FIRE DEPARTMENT INSTRUCTORS CONFRENCE HIGHLIGHTS
The 1995 Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC), sponsored by the Alliance for Fire and Emergency Management, was held in Indianapolis, Indiana, February 1-8. Following is just a sample of the many seminars and programs presented.
McLean Stevenson, the national chairman of the Children`s Burn Foundation, spokesperson for First Alert brand home safety products, and a former star of the hit comedy series “M*A*S*H,” was the keynote speaker. Stevenson, who was badly burned when he was six years old, noted that, “combining his acting talent with helping children by educating the public about fire safety and burn prevention is truly rewarding.”
Michael F. Staley, of Golden Hour Motivational Resources in Port Orange, Florida, was a main program speaker. Formerly a fire rescue officer who was seriously injured while treating a victim at the Daytona International Speedway, he devotes his energy to “igniting the inner being of others.” His objective is to motivate fire service members to advance to the next step of accomplishment they are capable of achieving through insightful high-powered messages of focus, power, team building, and personal and professional development. He offered the following tips on evaluation:
1. Master the rules. Learn your evaluation process, recognize the individuality of your evaluator, and join the team.
2. Establish your identity. Look in a mirror and discover the positive vs. the negative.
3. Utilize your resources. Call into action supervisors, peers, subordinates; make a map you can follow; and share your goals.
4. Talk the talk…walk the walk. Show me, don`t tell me; be enthusiastic; and share your wealth.
5. Chart your achievements. Document everything, review your map, and make service–not success–your aim.
Carrye B. Brown, administrator of the U.S. Fire Administration and former member of the Science Subcommittee of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, presented “A Report on the Federal Fire Programs.”
In “Designing Fire Department Vehicles to Fit Department Needs,” Chief Kevin D. Hardwick of the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport Fire Department, related his recent experiences in purchasing apparatus for his department. Covered in his presentation were the areas of needs analysis based on the response area and type of jurisdiction, selection of an apparatus committee, funding sources, evaluation of current apparatus and features of new-generation vehicles, tips on writing specifications, working with manufacturers, performing factory inspections, and training with the new apparatus.
Allen W. Baldwin, fire marshal of the Town of McCandless, Pennsylvania, walked attendees through procedures for reviewing and comparing various apparatus replacement and funding programs and developing and implementing a replacement program in “Establishing a Fire Apparatus Replacement and Funding Program.” Among the topics covered were developing an apparatus roster; reviewing current apparatus replacement policies; deciding which apparatus to replace; categorizing vehicles by use/duty/purpose; considering the ISO rating; obtaining outside evaluations; prioritizing replacements; considering refurbishing or purchasing used apparatus; reviewing service area and exposures; master planning; codes and development guidelines; base apparatus specifications; apparatus life outside the fire department, vehicle rotation; reserve apparatus programs; funding; and current trends in apparatus replacement.
“The basic premise of the Quint Concept is to develop a system of flexible response around quintuple combination apparatus,” noted Gregg Gerner & Frank Schaper, managing members of St. Louis Quint Concepts, St. Louis, Missouri, in the seminar “The Total Quint Concept.” They addressed the benefits of the concept and the results of its use in the St. Louis metro area. According to the presenters, “The quint concept will give departments the capability to have individual companies efficiently handle the diverse emergency situations with which they will be faced in the future.” Apparatus, they said, must be equipped with engine, truck, and rescue capabilities (including EMS) and all personnel must be trained to perform proficiently in all the basic emergency scene operations.
A glimpse at some of the apparatus features/options in use outside of the United States was provided through a slide presentation of a wide array of apparatus displayed at the Interschutz Exposition, held in Germany in August 1994, by Bob Barraclough, vice president of Span Instruments, and Gene Carlson, director of international marketing of Oklahoma State University`s Fire Protection Publications. Features/options shown included pull-out shelves in compartments, sliding and hinged equipment mounting boards, and wheeled carts to move equipment closer to the incident. Also shown were advanced apparatus in use and under development in Japan, including the extensive use of track-driven robots for firefighting; the prototype of an urban high-rise firefighting helicopter; and a rescue-climber robot that can climb the outside wall of a high-rise building using suction pads.
In “What Independent Certification of Fire Fighter Protective Equipment and Clothing Means to the Fire Service Community,” Patricia A. Gleason, president of the Safety Equipment Institute, and Bob O`Gorman, of ETL Testing Laboratories, addressed the benefits of third-party certification (required in all fire service protective equipment and clothing standards developed by the National Fire Protection Association). O`Gorman explained how products are tested at the lab to determine conformance to standards. Also covered were the steps involved in the certification process and quality assurance.
