(fireengineering.com)

By John “Skip” Coleman, technical editor

When I joined the Toledo (OH) Fire Department in 1975, anyone could drive an engine. In drill school, we all were required to demonstrate that we were capable of not only driving the apparatus but operating the pumps as well. I was hired in a very strange time in the history of my department. The tradition was that firefighters worked 24 hours on and had 48 hours off. Toledo was a three-platoon system.

Sometime around 1973, the city decided to put the fire department on eight-hour days. A very complicated schedule was implemented with more than 20 “groups.” Because of the scheduling problems, recruits were ordered to drive engines and trucks. There generally were no “first drivers.”

In 1976, the department went back to a 24/48 schedule, and things got back to what we considered normal. Throughout my career, the officer, after consultation with the battalion chief, chose his first and second drivers. Many firefighters wanted to be first drivers. First drivers never went to other stations to relieve.

We had no “qualifications” or requirements for becoming a first driver. The trust of the officer alone was sufficient.

This month’s Roundtable question is, Do your engine drivers have to participate in a “qualification” program to become certified to operate the engine? Visit the homepage of the Fire Engineering Web site at emberly.fireengineering.com and click on the October Roundtable article to add your opinion.

EXCLUSIVES

In his featured article “Are you a ‘Good Brother’?” Kevin Brown, an assistant training officer for the East Hartford (CT) Fire Department, looks at “brotherhood” from an interesting perspective. Instead of talking about the usual “brothers helping brothers,” he discusses the need to maintain skills that could be required to truly help a brother who goes down at an emergency. He says, “… we normally hear this lament because someone is ill, is facing some hardship, it is a department or union issue, or simply because we are trying to coerce one another to participate in a social event after hours. What does it really mean to be part of this brotherhood? What is required of each of us to fulfill our role as a brother or sister? Are we ready to embrace the real responsibilities that we are so cavalier to speak of? I recently started a temporary job as assistant training officer in my department. As part of this position, I have had the unique opportunity to observe the current skill levels and condition (both physical and mental) of myself and my fellow firefighters. Although I was tasked with delivering training to others, I was able to identify some of my own deficiencies through this process. I am amazed at how easy it is to become complacent over a small amount of time. I speak of brotherhood because of these observations.”

In “Personal Victory, Public Effect,” Michael Krueger, an independent personal trainer in Madison, Wisconsin, explains steps that every firefighter can take to ensure he is ready mentally and physically when called on to respond to an incident. The article begins, “You are a firefighter. It doesn’t matter if volunteer or career. When the call comes, you go. Usually everyone comes back, but occasionally someone doesn’t. You don’t want that firefighter to be you. With even a cursory glance through the recommendations of the NFPA and IAFC, one can see much of the fire service thinking is in the vanguard of fitness, health, safety, injury prevention, and rehabilitation. Unfortunately, on the departmental level many of these recommendations are not implemented, and the standards are not adhered to in a way to ensure they will actually have the intended effect.” What can the average firefighter do to improve this situation? Read the article to prepare for the next run.

Lance C. Peeples, a firefighter in St. Louis County, Missouri, offers an interesting article called “Ship, Shipmate, Self.” He looks at what we do and compares it to a Navy principle. He says, “Those who stand in defense of our freedom are not unlike those who defend our local communities from the ravages of fire. For this reason, fire officers would be well served to take a page from the Navy and adopt the principle of ‘Ship, Shipmate, Self.’ This principle asserts that we must first ensure the success of the mission, then ensure the safety of our buddies, and finally attend to our own needs.”

Look for these articles and others on the homepage at emberly.fireengineering.com this month, or use the Search box at the top of the page to find articles you may have missed.

WEBCASTS

This month, Erron Kinney, a firefighter and former record-setting tight end with the Tennessee Titans, will give a free online presentation on firefighter health and fitness. Although the live event was on October 5, you can view the archive of this event and all our other Webcasts for a year afterward. Registration is free.

On October 21, Dave Dalrymple returns with “The Art of Spacemaking Revisited,” a Webcast on the “art” of vehicle extrication operations at incidents involving modern vehicles.

For more information on these and other Webcasts, go to emberly.fireengineering.com/index/webcasts.html.

COMMUNITY MEMBER OF THE MONTH

Name: Gino Bellizzi.

Residence:Snohomish County, WA.

Department:Snohomish County Fire Department #19 (Silvana).

Title/rank:Captain.

Years of public service: Four.

Agency structure:Combination department.

Professional qualifications:IFSAC Firefighter I, WA State EMT, Driver/Operator, DNR Red Card, Member of the Puget Sound FOOLS.

Topics you provide training for: Engine company operations, communications, SCBA emergencies.

Each month we randomly select a member of the Fire Engineering Training Community for you to meet. Visit the community at community.fireengineering.com and say hello to Gino.