CFJ Vol. 27.4 (Spring 2013)

from the editor - Spring 2013

This is my favorite time of year for the fire, rescue and EMS industry as our staff has the chance to attend several conferences. This issue will be distributed at the South Carolina Fire-Rescue Expo, June 10-15 in Myrtle Beach. It is a time to meet old friends and make new ones, learn about the new products on the market, and enjoy Myrtle Beach. This year is extra special, as the Southeast Chiefs conference will be held in Charleston, S.C., June 19-22. We look forward to seeing you at our booth at both shows.

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Developing an annual training program

The development of a functional training program is an essential part of any fire and emergency services organization. This article will address some considerations when organizing your training program. Chiefs, company officers, instructors or anyone involved in delivering training play a vital role in preparing firefighters to handle challenges faced on a daily basis. Establishing an annual program will take time and should include input from all members. Your goal as a training officer should be to deliver the safest and most realistic training possible to help members achieve the department’s mission.

Relevant Tags: training, training program, fire service, training officer, fire department, program nfpa

From reactive to proactive and beyond

I was listening to a dear friend and colleague speak the other day, and this friend made the statement: “It’s a great day to be a firefighter in the state of South Carolina.” My friend used this quote a number of times during the talk that he was giving. I listened intently while he spoke, but that statement resounded through my head for the next few days, and still does on occasion. I thought about this statement frequently. My friend is right; it is a great day to be a firefighter in the state of South Carolina. Every day to me this statement rings true. Being a firefighter is the best job in the world, regardless of rank, or sub-category that you place yourself in, the title firefighter says it all. We share a common bond of service above self, and nothing else really matters beyond that.

Relevant Tags: fire, service, state, carolina, firefighter, emergency, south carolina, firefighter state, fire service, medical care, preventive medical

Returning to the foundations: fire behavior

By now, we have figured out to what ends our means is accomplished as we take the task of fire fighting to heart. Understanding what fire is and how to interpret its life signs and shadows are essential to all firefighters’ safety and survival. The ability to use the information assists in our gaining the advantage on fire itself within structures, vehicles and wildland operations. With civilian injuries and fatalities noted daily, including our own injuries and deaths — this creates the needed mindset change to continue to learn and understand the demon we dedicate to tame.

Relevant Tags: fire, heat, vapor, combustion, temperature, gases, fire behavior, vapor density, boiling point, specific gravity, ignition temperature, returning foundations, vapor pressure, ignitable mixture

ASK ERNIE “The Apparatus Maintenance Expert”

Explain the new changes to NFPA 1962 for hose testing that will impact fire departments.

I will defer to John Carbo, FF/EMT for the Thorndale FD, PA. He has reviewed the NFPA 1962 and written an extensive report on updates at: http://thorndalefirecompany.com/apps/public/news/newsView.cfm?News_ID=536

Relevant Tags: ASK ERNIE, pump, apparatus, fire, ernie, reflective, testing, retro reflective, ask ernie, fire apparatus, volume/parallel mode, timing standards, pressure/series mode

Understanding the architectural plans

(Note: This is part two of a multi-issue topic.)

Last issue I spoke about programming and specifications to build a firehouse. This issue’s topic is the plans themselves. I am a firm believer in making sure people understand the why of something. Probably because I need to understand the why of something before I can totally accept it. So before we dive any deeper perhaps I should explain a couple of things.

Who Needs the Plans?

In order to build a modern 21st century firehouse the plan set will be 100 to 150 pages in length. You won’t understand most of them at first glance and you won’t understand some of them at all, ever.

Relevant Tags: THE STATION HOUSE, electrical, plumbing electrical, station house, architectural plans, understanding architectural

Sprinklers, fuels, Albert Einstein and Bob Dylan

I write this quarter with a heavy heart. On January 27, 2013, a fire occurred at the Kiss Nightclub in Santa Maria, Brazil. Tragically, 236 people were killed as a result of the fire. The fire cause was a familiar one. A pyrotechnic was fired during a band’s performance which ignited soundproofing foam on the ceiling. Media reports indicate that the fire spread was only exceeded by the smoke. Additionally, it was reported that security, thinking that evacuees were trying to leave without paying their tabs, stopped the initial evacuees at the primary means of egress. This incident is disturbingly similar to one that occurred in a small town in Rhode Island.

Albert Einstein once said, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” The aforementioned Rhode Island fire was, of course, the Station nightclub fire. It occurred on Feb. 20, 2003, just over 10 years ago, in West Warwick, Rhode Island.

Relevant Tags: ignition, building, bob dylan, soundproofing foam, rhode island, albert einstein

Mass violence incident operations

Threats

With the recent mass shooting/active shooter incidents it is important that first responders and planners are aware of these incidents and how to respond to them. Regardless of where you work, you and your agency will likely face the challenge of responding to incidents that may include acts of large scale violence towards civilians and acts of violence towards responders. These can and do occur in urban, suburban, metro and rural settings. In fact, typically these incidents occur in smaller to midsize communities. These responses will require an immediate “joint” response including law enforcement, fire and EMS. This article will focus specifically on the first 20 to 30 minutes of the incident. In hostile incidents like this it is essential that law enforcement and fire/EMS personnel can work together.

