Photo by Tony Greco.
By Martin J. Rita
Those of us who have the privilege to be part of the fire service family have heard the statements, “This is the way we have been doing it for 30 years” and “150 years of tradition unimpeded by progress.” As firefighters, we know that the fire service is, unfortunately, still a reactive occupation. Former chiefs have stated that most of today’s standard operating procedures/guidelines (SOPs/SOGs) have been written in the “blood” of past firefighters who were killed or injured in the line of duty. This statement may be harsh to hear, but nevertheless, it is the truth. To the average citizen, a structure fire is looked at as something both ultra-hazardous and unavoidably dangerous. He accepts the fact that he will see firefighter injuries and deaths on the news and in the paper. As a fire service family, we need to adopt a different way of thinking. These are not acceptable losses—most of the injuries and deaths that occur on fire/rescue, emergency medical services (EMS), and extrication incidents are preventable. To quote Albert Einstein, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.”
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) was created by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to perform investigations into work-related deaths, one being firefighter line-of-duty deaths (LODDs). At the conclusion of each thorough and lengthy investigation, there is a “Recommendations” section. The problem is that it seems as though the American fire service has a sign on the window reading, “Sorry, we are not accepting recommendations at this time.” Over its years of investigating LODDs, NIOSH has compiled a list of critical fireground factors that seem to find their way into each report. Following are the top 10 contributing factors to a LODD:
1. Command and Control
Contrary to many beliefs around the country, fire command is an important component of effective fireground operations, and I am not talking about using your engineer as an incident commander (IC). The IC has the ability to monitor several radio frequencies, relay important information to the central dispatch, and orchestrate the actions of the companies working on the fireground all while he is in a quiet and controlled atmosphere away from the fire scene. Fire command also releases overall command from the company officer so he can focus on the supervision of the firefighters. NIOSH identifies that you are more likely to have an injury/death on the fireground without this key component.
2. Fire Behavior and Knowledge
Training is and always will be the staple of a well-performed firefighter. Firefighters need to understand fire behavior, fuel loads, gallons-per-minutes vs. British thermal units, and flow paths on the fireground. With the mass exodus of the “Baby Boomer” firefighters in early 2000, the makeup of the average fire department is much younger than it used to be. Experienced members are few, and firefighters are acting out of class more and more. NIOSH identifies that, if your members are not training on the ever-changing subject of fire behavior, you are more likely to have an injury/death on the fireground.
3. Building Construction & Knowledge
Your firefighters need to be well-rounded on the five different classes of building construction and how fire reacts and communicates within those buildings. Please, as journeyman firefighters, company officers and chief officers, teach your people! Young firefighters today are proven to be more intellectual and computer savvy, but they have a reduced amount of knowledge in the construction of buildings. Years ago, firefighters were conversant about building construction because many worked labor intensive jobs to supplement the low income of their fire career. Because of unionization and collective bargaining, the job of a firefighter has become an occupation of “skilled labor” which allows most paid firefighters to make a decent living without supplemental income. Firefighters must be trained on lightweight building construction so they understand flow path, fire extension, and collapse potential. NIOSH has consistently proven that knowledge in building construction can significantly reduce the chance injury/death on the fireground.
4. Human and Cultural Factors
Firefighters are their own worst enemy. Physical fitness, personal wellness, and the culture of the fire service play a critical factor on the fireground as well. Firefighting is a physically demanding, if not physically exhausting, job. Firefighters need to be physically ready to meet the challenges and demands of this job or there may be fatal circumstances. Other cultural factors that could cause problems on the fireground are lack of functional personal protective equipment (PPE) and failure to properly don all PPE and a self-contained breathing apparatus in an immediately dangerous to life and health atmosphere. I am not just talking about a stove or garbage can fire; culture and tradition needs to be preserved in the fire service, but we need to modernize certain cultures and traditions to meet the standard of an ever-changing profession. The culture of not wearing an air pack with plastic/synthetic home furnishings in a working fire needs to stop. One breath of these superheated gases will burn your airway and could cause irreversible damage and even death.
RELATED: Dunne on the Human Factor on the Fireground ‖ Kastros on the 10 Commandments of Command ‖ Reeder on the Fireground Playbook
5. Communication
This critical fireground factor may also merge into human/cultural factors as well. Communication is and always has been a problem in the fire service. The older firefighters were taught that only the officer carries/talks on the radio. New firefighters are now being taught that everyone should have a radio at all times. These methods vary because of budgets, staffing, cost of radios, and so on. There is no right or wrong answer regarding how your department operates, but clear, concise, and formal radio communication on the fireground including the interior crew’s conditions, actions, and needs (CAN) and reports of changes in conditions relayed to a competent IC will increase accountability and aid in the operation of a controlled fire scene.
