We should take something from every LODD report that we read.

We should take the time to read them, if for no other reason than to honor the fallen firefighter(s) and their families.

Over the years, I have read several LODD reports that have had a profound influence, but there is one that affected me more deeply than the others and changed ME with regards to how we should conduct ourselves in a leadership role, remind us how important safety is while conducting our business, to train our departments to recognized standards and to NEVER use the term “volunteer” as an excuse to be less than professional.

The LODD of Bradley Golden was one of the most tragic examples of the stigma that is carried by the volunteer fire service with regards to officer qualifications, leadership skills, training and standards/compliance.

In short; Bradley Golden’s Line-of-Duty-Death was the result of colossal failures from the top down and affects me so deeply because it was so preventable.

According to the NIOSH LODD report http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/fire/reports/face200138.html, on September 25, 2001, Firefighter Bradley Golden of the Lairdsville, NY Fire Department died from asphyxia due to smoke inhalation during a live-burn training exercise. Firefighter Bradley Golden was just 19 years old and had been a member of the department for THREE weeks!

In addition, Adam Croman and Benjamin Morris were seriously injured during the same training exercise.

For a complete story that goes well beyond the NIOSH LODD report, go to http://chiefreasonart.com/brads-page/ .

On October 31, 2002, the final “Death in the Line of Duty” report was published by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/fire/reports/face200138.html.

The following recommendations were made:

1)       Fire departments should ensure that no one plays the role of victim inside the structure during live-burn training. (NFPA 1403, 2-4.13)

2)       Fire departments should ensure that a certified instructor is in charge of the live-burn training and that a separate safety officer is appointed and has the authority to intervene and control any aspect of the operation. (NFPA 1403, NFPA 1041)

3)       Fire departments should ensure that only one training fire is ignited at a time by a designated ignition officer and that a charged hose line is present while igniting the fire.

4)       Fire departments should ensure that Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are developed and followed.

5)       Fire departments should ensure that all firefighters participating in live-burn training have achieved a minimum level of basic training. (NFPA 1403, 2-1.2)

6)       Fire departments should ensure that before conducting live-burn training, a pre-burn briefing session is conducted and an evacuation plan and signal are established for all participants.

7)       Fire departments should ensure that fires used for live-burn training are not located in any designated exit paths.

8)       Fire departments should ensure that the fuels used in the live-burn training have known burning characteristics and the structure is inspected for possible environmental hazards. (NFPA 1403, 2-2.10)

9)       States should develop a permitting procedure for live-burn training to be conducted at acquired structures. States should ensure that all requirements of NFPA 1403 have been met before issuing the permit.

As I said, the LODD report does not tell the whole story. See http://chiefreasonart.com/brads-page/.

In the aftermath of Bradley’s tragic death, Assistant Chief Alan Baird III was convicted of criminally negligent homicide. The parents of Bradley Golden filed a lawsuit against the fire department.

On July 17, 2003, “Bradley’s Law” was signed by NY Governor George Pataki. The law makes it illegal for people to pose as victims during live-burn training.

And I will always remember Firefighter Bradley Golden, tragically killed while in the prime of his youth by those sworn to protect him.

TCSS.

It started with that very first, “If you don’t like the rules, then don’t play”!

But then, someone came along who decided, “Well, I don’t like the rules, but I want to play, so we’ll change the rules”.

And so it began.

When more and more got to play and it was starting to get crowded, then the rules were tightened, so that fewer got to play.

But, that appeared to be discriminatory, so the rules were changed again in the name of diversity.

But, when diversity proved to be discrimination in reverse, the rules were changed once again.

And on and on.

How does it happen that these changes are made?

How is it that rules, requirements, legislation or laws are so ill-conceived that they face these barrages of changes?

In my opinion, it is because the INTENT is often misinterpreted.

What seemed like a good idea at the time, turned out to be a sieve for challenges by anyone smart enough to ask the question. And rather than stay with the original intent; the intent became the victim of more liberal interpretations, because our society has moved more towards inclusion, so as not to appear exclusionary and done so without consideration for cost or the problems created by constantly changing the rules.

I offer as examples federal grant programs, PSOBs and my favorite; NIMS.

The “don’t haves” complain that the rules are too stringent that they can’t comply, whether it be a training standard or a grant for training.

The “haves” complain that what they get isn’t enough or doesn’t go far enough.

Both are appeased when rules are “loosened” for the “don’t haves” and the “haves” get to apply for money in more than one category. On the surface, it looks like “win-win”, but it isn’t, because, unless you walk up and hand someone a bundle of cash, there will always be the “don’t haves”.

I have seen a couple of recent articles that address public pensions (http://www.iacoj.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=12453&highlight=) and LODDs (http://backstepfirefighter.com/2010/04/15/case-for-the-asterisk/).

With public pensions and with firefighters pensions to be more precise, it appears that the public-i.e. taxpayers-aren’t as supportive of the notion that firefighters are worth their pensions.

Yeah; all of a sudden and in these tough economic times, the citizenry has the same contempt for ALL public sector employees, regardless of job description. It would appear that our once-adoring public HAS put a price on public safety and it’s less than they are currently paying.

It seems that governments everywhere have no desire to eliminate wasteful spending in order to continue to deliver needed services, if it means eliminating their relatives and their pet pork projects. They want to max out credit and borrow more and if they can’t, they will cut where it hurts the most.

But, taxpayers all across the nation are saying “enough is enough”.

And I’m saying that, once again, our societal tendencies have shown that, when we are angry, we will indeed cut off the nose to spite the face!

Turning to LODDs, the language in this document continues to be a “work in progress”, though I’m not sure how much progress is being made. I believe that we have gone past reasonableness if we award LODD status to firefighters who die in a car wreck while returning from training; a car wreck that may have been caused by street racing. Note that I use “IF” and “MAY” and I will also throw in that, until the alleged charges are proven, judgment should be withheld on guilt AND the awarding-or not-of LODD status.

My opinion will be very clear on this; without using the news article from North Carolina as an example, I will simply say that firefighters who are returning from a sanctioned event and are involved in an incident where they have violated rules of conduct or laws and die as a result, then LODD status should not be awarded. Death benefits and type of funeral service will to be determined as well.

My opinion in general on LODD is this: maybe it’s time that we return to the days when you were actually engaged at an incident in an activity and died at the time you were engaged in said activities. Illness due to the many pulmonary, cardiac and cancers that cause death have their place under LODD, if for no other reasons, the illness occurred from their occupation.

I mean; it has gotten to the point where, if you die of complications from an abscessed tooth and was seen eating candy bars at the fire station, you get LODD status.

We have lost sight of the INTENT, which are noble and political correctness has weighed heavily on the LODD process and created an “LODD Lite” category. I feel that, if you have to split hairs, then it shouldn’t qualify. If you don’t look at the total package and only the information that meets the criteria, then we will see a day when a firefighter arsonist who set the fire and died while putting it out, will be on the memorial.

My point is that, if there are “questions” surrounding the death, then maybe we should hold off on the “honors” until we are certain that it will not bring major embarrassment to the department.

Unless we don’t care; you know; just like our elected officials.

No thanks.

Let’s talk about it at FDIC in Indy.

TCSS.

The article is protected by federal copyright law under The Adventures of Jake and Vinnie© umbrella. It is written and submitted by Art Goodrich a.k.a. ChiefReason. This article or any other article submitted under The Adventures of Jake and Vinnie© umbrella cannot be reproduced in ANY form without the expressed, written permission of the author. Violations are punishable by applicable laws.

Please visit: www.fireemsblogs.com and my blog www.chiefreasonart.com.

The website article can be read here: http://www.firefighternation.com/forum/topics/niosh-investigation-report-26

I just finished reading the NIOSH report on the February 23, 2008 apparatus rollover that took the life of 33 year-old Shane Stewart of the Ault-Pierce, Colorado Fire Protection District. The NIOSH report can be read here: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/fire/reports/face200805.html.

