Skip to content

Archives for health-safety

See all posts in the network tagged with health-safety

Aussie Firefighters Burned During S & R

No comments

Burned Despite PPE

TWO SOUTH AUSTRALIA FIREFIGHTERS were seriously burned while performing a search-and-rescue in a burning house Tuesday afternoon.

Adelaide Now

A statement issued by the Metropolitan Fire Service (Adelaide) tells:

Two Metropolitan Fire Service (MFS) firefighters were injured in a house fire in Adelaide’s northwest this afternoon. Thirty-five MFS firefighters responded to a well involved house fire on the corner of East Avenue and Spring Street at Beverley at about 3.35 pm. Firefighters conducted an internal search of the burning home, and worked to extinguish the fire.

During fire fighting operations, two firefighters wearing breathing apparatus and personal protective clothing received burns. Both were immediately treated at the scene by SA Ambulance Service paramedics with the assistance of MFS firefighters, before being transported to hospital.

The home is a "care house" that is occupied by four people with intellectual disabilities but are able to live and function with minimal supervision.

A later report in the Adelaide Now newspaper continued:

The firefighters entered the burning home at the intersection of East Ave and Spring St after being told by a resident that a disabled man was trapped inside.

However, nobody was found inside the building, which is under the control of the Department for Communities and Social Inclusion.

A spokeswoman for the Department confirmed four people lived at the East Ave property. "There were four residents living in the property, only one resident was home at the time of the fire," she said. "He was able to leave the house and has been treated at hospital for smoke inhalation."

Both firefighters are being treated at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, one of them in "critical" condition and the other listed as "serious."

Thanks to Darren Van Ek

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

 

 

 

Posted by on April 9, 2013 • Filed under: fire, Fires, health & safety • Tagged: ,

Morning Lineup – April 2

2 comments

Tuesday Morning – Fool's Kudos

We have to hand out the Kudos for the best fire-related April Fool's trick to the unknown prankster who posted this "factory news release" for a new, super aerial truck from KME.

It came accompanied with a brief description telling that the ladder is 255-ft extended and the behemoth also carries a 5,000-gal. booster tank and 10,000 ft. of LDH.

A very clever Photoshop job makes it believable until you think about driving that many axles through traffic.  Good fun.

*  *  *

From the "real news" side comes a recent article published in the New York Times that tells about still another study and research into longevity that discloses one of the secrets to a longer and healthier life is …… (you already know this) ….. drinking plenty of coffee.  These findings that continue to amaze the health gurus are showing up regularly now and this latest report comes from an all-expense-paid trip to the Greek island of Ikaria.  The residents of Ikaria are noted for their longevity and a team from University of Athens Medical School found that one of prime reasons was their high consumption level of coffee.

The New York Times tells us:

"This boiled coffee seems to generate antioxidant substances," said Dr. Gerasimos Siasos, a professor at the University of Athens Medical School and an author of the study, which appears in the journal Vascular Medicine.

He and his colleagues found that older islanders who drank the boiled coffee had better functioning endotheliums — the layer of cells that line blood vessels.

Of course, coffee is only one factor. "It has to do with their way of living," Dr. Siasos said. "People sleep over eight hours a night, there is increased socializing, and they have much less stress than people in Athens."

The islanders also eat a Mediterranean diet that includes many fruits, vegetables, olive oil and fish. Most also nap every day and walk and garden regularly, Dr. Siasos said.

It must be really pleasant living in Ikaria because this summer the researchers will be returning on another all-expenses-paid visit to study the water.  I'm not making this up.  You can read the entire article HERE.

Note the key word "boiled" coffee, not dripped through the grounds.  That leads me to recall that when I was a very young man, an Oklahoma cowboy showed me how to make "range coffee."  Using a small electric hot plate (simulating a campfire) he would bring a small pot of water to the boil and then toss in a handfull of ground coffee beans.  Then he would watch it carefully until it looked just right and remove it from the fire.  Being carefull to let the grounds settle to the bottom of the pot, he would pour it into his cup and enjoy.  Now think about it… have you ever heard of a cowboy suffering a heart attack in his 50's?  Noooo.

Let's get the physical recreation facet taken care of now and get this equipment checked out.  I'll do the best I can with the Bunn-O-Matic (no boiling unfortunately) and then we'll meet back in the day room.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Posted by on April 2, 2013 • Filed under: health & safety, morning lineup • Tagged: , ,

Updated: LODD in Illinois – 5 Others Injured

Comments Off

Truck Slides Into Crash Scene

Update:  Victim's identity made public.  Entire community in mourning.  Scroll down.

A HUDSON, ILLINOIS, FIREFIGHTER WAS KILLED Tuesday night and five of his colleagues were injured when a trailer truck lost control and slid into a crash scene on Interstate 39 near Bloomington.

The Hudson FD and Illinois State Police were dispatched to a multi-vehicle accident on the Interstate at 9:45 pm.  About an hour later while they were working on the scene, a tractor-trailer auto hauler crashed into three emergency vehicles belonging to the FD and the State Police, injuring the firefighters.

All six were transported to the hospital where one of them, a 39-yr.-old FF was pronounced dead in the ER at 11:38 pm.  His name has not been released yet, but it was reported that he is also a career firefighter with the Bloomington FD.

The Bloomington Pantograph has the current STORY. 
Hudson Fire Department WEBSITE.

Update:
The deceased firefighter has been identified as Christopher R.  Brown, age 39.  In a statement from the McLean County Coroner he was killed by blunt force trauma as a result of the accident.  He leaves a wife and two sons.  FF Brown was a 12-year career firefighter in the Bloomington FD and had also been volunteer member of the Hudson FD for the past three years.

The Bloomington Pantagraph adds:

"Today we lost a member of our Hudson family," said Hudson Fire Chief Dan Hite. "We share in the sorrow felt by his loved ones, and we must not forget the valuable contributions he made to this community and the impact he has left on the Hudson Fire Department."

