The most important skill in firefighting

By Linda Willing

What is the most important attribute or skill set to be a successful firefighter? Physical strength? Technical skills? Knowledge of building construction or fire behavior?

All of these are important of course, but I would venture to say that the most important skill or attribute for a firefighter is the ability to work together with others as part of a coordinated team.

More than any other occupation, except perhaps the military, firefighting is something that you absolutely cannot do alone, regardless of your technical skill, physical strength, or personal commitment.

Everything firefighters do is a group effort, from advancement of hose lines to the extrication of a victim from a smashed car. Fire suppression involves both extinguishment and ventilation; investigation and prevention are two sides of the same coin. Without the ability to coordinate with others, the effectiveness of firefighting is lost.

Consider the problem of freelancing in the fire service. Many people who freelance have nothing but noble intentions. They think they see a need others don't see, and they feel empowered to personally meet it.

A freelancer can be the biggest, strongest, most technically skilled person on the department, but that person is also the most dangerous when their actions are not coordinated with the overall effort. Look closely at fire deaths and injuries over the years, and some form of freelancing often comes to the surface.

If the most important aspect of being a firefighter is being able to work as a member of a team, it is a logical progression to say that the most important skill as an officer is to develop that team.

The concept of team building might sound touchy-feely to some and they might prefer to focus their efforts on more technical skills.But the subtext to every activity that firefighters do is that they are doing it in coordination with others. If coordination is lost, or members of the team are seriously at odds with one another, the mission will fail.

Some people feel that every firefighter should have a skill set that is interchangeable with others. It shouldnt matter who the leader is to get the job done.

Maybe it shouldnt matter, but it does not only on the fire scene, but especially during the majority of the time when firefighters are not responding to emergency incidents. Firefighters may go on autopilot to some degree during routine events, but what about when something changes a wall collapses, a firefighter goes missing, a citizen runs up and says a child has been left behind? At that point it is necessary to shift gears and function seamlessly as a team to meet the new challenge presented.

And what about in the station when a joke goes too far or an argument escalates? At this point the value and mission of the team is the force that can pull people back from conflicting individual interests and behavior that can endanger everyone.

Technical skills are important. Firefighters want their officers to be competent. They want them to have the ability and confidence to evaluate situations and make good decisions.

But for those decisions to be truly effective, they must take into account not only individual interests, but the purpose and abilities of the team as a whole.

So how does one develop the ability to become a good team leader? Many resources can help: classes, books, informal discussions, observation of others, good mentors, analysis of case studies, just trying different things.

But the first, most critical aspect of this skill set is just the acceptance of it that this is part of the job, this is part of who an officer is. Then every statement, action, and decision go back to the questions: Does this enhance who we are as a team? Are we better as a team that is inclusive of everyone as a result of what we are doing now? Will this action or decision make us better able to serve the public?

Team development and leadership are high level skills. They can take a career to master. Recognizing the importance of this task and accepting responsibility for team development as an officer are the first steps to a highly functional, committed crew, and your own success as a leader.

"Every team requires unity.  A team has to move as one unit, one force, with each person understanding and assisting the role of his teamates.  If your team doesnt do this, whatever the reason, it goes down in defeat.  You win or lose as a team, as a family."  Jack Kemp

By FireRescue1 Staff

COLERAIN TOWNSHIP, Ohio An investigation has found basic mistakes contributed to the deaths of two Ohio firefighters who were responding to a house fire.

Colerain Township Fire Department Capt. Robin Broxterman and Firefighter Brian Schira were killed April 4, 2008, after they became trapped in the basement of the home.

Firefighters entered the burning home without water in their hose and tried to escape without following their hose line to an exit, the department report released Friday said.

Speaking on behalf of the department, Capt. Steve Conn said the mistakes represented a "failure to adhere to fundamental firefighting practices" during a press conference.

"In addition to distractions faced on the fireground, some basic strategic and tactical errors were encountered in the early moments of the fire," he said.

The errors cited include Capt. Boxterman failing to use full turnout gear and fire crews not conducting a 360-degree size-up before entering the structure.

Communication problems with a digital radio system unable to manage a high volume of radio chatter and a delay in getting to the fire were also cited as contributing factors in the deaths.

Investigators recommend the department develop standard operating guidelines and an increased focus on training and education.