William Tackett, chief communications officer for the Willoughby (OH) Fire Department, demonstrated in the “How to Get the Public and the Politicians on Your Side in Just 12 Minutes” seminar how a well-constructed videotape can enhance a fire department`s image and tell “who we are and what we do in an entertaining way.” Among the pointers he offered for creating such a tape were the following:
1. Start with a clear and simple one-sentence objective.
2. Determine the target audience (general public and local governing politicians).
3. Identify examples of your department`s strengths and assets suitable for video (fire suppression, rescue, fire prevention, public education, for example).
4. Identify available local resources for creative and technical expertise and equipment such as local TV stations and cable companies, libraries, adult education classes, other government agencies, and your own department.
5. Create a script and storyboard that tells who, what, where, when, and how.
Peter Tom, Ed.D., president of Emergency Management Solutions, Inc., emphasized in the “Computerizing the Fire Service” seminar that, “The widespread use of the computer in the fire service is inevitable. Anytime you want anything these days, you have to prove it. The demands and pressures on the fire service to produce more data at a much faster rate than ever before are becoming overwhelming.” He added that, a lack of computer literacy among members of the fire service has prevented computers from getting into the hands of the firefighter. Among the material covered was an overview of computer hardware and software.
In “Data Collection for the Fire Service,” Peter Tom, Ed.D., president of Emergency Management Solutions, Inc., and Jeffrey Gore, M.A., captain of the Trenton (NJ) Fire Department, discussed methodology for conducting “solid” research. The first step, they said, “is to know what questions you wish to answer and what data will satisfactorily answer these questions.”
Mary K. Marchone, fire education specialist for the Montgomery County Department of Fire and Rescue Services in Rockville, Maryland, gave suggestions for “Designing [injury-prevention] Programs That Really Work.” The key elements of an injury-prevention program and how to apply the program to the community were covered. “By developing programs that have goals and objectives, appropriate interventions, and a way to evaluate, we will be able to demonstrate that our program can be effective in reducing deaths and injuries in our communities,” she explained.
In “Implementing an Instructor Classification System and Code of Professionalism,” Jack W. Simon, state fire commissioner of the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency in Harrisburg, emphasized that, “instructors provide the link between training and actual fire- ground experiences facing our responders.” He outlined the management system developed by his office to measure the quality of those instructing in its educational delivery system. Implemented in 1993 and amended in December 1994, the system codified the instructor system for the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency and other state agencies with funding and management responsibilities.
The system established seven levels of instructors (agency, adjunct, associate, field, senior, master instructor, and instructor emeritus) and general requirements for certified instructors. It also provided for upward mobility within the instructor classification system; developed a Code of Professionalism; and instituted provisions for suspensions, revocations, appeals, and reinstatement.
In “Meeting the Public Heath Challenge Through Automated External Defibrillation,” Peter E. Cunnius, an educator at the Montgomery County (PA) Fire Academy, explained, “The implementation of 911 and first-responder programs has contributed to the survivability of patients because of a quick response within four to six minutes.” He noted that the chain of survival, consisting of access to 911, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), defibrillation, and advanced cardiac life support (ACLS), provides a linkage approach to meeting the public health challenge of preventing sudden cardiac death. Most first responders, he pointed out, are firefighters and police officers trained as emergency medical technicians with additional training in defibrillation who manage patient care until advanced life support arrives. Semiautomated defibrillators and new technology in defibrillator devices also were discussed.
In “Fueling the Fire Fighter,” Caroline Smith, M.S., president of SportSense Co., Dallas, Texas, offered firefighters suggestions for “fine tuning their exercise and nutritional needs, for better performance and quicker recovery.” Attendees were counseled on how to determine how much water they need to consume and the appropriate number of calories they should consume, based on their size and activity level; how to develop their own menu plan, using the foods they like to eat, to achieve a proper balance of nutrients; how to determine the exercise zone that would help them achieve personal fitness goals; and how to design an appropriate workout schedule to avoid unnecessary fatigue and muscle breakdown.
In “The Future of Fire Protection,” William Jenaway, assistant vice president of Cigna Loss Control Services, Philadelphia, outlined operational, technological, and managerial changes that must occur to ensure a fire-safe America in the future.
