What new way can you deliver a message about fire apparatus safety that will make people listen? That was attorney Jim Juneau’s challenge at the recent Fire Department Safety Officer Association’s Annual Apparatus Symposium. Only somebody as gutsy as Juneau would choose to rewrite the 10 Commandments and accompany them with grizzly photos and factual data.

Of the 114 firefighter line-of-duty-deaths in 2008, 29 were from vehicle collisions, and Juneau said a lack of maintenance and driver error accounted for the majority of those fatal accidents. In fact, between 22% and 25% of LODDs each year since 2001 have been motor-vehicle related, despite better safety features on fire apparatus.

“The number of firefighters that die in suppression activities has gone down,” Juneau said. “What’s embarrassing in this professional service that uses vehicles every day [is that] we do not see a decrease in firefighter fatalities with motor vehicles.”

Juneau’s first commandment is, “Thou shall keep thine apparatus in good working order, for the life of thy brethren doth ride on its wheels.” He explained there are 15,000 fire apparatus accidents every year and approximately 5,500 lost-time injuries connected to those collisions. “These injuries amount to a loss of $7 billion to $8 billion a year,” Juneau said.

In his second commandment, Juneau told symposium attendees, “Thou shall not fail to secure thy precious butt to the seat.” Juneau used Boston Fire Department’s fatal accident earlier this month as his example. Returning from a medical call, the driver of Ladder 26 could not stop the truck, hit two parked cars and went through a brick wall. The accident sent three children to the hospital and killed Lt. Kevin Kelly. Juneau asked pointedly, “And was Lt. Kelley seat-belted?”

Conversely, firefighters in Amorith and Arlington, Texas; Atlanta; Maple Ridge, British Columbia, Canada; and Marathon, Ontario, Canada, are alive today because they wore their seatbelts.

“Wouldn’t an accident that kills your brother firefighter bother you?” he asked the attendees. “As a driver, don’t move the truck until everyone is belted. If you don’t have the guts to tell people what they need to do, then don’t sit in that seat.” Juneau said it is the captain’s job to support and enforce it.

The Boston accident was initially attributed to a brake failure, and reports show that Ladder 26 was not inspected or certified for 10 months preceding the accident. The department had 13 uniformed personnel, but no certified mechanics, said Juneau. The department didn’t perform regular preventive maintenance and of the first 12 apparatus inspected, six had to be taken out of service and the inspections had to be stopped.

Juneau’s other commandments related to stopping before entering intersections and railroad crossings, speeding, and driving under the influence of alcohol. “You have as much of a duty to protect the people en route to an incident as much as the people on the fire scene,” he said.

You should hear what Juneau has to say — hopefully not from the witness stand. Anyone who has ever heard Juneau would agree that he is not someone you want against you.

Observations about the social networks that allow people to connect, network and obtain news are a regular comment of mine. They continue to evolve as opportunities to connect. But what we are finding is that they are becoming an even greater tool for organizing for influence.

An estimated 1.8 million people turned out to see the presidential inauguration in person. What became readily evident was that those involved in organizing the event underestimated the numbers who would come, and as a result there were some ineffective entry point operations a significant number of high-dollar ticket holders were left holding their purple tickets. As many as 10,000 people may have been stuck for a considerable amount of time with the highly valued tickets (what I would call mosh-pit tickets due to the close proximity to the action) were stuck in the tunnel due to some less than adequate entrances (like about 36 inches wide) and some malfunctioning security equipment while other gates let them in at a faster rate.

Nearly immediately with the use of wireless technology the ticket holders began to form a group in Facebook called the “Survivors of the Purple Tunnel of Doom.” Why is this important? In only a couple of days they had 5,000 members. Also because nearly as immediately as they created the group they were able to influence people in high places and created a very public debate and resulted in the people from Capitol police to spend time through this weekend analyzing the mistakes so they could answer the issues raised by congress. You can imagine that after several months of intense planning and preparation that they would have at least had the opportunity for a break. No, they could not take a break because the scrutiny was too intense.

What began as a network to keep abreast of their classmates as people went their separate ways after college has become a significant and important tool for social activism. From this event the light bulb will go off in many people’s minds as to the value of this and many of the other internet based news mediums.