Hite said the department is "a close-knit family, and the loss of one of our own affects us all. A tragedy of this type is felt by each and every member, but together, we can make it through. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family."

Flags were at half-staff at area police and fire departments, and police officers are wearing mourning bands on their badges.

"We are deeply saddened by the painful loss of one of our own, and we will do our best to support his immediate family as well as his firefighter families in both Bloomington and Hudson," said Bloomington Fire Chief Mike Kimmerling.

Read the full article on the community's response to the tragedy HERE.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Posted by on March 6, 2013 • Filed under: Fire Rescue Topics, health & safety, Line of Duty • Tagged: , ,

Morning Lineup – December 11

Comments Off

Tuesday Morning – More Tips For Healthy Living

We have good news for you this morning coming from the Health Department.  For hundreds of years it has been known and touted that beer is a naturally healthy beverage that benefits you in many ways.  If you are still doubtful of these proven bennies, a new laboratory finding has been added to the long list that just might be enough to swing you over to hops therapy.

Sapporo Breweries, one of Japan's leading brewers, has been concentrating studies in their laboratory to try and isolate the ingredient in beer that seems to fight the common cold.  (Yaaay!!)  Their work has uncovered an even greater discovery that just might be able to be isolated to help infants and children also, an ingredient that has anti-viral powers.  A recent article in Huffington Post mentions the breakthrough:

Researchers at Sapporo Medical University found that humulone, a chemical compound in hops, was effective against the respiratory syncytial (RS) virus, AFP reports. In addition, humulone was also found to have an anti-inflammatory effect, according to Sapporo's news release.

"The RS virus can cause serious pneumonia and breathing difficulties for infants and toddlers, but no vaccination is available at the moment to contain it," Jun Fuchimoto, a researcher from the beer company, told AFP. The RS virus, which is said to be particularly prevalent in the winter months, can also cause symptoms similar to that of the common cold in adults.

Japan's Kyoto Shimbun News reports that Sapporo Breweries now hopes to create humulone-containing food and (non-alcoholic) beverages that both adults and children can consume.

However, we don't have to wait for them to isolate it because it's right there in the bottle now, ready for ingestion. But the amount of the humulone in beer is so small that researchers say a person would have to drink about 30 twelve-ounce bottles of the alcoholic drink to benefit from the anti-virus effect.  Well, there goes the weekend!

After you check out this educational video ( make sure to mark this on the daily training report), we'll get the equipment checked out.  We'll have to settle for coffee when we get back to the day room, but now that we know it too is both healthy and nutritional, that's ok.   See you there.

 

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Posted by on December 11, 2012 • Filed under: beer, health & safety, morning lineup

Don’t Look Up!

Comments Off

Done In By "Friendly Fire"

FIREFIGHTERS IN NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA, experienced a new sort of job hazard while fighting a wildfire on November 6.  A helicopter/tanker designed for fire suppression aerial drops mistakenly loaded up with partially-treated sewage and sprayed not just the fire but 19 firefighters and their brush trucks.  The Australian reports:

An RFS (Rural Fire Service) spokesman said today a helicopter mistakenly drew up secondary treatment water from a sewage treatment plant. It was then dropped near 12 firefighters, while another seven firefighters were in the general area.

"Following this, all 29 firefighters on the fireground and their equipment were immediately withdrawn and decontaminated by Fire and Rescue NSW," the spokesman said.

They were also checked by paramedics at the scene and as a precaution each firefighter was given a further medical check the following day, he said. "At this time no firefighters have complained of any ill-effects." The spokesman said the firefighters would continue to be monitored by the RFS.

ABC News adds:

Inspector Baker said it was not a matter of a fire fighting operation going wrong.

"The aircraft will always go to the nearest water source at the initial stage of the fire," he said. "Those types of treated water have been utilised before for fire fighting operations,"

"We're going to undertake an after action review or an investigation into the incident, to take away some lessons from it," Inspector Baker said.

The labor union isn't sluffing it off so easily, though.  The Australian Workers Union is demanding a full investigation into the incident.  AWU spokesman Mark Hughes said the fact that the chopper went to the sewage treatment plant in the first place stinks to high heaven.

"For some strange reason, around 7:30 in the morning during the water-bombing, a call was made from the RFS Commanders to use the sewage treatment plant rather than much more accessible water sources such as the Camden Haven River, Queens Lake or the Cowarra Dam," he told ABC.net.au. "There are primary and secondary treatment plants, so basically you've got one pond that's got raw sewage and one that's been treated. What they were dumping was the untreated sewage."

ABC News has MORE DETAILS.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Posted by on November 17, 2012 • Filed under: aircraft, Fire Rescue Topics, health & safety • Tagged: , ,

Firetrucks Collide in Brooklyn – 11 Injured

Comments Off

Engine and Truck Headed to Same Incident

TWO FIRETRUCKS COLLIDED AT AN INTERSECTION Wednesday morning in Brooklyn, New York.

NY Post / Martinka

The crash left eleven firefighter injured, four seriously, including the engine driver who was unconscious and trapped in his cab.  The New York Post continues:

The collision happened around 7:45 a.m. at the intersection of Avenue J and East 103rd Street in Canarsie, officials said. All of the injured firefighters were taken to Kings County Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, the FDNY said.

Engine 257 was traveling south on East 103rd, while Hook & Ladder 170 was motoring west on Avenue J, according to witnesses. The trucks swerved and collided in the middle of the intersection. Black skid marks showed where they hit.

Both trucks crashed through a brick wall of a two-family house at the corner. Truck 170 slammed into a parked yellow cab before going through the wall. The house itself escaped serious damage, other than a few busted [sic] windows.

NY Post

Both units were responding to a smell-of-smoke call.

No further information has been released yet on the medical conditions of the injured.  Firegeezer will update if any more info. is given out.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Posted by on November 8, 2012 • Filed under: apparatus, Fire Rescue Topics, health & safety, News • Tagged: ,

Dunce Convention Meets Regularly in Ramara, Ontario.

