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
Archives for safety
EMSA, THE PRIMARY EMERGENCY AMBULANCE SERVICE in central Oklahoma, including Tulsa and Oklahoma City, outfitted its entire ambulance fleet with the “Howler” sired add-on last November. A year later, they are touting the success of the installations and crediting it with cutting their vehicle accident rate markedly.
From January 1 to October 31, 2008, EMSA had sixteen accidents at intersections while on emergency calls. After upgrading their fleet a year ago, the number of accidents at intersections for the same period (Jan. 1 – Oct. 31) this year was reduced by 50% to eight. During that 10-month span they logged 4.3 million miles on their ambulances.
KOTV reports:
EMSA estimates that the reduction in collisions has saved $80,000 in ambulance repair and replacement costs alone.
“Of course, that’s just damage to our ambulances. It’s not at all unusual for cars that collide with ambulances to be totaled,” says EMSA Fleet Manager Kelly Smith.
The Howlers cost less than $400 each. EMSA and Acadian Ambulance Service in Louisiana were the first ambulance agencies in the nation to outfit their entire fleet with the sirens.
The Oklahoman has this video report:
Related articles:
Firegeezer video report on EMSA’s demonstration of their new installation last year HERE.
Firegeezer video report on the Howler compared to Federal Signal’s similar product, the “Rumbler” HERE.
Oh, Deer !
Comments OffNOVEMBER IS WHEN 25% OF ALL DEER VS. VEHICLE accidents occur. This is largely due to three factors.
- It is mating season and they are actively looking for partners.
- Hunters have them on the move.
- Deer are feeding more in an attempt to fatten up for the winter months.
Keep in mind that ambulances are vehicles, too. While the most vulnerable time for a deer collision is at sunup and sundown, anytime during the night is potentially hazardous for drivers. The danger isn’t limited to rural areas, either. Suburban areas and many metropolitan areas have hundreds of deer collisions every year.
KAAL-TV
The excellent website Everyday EMS Tips has a good article about this hazard along with a brief 7-point checklist for ambulance drivers on what to watch for and how to react in these situations. Read the ARTICLE HERE and then get the troops together for a 15-minute drill on the topic.
THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION (OSHA) has just levied penalties against the BP oil giant in the amount of $87,430,000 for its failure to take corrective actions following a deadly explosion at their Texas City, Texas, refinery in March, 2005. The destructive blast killed 15 people and injured 170 others. Investigation found that the explosion was caused by a series of safety violations on the site and BP entered into an agreement with OSHA to correct the deficiencies. However, they failed to do so.
The industrial safety website ISHN.com reports:
“When BP signed the OSHA settlement from the March 2005 explosion, it agreed to take comprehensive action to protect employees. Instead of living up to that commitment, BP has allowed hundreds of potential hazards to continue unabated,” said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. “Fifteen people lost their lives as a result of the 2005 tragedy, and 170 others were injured. An $87 million fine won’t restore those lives, but we can’t let this happen again. Workplace safety is more than a slogan. It’s the law. The U.S. Department of Labor will not tolerate the preventable exposure of workers to hazardous conditions.”
For noncompliance with the terms of the settlement agreement, the BP Texas City Refinery has been issued 270 “notifications of failure to abate” with fines totaling $56.7 million. Each notification represents a penalty of $7,000 times 30 days, the period that the conditions have remained unabated. OSHA also identified 439 new willful violations for failures to follow industry-accepted controls on the pressure relief safety systems and other process safety management violations with penalties totaling $30.7 million.
“BP was given four years to correct the safety issues identified pursuant to the settlement agreement, yet OSHA has found hundreds of violations of the agreement and hundreds of new violations. BP still has a great deal of work to do to assure the safety and health of the employees who work at this refinery,” said acting Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Jordan Barab.
BP’s Texas City refinery is the third-largest in the U. S. with a capacity of 475,000 bbl. of crude per day.
