AP/Minnesota Daily, Stacy Bengs
Firefighters size up the scene after the bridge collapse in Minn. last week.

Years ago, when I took my first search and rescue class, the instructor talked about the six-sided review of a building or incident. "Look up, look down, and make sure you look all around before committing yourself," he told us.

Over the years, I have thought of that simple saying on many emergency incidents and have passed it on to thousands of my students during training. The bottom line: Don't get sucked into something before you give it the old once over.

It's easier said than done sometimes, especially when lives hang in the balance and quick action will affect the outcome of an incident. But what about all of those other occasions when you may have the time to do it right?

What is your approach and thought process when you come across a technical rescue or any type of rescue for that matter? Is it a well executed series of steps or a fly by the seat of your pants operation?

Good team members, the right tools and practical training shouldn't be under valued, but that doesn't replace mentally being on your game.

To do that, you have to do something that most people hate or are too lazy to do Rescue is a thinking game you need to play the "what if" game. "What if a car goes over that edge, what if that building falls down, what if that place blows up, what if I have to cut that guy in half to get past him, what if I have to crawl in that hole to get that victim?"

It's not enough to just know how to use the tools, or be well practiced or to have a cohesive team. Rescue is a thinking game, and the people who can plan ahead, see something coming and be ready for it are worth their weight in gold.

Organized chaos
You're always behind before you get there, that's a given. But how far ahead of the incident are you when you arrive? I used to work for a battalion chief who would say, "You don't bring a crisis to an emergency." Sure it's organized chaos at some scenes, but your level of organization and the ability to achieve the required levels under the most impossible circumstances is the real key.

How many of us can say that we are "masters" of our craft and how many want to be? Chances are, if you're reading this column, you're already a student of the trade, which makes you a cut above the rest. But there is a lifetime of learning to be done and every day is a school day in our profession.

If you think that you know it all, have seen it all or have it done it all, we're all in trouble and chances are you're probably a liability at a significant incident. Confidence should never be replaced by arrogance.

Rescue is a thinking game. The best people who have seen a thing or two tend to mostly be humbled by the experience — they don't say much, but when the going gets tough they often get going.

I love watching new firefighters, they have so much energy and so much enthusiasm, and they're great to be around. It's also fun to watch them expend all of that energy to no successful end sometimes. But with age and experience comes wisdom!

The veteran firefighter may not always be as enthusiastic, but that tempered approach, years of real world experience and knowledge of the tricks of the trade often carry them through most calls.

But to be in the class above, you have to love it a little more to be really, really good at it. Superstars train harder, practice longer and are very, very focused.

So what does it take to be a master of disaster? Out of the box thinking, the ability to write down your first 20-30 moves on any type of rescue with a twist and a constant desire for perfection. And don't forget the lifetime of learning, listening and talking about the "what ifs" of our job.

Photo Jamie Thompson
Apparatus on display at the FDIC in Indianapolis in April.

E-One had an extremely busy year, with several new products being launched including a new ARFF Vehicle, the Titan Force 6, with a five-person cab, exterior pump panel, multiple roof and bumper turrets, 3170 gallon poly water tank and a 437 gallon poly foam tank.

Also designed was the urban pumper, with a low ergonomic hose bed and a hybrid energy command vehicle for homeland security use. At FRI in Atlanta, it introduced a new SUV command vehicle — Comms-One — which promotes command interoperability in radio communication.

In more recent months, KME introduced the Challenger pumper line. The Challenger family features 36 different body configurations in steel, aluminum or stainless with 29" deep body compartments for added storage. It has numerous hose bed and compartment configurations including high capacity and low, easy-access hose beds. All can be built on KME Custom or commercial chassis.

Meanwhile, Ferrara's main launch in 2007 was the Heavy Duty 5 section Midmount ladder, which touts a shorter wheelbase and a lower overall height.

In addition, Crimson has built a new pump panel — ControlXT — in conjunction with Fire Research Corporation. It incorporates a more easy-to-read panel with engine information, water and tank level gauges, pressure governing systems and other customer-selected controls and displays. ControlXT will be standard or optional on all Crimson product lines.

Finally, Rosenbauer America debuted the T-Rex in 2007. In conjunction with Metz, the new articulating platform sets up in 25-30 seconds, has an aerial height of 102' equipped with a 2000 gpm pump and room for 115' of ground ladders. It also features a platform collision avoidance feature and a 1400 lb tip capacity.

All of the manufacturers are building and designing with firefighter safety in mind, which in my book is something that should continue in the coming years. More attention is being placed on larger cabs with more room for firefighter comfort and safety, lower hose beds and increased storage space as well as multi-tasking vehicles because we are all trying to do more with less in this day and age.

Just when you think nothing else could be possible, the fire apparatus engineers come out with another new idea that takes the industry by storm. With all of these new innovations that were introduced this year, I can hardly wait for the offerings in 2008. It should prove to be an interesting year. If that is not enough, newer stringent EPA Diesel Engine requirements crop up again in 2010. Oh well!

A box truck fire in Athens, Ariz., last month put firefighters in a dangerous situation because of poor initial size-up and rig placement.

We are taught early on in the academy that size-up starts when the call goes out. We are taught to practice continual size-up and have situational awareness.

Without these critical components and a basic understanding of fires we will continue to place ourselves in compromising situations.

En route, continue your size-up and plan a safe attack method and approach. Typically on arrival, vehicle fires are a total loss.

Unless the vehicle is occupied there is absolutely no reason to put firefighters in a position of unnecessary dangers and risks. Vehicle fires are not the fires in which to play hero at.

On arrival, remember the importance of rig placement. Understand the ramifications of wind on vehicle fires as well as changes in elevation.

Changes in elevation at vehicle fires can be dangerous for the following reasons:

• Fuel spills compromising firefighters or apparatus
• Hazardous liquids compromising firefighters or apparatus
• Vehicle can lose brakes or not be in park, compromising firefighters or apparatus

Wind direction can impact:

• Smoke direction
• Exposure Risks
• Fire spread

Knowing the changes in elevation and the wind direction can assist you in allowing the apparatus to be positioned in a safe location.

This placement will also allow firefighters to advance the line downwind and downhill to help limit inhalation and spill hazards.

The firefighters in the video above are punished for not following the basics, but were thankfully not hurt. Use this video as a training tool to limit unnecessary risk and exposure in your department.

If you asked Santa for a new EMT card, you'd better let go of that idea lest you join the 207 Massachusetts EMTs who thought they had recertified their cards without really trying.

That was, uh, until the Department of Public Health caught on. Not so good for them, and really bad for all of us who now contend with a very suspicious public and curious government officials. "No," I've said a hundred times, "I can't recert my paramedic card with two box tops from Kellogg's Raisin Bran."

Apparently these Bostonians weren't the only folks trying to pull the wool over our eyes. Clear across the globe, or the "pond" as some would say, the World Health Organization (WHO) was accused of exaggerating the dangers of H1N1 in collusion with drug companies to (gasp) increase their profits.

Some accused the WHO of making up the whole H1N1 Pandemic. "What, what, what…" you say? Well hindsight is 20:20; H1N1 gave us one of the mildest flu seasons we've ever seen — I'm not so sure that was entirely predictable.

Excepting a nasty predilection for kids, we're in for what promises to be another lightweight influenza season this year. H1N1 is definitely here to stay; hopefully you got your flu shot this year. WikiLeaks might spill the beans on WHO someday.

Health Care Reform was big on the 2010 agenda and it looks like some trickle down will hit us on New Year's Day 2011. That's right; EMS will ring in the New Year by recording loaded ambulance transports in tenths of a mile. Oh, and that's not all. Medicare ambulance fees will decrease annually as a "productivity adjustment" due to the wonderful efficiencies afforded by Health Care Reform. Get me some Zofran!

The FAA finally answered multiple wake up calls from the NTSB, proposing a slew of safety requirements affecting air medical providers. On the subject of transportation, the NFPA 1917 Standards for Automotive Ambulances squeaked under the wire after a series of false starts to push out a draft document for public comment (which closed December 15).

The committee will meet in February 2011 to review, revise, and respond to comments. If all goes well, we may see this document in 2012, at which point the feds will drop their KKK purchasing spec.

While you were out getting your flu shot, Emergency Cardiac Care (ECC) Guidelines 2010 rolled off the presses. As I predicted last year, procainamide is back! Truthfully, if you keep abreast of resuscitation research, nothing in Guidelines 2010 should have surprised you. 2010 saw the rollout of a brand spankin' new EMS Education Agenda, now gaining steam and slated to appear in textbooks publishing early 2011.

