BY JOHN F. “SKIP” COLEMAN, TECHNICAL EDITOR
ONE YEAR AGO, I ASKED A Roundtable question about your department’s tornado procedures for protecting you and your crew if a tornado strikes your station while you are on duty. As you are aware, the country and, more specifically, Oklahoma and other areas in “Tornado Alley” have been devastated recently by tornados. News reports are predicting a possible tornado in Virginia over the next few days. Two twisters touched down in New York City last September. Just because you are not “in the alley” does not mean you are not vulnerable.
Your department should have a tornado policy that covers protecting you when it strikes and, just as important, what you are expected to do immediately after it strikes. I am guessing more departments lack a tornado policy than have one.
Roundtable: Please post a link to your department’s tornado policy or paraphrase its contents so others can read and develop their own. To post your comments, go to fireengineering.com/roundtable.html.
WEBCASTS
Join us for monthly Webcasts featuring the best of Fire Engineering authors and FDIC speakers. On August 15, Chief Ron Kanterman will present “Critical Leadership Concepts for Today’s Fire Service.” He will discuss four crucial concepts for today’s fire service: self-development, staff development, department development, and the ever-forgotten crucial communications. Webcasts are free, but you must register!
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| PHOTO OF THE DAY: Firefighters work in the searing heat to battle a five-alarm fire in Passaic, New Jersey. (Photo by Tony Greco.) See more photos at http://emberly.fireengineering.com/photo-of-the-day.html. Send your Photo of the Day submissions to Peter Prochilo (peterp@pennwell.com). |
FIRE LIFE
Michael Krueger writes in “The ‘Best’ Workout”: “For some people, the best way to work out is the way they work out and only the way they work out. For others, it seems the best workout is from whoever has the hottest, hippest, and coolest infomercial on TV. For still others, it’s strictly ‘old school,’ paying no attention to new research and methods. The answer to the best workout question lies somewhere in that murky netherworld of ‘everyone is right and everyone is wrong.’ ” Read more on fitness, health, sports, relationships, hunting and fishing, yoga, and finance for firefighters and their families-only at www.firelife.com.
FEATURED ARTICLES
Michael Barakey, district chief, Virginia Beach (VA) Fire Department, writes in “Three Traits of a Leader: Preparation, Wisdom, and Effect”: “Why are individuals successful despite the odds? These individuals have prepared-prepared many hours through training, simulating, and studying.” (http://bit.ly/196k9If)
Ben Hunt, firefighter/paramedic, San Bernardino County (CA) Fire Department, writes in “Can Motorcycle Paramedics Be Used Effectively in Western EMS?”: “Europe, Asia, and Australia have developed a very successful option that provides efficient medical care by using motorcycle paramedics. Motorcycle paramedics can reduce response times and improve patient care while reducing operational costs.” (http://bit.ly/11yaYu2)
Lance C. Peeples, firefighter, St. Louis County (MO) Fire Department, writes in “The Normalization of Deviance”: “Having identified the natural human tendency to accept shortcuts and rationalize those shortcuts under pressure and that the lack of bad consequences often reinforces the ‘rightness’ of these shortcuts, what can firefighters do to ensure that they are not blindsided by this?” (http://bit.ly/ZYmFxo)
Tom Merrill, Snyder (NY) Fire Department, writes in “The Professional Volunteer Firefighter”: “Chances are your neighbors and friends know you are a volunteer firefighter. Most likely, they take great comfort in the fact that you live nearby. They believe that you will be able to help them out in their time of need. They could care less if you are volunteer or paid.” (http://bit.ly/13Et1CN)
Michael P. Wolfschmidt, assistant chief, Surf City (NJ) Volunteer Fire Company, writes in “A Fire Officer’s Dozen”: “Getting a group of people to move in one direction to complete a common goal is not easy, so don’t feel discouraged at first, especially outside of the fireground. While on the job, however, know that you, as the officer, are responsible for the safety and lives of the firefighters who follow you.” (http://bit.ly/196kpqH)
COMMUNITY MEMBER OF THE MONTH |
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Name: Jeff Parsons. Department: Idaho Falls (ID) Fire Department. Rank: captain/paramedic. Years of public service: 17. |
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