This is the largest fine in OSHA’s history. The 2nd-largest penalty, $21 million, was also levied against BP.
Thanks to mofiretrain1.
Today’s Safe Driving Award …
Comments Off….. GOES TO A MAN IN CHELSEA, VICTORIA (AUSTRALIA), who was caught driving through a tunnel while using two cell phones. He told police that it was ok because he had one finger on the wheel at all times.
The Herald-Sun REPORTS:
The one-fingered hoon was seen holding a mobile phone in each hand and driving his car with his knees while travelling through the Eastlink tunnel about 3.15pm Saturday. The 30-year-old Fitzroy man was pulled over by Chelsea Traffic Management Unit acting sergeant Rob Atkinson who had noticed the car swerving.
The driver explained he needed to transfer information from one phone to another and that he had been driving with one finger. Act Sergeant Atkinson said it was one of the worst cases of careless driving he had seen in 10 years of policing.
“I reinforced the danger of this type of driving, especially within the tunnel and issued the man with two penalty notices, one for careless driving and one for use hand held mobile phone while driving,’’ he said.
The tickets will cost him over $500 and six demerits.
ONE OF OUR LONG-TIME READERS, Assistant Chief Wayne Kewitsh of the Richfield Fire Department in Minnesota is asking for some help:
“Do you happen to know of any resources discussing the use of fire poles, primarily studies indicating injury rates, etc.? Everything we’ve found so far has been anecdotal, although we did speak with a CalOSHA official attached to LA County FD who said they consider them safer than having a firefighter run down stairs at 02:00.
We’re building a new, two-story station and everyone is trying to figure out which has the highest injury incidence, poles, slides or stairs.”
If you’ve got some leads or tips for him, post them in the Comments. Thanks!
A PHOENIX, ARIZONA, FIRE ENGINE WAS INVOLVED IN a multi-vehicle crash Monday evening that left 13 people injured including two firefighters.
KNXV-TV
The engine was responding to a call around 6 pm Mountain time with its lights and siren on and while passing through a freeway interchange an automobile drove into the side of the pumper. The impact caused the firetruck to veer over into the oncoming lanes where it collided with about 8 or 9 vehicles that were stopped.
The fire captain was ejected from the truck and slammed into the pavement leaving her unconscious with critical injuries. The operater was also hospitalized along with the driver of the offending car and a fourth person. Nine other people were treated on the scene by paramedics.
Early police reports say that the 23-yr.-old woman driving the car struck the engine at a high rate of speed. Witnesses are saying that she ran a red light, but the police have not confirmed that information.
KNXV-TV has this video report from the scene:
STATter911 has more DETAILS HERE along with his usual Google Maps view of the complex intersection.
Update, 11 am Eastern:
Twelve hours after the wreck, the pumper was loaded onto a flatbed and hauled away from the crash scene. So far, no further findings from the accident investigation have been released. KTVK is reporting:
The firefighter who (was) hurt the worst reportedly was sitting in the front passenger seat. The force of the collision threw her from the truck. Crystal Rosati, a fire captain who has more than 20 years’ experience, suffered serious head trauma and was unconscious when she rushed to John C. Lincoln Hospital where she underwent emergency surgery. She reportedly remained in the ICU Tuesday morning.
KTVK also has eight video reports related to the accident HERE.
Why We Block Lanes – cont'd.
Comments OffEARLY SUNDAY MORNING, SAN DIEGO (CALIFORNIA) ENGINE CO. 44 WAS WORKING an auto accident on I-15. A car had rolled over and the engine had positioned to block the two right lanes while the FF’s and medics worked on the victim.
The engine’s driver, FF Jonathan Bowens was setting out some traffic cones when he saw an automobile bearing down on the wreck-scene at full speed. So he alertly dashed around to the other side of the pumper just as the second car struck the left rear of the engine. Although FF Bowens seemingly made it to safety, the impact drove the fire engine several feet sideways, knocking it into Bowens who was pitched 10 feet across the pavement and landed on his face.