Despite all the supposed "efficiencies" afforded by Health Care Reform, EMS medications were in incredibly short supply during 2010. Many services ran out of preload epinephrine, 50% dextrose, naloxone, sublingual nitroglycerine, and several others.

The FDA is reporting that many shortages continue, and because shortages reached a seeming all time high with considerable disruption to patient care across the health care spectrum, four leading health care groups met in November with the FDA, manufacturers, and suppliers to discuss solutions. More to come on that front.

AED failures also peaked in 2010, prompting the FDA to call a special meeting this month with manufacturers to address the problem. Let's hope that Physio-Control, Philips and Zoll put their heads together with the rest of the manufacturers and strategize some industry standards that put an end to surprises like dead batteries, missing pads, and outright AED failures.

Fire equipment is designed and maintained to work when consumers need it to; AEDs should be no less battle ready than sprinklers, smoke detectors, and fire extinguishers.

So, what's in store for 2011? Well, firstly, you can dispense with all the overblown hype we were cajoled into believing was needed to protect against H1N1. Yup, the CDC finally acknowledged the science that clearly showed N-95 masks offered no benefits over simple surgical masks. Their whole infection control strategy was realigned to be more realistic: www.cdc.gov/flu/professionals/infectioncontrol/index.htm.

Unless you live in California, where either the germs are unique or lawmakers don't do science. Tantamount to a giant leap backwards, California implemented strict new requirements that not only fly in the face of science, but force Fire and EMS agencies to literally flush money down the toilet: www.dir.ca.gov/title8/5199.html. Be afraid; be very afraid…the backers of this bizarre legislation may well bring it elsewhere!

Next, EMS is getting its own version of an airport TSA full body scanner: ultrasound. That's right, portable ultrasound is finally making the leap from ED and ICU to the ambulance. Watch for this incredibly useful tool to play a big role in hypotension, cardiac arrests, line placement, trauma, fractures, OB and more.

I'm also betting that 2011 will see some decent prehospital data validating the accuracy of SpCO, the pulse oximeter used to measure blood carbon monoxide (CO) levels. The device, marketed by Masimo Corporation (Irvine, Calif.) has come under heavy attack in the blogosphere after a single in-hospital study reported differences between the device and blood gas measurements. It's amazing how quick some folks are to bash new technologies. CO is a major public health problem; SpCO is a new technology that can save lives when used properly. Nuf' said.

"Can you hear me now?" may be back for reruns in 2011. I'm betting thousands of public safety radio users will keep their heads in the sand for one more year until they wake up disconnected on January 1, 2013. The FCC has announced narrow banding until the cows come home. If your department hasn't started moving there, expect to be out of touch in 2013. Last call — literally.

Finally, we all have an obligation in 2012: remember September 11th. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the brutal attack on America. It is our responsibility as emergency responders to make sure the memory remains in the hearts and minds of all Americans.

Take a moment to visit the National September 11 Memorial site at www.national911memorial.org. The education tab links to some awesome resources for the classroom. Make certain that your schools are helping us to always remember 9/11. Happy New Year!

We have written several times in the past stating the importance of specific standards for the fire service. The majority of these standards originate from the National Fire Protection Association.

Standards on personal protective equipment establish minimum levels of performance that are intended to reflect firefighter needs.

The process for creating and revising standards is fully dependent on the technical committees which are established with fixed size committees. These include a balanced membership from various interested categories including end users, labor unions, manufacturers, research and testing laboratories, and special experts.

However, these standards only become better when individual firefighters and other experienced end users outside the process provide their input to the committee to reflect the practical realities of personal protection.

This month we are writing to encourage you to consider providing proposals and comments on several standards that are in the process of being developed or being revised.

Before we address the current standards in revision, it is important to understand how anyone can provide input to the NFPA process. Unlike many standards development organizations, the NFPA provides two different phases for public recommendations.

Formerly known as public proposals, the first stage is public input. This phase permits individuals to put in suggested changes to an existing standard that are considered by the committee writing the standard in preparing their first draft of the revision.

Any topic is open for consideration, but the NFPA requests that the proposals be put forward in a format where a specific change is suggested and a statement for substantiation should be provided with the change.

The committee reviews each suggested change and either agrees to make the revision or disagrees by rejecting the proposal. However, the committee can also agree in principle by making a related change or accept part of the proposal.

While each suggestion is separately reviewed, the committee may react to a large number of proposals on a single topic and respond with a change that addresses each of the related proposals.

The NFPA is in the process of implementing new procedures where public proposals are viewed more as suggestions as the committee creates a first revised draft of the standard.

The second phase of public involvement is public comment. NFPA is also adapting the rules for how this part of the process is carried out, but for the current year the existing procedures will be in place.

Public comments are submitted after the NFPA publishes its report on proposals, which shows how each of the public comments are handled and an initial draft of the revised or new document.

Like proposals, comments provide recommendations for specific parts of the proposed standard or revision. These recommendations can take the form of adding or changing text, adding new language, or removing parts of the standard.

The committee again reviews each comment and decides whether to accept or reject comments. As with proposals, comments can also be accepted in principle or in part, but another option open to the committee is to hold the proposed change to the next revision.

The actual procedures for submitting a public proposal (now public input) or a comment can be found on the NFPA's website, under the tab for "Codes and Standards."

The forms appear to the right side of this page and include explanatory notes for submitting the respective change. In addition, draft documents can be reviewed by selecting the specific standard of interest from the list that appears to the left side of the same page under the heading, "Document information pages."

By choosing the respective standard, information on that standard will appear, including a full draft of the standard, notices and minutes of any meeting, and a list of members for the respective committee.

The pages for each individual standard also provide a list of specific deadlines for submitting input or comments for the particular standard.

The most important document to look at is the "Report for Proposals" on new documents. This document provides information on what proposals were submitted and how each proposal was addressed by the committee.

In the next part of this article, we'll outline several standards under development or revision – and what they could mean for you.

There are obviously a lot of tools, gears, gadgets, and equipment that make up a fire station's resources. Here are a few things to consider when buying some of the most important pieces of equipment for your firehouse:

Exhaust Removal Systems
Exhaust removal systems help to create a safer environment for firefighters in confined environments by protecting them from noxious vehicle exhaust. According to NIOSH, studies show that an "occupational carcinogenic hazard exists in human exposure to diesel exhaust."

There are two types of exhaust systems available to fire departments: direct source capture systems and filtration systems. The direct source capture systems are categorized into two sub categories: exhaust evacuation systems and direct source filtration systems.

Exhaust evacuation systems
These consist of control panel, a track-mounted hose and cables, an exhaust fan and ducting. The system attaches directly to the tailpipe, thereby capturing all exhaust emissions and carrying them out of the building via a fan and duct system.

Requirements of the systems include adequate electrical power (amperage and electrical phase capability) and a duct to the exterior of the building to vent the exhaust. Consideration should be given to the location of this discharge point regarding neighboring occupancies and intake points of a breathing air system if located in the same station.

When operational procedures are followed for attachment of the systems, especially if the vehicle backs into the station, firefighters attaching the systems will not be exposed to diesel exhaust. Remember that backing spotters are necessary any time a vehicle is moving in reverse.

Vehicle-mounted filtration systems
This system consists of a filter diverter, filter and an electronic control unit. The system automatically operates for 10-99 seconds after the vehicle starts. This time is adjustable to suit the department’s needs and allows the vehicle to leave the station. The system also activates when the vehicle is in reverse gear. After the vehicle is shifted out of reverse gear, the system will continue in the filter mode for the pre-set time allowing the vehicle to back into the building and shut it off.

Filtration systems
These are sometimes referred to as "hoseless" systems and are mounted to the ceiling. Harmful exhaust components are forced through a series of three disposable filters. The filters trap certain particles and chemically absorb other diesel exhaust components. The system automatically activates through a system of door switches or electric eyes that detect vehicle movement. Filtration systems involve the least amount of work necessary to install an exhaust removal system. No vehicle modification is needed and only an electrical power source and ceiling mounting space are needed in the fire station.

EPA rules
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 2007 Highway Diesel Rule (EPA07) requires a reduction in the diesel particulate matter and nitrous oxide in diesel exhaust emission. Manufacturers have adapted their products to work with the vehicle changes necessary to meet EPA07.