In “Hazardous Material Regulations in the Model Codes: Who Is Managing What?” Mark Chubb, fire code coordinator for the Southern Building Code Congress International, Inc. (SBCCI) and the Southeastern and Southwestern Associations of Fire Chiefs in Birmingham, Alabama, and a member of the Fire Engineering editorial advisory board, explored the role of code enforcers in managing hazardous materials.
In “Safety Officer for Hazardous Materials Incidents,” Lee M. Cooper, fire service specialist at the Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College in New Richmond, explored the role of the safety officer at a haz-mat incident. In addition to the requirements for and functions of the office, the seminar addressed the role of safety officer in relation to authority; items to be evaluated (large containers, tanks, confined spaces, potential explosive or flammable atmospheres, vapor clouds, etc.); things to watch for (ignition sources, control zones, communications, monitoring equipment, personnel protective equipment, decon, stress symptoms); medical treatment; evaluation; and site safety plans.
“On the Job…Colonial Heights, Virginia [Terror of a Tornado].” A detailed analysis of the incident management structure and the strategy and tactics implemented during a killer tornado that hit the central Virginia region on Aug. 6, 1993, was presented by Dennis L. Rubin, a battalion chief of the Chesterfield County (VA) Fire Department. The Class III tornado, which struck without warning, killed four civilians, injured hundreds, and caused more than $65 million in property damage. More than 1,000 responders from 60-plus agencies responded to calls of wires down, automobile accidents, and building collapses.
“Managing the Mass-Fatalities Incident: the Incident After the Incident.” Leonard S. Murry, a battalion chief in the Fairfax County (VA) Fire and Rescue Department, noted that ending a major disaster exercise with the arrival of the last of the injured victims at the hospital is “probably like quitting about halfway through the incident.” He explained that a mass-fatality (not casualty) incident can be divided into four main sections: search and recovery of the dead, removal of the dead, identification of the dead, and disposition of the dead. Murry noted the importance of maintaining the command structure throughout the “fatalities” portion of the incident and discussed the composition and function of DMORT teams, established in each FEMA region, to provide an organized and trained response to mass-fatalities incidents. (See “Handling Multifatality Incidents,” Fire Engineering, December 1994, page 34.)
The critical steps and hazards of an interior attack in typical single-family or small commercial structures were the focus of the “Interior Attack” seminar conducted by John B. Sachen, associate instructor at the Fire and Rescue Training Institute and chief of fire protection and chemical response at Mallinckrodt Chemical Company. He emphasized using the senses to enhance firefighter safety. Among topics covered were the basic goals of rescue (safety of occupants and responders), exposures (confine fire by defensive action), extinguishment (offensive attack on seat of fire), and property (overhaul, salvage, and the environment); procedure and tactics for structural fires; fire behavior; behavior before entering; checking out the team; procedure for entering; getting to the fire; safely going up and down the stairs; actions once at the fire; safety considerations (ICS, PASS device, gear and hoseline, assigning a specific person to watch for your team, knowing who is inside: ALL in, ALL out at the same time, avoiding holes in floors and safely crossing them if necessary, manipulating stairs); and communications.
Hal Richman, a 30-year veteran of the fire service, past chairman of the International Society of Fire Service Instructors (ISFSI), and the author of Truck Company Fireground Operations and Engine Company Fireground Operations (published by the National Fire Protection Association), presented an “Overview of Engine Company Operations.”
In “Ventilation Methods and Techniques,” John Mittendorf, a retired battalion chief in the Los Angeles (CA) Fire Department and Fire Engineering editorial advisor, presented an overview of offensive and defensive, horizontal and vertical ventilation operations.
Bob Pressler, a 21-year veteran of the fire service, a firefighter with Rescue Company 3 of the City of New York Fire Department, and a member of the editorial advisory board of Fire Engineering, presented “Bread and Butter Operations: Fighting Fires in 212-Story Frame Houses,” based on the series published in Fire Engineering.
“It is no longer true that dirty and worn out fire fighting protective equipment is a sign of an experienced firefighter. It is now a sign of an undereducated firefighter and a potential liability to the employer,” pointed out Robert Tutterow, safety/logistics officer of the Charlotte (NC) Fire Department, and Bruce Varner, chief of the Carrollton (TX) Fire Department, during their presentation “Care and Use of Personal Protective Equipment.” Concerns about cancer and infectious and communicable diseases have been major catalysts in the positive movement toward developing user guidelines for care of personal protective equipment, they explained. The session also included an overview of a document covering guidelines for selecting, using, cleaning, and decontaminating personal protective equipment developed cooperatively by F.I.E.R.O. (Fire Industry Equipment Research Organization), SAFER (Southern Area Fire Equipment Research), NAFER (Northern Area Fire Equipment Research), and CAFER (Central Area Fire Equipment Research).
