BY WILLIAM SHOULDIS
The emergency services have little control over the increase in violence, infectious diseases, and disrespect for authority in our society. Likewise, during a fire, front-line responders have little power to stop lightweight structural components from collapsing and wind-driven fires from extending and often are powerless to manually suppress fast-spreading flames extending in a large, noncompartmentalized, highly combustible space.
The emergency services do have control over creating a workable preparedness plan that includes standard operating procedures (SOPs) for specific duties and joint training with all assisting and cooperating agencies. They will increase the margin for personnel safety for first responders in all-hazard environments.
Today, risk assessment is not just a textbook term; it is an essential preparedness ingredient for commanding an incident and controlling injuries. In the past months, several high-profile transportation crashes have occurred, reinforcing the need for joint training. In December 2008, two buses collided while negotiating an icy street in Seattle, Washington; one crashed through a guardrail and ended up with its front wheels hanging over Interstate 5, two northbound lanes of which had to be closed. In the same month, a plane went off the runway at the Denver (CO) International Airport and burned. All 112 passengers and crew escaped the aircraft. Fire, EMS, and law enforcement personnel worked side by side to aid the 38 passengers who suffered injuries. In January 2009, after losing power to both engines, a jet made an emergency landing on the Hudson River in New York City; all 155 passengers and crew were rescued, some from the water in the “Miracle on the Hudson.” In these three incidents, responders saved lives because they had predefined procedures, predetermined roles, and preincident training.
It is only human nature to seek a “silver bullet” approach to safety solutions. Sadly, the desire for simplicity has to have limits. Two common mistakes are neglecting to educate all operating personnel to fully understand the framework of risk assessment principles and not appointing an incident safety officer (ISO) to act as a “safety cop.” Ensuring safe emergency scene operations is a contemporary challenge that depends on preincident planning, accountability, buy-in of response partners, and a “can do” spirit rooted in strict compliance with national safety standards. Continuous reinforcement of organizational policies, joint training, and standard operational procedures are key for necessary real world safety changes.
Delivering the proper level of public safety for a community can be complicated; there is a fine line between an acceptable and an unacceptable risk. This line can be blurred when there are mixed messages between training sessions and actual emergency operations. One fact is very clear: There is no statue of limitation on grief and “finger pointing” after a first responder is seriously or fatally injured.
Between October 2007 and February 2009, six Philadelphia police officers were killed in separate incidents in the line of duty. Four were shot, and two were involved in intersection crashes. In April 2009, four officers in Oakland, California, and three officers in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, were murdered. In November 2008, two Philadelphia firefighters fell through a fiberglass roof at an automobile repair garage during the initial phase of an offensive attack. One sustained injuries requiring hospitalization, surgery, and a long period of recovery. All of these tragic incidents had an after-action review process and reinforced the need for continuous risk assessment of hazards, conditions, and situations.
There are tremendous risks in every area of public safety. First responders, law enforcement, EMS, and fire personnel will encounter transportation crashes, structure fires, and even hostile situations. Preplanning, multiagency training, and on-scene risk assessment are needed for an effective all-hazards response.
LEARNING RISK ASSESSMENT
Real-world risk assessment is a learned behavior formed by cues, prompts, and indicators. Effective injury prevention programs seek to minimize the frequency and severity of mishaps. Control measures such as standard operating procedures and joint training exercises are proven safety steps.
Sharing “job-related” experiences and near-miss situations is critical for improving the safety record for all responders. Objectively evaluating the likelihood of injury must be compared to a particular tactical assignment’s benefits. Reducing responders’ risk takes a cautious mental attitude and carefully planned physical actions. Risk assessment can be defined as determining the degree of potential hazard based on specific operating conditions. Using a general guideline for risk assessment can provide a structured method to identify danger according to task and rank. In simple terms, emergency responders have the duty to take a significant risk to save a life, but they should take no risk when life safety is ensured and property loss is inevitable.
Assessing each situation requires a list of priorities: ensuring immediate life safety, stabilizing the incident, and protecting property and the environment. Initial and subsequent incident commanders (ICs) must be properly trained in making operational decisions based on these categories. Continuous risk assessment is the duty of every responder, whether a veteran officer or a new firefighter, every day and in every situation and is essential to ensuring a safer emergency scene. Actions, not words, will save lives.