San Diego Fire-Rescue Dept. photo
The San Diego Union-Tribune tells us:
The 13-year veteran, who was hurt in his right shoulder and side, got back up and resumed putting out safety cones, said Maurice Luque, a fire department spokesman.
“I still felt groggy,” Bowens said. “Sitting on the sidelines was not an option because we are trained to protect and serve.”
His superiors thought otherwise and decided he should be checked out at a hospital.
Before the crash, Bowens signed up to work an extra shift. So instead of going home after being released from the hospital, he went back to work. Bowens actually will have to tough it out until Tuesday morning when he’ll reach the end of the 72-hour shift he is currently working.
San Diego Fire-Rescue Dept. photo
The three occupants of the errant car, all family members, were taken to the hospital with undisclosed injuries. No report was released on the condition of the fire engine.
Read the complete story in the Union-Tribune HERE.
Stickers Are Starting to Stick
Comments OffBACK ON MAY 13, FIREGEEZER REPORTED HERE on the ordinance passed by the Greencastle, Indiana, city council requiring identifying stickers to be place on structures built with “engneered” and “lightweight” construction materials.
When we first posted it, there was a lot of positive feedback along with sparking some initiative for others to follow the practice. Now we’re pleased to report that another town has joined the effort to help protect firefighters from this insidious contruction method.
The Derby, Connecticut, Board of Aldermen has scheduled a public hearing on July 23 on a proposed ordinance that would require a reflective sticker be affixed to buildings built with prefabricated engineered lumber. The Connecticut Post reports:
“You are the smallest town in the state, but you have the opportunity to set a large example,” Frank Ricci, of the Connecticut Council of Occupational Safety and Health, told the Board of Aldermen last week. “We are hoping what we start here in Derby will be a catalyst for an eventual state law that would mirror the Derby law.”
That law, administered through the new ordinance, would require a special reflective sticker be put on those buildings built with prefabricated engineered lumber, which burns and collapses faster than stick construction, according to Ricci, who also is a New Haven firefighter (and plaintiff of the recent lawsuit just settled by the U. S. Supreme Court in Ricci vs. DeStefano….Ed.).
It’s impossible to tell by looking at a building from the outside if it is built with the engineered lumber, he said. The reflective stickers would warn firefighters they are dealing with such construction so that they can take extra precautions, he said.
The cost of the stickers would be minimal, Alderman David Lenart said, and a request has gone out to city businesses for donations to buy them for existing buildings. An additional $5 fee would be charged to all building permits for such buildings, he said.
Anyone refusing to put the sticker on an eligible building or removing an existing sticker could be fined $25 a day, according to the ordinance.
“It is very sobering to hear what is happening” to firefighters who enter such buildings, Mayor Tony Staffieri said.
Read the complete article in the Connecticut Post HERE.
Read the Firegeezer story with video from Greencastle HERE.
LAST WEEK I JUMPED INTO A TAXI with three colleagues on the way to a Miami Beach restaurant. As we waited at the traffic light to exit the hotel, I uncomfortably noticed that I was the only one not wearing a seat belt. After clicking my seat belt on, I reflected on this behavior.
I always wear a seat belt when I drive, fly and when a passenger in a private vehicle. I rarely buckle-up in a taxi. The physics have not changed, and I have more near-miss stories involving cab rides than any other public transportation. It is a personal safety blind spot.
NO OBSERVABLE CHANGE IN BEHAVIOR
The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation held the first Firefighter Life Safety Summit in Tampa and issued the 16 initiatives in 2004. There has been outstanding progress with articulation of the initatives into action items, developing appropriate safety & health training programs and introducing new or improved equipment. But, as mentioned by some of the fire service trade magazines this month, the death rate has not significantly changed.