The report states that Captain Shane Stewart died after being ejected from the cab and was then rolled over by the apparatus. He was declared dead from multiple traumatic injuries at the scene.

Though it is true that the failure to wear the seat belt was front and center stage in this report, it also raised an issue that I had not seen or even considered before I read this report. There was an issue with the cab compartment “layout”.

It appears that the driver of this unit could NOT reach the mobile radio unit from the drivers’ seat with the seatbelt on! If this were common knowledge, then the experienced driver might not bother to put the seatbelt on at all and the less experienced might attempt to unbelt while enroot to the scene, if he wanted to talk on the unit’s mobile radio. (It should be noted that investigators conducted several tests, using several different drivers to reach these conclusions.)

When going to an incident scene, an apparatus driver should just drive; right?

The second person in the cab should be operating the radio; right?

How many departments have ever called back to the station to request another rig, knowing that it would come with just a driver, even though your SOP may state “a minimum of two per unit” or whatever that minimum is?

A straight stretch of road in good weather conditions and travelling at approximately 45 mph in a tanker is NOT a recipe for an accident.

In this incident, it appears that things went terribly wrong when the driver attempted to reach towards the radio to change to the fire ground frequency.  Even with a hands-free system, changing channels would require the radio operator to reach.

So, the location of the mobile radio in the cab becomes very important.

Anything that distracts the driver from his primary duty of driving is cause for concern, but, as the sole occupant as in this case, you still need to communicate.

Could the driver have used Dispatch as a relay to the fire ground, which, in this case, was a medical call requesting a landing zone set up for a med-evac helicopter, instead of attempting to change channels while enroot?

I don’t have the answer for that.

Could the driver have used a portable radio with lapel mike instead of the mobile radio? I don’t know what type of radio system they have, so I can’t answer it.

Does driving and shifting gears with a floor-mounted shifter create a distraction that is different than driving and changing channels or even talking on a radio? The report would lead us to believe that a second person in the cab should handle all non-driving tasks.

So, if some believe that a driver should keep both hands on the steering wheels at all times, then all trucks will have to be built with automatic transmissions.

Would a hard-fast SOP that requires two persons minimum per rig be a solution? I would have to say “yes”, because, if you have a driver who is driving AND shifting gears; then add to that, the radio tasks, then I believe that the drivers’ focus would be diminished.

Would you locate the radio in closer proximity to the driver? Would you have it done professionally or would you do it yourselves to save money? Are you aware that even though you do the work that you must still be in compliance with NFPA 1901?

Would you consider hands-free, voice activated headsets with a radio frequency protocol that allows for apparatus drivers to communicate without switching channels while driving?

My final point is that we have to make sure that apparatus drivers are trained and tested at least twice a year in the apparatus that they will be expected to operate and done in accordance with NFPA 1002, 1451, 1500 and 1901.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration exempts the occupants of fire trucks and rescue vehicles from wearing seatbelts when moving and I believe that this goes back to the days when we could ride on the tailboards and in open cabs, so that law needs changed so that it parallels the many initiatives by our national organizations to get everyone to buckle up.

Everyone who spoke of Captain Shane Stewart said that he wore his seatbelt religiously. See news article here: http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20080223/NEWS/866066115.

He left behind a wife and two small children.

Let’s honor him and his family by learning from him.

TCSS.

This article is protected by federal copyright laws and cannot be reproduced in any form without the expressed permission of the author or his legal representative.

Please visit: www.fireemsblogs.com and my blog at: www.chiefreasonart.com.

February is American Heart Month.

That’s it; one month and the shortest one at that?

How can we expect to maintain a sustained effort to reduce heart-related deaths in the fire service if we only pull out the PR campaign once a year?

Besides; we will forget about it as quickly as we forget all of those New Years’ resolutions. You know the ones; going to lose weight, eat healthier, exercise more and trim your nose hair more often.

Doing what I just mentioned is taking some personal responsibility in our battle to reduce LODD heart attacks, but what about some of the triggers that come from outside the body; something like hydrogen cyanide (HCN)?

You should know that HCN is peeking over the shoulder of carbon monoxide (CO) at your structural fires.

Think about it; how many times have you read a post-mortem on a firefighter that says, “Recent physical found patient to be in good condition; no family history of heart disease; death from sudden cardiac arrest”?

If I was a betting man and I am, I would bet that hydrogen cyanide (HCN) got to him while he was inside doing salvage and over-haul and at a time when many of you will shed your SCBAs.

Why would we suspect hydrogen cyanide (HCN)?

For one thing, it’s a sneaky bastard.

It is colorless; it doesn’t always give off an odor and is released when products such as wool, silk, cotton, nylon, plastic, polymers, foam, melamine, polyacrylonitriles and synthetic rubber burns.

So, that “smoke” that you smell most likely contains hydrogen cyanide (HCN).

Plus, hydrogen cyanide (HCN) likes to hang out in enclosed areas. It dissipates very quickly outdoors, but inside, it is less dense than air and will rise, but will remain trapped in rooms.

As you breathe it, it will prevent the cells in the body from using oxygen, killing the cells. Since our heart and our brain use more oxygen than the other organs, they will be more greatly affected. It could cause the brain to become confused and send mixed signals to the heart, causing arrhythmia.

Other signs and symptoms of HCN exposure that should not be ignored are rapid breathing, restlessness, dizziness, weakness, headache, nausea/vomiting and rapid heart rate could give way to convulsions, low blood pressure, slow heart rate, loss of consciousness, lung injury and respiratory failure leading to death.

And were it not for the fact that you are a firefighter, these symptoms might be explained by some other medical reasoning.

And let’s be honest; some of the symptoms that I have described have been experienced by many of us at a fire scene, but ignored, because we figured it was from adrenaline, possibly smokeless tobacco or physical exertion. THAT is why we need to go to rehab and THEY have to be familiar with HCN exposure.

If you don’t think that this gas-a gas that is 35 times more toxic than carbon monoxide (CO)-can kill you, then why was it used in Nazi death camps during World War II?

Yeah; I know THAT got your attention!

Here is the most insidious characteristic of hydrogen cyanide (HCN): you may not suffer any short term effects at the time of exposure, but may develop symptoms after two or three weeks. This leads to the LODD question and the linkage to death due quite possibly to HCN exposure and whether it qualifies.

How many of you have gas detectors that test for hydrogen cyanide (HCN)?

How many of you wear full turnout gear, including SCBAs during ALL interior operations and until they are concluded? Dumpster fires? Vehicle fires? You’d better think about it.

How many departments have a rehab unit that is trained in HCN exposure recognition?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has several articles on hydrogen cyanide (HCN) that are worth your time to read.

One of the best articles out there right now is an article by Richard Rochford entitled “Hydrogen Cyanide: New Concerns for Firefighting”. It is a must read.

Then, click on www.firesmoke.org. Shawn Longerich would love to hear from you.

By recognizing and respecting the dangers of hydrogen cyanide, we may save more lives, including our own.

Being a “smoke eater” is no longer a badge of honor.

TCSS.

Sources:

Hydrogen Cyanide: New Concerns for Firefighting by Richard Rochford

Facts About Cyanide – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

February is American Heart Month – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The article is protected by federal copyright law under The Adventures of Jake and Vinnie© umbrella. It is written and submitted by Art Goodrich a.k.a. ChiefReason. This article or any other article submitted under The Adventures of Jake and Vinnie© umbrella cannot be reproduced in ANY form without the expressed, written permission of the author. Violations are punishable by applicable laws.

Please visit: www.chiefreasonart.com

In between my writing of blogs and participating in discussion threads, I read some of the other blogs.

I have my favorites and for the most part, I will keep you guessing, because I don’t want to influence the voting for the 2009 Best Blog of the Year (http://firecritic.com/2010/01/fireems-blog-of-the-year-2009-finalists-and-voting/).