How will we adopt this medium for useful influence? Have you tested these waters yet?

Every time I see an apparatus with roll-up doors, I think of how my brother dismissed them 30 years ago. Apparatus and apparatus standards have come a long way in that time. The new NFPA 1901 now requires chevron striping on the back of apparatus, along with seatbelt alarms and data recorders. But is technology driving safety or is safety driving technology?

The 21st Annual Fire Department Safety Officer Association’s Apparatus Symposium this week in Orlando highlighted annual updates on NFPA standards, engines for 2010, and other apparatus and maintenance topics. The keynote address, however, stretched attendees’ perspectives.

Garry Briese, the regional administrator for DHS/FEMA Region 8, challenged the attendees to create a fire service doctrine for the future of the fire service and incorporate new technology.

“Who are we? What do we do? How do we do that? How will we do it in the future?” Briese asked. “Thirty thousand independent fire departments make 30,000 independent decisions. We have to begin thinking and acting as one for the good will of the American fire service.”

Briese pointed out that over the past eight years, the FIRE Grant Program has given the U.S. fire service $5 billion for equipment purchases and more. “Those billions of dollars have also provided jobs to Congressional districts across the country.”

Innovation is the hallmark of the American fire service, and Briese stressed the need for symposium attendees to embrace the new technology available and align apparatus design to the future fire service. “We’re asking customers to use past experience to solve problems of the future,” he said.

Briese encouraged attendees to weigh risk versus benefit in operations, with less emphasis on aggressive interior operations and increased use of exterior operations. “The people you are [really] working for are waiting for you at home,” Briese said.

A longtime proponent of simulator training, Briese noted the successes in the recent airplane crashes in Denver and the Hudson River crash last week. Crews had 90 seconds to escape and using only half of the airplane exits.“Those were 20 years in the making,” he said. “Almost 20 years of simulator training, two different airlines, and over 200 people are alive today because of simulator training.”

Briese shared his belief in the “wisdom of crowds” and online communities that engage participants in blogs, forums and other electronic platforms that offer the opportunity to dialog and create a fire service doctrine.

Briese proposed some questions for that doctrine: What is the optimal size of a fire department to make it economical and operational? Is consolidation governable? Is it economical? What is an optimal governance structure?

“The cycle continues, up and down at the whim of the economy,” Briese said. “If we engage the fire service to develop a doctrine, engage the wisdom of the crowds.”

At the the conclusion of his keynote, Briese offered operational expectations, including the increase in frequency and severity of wildland-urban interface fires. “This is the only fire in the United States that continues to grow,” he said. He also predicted an intensity of emergency medical service calls, challenges of traffic, increasing cost of maintenance and the introduction of unmanned technology.

Briese has an extraordinary vision of the future of emergency services and his predictions have had laser accuracy. As the keynote speaker, Briese was tasked with not just raising the bar, but going beyond tradition and looking two or three generations ahead. For some, Briese was above their heads (and they said so), but for the majority of attendees the future was well-seeded.

Who doesn’t read Consumer Reports now and then? I do any time I’m faced with a major purchasing decision. There is comfort when one is planning to shell out hundreds — perhaps thousands — of dollars on an item in knowing whether the device is going to perform as advertised, meet one’s needs and provide equal or better value to the dollars being spent. The publication’s staff experts provide a certain level of such comfort when they independently determine whether a product is what it is supposed to be. Soon, it appears, those who purchase public safety communications equipment will be able to find similar comfort concerning Project 25 radios.

Last week, Urgent Communications Senior Writer Donny Jackson and I visited Motorola’s headquarters campus in the Chicago suburbs for a demonstration of public-safety P25 Phase 1 trunking interoperability. EFJohnson Technologies, Tait Radio Communications, Tyco Electronics M/A-COM and Technisonic Industries also participated. Besides us, the demo — which culminated a week of testing in Motorola’s lab — was witnessed by several public safety customers and consultants.

