Another outstanding safety video from our colleagues in the United Kingdom. This one from Sussex Safer Roads.
Tip of the helmet to Motorcop. 3.2 million views so far.
Mike “FossilMedic” Ward
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It is Spring Break and we have been working non-stop negotiating revisions to the FY2011 budget. Even expensive private universities have revenue issues.
Not gonna lie, it has been brutal. I need a break
The weather-guesser promises two stunningly beautiful days in DC.
NATIONAL EMS & 9-1-1 STAKEHOLDERS MEETING
I am escaping the budget blues to spend the next two days at a federally sponsored “stakeholder’s” meeting in at the National Institutes of Health campus in Bethesda.
United States Emergency Medical Services started as a federally-funded program during the Great Society movement by President Lyndon B. Johnson in the mid-1960’s. Decades after the federal funding dried-up, the organizational and regulatory framework remained. Works great for some communities, is strangling others.
Almost every part and piece of what we construct as our local EMS system is scheduled for a major revision or is warping under the pressure of more demands with less resources.
The movement from vocational ems training, the only educational program housed in the Department of Transportation, to Scope of Practice in 2013 is a major changes impacting EMS in the next decade.
Eventually, recommendations from the 2006 Institute of Medicine report: Emergency Medical Services At the Crossroads will receive funding.
This stakeholder meeting is part of the federal process of oversight, funding and regulation of EMS.
The Federal Interagency Committee on Emergency Medical Services (FICEMS) is conducting a National EMS and 9-1-1 Stakeholders meeting on March 17-18, 2010 in Washington, DC. The meeting is sponsored by the Department of Homeland Security, Office of Health Affairs.
At this meeting, the FICEMS leadership will present a brief overview of current Federal EMS and 9-1-1 related activities, respond to questions and listen to the opinions and ideas of national organizations and interested individuals about national EMS priorities and future directions. We propose the meeting as one way to improve communications between EMS stakeholders and Federal agencies. The meeting summary will be provided to FICEMS and to the National EMS Advisory Council. (link here)
While not as exciting as twittering with Chronicles of EMS evangelists, it is part of how EMS 2.0 gets federal resources.
Some of the resources that might end up at my university. Cannot get away from the money issue 
Mike “FossilMedic” Ward
Carbon Motors created a great idea.
In November 2008 we reported the efforts of Carbon Motors to create a purpose-built law enforcement vehicle (HERE)
A year later, we reported that General Motors was modifying the Australian-based Holder V-8 sedan to be a US Chevrolet Caprice Police cruiser (HERE)
Finally, Ford has revealed it’s replacement to the 30 year old Panther-based Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor.
Based on the Ford 500/Taurus chassis, the 2012 Ford Police Interceptor presents a competitive response to Carbon Motors.
Ray Wert, Editor-in-Chief of Jalopnik, posted the most comprehensive report of the new cruiser (HERE). Ray compares the interiors of all three vehicles:
We’re told by police forces who’ve already seen the vehicle that nearly 90% of the interior’s been redesigned specifically for police. Ford’s done little things — like installing the slimline shifter on the column to free up more console area.
The instrument panel includes a horseshoe shape for aftermarket equipment installations. It even appears they’ve thoughtfully provided standard 9″ spacing between the passenger and driver — just like the Crown Vic — so agencies can transfer existing aftermarket equipment to their new Police Interceptor.
Ford’s also supposedly redesigned the doors to make them open 71 degrees. That’s not quite as good as the Carbon Motors concept’s suicide doors, but not too shabby — and better than the Caprice PPV it’ll really be in competition with. (read complete article HERE)
The end result of this competition for the annual purchase of 60,000 – 75,000 police vehicles will be a better rig for our law enforcement colleagues. Plus a nice ride for fire command officers.
Mike “FossilMedic” Ward
From Slate.com article
The running man is the ISO symbol used to designate an exit, as designed by Yukio Ota in the 1970’s in collaboration with a Japanese fire safety organization.
Wonder why it is not adopted by the NFPA?
Slate Deputy Editor Julia Turner wrote an interesting article about exit signs: The Big Red Word vs. the Little Green Man that was published on March 08 (here)
It describes the battle for a standardized exit pictogram and explores some of the issues.
It is part of a series of six articles about signs, pictographs and the impact of GPS.
What do you think about it? Would the running man be more effective?
Mike “FossilMedic” Ward
SIR STERLING MOSS IS ONE OF THE SURVIVING ICONS OF FORMULA 1 RACING FROM THE 1950’s
A notice came from Sports Car Market:
BBC News: Sir Stirling won 16 F1 Grand Prix races in his illustrious career
SCM has learned that British Formula One racing legend Sir Stirling Moss suffered broken bones and other injuries when he fell down an elevator shaft at his home this past Saturday. Following surgery, the 80-year-old is recovering at the Royal London Hospital.
Moss had been scheduled to appear at the Amelia Island Concours this weekend as part of the seminar “The Three Greats: Petty, Moss, and Garlits.”
NO HIPAA IN ENGLAND
A detailed press release was posted at StirlingMoss.com:
Following an accident at his home in Mayfair on Saturday evening, as a result of a lift malfunction, Sir Stirling Moss suffered two broken ankles, four broken bones to his foot, skin abrasions and four chipped vertebrae. He is now comfortable and recovering in a London hospital after surgery to both ankles.
The family are very relieved that Stirling survived the fall, demonstrating that his body still has the same resilience to injury as it did in his racing days. He is comfortable, following a good night’s rest post surgery, and is well on the road to recovery.
It is expected that it will take up to 6 weeks for him to recover from his injuries.
The family would like to thank everyone, on behalf of Stirling, for their messages of support.
