I liked “Flyboys and Fire Trucks” (Editor’s Opinion, September 2010). There are 60 stations in my fire coordination district, and half of them have banged-up door openings, either from backing up without a spotter (probably the most common cause), snagging a mirror, or failing to close apparatus compartment doors. That’s the reason I recommend roll-up doors for the new apparatus when I am asked to help spec the new apparatus. This will keep them from hitting the bay doors, but I’m still thinking about how to keep the stuff in the compartment from falling out if they forget to roll the door down.
Charlie Enlow
Rural Fire Defense Coordinator
OK Economic Development Authority
Beaver, Oklahoma
I just read “Flyboys and Fire Trucks.” Regarding the use of checklists as in the aviation industry, I have had a similar idea. I don’t know why we don’t use “prerun” checklists in the fire service. I fly a 737 on a simulator for “fun” and always complete my checklists prior to flight. Why don’t we do this in the fire service?
Lee Sagert
Lethbridge Fire & Emergency Services
Alberta, Canada
The use of checklists to avoid “stupid” mistakes, proposed in September’s Editor’s Opinion, is a great idea. I say mistakes because it is no accident when these things happen. All damage caused in this manner is preventable, as are many other types of situations we get ourselves into every day. The aviation community long ago adopted Crew Resource Management, or CRM. This approach uses all of the crew to avoid serious or potentially fatal mistakes. Bobby Halton’s checklist is a start in using this concept, which has been used in small measure by our industrial sector. It is time we apply the principles of CRM to all hazardous situations we encounter, not just driving the engine or truck. If it works for flyboys, it will work for us.
Clayton Thomas
Engineer
Penn Valley Fire District, California
FE articles, “wow!”
TheFire Engineering team is making real changes with the magazine. Recent articles with action-oriented exercises are thought provoking and timely. School is never out for firefighting. After 40-plus years, it’s great to see authors challenge skills development, tasks, and decision making and putting all that we know in context.
Keep up the great work. Fire Engineering is saving lives out there.
Tom Schwartz
Melfa, Virginia
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