Regeneration is a process to eliminate particulate matter in the ATD. It is recommended that this regeneration process be conducted outside of the fire station. EPA07 does not address issues relevant to diesel exhaust indoors; however, NFPA Standard 1500 and most building codes do. Therefore, a vehicle exhaust extraction or filtration system is highly recommended to protect firefighters from the risk of exposure to harmful diesel exhaust emissions.

Gear Racks
One piece of fire station equipment that is used daily is the gear rack where firefighters store their gear between shifts. There are several different options when considering gear racks.

Design
Racks need to have an open air design to allow gear to thoroughly dry. If gear remains wet, it will wear our faster and cause steam burns to firefighters. Commercially purchased racks are available with wheels allowing them to be moved throughout the station. Others are designed to be secured in one location such as stand alone, or wall-mounted units. Options can also include having locking doors to secure gear. However, locking doors can be a problem when quickly locating keys if gear needs to be accessed or moved, such as in a major emergency.

Size
Racks should be large and tall enough to allow wet turnout pants to be pulled up to fully dry. They should also be painted or coated to prevent rusting. Some companies have a 15 year warranty against rust and corrosion. A last resort in difficult economic times is to build your own racks. This can be an option to help manage costs but may have drawbacks depending on the experience of the builder.

Fitness Equipment
As firefighters we are prime candidates for acquiring and hopefully utilizing appropriate exercise equipment within the confines of our firehouse. The best way to select such equipment is to take a reverse engineering approach. What health issue kills firefighters (cardiac), and what serious injuries are firefighters most likely to sustain during our career (back, shoulder, etc.)?

Cardio Equipment
It makes sense to start with your heart. While there are numerous products out there designed to improve cardiovascular health, the gold standard by which all are compared is the treadmill. It is simple to use, versatile (walk, jog, incline, etc.) and can be placed in a climate controlled environment (unless it’s stuck in an apparatus room). Stair climbers, elliptical machines and other similar products are useful and can offer great cardio options but seem to get less overall use.

Strength Training
From a muscular strength and endurance standpoint there are also many options. Standard barbell, dumbbell, and squat rack options can be effective, but there is plenty of evidence to suggest that improper application can lead to acute or chronic injuries. Multi-station, cable based units are also effective and possibly safer from a solo participant standpoint. Today’s flavors include kettle bells, medicine balls, Bosa or Swiss balls that provide an infinite amount movement options with moderate resistance. Education ultimately is the key ingredient to long term success.

Cost
From a purchasing philosophy get the best you can afford. Treadmills in particular are notorious for breaking down when buying on the cheap. A great treadmill starts with a great motor (A/C preferred) and frame, and commercial grade products generally run in the $4-7k range.
Keep in mind that whatever the tools available for training, participation is the goal. Safely exercising goes hand in hand with participation and education ensures a successful experience. Keep on moving!

This How to Buy guide was compiled from articles written by FireRescue1 contributors Michael Petroff, Jim Sideras, and Captain Shawn Perry.

On Christmas day, the doorbell at my firehouse rang. I went downstairs and was greeted by a father and his teenage son and daughter. The father was holding a very large tray of baked goods.

He introduced himself, told me where they lived and said that his daughter had started this tradition of bringing baked goods to the firehouse on Christmas. I introduced myself to her and her brother and thanked them on behalf of all of the firefighters.

As I walked upstairs with this amazing tray filled with a wide variety of homemade treats, I was overwhelmed with feelings of gratitude and guilt. I realized the amount of time, energy and thoughtfulness this extraordinary young woman had put into this generous gift. My simple "thank you" just didn’t seem to fit her generosity and thoughtfulness.

I placed the baked goods on the table and read the note that was on the tray. It said, “To our local Firefighters, baked by Jana, age 13.” A lump formed in my throat, so moved I was by this special gift basket.

Don’t get me wrong, we often get gifts around the holidays. Canisters of popcorn, baked goods, candies and other such treats are common gifts, but this one was extra-special in every way. I regretted not spending more time with them and properly showing my appreciation.

Fortunately, I remembered her father telling me where they lived and decided to do something a little special to show our gratitude. We purchased a thank-you card, and all of the firefighters signed it. We also chipped in to buy her and her brother department T-shirts.

Random acts of kindness need to be met with equal acts of gratitude and appreciation. Mother Theresa herself once said, “There is more hunger for love and appreciation in this world than for bread.”

This young lady had gone out of her way to bake and deliver such a wonderful gift to us. When people go above and beyond to show their appreciation, it is important to go above and beyond to show your gratitude and reinforce the goodwill that they are bringing to the world around them.

People often do not expect this in return, but there is no greater reward than sincere appreciation. Her incredibly thoughtful and labor-intensive gift brought joy to our firehouse, not only by way of our taste buds but also in knowing that our services are acknowledged and appreciated. I wanted to make sure she knew her gift was appreciated and made a difference not just in our mouths and bellies that day, but in our hearts and lives long after those treats were gone.

Having raised children, I have a special soft spot in my heart for young people who show this kind of generosity, thoughtfulness and kindness. I hope that you firefighters out there will read this and go above and beyond the next time someone goes out of their way to show their appreciation, brings an offering to your firehouse or is otherwise deserving of a great big "thank you."

Or maybe it’s you who goes above and beyond to help someone in your community or simply to show that you care. A little goodwill goes a long way, and a little appreciation will perpetuate that goodwill even further.

If you haven’t already come up with a New Year’s resolution, consider mine: In 2012, I hope to show more appreciation to people in my life and my community who are generously and selflessly giving back and giving to others.

On behalf of FireRecruit.com, I would like to wish everyone a healthy and prosperous new year.

It may seem a long time ago now, but it was a brutal summer, ending in the final week of September when Los Angeles posted an all-time record high temperature of 112 F. It was also around this time when the NFPA published the Loss of Life data for 2009, and the record shows a significant decrease in deaths related to fire rescue activities. We need to celebrate the success stories of decreasing fire rescue injuries and loss of life.

Incident rehabilitation was featured in dozens of local media pieces over the summer months on how workers were coping with the hot conditions, and many were accompanied by pictures of proud rescuers who were given the opportunity to briefly rest, cool, rehydrate, and be evaluated. This was occurring before they resumed work at that incident scene, or at the others that would occur before the shift ended.

I also watched this summer the rehabilitation that professional athletes utilize in hot weather during football, soccer, and baseball games. We should view ourselves and our operations as "more valuable." Why? Our job is actually much more difficult then theirs. Ours is completely unpredictable. The athletes know they don’t have to play another full game an hour from now. Our public safety personnel do not.

I witnessed an occasion this summer where five firefighters were brought from the same incident, fortunately none with life-threatening problems. What was the issue? Nothing particular to that individual fire scene, but due to the fact that three working incidents had been managed back-to-back by the crews, with the third being the most difficult, on the hottest day of the year.

And those crews were not even halfway through their shift yet! In extreme weather conditions, rehab must be diligently applied at the first incident, to enable our professionals to prepare for the incident or two or six that still may be coming.

Consider taking a picture of one of a group of your fire/EMS personnel rehabbing at a working incident or training, and pair it up with a photo of a football team cooling on the sidelines. Make sure everyone of your personnel understand the priority of team preparedness, and the physical benefits of optimal performance by every team member. Rehab is a vital part of professional sports, and of professional emergency operations.

In the agencies where I work, we had many hot weather incidents, and all were managed using an incident rehabilitation program that has evolved over the past few years.

What is notable is that we started with the process, and now we are moving to the "props" that will make it more effective and more professional. Agencies have invested in cooling systems, fans, shades, drink dispensers, icemakers, and other equipment that increase the effectiveness of the process. There are no "Gatorade" signs hanging around (and no commander gets a Gatorade shower at the end of the incident), but the rehab area is beginning to look more organized.

It is our opportunity at the end of summer operations to reinforce the benefits of incident rehabilitation within our organizations and with our members. Even as we prepare in many locales for cold weather rehabilitation, there is no time like the present to prepare for another hot summer starting in about six months.

Here's a five item list to consider.

• Have you cooperated with your mutual aid and other nearby organizations to establish a consistent rehab process? Maybe even develop a regional rehab unit.
• Have you extended your program to cover the law enforcement, utility, and media personnel who are sweating in the same sunshine as you are? This builds incredible positive public relations.
• Have you considered and applied local donations of equipment and supplies to enhance the rehab operation? For those of us with the tightest budgets, it is worthwhile.
• Is the rehab operation paperwork filed with the incident report? Does someone check the sheets to make sure all working crews received rehab, or is some other process in place to ensure compliance of all crews with the program?
• Have you begun to use the rehab program as a bridge to other physical (and mental) well-being programs for your personnel? Some agencies have used the development of the rehab program to initiate an interaction with local universities, sports medicine programs, and nutritionists. That interaction then extended to other programs that brought routine fitness evaluations, nutrition training, and wellness programs into the organization.