However; I think that I have read almost every article written by Jason Zigmont of VolunteerFD.org. No; it isn’t a plug. In fact, I may have just cursed him. Sorry, Jason.

Jason’s recent article, “The Traditions That Hold Us Back” (http://www.volunteerfd.org/article/737135/) couldn’t be timelier.

I had just finished a blog on “tradition”, read Jason’s blog; then wadded mine up and threw it away, because he caused me to look at the subject of tradition once again.

To me, which is to say that it is my opinion that Jason writes with a style that is not layered to the point that you miss the point! His article, as usual, makes excellent key points.

Now; for my thoughts on the subject of “tradition”.

I don’t believe that a revolution to kill traditions is taking place in the fire service. Instead, I believe that there is an evolution of our fire services’ traditionalism that will define it for generations to come.

The oldest of traditions-that of generations of families sending their members into the proud service of their fellow Man as firefighters-will continue unencumbered.

However; another old tradition involving generations of families that will end up on the endangered species list is the practice of nepotism. Many of us can work with our relatives without enlisting them for some sinister scheme to control our workplace.

But, nepotism almost guarantees that anything bad that can happen WILL happen. I have no problems with a father/son combo, where no special treatment is imagined or real. My problem is with families who seize control of a fire department, plunders it for their personal gain and then leaves it on life support.

Yes; that is a tradition that we can do without and communities that allows it, are ignorant of it or don’t care about it, perpetuates the tradition. Firefighters AND communities must change it.

Another tradition that I hope to see less of are the LODD funerals. I am speaking to the NUMBER of funerals. Traditionally, no less than 100 LODD funerals a year are conducted in this country and countless more firefighter funerals of brothers and sisters taken by illness, disease and old age.

With that said, we must preserve the sanctity and solemn ceremony to pay our proper respects to our fallen brothers and sisters. It is a tradition that must never erode, fade or disappear.

We should not allow tradition that will constrain our thirst for new technologies, tactics or services to our communities.

We should do what we can to change the tradition that says that we can do more with less (See LODD funerals). We are at a point of diminishing returns and a new tradition of closing stations, reducing manpower and having rotating brown outs are taking hold (See LODD funerals). The veterans who have served on properly staffed and properly funded departments must remain engaged in the fight to get their resources restored and put the next generation on solid footing or we risk donning the Class A’s for more funerals.

We must preserve the tradition of firehouse cooking, but we need to eliminate high salt, high sugar and high fat meals. Healthy diets and healthy lifestyles will help battle the growing cardiac episodes and cancer rates in our fire service.

The firehouse, kitchen table discussions is a tradition that has not only continued, but has flourished by expanding to Internet website discussion boards (http://www.firefighternation.com/forum/topics/tradition-honor-this-is-for?commentId=889755%3AComment%3A4445098&xg_source=msg_com_forum).

Heated topics with heated debates cools quickly when the tones drop at the firehouse, but they  don’t cool as quickly on a website. Some will promote respectful debate while others will promote what could be akin to UFC matches. Hopefully, in the end, participants will invoke the tradition of handshakes from one brother to another.

The last tradition that I will touch upon is the tradition of driving fast to the incident-too fast to be more accurate. We must drive with due regard, with a sense of urgency and always with the safety of our firefighters and our citizens in mind. And wearing our seatbelts is a no brainer.

So; what is our finest tradition?

I believe that it is teaching, learning, making a difference and then going home to our loved ones.

We must always remember that the future of our fire service won’t be determined by the ones leaving, but the ones who are taking their places and we must give them every opportunity to succeed.

That will insure that their department and our fire service will also succeed.

In the meantime, we have to figure out which traditions to keep and which ones to write into the history books.

For more on the subject, see Tiger: http://tigerschmittendorf.com/

http://runtothecurb.wordpress.com/.

TCSS.

The article is protected by federal copyright law under The Adventures of Jake and Vinnie© umbrella. It is written and submitted by Art Goodrich a.k.a. ChiefReason. This article or any other article submitted under The Adventures of Jake and Vinnie© umbrella cannot be reproduced in ANY form without the expressed, written permission of the author. Violations are punishable by applicable laws.

Please visit: www.chiefreasonart.com

This blog was prompted by the most recent death of an FDNY firefighter and though, there is clear linkage to his presence at the WTC on 9/11, he was not accorded LODD status.

http://www.firefighternation.com/forum/topics/fdny-denies-line-of-duty

It is in a firefighter’s nature to learn with an almost child-like enthusiasm and then to execute with the ferocity of a wild animal. Obstacles don’t exist in our world. Problems are quickly solved. Emergencies are mitigated with precision and professionalism. The only fear is the fear of failure.

For many, the dream started generations ago. Their father, grandfather and great-grandfather served with honor and in the fire services’ highest tradition. The dream came out of the stories that were told and re-told and yes; sometimes embellished. There were stories about gearing up in the cab of the truck, feeling the adrenaline overtake you, the biggest fire, the hottest fire, most unusual fire, harrowing rescues, crawling down smoke-filled hallways, running up several flights of stairs to get above the fire floor, dropping to your bellies as the fire rolls over you like a freight train, holding the knob and directing the water onto the fire, forcing a door, pulling a ceiling looking for fire extension, cutting a vent, taking windows, making a grab and on and on.

Those stories and hanging out at a fire station would pave that road to the dream.

Shift by shift, day in and day out, year after year, firefighters have lived the dream. Many could talk about their close calls, what each incident had taught them, what was successful and not so successful, the many friendships that they had made, the unbreakable bonds to their brother and sister firefighters, the strength of their call to duty and the clarity of their mission. It was all fuel for the dream.

While working at the best job in the world, thoughts were turning to yet, another dream; the dream of retiring to a good pension and the reunions with fellow retirees. Sleep would only be interrupted by a need to urinate or by the occasional barking dog. Every day would be a Kelly day. Family would become the focus after years of playing second fiddle to the job. Your hobby would become a reality as you worked from boxes upon boxes of memories that would become several scrapbooks, dedicated to the many years of your dedication.

And as you come to an end of one dream to start another, you notice that a sore throat hasn’t resolved after several weeks of ignoring it. You see that cut on your shin isn’t healing. Maybe you are experiencing low back pain or a pain in your kidneys for no apparent reason.

Or, you are feeling fine, but you go for a routine check up, only to discover that the doctor wants to order more tests as a precaution. It could be that the colonoscopy showed something; perhaps a polyp. There is a spot on a lung or at least an unusual mass that requires further review. It could be that your urine is darker than normal. Perhaps your white blood cell count is low and you have no history of leukemia in your family.

You go home, thinking about your next shift. It may be time to pay back C shift for changing the padlock on your food locker. There’s new construction going on and it would be a good time to see the building without its skin. It would go nicely with the upcoming building construction class being taught. There’s a new recruit class due to graduate, so lots of activities will be planned to transition the probies into their crews.

The next week goes by pretty unremarkably and then the phone rings. The doctor wants to see you today. The test results are back. No; he doesn’t like to discuss test results over the phone.

You arrive at the office and check in with the desk. You thumb through a two month old People magazine, but it’s just something to do. You aren’t reading or even looking at the photos. You want to get the news; good or bad.

After a 30 minute wait, you are taken to an exam room and told that “Doctor will be with you shortly”. You remember that cell phones are to be turned off while in the doctor’s office, so you grab it and turn it off. You stare at the poster of the human anatomy, realizing that you weren’t too well schooled on the names of certain muscles, joints or bones. You study it as if you will be tested on it. Then the doctor comes in.

He shakes your hand and without so much as an obligatory salutation, he tells you that you have a cancer.

Your dream has just turned into a nightmare.