Updates will be posted here: http://twitter.com/StirlingMossCom
Moss at the Nürburgring in 1961 (wikipedia)
PERSONAL EMAIL FROM SIR STERLING MOSS
Recently, a long personal email from Moss was relayed by Sports Car Market. I think this segment would be of interest to our readers:
THE AMBULANCE WAS CALLED AND ARRIVED AT RACING SPEED, WHEREUPON THEY PUT ME ONTO A SERIES OF ABOUT 10 STRETCHERS! HAVING FINALLY SETTLED ON WHAT MUST HAVE SEEMED A GOOD ONE, I WAS TAKEN, ALONG WITH MY FAMILY TO THE ROYAL LONDON HOSPITAL IN WHITECHAPEL, WHERE THEY USED ANOTHER BATCH OF SIMILAR STRETCHERS!
THEY DID A GOOD JOB OF HELPING ME, BUT WERE UNABLE TO DO THE REQUISITE SURGERY. SO, ON THE SUNDAY, I WAS MOVED TO THE PRINCESS GRACE, WHERE A FANTASTICALLY EFFICIENT, KIND AND AMUSING STAFF DID ALL THE JOBS.
I AM NOW IN A LOVELY ROOM, NUMBER 222, AND WITH THE HELP OF ELLIOT AND THE PORTER, AM FINALLY ON THE EMAIL. THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT I WILL BE ABLE TO ACTUALLY SEND THIS TO YOU, BUT I WILL TRY!
Pretty wired for an 80 year old (wikipedia entry)
Mike “FossilMedic” Ward
Seven weeks ago I posted “Controversial” EMT Training” describing my approach in teaching an on-campus EMT-Basic class to university undergraduates. This blog item is posted while the dozen-and-a-half students are taking their mid-term exam.
TESTING TURMOIL
THIS WILL KEEP ME OUT OF MEDICAL SCHOOL!
The students have taken three 25 question multiple-choice quizzes.
Since the registry test is multiple choice, it is appropriate to use this assessment format.
Quiz 1 results were not bad, an 85% average with two students scoring below 70%. Students were freaking out.
Tried to show that each quiz represents 7 out of 100 points that make up their final grade, they could still score an “A” for the course even if they got a 66% in Quiz 1. 66% represents a loss of 2.4/100 points in their final grade.
Students will need to complete the lecture portion of EMT with an 80% or higher to sit for the NR EMT-Basic exam.
I CANNOT FIGURE THIS OUT!
Inspired by a Happy Medic post (HERE), I preview Quiz 2 by sharing the story of a 63 year old who crashes his car while having a heart attack. Leaning over to check on him, his wife suffers a severe head and face injury when struck by the exploding air bag. Found two pictures of a sedan with front end damage and deployed airbags. Email Justin’s post early, telling the students that they will read more about it on the quiz.
Integrated the story into 12 questions reinforcing scene size-up, NREMT patient assessment procedures, identifying priority situations, vital signs and treating shock. You would have thought I was asking them to speak Na’vi.
The whining predicts a disasterous outcome: 88% average with two students scoring below 80%.
REDUCING THE EMOTIONAL TURMOIL
The nature of the next group of chapters required a traditional fact-based multiple-choice quiz. Numbers, definitions and translation of acronyms. Determining Glasgow Coma Scores and burned Body Surface Areas. It looks a lot like an EMT-Ambulance quiz I took in 1971.
Students much happier about quiz experience. Results are a little better, 89% average with three students scoring below 80%.
In preparing for today’s midterm, the students made it clear that they preferred how Quiz 3 was assembled instead of the scenario-based Quiz 2.
Stay tuned for the results …..
Mike “FossilMedic” Ward
IT WAS 3:47 AM WHEN I AWOKE TO THE SOUNDS OF A RATTLING HANDLE AND THUMPING ON MY HOTEL DOOR.
Baltimore blogger/CoEMS meet-up
I had been asleep for a couple hours, after the great meet-up with fire/ems bloggers and the crew of Chronicles of EMS. First time face-to-face meeting with a dozen fire/ems bloggers.
Staring through the peep-hole, I wondered if this girl was a wandering Mark and Justin groupie. She could have been one of the giggling throng hanging out during the live broadcasts from the exhibit hall.
Apparently, this was not to be. She was an “under the weather” lodger who was at the wrong door.
Who had no clue where she was.
Maybe I should have conducted a focused assessment.
Mike “FossilMedic: Ward
From The Frontstretch Newsletter: March 5th, 2010
In Case You Missed It
by Tom BowlesNew Jimmie Johnson Video Big Hit For Kobalt
A new Kobalt video from Jimmie Johnson made the rounds Thursday that had NASCAR fans up in arms. Fearing the footage was real, the one minute, 37-second clip shows Chad Knaus and Jimmie Johnson on a commercial set only to have his race car unhinge itself and crash right on top of a Kobalt toolbox.
A frantic Jimmie and Chad run outside the camera shot feigning surprise; seconds later, they reemerge in awe that the Kobalt toolbox didn’t break with the weight of the car on top of it.
Turns out Jimmie and Chad knew what was happening all along, doing an “A”-level acting job as part of a promotion to show the toughness of Kobalt’s tools. No word on when the footage will be edited into a 30 or 60-second commercial.
Mike “FossilMedic” Ward
From the Synn Labs web page:
When the rock band OK Go, famous for their viral videos including the spectacular and award winning “treadmills video“, wanted to feature a 4-minute long Rube Goldberg Machine in an upcoming video, they tapped Syyn Labs to build it.
The requirements were that it had to be interesting, not “overbuilt” or too technology-heavy, and easy to follow. The machine also had to be built on a shoestring budget, synchronize with beats and lyrics in the music and end on time over a 3.5 minute song, play a part of the song, and be filmed in one shot. To make things more challenging still, the space chosen was divided into two floors and the machine would use both.
Some of my students think that this is how I make up test exam questions.
Mike “FossilMedic” Ward
I will be in Baltimore and headed for the Uno Chicago Grill at the Inner Harbor.
This is a special EMS Today related gathering that is open to all Fire/EMS bloggers, friends of bloggers, EMS 2.0 advocates and Chronicles of EMS fans.
Starts at 8 pm at:
410-625-5900
Just east of the Baltimore Convention Center.