Relevant Tags: COMMAND AND CONTROL, incident, fire, command, scene, ems, incidents, law enforcement, fire ems, command control, unified command, first responders, life safety, firefighter life, violence incident

An introduction to winch operations

The winch is probably the most common machine used in rigging today. The winch theory is used throughout most cities with traction elevators, on tow trucks, at construction sites, shipping yards and industrial work sites. All most all fire departments have some type of winch, whether it’s in the form of a small manual come along, or the industrial rated Grip Hoist or specs for a large 50,000 gross vehicle weight (GVW) rescue company. Some basic terms that many people get mixed up on — it is not called cable! Its correct term is wire rope. Slang or jargon you will hear it referenced as, “wire” or even “rope” in the elevator trade or on construction sites. There are six requirements, which must be considered when selecting the wire rope.

Relevant Tags: ALL ABOUT TRUCKS, winch, rope, wire, fire, operations, safety, drum, wire rope, winch operations, snatch block, fire service

Site considerations for new and expanding emergency facilities

No matter if a fire department or EMS unit is all volunteers, all paid or a combination, population growth throughout the Southeast has placed increased demand on all emergency service providers. Over the past 20 years, urban sprawl has led to larger town and city footprints and rural areas planting septic tanks instead of crops. These service providers are constantly faced with the issue of facility renovation/expansion as well as the need for additional facilities as a result of the growth within their service districts. The need for improved facilities is driven by the departments’ desire to provide the best service to their customers, the tax payers, and to maintain or improve the ISO rating of the department.

Relevant Tags: THE STATION HOUSE, site, new, system, property, building, road system, site selection, service providers, emergency facilities, site considerations, station house, design build

Preventing heat-related, heat-stress injuries

Firefighters, hazmat professionals and emergency services personnel in heavy gear are no strangers to the risk of heat-related injuries. Emergency responders are constantly exposed to the dangers of hot indoor/outdoor environments, structural and/or wildland fires, and an abundance of heavy personal protective equipment to mitigate other safety risks. So how do we protect our men and women on the front lines of emergency response from the dangers of heat-related injuries?

Relevant Tags: HEAT STRESS PREVENTION, heat, conditions, environmental, temperature, stress, injuries, wbgt, emergency, heat stress, environmental conditions, wet bulb, monitoring environmental, stress prevention, temperature humidity

How important is maintenance and testing of ground ladders and fire hose?

This article will explain the importance of testing ground ladders and fire hose to the NFPA Standards. This article will cover some of NFPA 1932 and NFPA 19 minimum requirements for establishing an inspection, maintenance, and testing program for your ground ladders and fire hose:

• NFPA 1932 Standard on Use, Maintenance, and Service Testing of In-Service Fire Department Ground Ladders
• NFPA 1962 Standard for Inspection, Care, and Use of Fire Hose, Couplings, and Nozzles and the Service Testing of fire Hose.

Relevant Tags: ALL ABOUT TRUCKS, hose, fire, testing, use, nfpa, ladders, inspection, fire hose, ground ladders, hose couplings, fire department, couplings nozzles, nozzles appliances, nfpa 1962, service testing

Medical research made easy

There can be little doubt that evidence based medicine is here to stay. EMS has seen a number of treatments and gadgets added to its bag of tricks in the past decade or so thanks to this concept. Conversely, more than a few treatments have fallen victim to the unforgiving standards of evidence based practice. At its core, evidence-based medicine requires that clinicians make treatment decisions consistent with sound scientific support. Scientific evidence is demonstrated through a variety of research methods, the results of which are most commonly presented in the form of research papers published in academic journals. The ability to read and interpret these papers is foundational to one’s ability to practice evidence-based medicine. While most any physician is at least reasonably adept doing so, many EMS providers remain ignorant. Fortunately, assessing medical research at a basic level is not a difficult skill to master — further, this basic understanding is sufficient to glean much information with which EMS providers may enhance their practice.

Relevant Tags: EMS 2013, research, ems, paper, medical, basic, medical research, ems providers, clinical research, research paper, secondary research, epidemiological research, basic research, evidence based, ems provider

Better information exchange with new technology

Every now and then, the world of technology is rocked by what is known as “disruptive change.” It’s the development of some new device or system that is so radically different than what came before it that it truly transforms the way people do things. Take, for instance, the personal computer or the internet; both are examples of disruptive change that altered the lives of each and every one of us. Today, tablet mobile operating systems and cloud data storage are having similar effects.