They said three factors were believed to have directly contributed to the deaths of the two firefighters: 

By Tom LaBelle  

It's often said that when we teach at a drill or class, we know the student has learned when they exhibit a change in their behavior or activity. I've often said that I learn best through bruises, either yours or mine, but I'd prefer you took the bruise and I learned the lesson. To this day I remember how I learned not to leave your hammer on top of the ladder when you're working some bruises and lessons last longer than others.

The Houston Fire Department suffered a tragedy in April last year when they lost two members, Captain James Harlow, 50, and Probationary Firefighter Damien Hobbs, 30, at a house fire that rapidly deteriorated. Original reports indicated an elderly couple was still in the building and a few days ago the Texas State Fire Marshal's Office issued its report on the LODDs.

Following the loss, the Houston Fire Department gathered together and developed its 10 Rules of Survival, which it released to members late last year. First and foremost, the department and its leaders of all ranks are to be commended for both providing the opportunity for their members and for each of us to learn.

I say opportunity because learning is shown through changed behavior, and as I review the rules I'm willing to admit there have been times when I haven't always lived up to them.

While the rules were designed by and for Houston, there are lessons to learn for all by going through the 10 Rules of Survival in turn and seeing how they apply to us:

Seat belts  Use of seat belts is mandatory any time the vehicle is in motion.

Pretty straightforward and I know that I am, I believe, now in full compliance, although it wasn't always the case. Learning how to effectively hook up your SCBA while belted goes a long way in helping with this. The front half of the apparatus really sets the pace on this. If you're the driver or officer, demand it and lead by example.

Speed Obey all traffic laws; obey all HFD policies; do not bust red lights or intersections; non-emergency response is acceptable.

It's VERY easy to let this slide, but it's not at all acceptable. If responding in your personal vehicle on a call back or as a volunteer, you can be so busy listening to the call and thinking of other things that you can easily forgot how fast you're going. There are effectively three speeds; under the speed limit, at the speed limit and over the speed limit. If you go a little over, before you know it, you could be going a lot over.

PPE  Only HFD issued PPE; no extra layers for insulation; weakest part of PPE ensemble is the SCBA face piece.

The use of PPE every time seems a pretty simple concept, but each year there are lots of injuries that never needed to occur because people did not wear all of their PPE. There are lots of excuses, and in lots of departments it's very hard to get properly fitting, useful PPE. It's very easy to skip certain parts of our PPE and even I've done it before. There were days when I didn't wear my hood but I learned my lesson. I even wore street shoes at the station one day and discovered that the new wheel chocks had moving parts. Let's just say my foot modeling career was over at that point.

We must also always remember that our PPE is only as good as our weakest link. Before my department issued bailout equipment, I was purchasing my own ropes and carabineers. While purchasing components at the local mountain climbing store, the salesperson asked me what I was getting the carabineers for. When I told her, she mentioned that the metal might melt or warp at a fairly low temperature. So, I asked at what temperature the rope would burn through, too.

Size-up Perform a 360; accurate arrival reports; use TIC for temperature reading prior to entry, communicate via radio.

I'm a big believer in at least the team leader, if not every person, seeing the big picture. So take the time and take the walk. Even though we teach that size-up begins long before the call, you need a personal, visual reference. We can often feel that we don't have the time; we've been given an order and need to get in the building fast.

When we look at LODDs in structure fires, many happen at residential properties where a 360 wouldn't be that hard to accomplish. If you're an officer or team leader, it's a must. And if you're sending teams into harm's way, you should make sure they've taken the walk before they go in.

Water before you go  Goal to have an uninterrupted water supply before entry.

Not that long ago our district only had hydrants in a small percentage of the area. We went to plenty of fires, others and ours, where if the water hadn't been figured out it simply took us longer to lose the fight. As first due units it's easy -- and again I've done it -- to get so focused on getting even a limited amount of tank water on the fire that you forget to ensure a plan for an uninterrupted supply. A blitz attack, darkening it down from the outside makes sense, but command, the hydrant man, the chauffer, and the guy on the nozzle all need to make sure we're bringing water to the fight, with more than we need in reserve.

Low-Low-Low  On entry; inside; on exit.

When I joined the fire service, I had a great instructor by the name of Tom Maloney. Tom was always adamant about this tactic. It's a habit that many of us lose over time. Heat, especially from hidden fire, has a way of increasing without us realizing it. And on this issue, we're kind of like lemmings: once we see one firefighter standing up, we tend to all stand up.