Everything worked just as it should have during the demo. That was expected — they didn’t drag us out there to showcase the failures. Being curious sorts, however, we wanted to have an idea of what went on behind the curtain and asked a Motorola representative to identify the radios that passed muster and those that didn’t. After considerable hemming and hawing, we were told that our question would go unanswered for the moment because of nondisclosure agreements but that the results of the tests eventually would be posted online.

We never like it when sources dodge our questions, but what’s truly important here is that the public-safety sector appears to be on the cusp of a new era, one in which those making purchasing decisions will have much-needed documentation regarding which radios truly are P25-compliant, so they can make more-informed choices.

The Motorola lab is awaiting recognition from the Department of Homeland Security, which has established the methods for P25 compliance testing. Other vendor labs will be launched soon. For instance, M/A-COM plans to conduct tests at its Lynchburg, Va., facility in the near future that will be similar to those conducted last week at Motorola. The plan is that all P25 vendor test labs will have DHS recognition by the end of April.

Some will wonder why this took so long, a reasonable question. We wondered that ourselves, and were told that the process to create a compliance assessment program, or CAP, started roughly three years ago, and that it’s quite the effort to get everyone — vendors, the DHS and the National Institute of Standards and Technology, which also had a major role — on the same page. Given how long it has taken P25 to evolve into its current state, the three-year gestation period for the CAP doesn’t really seem all that long.

Regardless of the timing, this is a very positive development for the public safety community. One can never have too much information when one is making important decisions. This is especially true when those decisions require the spending of considerable amounts of money.

What do you think? Tell us in the comment box below.

The 2008 Station Style Design Awards offered an assortment of shared-use facilities. These facilities are becoming more common, as departments and communities try to find ways to stretch their dollars by conserving resources and co-locating compatible agencies.

In 1993, the town of Parker, Colo., built a joint-services facility to serve the Parker Fire District, the Douglas County School District and the town of Parker. This facility became even more important to the area when the Parker Fire District merged with the nearby South Metro Fire District to become the South Metro Fire Rescue Authority. This is the first time two fully accredited fire districts have merged.

The facility is used for firefighter training and apparatus maintenance. Fleet services also has an intergovernmental agreement to provide maintenance and services for other local departments, including annual pump testing, according to Brian Brown, bureau chief of fleet services.

The Douglas County School District uses the facility for bus maintenance, school-bus dispatch and school-bus driver training.

“We have a fuel facility there, too,” Brown said. “Douglas Schools purchase the fuel in bulk quantities and sell it to us, so it’s pretty cheap and centrally located.”

The town of Parker also uses the facilities. “We don’t charge them because they donated the property,” Brown said.

With the merged fire districts, there are 220 pieces of equipment, not including cars and maintenance vehicles, but Brown is confident that fleet services is prepared to handle the increased number.

You can see the facility for yourself at the 2009 Station Style Conference, May 3–5 in Denver. Attendees will have the opportunity to tour both this shared facility and South Metro Fire Authority’s newest fire station.

By Mitchell Waite

I’ve been to Iraq and I’ve seen how important safety becomes in a very unsafe world.

But as a fire chief in central Wisconsin, it has become increasingly clear that the primary reason the fire service continues to bury firefighters is the lack of leadership at the local level. This may seem a bit harsh, but I’ve been trained and educated in leadership for several decades.

Shifting an entire culture takes strong, effective leadership. Conducting interior operations without completing a risk assessment does not only exhibit a lack of leadership at the incident commander level, it is borderline criminal. But this is exactly what the majority of the fire service has been doing for decades and, more alarmingly, still does today.

This is not volunteer versus career issue. There are many outstanding leaders in both areas. Unfortunately, there also are many poor leaders in both. If there were not, we would not continue to look at the grim statistics of firefighter fatalities each and every year, for the same exact reasons. This is not effective leadership.

Cardiac arrests on the fireground are no secret. What have you as a fire chief done on your department to address this issue? If the answer is a resounding nothing, then shame on you. Firefighters deserve better. Limited budgets, lack of personnel and increased call volume cannot and should not be used as excuses. The military taught me long ago that my number-one mission as a fire chief or a commander is to lead my troops. Leading also means reating as safe an environment for them as you possibly can. If you cannot do this, then you should look for another line of work.