Relevant Tags: COMMUNICATIONS, information, data, system, cloud, mobile, cloud based, tablet computers, dispatch center, information exchange, data storage, server farm

Greenville-Tech and USC School of Medicine-Greenville team up to provide a new level of medical education

Greenville Technical College and the USC School of Medicine-Greenville have joined forces to expose future doctors to field reality. USC Greenville is the only medical school in the nation that requires students to become certified EMTs through Greenville Tech and to “ride” for at least two years. The value of this experience is in exposing future doctors to the realities behind illness and injury and to the roles of first responders in emergency situations.

In August, the first class of medical students took part in an emergency medical technician operations exercise held on the Greenville Memorial Medical Campus. This lifelike exercise with hospital personnel playing the role of patients served as a capstone exercise for the students’ EMT education.

Relevant Tags: greenville, medical, fire, school, students, usc, education, emergency, medicine, medicine greenville, usc school, greenville tech, medical education, first responders, certified emts, medical school

Throw away the calendar and celebrate each day

Spring is a time for change. Everything looks better in the springtime. Even those dreaded schedules that everyone brings to the family meets — because you know, summertime is near. Schedules, calendars, schedules, calendars — what more can we say. It is amazing how life has changed over the past 19 years for our family.

Relevant Tags: THE HOMEFRONT, calendar, schedules, family, shift calendar, calendar celebrate, christmas eve, significant others

Weight lifting in the fire service

If you’re already lifting weights why not do it with optimal results. This article is for the firefighter who is lifting weights and wants to know if they are doing the right lifts to become better at their job. The first thing you have to accept is that as firefighters we are athletes. We must train for performance. With personnel cuts happening every day, today’s firefighters are asked to do more work. You can either complain that it is not fair or do something to prepare yourself. Many firefighters like to lift weights to stay in shape. Let’s analyze where weight lifting in fire service is and where it needs to be for the future.

Firefighters are unique creatures who love more power. Bigger diesel engines, bigger capacity pumps, extrication tools with more cutting force and the list goes on. However, when it comes to human power we can often be as stubborn as a donkey. It is not my intent to even touch the subject of out of shape firefighters, that is a whole other matter. My concern is the firefighters who crave horsepower/muscle power.

Relevant Tags: WELLNESS, olympic, fire, weight, training, weight lifting, olympic lifting, lifting weights, body building, body workout, david howell

‘Take my building, please!’

Everyone loves hand-me-downs, right? Is that true for buildings? If your public safety facility needs are well-known in your community, you can expect several people to suggest the old abandoned grocery store on Highway 9, an old city hall, or even a vacant spec building in an industrial park for your next project.

Relevant Tags: building, fire, site, facility, existing, safety, existing building, fire rescue, rescue ems, building code, public safety, safety facility, loads increased

The pride in the badge

Badges to commemorate special events are more popular than ever. Ranging from the anniversary of 9/11, to special events like the Super Bowl or the Presidential election, these badges are a sign of pride and honor for each department. However, anniversary badges are by far the most common.

Relevant Tags: Conference Planner, badges, department, pride, anniversary, winter, special events, conference planner, las vegas, anniversary badges, pride badge, pride honor, presidential election

Help rescue the sea turtles at the S.C. Aquarium

Rescue workers, they’re on the front-line, saving people’s lives on a daily basis. In Charleston, South Carolina there’s another type of rescue worker saving a different species — you can find them at the South Carolina Aquarium.

Relevant Tags: Conference Planner, sea, turtles, rescue, species, help, carolina, sea turtles, south carolina, rescue program, turtle rescue, turtle hospital

Industry News

S.C. Fire Apparatus Named Rosenbauer Dealership

Rosenbauer America announces the appointment of South Carolina Fire Apparatus of Fort Mill, S.C. as its Authorized Sales and Service dealer lead by Ron J. Cheves and George J. Rieder.

Chief Ron J. Cheves (ret.) has 39 plus years as a volunteer in the fire and emergency services rising to the position of fire chief. He currently manages the Red Ribbon courses for the VCOS section of the International Association of Fire Chiefs, and in 2012 was appointed by the IAFC to NFPA 1720, the standard for Organization and Deployment by Volunteer Fire-EMS Dept. “In partnering with Rosenbauer, we can expand our product offering to have a fit in every community in South Carolina. Rosenbauer’s experience and understanding of this diverse market allows for a mutual commitment to superior customer service and providing first-class emergency vehicles,” says Cheves.

George J. Rieder also retired from the career fire service as fire chief. He has more than 50 years in the fire service, and a previous owner of a very successful Rosenbauer dealership in Tenn. and Ga. After selling the dealership George became regional sales rep for Rosenbauer where he remained until now.

Contact [email protected] or call 803-802-2044 for more information.

Relevant Tags: Industry News, industry, propane, kestrel, gas, industry news, heat stress, fire apparatus, filmarray system, cheves george, ron cheves, stress trackers, gas detection, fire service