The doctor is mapping a strategy that you’re not sure is going to kill the disease before it kills you. You discuss it in general, yet optimistic terms. Maybe it’s a cancer that, if caught early, will provide you with a 95% survival chance.

Or, you have one of the more insidious of cancers; pancreatic. Pancreatic cancer, in its early stages, will not illicit noticeable symptoms. By the time you become symptomatic, you have a 10% chance of beating it. That is a nightmare from Hell!

And though you are surrounded by family, friends and fellow firefighters who have sworn to be at your side every step of the way, you are alone with your deep despair and feelings of betrayal towards your God and a profession that you literally have given your life to.

You could almost tolerate the nightmare were it to end with an LODD funeral and benefits paid to your widow.

But, due to faulty logic, bureaucracy, inexact science and a lack of indisputable documentation, you get a firefighter’s funeral and a promise that the fight for benefits will be never-ending.

Consider that; here you are, not knowing if you will live or die and dealing with all of the mortality issues, “planning for the worst, yet hoping for the best”, as they say and you have no guarantees that those you leave behind will continue to pay because of a very flawed system.

Many continue to feel the nightmare of 9/11. They have been affected in ways that we, who were not there, will never fully understand. A nation felt the loss of almost 3,000 Americans on that day; losses that are felt to this day.

But, the sinister effects of that day continues their nightmarish ways, because losses from a variety of illnesses continue to kill FDNY firefighters, NYPD police officers, Port Authority officers and civilians. It is estimated that to date, 800 have died; post 9/11.

If test samples from The Pile were found to contain high levels of known carcinogens, then how can we possibly claim that those who were there and continue to die are not deserving of LODD status and all benefits accordingly?

Why must we perpetuate this act of terror with the fear that, if you die, your honorable place alongside those killed on 9/11 will be but a footnote?

We must end this nightmare so that our 9/11 heroes can truly rest in peace.

And we must do the same for our brothers and sisters across the country that are having their dreams shattered by illnesses that arise out of the performance of their firefighting duties.

TCSS.

The article as submitted is published under The Adventures of Jake and Vinnie© umbrella and is the intellectual property of Art Goodrich a.k.a. ChiefReason. It is protected by federal copyright laws and cannot be re-printed in any form without expressed permission from the author. You may read other works by the author at www.chiefreasonart.com.

Wet hair, apply shampoo, rub thoroughly into hair, rinse, repeat.

I have always found directions for using shampoo to be rather ridiculous.

That is to say; if you have a chainsaw and a bottle of shampoo in front of you, which one could you most likely pick up and use without reading the directions?

If you said “shampoo”, then congratulations. You just might be smart enough to tackle the more complex chainsaw.

Question: if you have to read instructions before using shampoo, then should you be permitted to engage in more complicated personal hygiene tasks that require using soap, shaving cream, toothpaste, deodorant or (Dear God; grab the kids) a razor?

Wet, apply, rub in, rinse, repeat.

The fire service knows something about this phenomenon of “repeat”, don’t we?

The first thing that we would probably do to memorize this complex task would be to give it an appropriate acronym. Let’s see: W-A-R-R-R!

Hmmm. “War” pronounced like a pirate or Cat Woman would say it; take you pick.

In order for us to learn, we must repeat what we do several times. Hell; in order for us to TEACH a class, we need to review the subject matter repeatedly to get it right.

So, teaching and learning must be done by doing the same task over and over again. But, this time honored and proven learning tool should stop there.

It was never meant for us to repeat our mistakes and especially where men and women have died and data exists that, if read and then taught to firefighters, could reduce the chance that they could be repeated.

Either we are not reading the available information or we need to read the shampoo bottle before using it. Which is it? It could be both!

I know that Bill Carey will be posting a very analytical review of the 2009 LODDs. How many of you will take the time to read it? I know that I will, because I know how to use “shampoo” and I’m sure as Hell going to learn and then teach the lessons learned from the deaths of our brothers and sisters. When you do this, you are honoring them every day.

Do any of you ever look at developing trends in data?

For instance; how many times have we seen “lack of communications” in the LODD report of a fire ground death?

Is it because of a lack of radios or a lack of talking? Could it be confusion over radio frequencies? Perhaps there were so many others talking that no one heard the “may-day”.

Regardless, we have seen it A LOT and continue to see it in reports. I would venture to guess that Communications gets little-to-no training on many departments. Here’s your radio. Leave it on Channel One. You don’t need a spare battery.

Leaders: we have to do a better job.

Firefighters: you have to FORCE your leaders to do a better job.

We should NOT have to hold each other accountable with a conscious effort.

As firefighters; as brothers and sisters, we have sworn to have each others’ back. There should be no excuses, so put away the finger-pointing, cut out the “poor me” crap and if you have to get pissed off to get something done, then I hope that you are over-achievers!

We should have turned the corner years ago in dealing with heart attacks, apparatus and POV accidents while enroot, reading smoke and doing proper size-ups, knowing how and when to vent and knowing when to back the hell out of a structure.

But, still, we keep tripping over those directions found on a bottle of shampoo, because you’re going to get wet, you’re going to work up a lather, someone’s going to rub it in, everything will rinse out in the end, so, we will repeat it!

And just like “shampooing”, we will close our eyes when we do it.

What; no one told you to close your eyes when you shampoo?

Ooh; that’s got to sting!

To close, I will paraphrase the warden in the movie “Cool Hand Luke”:

Get your mind right or you’ll wind up in the box!

TCSS.

The article as submitted is published under The Adventures of Jake and Vinnie© umbrella and is the intellectual property of Art Goodrich a.k.a. ChiefReason. It is protected by federal copyright laws and cannot be re-printed in any form without expressed permission from the author. You may read other works by the author at www.chiefreasonart.com.

Author’s Note: I am so proud and so pleased with this interview that I had the privilege of conducting with one of the storied international firefighters of our time. As you read Paul’s biography and his replies to my questions, there is no doubt to the volume of knowledge that my friend possesses.

So, pull up a chair, grab your favorite beverage and enjoy this unique learning experience. And when you are finished, drop Paul a line. He would love to hear from you. Thank you.

Biography

The biography of Paul Grimwood appears in his latest book ‘Euro FireFighter©’, published in 2008.

Paul Grimwood is a thirty-five year veteran of the British Fire Service, having served most of his time as firefighter in London Fire Brigade’s busy West End district. In the mid 1970s he also served an eighteen-month detachment into New York’s South Bronx 7^th Division, during the busiest period in FDNY’s history. From 1976-77 he further served as a volunteer firefighter/EMT on Long Island’s south shore.

For more than thirty years Paul has been undertaking global research into structural firefighting strategy and tactics and has contributed in excess of 200 technical articles since 1979, in an effort to advance firefighter safety. During this time he has served and responded out of more 100 fire stations around the world, working alongside some of the finest firefighters you could ever wish to meet. He has also presented papers on fire service operations at international conferences in several countries since 1993.

His other books include ‘Fog Attack©’ (1992) and ‘3D Firefighting©’ (2005), the latter of which he joint authored with firefighting colleagues Battalion Chief Ed Hartin (USA), and Station Officers John McDonough and Shan Raffel (Australia).

From 1984 he served eleven years as a London Fire Brigade fire investigator and was part of the six-person team that investigated the tragic King’s Cross fire in 1987 where thirty-one lives were lost, including a colleague ( Station Officer Colin Townsley) from London’s Soho fire station.

He is a trained USAR instructor (EMT) and was deployed on operational disaster relief assignments into Iraq (1991) and Bosnia (1993). He is also a CFBT and tactical ventilation specialist (1984-2008) and a Tactical Deployment (command and control) and High-rise Firefighting instructor.

Paul is the founder and principal of Firetactics.com®, a website which has provided in excess of 14,000 pages of structural firefighting SOGs in six languages FREE to over 2.5 million visitors from more than seventy countries since July 1999 (source: Webstat.com).