Our personnel deserve the time, respect and attention to detail. The incident rehabilitation process is a critical process that ensures that each emergency operation can be carried out as safely as possible. And that detail will allow us to produce healthy retirees.

You are a company officer who has been given the choice between two firefighters as new members of your crew.

The only thing you know about the two is that Terry recently rescued a child from a second floor bedroom during a big fire, and Lee recently hit a citizen's car when driving the fire truck. Who will you choose to be on your crew?

Realistically, with just this information to go on, no one would choose Lee over Terry. Those officers who say that it made no difference to them which of these firefighters would be assigned to them are probably not being completely honest with themselves either.

It is human nature to believe that success will be predicted by prior success. This is true even if that success is based on nothing more than a single incident or pure chance, which could certainly be the case in this example.

It is possible that Terry's success in finding the fire victim was a result of luck — just randomly being assigned to search the room that had an occupant versus all the other rooms that did not.

In a more extreme case, Terry might have disobeyed orders and been freelancing when making the big save. On the other hand, Lee's accident may have been the result of quick thinking that averted larger damage or bodily harm.

Limited knowledge
In either case, the outcome may have absolutely no predictive effect on the skill or ability of each individual. Having only this limited knowledge of the firefighters should have no effect at all on preferring one over the other as a crew member.

But is this how it plays out in real life? Hardly. When I first became a firefighter, I was given lots of good advice. I clearly remember my captain telling me, "If you want to succeed around here, just make sure you don't do something really stupid your first year on the job."

Those who had an accident, or who spoke too freely, or who violated some unwritten rule were often labeled for a good duration of time, if not their entire careers, according to that single incident.

On the other hand, someone who may have just had a lucky break during that critical early period may be labeled in a positive way that may not accurately reflect that person's ability at that moment in time.

But what happens after those labels are applied? Then the expectations often become self-fulfilling prophecies. The person who is expected to be good is noticed and affirmed every time he or she does something positive, and tends to be excused when the inevitable mistake is made.

Constant scrutiny
On the other hand, the person who is expected to be bad is under constant scrutiny, noticed for all mistakes made, and positive outcomes are considered to be flukes.

It doesn't take long for this cycle to become self-perpetuating. They say that nothing succeeds like success, and there is a lot of truth to this statement, at least as far as people's perceptions are concerned.

This is known as the halo effect, a tendency to like everything about a person, including things you have not directly observed, based on liking one thing about that person.

On the other hand, when expectations are negative about a person, that person may internalize the characterization to the point where they represent themselves in a diminished way, if only just to meet the expectations that exist about them.

I remember early in my career meeting an older firefighter who introduced himself this way: "Hi, I'm Ray. I'm kind of considered dead wood around here." It was partly ironic, but mostly true.

He was considered to be dead wood around the department, based on a couple early incidents in his career, and he subsequently lived up (or down) to that expectation.

Bad beginnings
What I found when I worked with Ray, and others who had a similarly unfortunate beginning on the department, was that he was a good man with lots of knowledge to share.

But there was no expectation among his peers that he had much of anything to contribute and thus had been written off early in his tenure on the job.

Company officers have enormous power when it comes to managing expectations among their crew members. A first important piece of this effort is recognizing the reality of the halo effect, for better and for worse. The halo effect says that success breeds success, and failure tends to predict the same.

Therefore, it is critical that company officers give all new crew members a blank slate, no matter what they have heard about them or what actual incidents have occurred in the past.

This openness must not just exist in the officer's mind. These expectations (especially negative expectations) have been internalized by the crew members themselves. It is important for the company officer to verbalize this clean slate approach for everyone.

You must let everyone know that they are starting on equal footing, and that your expectation is that the team's success always outweighs individual performance.

To some degree it is impossible to ignore the strong influence of prior knowledge of someone, no matter now limited that information may be. The best officers recognize the dangers of the halo effect and work to bring out the best in every crew member, regardless of that person's reputation or prior history.

In the public safety field, one of the least addressed topics is the mental wellness of our responders. When tragedy and violence hit, we're the first to be there. Having to care for people when they are at their worst, and having to deal with the impact of the call, can take its toll.

This tends to impact the first responders in many different ways. These individuals might be the first people to see the tragedy but they are the last to admit that it has had any emotional or mental effect to them. So, when an outside group comes in to intervene or defuse the situation, there is resistance from the first responders

First responders tend to rely on their comrades in the field. When outside groups or people try to intervene, the responders tend to be reluctant to their offers of help. "You have no idea what we do" is usually the cause for reluctance.

This is why we created a peer-driven support group that we call the Horry County Crisis Intervention Team (CIT). The team is made up of 11 peer support members, four councilors, one training instructor and one chaplain.

The CIT is continuing to grow and manage all of its internal staff as well as other departments in the local area. They are also recruiting police and 911 dispatchers to round off the group. This will make the CIT very versatile.

Horry County Fire Rescue covers more than 1,134 square miles and responds to more than 42,000 calls per year. The department is made up of 275 full-time uniformed staff and 200 volunteers.

The CIT for Horry County is no stranger to unique and very stressful calls. Some of the calls that the CIT has had to intervene with have been:

• Horry County Fire Rescue roll-over engine call that had three firefighters and a lieutenant trapped
• Horry County Fire Rescue volunteer went into cardiac arrest during a medical call and had to be intervened by the same members who responded with him
• Horry County responded to a fellow firefighter's home, where he had already committed suicide. The crew prior to his shift from his own station responded
• Multiple child abuse calls; some with death as a result
• Multiple drowning calls involving children at local motel pools
• Motor vehicle accident deaths involving children and infants
• Multi- casualty incidents involving a large number of deaths

These are just some of the calls that have made an impact to Horry County Fire Rescue staff over the past couple of years. Those who responded to these have had the opportunity to get help from the CIT with positive results.

The CIT has also put together a White Paper to describe some of the statistics from the past three years. This paper will give other departments information in the field of crisis management so that they too can make their wellness program complete. Check it out here

People of St. Louis remain calm. This is not the apocalypse nor the end of civilization as we have come to know it. Albert Pujols has left the building. However, there is still a good team in town with great players.

It would seem the baseball great has signed a contract for many millions of dollars to play baseball with the Anaheim Angels during the next baseball season.

The contract is worth $240 million guaranteed, and incentives that are worth another $10 million. So, he could conceivably make $250 million over the next 10 years.

According to the LA Times, the contract is back-loaded and Pujols will make $12 million for the next season. Basically, $1 million a month.

Now what I find ironic about this is last year the St. Louis Cardinals baseball club made an offer, from what I have been able to gather, to Pujols somewhere in the neighborhood of $195 to $199 million for nine years.

However, at the beginning of last year, the City of St. Louis was grappling with the prospect of laying off 30 firefighters to cut $1 million dollars from the St. Louis Fire Dept. budget. This, by the way, is what Albert Pujols makes a month.

The point could immediately be made that I am comparing apples to aardvarks. That is a valid point and one I can't argue with.

I am comparing a municipal budget that relies on assessed property values and tax revenue to the finances of a professional sports team.

But I just can’t get past the irony of that whole thing. The Cardinals were willing to pay almost $200 million for a baseball player, but the city was going to lay off 30 firefighters to save $1 million. There is enough irony there to sink a battle ship.

I guess it's what is important to people. I don’t know many firefighters who make a million dollars a year. Firefighters take a lot of risks. You could include police officers in that also.

What about our armed forces? Young men and woman who go to foreign lands and get killed or maimed to protect the freedoms that allows me to sit here and write this.

I didn’t join the fire dept. to achieve rock star status or make as much money as the Buffets (Warren or Jimmy). I am glad because I would have been really disappointed.

And besides, what would I do with $250 million? We do need a new screen door. The wife wants hardwood flooring. I have a fishing reel that doesn’t retract line until you turn the handle a few times. I guess I might get crazy and have that fixed.

Now please, don't come away from this thinking I am anti Albert Pujols. Not at all. How could you not like him? A perennial all star, rookie of the year and more accolades than we have room for here.