3 comments

An Opinionated Report on Recent Activities in Ramara Township

Monday July 23

The Ramara Township (Ontario) Council met tonight and voted to end the practice of firefighters assisting with traffic control and using fire trucks as blockers at crash scenes.  The Orillia Packet & Times reported:

Ramara councillors voting to discontinue allowing blockers, argued the practice puts firefighters at risk and could result in significant damage to expensive fire vehicles.

"Our firefighters are not trained to direct traffic," said Deputy Mayor Basil Clarke. "They are there to save lives. That’s exactly what they should be doing and that's all they should be doing. Our firefighters should not be directing traffic. If the OPP needs manpower for that, there are about 90 of them who work in that building in Orillia and I’m sure they can find the people they need there." (The OPP is the police department. Dunce Clarke believes that there are 90 of them sitting around the station waiting for something to happen….Ed.)

Clarke also said fire trucks are "too expensive" to be placed on the highway as blocker vehicles.

Ramara Township Council
front row l. – Mayor Bill Duffy; r. – Deputy Mayor Basil Clarke

Council rejected a motion to defer the decision to a future general committee meeting for further discussion and voted instead to "advise the OPP that the township will not remain at any accident scene to direct traffic or provide blocker vehicles after our fire and rescue services responsibilities are complete."

Five Hours Later, 2:30 am Tuesday July 24

Northumberland Today reports from Ramara Township:

Firefighters say a fire truck positioned to shield workers at an accident scene on Highway 401 possibly saved numerous lives early Tuesday morning.

A fully loaded transport truck slammed into the side of the parked Port Hope fire truck, with its emergency lights activated, in the eastbound lanes of Highway 401 approximately one kilometre east of the Burnham Street off-ramp around 2:30 a.m.

"(The fire truck) saved a lot of lives tonight," Port Hope Fire Department Captain Bob Cranley said. The tanker fire truck was from the Welcome fire hall and was being used as a blocker on the highway while a towing company removed a vehicle from the ditch.

"A blocker is used to protect the firefighters," Cranley said. "So if somebody is not paying attention (on the highway) they’ll hit the fire truck versus hitting the firefighters, police and paramedics who are working on scene. It was probably one of the most frightening things I’ve witnessed," he said. "Just the sound and then the aftermath; not knowing if the guys were okay."

The transport struck the fire truck on the passenger side, sheering off part of the side of the fire truck, including the front mirror. The transport continued down the highway a short distance with heavy damage to the driver’s side.

The driver of the transport, a 31-year-old Calgary man, is facing charges of impaired driving, operating a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol content over the legal limit, possession of cocaine and dangerous driving.

Friday July 27

The Orillia Packet & Times continues:

Ramara Township’s decision to stop allowing fire trucks to be used as blocker vehicles at crash scenes could put emergency workers at risk, says the deputy fire chief of Cobourg.

"If somebody is going to say they are not going to allow blockers, I can’t support that decision because somebody is going to be killed," Jim Wheeler said in an interview with The Packet & Times Friday. "That’s what would have happened at our scene Monday night. We were very close to that, if it wasn’t for the blocker truck. You can’t put emergency personnel on the highway without a blocker."

It's a directive that isn't sitting well with the township's fire department.  "This is a council decision and we are going to follow through with it," said fire administrator Tony Stong. "That's their authority to decide what level of service we are going to provide. I don't know that it's the best practice though."  Stong clarified that the "paramount" role of firefighters at a crash scene is to "ensure the safety of all," including victims, members of the public and emergency workers. He confirmed fire vehicles often act as blockers.

"The Occupational Health and Safety Act requires blockers to have a gross vehicle weight of 6,800 kilograms or greater. Our pumpers and tankers fulfil those requirements," Stong said.

Fire departments "have authority" to block traffic under the provincial Highway Traffic Act.

Will they or won't they?  We're all watching now.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Posted by on August 2, 2012 • Filed under: commentary, current events, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighter Safety & Health, health & safety • Tagged: ,

Massachusetts Nixes Home Sprinklers

9 comments

Using the Same Bogus Argument You've Heard Before

ADD THE MASSACHUSETTS BOARD OF BUILDING Regulations and Standards to your list ethically-challenged state agencies.  Using the same sorry excuses that several other states have tried to peddle,  the Massachusetts board has ignored public and firefighter safety by striking from the state building code the requirement that new home construction includes fire sprinklers.

Uponor

Fire Engineering reported yesterday:

"The BBRS is letting down the people of Massachusetts today and for generations to come by allowing substandard homes to be built in Massachusetts," said Ashburnham Chief Paul Zbikowski, president of the Fire Chiefs Association of Massachusetts (FCAM) "Not only are they ignoring the minimum level of safety established by model codes, they are putting our firefighters unnecessarily in harms way."

All national model building codes include the requirement for fire sprinklers in new one- and two-family homes. The BBRS promulgated a building code for the Commonwealth in August and omitted the provision to require home fire sprinklers in new construction. The state fire marshal filed a proposal to allow local communities to be able to set the requirement if they chose to do so which the BBRS defeated at a February 14 meeting.

WFXT-TV Ch. 25 interviewed Chief Zbikowski this morning:

 

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Posted by on February 24, 2012 • Filed under: Building construction, Fire Rescue Topics, health & safety, News, Videos • Tagged: ,

Taking Chances – a Commentary

1 comment

Saving Money Instead of Saving Lives in Philadelphia

In Philadelphia they've apparently disciplined (in a roundabout semi-official way) a guy who suffered some crescent burns on his cheek during a double rescue, apparently because he failed to properly don his hood. I guess, in Philly, you're responsible for the strength of that little elastic band around the face hole on your hood.

I like the union's theory that this is an effort by the city to intimidate the members into refraining from reporting injuries and thus reduce the city's workers' compensation claims. The more cynical among us may wonder whether it will work that way or if it will just cause the members to avoid risk. Some people out there undoubtedly approve of the latter end. But Philly's is an old and hard-nosed fire department and I suspect that the mission will triumph over the asininity of the city.