Ventilation  Goal of first ladder is ventilation; release heat and smoke to benefit firefighters and survivable victims.

I could go on for hours on this. Until recently I was the captain on the Truck in our department and I truly believe many departments have lost the art of coordinated ventilation, and are much too focused on getting the line on the fire first.

RIT RIT on every incident; in place ASAP.

The speed and complexity with which events can occur simply makes this a necessity. Keeping the RIT available for each call will become a habit, a learned behavior over time. Not unlike the water supply rule, the time when you most need it isn't the time to find out you don't have it.

Crew integrity  Not an option; critical to incident accountability; call Mayday early.

Freelancing is dangerous to you and me, so knock it off. We often see people do it and don't want to be the bad guy. Let's be honest, most of us are type A, get it done people and don't want to stand around. What we don't convey enough (myself included) is that when you freelance, you screw me up  so stop it.

We must also realize that the building and its contents are less forgiving of human errors. The amount of time we now have to realize that we're in trouble and get ourselves out is much less than it was 15 years ago. Situational awareness, knowing your own condition and conveying it up the chain, is paramount to self-survival. We must make early Mayday calls socially acceptable in the firehouse.

Communication  Throughout incident; interior and exterior progress reports.

We all have the folks in our departments who people feel talk on the radio too much. It happens and newer members see us roll our eyes and begin to learn that talking on the radio is bad. I've thought it myself and Im sure I've conveyed it.

There is no way for command to know what is going on and how we are doing if we don't provide feedback through communicating or progress reports. If you're on the outside, demand reports. If the interior crew isn't providing the right information, make them repeat it. Do it enough and you'll get what you need each time.

The above rules are basic, but sound. There are lots of rules; the key is to truly learn them

By Jason Zigmont 

Finding the balance between requiring members to be properly trained and not scaring members away can be very difficult and a common problem for volunteer departments. Chief Tinsley from Tennessee recently e-mailed me with a series of questions from his department that are all too common.

Chief Tinsley's problem definitely represents just one of the many balancing acts that fire chiefs are expected to do daily and deserves to be answered within this column to allow as many folks as possible to learn what can be done."

To address the issue I would suggest a three-step approach:

1. Identify what the state and federal minimum training requirements are for your area.

2. Inform the city council of the minimum requirements and their potential liability if these requirements are not met.

3. Develop a competency-based training system for each of your firefighters to meet or exceed the minimums.

Determining what your state and federal minimum training requirements are can be easy if you know the regulations, or difficult if you need to start from the ground up.

The first question is whether or not your state is an "OSHA state" and if your department has to comply with OSHA regulations. The second would be any requirements from your specific state and your insurance carrier. Fortunately OSHA, and most other regulations, state members must "prove competency" at set intervals rather than "attend training," which will help your department find ways to meet the minimum.

Your city council needs to understand that it is ultimately responsible for the fire service. This responsibility is both to provide fire service to protect the community and to protect the firefighters themselves. Should a member be injured or a fire not handled appropriately, most likely the city will be named in the lawsuit, as will your department and you as Chief. The first thing to occur in any injury or death of a firefighter is to pull the member's file, including training record, which can be a huge issue.

Once you have the minimums in hand and an educated city council, the goal would be to create a program to demonstrate competency at regular intervals of each and every one of your members. This does not mean that each member has to sit through eight hours of training on blood-borne pathogens every year, but they must show competency, an issue which I covered in a previous article.

This does mean your members may have to attend more training or be tested out, but it is for the protection of everyone. Your SOGs or bylaws should clearly state the need to meet these minimums and, given a reasonable amount of time to make up missed training or testing, your members should be pulled off the line until they prove competency.

The three-step plan outlined is not going to be popular with everyone, but it is fair and the bare minimum for safe operations. It is possible you may lose members, but I would much rather lose members than have an injured firefighter due to improper training.

I began to think about how often we think of ourselves as special, different or outside the realm of those who get injured. How often do we hear or say, "It won't happen here," or "We don't need to train like the big departments," or "We don't get fires like that."

All of these excuses are simply ignorant to the reality of fire and the dangers we can and will encounter at some point in our time in the fire service. We're not special. The fire won't care if you volunteer or get paid. It won't care if you're a parent. It won't care if you're about to get married. It certainly won't care if you haven't had enough time to train, read up, drill and prepare. The fire will move, it will undermine the structural integrity of the building, and it will bite you that's what it does.