He is the third of three players in the history of baseball to hit three home runs in a single World Series game. The other two being Babe Ruth and Reggie Jackson; you have heard of them.

In 2009, he was named Sports Illustrated Player of the Decade. He hit a home run in a playoff game in Houston that went so far so fast, the Strategic Air Command almost scrambled fighters to intercept it.

Mr. Pujols has been blessed with talent and ability that few have even come close to. He has made the most of it and now has a big payoff. That’s how it works.

If he came by the house and we got the screen door open, had a few beverages and played a couple of games of Pictionary, I bet he would be a fun guy.

Meanwhile, back in St. Louis, it appears the mayor and city are lining up to take a shot at the fire dept. pension. Oh gosh, I said it: the "P" word.

I would like to meet the person who sold our nation's fire service on the ridiculous concept that we should be able to retire. Come on. Seriously?

OK, firefighters work 25 years or longer in an occupation that is very dangerous. We work daily in toxic, explosive environments that might collapse at any moment in all kinds of weather and conditions.

We are exposed to every dangerous medical and transmittable blood borne disease known to man every day. This is, of course, on a good day.

We work holidays, birthdays, anniversaries and all kinds of firsts. We miss first fish, first steps, first words and others.

We are gone during times of disaster, leaving our families to spend our time protecting others who depend on us when they call 911.

We stand a better chance of contracting cancer or heart disease than the average citizen does of hearing Rick Perry saying something goofy at a presidential debate.

I will take out the word comfortable from my retirement wishes. I will give up the phrase "retire comfortably" and replace it with retire and survive.

I just want my pension to do more than pay for my insurance. But all over the country, pension and insurance benefits are being attacked. I really can't imagine me, with my limited social skills, being the Wal-Mart greeter.

I attended a CPR event the other night. A long beloved family member had taken their last breath. Our team of lifesavers intervened and delivered this person to the hospital with a self sustaining pulse.

They weren't asked to sign autographs. They didn’t get offers from other EMS services to come and work for them with a big raise.

I couldn't help but think had I stopped CPR for a moment to allow the computerized defibrillator to analyze the situation and had glanced over and seen Albert Pujols in the living room taking a couple of practice swings with his bat.

Would all of his millions helped? Probably not. I, of course, knocked over an end table and lamp.

In the opening paragraph, I encouraged the citizens of St. Louis to remain calm and even mentioned another team in St. Louis that has good players.

Not just the St. Louis Blues. I mean, of course, the St. Louis Fire Dept. Now there is a great team the public can get behind and support. They are not going to leave town. They will just show up when a person is having a bad day be it morning, noon or night, rain or shine.

Isn't St. Louis the place that went to all ladder trucks and quints years ago? I should have applied there; I could always be on the truck.

Good luck Albert and the St. Louis Fire Dept. They both have a lot ahead of them this year.

A Happy Ending…
I do like a happy ending. If you have followed the curious case of that fine American Battalion Chief John Grillone who got in trouble for singing the National Anthem there is good news. You can refresh yourself here. Chief Grillone has been returned to active duty in the 13th Battalion of the Philadelphia Fire Dept.

Believe me nobody is happier about this than me. I was about to go on a hunger strike over this issue.

As always let me hear from you…

Have you ever pondered the origin of the famous quote, "You want to have your cake and eat it, too?" No you say? Well, this sometimes misquoted proverb is from the work of an early English writer named John Heywood. What Mr. Heywood actually said was, "Would ye both eat your cake and have your cake?" But there are some cases where you can absolutely have the best of both.

In speaking with fire and EMS agencies about the Assistance to Firefighters Grant program, there is a great deal of confusion about just how many applications each eligible agency may submit in a given year. Some say one, others two.

Very rarely is the correct answer given. According to the 2008 published guidance for the Assistance to Firefighters Grant, each eligible agency may submit one application for each "program area" for a total of three.

The 2009 AFG workshop has not provided any information which would lead one to believe that there will be changes in this area. The three AFG program areas are:

• Fire/EMS Operations & Safety
• Fire/EMS Vehicle Acquisition
• Regional Projects

Each individual application is scored independently of the others, and submitting multiple applications will not affect an application's score. One caveat to this is any agency hosting/participating in a regional application is prohibited from requesting the same equipment as part its own application. Doing so will result in both applications being made ineligible.

Part of the 2008 AFG guidance reads:

In FY 2008, you may submit one application per application period in each of the program areas, (i.e., one application under Operations and Safety, one under Vehicle Acquisition, and/or a separate application as a regional host). If multiple applications are submitted on behalf of one organization within one of these program areas, either intentionally or unintentionally, we will deem all of that organization’s applications in that program area to be ineligible. For example, if any applicant submits two applications for Operations and Safety, both applications will be deemed ineligible.

Fire departments or nonaffiliated EMS organizations that will benefit from a regional project may also apply for funding under the AFG, as long as they are not requesting the same items as the host applicant for the regional project. For example, if a host applicant applies for a multi-jurisdictional communications project, a participating organization that will receive some of the communications equipment can apply for other needs as long as it does not apply for duplicative communications equipment. Host applicants MAY NOT apply to address other needs beyond the regional project on the regional application; however, a host applicant may submit a request to meet its own, non-regional needs in a separate application.

While the 2009 AFG guidance has not yet been published, workshops for the 2009 AFG program are ongoing. I would encourage you to attend, get the facts, and increase your chances for success in 2009!

Best of luck!

How many times have you been involved in a critique of an incident or training exercise and listened to participants complain about our number one issue in the fire service, communications?

Regardless of technological breakthroughs and the latest in digital communications, we still are plagued with communications issues. We have attempted to draw attention to this drawback in the acronym LCES:

Lookouts
Communications
Escape Routes
Safety Zones

While initially adopted in the wildland firefighting world, the acronym was quickly adopted by structural firefighters. While this is commendable, we still suffer with communications issues on all incidents, and our personnel, while well trained, still hit their heads against the communications wall.

There are various reasons, some simple, some more complex. Let us explore basic communications issues along with potential solutions.

Communications basics
Do you train your personnel to recognize communications blocks? Many fire academy classes utilize the old basic communications exercise where we whisper a message in one student's ear, and transfer to the next student and so on by whisper until we get to the last student and ask them to state what the message was.

You would be surprised by what comes out after going through 20 or 30 students. Is this an example of real world issues? Absolutely!

In the wildland fire world, we teach the 10 Standard Fire Orders and 18 Situations That Shout Watch Out.

These form the basis for LCES, and offer valuable insight to activities not just on wildland incidents, but other emergencies as well. Two of my favorite Fire Orders are:

1. Maintain prompt communications with your forces, your supervisor, and adjoining forces.
2. Give clear instructions and ensure they are understood.

This demonstrates our clear understanding of how important communications is to emergency services personnel. In the 18 Situations That Shout Watch Out, we have more examples of the need for communication:

1. Uninformed on strategy, tactics, and hazards.
2. Instructions and assignments not clear.
3. No communication link with crewmembers/supervisors.
4. Cannot see main fire, not in contact with anyone who can.

Out of the 28 total Fire Orders and Watch Out Situations, six cover communications, hence the "C" in LCES.

Training
We train our personnel to don and doff SCBAs in the dark, tie knots behind their back, couple and uncouple hose blindfolded, and perform a myriad of what we consider essential tasks in the dark.

Yet do we truly prepare them to COMMUNICATE? I fear not, and this is what is going to pose one of the most significant threats to our staff.

When you mention communications, the first thoughts revolve around radios, cell phones, microwave links, narrowband compliance, and other technical aspects.

What about BASIC communications. I have met and worked with individuals that can be characterized as poor communicators at best in the non-emergency world. This can translate to disaster on the fireground.

You may be surprised to learn how few of your firefighters know emergency communications signals such as evacuation signals or rope tugs during a structural search.

We all have portable radios, right? Wrong! I am still submitting grant applications for departments that lack sufficient portable radios and there are other departments struggling to meet narrowband radio requirements.

Have you ever had a portable radio malfunction? Have a battery go dead? In the industrial fire world, we struggle with communications during refinery fires or pipeline release due to loud noises that block communications.

Your firefighters and responders need basic communications training, or you are doing them not only a disservice, but you are risking their lives.

Take a few minutes at each training session to practice a form of communication. Instructors are taught to read body language of students, so you should be able to see if your students are uncomfortable or do not understand. Practice "OATH" rope signals:

One tug = OK
Two tug = Advance
Three tug = Take Up Slack
Four tug = Help

Practice hand signals used by your department, and evacuation signals and be sure that everyone understands what they mean.

