IAFC presents “Struck By: Protecting Emergency Responders on the Highways”

The sharp increase in “struck-by” deaths and serious injuries, including amputations, has thrown departments and families into turmoil – and into court. Now is the time to make sure you’re doing everything possible to protect your personnel from incident-scene hazards. The International Association of Fire Chiefs has assembled a panel of experts to cover proven traffic-safety tactics, SOPs, and equipment.

The IAFC’s “Best Practices, Great Leaders” returns Monday, May 20, from 1 – 2:30 p.m. Eastern. Based on attendee requests. Its new format combines live audio and real-time, Web-based graphic presentations. Attendees will learn:

• How to keep responders safe even during poor weather conditions;
• How engineering controls and human behavior affect on-scene safety;
• Ways to adapt others’ checklists and SOPs for your own department;
• Which states have enacted laws to punish impaired or reckless drivers;
• Details about a new training video coming this summer;
• How Norfolk Fire Chief Dennis Rubin and his department are recovering and adapting after having two fire fighters struck while battling a car fire in dense fog; and
• Why law-enforcement personnel can be your best defense or a huge danger – and how to convert those who need it.

The IAFC “Best Practices, Great Leaders” teleconference series, supported by the Alcoa Foundation and VFIS/ESECG, delivers timely, convenient management resources for fire-service leaders. Best of all, you only need a telephone for the audio portion. (The graphic presentations require a Windows or Macintosh computer with a recent browser and a 28.8K or faster Internet connection.) Savings are significant – there’s no travel time, travel expense or travel hassle.

Confirmed faculty includes:

• Steve Austin, a fire-police officer in Newark, Delaware, and project manager for “Protecting Emergency Responders on the Highway,” a national effort by the Cumberland Valley Volunteer Firemen’s Association to reduce deaths and injuries to first responders;
• Dennis Rubin, chief of Norfolk Fire-Rescue, wrote the fire-service textbook “Rube’s Rules for Survival.” Two fire fighters from his department were injured in a “struck-by” incident March 13; and
• Jack Sullivan, CSP, CFPS. Sullivan developed the training program “Highway Incident Safety for Emergency Responders” following a “struck by” incident on the Pennsylvania Turnpike that killed one fire fighter and injured nine other emergency responders in March 1998. He is director of training for the Emergency Responder Safety Institute, and he retired as safety officer for the Lionville (PA) Fire Company.

Per-site registration is just $95 for IAFC members and $125 for non-members who register before May 10. (After May 10, please add $15 for rush-registration to both member and non-member prices.) Neighboring departments may share the registration fee. Training chiefs and company officers can participate, too, all for one tuition fee. To register, call KRM Information Services at 800/775-7654 and ask for seminar IFC7049-0. Register online at www.krm.com/regonline/ifcvcregs.nsf/ifc7049-0.