While the current Everybody Goes Home brochure calls for a 10% reduction in five years and 50% in ten years, my Tampa notes implied a 25% reduction in fire fighter line-of-duty deaths by 2009. In order to meet that goal, I suggested that combat firefighting be restricted to members under the age of 50. That would immediately prevent 35 LODDs in the next year (HERE). Not a popular suggestion.
UNCOMFORTABLE DECISIONS
After years of discussion, my department lost the ability to play any round ball sports as part of on-duty physical fitness activity. About 2/3rds of the disability retirements and half of on-duty injuries with lost time were generated by basketball and volleyball injuries. After two or three years of General Orders, chief’s directives and training, the disability/injury rate continued to be dominated by round-ball injuries. It was endangering the county-funded uniformed retirement system. The county executive ordered the fire chief to prohibit roundball activities and forced the overhaul of the disability retirement system.
Members of my department could not unilaterally change their behavior. The disability rate and injured days lost continued until the fire chief’s boss imposed a significant penalty, including a reducton in disability benefits for most of the eligible members.
Should we encourage the same change in the federal LODD procedures?
- No federal payout if a seat belt was not used
- Reduced payout if firefighter had a pre-existing cardiac condition or documented “sentinel” event
- Determining the percentage of responsibility that the member contributed to his/her death and reduce the benefits accordingly
I am NOT advocating these changes, but wonder if they would it result in a reduction from the following LODD subsets:
- 10-15 firefighers who die each year in vehicle collisions
- 40 some who die of cardiac-related conditions
Creating a consequence for non-compliance is how many changes in behavior are accomplished. It places a bright light on safety blind spots. I wonder if it would work with firefighters.
Mike “FossilMedic” Ward
WHEN THE MORRISVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA, FIRE DEPARTMENT runs calls on Interstate 40, they take two engines. Learning from events around the country, they take the second truck to position as a lane blocker and protect the firefighters from the ever-growing number of careless drivers. The practice paid off early this morning (Saturday) when they responded to an auto fire on the freeway at 4 am.
Morrisville FD photo
The Morrisville FD, located just outside of Raleigh, issued a release that tells:
Safety policies are being credited for protecting firefighters at an emergency scene this morning. Morrisville Fire Chief Todd Wright says his Firefighters were working to extinguish a working vehicle fire at I-40 east near Airport Boulevard, when a car slammed into the back of a fire engine.
Morrisville FD photo
Chief Wright says the roadway incident policy his department has, was instrumental in keeping those firefighters safe. While no firefighters were injured, two women (car occupants) were transported to Duke Medical Center, but their conditions are not known at this time.
Two trucks initially responded to the vehicle fire, the one fighting the fire, and the other ‘blocking’ for them. The firefighters were in a protected area between the first and the second engine when the accident occured. Chief Wright says his department trains on the roadway incident policy, and that’s why his Firefighters were kept safe.
Morrisville Fire Dept. WEBSITE.
Freak Accident Injures FF at Brush Fire
Comments OffAN ATLANTA, GEORGIA, FIREFIGHTER REMAINS IN THE HOSPITAL Saturday morning after being injured by a chunk of truck tire. The FF was working at the scene of a brush fire alongside I-285, Atlanta’s beltway, when a passing truck just happened to blow a tire, sending chunks of rubber and debris toward the site where the firefighters were engaged in the fire.
At least one piece of the tire struck the unidentified FF causing severe injuries to both his head and pelvis. He is in critical but stable condition at Grady Memorial Hospital, according to Frankie Smith, a nursing supervisor at the hospital. He is expected to make a full recovery.
WAGA-TV has a video report from the scene (where even the tow-truck driver is wearing the new safety vest):
M
A SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA, Search & Rescue volunteer was on holiday weekend patrol when he was struck and killed by an ambulance Sunday afternoon.
