DISPATCHES
Spotlight on for safety
Emergency vehicle response to an incident is just one area of fire fighter safety concern.
To enhance the safety of this response phase, several items should be provided and used as department mandate: standardized operating procedures, which include apparatus operators’ driving rules; seatbelts; padded bars across jumpseat areas; and bodybelts for backstep riders.
There is another piece of equipment already on the apparatus that could and should be used to drastically improve fire fighter safety —the rear spotlights.
Fire fighters of the Henrietta, N.Y., Fire District, Battalion One, have developed and successfully tested this safety idea. The two spotlights, typically used at night after the vehicle is stationary at the fire scene, are also kept on and aimed to shine on the center of the apparatus’ backstep whenever the vehicle is moving. This not only enables motorists to readily see the rear of the apparatus and any personnel riding the backstep, but it has been determined that the spotlights actually enhance the visibility of the vehicle s lights and signals.
An unexpected benefit of the “always-on” rear spotlight policy has been improved fire suppression operations. Having the rear of the fire vehicle illuminated allows for quicker and safer deployment of rear-mounted preconnected lines, and if the spotlights are needed to illuminate an area on the fireground, they are readily available.
Toxic chemicals found during fire
More than 1000 illegally stored drums, many containing toxic chemicals, were found by Newark, N.J., fire fighters when they responded to a warehouse fire in an industrial section of the city.
The fire, which was still under investigation at presstime, was brought under control in 30 minutes, but 30 fire fighters required hospital treatment for smoke inhalation and possible reactions to the chemicals, according to a report in The New York Times. The product caused a nauseating effect, said Chief Stanley ). Kossup, adding that although all the fire fighters are fine, “… something could show up in the future.”
According to Kossup, the fire department knew of the warehouse storing hydraulic fluids and zinc, but not about the other chemicals.
There was no proper segregation of the chemicals, and the four-story Vista Warehousing Inc. building did not have a certificate of occupancy for the storage of hazardous materials. —FE