Sponsored by The George Washington University – Emergency Health Services Program, JEMS and FireEMSBlogs.com.
Draft Beer, Non Alcoholic Beverages and Appetizers will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis. Additional food and a cash bar will also be available. We’ll have a special area sectioned off for our bloggers as part of a larger area of the restaurant that will be ours where everyone can connect
Proud To Be A Sponsor
Wearing my “day job” hat, I am proud to be one of the meet-up sponsors. I am looking forward to meeting Justin and Mark (these guys),
Also excited to place some names and faces together.
EMS 2.0 Higher Education Information
I will bring information about GWU’s distance education bachelor’s degree in EMS Management and master’s degree in Emergency Service Management.
We can talk about the EMS professional development model developed by FESHE at the National Fire Academy.
NEED A HEAD COUNT
If you are planning to stop by the meet-up next Friday, please post a message below. I need to provide a headcount by Tuesday.
Hope to see you there!
Mike “FossilMedic” Ward
MONDAY WE LOOKED AT THE Kevin Smith/Southwest Air twitter/blog customer service interaction … along with hundreds of thousands of others. (story HERE)
It was hard finishing the article because I was seeing the Twitter “Whale Fail” when checking for updates.
WHEN WE LAST LEFT SILENT BOB
It appeared he was agreeing to be a guest on the Larry King Show.
After posting the article I was able to access the second Southwest Air apology, written by Linda Rutherford, Vice President of Communications and Strategic Outreach. The former VP of Public Relations and Community Affairs, she was a reporter for the Dallas Times Herald newspaper. This is her post: My Conversation with Kevin Smith.
Later Monday night, it appeared that Smith was done. He did not get what he wanted – admission that he was NOT To Fat To Fly - but he got more than many who have received humiliating treatment by an air carrier.
Smith posted this blog entry Running out of gas on this subject. It appeared to be his last word on the conflict.
TUESDAY NIGHT/WEDNESDAY MORNING PODCASTS
Twenty-four hours after that blog, Kevin Smith started posting short YouTube clips.
He also posted this tweet:
Wow. Natali – the girl on the plane (SModcast106), tracked me down. What she wrote meant the world to me. I’ll ask if she wants to share.
http://www.youtube.com/user/SModcaster
The first is a 3:17 minute clip explaining why he is posting these podcasts and mentioning that there are seven to ten media trucks outside his house. (HERE)
The first dozen clips cover the same information posted in the 1 hour 27 minute voice-only SMODcast 106 augmented by the conversation with Linda Rutherford.
Emphasized his humiliation at the incident. Complained about the inaccurate information from from the first Southwest Air apology. Written by Christi Day, “Not So Silent Bob” becomes a “kick in the nuts” at paragraph three. Complains about disclosure of private travel information, that he occasionally purchases two tickets and points out that he never got the first phone call.
I *AM* TOO FAT TO FLY ON SOUTHWEST AIRLINES
The second half of the posts covers his point that he is too fat to fly in the narrow Southwest Airline seats:
He suggests that fellow travelers that weigh more than 200 pounds consider buying two seats for a Southwest Airline trip. More consistent than the current Southwest Air policy which appears to be inconsistently and poorly handled in some situations.
Here is the Q&A section discussing Customers of Size (HERE), Southwest says that “… less than half a percent” of their customers are affected. (That might have been true when the policy was adopted 29 years ago,)
He continues to point out that 2 out of 3 Americans are “Customers of Size” and interviews Natali, the girl who was told to buy two seats on his final flight home, on this SModcast (Thinicism)
You can access all 24 video clips HERE.
Mike “FossilMedic” Ward
PS: Kevin Smith picked up another million Twitter followers since Sunday, and there are almost 1,400 articles about the incident. It appears more than a thousand are reposts of other articles, about 300 are reposts with a personal opinion.
A GUILTY PLEASURE THIS PRESIDENT’S DAY is following the evolving story of Kevin Smith’s ejection from a Saturday night Southwest Air flight from Oakland to Burbank.
TO FAT TO FLY?
Kevin “Silent Bob” Smith purchased two round trip seats. Had tickets for the 7:30 pm return flight. Arriving hours earlier, Smith went standby for the 5:10 flight.
The 5:10 flight was almost full, Smith could only get one seat.
After stowing his carry-on and sitting down, he was told that the captain had a “safety concern” and Smith had to deplane.
While waiting for a later flight, Smith started posting Twitter messages. While not as popular as Sockington (the cat), Smith has 1.66 million followers. Southwest has 1.03 million.
Smith maintains that the armrests could go down and he could buckle his safety belt without an extension.
You can get the album version of Smith’s experience in an one hour and 27 minute “SModcast” posted last night. SModcast #106
Gawker posted one of 970+ articles about the incident (HERE). This conflict was covered on this morning’s National Public Radio, The Wall Street Journal, and was posted in Hungary’s #1 news site. After saying no, a representative from Good Morning America showed up at Smith’s house Sunday night.
SOUTHWEST RESPONSE
Southwest and Jet Blue are considered the most customer-oriented air carriers. The gal working the Southwest Twitter account quickly responded to the first flurry of tweets from Smith.
In later tweets Smith says that her response “… was buried in the wave of responses I got.” Gawker caught a screen shot of the responses:
Southwest posted an apology and explaination yesterday. Gadling.com made a screen copy before the Southwest servers crashed Sunday night. (Apology Statement HERE)
Smith disputes some of the facts in the apology, that he “always” buys two seats and that he received a call from Customer Relations. Until two hours ago, 36 hours after the incident, Smith said that he has not received a phone call from Southwest.
LARRY KING TONIGHT?
About five hours ago @kingsthings reaches out to Smith “Lots of news about KevinSmith & Southwest, I would love to interview him about this tonight.”
