A Summons to Training
DEPARTMENTS
EDITOR S OPINION
A small, rural, volunteer fire department near St. Paul, MN, was issued a summons by the state inspectional arm of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). This citation followed the death of Firefighter Thomas Hollingsworth of the Robbinsdale Volunteer Fire Department. Tom had been killed while using his self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) to “buddy-breathe” with a brother firefighter who had run out of air in a smoky basement fire.
Following an inspection by OSHA officials, the department was cited for failing to follow federal safety regulations concerning SCBA. The specifics of the citation ranged from allowing firefighters with beards to don and use SCBA, to inoperative SCBA alarm systems and missing washers. Away from the specifics, the charge really was a statement that inefficient maintenance procedures and insufficient training were major contributing factors.
Many miles away in a major metropolis, the same message was being delivered from a podium. The chief of the New York City Fire Department had stepped down, and the post was immediately filled by John J. O’Rourke, a 31-year veteran of the city’s most experience-ridden areas. At the podium, in an emotion-packed speech, O’Rourke specifically identified his intent to emphasize training as his first and foremost priority. Borough chiefs are to supervise all aspects of training programs, from the sophisticated, complex, multiple unit drills to the supposedly informal back room fire station critiques.
“We are charged first with keeping those for whom we are directly responsible safe—our firefighters.” Training and more training is the cornerstone to this end, O’Rourke further stated. There was not one firefighter in the room who did not silently nod his head in agreement.
In one month, two events broadcast the same message. 1 he sentiments of a man just reaching the peak of his career echoed the silent statement of a very costly and very sad incidenttraining is a major key to survival.
At FIRE ENGINEERING, I have been trying to get this message out to our brothers in the emergency services. I will continue to have the space in our magazine available to share all and any lessons or needs of the field in these areas. My foremost objective is to assist our brothers to respond to, operate at, and return from emergencies safer and more efficient—and to have the people we endeavor to serve better off for us having shown up.