Talk about emergency procedures of what to do when a portable radio fails, and review department SOPs.

Read, memorize and understand the 10 & 18, and how they apply to all firefighters, and the relationship between them and LCES. After dinner, in lieu of watching TV, take 10 minutes to review communications and discuss how your crew will adapt and overcome.

Communications do not need to be a negative aspect of emergency services. Think of the sense of accomplishment at your next critique when you get to say, "Well, when everything else went badly, our communications was GREAT!"

Does your department have exercises that you use to improve communications? If so, share them so others can learn.

Until next time, stay safe!

As 2011 ended, we marked the 40th anniversary of one of the most influential pieces of legislation involving the nation's fire service. In 1971, the United States Congress appropriated funding to establish the National Commission on Fire Prevention and Control. Up to this point, subjects such as fire suppression, fire prevention and related topics were perceived not to be a national problem but a local issue.

After two years of work, the Commission released its report entitled "America Burning." The report was groundbreaking for its time. It called for a national fire academy, the development and enforcement of uniform building codes and the establishment of a national fire administration, along with other initiatives. The report estimated that 12,000 people were dying annually as the result of fires in this nation.

"America Burning" also recommended that more emphasis be placed on fire prevention, increased training of fire service personnel and educating the public about fire safety.

In 1987, the USFA convened a workshop to examine the changes that had taken place as a result of the Commission's recommendations and to develop plans for the fire service that would take us into the 21st century.

In 1999, President Clinton appointed a panel "to reexamine the evolving role of the fire services in the safety and sustainability of today's American communities." The commission's report reached two major conclusions:

1. "The frequency and severity of fires in America is a result of our nation's failure to adequately apply and fund known loss reduction strategies. The primary responsibility for fire prevention, suppression and action on other hazards dealt with by the fire services properly rests with state and local government. Nevertheless, a substantial role exists for the federal government in funding and technical support."

2. The panel's chair, George K. Bernstein, stated, "Until the USFA is empowered by funding and staffing to truly become the leader in our nation's firefighting efforts, unless the fire services are adequately funded, and unless local communities enforce known fire preventive and suppression measures, the establishment of this commission and its efforts to develop recommendations will have been an exercise in futility."

The reason I have given you this historical information is because it appears that the current congressional leadership is about to diverge from this four-decade-old policy. Recently the U.S. House and Senate passed the Fiscal Year 2012 Appropriations Plan.

The 2012 spending plan lowers the amount of funding for the AFG and SAFER programs to $337.5 million. This is a collective reduction of $135 million from FY 2011, when both programs were funded at $405 million. The USFA is cut by $1.5 million, and the program's budget is now more than 40 percent less than it was in 2002.

Congress further reduced the amount available to other Homeland Security Initiatives, including Urban Areas Security Initiative, the State Homeland Security Grant Program and Citizen Corps. These programs were cut by nearly 50 percent from their 2011 funding levels.

We have made substantial progress in the fire service in America since the National Commission on Fire Prevention and Control first issued its report. Civilian fire deaths have decreased by 66 percent, and firefighter fatalities have dropped from 157 to 87 in 2010.

At the same time, the number of calls answered by our nation's firefighters has continued to increase. Now a fire call is received every 1.18 seconds in our country. Also, the number of firefighters answering these alarms has been drastically reduced.

In particular, the number of volunteer firefighters in this country has dropped by 10 percent in the past 25 years. During that same time, the average age of volunteer firefighters has increased dramatically. In 2009, the percentage of volunteer firefighters over the age of 50 was 21.8 percent; this is nearly double the amount it was just 12 years earlier.

The fire service in America needs to respond to related cuts in the federal budget, and we need to do it quickly. In the time it took you to read this article, fire departments in our nation responded to nearly 200 alarms.

We need to tell our federal legislators that the foundation laid by the Commission on Fire Prevention and Control needs to be supported and built upon rather than destroyed. We need to tell them that programs like AFG, SAFER and the Fire Prevention and Safety Grants are working and now is not the time to take steps backward.

By Bob Smith
Director of Strategic Development, APCO International

It's 0300 hours, you're in the front right seat of the first due engine on a multi-story residential structure fire with several exposures. As you climb out of the truck and start your size-up you've got about 10,000 things going through your head.

How many personnel are responding to this fire? Is that enough? What units are responding? Is that enough? Should I call for an additional alarm? Or two? Where should I position the ladder when it gets here? And dozens more. The number and complexity of those things you'll need to consider won't really start to dwindle until the clean-up is over and units are returning to the station.

One of the many things being considered during this process is that of personnel accountability. Who's on the scene, where are they and what are they doing? Another issue is incident development. How long has this fire been burning? How long have we been at this offensive interior attack? Is it time to switch tactics to a defensive exterior attack?

Well let's take a moment to discuss an often overlooked resource that can assist an incident commander with personnel accountability and monitoring incident progress — the communications center. An adequately trained and staffed comm center can assist incident commanders in a multitude of areas beyond the traditional dispatch, information management and resource tracking.

PARs in the fire service
Let's start with accountability. Conducting personnel accountability reports (PAR) during an event of any size has become second nature to the fire service. Effective department accountability programs should incorporate PARs on incidents of any size and of any nature.

A PAR is a tool that allows incident commanders to ensure all personnel on scene are safe and accounted for. This action can easily be carried out by the comm center and many jurisdictions have done just that by training their comm center personnel on how to conduct PARs and how to relay the PAR's findings to the IC. One less action needed to be carried out by the IC.

Another tool that comm centers can provide an IC to assist with personnel safety are regular time checks during an incident. Time checks can be designed so that beginning at a certain point in the incident — say 10 minutes after the first unit arrives on scene or the IC announces that knockdown has begun — the comm center staff will notify the IC every 10 to 20 minutes.

We all know that 10 minutes worth of free burning in a traditional structure fire can make the difference between a successful knockdown and leaving nothing but the foundation. Also, most departments have limits to the amount of time they will allow personnel to remain inside a building during interior attack modes.

This "heads up" from the comm center allows the IC to monitor the passage of time during an incident without having to actually watch a clock themselves. One less action needed to be carried out by the IC.

Emergency evacuations
Another area that allows for comm centers to assist ICs during an incident is playing a role in a department's emergency evacuation process. Many agencies across the country have developed emergency evacuation plans that incorporate steps such as having the comm center make evacuation announcements over primary and tactical channels and even activating pagers and radio alerts on scene.

To accomplish this, the comm center personnel must be trained in the department's evacuation plan and the plan must be tested regularly. In addition, comm centers that serve multiple fire departments should encourage all departments to adopt similar evacuation procedures to prevent confusion should a department need an evacuation announcement made during an incident.

All of these actions combined with routine responder safety actions such as monitoring the radio for Mayday calls or other unexpected traffic can increase the level of service and assistance your local comm center can provide to your department.

To accomplish this though, the comm center must have a highly trained and professional staff equipped with the most current tools and resources available. It is the responsibility of every firefighter and officer to encourage your local comm center to ensure their personnel are trained and equipped to the highest level. Because as the old saying goes, "the life you save may be your own."

Photo Lfbphotos.com
A wheeled escape ladder is used in the 1800s in London.
View slideshow of vintage LFB photos

In the early days of organized firefighting in the UK, there were firemen who manned the manual pumps and escape men who manned "street fire escapes." These were 50ft wheeled ladders that were strategically located on street corners with a watchman who, with the help of passers-by, would wheel a ladder to rescue those trapped within the burning building.

As technology improved, these hearty crews combined into organized forces summoned to deal with outbreaks of fire. In London, it became the London Fire Engine Establishment (est. 1833), which then became the Metropolitan Fire Brigade (1866) before finally in 1889 being renamed as the London Fire Brigade. Rescue was carried out until 1867 by members of the Royal Society for the Protection of Life from Fire. In essence, early organized firefighting and rescue in England's capital was carried out in a manner similar to that recognized today only in the United States and Canada — namely engine men carrying out the firefighting and ladder men carrying out the rescue work.

When the MFB was formed in 1866, the role of the RSPLF was amalgamated into it — and so MFB men then manned the escape ladders at the regular MFB fire stations. It meant the role of separate engine and ladder disciplines was snuffed out in its infancy in the UK. This is pretty much the norm around the world now, with the exception of North America.

