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Are We Doing Too Much?:
This tends to be a question a lot of us are asking ourselves more frequently these days. A friend of mine gave me a call and put me on to a roundtable discussion in Fire Engineering Magazine.
Question: Are we stretching the envelope too much in the fire service today? Thirty years ago, even though we didn’t have fancy and expensive apparatus in which to respond, we still did trench rescue, confined space entry, haz-mat mitigation, and emergency medical runs. All of these now call for additional training and certifications. Are we doing too much in the fire service?
This gentleman also had this to say.
All of these “specialties” call for certification and, in most instances, continuing education mandated at the state or federal level; we have no control over these mandates. The problem that arises is that the time needed to learn and to maintain “specialty” skills detracts from time spent on fire training. Very rarely do you hear of a firefighter being killed in a haz-mat suit or hanging from a rope. However, we manage to kill the same outrageous number of firefighters at fires year in and year out. I don’t think we should get rid of the specialties, but we should insist on mandated continuing education in fire training at every level, firefighter through chief. That will force administrators to ensure-no, mandate-that we spend appropriate time remembering how to fight fires correctly and safely.
I think we need to look at this part-by-part.
1.) (All of these “specialties” call for certification and, in most instances, continuing education mandated at the state or federal level; we have no control over these mandates.)
Look at the specialties rescue, haz-mat mitigation, and emergency medical runs. Most all of the specialties that we are speaking of are also services provided by the private sector. If you really think about it this way, the laws and standards are in place for their protection. The standards we follow are the same that an industry worker follows. This is why there is state and federal laws in place to protect the worker in the industry field. These laws also fall over to the fire service to follow when we are working in this particular field.
No we do not have control over these laws and that is probably a good thing because if we did we would not follow them as some of our government leaders would like for us to do. This is probably one of the biggest reason fire department are being pushed out of the specialties type of work by administrators.
2.) (The problem that arises is that the time needed to learn and to maintain “specialty” skills detracts from time spent on fire training.)
Not everyone can do it all that is why you must set up special response teams for the different fields you are going to work in. Some on the other hand have an unusual sense of drive and have the ability to multi task. You know I think anyone can play a part in the fire service but I think it is important that they know which part they are playing.
3.) (Very rarely do you hear of a firefighter being killed in a haz-mat suit or hanging from a rope. However, we manage to kill the same outrageous number of firefighters at fires year in and year out.)
I am going to give it to you like this, would you go to a tanker truck leaking a green liquid out and just walk right in? I think you would say NO. But I bet a lot of people would run into a burning building without doing a 360 of the building. Would you use a 8mm rope for your main haul line on a rope rescue? Probably not! But I bet your first in line on a working building fire would be a 1 ľ. Why? Would you go into a confined space lets say sewer system without respiratory protection. NO but you will fight a trash can fire without SCBA. I often wonder why we are killing so many fire fighters.
4.) (I don’t think we should get rid of the specialties, but we should insist on mandated continuing education in fire training at every level, firefighter through chief)
I could not agree more. You know to be a haz-mat tech, first responder, EMT and so on you must go through a recertification annually. But why do we not have some form of recertification process for the firefighter and the Chief. You know I recently went to a fire station to discuss volunteer recruitment and retention. This became a very heated subject the standards are too high now with FFI and FFII. My question to them and to all who read this when was the last time you attended a class outside of the min OSHA training required to be a firefighter.
Lets look at it this way you have been in the fire service for ten years when was the last time you took a class on your own? Now Mr. Ten year Veteran when was the last time you stopped the truck and said catch the hydrant without preplanning the drill? At you next meeting give your members a test on the street in their district. I have a good friend who did this and man was he surprised.
5.) (That will force administrators to ensure-no, mandate-that we spend appropriate time remembering how to fight fires correctly and safely)
Now this is a sticky subject with me. First let me say you will not force an administrator to do any thing unless you can get all to agree. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Most of you know the rest of this story.
I would have to agree with a lot of what was being said in the round table. But my take on this would be that not everyone can do everything. By this I mean you can have firefighters, rescue techs, haz-mat techs and medical personnel. But I think it is very hard to have all of your personnel do everything.
Now do I think we are doing too much NO. But I do think we are forgetting the basic main reason we are called the FIRE DEPARTMENT. Do I think all fire departments should do all the things listed above, no but I think all fire departments should be aware of what they face everyday. If there is a service you can’t perform, you must know who can. This is no time to try and wing it. By this there should be a min. operations level of training in the different types of disciplines I spoke of earlier.
I think if we look at this very close this gentleman answered his own question. Are we doing too much I would have to say no. What I would say is that we are not managing our time very well. Always look back as you move forwards. Know your basics. And don’t forget where you came from.
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