Apparatus and Common Sense
DEPARTMENTS
Volunteers Corner
The volunteer fire service encompasses a multitude of skills, all bringing with them “tools of the trade.” While these tools of the trade allow us to perform our jobs efficiently, only common sense, job knowledge, and a commitment to safety can reduce personal injuries. For example, the welder would never think of starting a job without donning a mask to protect his eyes, nor would an auto mechanic repair a gasoline tank that was not properly purged. If you ask them why, they will tell you that it’s just common sense. They would cite almost immediately five or six serious injuries that occurred because someone who “should have known better” took a shortcut or decided that it was just too hot to wear his protective clothing.
Many accidents happen in our normal workplace because the job has been done a thousand times without incident. Complacency worms its way in and emergency rooms become overcrowded.
What is the most common tool we have in the fire service? The apparatus.
The apparatus has a dual function. First, it is a personnel carrier; second, it has a specific function to perform on the fireground (pumping, laddering, lighting, etc.). This month, let’s deal with what should be the primary consideration in the use of any tool— safety.
Driving a fire truck is unlike any other type of driving experience, either commercial or recreational. An air of urgency surrounds you as your adrenaline is on the rise. Sirens, air horns, radios, traffic, shifting, red lights, children running out to see the big truck, correct position and operation, five friends on the back step. A lot of responsibility? Damn right. But this responsibility can and must be met in a mature, professional manner.
How do we make someone a fire chauffeur? Let’s begin in the classroom because much can be accomplished before starting the rig.
The first thing I tell prospective chauffeurs is that while the truck is on the road, the chauffeur’s function is to drive, not to blow the siren, sound the air horn, or operate the radio. These duties belong to the officer or other member who assumes the front seat responsibility. A non-humorous cartoon depicting this scenario would show a well-meaning firefighter behind the wheel with a microphone cord around his neck, his left hand on the air horn button, his right hand on the shift lever, and his fire truck around a tree. Well meaning? Yes. Misguided? Definitely.
The alerting devices are used to warn motorists of our approach and to allow them ample time to yield us the right of way. These devices are most important at intersections, and it is in the intersection where the chauffeur’s job is the most difficult.
Civilians do the craziest things at intersections. Some will try to outrun you. Some desperately try to move. The old ladies freeze. And the wise guys want you to push them through the light. A truck at the corner may block the vision of motorists and/or pedestrians coming from the cross street. All these possibilities must be anticipated and dealt with by the chauffeur, whose total concentration should be on the moves he is now making and looking for the next obstacle—not for the siren button.
Receiving orders via radio is the officer’s job, although the driver will hear most transmissions. The officer should, by habit, repeat them to the chauffeur at an appropriate time. This will do two things: First, it will assure compliance of the order, and second, it will tell the chauffeur that even if he misses something, you are keeping him informed.
The training classroom should also deal with:
- Normal rules of the road. If a defensive driving course is available in your area, make arrangements for it to be delivered at your training facility. This course is good for your training records, and the successful completion of the course can reduce your members’ private insurance costs.
- Emergency vehicle rules of the road. We must be aware of considerations such as acceptable speed vs. breaking ability, the open road vs. residential or downtown areas, the bright sunny day vs. the day when it rains or snows, etc.
- Traffic signals. Red lights, stop and yield signs all require our compliance. And only when everyone has given us the right of way can we proceed.
It should be remembered that the people who we want the right of way from must see us, hear us, and have time to react to us.
The other day I stopped at a red light. A car pulled up next to me playing a radio that was so loud I couldn’t hear my own radio. Although we can’t tell people to lower the volume, we must realize that these jerks are out there, oblivious to everything. We must also be aware of the hearing impaired, the physically handicapped, and the just generally nervous.
Although time is an extremely important factor in our profession, it must be remembered that we have to get there to be effective; and having an accident helps no one. Reasonable expediency is expected, common sense is a necessity, and the grey matter between our ears, a very important tool of our trade, must be engaged.
Now, go downstairs and show them how to start the motor.