Three hours ago “good news I’m in LA. too. No need to go to the airport. Would love for you to stop by tonight and we can talk.” Smith responds ‘kay Thanks
LINDA FROM SOUTHWEST
Within the hour of the last @kingsthings response, Smith tweets about a phone call he gets from Southwest. “If the call I just had was legit, a Linda from @SouthwestAir just apologized & said the pilot DID NOT single me out for Fatty-ejection. Waiting on a call back now.”
What would make things right for Smith is:
They could start by blogging the stuff Linda told me. I told her I would sign any document promising I’ll never sue @SouthwestAir – all they have to do is tell the truth.
I’ll go back to using @SouthwestAir if they just nut-up and admit a) they did, indeed, f-up and it got out of control, b) I (& y’all) were misled by the blog posting on @SouthwestAir: I was not, in fact, ejected because I couldn’t fit in my seat/was Too Fat To Fly. Just be honest.
Everyone’s so scared to admit to fault/f-up, for feat of getting sued. In front of all of y’all, I say this: I’ll never sue @SouthwestAir no matter WHAT facts may emerge. I don’t want any @SouthwestAir $$$, I want south western justice! You should get that, as you guys are Texans! .
Once these tweets were posted, there were media reports that Southwest made a second apology to Kevin Smith. Twitter has been over capacity for much of the time I have been writing this item.
EDITED TO ADD: Southwest’s Conversation with Kevin Smith
From My Conversation with Kevin Smith by Linda Rutherford:
Although I’m not here to debate the decision our Employees made, I can tell you that I for one have learned a lot today. The communication among our Employees was not as sharp as it should have been and, it’s apparent that Southwest could have handled this situation differently. Thanks, Kevin, for your passion around this topic. You were a reasonable guy during our conversation.
SO, LET’S CONSIDER THIS SCENARIO …
Instead of Southwest Air, it is your fire department. One of your crews is involved in a major citizen mess-up. Your department posts a response that is based on incomplete information from the crew.
A day later you get additional information that makes your first response appear mean-spirited and evasive. Admitting this situation will destroy a hard-fought reputation as being the municipal “good guys.” It will embarrass the elected officials and fire chief’s boss. This may result in additional budget cuts.
Would YOU accept Smith’s offer?
Mike “FossilMedic” Ward
URBAN COMMANDER is an irregular feature aimed at career staff working in metro-sized fire departments. It will cover topics that were too esoteric, short-term or “sharp” for the Fire Officer: Principles and Practice textbook. Click “Urban Commander” under Categories to get all of the articles.
SPEND MOST OF THE WEEKEND WISHING I WAS IN SAN FRANCISCO.
Friday night was the world premiere of Episode 1 of the Chronicles of EMS. It covered the visit of Mark Glencourse, a Paramedic team leader for the north east ambulance service based in Newcastle upon Tyne and author of the 999Medic blog, with Justin Schorr, a San Francisco firefighter/paramedic who is know to many as The Happy Medic.
This adventure started almost a year ago, with Mark and Justin comparing their different ems systems through their blogs. Two other paramedics, with experience in filmaking, raised the discussion to a higher level. They documented Mark’s visit to San Francisco.
Thaddeus Setla completed a documentary about Alameda County EMS, LEVEL ZERO. For Chronicles of EMS Setla used four high definition cameras. For reasons unknown to me, Justin and Mark kept referring to Setla as the “Jedi Master.”
Chris Montera is Colorado based paramedic who functioned as the producer for the Chronicles project. Montera is CEO/Producer and Host for EMS Garage, EMS Leadership and is the Producer of EMS Educast podcasts.
HOTEL FRANK
The world premiere was in an eclectic Union Square hotel with wi-fi installed a week earler. Like many emergency service adventures, this event worked on a short lead time, with just-in-time (or a little late) deliveries. Watching the streaming video, the 60+ attendees seemed giddy before the showing and tipsy after the premiere.
The episode was stunning, an example of REAL reality TV. Interesting people telling compelling stories rich in texture. It helps that Justin and Mark are photogenic and articulate.
I enjoyed the interaction between Justin and Mark. During the week they were filming, both posted blog updates, Thaddeus set up a facebook fan page, and a couple of dozen ems-oriented bloggers/tweeters commented on the adventure.
For some of us, the premiere finally allowed us to see the stories we read about months ago.
TWO THEMES
The first is the difference in transport options, UK does not HAVE to transport every patient encountered.
The second is that there is no charge for ambulance service in the UK. The concept that access to emergency care would be affected by the ability to pay really troubled Mark, providing a moving final scene in the movie. 
There also was a hilarious short where they acted out Mark’s perception of United States ems. Can see Zoll working on the credit card option for the 12-lead. The paramedic can swipe the credit card to process the ambulance payment before the leads are connected to the patient.
SOCIAL MEDIA
On Saturday afternoon, Setla and company set up two additional episodes. Roundtable discussion about the Seat At The Table, sort of a “what’s next” discussion of the impact of the process in getting Episode 1 completed, changes in the paramedic profession (EMS 2.0) and a new generation of ems “true believers.:
The final episode was a round table on the impact of Social Media on EMS. Covered public education, training, HIPPA and quality improvement.
Justin and Mark will be at the EMS Today conference in Baltimore, March 4-6. Details will eventually be posted on the Chronicles web site.
Mike “FossilMedic” Ward
Well, *I* got a laugh out of it, many of those that commented on Very Demotivational Posters (HERE) did not.
I still remember feeling a loss of identity when we were early adopters of the Washington Metropolitan Council of Government fire unit radio identification system.
This link takes you to an April 2009 Loudoun County presentation describing how the system works. (HERE) They used Engine 404 as an example.
Mike “FossilMedic” Ward
I wanted to attend the San Francisco premiere of the Chronicles of EMS at the interesting Hotel Frank.
Would get to meet a few famous bloggers: The Happy Medic, 999Medic, Life Under The Lights and (bonus) Motorcop!
But sadly concluded that I could not swing an overnight stay at the west coast. 