Some recent calls, drills, and follow-up conversations in which I was a participant have brought out how well a couple of basic tactics can be adapted for multiple purposes.

The first is the 7-Sided Search. 7-Sided Searches should be conducted on every incident in which we have a potential victim.
The seven sides to be searched are:

Structures

1. Side A/Division A
2. Side B/Division B
3. Side C/Division C
4. Side D/Division D
5. Roof
6. Basement/Crawl Space
7. the Inside (including the Inside of each interior compartment)

Vehicles

1. Front
2. Driver's Side
3. Passenger Side
4. Rear
5. Top
6. Underneath the Vehicle
7. the Inside, including the passenger compartment, trunk, and hatchback areas

The rule for searching these is:

7-Sided Search
Every Vehicle
Every Structure
Every Time
The other helpful tactic is the UCAN mneumonic. Originally developed for MAYDAY applications, UCAN has applications to basic search tactics.

UCAN was designed for a firefighter giving a MAYDAY report to COMMAND the following information;
Unit
Conditions
Actions
Needs

The MAYDAY firefighter should tell COMMAND the unit to which he/she is assigned, the conditions that required calling a MAYDAY, what actions the lost/trapped/disoriented firefighter is taking, and what the lost/trapped/disoriented firefighter needs.These same four considerations work well when a search team moves through a building, particuarly when moving vertically.

For example, Truck 3 is assigned to conduct a primary search of Divisions 3 and 4 of an apartment building with a fire on Division 2. Truck 3 should give COMMAND a UCAN update each time they move one vertical floor upwards. An example:

"COMMAND, Truck 3"

"Truck 3"

"COMMAND, Truck 3 is on Division 3, we have a heavy smoke condition with moderate heat, no fire visible, we are starting our primary search, and we need ventilation support and secondary egress."

"Truck 3, COMMAND recieves that you are on Division 3, you have a heavy smoke condition with moderate heat and no visible fire, and that you need ventilation support and secondary egress. Repeat your Actions report."

"COMMAND, Truck 3, we are starting our primary search of Division 3."

"Truck 3, recieved, you are starting your primary search of Division 3."

There are five distinct advantages to using UCAN reports for reporting tactical movement through a fire building in the absence of a MAYDAY.

1. Firefighters become familiar with the UCAN methodology in routine situations and will not struggle to remember the mneumonic in the event they need to call a MAYDAY in the future

2. Firefighters become practiced at using the UCAN terminology and reporting location changes to COMMAND

3. COMMAND knows where the units are and what they are doing

4. Status reports are transmitted in a standard format.

5. If one part is missed, COMMAND can just ask for the missing piece of information without wasting the air time for a complete UCAN rehash from the unit giving the report.

The "A" step can be modified to include "AIR" levels. If a company has a member that is low on air, the company can give a UCAN report that includes the air reading for the member with the lowest air level, particularly in big-box structures where the company needs to exit with 2/3 of their air available.

Uncoordinated ventilation cited in Ill. floor collapse LODD

By Ken Robinson
FireRescue1 Staff

FAIRBURY, Ill. Crews operating on the floor above a fire that had been burning for a significant duration and uncoordinated ventilation operations were key factors in the floor collapse that killed an Illinois firefighter, according to investigators.

Firefighter Brian Munz, of the Fairbury Fire Department, fell through the first floor in a residential basement fire while conducting ventilation on July 22 last year, the NIOSH fatality report released Wednesday says.

Firefighters had been on scene approximately 30 minutes when a crew was sent into the basement to attack the fire.

While the crew was in the basement, a four-member mutual aid interior crew entered the first floor to horizontally ventilate the structure by opening windows.

As the ventilation crew crawled across the first floor to egress, several members of the crew verbally reported to each other that the floor was spongy just moments before it collapsed, sending the last member of the crew, Firefighter Munz, into the basement.

In addition to knocking down the basement crew and firefighters just outside the door, the force of the collapse sent fire and heavy smoke throughout the house, making it difficult to locate Firefighter Munz, according to the report.

After placing hose lines in the area and using ladders to gain entry, firefighters were able to locate Firefighter Munz, but he was unresponsive to CPR and later pronounced dead at the hospital.

