Three Keynotes
Last week, the Fire Department Safety Officers Association held its annual Apparatus Specification and Maintenance Symposium in Orlando, Fla. A record-breaking crowd of over 560 attendees crammed in the ballroom. In honor of its 20th anniversary, the symposium had three keynote speakers with three distinct views: a voice of the future, a voice of the law and the voice of experience.
Monday‘s keynote speaker, Oren Bergasel-Briese, a fire engineer from Castle Rock, Colo., offered a look at the future for apparatus designers and spec writers. He gave attendees five concepts to consider when designing future apparatus: regionalizing and standardizing apparatus as CAL FIRE did in California; getting the right fire trucks to the right fire department; using more simulators for driver and operator training; considering environmental changes, including urban sprawl and wildfires; and preventing accidents, such as with specialized training for drivers.
“No longer should we allow the youngest member of the department to drive the fire truck,” said Briese.
Briese offered Southwest Airlines as a corporate model for standardization. “Southwest has only one type of aircraft,” Briese said. “Not only does it ease maintenance with knowledge of standardized equipment, but awareness of aircraft…. With a large turnover of fire maintenance personnel, it will be tougher to work on specialized apparatus.”
Tuesday‘s keynote was attorney Jim Juneau, an ever-popular presenter who never lacks for case studies of apparatus accidents. Juneau offered his list of things that get fire departments in trouble: ignored or inconsistent inspection or preventive maintenance programs; old, tired, obsolete apparatus; unrestrained occupants; intersection and negative right-of-ways; and excessive speed and inadequate or non-existent operator training — especially for tankers.
Juneau offered his insight on accidents and cautioned the importance of judgment calls, particularly in regard to traffic intersections. “Ask yourself, ‘What is the benefit of my action? What is the risk? Is it worth it?‘” Juneau said. “Every run is not an emergency.”
Wednesday morning‘s keynote speaker was the fire service sage of common sense and harbinger of safety Chief Billy Goldfeder, Loveland-Symmes (Ohio) Fire Department. “What‘s in your wallet? Your wife, your husband, your kids‘ pictures?” Goldfeder asked. “It ain‘t about you — it‘s about the people who love you and get left behind.”
Goldfeder also identified two kinds of line-of-duty deaths: heroic and non-heroic. “Half are heart and stroke,” he said, “The rest are avoidable.” Goldfeder said he‘s changed his view recently on heroics and shared several personal stories that have contributed to a more realistic view of firefighting — “I want to be around for a little while longer,” he said.
Goldfeder challenged attendees to make sure their apparatus drivers have licenses, receive driver training, and are warned, “If you run a red light with my fire truck, I‘m going to fire you. You have no discretion; you don‘t run a red light.”
“Excited people are getting us hurt,” Goldfeder said. “Slow down and enforce the policies.”
Each keynote speaker touched on the need for training for apparatus drivers. Goldfeder asked, “Who‘s in your wallet?” Perhaps you should ask who‘s behind the wheel of your fire truck.
February 1st, 2008 at 2:20 pm
Once again Billy G has hit the nail on the head! As a NYS Fire Instructor I am constantly saying the same thing. It many times appears that firefighters are hearing me but not listening. The fire service is 250 years of tradition unmarked by progress. We are still driving to fast, turning to slow and having needless LODD. We did not start the fire, cause he accident, etc, so why do we feel its necessary to kill ourselves getting there? As far as standardization, it follows the same route. Tradition, tradition, tradition. I know this will save money, as will group buying & purchases but everyone wants there own type of equipment becasuse thats what they have always used. WAKE UP! The taxpayers surely are. We need to streamline to save valuable money. Lets all get on board and do it right.
Leave a Comment