24-year-old Christopher Meadows had just completed his Search and Rescue training and was due to be promoted to Medical Team Leader. He was also a full-time EMT for San Luis Ambulance. Before he was publicly identified, the sheriff department issued this press release:
A San Luis Obispo Sheriff’s Dept. Search & Rescue (SAR)volunteer was killed at the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreational area on Sunday afternoon when he was apparently struck by an ambulance responding to a first aid call.
Both the ambulance and the SAR member were responding to the same call. The SAR member was riding a 4-wheel drive ATV, used to patrol and assist State Park Rangers at the popular tourist location. The SAR member was assigned to the heavily trafficked recreational area as part of the normal holiday weekend deployment of Sheriff’s resources.
“I want to express my heartfelt sympathy and gratitude to the family of our deceased search and rescue member, who gave his life today trying to help someone in trouble. I also want to acknowledge the pain this must be causing the ambulance staff, who immediately tried to save their brothers life at the scene,”said San Luis Obispo Sheriff, Pat Hedges.
The California Highway Patrol will investigate the collision and will be lead agency in determining the facts surrounding the death.
The details of how the accident happened have not yet been released.
Updated. Scroll down.
REMEMBER A WHILE BACK WHEN WE WATCHED somebody using a partially-embedded pick-head axe as a roof platform while operating a power saw? (see the Firegeezer post HERE.) It generated a lot of discussion at the time.
Well, reader Greg F. remembered when he found this video that was posted just a couple of days ago. It is purported to have been filmed at the Washington State (Fire Academy?).
Greg’s comment was, “Even in Boy Scouts you learn that you need to keep some distance from someone using an axe or saw.” Me? I just keep looking at these dubious foot rests. I still don’t like it.
Update, May 22:
Here is the “Nail in the nose” photo from June, 2005, referred to in Comment #4.
courtesy Firefighter Close Calls
THE NATIONAL FIRE PREVENTION ASSOCIATION (NFPA) is heading up a coordinated effort to rebuff attempts to undermine the new home sprinkler standards.
Leading with the headline “Stand together to better protect firefighters and the public,” they issued a press release yesterday that begins:
Citing the fact that more than 90 percent of fireground firefighter deaths occur in one- and two-family homes, leading fire service organizations warned against state-by-state legislative efforts, orchestrated by homebuilders, which are designed to prohibit communities from requiring residential fire sprinklers in new home construction. Fire service groups are reiterating their strong support for sprinklers in the wake of several legislative attempts across the country.
This new campaign is serious and determined to bring to the public’s attention that many politicians are looking after the best interests of groups other than the public they represent and the fire and rescue responders. Lining up the heads of the collective fire service organizations, the NFPA quotes:
IAFC President Chief Larry J. Grorud: These anti-sprinkler bills will set a dangerous precedent. There are now bills in approximately 15 states that ignore the well established, life-safety benefit of sprinklers and if passed, will take away a real opportunity to enhance public and firefighter safety.
Georgia State Fire Marshal Alan R. Shuman, president of the National Association of State Fire Marshals (NASFM): Now is not the time to backslide on fire and life safety. It is important to move this technology forward with the adoption of sprinkler provisions from the model codes into state and local codes in order to bring this added level of safety to all citizens.
IAFF General President Harold A. Schaitberger: We see the devastating consequences of home fires every day, and we know sprinklers save lives. These misguided legislative efforts will make it harder to keep people safe, protect their property, and will jeopardize the lives of firefighters.
National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) Chairman Philip C. Stittleburg: Home fire sprinklers provide an added level of safety because they control heat, smoke and flames allowing occupants time to escape and giving firefighters a safer environment. The NVFC’s state association members have been fighting and will continue to push back against attempts to restrict fire sprinkler installation in new residential construction.
You can read the entire press release HERE. It has links to contact NFPA for more information.
THE BOSTON (MASSACHUSETTS) FIRE DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCED LAST Friday that they have hired two civilian employees to oversee the vehicle fleet maintenance.