Three key contributing factors that led to the LODD listed in the report are:
A crew operating on the floor above a fire that had been burning for more than the 30 minutes that fire fighters were on scene
Characteristics of the structure that inhibited early efforts to ventilate the structure
Subsequent ventilation efforts that were not coordinated with interior operations

The importance of communication and coordination of fireground activities was highlighted in the findings, which state firefighters performing ventilation tasks should be in communication with the firefighters attacking the fire or entering the structure to coordinate their efforts in communication and coordination with command."

The NIOSH report stresses the importance of standard operating procedures for basement fires after pointing out that the fire department did not have such guidelines in place.

"Basement fires present a complex set of circumstances, and it is important that SOPs are developed and followed to minimize the risk of serious injury to firefighters," the report says.

Incident commanders should conduct a 360 degree size-up with a risk-versus-gain analysis both during and prior to committing interior operations, the report also recommends.

"In this incident, elements that may have prompted the use of alternative tactics were that the residents were out of the structure, smoke was showing at basement windows upon the fire department's arrival, smoke was a foot off the basement floor, heat at 5 to 6 feet, with conditions deteriorating during each basement entry, and the age of structure," the report says.

Additionally, the report also suggests interior crews be equipped with thermal imaging cameras and fire departments have rapid intervention teams staged and ready for rescue efforts.

Ill. district to make untrained firefighters auxiliary

By Cynthia M. Ellis
The Telegraph

FOSTERBURG, Ill.  Firefighters lacking training will no longer be allowed to respond to fire calls.

The Fosterburg Fire Protection District Board discussed a plan Tuesday night that would allow volunteer firefighters who lack the required training hours to be moved into an auxiliary category.

Trustee William Theisen said if firefighters are not interested in training then maybe they should just resign from the district.

"I see there are firefighters with zero hours in training," Theisen said. "Either you are a firefighter or you're not."

Dr. David Thornton, president of the board, agreed. He said firefighters who are not properly trained could become a liability for the district.

Fire Chief John Holtorf said liability issues are the reason he felt it necessary to establish an auxiliary for firefighters.

"There are a few guys who don't want to respond to fire scenes anymore, but they are interested in doing dispatch and other things that we do," Holtorf said.

Holtorf said volunteers who are not up to date with the state's requirements for fire protection would be moved into an auxiliary position. He said there were less than a dozen volunteers, many retired, who did not have the proper qualifications for responding to and working a structure fire.

According to the Illinois Fire Protection Act, firefighters are required to meet a minimum of 24 hours of training per year. Categories include everything from structural firefighting, fire suppression, hazardous materials, technical rescue, and confined space to driver and ladder training.

The district's attorney, Jim Sinclair, said if the board approved the auxiliary then it needed to have clear-cut lines on the rules for an auxiliary member.

"From a liability standpoint they need to be kept off the fire ground," Sinclair said.

Sinclair said all full-time firefighters and volunteers would also need to be aware of the limits of an auxiliary member.

Thornton said next month the board would be discussing an independent audit put together by Capt. Shawn Bloemker with the Godfrey Fire Protection District that took a look at the districts training, run responses and equipment necessary to operate efficiently.

"I was told he had the audit done, but it was too late to get it on the agenda for this meeting," Thornton said.

The district approved the audit in July.

Managing Gossip in the Firehouse

By Linda Willing

Have you heard the latest? Such a lead is bound to get people's attention, as most people are eager for current information, whether it concerns department policy or personal relationships on the job. Gossip is a fact of life, but as a company officer you have a responsibility for managing it.

Most people gossip to a greater or lesser degree and this is not all bad. At its best, gossip can be a form of social networking and an informal organizational communications system. Such "good gossip" might include sharing information about coworkers' families (a son gets married, a daughter graduates) or to clarify rules and norms within the organization.

But most gossip isn't good. Its intention may or may not be malicious, but the effect is usually negative. Gossip (whether through word of mouth or via technology such as e-mail, texting, Twitter, etc.) is a system that encourages speculation, misinformation, exaggeration, and even downright lies.

In the world of gossip, information is power, and the more dirt that information includes, the better. And the more the information gets passed along, the less reliable (but often more compelling) it is. It's like the old kids' game of "telephone" even if you're trying to pass the information along in a completely accurate way, changes naturally happen as the words pass from person to person.

Stage is set
Gossip can be particularly dangerous in an environment like the fire service, where people work closely together and have inherent interests in each other. Firefighters also have access to information about their coworkers a phone call from a mysterious woman at 10 p.m., a late night confession of a drinking problem. Combine interest and information with opportunity a work environment with ample down time  and the stage is set for a workplace that may be inundated and even driven by gossip.

