necessary to determine the distance you are going to need to stop an emergency vehicle at different speeds. And for the veteran chauffeurs out there, don’t think that just because you have a ton of years behind the wheel that you are any better off than the rookie driver. The math is the math, and physics are physics. Neither discriminates based on driving experience.

Again, read the article, cut it out or print it out, and make sure you make the concept of total stopping distance part of your driver/operator training.

Final Thought

After attending a vehicle extrication evolution involving a fire apparatus at FDIC International 2015, I wrote an editorial describing the evolution and stated that we need to start treating extrication from apparatus the way we treat RIT-preparing to save our own. I asked, “How often do we drill on how and when to call a Mayday, on self-rescue techniques, and on RIT? The one area we do not drill on is f

Chris Mc Loone

I usually shy away from using this space as a means to describe what is in the current issue, but this month I’m going away from that approach because you need to read one article in particular. You need to read it, cut or print it out, and post it everywhere you can.

Chris Daly’s article this month addresses total stopping distance. We are all taught to be defensive drivers, to be watching for and ready for the unexpected. The idea is to prevent accidents from happening by driving under control and not too fast so that when something happens, we can stop in time. What Daly’s article does is give us a bit of math to digest when it comes to stopping a fire apparatus and reveals an element of stopping a vehicle that we don’t pay enough attention to.

I was in an apparatus accident once, and I was the driver. As luck would have it, I was driving at a speed that was quick enough to get where we were going but slow enough to avoid a real catastrophe. A passenger vehicle is not going to win in an accident with a fire apparatus, particularly when the car runs a stop sign. When all was said and done, I skidded to a stop; ended up rubbing a curb; and practically gave my officer a heart attack because, as he said, he was watching a utility pole get closer and closer. In the end, I did not hit the vehicle. The other vehicle hit me-much to the chagrin of my chief at the time, since the truck I was driving was only five months old.

I’ve always thought that although it could have been worse, the outcome of the incident was positive in that there were no injuries to firefighters or to the driver of the striking vehicle. However, after reading Daly’s article, I’m not so sure there isn’t more I could have done to avoid the situation altogether.

When we talk about total stopping distance, we’re not only talking about how long it takes the vehicle to slow down and come to a complete stop. I’ve often thought that as long as I drive under control and appropriately for the road conditions, that I’ll be able to get us to the incident and back without any problems. But, one component of the total stopping distance is the time it takes me to register that something is happening and react to it. If you think about it, I got hit, which means I was driving fast enough that I did not have enough total stopping distance to bring the truck to a halt and avoid the accident. It was a sobering realization-especially since I always thought I had done a pretty good job.

Don’t be afraid of the math in the article. It’s necessary to determine the distance you are going to need to stop an emergency vehicle at different speeds. And for the veteran chauffeurs out there, don’t think that just because you have a ton of years behind the wheel that you are any better off than the rookie driver. The math is the math, and physics are physics. Neither discriminates based on driving experience.

Again, read the article, cut it out or print it out, and make sure you make the concept of total stopping distance part of your driver/operator training.

Final Thought

After attending a vehicle extrication evolution involving a fire apparatus at FDIC International 2015, I wrote an editorial describing the evolution and stated that we need to start treating extrication from apparatus the way we treat RIT-preparing to save our own. I asked, “How often do we drill on how and when to call a Mayday, on self-rescue techniques, and on RIT? The one area we do not drill on is f

EAGLEVILLE, PA—Streamlight® Inc., a manufacturer of high-performance flashlights, announced its renewed sponsorship commitment to The Travis Manion Foundation for 2016. The company’s support contributes to programs that honor and assist the nation’s veterans, first responders, and families of fallen heroes.

As part of its commitment, the company again in 2015 sponsored the Foundation’s 9/11 Heroes Run, which consisted of more than 50 races throughout the United States and internationally on or near September 11. In addition, the company donated 125 Knucklehead® flashlights to fire departments that partnered with five local races. Agencies in Athens, Alaska; Alexandria, Virginia; Elkins, West Virginia; San Diego, California; and West Haven, Connecticut, each received 25 lights.

“We are proud to continue our multiyear relationship with the Travis Manion Foundation and its 9/11 Heroes Run,” says Streamlight National Fire Service Specialist Geoff Evans. “Once again in 2015, we supported runs in communities around the country by donating specialized fire rescue flashlights to several participating fire agencies. We hope the gift of these safety tools will not only help protect their communities, but also honor first responders everywhere who put their lives on the line each day in the performance of their jobs.”

Streamlight also donates a $1.00 from the sale of each Coyote Nano Light® to the Foundation. The keychain light features a double-sided fob with the Travis Manion Foundation logo.

Named for a young Marine who was killed by sniper fire in Iraq in 2007, The Travis Manion Foundation assists veterans and families of fallen heroes in all stages of their personal journeys and offers them unique opportunities to empower them to achieve their goals. The 9/11 Heroes Run activates communities to honor and support veterans, first responders, and troops and welcomes runners and walkers of all levels.

For more information, visit www.streamlight.com or www.travismanion.org.