WCVB-TV reports:
Fire Department spokesman Steve MacDonald said in an e-mail Friday that the city has hired a fleet safety coordinator who is scheduled to begin work on Monday. MacDonald did not say who had been tasked to fill the new position. The city also selected a fleet maintenance manager, set to start work next week, who will share responsibility for ensuring city fire vehicles are properly maintained.
A report released in March gave the city’s fire truck mechanics and supervisors a failing grade, saying mechanics and supervisors do not know the most simple manufacturer’s recommendations, like when to do oil changes. The report also said firefighters do not receive any driver training at the Fire Academy.
MacDonald said that the department has also developed a daily safety checklist for fire companies to follow and has created a new driver training course for fire fighters.
Despite the new hires, the fire department has still not met several recommendations laid out in the report that officials had aimed to have in place by June 6, including implementing standard vehicle inspection procedures and preventative maintenance programs. MacDonald said that consultants will begin work on the projects once the bidding process concludes. He said that he expects the new safety measures to be in place by the June 6 goal.
DESPITE EVERYBODY’S BEST ATTEMPTS TO PROTECT AN ACCIDENT SCENE, there are always some drivers who seem intent on driving into parked fire trucks and already-wrecked cars. Now most FD’s are having to run extra apparatus and plan their positioning on highway accidents just to assure the survival of the firefighters and paramedics working on the wreck. A few months back we pointed out one department that was using a ladder truck for maximum protection and a car drove into it anyway.
A couple of days ago one of our readers John Sachen, a Senior Fire Instructor, was traveling up I-55 just south of St. Louis, Missouri, when he came across an accident scene being worked by Rock Community Fire and Rescue Dept. that had traffic stopped for a moment allowing him to take this picture of what he calls “doing it right.” John points out: Note the two blocking vehicles securing the extrication and triage zones. Also see that with properly angled block vehicles the approaching traffic automatically moves to the preferred lanes without the need for extra law enforcement or firefighters directing traffic.
© John Sachen
That is a very important view as we teach using block vehicles and angling them to direct traffic. Our success rate, when the procedure is used, is very high. When we first were made aware of the procedure I personally impemented it twice in a 30 day period and was astounded with the way it worked.
He also adds, “Hats off to the Rock Community duty crew!”
Rock Community Fire Protection District WEBSITE.
THE DuPONT CO. ANNOUNCED ON TUESDAY a new version of its Nomex fire-resistant fiber that the company said expands in high heat to provide increased protection for firefighters.
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The new product, called Nomex On Demand, will be immediately introduced into the material used for firefighters’ protective gear liners. Later it will also be available for its other applications such as auto racing suits, military clothing and oil refinery workers’ suits.
DuPont scientists have engineered the product to expand up to four times its original thickness when exposed to temperatures above 250 degrees, which DuPont said will boost insulation by up to 20 percent.
A press release issued by DuPont yesterday says, in part:
The term “smart-fiber technology” refers to the ability of the new material — initially for use in thermal liners in firefighter turnout gear — to detect emergency conditions and automatically expand to trap more air for greater thermal insulation. In emergency conditions, air temperatures can exceed hundreds of degrees. Nomex(R) On Demand(TM) is specifically engineered to react and expand when temperatures reach 250 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. Yet in routine conditions, thermal liners made with Nomex(R) On Demand(TM) remain thin and flexible, providing excellent thermal protection and good mobility. Once activated, Nomex(R) On Demand(TM) continues to provide maximum thermal protection, when and where it is needed.
“DuPont(TM) Nomex(R) On Demand(TM) is the first smart-fiber technology that helps protect lives,” said Thomas G. Powell, vice president and general manager — DuPont Advanced Fiber Systems. “It is a great example of our commitment to market-driven science — matching our many years of experience in high-performance fibers with an understanding of the evolving needs of the fire services industry. We are committed to protecting firefighters and other emergency responders with innovative products that will help enable them to perform their jobs as safely as possible.”
You can read the entire press release HERE.