Back in those days, technology was always evolving. Steam pumps and longer ladders were being drawn by horses, which themselves were all but replaced my motor-powered fire engines by the early 1920s. London had a significant modern well equipped fire brigade. As well as regular pumps, there were those able to carry the 50ft Escape Ladder and Pump Escapes.

Rescue Machine
Even in the London Fire Brigade of today, we differentiate between Pump Ladders and Pumps; identical vehicles but one carries a larger 45ft ladder and additional hydraulic rescue equipment always known as the Rescue Machine, while the Pump carries a shorter 35ft ladder. The Pump is still known as the workhorse because it is first due on all calls including minor fires and special services whereas the Pump Ladder only turns out on calls to fire in property and larger special service calls such as car crashes, HazMat, etc.

Most towns and cities back then had a number of stations equipped with motorized Pumps and also a Turntable Ladder at every couple of stations. Therefore, at that time there was a good balance of Aerials to Pumps often on a one:two basis. They were deployed along with the Pumps to all fires in buildings and were often elevated along with escape ladders to the higher windows of buildings to facilitate rescue or egress for fire crews going deep into the building to tackle the blaze.

When buildings were well alight, they provided an excellent vantage point to launch a number of powerful jets of water onto the burning building from above. In the days before modern fire precautions and inbuilt fire protection systems, the UK’s Aerial Ladders were witnesses to thousands of daring rescues of people trapped at windows and roofways beyond the reach of ground ladders.

World War II was a time when the UK's aerial fleet was at its peak. With our towns, cities and ports being bombed into massive conflagrations night after night, brave wartime firefighters, their numbers swollen many times over by auxiliaries fought these blazes from the street, the roofs of adjoining buildings and most frequently perched at the top of a 100ft Turntable Ladder. The government bought many of these for the fire service, which by that time had been nationalized for efficiency to enable large forces of firefighters and equipment to be mobilized across the UK. Ironically, many of them were the German Metz and Magirus models as well as the British Merryweather's that were made in London.

Post-war sell off
Following the war the National Fire Service was disbanded and returned to local control. Although many Aerials from World War II were sold off or scrapped in the years that followed, most UK fire brigades still kept a lot of Aerial appliances. In London for example we had almost 40 aerials across the Brigade in 1965, with one at every other station in the centre of London. During this period, with a shocking number of tragic fires in hotels, hostels, boarding houses, mills and factories, our Aerials were still being used for firefighting and rescues with alarming regularity.

By the 1970s, newer technology was coming on the scene in the shape of the Hydraulic Platform or "Snorkel." This proved to be a much more stable working platform with its cage and high powered monitor and were ideal for large fires in warehouses or industrial buildings, but they did not have the speed of deployment of the TLs and were not as versatile for rescue work. London remained staunch and true to its "can do" reputation as an aggressive, busy World Class Fire Brigade and by the end of the decade had only two HP's among its still considerable fleet of Aerial apparatus.

The following decade marked, in my opinion, the beginning of the end of the Aerial in the UK. Breathing apparatus was by then very simple to use with self contained compressed air BA being far easier to service than the complex oxygen re-breather sets of previous generations. The ascendancy of the Multi-Stage Pump gave us the very effective and quick to deploy high-pressure hose reel, so fire crews were now getting in quicker and further than the hearty old smoke-eaters of days gone by.

Eighty-five percent of fires in the UK were and still are fought internally by BA crews and because the UK — like most of the world outside of North America — doesn't practice much in the way of pre-attack ventilation due to construction methods and materials, the scope for Aerials was fast diminishing. With statistically only 15 percent of fires being fought defensively, people were also forgetting how to use Aerials.

By Bryan Jack

The Fire Prevention and Safety grant program (part of AFG) is officially in full swing. Guidance was released a week ago and the application process opened on January 3 and will close on February 4.

If you haven't done your homework, completed your pre-planning and reviewed this year's guidance, then you are already behind the eight ball.

To help prompt you into action I'll highlight some of the aspects of this year's program that you will need to focus on when preparing your grant application and narrative.

There have only been a few small changes to this year's grant guidance and priorities, so those of you that applied last year or read last year's guidance are one step ahead.

The most noticeable change is that last year DHS was required to appropriate $28 million to prevention and safety and this year they were only required to dedicate $19.5 million.

The good news for all is that this year's program is funded at $35 million ($15.5 million more than the $19.5 million it is required to be funded at).

This increase in funding reinforces the critical importance of designing, implementing and improving fire prevention and safety programs throughout the county.

Your agency should make fire prevention education and public safety outreach a priority. AFG is providing a means to assist you with your fire prevention goals, all you have to do is apply!

If you haven't read and reviewed this year's FP&S Guidance and Application Kit you should.

This document explains all of the requirements and details about applying for the grant.

It covers topics such as: funding priorities, eligibility, allowable projects, cost share, application review and selection, and administrative procedures.

Essentially, your first step after reviewing the guidance document should be to identify which portion of the program your agency will apply for — "Fire Prevention and Safety" or "Firefighter Safety, Research and Development." (Eligible applicants for the latter are restricted to public health, occupational health and injury prevention institutions.)

I will assume that the majority of you will be applying under "Fire Prevention and Safety."

Next, you need to identify the type of project that you want to fund.

Your identified project should be based on an identified issue and needs to have an achievable and measurable goal/outcome. Some eligible projects include:

• Smoke alarm programs
• Residential sprinkler awareness programs
• Public safety education programs
• Wildfire prevention programs
• Juvenile fire setter projects
• Code enforcement
• Fire and arson investigation
• Many, many more

After you have identified your project you should start the application process. This process is conducted through the federal firegrantsupport.com website.

The application includes standard fill-in-the-blank and check-box data and also requires a narrative statement.

Some of the data that you need to have compiled for the application includes: general department information (career or volunteer, how you are funded, number of personnel, apparatus), call volumes by type for the past several years, types of calls you respond to, etc.

The application will take several hours to complete and the narrative should be drafted and refined over several weeks.

From the narrative viewpoint here are some things to remember to include:

Trends and needs
The first steps in designing a successful program are to identify the trends and needs of the area that you serve.

The only way to determine what your needs are, is to identify and review local and internal data. Start by reviewing your internal call data.

What types of incidents do you respond to and which incidents do you respond to most frequently? Is there a reason these incidents are occurring, and is there a way to prevent them from happening?

You need to identify what the local issues are and then devise a plan to correct those issues.

Population and demographics
After you have identified the local issues, you need to identify the population group that these issues are impacting.

For example, do you serve a community filled with school aged children, young professionals, or a retirement community?

Chances are that you have some of all the categories, but if you look at the available data you may find one group that stands out.

Solutions
You have identified the issues and analyzed the call trends, population and demographics of your service area. Now it is time to brainstorm some solutions.

Remember, there are always multiple ways to achieve your goals, so don't get tunnel vision on just one solution.

Just pick a fire prevention or safety project that addresses your identified problem/need (based on local data) and can meet an identified goal or outcome and then apply for funding.

By Kenneth Heard
Fairfax County, V Radio Center

When Izard County (AR) Judge Rayburn Finley's grandson was injured in a four-wheeler accident last summer, Finley instinctively dialed 9-1-1 on his cellular telephone. But instead of reaching his county's dispatch center some five miles away, Finley spoke with a dispatcher in neighboring Sharp County more than 25 miles away.

Photo 9-1-1 Magazine
Izard County dispatcher Shane Farmer uses Google Earth on his computer to pinpoint locations of 9-1-1 callers using cellular telephones. Access to online sites like that, in addition to the inherent capabilities of the agency's new Vesta Pallas 9-1-1 system, give dispatchers an information edge they can pass on to responders.

Because Izard County didn't have Enhanced-9-1-1 service, cellular telephone calls were diverted to surrounding counties that have the service. Rayburn's grandson was not seriously injured, but the response time was delayed as Sharp County dispatchers had to call Izard County to send emergency help.

Now, the rural county has joined the legion of other Arkansas counties in upgrading its emergency services. It will be the first time the county has any 9-1-1 service. In the past, emergency calls were fielded by dispatchers for the sheriff's office, assessed by priorities and then sent by radio communications to whichever deputy was patrolling the closest to the call. Izard County officials have installed the AT&T Vesta Pallas 2.3 system and hope to be fully operational by the first of 2009, enabling dispatchers a way to handle cellular calls. The PBX-based system provides such services as mapping, incident tracking, Computer Aided Dispatch, digital logging, and third-party applications.