SNOWMAGEDDON
The campus closed early Friday afternoon at the start of a heavy snowstorm. Here is what my schedule became:
This morning most of Washington DC remains closed, including government and schools. Snowmageddon has exceeded the snowfall of the Blizzard of 1899. Thankfully, Snowmageddon has not had the artic cold that hammered the East Coast 111 years ago, where DC set a February record of −15 °F (−26 °C).
Snow fell in Washington for 51 hours, from February 11 to February 14, 1899, accumulating 20 inches. The Washingtoniana Division, D.C. Public Library documents include reports of artic winds creating ten foot high snowdrifts.
EMERGENCY SERVICES
Foggy Bottom Amb 23, from dcfd.com
I was working on Rescue 18 (ambulance) when the 1979 President’s Birthday blizzard rolled in the afternoon of February 19.
About 2 am we ended up on the median of Arlington Boulevard. Backing out the ambulance, I could not see the emergency lights when standing ten feet behind the ambulance – whiteout.
The storm dumped 19 inches in 12 hours. Followed by an ice storm two days later.
Dave Statter has been covering Snowmageddon challenges: serious fires, near-misses, damaged and destroyed fire stations (HERE).
IF I HAD BOUGHT A PLANE TICKET
I still would have not made it to the Friday night Chronicles of EMS premiere. The DC area airports have been closed since Tuesday.
Hope to see Justin and Mark at the 2010 EMS Today Conference in Baltimore. I should be dug out by the first week in March.
Mike “FossilMedic” Ward
A couple of the responses to December’s confrontation at Task Force 1 included a reference to the HBO series “Band of Brothers.”
The ten episode series covered Easy Company during World War II, an adoption the book written by history professor and biographer Stephen Ambrose.
MENTORING EAGER EDDIE
Eddie has five years with your department. One of the most enthusiastic firefighters you have met, “Double E” has a reputation of outworking almost anyone on the job.
He seems tone-deaf when it comes to supervision and leadership. Expects everyone else to work as hard as he does. Could use some tactfulness when dealing with the public.
He comes to you for advise. How can be prepare to be the best fire officer he can be? The promotional exam is two years away.
DEVELOPING AN APPROPRIATE FOUNDATION
What movies should Eddie see? What fictional or real characters should be study? Any good books? We have two years to build an urban fire officer culture that Eddie can stand on to excel as a fire officer and, probably, as a senior command officer.
What would YOU recommend?
Mike “FossilMedic” Ward
URBAN COMMANDER is an irregular feature aimed at career staff working in metro-sized fire departments. It will cover topics that were too esoteric, short-term or “sharp” for the Fire Officer: Principles and Practice textbook. Click “Urban Commander” under Categories to get all of the articles.
Brittany is an Arizona State University senior with the same background as the EMT students I am teaching on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Responding to “CONTROVERSIAL” EMT TRAINING, Brittany posted this reflection:
I too am a new EMT with my first year and a half under my belt. I was taught by a firefighter in a hot classroom on Saturdays how to be an EMT. It was the best worst experience of my life.
The FF didn’t want to be the teacher and only taught for the paycheck. My class only wanted to be there so they could test for fire.
JEMS FACEBOOK REACTION
The Firegeezer article was reposted on the JEMS – Emergency Medical Services FaceBook page. Over 360 JEMS fans looked at the article. Brittany and 24 others posted a response, many were long and detailed.
Their ems education represents a significant personal experience. Bob D. provides a fellow-fossil perspective:
(I was taught) … EMT-B with all the stuff to pass the test but they included the street smart stuff too. And we did ride alongs in a large city to gain exposure and know what we were getting into. … I still keep in touch with my EMS-Instructor after over 20 years.
A lot of the discussion revolved around those who approach EMS as a profession and those who just want a job, especially those who are only taking EMT to get a fire job.
Geoff F. provides a fresher perspective:
Being one of those generic college students who took a college course to be an emt, I benefited from the vocational type of training but I learned a lot about critical thinking, improvisation (not the humor kind), and adaptation. I really learned how to handle situations outside the comfort zone of a 19 y/o middle class college kid. Now being a 22 y/o brand new EMS instructor, I can see how teaching-to-the-test depends on the students’ personality.
I have students that are the traditional book-smart student that just want the cert for a resume booster. Then I have the students who are more street-smart that can take concepts and apply it to other facets of their lives. My feeling when I teach is that I want good clinicians who can also handle the operations side of an emergency and apply those concepts elsewhere. I try to teach skills for life.
SPEAKING OF FIRE
Colleagues were more personal on my FaceBook page. Dana Libby was shocked to learn that I was no longer teaching the use of leeches. Jay Iacone, a fellow former academy instructor, provided a fire analogy:
We teach the NFPA/IFSTA/Delmar methods to recruit firefighters for raising ladders, advancing hoselines and other basic firefighting tasks. We test the recruits on them passing an established standard from NFPA or IFSTA based on the local FF1 and 2 standards and then ship them out of the pristine sterile world of the future firefighter factory and into the “got do what you got to do to get it done” real world. (there is subtle sarcasm in his message
Zac Unger is a child of a physician and educator, raised in the shadow of UC-Berkeley. While considering graduate school his mom encouraged him to apply to the hometown fire department. Unger wrote about his experience in Working Fire: The Making of an Accidental Fireman. Unger is the fire side example of the ems students I am teaching:
Zac Unger didn’t feel like much of a firefighter at first. Most of his fellow recruits seemed to have planned for the job all their lives; he was an Ivy League grad responding to a help-wanted ad at an Oakland bus stop. He couldn’t keep his boots shined, and he looked horrible in his uniform.
Reading the book I recognized the planned and unplanned absurdities within recruit training and the group dynamics at play. The experience with raising the 50′ tormentor ladder brought back memories as a recruit and an instructor.
Was more uncomfortable realizing how much of fire suppression training resembles a trivial pursuit memorization game. For Unger it included memorizing the zip codes of all of the city fire stations. In a 1998 recruit school, Unger was memorizing “… six binders full of paperwork that hadn’t been updated since the 1970’s, and every detail was fair game for weekly tests.”