Have you done anything to address NFPA 1582, 1583 and 1584? Have you looked these standards over and made any organizational adjustments as they are directly linked to the number-one killer of firefighters? While these documents may not possess all of the answers to solve firefighter fatalities, they provide a good jump-start to the process. Physicals to identify potential life-threatening conditions, fitness evaluations to assist firefighters to become more aware of their physical limitations and work to improve them, and rehabilitation practices to assist in reducing the risk of overexertion and its deadly side effects all can help reduce firefighter fatalities.

What about prudent driving standards? What have you done in this area? The number-two killer of firefighters is vehicular accidents. If you use the excuse this is as just a part of the job, think again. This is not effective leadership.

Do you make EVOC mandatory on your department, even if your state or the federal government does not? Do you have safety standard operating guidelines on your department? Are they strictly enforced? If not, why not and how do you address safe driving practices on your department?

What about your training program? Do you incorporate safety into your training so that a firefighter’s actions become more instinctive during a real incident? Do you practice and train on scenarios that may save the life of a firefighter, such as self-survival techniques, or situational awareness so that firefighters more readily identify factors that will get them into trouble on a fire ground? If not, then why not? What is stopping you from taking these actions?

Let us finish this leadership challenge on the topic of decision-making, or lack thereof, on the fireground. Does your incident commander have adequate training to perform his or her job? Does your incident commander adequately size up the scene and then develop the appropriate strategy? Does he or she use a risk-assessment matrix to assist in making critical decisions?

While those like Ronny Coleman, Billy Goldfeder and Gordon Graham continue to lead the way in addressing firefighter safety, we need many, many more of these types of individuals in the fire service in order to truly make a difference. We need this type of effective leadership in each fire department in this country to make a difference. We can impact the grim statistics associated with firefighter fatalities and stop killing our own, but it will take effective leadership from the grass roots level in order to accomplish this worthwhile mission.

As we just witnessed a historic national election for the presidency and the promise of change, it is time for the fire service to also evolve. Programs such as Everyone Goes Home should be implemented in every fire department across this great country. If it does not happen, then it is primarily linked to the lack of effective leadership.

If you are a firefighter and your chief is not addressing any of these issues, then ask him or her why your safety is not a greater concern? Strong, effective leadership at all levels is what will lead the fire service forward in respect to firefighter safety. And to the fire chiefs around this country, it all starts with you. Are you up for the challenge?

When our family moved from Saudi Arabia to England, it was the third and worst move we had made in three years. It was November 1978, and England was experiencing political turmoil, a spiraling economy, months of striking unions and the worst weather in 25 years. And personally, I had to learn to drive on the left-hand side of the road.

We had no bread the first few weeks because the bakers were on strike, followed by the lorry (truck) drivers, then the petrol (gasoline), television engineers and the refuse (garbage) haulers. Other striking professions included hospital staff, which resulted in family members changing patients’ sheets and bringing in food. Even chemotherapy treatments were suspended. Coupled with the strikes that winter, the United Kingdom experienced unusually frigid, snowy weather that halted commuter trains when their operators weren’t on strike. After that winter of discontent Margaret Thatcher became England’s new prime minister and the country eventually stood tall once again.

I find amazing parallels to what we experienced 30 years ago in England and current conditions in the United States. The depressed economy, roller-coaster gas prices, two wars and apocalyptic weather conditions have consumed headlines. Most Americans are hopeful that a new administration will help rebuild and re-establish our country.

Last month during a radio address, President-Elect Barack Obama talked about his infrastructure plans. Obama said the plan would create millions of jobs by “making the single largest new investment in our national infrastructure since the creation of the federal highway system in the 1950s.”

Obama pledged to invest in new roads and bridges, make public buildings more energy efficient, modernize schools and improve Internet-based communications.

Perhaps our new president would review his definition of the infrastructure to include investing in emergency response agencies at local levels. The last administration invested heavily in the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and not only supported, but increased the funding for FIRE Grants — which is up for reauthorization this year. The National Incident Management System was launched but needs to be taken to the next level of effectiveness, which involves reaching out to local and rural departments.