The system can also handle administrative duties such as receiving faxes, voice mail, prerecorded messaging, and routing. Dispatchers began training in the first week of October after the system was installed in September; AT&T representatives conducted brief, but successful, field tests to try out the new system a week later.
A majority of emergency calls come from cellular telephones, Izard County Sheriff Tate Lawrence said, because the county's rural roads are well traveled.

"We're a very rural county," Lawrence said of the 13,249 who live there. "We're challenged to protect the lives of everyone here. This will help us do that."

The county hopes to add landline telephones to the system in early 2009. Horseshoe Bend, a town of about 2,500 in eastern Izard County is a retirement community; Lawrence said a 9-1-1 system for home telephones in that town will assist those with medical emergencies. The county received the Vesta system with a $100,000 grant from the Arkansas Commercial Mobile Radio Services/Emergency System Telephone Board.

Cellular telephone customers in Arkansas pay a 50-cent surcharge on their monthly bills to help fund such grants. The money is disbursed based on needs to counties which apply for the grants, said Renee Pressler, a spokesman for the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management.

"The grants have helped a lot of counties who couldn't otherwise afford such services," she said.

In a move to help strengthen the fund, Arkansas Attorney General Dustin McDaniel ruled in November 2007 that prepaid cellular telephone services had to pay the monthly fees for its customers as well. He ruled that "commercial mobile radio service included any wireless two-way communication device, including ... cellular telephone service, personal communication service, or a network radio access line."

Of the 75 Arkansas counties, only two now do not have the Enhanced-9-1-1 system in place. Calhoun County in southern Arkansas plans on installing one in 2009; Newton County, one of the most rural Arkansas counties in the northwest portion of the state, has no plans for such a system.

In Izard County, four dispatchers rotate 12-hour shifts. A part-time employee and a jailer help during busy times, said Dispatch Center Administrator Cathy Schaufler.

The center averages only seven to 10 calls per shift, she said. But each call could be a life-and-death situation and time is critical, she added. "In the past, we've had people call and say, 'I don't know where I'm really at,'" Schaufler said. "They may be nervous, or hurt, or excited. We can pinpoint their calls without them stuttering around."In Izard County, cellular telephone calls were picked up by Sharp County to the east, Independence County to the south, Stone County to west, or Fulton County to the north.

"Our system was nothing more than a telephone system with caller ID," Lawrence said. "This system will give us mapping capabilities, and we'll send that information to our deputies' computers in their patrol units."

The Izard County dispatch room is located in the center of the sheriff's department and the detention center. There are two terminals at a work station along with several video monitors that's how scenes of the jail cells.

Dispatcher Shane Farmer worked at one terminal during a day shift recently and showed the locations of recent calls. The system incorporates Google Earth, a satellite mapping system that allows computer users to see actual aerial photographs of land. He zoomed in on the detention center and showed the winding roads that traverse through the county.

Dispatchers have already received some cellular telephone calls through the system. Cellular telephones that have service with AT&T and Cingular Wireless are already online, Schaufler said. Other services such as Sprint and Verizon are expected to be accessible by early 2009, she said.

The Vesta system was delivered to Izard County on September 11. It was fitting, Schaufler said, because the date and the service they added shared the same digits – 9-1-1. "I thought that was really appropriate," she said.

The Vesta system is stacked on a six-foot-high metal rack in a storage room near the center of the facility. Schaufler's office is nearby. She hopes to add digital recording equipment by the end of the year. The extra equipment needed to handle landline telephones can be added to the rack easily, she said.

Meanwhile, County Judge Finley is overseeing the county's conversion to physically addressing every street and road in the county to be ready for the full 9-1-1 conversion.

"We'll put every address on our Global Positioning Systems," he said." A lot of people have lived in [rural] areas here all their lives and they've never had street addresses.

"This is going to be a huge benefit for every person in our county," he said. The county has more than 2,500 miles of gravel road, Lawrence said. There are only 10 deputies working for the sheriff's office who protect nearly 550 square miles.

The county is diverse in its topography, too, he said. The White River, which is prone to dangerous flooding in the spring, edges the county on the west and south. Hilly terrain and lonely, curvy roads make up most of the county, making it rife for vehicle accidents. Deputies were delayed early this spring when responding to a vehicular accident because the caller did could not pinpoint where the incident occurred. A car traveling on Arkansas Highway 56 left the road one night in April, Lawrence said. A woman spotted the accident and dialed 9-1-1 on her cellular telephone.

The woman saw a road sign indicating the Izard County town of Franklin was ahead and mistakenly thought she was already in Franklin. Her emergency call went to Sharp County where dispatchers forwarded it to Izard County.

After searching near Franklin, Izard County dispatchers finally found that the accident occurred across the county line in Sharp County and notified authorities there again with the correct location. The vehicle's driver was not seriously injured, but had he been, the time it took to sort out the accident location would have been critical, Lawrence said.

The new system would have greatly benefited Izard County deputies last February when a devastating tornado packing winds in excess of 100 miles per hour ripped through the center of the county.

Two people were killed when the twister struck Zion, about five miles south of Melbourne and the county's dispatch center. A second twister ripped through Ash Flat and Highland in Sharp County, tying up dispatchers for hours.

"It was total confusion," Finley, who lives in Zion, said of the emergency response. "It was awful. A lot of the [cellular telephone] towers were downed, but some people could call out."

He said he drove the rural roads around Zion with a chainsaw, cutting toppled trees out of the way so ambulances and emergency personnel could drive to the scene.

"We were hauling people out of house one after another. Sometimes ambulances took two or three at a time," Schaufler said. "With this system, when people call in trouble, we can find them," Finley added. Lawrence said deputies' computer terminals in their patrol units will be equipped with a program to help locate callers' locations once the system is fully incorporated. The terminals will use both mapping and Google Earth.

"We'll be able to pinpoint people now," he said. "It will be one step further in helping our people.

"It will eliminate a lot of confusion," he added. "Before, when someone called in, we would try to get them to describe their location as best they could. The problem was enhanced at night when everything looks the same.

"Now we can get there quicker and we'll definitely save lives," he said.

Kenneth Heard is the Jonesboro News Bureau chief for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

This article first appeared in the January/February 2009 issue of 9-1-1 MAGAZINE. 9-1-1 MAGAZINE is the magazine for the emergency communications and response industry, serving law enforcement, fire, and emergency medical services. 9-1-1 MAGAZINE provides valuable information to readers in all aspects of the public safety communications and response community. Visit 9-1-1 MAGAZINE online at www.9-1-1magazine.com.

By Bill Delaney

Reactions to Lt. Ray McCormack's speech at FDIC were varied, with people picking sides — sometimes very emotionally.

My own take on the speech was somewhere in the middle. He never said do not be safe. I think he was really trying to say he fears we are taking the "be safe" component to an extreme. He has stirred a good debate and I applaud him for having the conviction to stand up for his beliefs.

But the one big thing that was missing from all of the discussion that followed the speech, and seemingly absent from all fire service debates/discussions, is the bastard child of the fire service: the culture of prevention.

You know, that annoying little member of our family who we always try to make sure is relatively unseen and certainly never heard from? After all, most of the debate related to "The Speech" does not happen if the fire, gasp, is prevented and never happens in the first place!

There is much national gnawing and gnashing of the teeth as staffing on trucks are being reduced, stations closed, revolving station closures, etc. amidst the current economic climate.

No doubt we should be screaming from the highest mountain tops about all of that as it does involve the wellbeing of our people and those we serve. We are, however, eerily quiet when it comes to public educators and other "prevention" components of our service when they get cut.

Why is this? Well, for me, it is because we DO have a culture of extinguishment! That is where Lt. McCormack was all wrong in his speech. The culture of extinguishment is more than alive and well and probably always will be in a vast majority of departments in the United States.

Don't believe me? Take a look at your own department's budget priorities. Next, look at the departments around you. In the Washington, D.C.–Metro area, we have two departments that now have no public educators and three that cut staffing by more than 50 percent.

Meanwhile, one that has taken its few remaining educators and trained them as inspectors and let them know that most of their duties will fall under revenue generating inspections. I will admit that the last one at least has a prevention component to it so not all is lost.

The old adage is that you cut what you do not perceive to be the greatest value. Fortunately my chief values our risk reduction efforts (as well as firefighter safety) and let it be known that cutting our public education staff is not even an option for discussion.

But actions speak louder than words and the vast majority of departments across our great land have spoken. The proponents of the speech can rest easy — I firmly believe that the culture of extinguishment is alive and well in our great country!