He is an advisor to several UK Government Task Groups including ODPM Compartment Fire Behavior Training; BDAG High-rise Firefighting; CLG High-rise Firefighting, as well as an editorial reviewer for the Fire Safety Journal (the official journal of the International Association of Fire Safety Science). He is also an established ‘expert’ technical witness and advisor in fire service operations, having worked on several high-profile cases in the USA and Europe.

In 2008 Paul was awarded the Institute of Fire Engineers’ (IFE) highest academic status (FIFireE) in recognition of his thirty-year professional commitment to firefighter safety.

Update: Paul is now retired from Ops but working as a Fire Safety Engineer and High-rise Training Instructor for Kent Fire & Rescue in the UK, an active fire department of 66 fire stations that adjoins London Fire Brigade to the SE.

The Interview

CR: Paul; first of all, thank you very much for taking the time for this interview. You know; we still haven’t had that beer together yet?

PG: Art we have been friends for so many years and I can’t believe we haven’t had the opportunity to share that cold one together! Let it be soon!

CR: We all know when you started your career, but at what age did you start looking at a career in the fire service? What were your early influences?

PG: I wanted to be a firefighter from the age of fifteen. I hung around firehouses and made a nuisance of myself. I eventually got hired the day after my 18^th birthday and became London’s youngest ever professional firefighter in 1971.

CR: Please name and describe some of your mentors.

PG: I saw good things in many role models through the 1970s. There were several fire chiefs in London of that era who I just have to mention, Roy Baldwin; Tony Wilmott and Tom Stanton who were legends in their time. In the USA I read everything FDNY’s Bill Clarke ever wrote as well as Frank Brannigan and who’s that guy … oh yeah Mittendorf in LA. There was also great advice coming from Leo Stapleton in Boston. I had the opportunity of spending an hour with Commissioner Stapleton in his office just before he went on the golf course, what a great guy.

CR: When you started in the fire service, what were the goals that you set for yourself?

PG: I wanted to be the best at what I did and I wanted to serve with the busiest. When I was initially assigned to London’s busiest of their 114 fire stations – Paddington – in London’s west end district I just couldn’t believe my luck. We picked up many serious working fires mainly in hotels during the early part of the 1970s. There were also streets full of vacants that became my learning ground as they burned on a nightly basis.

CR: Was it ever your plan that “student” would become “teacher”?

PG: No that was never my plan Art. I never even considered it, as I couldn’t imagine leaving station life. But then one day a 35 years veteran firefighter, Bill Willis, retired. His experience was going to be greatly missed when he got off the engine for the last time, I just didn’t know how we would cope. The things he told us about getting in and staying there weren’t written down anywhere. I though ‘ I just have to get this stuff down on paper for future generations of firefighters’. That became my first book – Fog Attack.

CR: You have worked for two of the most storied fire departments in the world.  Was FDNY just a “ride-along” that lasted almost two years or what? Why would you leave London, England for FDNY?

PG: You know I was very lucky. I met a guy in London in 1974 and we became great friends. Bill Bohner was a giant of a man and as the Deputy Chief in charge of the FDNY’s (then) 7^th Division (South Bronx) he arranged a long-term detachment into New York City from London for me. I had to return to UK at the end of it but it had been an amazing experience to work with the bravest during the busiest period in their history. Yes I guess it was a ‘ride along’ because I was not qualified to wear a mask in the city but we still got in some pretty good scrapes! After all, the masks were nearly always left on the engine!

CR: Would you discuss the cultural differences (USA/Great Britain) not only in general terms, but also in terms of the fire service? Are the political issues that affect the fire service the same, similar or different?

PG: Cultural differences? Well in the UK we are sadly losing the tradition that stays with the job in the US, for example where there is often a strong family link in the fire service, sometimes through several generations of firefighters. I think it’s important that this tradition remains strong; I also think that US firefighters are way ahead on the moustache! This was a ‘must have’ here in the 1930s and some of the old time pictures hanging the walls of some fire stations in the UK show some real hairy droopers! We’ve lost that cultural identity! The political issues are exactly the same – cuts in public services are now an annual event and I just don’t know how much smaller our fire service can get! You can do a lot with a ‘little’ but the day comes when ‘little’ does a whole lot more to you!

 CR: Compartment Fire Behavior Training (CFBT) has come to define you. Can you describe how it evolved in theory and then into practice?

PG: It was the late 1970s and I had not long returned from the FDNY detachment, I was busy putting all the things I had learned in the US into published articles. ‘Smoke detectors in homes’; ‘Arson Task Forces’; ‘Medically trained First Responders on Engines’ and ‘Structural Venting tactics’ etc. Then I met some Swedish firefighters who told me about some stuff going on in Stockholm. It wasn’t until 1984 that I came to fully appreciate the strategy the Swedes termed ‘offensive firefighting’ where they were directing short sharp bursts of water-fog into the fire gases to get some ‘steam free’ cooling! I was fortunate enough to get on the nozzle at our next fire one night and guess what …. It was a stair-shaft fire …. Four floors alight and then more! We took the entire fire with a 40GPM flow-rate off of a booster line! Now let me tell you, the stair-shaft fire is the ideal scenario for such tactics because any super-hot water vapor just heads on upwards on the thermal draft and this takes out a whole lot more fire as it rises. I was sold on the Swedish tactics. We used this approach on ‘real’ fires many times over the next few years with some wins and a few losses. It was critical to realize the limitations of this method because if there was one thing the FDNY had taught me, it was to flow big water when it was really needed, or the fire was going to come back and get you. CFBT was a derivative of nozzle bursting tactics. You have the Swede Survival cans in the US but we developed the originals with the Swedes and believe me, it’s a very scientific training experience if these training tools are used correctly. You can learn a lot about fire behavior in these facilities (there is a range of simulators based on varied design principles) but you can also become over confident about ‘real’ fires – these are not ‘real’ fires but simply one-third scale fires that burn solely in the gas-phase. Lots of flaming combustion but no real fire base to hit. You need a good instructor to get the best out of these systems and in the US, Chief Ed Hartin is the best! (www.cfbt-us.com).

CR: Tell us how you developed and nurtured this “amalgamation” of the Swedish tactics of bursting water with anti-ventilation tactics versus your higher nozzle flow rates combined with tactical ventilation.

PG: Until the 1990s, venting structures was pretty alien to us! We would keep the fire area closed down inside our brick construction and go find it. As we developed our venting strategy we found we would get a better result by nozzle bursting the interior gases prior to creating openings. Now don’t think for one minute we were boiling trapped occupants or pushing fire around! This strategy demands precision that can only be learned on the live fire. The nozzle applications and fog patterns are carefully applied so as to remain in control of the thermal layering. As I said, sometimes the conditions are just too over-powering for this approach! I remember one fire we had on a Christmas day where black boiling smoke was emerging from all openings at ground level of a store with apartments above. We used two hose-lines from the street entrance doorways, nozzle bursting with alternate three-second hits into the smoke. It worked for us! We were patient and within four to five minutes we vented the windows and there was no backdraft. The fire was out pretty quick on this occasion.

CR: Your tactics weren’t embraced right away, were they? In fact; it took high profile firefighter deaths before you saw the change.

PG: It was tragic as it took three firefighter deaths in two days in February 1996 before the realization dawned that our firefighters knew very little about fire behavior and the hazards associated with ‘rapid fire’ phenomena. It was decided nationally, despite my twelve years of campaigning prior to these two tragedies, that the time had come to develop CFBT (live fire behavior training) for the UK’s 36,000 firefighters.

CR: Even then, CFBT wasn’t translating well to the fire-ground. What were the obstacles?