THERE HAVE BEEN TOO MANY FIREFIGHTER DEATHS AND INJURIES in the past few years due to the rapid interior collapse of newer homes built with “lightweight construction” methods. This problem may be lessened soon with the introduction of Georgia-Pacific’s new wood-chips-and-glue XJ 85 I-Joist.
This remarkable product has several large holes already cut through the woody-type floor joists that are designed to make for faster and easier installation of heating ducts, electric conduits, etc.
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With this innovation being brought into the housing construction trade, newer houses that have fires will now be falling in before the first-due engine even gets there.
It’s what the Yuppies call a Win-Win. The FD wins because we’re not there yet when the roof meets the basement and the home builders win because rebuilding costs are increased. As for the poor sap whose house burns down ….. well, that’s what insurance is for, isn’t it?
Presumably, the cost savings from using this method would be enough to pay for installing a home sprinkler system. But don’t hold your breath waiting for that to happen. Especially in Minnesota.
You can learn more about this wonderful new product HERE.
Thanks to Firegeezer reader Troy N. who brought this to our attention.
THE BUFFALO, NEW YORK, FIRE DEPARTMENT RECENTLY RECIEVED a donation from the area insurance agencies of $28,700 to purchase a complete accountability system for on-scene personnel. It will include the helmet tabs and the personal accountability tag system that so many departements are using today.
WIVB-TV Ch. 4 has this video report:
The BFD also learned last week that they will be receiving a $1 million federal grant for new helmets and protective clothing.
San Diego City Council Gets With It
Comments OffAFTER MORE THAN 20 YEARS OF DITHERING, the San Diego, California, city council voted to comply with the law that they enforce on everybody else and begin the process to retrofit City Hall with a sprinkler system.
San Diego City Hall
KGTV reports:
The motion by Councilwoman Marti Emerald directs the mayor’s office to seek bids from companies for the roughly $5 million project and to report back to the council June 1. It also calls for evacuation drills to be held at City Hall for the first time in about six years.
The 13-story building that houses the mayor, council members, city planners and financial staffers is the only tall building in the city without sprinklers. For more than 20 years, the City Council has delayed compliance with an ordinance that requires sprinklers in other high-rises.
San Diego’s fire chief and parade coordinator told the council that the building is relatively safe now because it has a fire alarm system and a standpipe. (Really…. she said that….ed.)
Read the full STORY HERE.
THE MINNESOTA STATE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND INDUSTRY has apparently knuckled under to the builders’ lobbies and announced Monday that they will not be adopting the mandatory home sprinkler code this year.
The International Residential Code (IRC) that was ironically adopted in Minneapolis last fall, calls for the home sprinkler construction for all new homes built after Jan. 1, 2011.
“Given the drastic slowdown of the construction economy, we feel it is not the appropriate time to be updating regulations,” Steve Hernick, state building official, and Jerry Rosendahl, state fire marshal, said in the Department of Labor and Industry announcement.
Monte Mraz, Builders Association of Minnesota president told the Bemidji Pioneer Tuesday that there would be a “… significant burden adopting a new building code would place on both homeowners and builders at this time…. We are confident that the existing residential building code will continue to protect homeowners.,” Mraz said. “What we have now works; there will be no harm to citizens by the delay.”
By not adopting the 2009 ammendments, Minnesota will not be requiring home sprinklers for at least five years, if ever.
The state building official and fire marshal went on to list four reasons for not adopting the life-saving upgrades, one of which was the cost of printing new code books. The other three reasons are just as laughable and you can read them all in the story from the Bemidji Pioneer HERE.
Firegeezer adds: This sellout of the Minnesota citizens’ life safety will not only contribute to more increases in property loss, but also adds more endangerment to firefighters’ lives as additional buildings go up utilizing the so-called lightweight construction methods. But the state building officer and the fire marshal have succeeded in helping to preserve a smidgeon of the homebuilders’ profits.
