By John F. “Skip” Coleman, Technical Editor
When I was a line firefighter and officer, I smoked more than three packs of cigarettes a day. There were a few times in my career where I was taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation prior to any mandatory self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) policy in my department. As I waited for the ambulance for transport, I had another cigarette! How things have changed. I quit smoking cold turkey in 1988. I wrote the mandatory SCBA policy—which is still in effect for the Toledo (OH) Fire Department—that same year. Later, we amended the policy to state that in addition to the mandatory use of SCBA, firefighters are now required to go to rehab after the use of two SCBA bottles at one fire. This was also mandatory. At that time, we knew little of the harm smoke and its by-products were doing to us. We all know firefighting is not only dangerous but also physically demanding. Every fire takes a toll on our bodies. Some departments now are requiring mandatory medical monitoring after every working fire. Blood pressures, pulse, respirations, blood oxygen levels using a pulse oximeter, and so on, are examples of what is monitored.
This month’s Roundtable question is, Does your department require mandatory medical monitoring of firefighters immediately after a working fire or other stressful incident? Go to emberly.fireengineering.com and post your answer and see what others have to say.
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| PHOTO OF THE DAY: In August, Camden City (NJ) units were dispatched for a reported dwelling fire at 6 a.m. Companies arrived with heavy fire conditions on the first and second floors of a two-story middle-of-the-row dwelling. Crews gained access into the exposures to keep the fire from spreading. Multiple houses were affected. (Photo by Ted Aurig.) Submit your Photo of the Day to Peter Prochilo (peterp@pennwell.com.) |
WEBCASTS
Look for something new on the Web for 2012: monthly Webcasts featuring the best of Fire Engineering authors and FDIC speakers. The first monthly Webcast is on January 19, 2012, at 1:00 p.m. EST and features Paul Dansbach, fire official for the Rutherford (NJ) Bureau of Fire Safety, on “Building Construction Principles for Incident Commanders.”
FIRE LIFE
Tired of the crew or the family at home asking, “What’s for dinner?” Try Kipp Rix’s “Grilled Firehouse Pizza.” The dough can be prepared in advance to save prep time at the station, and cooking pizza on an outdoor grill gives the effect and flavor of being cooked in a wood-burning oven.
In “What Every Firefighter’s Spouse Should Know,” Anne Gagliano writes in “The Couple That Plays Together Stays Together”: “Whatever interests you, find that passion, and have fun pursuing it as a couple. Big or small, free or expensive, recreational opportunities exist everywhere; make the effort to discover them. Joy and laughter will draw you close and keep you inseparable.”
FEATURED ARTICLES
David Mellen, a firefighter/paramedic with the Tonganoxie (KS) Fire Department, describes a drill developed by his department to improve communications at fires between firefighters: “There are few things more vital in fireground operations than communication. Every form of it is essential to the successful resolution of an emergency, from a radio report to inform incoming apparatus of on-scene conditions to a face-to-face discussion with the IC that will dictate what tactical decisions are made. One of the most essential, and often least discussed forms, is intercrew communications.”
In “Warfighting,” Lance Peeples compares firefighting to warfare: “If it is true that firefighters are engaged in mortal battle with a lethal foe, then perhaps it would be instructive if we took some lessons from an elite group of ‘warfighters’: the United States Marine Corps.”
In “Coordinated Fire Attack,” Patrick Brown writes: “We have used various forms of ventilation at fires for decades with the belief that ventilation will lift smoke, which allows us to search for victims, makes the environment more tenable both for occupants and firefighters, and makes getting the line into place easier. We have also used various forms of ventilation, believing it will help control fire spread. A recent study published by Underwriters Laboratories has to make one question our ventilation evolution on the fireground.”
COMMUNITY MEMBER OF THE MONTH
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Name: Jack Parow. Department: Chelmsford (MA) Fire Department. Title/rank: Chief. Years of public service: 34. Agency structure: Paid fire department. Top issues in your department: Staffing, budgets, aging fire stations. Professional qualifications: master of arts, business and policy studies; bachelor of science, fire engineering and safety technology; associate in science, fire science; Executive Fire Officer Program graduate. Topics you provide training for: fire science and management, strategic planning, hazardous material response, health, wellness and safety. Areas of expertise: management, hazardous materials, building construction, health and wellness. |