Leaving aside the question of motivations, this curious turn of events on its own gives us a window into one of many possible futures of the fire service. Is this trend of post-incident consequences for good-faith actions inevitable? Though we do see this spat play out on the internet in the comments and forums, I am not convinced we will ever get to the point that things like what happened in Philadelphia are common by design. There is already significant pushback against advocates of the Culture of Safety and more and more sane professionals within the fire service are standing up for smart aggression. (With two rescues made there is probably an argument that the actions on scene in Philadelphia were ipso facto smartly aggressive.)

The horse may already be out of the barn, though we are still in the process of closing the gate. Will forces outside the fire service, be they OSHA, the workers' compensation board, cities' risk managers, headline-hungry DA's, or homeland security/public safety directors (read: cops in charge of firefighters) push us down a road that ultimately destroys the aggressive culture that saves civilian lives? I am afraid the answer may well be yes.

………. Patrick Mahoney

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Posted by on February 16, 2012 • Filed under: commentary, FireHat, Funding & Staffing, health & safety • Tagged: ,

Pennsylvania Paramedic Attacked by Shovel-Swinger

Comments Off

Alcohol Was Involved

A FAYETTE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA, AMBULANCE CREW had a harrowing moment Sunday night when they were suddenly attacked by a man wielding a shovel.  The two EMT's were at the door of an apartment in Bullskin waiting to be let in for a heart condition call.  While they were still in the hallway, a man charged out from another unit and began threatening them and saying he was going to get a gun and shoot them.

The EMT talks to a reporter from WTAE-TV

The attacker then grabbed a shovel that was leaning against the hallway wall and started to swing it at the EMT's.  By then they were able to gain access into the apartment where they closed the door and called for police assistance.  When they arrived, the police had to physically restrain the man who strongly smelled of alcohol.

Robert Shaner, 58, of Connellsville was arrested and charged with aggravated assault,  terroristic threats, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, resisting arrest, harassment and public drunkenness.

The Daily Courier has the STORY.
WPXI has more details HERE.
WTAE-TV interviews the EMT in this VIDEO REPORT.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Posted by on January 31, 2012 • Filed under: crime, EMS Topics, health & safety • Tagged: ,

LODD in Belgium

Comments Off

FF Struck at Accident Scene on Highway

A VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTER FROM DEERLIJK, Belgium, was killed Saturday morning when he was struck by a car speeding through an accident scene.  Around 3:30 am an accident involving two cars blocked traffic lanes on the E-17 highway.   A "signalling" unit from the Deerlijk FD was dispatched to set out signage to direct traffic around the crash.  While Firefighter Wouter Vancraeynest, age 34, was setting out warning signs, a third car drove through the scene knocking the signs around and crashing into one of the cars from the first wreck.  The passengers in the third car had minor injuries from that second collision.

De Standaard / Speleers

Within moments a fourth car came speeding into the crash zone, striking and killing FF Vancraeynest before crashing into the previous wreckage and starting a fire.  The two passengers in that car also perished in the wreck.

"Wouter was also professional firefighter in Ghent, and brought that experience to our Corps, that was really an added value," sais Commander Claude Coucke of the fire brigade of Deerlijk.  "The Corps is heartbroken by the death of their colleague."

De Standaard has the STORY.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Posted by on November 27, 2011 • Filed under: health & safety, Line of Duty • Tagged: ,

“I Can Always Find a Place to Park Here…”

2 comments

Laws Are For the "Little People," You Know.

CITIZEN JOURNALIST ROY BERCAW was strolling around  the grounds of Hahvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with his video camera the other day where he documented the mind-set of the academic elite:

 

Roy reports:  This shows the rear of two residential buildings owned and operated by The President and Fellows of Harvard College. With clearly displayed Fire Lane No Parking signs five VIPs park their cars on September 13, 2011 at about 2:30 PM creating a barrier for exiting these buildings in case of an emergency. It also blocks emergency workers from entering the buildings to help evacuate the residents.

Apparently there isn't much concern if the Little People are trapped and burned.  The school has a waiting list, anyway.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Posted by on September 19, 2011 • Filed under: current events, Fire Rescue Topics, health & safety • Tagged: , ,

Calgary City Council Sells Out Its Own Citizens

1 comment

Homebuilders Association "Pleased"

DESPITE EXTENSIVE EDUCATION AND LOBBYING by the Calgary, Alberta, Fire Chief Bruce Burrell and others, the Calgary city council's special committee decided to drop the proposed legislation that would mandate sprinklers in new, single-family homes.

Calgary City Council  (CBC)

The Calgary Herald reports:

The decision was made following meetings between the housebuilding industry and a city council committee.

Carol Oxtoby, president of the Canadian Home Builders' Association-Calgary Region, was pleased with the decision. The industry supports customer choice and encourages its builders to offer sprinklers as an option," she says. "It also believes the new Alberta Building Code has increased protection against the spread of fire and it would be premature to layer another set of fire protection measures – in this case, in the form of sprinklers – while we are still evaluating the additional protection offered by these changes over the past two years.

"But if a homeowner is not comfortable, they have the choice to improve that by installing sprinkler systems."

The meek city council then announced that their recommendation is to continue to educate homeowners on the benefits of fire sprinklers while allowing them to make a choice.  Whereupon Firegeezer exclaimed,  "They don't HAVE a choice, you dunderheads.  Who buys their house before it is built?"

Read the announcement in the Calgary Herald HERE.

Thanks to Mark D.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Posted by on September 19, 2011 • Filed under: commentary, current events, Fire Rescue Topics, health & safety, News • Tagged: , , ,

Morning Lineup – September 2

Comments Off

Friday Morning – Wash Your Hands!