Student Catches Fire In Class
Comments OffAN OSWEGO COUNTY, NEW YORK, HIGH SCHOOL student accidentally ignited his clothing in his shop class Monday morning.
The boy was in the vocational welding shop class when sparks from his project landed on his shirt and set it on fire. School authorities say that he was wearing the proper protective equipment at the time and the class instructor was there supervising when it occurred.
The student suffered 1st and 2nd degree burns to his chest, arms and face and was transported to University Hospital in Syracuse.
WSYR-TV has the video report:
OUR TRAINING TIP FROM LAST WEEK covering the use of halligans/axes as footholds for roof ventilations (see Firegeezer HERE) brought lots of comments and opinions as to whether it was being done properly.
That led to GeezerReader Matt K. sending this pic along with a challenge for you to see if you can spot the safety hazard in this man’s use of the axe:
Hint: There might be more than one safety violation.
How Aggressive Suppression?
CommentsFire Engineering editor Bobby Halton makes statements that force us out of our comfort zone. My first encounter with this was reading the December 2006 editorial about fire-based ems. Flying out to a January conference in Phoenix, here was the opening paragraph of a letter-to-the-editor I was writing:
I only knew that Halton was a former Texas fire chief. I assumed that he, like many baby-boomer era chiefs, observed fire-based paramedicine as a first responder. This editorial was part of the effort by fire service leaders to protect and expand their turf as the federal government allocated EMS resources. Here is the part of the December 2006 editorial that pushed me to respond:
I do not believe that Chief Croker was staying awake after midnight at the fire station waiting for a medical run. Based on published accounts, he was waiting for a structure fire in an occupied building – when time makes all the difference in a rescue. I am sure that the firefighters under Croker’s command would do everything they could for the civilians that they rescued from a structure fire, building collapse or other catastrophe. I was offended at the misappropriation of Crocker’s image and tradition.
Arriving at Phoenix I learned that Halton was speaking at the Change in the Fire Service Symposium. I took away three things from his talk: (a) he worked as a paramedic/firefighter, (b) I have heard him speak before and (c) he is a pretty smart guy. Never finished the letter.
RISK A LOT TO SAVE …. PERSONAL RECORDS?
I was reminded of that experience last month, while listening to Halton speak at the Fire Department Instructor’s Conference welcome Wednesday morning. It appears he was working to counter the position taken by some that you should never enter a burning structure unless you are SURE that you have a savable life. You can read his remarks HERE.
I can agree with the assertion of making a extreme effort to save a life, as described in his speech and article.
I am uncomfortable with the idea that I could get critically injured saving photos, financial records and vacation memorabilia. Are we over-reacting to those who advocate exterior fire attack for almost all structure fires?
The recalibration concept was reinforced the next morning, with a vivid and dynamic presentation by FDNY Lieutenant Ray McCormack promoting a “Culture of Extinguishment”. Of the two presentations, I was more comfortable with the personal opinions expressed by McCormack.
Apparently McCormack’s presentation was too vivid, as the video was pulled off the Fire Engineering website and replaced with Halton reading a letter sent by the Chief of Department Salvatore Cassano (go HERE and click Letter to the Editor video).
The 30-minute FDNY produced “Everyone Goes Home” video mentioned by Chief Cassano can be seen HERE. It is worth your time to view it. Just as Lieutenant McCormack’s recent detail to the Safety Command is unrelated to his FDIC presentation, so is the departmental requirement that every member view this video by June 30, 2009.
WHAT LEVEL OF AGGRESSION IS APPROPRIATE IN A “CULTURE OF SUPPRESSION”
Politics and procedures aside, the sweet spot for effective interior fire operations is somewhere between these two extremes. It depends on resources, experience and training. What is appropriate for a big city department, who can deliver 40 battle-ready firefighters in 15 minutes is not appropriate for hometown VFD who can get three trainees and four firefighters on the scene in the first 15 minutes.
Mike “FossilMedic” Ward