Police assists are an incident type fire departments respond to thousands of times a year. The interaction that results builds a strong bond between the two agencies that promotes better working relationships and understanding of the role each agency plays in providing public safety. In this near miss, two agencies come together for this seemingly harmless incident, which serves as a warning notice to be on guard at all times.

An excerpt from this week's featured National Fire Fighter Near-Miss Report:

"Engineer, firefighter, and I were dispatched to a police assist at 1205 hours…The police requested us to force entry into the apartment for a welfare check…I requested the firefighter to give out some loud "Fire Department" call out at the window and take a good look inside. This was done with no response or further indication of the situation inside."

"The firefighter and I entered the apartment (approximately 600 square feet/one bedroom one bath) and I immediately saw a blanket covering something on the floor behind a chair in the living room. I confirmed (with my hand) the presence of a body under the blanket…I then heard the police state that there was another individual in the bedroom and that he was breathing… heard a police officer yelling commands to the individual and the individual yelling at the police officer for them to get out. At this point, I heard several gunshots coming from more than one gun..."

The seemingly uneventful event quickly escalates into a situation where lives are at risk. Gunfire, as we are well aware, is often indiscriminate and as unforgiving as a wall collapse. After you have reviewed the entire account of this report (CLICK HERE), consider the following:

1. Place yourself as the fire officer in this scenario. What elements would you consider as you evaluated the incident?
2. Does your department permit law enforcement to use fire equipment or do firefighters have to use it (e.g., police officers placing ladders, using forcible entry tools, etc.)?
3. Have you conducted multi-agency training with your law enforcement agency using scenarios such as this week's report ?
4. Provide this account to your local police commanders. What advice/tactics would they employ in this situation?
5. Has your department considered purchasing body armor for FD members?

Have you ever arrived on scene for one type of EMS incident that turned violent? Submit your report to www.firefighternearmiss.com to let others know how to avert a disaster.

Note: The questions posed by the reviewers are designed to generate discussion and thought in the name of promoting firefighter safety. They are not intended to pass judgment on the actions and performance of individuals in the reports.