BY JACK CASNER
It is a constant reminder when we read through a trade journal or newspaper to see yet another story of a firefighter or EMS worker injured or killed on a highway or roadside while responding to or working at a highway incident. Usually, a passing vehicle whose operator is “rubbernecking” or not watching where he is going strikes the responder or the driver is distracted by talking on a cellular phone.
 (1) “Chevron” striping, used by many departments, offers excellent visibility from a distance, provided it is correctly installed as shown. [Photo by Chief Hugo Esparza, Plano (TX) Fire Department.] |
The fire service has made great strides in many areas to improve firefighter safety. Some of the improvements involve more visible personal protective equipment (PPE) and engineering modifications in our fire apparatus that protect us in rollover situations. Firefighting is not like working in an office or a beauty parlor; it is one of the most dangerous jobs there is. There are very few jobs (career or volunteer) where you can go from a sound sleep to out the door and driving 40 miles an hour in 40 seconds. Tell me this doesn’t take a toll on our bodies. Statistics say the opposite.
 (2) Reflective tape |
Many of our operations have become safer through engineering, technology, and advances in equipment and training. The dangers on the side of our highways and roads have exponentially increased with the number of cars on the road and increased distractions. We have all seen them: driving while reading the paper; shaving; putting on makeup; and, most frequently, despite it’s being prohibited by law in several states, talking on the cell phone. Study after study has proven that the distraction, not the device, causes the problem. Drivers need to be alert, undistracted, and paying attention to the task at hand while driving a 3,000- to 5,000 pound weapon.
 (3) Directional arrow sticks |
If your department responds to incidents on interstate or limited-access highways, you are exposed to an even greater level of danger simply because of the number of passing motorists, which exponentially increases “the idiot factor” or the inability of people to focus on operating their vehicle in a straight line.
 (4) Stop signs can be purchased and installed on any vehicle. [Photos courtesy of the Cheshire (CT) Fire Department.] |
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SOME COMMON SCENARIOS
Following are some of the most common scenarios you may encounter. The first is a “simple” operation, if there is such a thing. The site is a two-lane road, one lane going in each direction. One of the travel lanes is blocked by a fire or a motor vehicle accident. First responders should respond with the flow of traffic, if possible, to avoid passing the incident site and having to turn around to access it. Crossing over a median or a set of guardrails and parking your apparatus in the unaffected lanes can cause additional concerns such as firefighters’ getting off the rig into moving lanes of traffic. Keep in mind that law enforcement-local, state, or federal-officers have different priorities than ours. They want that road open as soon as possible, and they are trained in traffic control. We should leave this task to them.
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While approaching the scene as first-in company officers, drivers, or incident commanders, we should take in the whole picture. As with any emergency, proper setup will definitely impact the incident’s outcome. If the incident has left the roadway, our job is a little less complicated from a traffic-exposure standpoint. If it is in the single lane of travel and any associated breakdown lanes, the answer from the apparatus-placement standpoint is simple: close the road. Position your apparatus, first, to protect your firefighters and, second, so that you or your people do not get run over if it is hit. Aim the front of the vehicle and the tires away from the incident. (Figure 1). You may be saying, “Easier said than done,” but that really isn’t so if you use the following “tools.”
 (Figure 1) The cruiser or second engine should be from 400 to 700 feet behind the command car in the same lane. |
Most police agencies aren’t crazy about closing a road, especially one with considerable traffic volume. However, with some preplanning and preincident discussions with state and local law enforcement agencies, you can avoid confrontations of this type. Your fire department’s management should take the initiative to schedule/host these types of meetings. Include senior fire officials, senior law enforcement, and even the owners of wrecker/towing companies. Everyone then would be on the same page and know what is expected from each party. We all have a job to do, and we must work together to get the job done safely and efficiently. The fire service can appreciate the desire to open the roadway, and law enforcement can appreciate our desire to get the job done safely and quickly. It is easier and in everyone’s best interest to take the time to set up the incident properly to keep all of the parties involved (including law enforcement and wrecker operators) safe and able to go home at the end of the call or shift. The little time you take on the front end of the incident is far less than the time it would take to plan the line-of-duty funeral for the firefighter, police officer, or trooper.