Imagine if fire suppression was a Scope of Practice ….
related earlier articles:
WHAT DIRECTION FOR EMS EDUCATION?
SNAPSHOT FROM THE PARAMEDIC BATTLEFIELD
FAILING TO LEARN DISRESPECTS THEIR SACRIFICE
Mike “FossilMedic” Ward
in a snow bank somewhere in DC
Wake County info-mercial about Advanced Practice Paramedics
One year after the Hemi-powered APP units hit the street, Wake County EMS posted a 17 minute description of their program. Link to our earlier article HERE.
Start HERE, then click EMS Advanced Paramedic Program
Mine Resistant Ambush Protected All-Terrain Vehicle Experienced MRAP drivers need 14 hours of training to drive the Oshkosh, rookie drivers need 40 hours. That may have reduced the problems that the fire service experienced with the same vehicle component. Could make a great wildland-urban interface firefighting rig! Mike “FossilMedic” Ward
Eric Tegler, writing in the March 2010 issue of Car and Driver magazine, described riding in the latest vehicle that is deployed into Afghanistan. You may recognize some components used in the Oshkosh built vehicle. HERE.
somewhere in the snow
Al Baker, writing in the metro section of the New York Times, added an article this morning:
New York City’s plans to close up to 20 fire companies will require the Fire Department to undertake its most radical reorganization since the financial crisis of the 1970s, according to senior department officials.
As a result, the department is analyzing statistics, block by block and neighborhood by neighborhood, to determine how it can most safely take engines and ladder trucks out of service.
“If we have to close 20 companies, which is a 6 percent reduction in the number of companies we have, it is going to tax us,” said Salvatore J. Cassano, the newly appointed commissioner of the Fire Department of New York. “It is certainly the most challenging thing we have faced in decades.” (read entire article HERE)
DEPLOYING LIKE IT IS 1975
On June 26, 1975, New York City notified 40,000 city employees that they would be laid off on July 1, the first day of Fiscal Year 1976. That included 1,600 FDNY employees.
Past president of the Uniformed Fire Officers Association was a 24 year old firefighter who got his pink slip the same day his daughter was born in 1975. Frank Lombarbi, writing in the NY Daily News, profiled Battalion Chief Jack McConnell one year ago. (Article HERE) McConnell’s firehouse, Park Slope Engine 269, was closed July 1975.
Chief McConnell worked as a bus driver until he was part of a group of 700 rehired in June 1976. The rest were rehired by December 1977.
Some of the laid off firefighters worked as temporary Housing and Urban Development contract employees. The federal program employed them to board up windows and roofs of fire-damaged buildings, preserving the urban housing stock.
Since they were expected to immediately handle any fire damaged buildings, the delivery system was FDNY ladder companies. They took the fourth or fifth staffing position of the truck company and performed “ancilliary” duties between board-up assignments.
WHY SQUAD 1 WAS REORGANIZED AT PARK SLOPE ENGINE 269’s CLOSED QUARTERS
FDNY has used workload and hazard assessment to justify expansion and contraction of the department resources for generations. It supported the creation of second and third fire companies assigned to a fire station during the 1950’s and 1960’s and when the department lost 900 positions in July 1975.
Calderone’s Squad Company Apparatus of the New York City Fire Department picks up the story.
Analysis of workload in the mid-1950’s showed that simultaneous fires were stripping some sections of the city of engine and truck companies. Four squad companies were organized in 1955 to provide additional staffing on initial fireground activity, going back in service when the second alarm companies arrived at the scene. By 1959 there were nine squad companies. The squad companies were disbanded May 1, 1976, victim of the same municipal bankruptcy that laid off 900 firefighters ten months earlier.
Park Slope Engine 269 was one of the Brooklyn fire stations closed in 1975. The community objected to the closing, occupying the vacant fire station and eventually forcing the city to provide a fire company at 786 Union Street. A 1969 R-model Mack 1000 gpm pumper with ladder company tools and a Hi-Ex foam generator was assigned to the station as Squad 1 on December 3, 1977.
CONSTANT EFFORT TO REDUCE ON-DUTY OVERTIME
The Uniformed Firefighters Association posted a response on December 3rd when the city reduced staffing from 5 to 4 on 49 engine companies (HERE) because of sick leave levels.
Staffing was restored on January 2, 2010, because medical leave dipped back below the 7.5% annualized rate. As a result, all 49 five-man engines that lost their 5th man in December are now restored to full manpower at the start of each tour.
Mike “FossilMedic” Ward
We have been following the sad outcome in DeKalb County (HERE). Dave Statter provides the latest update (HERE).
Meanwhile, a different outcome from a “smoke in the area” call.
Man Gravely Injured in North Hollywood Blaze
On Friday, January 29, 2010 at 11:51 PM, 4 Companies of Los Angeles Firefighters, 3 LAFD Rescue Ambulances, 4 Arson Units, 1 EMS Battalion Captain and 1 Battalion Chief Officer Command Team, a total of 33 Los Angeles Fire Department personnel under the direction of Battalion Chief Gary Clark, responded to a Structure Fire with Civilian Injury at 6548 Fulcher Avenue in North Hollywood.
Sent to investigate a vague report of smoke, a perseverant LAFD Engine Company scoured a neighborhood more than a quarter mile from the reporting location, to find well-entrenched fire within a one-story single family home. The four member LAFD crew summoned additional resources and immediately began attacking the blaze.
Forcing the front door of the smoke charged residence open with effort, firefighters discovered a motionless adult male behind the door, and swiftly moved him to fresh air. Finding no pulse on the breathless man, firefighters immediately provided cardiopulmonary resuscitation before transferring his care to an arriving LAFD Paramedic team.
During ambulance transport, a pair of veteran LAFD Paramedics were able to restore a pulse to the man, who remained in very critical condition with ventilatory assistance needed upon arrival at Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank.
read the rest of the LAFD PIO incident report (HERE)
Appreciate that this is an “apples and oranges” comparison, LAFD did not have to walk up a hill.