PG: There was no standard approach; the training objectives were inappropriate; and the training impact was totally missed! An opportunity went astray for several years as we failed to define the limitations of this approach. The concept of CFBT is to teach firefighters how a fire develops from an incipient fire to flashover. It is not a joy ride! It is not a means of teaching how every fire should be fought. It is very easy to become macho and over confident about the learning experience in these things (cans). You have to have a scientific head on to appreciate the learning objectives. You have to train with precision, controlling fire loading and venting parameters in order to give each student the same learning experience. It is not a real fire experience but believe me, it is as close as you need to get outside of the real thing.

CR: I’m sure that you have seen and probably discussed the “great debate”-fog vs. straight stream. What are you thoughts on that?

PG: Never has there been a more lively debate! For me there is no preference. I can extinguish a lot of fire using differing techniques with either a smoothbore or a fog nozzle. What I will say is that high water content in the stream is absolutely critical when the fire has spread beyond the compartment or room of origin!

CR: Paul; I can’t continue without offering you my platitudes for your book Euro FireFighter©. What was appealing to me was how you choreographed your steps towards incident CONTROL. Granted, the book almost overflows with an abundance of great information, but it all comes together as a perfect blueprint for fire officers in the end. How did you manage such a clear focus of what would become this book?

PG: Well thanks for those comments and that view Art. I always intended this book to be an instructor manual. I wanted the reader to take each and every bullet point and prompt debate from students. I found this a great way to develop learning and simply by taking a power-point and going through the bullet points as statements, we can all follow the debate with our own experiences. The incident command modules are logical processes based on the ‘error chains’ so often thrown up where tragedies occur.

CR: NIOSH. You used several reports in Euro FireFighter©. When you review them, are you looking for lessons learned and the critical information that might be a teachable moment down the road?

Does it concern you that we seem to repeat our mistakes in some cases? Do you think that it’s a fallacy that NIOSH uses templates, because their reports’ recommendations are very similar? I believe that they are similar because the incidents’ end results are very similar, as in repeating our mistakes. What say you?

PG: Any time we review reports of past fires we only get a small portion of what really happened. I know from several personal experiences that if you weren’t on the job yourself then any Monday morning quarterbacking is likely to be worthless. Or is it? The fact is that we are not there to criticize the actions of others but more so to immerse ourselves in the ‘error chain’, or any part of it even if we only get one or two links right, then we are right on the money! Wherever there is a fire where things went wrong it is usually the case that a chain of events unfolded, perhaps during the first five minutes following arrival on scene that set up irreversible circumstances leading to tragedy. In fact, we need to look for the point of ‘no return’ in each error chain and learn for ourselves that there IS in fact a point where we may reverse the situation and alter the outcome. Things happen fast and you may or may not be aware the chain is forming right there in front of you until it is too late. Its so important that fire commanders take a step back, take a breath and take it in. Pay close attention to what is occurring in front of you and don’t hesitate to take instant action that might save lives, even if it means pulling out.

Yes we are all guilty of repeating our mistakes. The thing is we get away with them for so long and they don’t take a bite out of us. It’s when we see several of these errors come together in a few short minutes. In each tragedy you will usually note 4-7 links in the chain that evolved early in the fire. I’ll tell you, the biggest omission from the NIOSH LODD reports is any information concerning fire behavior. We have spoke with them about this before but honestly, I just don’t think they understand fire behavior from a practical perspective and they miss obvious indicators and clear warning signs that might serve as good teaching points. Having said that, the NIOSH database of past reports serves as a critical learning tool. There are always things there to discuss, debate and learn from.

CR: At FDIC 2008, Lt. Ray McCormack delivered “the speech” heard around the world. You and I came out on our blogs with comments on his remarks. What did you get out of it?

PG: You know something? I really did get a feel for Ray’s message. I have to saagain that the way he came over was always going to draw responses in opposition from those of us who see the safety of firefighters as a priority. But he does have a point in some situations and I am seeing it more and more every day. In some areas we are going too far down ‘safety alley’. In my area we are given a directive to lay out three charged hose-lines on the upper floors of a high-rise before our firefighters can access the fire-involved area. Now for one thing that virtually writes off any chances of survival of remaining occupants. It also allows the fire to develop and grow bigger. No Ray, you had a good point and made it well in that your words reached out to millions! But you just have to take a step back and see the damage that might occur. You are a unique role model and some young firefighters will take your words as gospel. In the end, whichever side of the equation we originate from, we just need to meet in the middle and that’s all about getting the right balance between ‘risk versus gain’.

CR: You have a compatriot in the United States. Please tell us about Ed Hartin, since he had such nice things to say about you!

PG: Chief Ed Hartin is certainly one of the most outstanding firefighters I have ever met. His constant efforts to improve the education of firefighters and his unique ability to impart a message are typical of Ed’s mission in life. He continues to help firefighters in all parts of the world and I consider myself very fortunate to have met and worked with him because he has made me better at the things I try to do in life. Ed – thanks brother.

CR: Your website www.firetactics.com is extremely popular worldwide. Has it exceeded your expectations? How has technology driven and/or expanded your mission?

PG: You just have to love the worldwide web and yet we now take it for granted. In 1989 when I wrote my first book about international fire-fighting tactics (Fog Attack) I had to type every word without cut and paste. I did tear up a lot of paper! I also had to write to firefighters in several countries and you know, it took two to three weeks to get replies, just for me to write back to them again for more information! It was never ending.

When I managed to get Firetactics.com online I was blessed with a most generous offer from Task Force Tips to host it for me for free and they have done this ever since it first went online in July 1999. Its been a wonderful experience for me and before Firefighter Nation, Firehouse.com or Fire Engineering, ‘Firetactics’ was actually the most searched firefighting website on the web. It brought together firefighters from over 70 nations and I made many great friends through this route. The message was always about safety and firefighting innovations. I want to thank every single one of you who clicked on Firetactics.com in those early years because it told me that the world was full of firefighters that were looking for the very same answers as I was. I hope you found them.

CR: Can you talk about your charities?

PG: There have been many over the years. Lets just hope that some burn victims in the UK, USA and Australia have benefited somewhat from the proceeds. RAFT in the UK is my big one and thanks to the excellent first year sales of EuroFirefighter, the NYC Burns Foundation is about to get a nice check.

CR: Do you get any downtime? Any “Me” time, Paul?

PG: Sure! I love my family and we spend some great times together. But my weeks are getting more full with work as I get older!

CR: Please know that, in the world community known as the brotherhood/sisterhood, you are truly one of the brightest beacons that floods our senses with critical safety and survival techniques that will save our lives. What is next for the enterprise known as Paul Grimwood?

PG: Chief Art – it is you who shines as a beacon. If you only knew how your steadying influence and great words have spread out into the global firefighting brotherhood. You always know how to break things down to simple logic and speak to people in a firm but civil manner in a way that people really listen. I always say that when the going gets really rough Art will be there to take control. I would have loved to have served with you brother.

CR: When are we having that beer together?

PG: When those Yankees pick up the next World Series brother! Oh I’m sorry you’re a football fan!

CR: As is my custom, I always give my guest the last word along with my deep gratitude for their thoughts. Thank you so very much, Paul and you have the floor.

PG: This interview is a true honor for me so thanks Art. I want to thank everyone who has taken any interest in my work and who has taken the time to email me. It is truly gratifying to hear from firefighters how they think something I once wrote might have made their approach safer in a fire. Your personal friendships and lifelong dedication within the profession constantly inspires me to remain working well into my fourth decade. You are all very special people and it has been my great fortune to know you all.

I received an award when working in Malaysia from their Fire Commissioner. It is a lovely golden crested plaque with a red seal of authority. The words on the plaque are so true; it went like this;

‘We must learn to trust our men (and women) who fire fight in the front, they are closest to the dangers and the hazards, therefore that is where real wisdom is’.

The article as submitted is published under The Adventures of Jake and Vinnie© umbrella and is the intellectual property of Art Goodrich a.k.a. ChiefReason. It is protected by federal copyright laws and cannot be re-printed in any form without expressed permission from the author. You may read other works by the author at www.chiefreasonart.com. 