Many communities are in need of basic facilities and structures to house their equipment, as well as to train personnel. Does every fire and emergency service in the United States have a designated computer in their department to communicate with FEMA, the U.S. Fire Administration and the National Framework Resource Center?

FIRE CHIEF columnist Ronny Coleman recently told us of his work with volunteer fire departments in two western states. Coleman saw one fire station that was made from bales of hay and others that had no running water or electricity. How can they train, respond effectively from these facilities? They do what they can with what they have for their community.

Infrastructure? Who is more vital to Americans’ daily life than first responders? I hope that our new president will support and continue the work of the Department of Homeland Security. Help our public safety agencies build and grow, especially the rural and volunteer departments.

Barack Obama ran a campaign based on change and America is ready.

Apparatus manufacturers saw a big surge in apparatus sales late in 2008, as fire departments rushed to purchase fire trucks before the new version of NFPA 1901 went into effect and $8,000 to $10,000 to the cost of a new rig. And apparatus builders anticipate another surge late this year, before new engine emission regulations take effect on Jan. 1, 2010, and add another $10,000 to $15,000 to the price tag.

This year will be tough on fire department budgets, but apparatus manufacturers agree that 2009 is a good year to buy a new fire truck and save significant money before 2010.

“We’ve had departments buy trucks and specify delivery in 2010,” said Harold Boer, president of Rosenbauer and CEO of Central States. “We’ll have the chassis in ’09, but they won’t take delivery until 2010.”

One way to save dollars is to look closely at needs versus wants and value versus function.

“The number of discharges American departments put on fire trucks is eight to 10, and it’s rare that a fire department uses all of them because they don’t have enough manpower,” said Boer. “I’m not saying departments don’t need them, but most departments don’t. We’ve done trucks with six crosslays. Assess what your needs are and you can take a lot of the cost out.”

It’s also important to shop around for the best value, not necessarily the lowest price.

“It is important that fire departments view apparatus purchases as capital expenditures and amortize the cost of the vehicle over its useful life, usually 20 years or so,” said Paul Darley, president of W.S. Darley & Co..

Of course, a big area of concern is new engine and emissions requirements.

“I’ve read some engine manufacturers are going to require an additional tank to hold urea, while others are trying to not install that type of technology, said Joe Messmer, president of Summit Fire Apparatus. “Regardless, the engines are going to cost more. The overall chassis is likewise taking an increase for the additional engineering to alleviate the additional heat generated by these new engines.”

Messmer also encouraged fire chiefs to consider smaller builders for value and accountability.

“When chiefs look at a smaller builder they find more ingenuity, a better response to their needs and generally better pricing,” he said. “Smaller builders also must take care of warranty issues — their future depends on it. I’ve seen larger builders turn a deaf ear to issues that smaller builders respond to.”

And when you don’t know, ask.

“Ask [manufacturers] how their unit can be more efficient, at less cost and still meet the mission intended for the truck,” Messmer said. If they are worth their salt they can show you things you were not aware of.”

Wilson Jones, president of Pierce Manufacturing, said financing is readily available and with good options. “It’s been interesting to see how creative fire departments have been and particularly taking advantage of pre-payment. [Financing] rates have never been this low for financing trucks. Instead of looking at the top of the line, some fire departments are considering a medium-block engine versus a big-block and some of the content.”

Darley agreed with Jones. “Despite what you read in the newspaper, financing is available and it’s currently at historically low levels,”

While the NFPA standards and emission regulations were created for better health and safety, fire chiefs are cognizant budget restrictions are not going to change overnight or over the next couple years. Are you buying new this year?

Fire chiefs frequently seek out Robert Tutterow for his expertise on the National Fire Protection Association standards committees and apparatus safety. Tutterow, the health and safety officer for the Charlotte (N.C.) Fire Department, recently received a call from a Virginia fire chief looking for some help.

The caller had a proactive apparatus replacement program that stipulated a rig have only five years of front-line service then be placed into reserve status. But now some of the reserve trucks are aging, and the chief was looking for economical ways to improve safety on the trucks.

“The chief had asked other departments, and the three items most people wanted to add to older or used fire trucks were LED lights, chevron striping and hose containment — which is really a public safety issue,” Tutterow said.