Selecting the appropriate actions when there are numerous unknown variables and incomplete information is an ongoing problem facing responders from initial response to termination. The 2007 edition of National Fire Protection Association 1500, Standard on Fire Department Occupational Safety and Health Program, calls for every fire department to implement a risk management plan that will address scheduled and emergency events. After the Philadelphia Phillies won the 2008 World Series, rowdy fans blocked the path of a responding fire apparatus, and many climbed aboard, causing $7,000 worth of damage. Certainly, this type of scenario is difficult to anticipate, yet the need for an ISO at a planned event with large crowds should not be any surprise. SOPs must be in place.
Likewise, appointing an ISO should be standard at working incidents, and the ISO may need an assistant safety officer (ASO) at a large-scale incident. A readily recognizable vest will provide quick identification during a multiagency or mutual-aid response.
FIVE-STEP ISO SOP
It was just after dawn with the temperature in the single digits when a four-alarm fire struck an upscale garden apartment complex. The Bentley Apartments is a gated community with a long, narrow, winding roadway. From the onset, Command had many strategic and safety concerns. As first-alarm units arrived, light smoke was showing from a basement unit in a three-story masonry structure. The flames soon found a pipe chase and mushroomed into the common attic. Heavy smoke began to push from the eaves. The lightweight truss roof assembly began to fail. It was obvious we needed to switch rapidly to a defensive mode. Immediately, successive alarms were struck to provide the necessary apparatus, personnel, and equipment.
Responding as the designated ISO, I immediately implemented the department’s standard five-step ISO procedure:
- 1. Check in with Command.
- 2. Review the placement of resources.
- 3. Perform a 360° survey, checking the entire perimeter.
- 4. Look for current and potential hazards.
- 5. Make a verbal report to Command, request an ASO, and repeat the five-step ISO procedure continually throughout incident.
On arrival at the scene, in my initial actions, I reported to the IC and reviewed the tactical worksheet (ICS Form 201) at the stationary command post. Once armed with the knowledge of deteriorating conditions, I began a full reconnaissance of the site. It was imperative to know the exact location of operating companies and crews. In addition, while surveying the scene, I listed the present and potential risks. Finally, I relayed a progress report to inform key decision makers of safety considerations.
Emergencies are dynamic events. For many years, the fire service had operated at structure fires in an offensive mode even when conditions changed. Back then, not knowing the exact location of operating units, lacking an in-depth knowledge of the modern construction materials, and being unaware of the rapid rate of burn of new synthetic materials, we were lucky to survive a slow switch to a defensive position.
The effective use of the preincident plan to fill the ISO position can be arguably one of the most important tools in the IC’s toolbox. It is impossible for Command to focus clearly on objectives and strategy until safety concerns have been adequately monitored. The Operation Section cannot consider tactical assignments until resource tracking has been completed. The ISO’s sole purpose is to support the command structure with a methodical approach to managing risk. An ISO must focus on the many hazards, tasks, and risks. By recognizing on-scene dangers and efficiently initiating corrective measures and sometimes stopping an unsafe operation, the ISO can provide the last line of safety protection. Individuals and organizations are important components for long-term safety solutions.
The next time you are assigned as the ISO, whether at a planned event or at a rapidly escalating emergency, have a system in place to address the all-hazard/all-risk/all-agency response. Build a solid foundation with other agencies for a safe decision-making process. Take time to read the scene and have the courage to eliminate needless risk. Spread the word: Preincident planning, SOPs for all assisting and cooperating agencies, and joint training will affect lives and livelihoods. In the real world, a comprehensive risk assessment can change the course of history for many generations.
WILLIAM SHOULDIS retired as deputy chief of the Philadelphia (PA) Fire Department, where he served in line and staff positions for more than 34 years. His assignments included working directly for the fire chief on labor relations and accountability issues and serving as field commander for one-half of the city, department safety officer, director of training, and hazardous material task force leader. He is an instructor at the Graduate School at St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, the National Fire Academy, and the Emergency Management Institute. He has a master’s degree in public safety.