After returning from a fire or haz-mat incident there is always a determined effort to clean off our running gear and tools, etc., partially as a means of decontaminating the clothing and equipment.  Most conscientious firefighters are aware of the possible transfer of carcinogens and other nasties that are brought back from the incident on their clothing.  Not only does the practice of cleaning up has the potential of extending your own life, but it works to prevent you from carrying the contaminants home to be spread among your family members.

But how about when you get back from a medical assist, or ambulance duty?  Does everything seem to be ok because it looks clean?  Think again.  An article in the September issue of the American Journal of Infection Control talks about nurses' and physicians' attire as possible sources of infections.  Laura Martin, MD reviewed the article for WebMD and summarized some of the findings that turned up in a concentrated study done in Israel.  She writes:

Uniforms worn by hospital personnel often are contaminated with the superbug MRSA and a variety of other bacteria, Israeli scientists report.  They swabbed white coats and uniforms worn by doctors and nurses and found potentially dangerous bacteria on more than 60% of items they examined.

Doctors’ uniforms were a little cleaner than nurses’, with 60% containing potentially dangerous bacteria, compared to 65% of what nurses wore.

The researchers checked the sleeves, waists, and pockets of 75 registered nurses and 60 doctors at the 550-bed Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem.  One thing that surprised me was that only 58% of the people tested said that they change their uniforms daily.  Using that as one of the criteria, they found that the rate of contamination with antibiotic-resistant organisms was 29% on clothing changed every two days, compared to 8% on scrubs and cloaks changed daily.  Other similar research has shown that watches, rings, and neckties can also harbor dangerous bacteria.

Everybody's clothing, not just hospital workers, carries a certain amount of bacteria.  But the primary method of prevention is still frequent washing of your hands.  I will repeat that:  The primary method of prevention is frequent washing of your hands.  This is crucial not just when you return to the station after a call, but periodically through the day.

 Now let's get the equipment checked out while I go wash my hands and then get some more coffee started.  After you clean up, we'll meet back in the day room.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Posted by on September 2, 2011 • Filed under: health & safety, morning lineup

Morning Lineup – August 5

Comments Off

Friday Morning – Drive Safely

A couple of days ago I was talking (HERE) about the latest listing of stolen cars according to "popularity," or rather which ones are most-sought after by the thieves.  The information came from an organization called the Highway Loss Data Institute which is coupled with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.  Over the years we have all heard of these outfits, mainly through press releases such as the one we talked about earlier, but if you're like me, you probably never fully understood just who they are.

Many people think -rightly – that they have something to do with the auto insurance companies, so out of curiosity I looked them up.  The entry page for their website is HERE and on it they describe themselves:

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is an independent, nonprofit, scientific, and educational organization dedicated to reducing the losses — deaths, injuries, and property damage — from crashes on the nation's highways.

The Highway Loss Data Institute shares and supports this mission through scientific studies of insurance data representing the human and economic losses resulting from the ownership and operation of different types of vehicles and by publishing insurance loss results by vehicle make and model.

Then they provide the LINK to a rather lengthy list of all the insurance companies that together fully fund this operation.  The IIHS had its beginnings in 1959 when three major insurance companies banded together to promote better highway safety efforts, then in 1969 the organization was changed to become an independent research group and since then they have been doing most of the crash-test research.  Their goal is to lower life and property loss by having cars built better and able to withstand crashes and become less likely to be in accidents.

They have been successful at it because, they claim, the number of people killed on the nation's roads has been falling since 1979, even as the population and the number of miles driven have been climbing. Much of this improvement is a result of vehicles becoming safer.  In addition, they have been promoting seat-belt laws and better licensing procedures.  In 1992 they moved into a modern, scientific test facility in Ruckersville, Virginia, where they carry out extensive crash testing on outside pavement, inside laboratories and test sled impacts.  I recommend that you take a few minutes to look around their WEBPAGE HERE for the Vehicle Research Center and see what all they're involved with.  It's enlightening.

 

View more crash-test videos HERE.

Now let's enlighten ourselves with the status of our equipment and get it checked out for today.  I'm going to start some more coffee before we meet back in the day room.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Posted by on August 5, 2011 • Filed under: Firefighter Safety & Health, health & safety, morning lineup • Tagged: , , ,

NIOSH, 9/11, WTC and Cancer

3 comments

NIOSH says, "No, for now."

First things first, NIOSH stands for National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. They are part of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) with whom they have often had a relationship that perhaps can best be described as strained. (Think of the CDC as a wealthy but stingy and slightly jealous mother-in-law.)

This rather modest "David" of a federal agency has become the "Goliath" in the post-9/11 responder health debate since they are effectively responsible for deciding which medical conditions will be covered under the $2.775 billion Victims Compensation Fund (VCF). Their entire annual budget is $300 million thus giving them out-sized influence in a highly controversial area, something they would probably prefer to do without.

NIOSH headquarters, Washington, D. C.

The Victims Compensation Fund operates through 2017. Importantly, during the first five years of the fund the maximum total payout is capped at $875 million with the "lion’s share", $1.9 billion, being paid out in the sixth year. Does this mean that congress expects the medical claims associated with 9/11 exposure to skyrocket in the out years?

The reaction to NIOSH’s decision, after a comprehensive literature review, to delay including cancer as a covered illness, has been predictable and unfortunate. NIOSH has come in for a shellacking from 9/11 responders and their families for failing to concede the obvious: they have been stricken with cancer and their work at Ground Zero is the reason.

But, not so fast. It is widely accepted that the resultant cancers from many occupational exposures take many years and sometimes decades to develop. NIOSH is simply doing their job by awaiting proof of 9/11 cancers to appear in medical journals and other treatment or research related documents. Criticizing them for adhering to professional standards is a little bit like the ignorant bystanders at a fire expecting firefighters to skip the supply line or SCBA so they can be quicker stretching a line: it may look good but the results could be disastrous.