6. Safety and Staffing
Fire Departments need to ensure that any time two firefighters are fighting a fire from the interior, at least two firefighters are outside ready to act in case of an emergency. If your staffing levels are low and you need to attempt the rescue of a viable victim without following two-in/two-out, you must quickly assess the benefits and risks of your actions and make a decision. Educate your fire districts and municipalities on the importance of proper staffing and firefighter safety. ICs must ensure that there is accountability of every crew’s location, job task, and function for the duration of the incident. Every fire scene should have an assigned safety officer to ensure task level jobs are being completed in a safe manner. Proper staffing, accountability, and assigned safety officers are all critical factors to operating a controlled fire attack.
7. Water Supply
Water is a critical factor because it is difficult to extinguish fire without water! Ensure that your district has good operating hydrants tested by either the fire department or the water department. Firefighters/officers should be trained on the correct diameter line to pull (staffing allowing) to put themselves in the best position to extinguish the fire.
8. Fire Prevention
Don’t take this critical fireground factor as you need to wear a “Sparky” costume to prevent injury/death on the fireground. Although education and prevention of fires is our ultimate goal, we need to train our firefighters on the “target hazards” in our response districts. Once you identify your target hazards (i.e., schools, large commercial, large/varied arrangement multi-family, and so on), have your crews preplan the building. What is the type of building constructon? Where are the fire department connection, the sprinkler room, the knox box, and the fire annunciator/control box? What is the building arrangement? This also includes any other pertinent information you need for your district. Document and keep on file this information for continuing education.
9. Ventilation
New age products of combustion reach full growth potential much faster than they did 30 years ago. Research shows that fire is now burning so fast that it is starving itself for the oxygen it requires to maintain flammability. There is factual evidence that suggests ventilating a structure too soon can disrupt the flow path of the fire and provide the oxygen needed to create a flashover. Engine firefighters must communicate and work directly with the ventilation crew to coordinate their fire attack with ventilation. The ventilation crew should make the proper cuts and wait until 1) They hear water flowing in the fire room or 2) They receive radio confirmation that the engine has reached the seat of the fire. Once the line is in position, the ventilation crew can punch through the drywall releasing the heat off the engine. This tactic has improved safety on the fireground.
Note: If departments are still using positive pressure ventilation tactics during active firefighting operations, you should strongly consider revisiting that policy. There is no way to control, extinguish, or contain a fire with pressurized oxygen feeding the same structure your people are in.
10. SOPs
SOPs are a vital component when discussing critical fireground factors. Give proper direction to the firefighters under your control and supervision as to what operations the fire department expects. Management staff should review and update these SOPs/SOGs to ensure they correlate with new safety standards, regulations, and recommendations.
So, what are we doing wrong? Your department has SOPs and SOGs, PPE that is inspected and fit for duty, SCBA that is tested and certified for use, apparatus preventative maintenance, and a training schedule that hits all the required subjects. You may think, “This won’t happen to me.” Well, that is what they all thought, and then it happened to them. Firefighting is labor intensive work that puts our members on the front line of dangerous and volatile environments. Even if we follow all of the critical fireground factors NIOSH has identified, we are still susceptible to injuries and deaths. Situational fireground awareness is the single most important aspect of individual firefighter safety. Teach your members to look and listen to sights and sounds of the fireground. Pay attention to other crews’ assignments, constantly watch for changing conditions, and reevaluate your strategy if you are not winning.
Many LODD reports and close-call injuries have some kind of procedural, tactical, and training errors associated with them, but these incidents may be out of your control. By identifying the top 10 contributing factors to a LODD, you greatly reduce the chance of injury or death on the fireground. Many dynamics go into the reasons these close calls are getting even closer to home, and the main one is change.
Fire service leaders, firefighters, company officers, and chief officers need to stop the insanity; stop doing the same thing and expecting new results! Educate yourselves and your firefighters on the importance of incident command, review fire behavior and building construction principles and theories, train on effective fireground communications, and discuss proper ventilation procedures and coordinated attack operations. Implement preplan inspections with your crews on the target hazards buildings in your community and develop a committee of officers and firefighters to assist management in reviewing the current SOPs/SOGs. Allow history and tradition to stay strong in your department while implementing new cultures that adapt with science, technology, and education.
Martin J. Rita has been a deputy chief/training officer for the Midlothian (IL) Fire Department since 2011. He has been an instructor for the Posen Fire Academy, a certified hazard zone blue card incident command training instructor, a MABAS division treasurer, a member of the MABAS training committee, and candidate/cadet program coordinator with a local Illinois high school. Rita is working toward achieving chief fire officer certification, receiving National Fire Academy Certification, and a master’s degree in management.