Mike “FossilMedic” Ward
MOTORHEAD BABY-BOOMERS WITH DISPOSABLE INCOME ARE IN THE VALLEY OF THE SUN this weekend, attending one of the four collector car auctions in Scottsdale.
39th ANNUAL BARRETT-JACKSON AUCTION
The largest and longest-running auction is the Barrett-Jackson affair, with marathon live coverage from SpeedTV. It has become a lifestyle event (magazine HERE).
Processing almost 2000 vehicles in the six day event, Jackson-Barrett operates “the world’s largest tent” at the Westworld site. Over a quarter mile long, a football field wide, 283,140 square feet.
THURSDAY TORNADO
A winter storm with strong winds entered the metro Phoenix area Thursday, from a Jackson-Barrett press release:
As the storm approached Thursday morning, we met with city and county officials, as well as representatives from the local police and fire departments to coordinate our plans to prepare for the high winds and rain on the way,” continued Jackson. “Our crews mobilized immediately to inspect all aspects of our auction site, check the tents and poles, and strategically place additional equipment that might be needed during the storm. (entire press release HERE)
Glenn Creno, reporting in yesterday’s Arizona Republic reported that the severe Thursday storms killed a six-year old boy, damaged roofs in Flagstaff and forced the evacuate of 500 Wenden residents (HERE). Governor Jane Brewer declared a state of emergency Thursday evening, with a report of a tornado touchdown in north Scottsdale.
RUSSO AND STEELE
Running actions for ten years, Russo and Steele‘s location was much closer to the reported tornado touchdown. Pete Corbett, reporting for the Arizona Republic:
The storm left close to 750 cars stranded in the rain, some pelted by debris and tent poles. A collector-car insurance executive estimated the damage at more than $1.5 million.
Chuck Favour, Hagerty Insurance vice president of claims, said his company insured about 125 of the cars at Russo and Steele. After viewing the auction site, he estimated that about half the cars were damaged with dents and scratches from tent poles and debris. (entire article HERE)
YouTube of tents as they start to fail:
Sports Car Market, reporting from the auctions, found a video showing the site minutes after the tents were blown off:
Morning after drive by:
Lynn Ducey, reporting in the Phoenix Business Journal reports that Russo and Steele will reopen today. (HERE)
UPDATED: item posted @ 12:35 by Sports Car Market:
SCM’s Senior Auction Analyst, B. Mitchell Carlson, made his way out to the Russo and Steele auction site early this morning. He reports that only consignors are being admitted, and that Drew Alcazar and the Russo staff are meeting with them to determine whether they wish to continue with the sale. No auction will take place today (Saturday), says Carlson, but Russo has every intention of starting up again Sunday and, depending upon the number of cars remaining, they may add a Monday date as well.
Mike “FossilMedic” Ward
One reason FossilMedic has been scarce on Firegeezer is because I have been preparing to teach an EMT-basic course on Tuesday and Thursday mornings at the university.
I was a state EMT instructor for 25 years. Ran a fire academy EMT training program for two years, completing 26 initial certification and 60 refresher courses in two years. Including the infamous simultaneous recruit schools: teaching EMT from 3 pm to 11 pm … generating memories of a toga party, medic mouse and a “greater alarm” landfill fire.
Since changing careers, I have covered clinical lecture and lab sessions about once a month. But it has been five years since I ran an EMT course as the primary lecturer.
A DIFFERENT STUDENT DEMOGRAPHIC
These students are taking EMT because it is a “challenging and fun” course. About 40% are pre-professional, more than half will complete a graduate or professional program (lawyer, PhD, or physician).
Very few will choose a paramedic or public safety career. A few want to ride their hometown rescue squad or fire department in the summer and on school breaks. Some join the student-staffed university ambulance service. Only 30% will recertify in two years.
Like ALL EMT students, they want to get certified. What will be on the test?
CHANGE OF TEACHING FOCUS
As an old-school EMT instructor I was focused to get the student to pass the state or National Registry certification exam. A “vocational” teach-to-the-test approach to student performance.
Teaching university EMS management courses, I purposely ask questions or create scenarios that generate controversy and emotion. It works great for experienced adults and facilitates learning.
If I use the same technique in an undergraduate EMT course it may creating chaos in students who just want an A in the class and to pass the EMT certification exam!
THE EMS WAVE OF CHANGE
Should I share the Bledsoe presentation that Oxygen is Bad for You?
Should I point out that the mandatory AHA CPR procedures are changing next year? Peter C., writing in Street Watch: Notes of a Paramedic provides a great preview HERE.
Should I incorporate the discussion about EMS 2.0 as articulated by Chris Kaiser in Life Under The Lights?
Should I incorporate the Chronicles of EMS efforts by North East Ambulance Service Paramedic Mark “999 Medic” Glencorse and San Francisco Paramedic/Firefighter Justin “The Happy Medic” Schorr?
Many of the best ems blog sites cover paramedic-level clinical issues, are they off limits because they are not part of the National Standard Curriculum for EMT-Basic?
What do YOU think? Teach the soon to be gone vocational EMT-Basic course or prepare them for life under the Scope of Practice?
Mike “FossilMedic” Ward
Preserving Digital History
Comments OffOn April 12,1945, General Dwight D. Eisenhower, commander in chief of the Allied military forces, visited the Ohrdruf concentration camp.
After viewing the evidence of atrocities, he ensured that these unbelievable scenes would be witnessed and documented so that firsthand testimony of the crimes could be given. Eisenhower ordered members of the U.S. military forces to see what had been done and urged politicians, dignitaries, reporters, photographers, and filmmakers to inspect the camps and describe the atrocities they saw to their constituencies.