“Preplan Your Water Supply.” In his presentation, John H. Gassler, a captain and District 5 training coordinator at Bernalillo County (NM) Fire & Rescue, demonstrated how a computer program can be used for calculating and reporting minimum water supply and the delivery rate of the minimum water supply for fire preplanning purposes, as recommended in NFPA 1231, Standard on Water Supplies for Suburban and Rural Fire Fighting, 1993, and covered in Standard Operating Procedures 603, 604, and 605, outlined in Water Supply Command, by Larry Davis (published by the ISFSI). The program also calculates gpm fire flow from the Iowa formula and the needed fire flow from the National Fire Academy field formula, which were used as bases for comparison.
Firefighter Mitchell G. Ross; Richard Johnson, training assistant; and Daniel H. Strohl of the Upper Arlington (OH) Fire Department offered hints on how fire departments can create collapse and other “technical-rescue” scenarios in acquired structures during “Beyond NFPA 1403: Acquired Structures–They`re Not Just for Burning Anymore.”
“Performing Quality Company Level Training.” J. Kirby Lastinger and Gary W. Ballard, fire lieutenants in the Lakeland (FL) Fire Department, demonstrated how the “effectiveness of the company (the basic building block of a fire department) is directly tied to the leadership qualities of the company officer and the training of company personnel.” Among points they emphasized were the following: (1) The role of the company officer is ever increasing; (2) the need for company training is increasing in importance due to the presence of fewer people on apparatus and in the training division; the availability of fewer dollars to spend on training and the growing need to be accountable for money spent; and greater demands on personnel related to increased services and laws, regulations, and standards. The primary components of an effective training program also were addressed.
In his presentation “Secrets of Volunteer Leadership,” John M. Buckman, chief of the German Township (IN) Fire Department and a member of the editorial advisory board of Fire Engineering, contrasted leadership with management. “Leadership is in shorter supply than management because it`s a great deal more work. It also offers a greater payoff. Leaders literally revel in the accomplishments of their people,” he noted. Among the attributes of “true leaders” addressed by Buckman were the belief that each person is valuable, able, and responsible; the view that leadership is a process for empowering people to see themselves in positive ways–as competent, productive, and important; and the knowledge that the Golden Rule is good business: They treat people as they expect to be treated.
Forums. Topics included driver training and training facilities and props; confined space rescue; building construction; rural-urban interface; personal protection and critical stress debriefing; Alliance standards, separate volunteer-paid department standards, OSHA reform, and HAZWOPER regulations; career standards and volunteer standards; budget and finance; and current legislative initiatives.
Specialized classes. Among the areas in which they were offered were rope rescue and rappelling, Class A foam burns, flashover training, and underwater rescue.
Point-counterpoint sessions. They included “Residential Sprinklers: Do They Work? Are They Worth It?” “Bloodborne Pathogens: Where Does the Risk End and the Paranoia Begin?” and “Fair Labor Standards Act: Should Career Firefighters Be Allowed to Volunteer in the Same Jurisdiction That Pays Them?
“Firemania Central `95.” Some of the country`s top fire service educators tackled some of the “hot issues in fire service,” including ergonomics, the political aspect of haz-mat incidents, incident management systems and programs, confined-space programs, strategy and tactics, the role of the emergency educator, safety programs, fire and injury prevention, volunteer fire department assessments, size-up, training in context, and preparing for live fire burns.
Alliance standards meeting. The Alliance for Fire and Emergency Management held a meeting on Sunday, February 5, during which Technical Committee reports on the following standards were presented: 201, Performance Standard for Volunteer Fire Suppression Personnel; 2001, Program Standard for Volunteer Fire Department Organization and Operation; 502, Performance Standard for Incident Scene Safety Officer; 601, Performance Standard for Demonstrator; 602, Performance Standard for Trainer; and 603, Performance Standard for Educator.
The committee reports to adopt each of the standards were accepted by the body present and will be brought before the Standards Cabinet around the middle of March (after press time), according to Mary McCormack, secretary to the Alliance Standards Cabinet and FDSOA executive director.