All federal agencies are "political." NIOSH is part of the executive branch and they rely on Congress, part of the legislative branch, to provide them with funding. And, of course, depending on who is in the White House, the policy of these federal agencies can swing significantly, as it should. Having said (all of) that, NIOSH is consistently and appropriately dedicated to protecting the health of America’s workers regardless of who is in the WH or in the majority on the Hill. Their agenda is to make the workplace, wherever it may be, as safe as it can be made given constraints.

If cancer is a consequence of 9/11 duty, the studies will soon clearly show it and we can be sure that NIOSH will respond accordingly. Now is not the time to undermine the federal agency most dedicated to worker safety generally, and firefighter safety, specifically.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Posted by on August 3, 2011 • Filed under: commentary, Eric Lamar, Firefighter Safety & Health, health & safety • Tagged: , , ,

Updated: Morning Lineup – June 30

Comments Off

Thursday Morning - How Are You Feeling?

Updated, 10 am:
NIOSH report now available online.  Scroll down.

Perhaps you recall the tragic day last July when two Bridgeport, Connecticut, firefighters perished in an afternoon house fire.  Firegeezer reported the STORY HERE at the time it happened.  Yesterday (Wednesday) the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) released the preliminary report on their investigation into the two LODD's.  The Connecticut Post sums it up in the first paragraph of their article about it:

Bridgeport fire officials' failure on nearly every level led to the deaths of two firefighters battling a West Side blaze last July, a federal report has concluded.

That's pretty damning and right to the point.  "Fire officials," "…every level," "…failure," "…led to the deaths."  The Post then goes on to list the findings that were included in the report:

  • Despite the information that we passed along on the day of the fire, there was no Rapid Intervention Team available to go to the firefighters' assistance.

  • The deputy fire chief and his assistant at the scene of the Elmwood Street fire had a discussion about whether they heard a mayday call from the two fallen firefighters instead of taking immediate action to rescue them.

  • The officials did not properly manage the firefighters' air supplies.
  • The incident safety officer did not arrive until more than 20 minutes after the fire was dispatched.
  • One of the firefighters had transmitted a mayday call that was not acknowledged nor acted upon.

The 60-page report goes on, but no need to belabor it here.  It is no surprise that an earlier state OSHA report cited a critical lack of proper training of the firefighters on SCBA usage and the failure to inspect the air supply equipment correctly.  The NIOSH report has not been published yet, but has been released to the City and the fire department for review while the agency completes its review of its findings and recommendations.  However, the Connecticut Post was also permitted to see the preliminary report and they published the information that we have just passed along in an article yesterday that you can read online HERE.

Included in NIOSH's long list of recommendations are several that address the issue of firefighter health and physical conditioning.  The autopsy of one of them disclosed that he suffered from coronary artery disease.  Again, from The Post:

In February, Rooney said the department plans to adopt the more widely used state Candidate Physical Ability Test, instead of its own test, to evaluate incoming candidates. Rooney said the department is working with the firefighters union to set up annual stress tests for new hires. He said he would like to see a physical ability test required for new hires and monetary incentives for those who meet fitness goals.

For me, this opens up more questions.  Why has the department never had any stress tests for its firefighters after all these years of reports and advances about firefighter health and heart disease?  And, why are they only setting up annual tests for new hires?  Why not test the people who are on the job?

Also, the part that leaves me really befuddled:  "….monetary incentives for those who meet fitness goals."  Isn't that the same mindset that has been draining the treasuries of cities and states everywhere?  How about this for an incentive:  Keeping your job.  Or, remaining eligible for promotion?  Many fire/rescue and EMS agencies have minimal physical ability, agility, and health standards that they maintain as a "condition of employment."  That has been amply demonstrated as an effective method to both reduce on-the-job injuries and to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of fireground operations.

Now I realize that when a department has persistently ignored those areas, they will have several firefighters who are good, dedicated, and skilled employees that have slipped outside the preferred limits.  There are both legal and compassionate reasons to take that into consideration when implementing a physical standard for a department.  But whatever route is taken, it has to be done.  I wonder how many other departments will learn from this report and start corrective programs before they lose their own firefighters to a terrible incident?  Judging from the past, I'm not confident.

Now let's make sure our own health and efficiency is being taken care of and get this equipment checked out.  I'll go get some good, healthy coffee started.

Update, 10 am:
The NIOSH report is now available online.  FirefighterNation has more on this along with a link to the .pdf report HERE.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Posted by on June 30, 2011 • Filed under: Firefighter Safety & Health, health & safety, morning lineup • Tagged: ,

A long and complex arson tale

Comments Off

Paul Rubin, writing in Phoenix New Times

State Farm Tried to Nail Its Customers for Arson, but the Bad Guys Were Firefighters

March 03, 2011

This story is about firefighters who morphed into arsonists, an insurance company that wasn’t a “good neighbor,” and a Peoria couple whose dream house was reduced to rubble.

It is an ongoing saga in which just about everyone involved, even arson victims Betty and Mike Johnson, have something to answer for.

It has been more than seven years since a gasoline-accelerated fire destroyed the Johnsons’ nearly finished 8,000-square-foot home on North 87th Avenue in north Peoria.

But the injustices stemming from the outrageous events of December 20, 2003, hardly have faded from memory.

The wrongs include how a powerful insurance company’s working in concert with Maricopa County sheriff’s detectives to try to force the Johnsons — initially suspected as the arsonists — into financial submission.

On a parallel front, this story also considers the frustrating inability of law enforcement to bring to justice the alleged ringleader of the high-profile arson case.

That was Robert Brewster, a strapping Peoria firefighter whose hatred of Betty Johnson over a long-standing construction-contract dispute (Brewster ran a concrete firm on the side) was no secret.

The December 2003 fire destroyed the new home of Peoria residents Betty and Mike Johnson.

A complex and painful story where all parties have issues.

