Larry Anderson, Deputy Chief (Ret.)
Dallas (TX) Fire Department/Former Western Director, FDSOA

This past October I was invited to participate in a session on improving firefighter safety in structure fires. This session was conducted at the NOIRS (National Occupational Injury Research Symposium) conference in Pittsburgh. NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) was the other sponsor for this event.

I really did not know what to expect from a symposium of such distinguished scholars and statisticians. I did have some experience with the NIOSH Firefighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program Team because I had worked with them following a firefighter fatality in my own department in February 2002. I knew the people on this team to be professional and thorough. They had earned my respect during their investigation of our tragedy.

I was representing the FDSOA and the Dallas Fire-Rescue Department at the conference and was one of the few career firefighters in attendance. These people had a tremendous amount of data regarding firefighter injuries and fatalities but were somewhat puzzled by the statistics they were finding. The main question that kept cropping up was, "With all the advances in PPE and safety devices in today's fire service, why are the numbers of injuries and fatalities not decreasing proportionately?"

It stands to reason that enhanced personal protective equipment should result in enhanced safety for firefighters. A presentation regarding thermal image cameras pointed out the benefits of being able to "see" and navigate in IDLH atmospheres. Advantages and drawbacks of thermal image cameras were discussed at length. The new and improved integrated PASS devices were studied and lauded for their ability to help locate and rescue lost or trapped firefighters. Other innovations such as lighted ropes and GPS locator systems were discussed.

The haunting question kept rearing its ugly head. Why are we still losing firefighters at such an alarming rate? I was surrounded by some of the finest minds in American academia. I looked with awe at this consortium of intelligence and realized that I had the answer to the question they were all asking. Would they believe me if I told them? The answer had nothing to do with ratios or statistics. It was not quantifiable and, as such, might not be acceptable to this group. I decided to go for it and see where the discussion would lead.

The answer to this seemingly enigmatic question was simply THE ATTITUDE OF TODAY'S FIREFIGHTERS.

The members of today's fire service seem to revel in the dangers of the profession. We want to take the "John Wayne" attitude of "It's a dangerous job but somebody has to do it." Injuries and fatalities simply reinforce that philosophy and give us an opportunity to honor bravery and the ultimate sacrifice.

I agree that the fire service is a dangerous profession even when done correctly. Why do we insist on making it more dangerous than it has to be? Thirty years ago we fought fire without protective hoods and our exposed ears let us know when things were getting tough. I have actually seen hoods doubled and sewn together so our "tough guys" can go deeper and stay longer than before. Integrated PASS devices are a great tool for locating lost or trapped firefighters but lack of discipline in controlling down-firefighter alarms has created a situation in which the alarm tones are simply "music to fight fire by." At you're next working fire listen for the alarms. If a concentrated effort has not been made to enforce alarm discipline in your department they will be going off everywhere.

Safety must be everyone's responsibility. Anyone who has ever studied the management textbooks for promotional exams knows that responsibility must always be accompanied by accountability. The accountability part is where the break down most often occurs. When was the last time you heard of anyone in the fire service being disciplined for a safety violation? In private industry, the number one reason for termination is safety violations. As long as we accept that doing dumb stuff is part of our jobs we will never improve our odds of going home to our loved ones at the end of a shift. Until we ask ourselves "What is the probable result of what we are about to do and is it worth the risk we are taking to do it?" we will not make good tactical decisions. Until officers are held accountable for the actions of their subordinates and fire administrators are committed to reducing injuries and fatalities through meaningful policies and guidelines that are ENFORCED there will be no appreciable decline in our horrible statistics.

The group politely listened to my ideas and took some time to digest the information. One by one, I could see lights coming on in the eyes of these scholars. Now they were beginning to understand that until we redirect the attitudes and philosophies of the rank and file firefighters there will be no improvement in the numbers. Guess what? The cat is out of the bag. The folks who keep tabs on our injuries and fatalities have now been clued in on what to look for. If it takes unprecedented measures to get the American fire service injury and death figures to the standards of the rest of the world, so be it. Anyone who has ever stood in a cemetery and handed a folded flag to the grieving family of a fallen firefighter will tell you it's worth it.

This article appeared courtesy of the Fire Department Safety Officers Association. Many thanks to FDSOA and its members for continuing to fight the good fight of firefighter safety.