Eisenhower, in a letter to Chief of Staff George Marshall dated April 1945:
“I have never felt able to describe my emotional reaction when I first came face to face with indisputable evidence of Nazi brutality and ruthless disregard of every shred of decency. I visited every nook and cranny of the camps because I felt it my duty to be in a position from then on to testify at first hand about these things in case there ever grew up at home the belief or assumption that the stories of Nazi brutality were just propaganda.”
Eisenhower’s comment shows his foresight in thinking that we must preserve documentation and photographs to remind the world of the horrors that took place in the concentration camps. (source document HERE)
Even with that effort, some believe that the Holocaust did not exist. Your grandchildren’s kids will be told that 9/11 is a myth.
DIGITAL HISTORY
Professor Dan Cohen is the Director of the Center for History and New Media at George Mason University and a historian who explores—and tries to influence through theory, software, websites, and a blog —the impact of computing on the humanities.
Cohen wrote Digital History: A Guide to Gathering, Preserving, and Presenting the Past on the Web (2005). The book explores the repercussions of copyright law and fair use for scholars in a digital age, and examines more cutting-edge web techniques involving interactivity, such as sites that use the medium to solicit and collect historical artifacts. Finally, the book provides basic guidance on insuring that the digital history the reader creates will not disappear in a few years.
THE SEPTEMBER 11 DIGITAL ARCHIVE
The September 11 Digital Archive uses electronic media to collect, preserve, and present the history of September 11, 2001 and its aftermath. The Archive contains more than 150,000 digital items, a tally that includes more than 40,000 emails and other electronic communications, more than 40,000 first-hand stories, and more than 15,000 digital images.
In September 2003, the Library of Congress accepted the Archive into its collections, an event that both ensured the Archive’s long-term preservation and marked the library’s first major digital acquisition.
The information on FDNY comes from the New York Times. If we want to assure that our grandchildren’s children never forget, it may help to beef-up the fire department digital records. There are four special collections. Maybe there needs to be a fifth special collection, covering FDNY.
How about documenting the lasting effects of “WTC cough” and related illnesses that will eventually kill thousands of public safety, construction and others who worked on the pile.
Mike “FossilMedic” Ward
dresden
The photo was taken on the roof of the building “Haus der Presse” and starts at the left side with the Ostragehege. You can see the Congress Center and the Maritim Hotel rightwards. In the center is the city of Dresden with the famous Semperoper (back view), the castle and the Church of Our Lady. In the background is the television tower and you can identify outlines of the Saxon Switzerland. In the right part you can see the south of Dresden.
The picture was made with the Canon 5D mark II and a 400mm-lens. It consists of 1.665 full format pictures with 21.4 megapixel, which was recorded by a photo-robot in 172 minutes. The converting of 102 GB raw data by a computer with a main memory cache of 48 GB and 16 processors took 94 hours. With a resolution of 297.500 x 87.500 pixel (26 gigapixel) the picture is the largest in the world. (stand December 2009)
Link to website where you can manipulate the full picture HERE
Mike “FossilMedic” Ward
From Bill Kehoe, MIFireE
US Branch Membership Chair, Institution of Fire Engineers
Sit back, relax and absorb what is in this article; then, act on it as if were the most important thing to do. We can help ourselves and each other. Read on. . .
(The) United States Fire Administration (USFA)/National Fire Data Center (NFDC) released their “Fire in the United States, 2003-2007” report, dated October 2009. This document is the15th major edition of “Fire in The United States” published by the USFA and covers the 5-year period of 2003 to 2007 with a primary focus on 2007. (HERE)
Ozzie Mirkhah
The good news is that the national fire loss statistics continued on a downward trend. The report indicates that annual deaths from fire in the United States were estimated at 12,000 in 1974, the year in which the USFA was established; and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) estimated fire deaths in 2007 was 3,430.
Yet despite all the improvements during the past three decades, the report indicates that
“nevertheless, the United States has a fire death rate 2 to 2 1/2 times that of several European Nations and at least 20 percent higher than many other Nations. Of the 25 industrial Nations examined by the World Fire Statistics Centre, the United States ranked as having the fifth highest fire death rate. This general status has been unchanged for the past 27 years.”
No, that isn’t the bad news either. Actually it is rather important for us to be aware of such global statistics and comparisons, since they help us better realize where we truly stand, recognize the shortcomings, and point out to the areas that we need to focus to do even a better job in the future. (…)
Here lays the problem. While it is true that “the public, the media, and local governments generally are unaware of the magnitude and seriousness of the fire problem to individuals and their families, to communities, and to the Nation“, I sincerely believe that the same exact lack of awareness also exists among our very own peers in the fire service.
read Ozzie’s entire article HERE
Why you should care what Ozzie says:
Mr. Mirkhah, Firehouse.com Contributing Editor, is the Fire Protection Engineer (FPE) for the City of Las Vegas Department of Fire & Rescue. His responsibilities include reviewing all building fire and life safety system designs and submittals to insure compliance with the federal, state and local fire and life safety codes and standards. Mr. Mirkhah is also involved in the development of fire & life safety codes and standards for the city.
Mr. Mirkhah is a registered professional engineer with more than 25 years of work experience in the field of fire protection engineering. Mr. Mirkhah joined the Las Vegas Fire & Rescue (LVF&R) more than 12 years ago. Prior to that Mr. Mirkhah worked as a consultant designing fire protection systems for some of the most internationally recognized fire protection consulting firms.
Mr. Mirkhah holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering (BSME), and a Masters degree in Public Administration (MPA). Mr. Mirkhah is a 1999 graduate of the National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officer Program. Mr. Mirkhah is a Certified Building Official, Certified Fire Inspector, Certified Mechanical Inspector, and Certified Plans Examiner through the International Code Council (ICC).
Mr. Mirkhah is a member of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and served on the national NFPA 13 Technical Committee for Sprinkler System Discharge Design Criteria. Mr. Mirkhah is a member of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE) a member of the Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE) – USA Branch. Mr. Mirkhah is also a member of the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC). You can contact Mr. Mirkhah at: amirkhah@lasvegasnevada.gov.
Mike “FossilMedic” Ward
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