Mike “FossilMedic” Ward

Posted by on March 5, 2011 • Filed under: arson, crime, Fires, health & safety, Job Security, News, Urban Commander • Tagged: , , , ,

Morning Lineup – March 5

Comments Off

Saturday Morning Lineup

We have a visitor in the engine bay this morning who would like to talk to us for a minute.  Captain Bob Burton, from Yakima, Washington, Fire Department is a long-time Firegeezer reader and devotes a lot of his energies to helping firefighters prevent and, if necessary, combat the cancers that strike our fire/rescue/ems family way too much.  So please take a moment and listen to his message for us today.  Bob…..

March 5, 2011

To all my Brothers and Sisters,

As I write this I am thinking of my friend Kevin Oldham.  Most of you do not know Kevin, he is a firefighter in Waukegan, Illinois.  Just search his name on YouTube to see some videos of him.  I received a letter yesterday telling me that Kevin, age 34, has been admitted to hospice care in the final stages of his life.  He has been battling pancreatic cancer for the last year.  He has a wife and two beautiful little girls, ages 3 and 1.  Cancer affects us in many ways, I have had my own battles with it and have lost dear friends to it.  And I have friends who, like me, have beaten the devil back to submission.

My good friend Lorenzo Abundiz started a foundation several years ago called “Code 3 For a Cure”.  Lorenzo is an amazing guy.  The mission of Code 3 is two-fold.  It is a mission of Honor and Hope.  As we travel across the country we collect the names of those who have lost the battle. At the end of the mission trip, there is a ceremony where the names are read and the memorial bell is rung for them.

The second part of our mission is to give hope to those who are currently in their battle, and to spread the word to all firefighters about the risks that we incur because of the job we do. We take risks everyday, some willingly, and some are just there lurking in the background. Cancer can hit anyone, at any time.  Firefighters are at a very high risk for developing cancers at a much younger age, and much more rare forms of the disease.

March 14 is the kickoff of the Code 3 for a Cure Mission 2011.  There will be a formal ceremony held in Ripon, California, that morning and from there we take off for a two-month long trip across the US in a new Sutphen Fire Truck, visiting at least 27 of the lower 48 states.  I urge you to make an effort to visit with the Code 3 crew when they are in your area, and please help support the mission by visiting the web site www.code3foracure.org.  Check out the great looking T-shirt for this year’s mission and if possible, please purchase one.

There is a lot of good information on the site, so spend some time there and remember to stay safe. Please remember Kevin and his family in your prayers.

Captain Bob Burton
Training / EMS supervisor
City of Yakima Fire Department

bburton@ci.yakima.wa.us

Thanks, Bob.  We will be sure to check that out when we get back to the day room in a few minutes.  First, though, we need to get this equipment checked out.  I’ll make sure that there’s plenty of coffee ready for us.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Posted by on March 5, 2011 • Filed under: Firefighter Safety & Health, health & safety, morning lineup • Tagged: ,

Fire Captain Fractures Spine on House Fire

Comments Off

Fell Off Roof at Vacant House

A SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA, FIRE CAPTAIN is in the hospital today after falling off the roof of a house Saturday night while engaged in firefighting activity.  Captain Gene Dibble, a 24-year member of the department, was on the roof of the burning structure performing a ventilation procedure.

KXTV Ch. 10 is reporting:

Fire Captain John Burgess said Dibble fell from the roof during the course of his work, fracturing his lower lumbar spine. He was transported to UC Davis Medical Center.

“He’s in a lot of pain, but there’s no paralysis, which is good,” said Burgess. “Hopefully he will have a full recovery.”

No further information has been released yet.  Other reports say that the house is vacant and has had another fire inside it recently.

Google Street View of the address given.

Posted by on February 27, 2011 • Filed under: fire, Firefighter Safety & Health, Fires, health & safety • Tagged: , , ,

Engine Driver Seriously Injured in Pumper Crash

Comments Off

Auto Crossed Center Line Into Engine’s Path 

A KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, ENGINE OPERATOR IS IN SERIOUS but stable condition this morning after having part of one leg amputated following a crash cause by an automobile that hit the engine head-on.  The accident occurred at 2 pm Central Tuesday afternoon just a short distance from Fire Station 42.  The 5-man engine company was responding to a medical call when the car came over the line and collided with the firetruck. 

Kansas City Star

The Kansas City Star is reporting:

Jeff Smith, a 21-year veteran of the Fire Department, was reported in serious but stable condition Tuesday night, the department said in a statement. A fire apparatus operator, he was behind the wheel when the crash occurred.

FF Jeff Smith

Police said the other driver may have been trying to go around traffic that had stopped to yield to the oncoming pumper truck.

The truck had just left its station about 1:50 p.m. and was heading east on Red Bridge Road to an emergency call, police said. When the truck approached a curve near Barrymore Drive, Smith saw a Pontiac Grand Prix heading at him.  Smith cranked the steering wheel hard to the right but still hit the car. The truck then wiped out a utility pole and smashed into a tree on the driver’s side.

None of the other firefighters were injured beyond some minor bruises and cuts.  The car was being driven by a 21-yr.-old woman who had a 3-yr.-old chid with her, reportedly her daughter.  The infant was uninjured but the driver was transported with minor injuries.

KCMO-TV filed this video report Tuesday night:

  

The police say the driver of the car was at fault and will be charged.  They are waiting for the results of her blood test and to learn of the extent of FF Smith’s injuries before they decide what charges to bring.

Read the late report from the Kansas City Star HERE.
STATter911 has more photos and video HERE.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Posted by on February 16, 2011 • Filed under: apparatus, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighter Safety & Health, health & safety, Vehicle Operations & Apparatus, Videos • Tagged: , , , ,

Firefighters Attacked With Homemade Bomb

Comments Off

IN NICE, FRANCE, SIX FIREFIGHTERS ARE OFF DUTY today following a terrorist attack on their fire engine Wednesday night.  Shortly after 10 pm they were lured into the area by a set trash fire, then when they arrived on the scene a group of masked individuals started throwing stones at them, preventing them from putting out the fire.

