In “First Impressions – Lesson Learned,” on Thursday, John Mittendorf, battalion chief (Ret.) Los Angeles City (CA) Fire Department, related some of the major changes he has observed in the fire service over his 42-year career. He categorized them under the areas of perceptions, preparation, priorities, and professionalism.
Mittendorf recalled responding to the 1965 Watts riot when he was 23 years old. Then, he said, civilians would often assist in extinguishing the fires and looked on firefighters as friends. In those days, he noted, it was all about “putting the wet stuff on the red stuff.” There was no incident command system or salvage/overhaul then. “We never heard of them,” he added.
In contrast, he pointed to the Rodney King civil disturbance in 1992. He was a chief officer and not only was responsible for leading suppression companies but also had to guard his personnel’s safety. Civilians tried to shoot them and almost killed one firefighter.
Perceptions have changed over the past 40 years, Mittendorf noted. Among those he mentioned were “down time” in the fire station, which led to citizens’ perceptions of firefighters’ playing checkers, playing handball, or watching television in the station. Firefighting was the primary function (and there were more fires then); there was no EMS. Firefighters basically did not interact with civilians. However, the constant decreases in funding for the fire service have led to the need for service bond issues that must be approved by the citizens. Citizens, he explained, vote based on their perception of their fire department. Firefighters, therefore, must always be aware of how they represent the fire department while in public – during fire prevention activities or while driving apparatus, for example. Their actions can dramatically impact the future of the fire department. To the public, you are the fire department, he stressed.
Although the public image of the fire service has been positively affected by incidents such as the much publicized aerial crane rescue in Atlanta, Georgia, several years ago and by the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center, modern firefighters should “continue to enhance our present foundation of the principles of integrity, service, and accountability to the citizens we serve. We must remember that we do not sell a product; we sell service,” he emphasized.
Regarding preparation, Mittendorf singled out training as the most important non-emergency function for which the fire service is responsible. Yet, it is the first area cut during budgetary constraints.
Mittendorf recalled that in the 1960s and 1970s, most training was done on the weekends and consisted primarily of “basic fire stuff.” Sadly, he observed, today there is often a lack of a desire for training; firefighters prefer to stay at the station and watch TV or engage in other activities. The company officer, he said, is the real training officer and backbone of the fire service, not the chief of the department or the training officer.
Regarding line-of-duty deaths, Mittendorf pointed to the neglect of the “basics” as a major contributor. He cited the vehicle-deaths each year that occur while firefighters are responding to or returning from incidents. The basics involve considerations such as having two ladders set up for emergency exit, having two means of egress, and monitoring the air supply. To ensure safety, Mittendorf said firefighters should not enter the fire structure without first getting a sense of the inside conditions and considering factors such as the following, which Mittendorf calls “the three-strike rule.”
- Is there smoke with heat?
- How am I going to get out of the building (two exits)?
- Is the environment improving?
He cautioned that firefighters should rely on their “mental computer” and not solely on their personal protective equipment, which can protect them only up to temperatures of between 425 and 450 degrees F.
Among other contrasts between the fire service of 40 years ago and today cited by Mittendorf were the following:
- Staffing then was often more than five per company. Now, it is commonly two or three per apparatus.
- Now we have fires, haz mat, EMS, confined-space rescue, high-angle rescue, RIT, two in-two out, and the list goes on. Air management will be the next area to be added, Mittendorf said. He noted that firefighters do not allow themselves enough air time to exit a fire structure.