Bill Carey’s blog: http://www.firefighternation.com/profiles/blogs/find-six-for-six got me to thinking about our commitment to those that we have lost, why we lost them and what we are doing to honor them every day and not just once a year.

I believe that what we are witness to is a human behavior that is reinforced by the idea that our losses are not that bad, when compared to other occupations. That argument could be championed were it not for the empirical data that says, “Oh; we have been down that road before”.

Would it be fair to say that; if we are faced with the facts of an LODD that has a clear cause and a common sense, corrective action, we would follow it ourselves and even pass it along?

I would think so, assuming that we have taken the time to read the report.

So; why haven’t we seen any significant progress in reducing firefighter LODD in this country?

We are getting more timely information than ever before. Our mission has never been more defined and still, we can’t make a significant and sustainable impact on reducing LODDs.

I am going to list statistics for 1998 – 2008 and please notice that in the categories that I have chosen to highlight that the change from one year to another is fairly static, with very few exceptions.

2008

Total LODDs – 118

Deaths while responding or returning from a call – 24

Deaths while training – 12

Deaths due to stress/overexertion – 52

2007

Total LODDs – 118

Deaths while responding or returning from a call – 26

Deaths while training – 11

Deaths due to stress/overexertion – 55

2006

Total LODDs – 107

Deaths while responding or returning from a call – 15

Deaths while training – 9

Deaths due to stress/overexertion – 54

2005

Total LODDs – 115

Deaths while responding or returning from a call – 22

Deaths while training – 12

Deaths due to stress/overexertion – 62

2004

Total LODDs – 119

Deaths while responding or returning from a call – 23

Deaths while training – 13

Deaths due to stress/overexertion – 66

2003

Total LODDs – 113

Deaths while responding or returning from a call – 36

Deaths while training – 12

Deaths due to stress/overexertion – 51

2002

Total LODDs – 101

Deaths while responding or returning from a call – 13

Deaths while training – 11

Deaths due to stress/overexertion – 38

2001*

Total LODDs – 107

Deaths while responding or returning from a call – 23

Deaths while training – 14

Deaths due to stress/overexertion – 43

*does not include 9/11

2000

Total LODDs – 105

Deaths while responding or returning from a call – 19

Deaths while training – 13

Deaths due to stress/overexertion – 46

1999

Total LODDs – 114

Deaths while responding or returning from a call – 26

Deaths while training – 3

Deaths due to stress/overexertion – 56

1998

Total LODDs – 93

Deaths while responding or returning from a call – 14

Deaths while training – 12

Deaths due to stress/overexertion – 43

Source: http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/downloads/pdf/publications/ff_fat08.pdf

Again; we will often comment on someone else’s tragic loss(s) and proclaim our concern that “we are not learning from our mistakes and are destined to repeat them”.

Yet; when a tragedy occurs like what happened in the Russian nightclub:  (http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aEqnRLjYbQHY&pos=9), we can’t seem to get our heads around “the whys”.

When you look at this country’s deadliest fires and similarities start to line up, we see patterns of that same human behavior; from owners of these death traps ignoring zoning policies to a person’s lack of or ignorance of basic fire safety procedures (example: have two ways out) and the most prominent mind-set of “It can’t happen here or to me”.

Look at this long list without shaking your head, because we all know that won’t fix it!

We have to take the lead in our communities to avert such tragedies.

How?

With relentless public education starting with our own children, strict ordinances, effective inspections and tough enforcement followed by significant penalties.

Iroquois Theatre Fire – December 30, 1903 in Chicago, IL

602 died in the fire caused by a velvet curtain coming into contact with hot stage lights. Backdrops painted with highly flammable oil paints accelerated the flames. Contributing to the high death toll were no sprinklers over the stage, the fire curtain did not contain the fire, no emergency exit lighting, smoke and heat vents did not work and many exit doors were either locked or did not swing out.

New London School Explosion-March 18, 1937 in New London, TX

296 – 319 died as the result of an undetected natural gas leak. The gas accumulated in a crawl space under the school and filtered through the building until it made contact with an electrical source, igniting an explosion that collapsed the structure. At the time, natural gas was a colorless and odorless gas. As a result, Texas required adding mercaptans to make the gas odorous and more detectable. The practice was soon implemented worldwide. This incident remains the worst school disaster in U.S. history.

Rhythm Night Club Fire-April 23, 1940 in Natchez, MS

209 died in this fast-moving fire that started in front of the main entrance door. The fire spread quickly due to decorative moss that had been draped over the rafters. Due to the dry condition of the moss, it produced flammable methane gas. Contributing to the death toll were windows being boarded up, blinding smoke, panic and ensuing stampede to escape through a back door.

Cocoanut Grove Nightclub Fire-November 28, 1942 in Boston, MA

492 died in the fire that started when someone lit a match, catching paper decorations that adorned the walls and ceilings on fire. It caused panic among the roughly 1,000 people in attendance. The capacity of the club was 460 persons. Contributing to the death toll were no sprinklers and open common areas. Exit doors did not swing out, many doors and windows had been sealed closed and the primary exit was a revolving door. It is the worst night club fire in U.S. history.

Hartford Circus Fire-July 6, 1944 in Hartford, CT

168 died in the fire that started when a side wall of the tent caught fire. Over 100 of the fatalities were children under the age of 15. Contributing to the rapid fire spread was from the tent being coated with a mixture of paraffin and gasoline/kerosene, a common waterproofing process at the time. The rapid fire growth also caused the tent to collapse, trapping spectators beneath the burning debris. There were also inadequate exits, blocked exits and over-crowding that made escape difficult, if not impossible.

Winecoff Hotel Fire-December 7, 1946 in Atlanta, GA

119 hotel guests died after an early morning fire spread very quickly through the hotel. It trapped many people on the upper floors and many jumped from windows to their death. Contributing to the death toll were no sprinklers, only one exit stairway which became impassable in the early stages of the fire, because many of the doors had been propped open. There no fire alarms as well. It is the deadliest hotel fire in U.S. history.

Our Lady of the Angels School Fire-December 1, 1958 in Chicago, IL

95 fatalities resulted from a fire that started in a cardboard trash can located in a basement stairwell. 92 of the victims were children. Contributing to the death toll was the wooden stair banister that spread the fire to the second floor and attic. This blocked escape from the second floor. Furthermore, combustible walls and ceilings accelerated fire growth with no sprinklers to contain the flames, no automatic fire alarms causing a delayed response from Chicago FD. The exit stairway was also not enclosed. As a result of this fire, Life Safety codes were developed.

Beverly Hills Supper Club-May 28, 1977 in Southgate, KY

165 dinner guests died from what was believed to be an electrical fire attributed to aluminum wiring. Contributing to the death toll were the club’s open design, spiral staircases, corridors and dining rooms. Over-crowding, lack of sprinklers and obscured exit signs made a rapid escape for the 3000 guest and 200 employees very difficult.

MGM Grand Hotel Fire-November 21, 1980 in Las Vegas, NV

87 hotel guests died and more than 700 injured when an electrical fire spread through the 26-story structure. Contributing factors were PVC piping, wallpaper and plastic mirrors that created smoke and toxic fumes. In addition, there were no automatic sprinklers in the casino portion of the building that had hazardous wall and ceiling finishes. The hotel portion had many unprotected vertical shafts, openings that allowed smoke to enter and fill the exit stairwell and doors automatically locked behind people once they exited into the smoke-filled stairwells.

Happy Land Fire-March 25, 1990 in New York City, NY

87 club-goers died when they could not escape from a fire that was intentionally set. Contributing to the loss of life were fire exits were blocked to prevent patrons from sneaking in, no alarms or sprinkler system and the fire was set in the only stairwell. Some were able to escape by knocking down a metal security gate.