After they got back inside their fire engine, one of the terrorists threw a homemade bomb at the firetruck and the explosion cause concussion injuries to all six firefighters, leaving them with a temporary loss of hearing.  They were all taken to the hospital and instructed to take at least two days off work to recover.  Four of them will be off duty for eight days.

Later that night, two 17-yr.-old boys were arrested and taken into custody while the investigation continues.  Decrying the “unspeakable act,”  Eric Ciotti, president of the Maritime Alps Fire Rescue division complained to the police and prosecutors of the continuing violence that is being leveled against the firefighters in Nice.  The Mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi called it an “act of assassination” against the firefighters.

See Firegeezer REPORT HERE from November 13 about a FF being shot while working a set auto fire in Grenoble.

The local prefect tried to mollify the firefighters by pointing out that attacks against the FF’s in the Nice area are down 25% this year with “only” 25 cases this year so far as compared to 33 last year.

Nice-Matin has the STORY.
RTL Belgium has MORE.

Posted by on December 31, 2010 • Filed under: crime, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighter Safety & Health, health & safety • Tagged: , , , ,

How Many BBC Reporters Needed To Start a Car?

Comments Off


Lauren41980 was in the back seat of a BMW from Zip Car.

Not quite a Dirk Steinhardt rescue911.de ride-along!

From her narrative on YouTube:

David Willis and James Gordon, representing the BBC in LA and New York respectively, show us there’s more to learn about driving in America than simply staying on the right side of the road.

To be fair, there is a technique in gaining access to one of the car sharing vehicles, using a card access device or an iPhone.

It appears we are well into the effort, with the owner’s manual open and both journalists engaged in the start sequence.

(Rhett can insert snarly remark about non-firefighting journalists and their technical savvy here.)

Mike “FossilMedic” Ward

Posted by on December 29, 2010 • Filed under: health & safety, safety, Training & Development, Vehicle Operation & Ambulances, Videos • Tagged: , , ,

Morning Lineup – December 27

Comments Off

Over the weekend, one of our regular readers pointed me in the direction of an interesting fire news and photography site based near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, MattMilesFirePhotography.com.  I’m glad he introduced me to it because it is a very informative and nicely-constructed website.  But the main reason I got the link is because of a posting of a December 23 fire in a mobile home in Perry County that could very well have had a disastrous result for one firefighter who is very lucky he didn’t become seriously injured.

The fire itself doesn’t appear to have been out of the ordinary for the type of structure, a very old mobile home, pre-1960 with the “killer” jalousie windows.  But the owner had customized his abode to accommodate his auto workshop by adding on a garage to the end of the house, and inside the repair shop he had dug out a 5-ft. deep work pit.  While the smoke that had filled the building was still inside and banked down to the floor, a firefighter who had entered the garage stepped into the pit, landing on his back, but thankfully escaping injury somehow.

©Matt Miles Photography.  Photo by Steve Kidd

I’m not going to get into things like how to search and all that.  You do enough of that now (I hope).  But what I want to address this morning is the sorry state of building code enforcement in that area.  I’m not sure if Perry County even has building codes because there are still some rural areas where that’s the case.  But I would be willing to bet they do, but lack enough inspectors to do any more than respond to complaints or check construction permits. 

Those work pits were outlawed nationwide about 40 years ago, and for good reasons.  One of which was the fact that gasoline vapors are heavier than air.  Obviously this man had dug his pit clandestinely and was largely out of sight, but you cannot miss the cut-rate construction job of the attached “garage.”

Inside the “garage.”  (photo by Steve Kidd)
© Matt Miles Photography

What I want to point out isn’t so much the illegal construction, but the level of enforcement in many places.  There are areas where the populace just doesn’t want that much governmental interference and if that’s the case, that’s fine, as long as the fire department is aware of it and knows that almost anywhere they go that they might find a mantrap like this.  A county with a top-notch building department would have caught the garage construction years ago when the property had its routine visual inspection for tax re-valuation.  I can’t believe that it was ever given a building permit for that type of construction or use.

So what about your area?  Do you know how well your codes are enforced?  When you are out doing your pre-planning and familiarity rides, do you watch for clues like this one?  Do you even get back into those areas that are off the main road?  How about a couple of guys getting in the utility van once in a while and exploring the isolated areas?  Just thinking about what could have been the outcome in this example should give you some fodder for a good day room drill today. 

CLICK HERE to read the complete write-up on this fire last week and take a good look at all the photos that were taken there.  It’ll get your attention.

Ok, we’d better get this equipment checked out now.  I’m going to get some more coffee started.  See you back in the day room in a little while.

Posted by on December 27, 2010 • Filed under: Building construction, Firefighter Safety & Health, health & safety, morning lineup • Tagged: , ,

Forestry Firefighter Transport Crashes, 2 Dead and 12 Injured.

Comments Off

A LOS ANGELES COUNTY FORESTRY FIREFIGHTER TRANSPORT VAN crashed head-on with a passenger vehicle in the northern part of Los Angeles County near Gorman on Tuesday afternoon.  The accident left two people dead and 12 injured, five of them in critical condition.  The firefighters are one of the state’s prison inmate forestry crews.

photos via KCOP-TV

The transporter was carrying 12 inmate-firefighters and was being driven by a county firefighter when a sedan coming the opposite direction on the road crossed over the center line and collided head-on with the truck.  The impact caused the transporter to begin rolling over for about 150 feet, ejecting the imates along the way.  One of the inmates and the driver of the auto were killed instantly.  Many others were trapped inside the wreckage of the truck and had to be extricated.  The injured were transported to several trauma centers in the county.

KGET-TV Ch. 17 Bakersfield has a video report that includes aerial footage of the scene:

 

KTLA-TV has more details and another video REPORT HERE.
The Los Angeles Times has MORE.

Posted by on November 24, 2010 • Filed under: EMS Topics, Fire Rescue Topics, forestry, health & safety, Mass Casualty Incident, Vehicle Operations & Apparatus, Videos • Tagged: , , ,