IN 2021, 65 responders were killed while on the roadway including law enforcement, firefighters, EMS personnel, tow operators, and Department of Transportation personnel.1 This is paled by the number of responders who have been injured in the course of their work while on roadway incidents, many of whom survive but do not return to duty. Even greater is the number of close calls that occur when no responders are injured but a secondary crash has occurred. This has not only life-altering aspects but a financial impact as well. The loss of well-trained responders has a cost factor. The damage to the apparatus is costly and repair or replacement delays are significant. While these are not immediate concerns during a struck-by incident, they paint the full picture of how dangerous and costly our roadways are.
To combat the challenge of protecting ourselves at roadway incidents, several organizations have provided programs, funding, and public education to help alleviate the risk. As an example, the Emergency Vehicle Warning System (HAAS Alert) is a great stride forward, using technology to make the driving public aware of emergency vehicles and scenes. Other public notification systems include Everbridge, Nixle, and Code Red. Most of these systems notify drivers as they are about to encounter an emergency scene. However, there are many areas that do not have this capability.
As the driving population increases, so does the fundamental level of risk to our personnel. Even with improved safety mechanisms being added to newer vehicles, such as accident-avoidance systems, cars are still striking our scenes and hitting our responders. Certainly, programs such as “Traffic Incident Management” and “Slow Down, Move Over” campaigns help, but we can take another step to improve our personal and crew safety by instituting a no-cost, immediate application of a longstanding practice used by our wildland firefighting system cohorts: LCES.
- APPLYING THE LCES CONCEPT TO RESCUE OPERATIONS
- LCES AND STRUCTURE FIRE CONTROL
- Strategies and Tactics for Roadway Incidents
1. Despite technology and warning lights, emergency vehicles continue to be struck on the roadways. Positioning helps protect our personnel. However, the shield is only so large and the risk to our personnel is tremendous. (Photo by author.)
LCES stands for Lookouts, Communications, Escape Routes, and Safety Zones. Originally introduced as a result of the tragic loss of six wildland firefighters in the Dude Fire in Walk More Canyon, near Payson, Arizona,2 the acronym is a simple one to remember for firefighters who are surrounded by fuel with the potential of limited survival options. Since the concept began in 1990, it has been well-used by the forestry fire services. Because of its value, the US&R/collapse arena adopted it when placing and working with shoring and compromised structures. Considering the simplistic concept, ease of use, and applicability, adapting LCES to roadway incidents will improve our safety and prevent needless deaths and injury.
How can we adapt LCES to roadway incidents? Simply, it’s a mindset adoption. To put it to practice, apply it like you would for a wildland fire or shoring operation.
To provide the context, roadway incidents typically encompass traffic crashes, vehicle fires, and medical emergencies on theroadway. As we have, we should continue to position our apparatus to shield our scene, request additional resources to provide the envelope of safety we need, and enlist law enforcement to reduce the potential of a struck-by incident. These tactics provide the physical barrier to which we hope will be sufficient. However, as a first-arriving ambulance or a lone-arriving engine, we have a greater risk until all the resources are positioned. Thus, we need to be at a heightened level of attention to our safety.
Here’s how to apply LCES:
Lookouts. This position is assigned by the company officer at the start of the shift, based on operational needs. My preference is that the engineer (driver, operator, etc.) has that responsibility. This is usually the most flexible position on scene and the least directly engaged, often acting as a lookout, albeit unintentionally. However, the engineer is the sole paramedic on scene, so the role would have to be filled by another person.
As the crew disembarks, each person is a lookout, but as the personnel engage intheir respective duties, the engineer takes a position on scene to monitor the direction, speed, and attentiveness of the approaching traffic. The engineer may be partly engaged with operating the pump, but if the scene does not require it, the sole focus is acting as the lookout.
Communications. Establish what simple word could be shouted so everyone on scene understands how to react. My preference is “car.” It’s one syllable, easy to remember, and easy to say. It mentally illustrates the problem for the responders to improve their reaction time. Hearing this, each responder should react by following their escape routes to their safety zones. The unfortunate circumstance is that this leaves patients or other civilians possibly in the path of the wayward vehicle. It should be noted that they too should be warned to take cover or evasive action if the warning is given.
Escape Routes. As each person approaches their given area of concern, they should size up what is relevant to their needed action. We do this as routine when we approach a patient lying on the ground or a car fire. By taking note of an escape route or routes to our approach assessment, we can begin to program ourselves to prepare a direction of travel if we need to use it when we hear the lookout yell “car!”
Safety Zones. This is what we are looking for to dictate our escape routes. We prefer to have a safety zone that offers complete protection with the shortest route. An example of a safety zone is behind a concrete barrier or building or inside the “action circle side” of the apparatus. Consider several options.
As we operate on our emergency scenes, we need to continually reassess our safety zones and escape routes. As we relocate, as we place other pieces of equipment, or as we do more work, the escape route may become blocked or the safety zone may need to change. Reassessing will help note this. The company officer is tasked with monitoring the crew, leading them, and helping to protect them from harm.
Will this practice prevent every death on a roadway incident for responders? No. Could it improve our operational safety? Yes. Does it hurt to do it? No. Does it cost money to implement? No. The risk is there and will only continue to worsen. Applying this simple concept may only take a few seconds—more than worth it to protect our personnel.
ENDNOTES
- Responder Safety. The Emergency Responder Safety Institute, bit.ly/4f0fxK0.
- “6 Minutes for Safety.” National Wildfire Coordinating Group, 8 May 2024, bit.ly/4gTcVP8.
WALTER LEWIS, a firefighter since 1990, is an assistant chief for the Orlando (FL) Fire Department, overseeing operations on A Shift. He began his service as a volunteer, then later as a paid firefighter in a bedroom community fire department. In 1996, he joined Orlando and has been on some of the busiest units and in special operations. He has contributed to the State of Florida Live Fire Training Instructor curriculum, written articles for various publications including Fire Engineering, has presented locally and nationally on fire and US&R topics, is a charter member of the Orlando Fire Conference, and is also a founding F.O.O.L.