Tutterow suggested also adding slip-resistant rubber or plastic strips on the treads, a seatbelt-alerting systems and black boxes.

The Virginia chief isn’t alone. Tightened dollars have many departments looking to extend apparatus life.

The Fire Department Safety Officers Association’s 21st Annual Apparatus Specification and Maintenance Symposium will be held Jan. 18–21 in Orlando, Fla., and will offer several programs that could help departments save dollars on fleet services.

In fact, Tutterow and Tom Shand, regional sales manager for Seagrave Fire Apparatus, will present “Refurb to NFPA 1912 Standards,” which will explain how to determine whether to refurbish or replace an apparatus. The session also will cover responsibilities of the purchaser and the contractor as prescribed in the standard.

“Don’t do refurbishing until you understand NFPA Standard 1912,” Tutterow said. “And if you’re going to do Level 1 or Level 2, make sure your contractor is familiar with the standard.”

Garry Briese will deliver the symposium’s keynote address, “Operations-Based Buying Decisions.” Briese, the DHS/FEMA Region 8 regional administrator, will challenge participants to take a hard look at investing in cost-effective apparatus for multiple missions, shared resources and environmental responsibility.

Brian Brown, bureau chief of fleet services for the Parker (Colo.) Fire Protection District, will present “Fire Department Accreditation” in a breakout session. Brown will explain the value of the accreditation process to fleet services, as two adjoining Colorado accredited departments join forces.

“Whether your department is involved in the accreditation process or not, the information gathered for the accreditation process can be valuable to see how a department is doing compared to other districts and develop some professional and personal goals,” Brown said.

Brown’s presentation will offer a focus on fleet services, apparatus specification and replacement plans. Are the facilities big enough? Are the emergency vehicle technicians certified and do you have enough to maintain the apparatus?

“A lot of the core criteria specifically focuses on fleet services,” Brown said. In the accreditation manual, some of the questions are in the survey. Do you have documentation for pump tests and are your technicians trained? Do you have a fleet management business plan? Do you have SOPs or SOGs? Does fleet have internal SOPs and they should.”

As I write every year, if you are looking to spec new apparatus or maintain existing apparatus, FDSOA’s Apparatus Symposium is a no-frills, serious program. That it’s held in Orlando in January is just a bonus.

Have you ever played “What If?” as a fire officer? It’s not hard to do. You come across an unusual building or construction site or a difficult intersection and you say: “What if I had a fire (or trench rescue or extrication) here? What would I need and how would I use it?”

This game has driven my wife crazy. A few years ago, she and I went shopping at a department store under renovation. As I came off the escalator, I scanned the congested construction area separated by a temporary wall from the sales floor. Although the building was sprinklered, I asked myself how would I advance a line from the outside (as the high-rise connection was behind the construction area), vent the smoke and remove the water in the event of a fire.

Less than a week later, my department fought the fire I had envisioned. A worked started the fire after store hours by using a torch next to an open can of flammable adhesive. We laid a standard fire line up the escalator, wyed it off so we had two hand lines, then vented the smoke through a skylight and removed water through the restroom. We scored points with both the mall and store management for containing the damage, which allowed them to open the next morning.

I recently saw the “What If?” game pay dividends at a fire in a nearby community. The department’s new chief came to my office to discuss his concerns about the water supply in his historic business district. He asked if he could special call two of our engines to help lay out 4,000 feet of supply line from a 12-inch water main should he have a major fire in that district. Such a fire occurred 10 days later when a candle in a window display fell over and ignited holiday decorations that spanned the length of the store. While that building was severely damaged, the fire did not spread to an adjacent store which was less than three feet from the involved structure nor to any of the other shops in that historic block. The reason in large part was due to the chief’s preplan for an adequate water supply.

Sometimes what separates a good officer from an exceptional officer is just playing “What If?” I say that knowing that it has been a while since I played it myself, but having the concerns of my fellow chief come true in such a short period of time reminded me that I had to do it more often in my community. Have you played the “What If” Game recently? If not, expand your mind and sharpen your strategy by taking the time to play it. It may pay dividends for you and your department in a very short time.