Station Nightclub Fire-February 20, 2003 in West Warwick, RI

100 patrons died from a fire caused when the rock band Great White’s tour manager set off pyrotechnics at the beginning of their show. This caused the soundproofing foam at the back of the stage to catch fire, race to the ceiling and spread very quickly. Panic caused the 404 patrons to race to the front entrance to escape the acrid smoke. Contributing to the death toll were no automatic sprinklers and failure to use other exit routes.

In addition to these historic fires, there are some noteworthy incidents with multiple fatalities that occurred when the victims made a panicked effort to exit a facility as a result of an “other-than-fire” emergency.

If you have ever wondered why you can’t yell “FIRE” in a crowded theatre; well, here it is:

The Italian Hall Disaster-December 24, 1913 in Calumet, MI

73 people-mostly children-died in the Italian Hall Disaster in Calumet, Michigan. The tragedy occurred during the copper mine strikes on Christmas Eve in 1913. It was a benefit Christmas party for the children of striking miners in Calumet.

The program was in the upstairs of the Italian Hall. During the program, a man or men opened the doors at the bottom of the stairs leading to the outside and yelled “Fire”.

The participants of the party, mostly children, rushed down the stairs and tried to get out.

There was no fire. The doors opened inward and the first children to the doors were crushed against them. More and more party-goers came down the stairs.

It was believed that strike breakers hired by the mine captains committed this heinous act, but no one was ever found or convicted. All died of suffocation.

Nearly whole families died that day.

The Italian Hall was torn down, but they left the doorway and a plaque in memoriam.

The Who Concert Stampede-December 3, 1979 in Cincinnati OH

While waiting to get into a concert by the Who, 11 fans were crushed to death and dozens injured.

Festival seating or general admission was partially blamed for the tragedy. In addition, there was a lack of security and ticket takers. The practice of festival seating was banned in Cincinnati shortly thereafter.

E2 Nightclub Stampede-February 17, 2003 in Chicago, IL

The Epitome Chicago and its upstairs dance floor, E2, was a popular nightclub in Chicago. It was reported that the stampede that caused the deaths of 21 patrons and injuries to more than 50 was the use of pepper spray to break up a fight.

Patrons unfamiliar with its noxious odor panicked and rushed to the exits. Victims were trampled to death and others died of suffocation. The only exit known to most were the narrow, steep front stairwell with narrow doors that opened in; a fire code violation. As more victims tried to get out, they were forced onto victims who had already fallen and were against the exit doors and blocked attempts to get the doors open.

More than 1500 patrons were reported at the nightclub that evening.

Source for highlighted information: Google search

Once again, I will say that we must take the lead to protect our citizens from themselves. It starts with educating them and then identifying the establishments that pose significant risks to public safety.

TCSS.

The article as submitted is published under The Adventures of Jake and Vinnie© umbrella and is the intellectual property of Art Goodrich a.k.a. ChiefReason. It is protected by federal copyright laws and cannot be re-printed in any form without expressed permission from the author. You may read other works by the author at www.chiefreasonart.com.

I will provide the pertinent links at the end of this blog. But first…the blog.

On February 9, 2007, a terrible tragedy occurred in Baltimore, MD.

Fire Cadet Racheal Wilson died during a live burn training exercise at an abandoned row house. Her death lit up the fire service discussion boards across this country over a multiplex of issues. The incident brought swift and sweeping changes within the Baltimore City Fire Department; most notably the removal of the Director of Training and the resignation of Chief  William Goodwin.

Despite our opinions for some of the many issues involved in this tragedy, it cannot be refuted or disputed that Fire Cadet, Firefighter Apprentice, Firefighter Candidate, Firefighter Trainee, Probationary Firefighter* Racheal Wilson was employed by the City of Baltimore and more precisely, by the Baltimore City Fire Department at the time of her death.

*(There was some confusion over the proper terminology with regards to a firefighter in the process of completing their training)

Who can argue that Cadet Wilson was not an employee of the fire department? It would seem pretty obvious. The NIOSH LODD report (http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/fire/reports/face200709.html ) states in its opening sentence, On February 9, 2007, a 29-year-old female, career probationary firefighter died…

Pretty specific, wouldn’t you say? So; what could be the issue?

Fire Cadet Wilson was at work on February 9, 2007, was involved in a training exercise as part of her final phase of training, died while training at work for her employer and at the time of her death, engaged in tasks that were required as part of her job as an employee of the Baltimore City Fire Department for the City of Baltimore.

Therefore, under the Public Safety Officers Benefits (PSOB) program, Fire Cadet Wilson’s surviving family members-in this case, her two children-should receive a lump sum pay out of PSOBs in the amount of $295,194.

Nope!

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), at least for the moment, is DENYING THIS CLAIM submitted on behalf of the children by their father.

The reason (because there is ALWAYS a reason)?

According to sources, it is because the Baltimore City Fire Department failed to submit paperwork establishing her eligibility for the funds.

WTF? (This means, “What did I just read/hear”)

Now; I have two questions to ask: 1) WHERE IS THE NATIONAL OUTRAGE OVER THIS BUREAUCRATIC NONSENSE? And 2) Why wouldn’t the application for PSOBs be included in everyone’s insurance packets, post employment paperwork or beneficiary designation documents, as part of their Human Resources employee management tools?

It is strange that we will bust our asses to get the all-important exit interview from some bottom-feeding under-achiever, but we can’t insure that death benefits are properly AND promptly paid? (Hey; HR gurus…write PPP on your whiteboards. If you can remember what SHRM means, you should be able to decipher Properly Promptly Paid death benefits.)

More on the outrage.

Were it not for our good friends at www.firefighterclosecalls.com, www.firefighternation.com and our top bloggers at www.fireemsblogs.com, this story would be nothing more than a gnat on the wall.

Local coverage in the Baltimore area indicates that everyone involved wants this fixed post haste! It’s been over two weeks ago that the story broke and I hope that they don’t have to follow a formal appeals process.

I would think that, if the original application was missing a document, then the caveat should be to provide the document and release the benefits.

But, I have to wonder out loud to whether bureaucracy can be so easily pushed aside and the moral/ethical conclusion be drawn and benefits paid!

When people close to this injustice are telling the media that they will do whatever they need to do to fix this and it is still left undone, one also has to wonder if we are too spellbound by the media circus surrounding the trial of a mayor and her gift cards to see that our justice is served for Racheal Wilson’s children.

So; get the PSOB money into a trust for the two children of Fire Cadet Racheal Wilson.

Let the City of Baltimore get through its most recent governmental guffaws.

Let the Baltimore City Fire Department continue to strengthen their resolve to meet their challenges and to fulfill their mission to their department, their city and their citizens.

Resolve the PSOB issue NOW, so that Racheal Wilson can rest in peace and her children can live the rest of their lives in peace.

To FIREFIGHTER Racheal Wilson…

The dead have peace, but the living weep.~Samuel Hoffenstein

Here are the links that I promised:

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/baltimore-city/bal-md.ci.fire06nov06,0,7495567.story

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/editorial/bal-ed.wilson06nov06,0,5421498.story

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/baltimore-city/bal-md.ci.fire05nov05,0,7036813.story

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/baltimore-city/bal-md.ci.fire19dec19,0,7827817.story

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bal-wilson0210,0,1969483.story

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bal-wilsonside0210,0,7808105.story

http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/fire/reports/face200709.html

http://www.firefighternation.com/profiles/blogs/baptism-by-fire-or-death-by

The article is protected by federal copyright law under The Adventures of Jake and Vinnie© umbrella. It is written and submitted by Art Goodrich a.k.a. ChiefReason. This article or any other article submitted under The Adventures of Jake and Vinnie© umbrella cannot be reproduced in ANY form without the expressed, written permission of the author. Violations are punishable by applicable laws. Please visit: www.chiefreasonart.com