LIMITED-ACCESS HIGHWAYS AND INTERSTATES
Even if you don’t have any of these roads in your jurisdiction, review this information as a refresher. Limited-access highways present one of the most dangerous situations for firefighters. Regardless of the type of emergency, firefighters face the same dangers across the board. Use the following procedures to maintain safety on limited-access highways:
• Preplan all responses. Before the bell rings or the pager is activated, officers should have laid the groundwork for responding to these types of incidents. Some items that should have been addressed are the following: which apparatus will respond; entrances/ramps accesses to be used; turnaround points; gates; standpipes on bridges; and staging areas for ambulances, fire apparatus, tow trucks, and police vehicles.
• Engineer apparatus for its intended use. It is acceptable to exceed the minimum recommended by the standards for warning lighting; however don’t overdo it and blind the motoring public. Items such as arrow sticks and yellow rear zone lighting help warn oncoming traffic. The higher they are placed, the more they improve visibility.
Another engineering idea is to position preconnected lines in the front and rear. This allows for rapid deployment without interfering with the pump operator or having to have your personnel in the road when deploying or repacking hoselines (Figure 2). If you are lucky enough to design task or station-specific apparatus, consider top-mounted pumps to get the pump operator out of the way and off the road and to improve pump operator visibility. Anything that reduces the number of people in the roadway is a good thing.
• Make the most effective use of law enforcement during roadway incidents. Most fire departments have at least a working relationship with law enforcement. If you don’t, develop a good relationship as soon as possible, in the interest of public safety. Police vehicles are equipped with many of the latest state-of-the-art lighting packages, including LEDs and channeling devices. At the very least, these vehicles can be used as early warning devices to alert traffic about the incident.
SETTING UP FOR INCIDENTS
When setting up for incidents on a major roadway or interstate highway, begin with the dispatch. If you respond to these types of incidents, you are aware that the initial dispatch is usually flawed at best. Often, the initial calls come from cellular phones or people traveling though an unfamiliar area. Preplanning and discussion with dispatchers can help. Try to get the dispatcher to get more information such as landmarks, mile markers, or exit signs that will help to locate the site of the problem. Flawed information can add confusion; the fire service should attempt to address the confusion by dispatching responders from each direction. Responding from different stations or as part of an automatic mutual-aid agreement will get the responders to the scene in the quickest, safest manner. Remember our mission, and don’t let territorial wars, city lines, or career/volunteer attitudes affect the response or get in the way of public safety. Remember why you are here.
Responders should not come to the scene in privately owned vehicles. Having a dozen personal cars, two engines, a rescue, and a ladder on a highway for a car fire is a disaster waiting to happen. There is no good reason to put your people at risk with their personal vehicles on a limited-access roadway. Stage on ramps or predetermined staging areas so you can respond to the scene in a properly lighted vehicle large enough to take a hit, if needed. The pickup truck or sedan with or without warning lights does not offer the same protection from some distracted or impaired driver as a pumper.
As you respond, keep radio traffic to a minimum so the dispatcher can convey any pertinent information. Approaching units, command vehicles or apparatus, should inform others of useful information as the first-in command unit arrives. They should position themselves far enough before the scene so the apparatus has room to position itself properly-uphill or upwind, for example. As the first apparatus arrives, its primary objective is to protect the crew.
POTENTIAL SCENARIOS
Below are some potential scenarios you may face. Although every situation is different-there may be variables involving vehicles, terrain, weather, and road conditions-there are some basics we all should have in our tactics toolbox.
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Although the fire service has directives, memos, or guidelines for every potential situation that could possibly arise, it is difficult to write or implement a standard operating guideline or procedure for every eventuality; however, a basic and flexible standard operating guideline (SOG) should be in place as a minimum starting point. The primary objectives of your SOG should be firefighter safety and response efficiency, not traffic flow or control. Road or traffic conditions on arrival can change the layout, setup, and tactics.
 Source: http://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/index.htm |
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Resources
• U.S. Department of Transportation Web site
• www.firstrespondersafety.com
• www.firefighterclosecalls.com
• “U.S. firefighters struck by vehicles, 1977-1999,” National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Quincy, MA, unpublished, 2000.
• Traffic Incident Management Handbook (FHA), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 1999.
• “Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries,” Bureau of Labor Statistics.
• Plano (TX) Fire Department
JACK CASNER is a 19-year veteran of the fire service and chief of the Cheshire (CT) Fire-Rescue Department. A graduate of several Connecticut Fire Academy courses, he is a certified fire officer I, fire service instructor I, and safety officer.