When gossip is out of control, real dangers emerge. Misinformation is the most obvious people are not clear about what the truth is, whether it concerns a departmental policy or the status of someone's personal life. Perception that is guided by gossip and rumors rather than facts and direct contact with people can damage teamwork, morale, and even cause safety problems at emergency scenes.

The effect of gossip on teamwork can be significant. A culture of gossip damages trust in a number of ways: 

Gossip is inevitable, but it must be managed. Studies show that without control, once gossip begins about an individual it tends to become more and more malicious and distorted unless attention is directed elsewhere. The "can you top this" competitive culture of the fire service only increases this tendency.

So how can you, as a company officer or other leader in the organization, manage gossip under your watch? A couple simple guidelines will help:

Most importantly, be a good example when it comes to workplace gossip. You'll never eliminate it entirely, but you can model fair and professional treatment of others through both your words and actions. It is your job to make sure gossip does not damage teamwork and ultimately create problems with safety and fulfillment of your mission of service. The example you set as a leader will go a long way toward keeping gossip in its proper place.

ATLANTA — A Missouri EMS division captain stressed the importance of EMS agencies and fire departments creating "public value" and working toward achieving the best public perception possible during EMS Expo.

Mike Wallace told the session in Atlanta on Thursday of the importance of being a "change agent" within organizations and the responsibility for public perception lies with each and every member.

He said fire and EMS departments are in battle with every other local government agency to secure adequate funding during the current economic climate, making it vital to stand out to the public as providing good value.

Wallace, of the Central Jackson County Fire Protection District, told the session that although fire and EMS personnel are seen by the public as the being among the most trustworthy professions, it is possible for these services to be deemed a bad "brand."

Factors that can lead to bad branding of fire and EMS departments, according to Wallace, include:

• Lack of identity

• Dirty or lack of maintenance on equipment

• Unprofessional demeanor

• Lack of vision

• Failure to embrace change

• Lack of presence

• Lack of a relationship with the press

• Failure to perform as expected

Personal accountability is vital to achieving good public value, Wallace told the session, both on and off the job.

In addition, mission and values statements need to be more than just text on a piece of paper hanging on the wall, he added, and that members need to know them.

Wallace closed the session by quoting from the former Phoenix Fire Chief Alan Brunacini, who once said, "By God, among everything else you do, what you need to do is be nice.'"

ATLANTA — Practical tips for recruitment and retention at volunteer EMS agencies were offered during a session at EMS Expo.

During the presentation at the conference in Atlanta on Thursday, Ray Barishansky outlined a number of methods managers can use to ensure they can maintain healthy staffing numbers.

He told the audience volunteerism is declining for a number of reasons including the need to have two incomes/working two jobs in many cases, people not living in the same community where they work, increasing training requirements and general lack of community interest.

"I have some tips, I have some tricks, but most of my tips and tricks are about you," Barishansky said. "If you're in charge of an EMS agency, if you're in charge of volunteers, then there's a good possibility you will need to change your mindset."

Barishansky, program chief for public health emergency preparedness at the Prince George's County, Md., Department of Health, listed a number of reasons why many members don't give more hours or even leave agencies including leadership/management issues, politics, "nasty" members, unreasonable hours and lack of unity.

He told the session that managers at volunteer agencies need to understand that recruitment is different to retention, with both being extremely important to the future health of their organizations.

"Recruitment is an investment in your future, retention is your ability to maximize that investment," he said.

The session was told that agencies should not be top heavy — "do you really need an eighth lieutenant?" — and that members know they somewhere to go if they have an issue or complaint.

"If you're in charge of an EMS agency … you need to have an open door policy," Barishansky said.

"People need to know they have access to you. If the crew chief treats them badly, then they need to know they have somewhere to go with that complaint."

Such a policy is vital to preventing potential problems at an early stage, according to Barishansky.

"What do people do when they get frustrated? They talk," he said. "They talk to other people who are also frustrated so before they leave — which they will do — they will have upset more people."

To improve recruitment and retention, Barishansky said, agencies should look at their membership policies, and whether there are too many unnecessary protocols.

"Do prospective members have to deal with one person or eight?" he said. "Do you require multiple interviews? Are there probationary tasks such as cleaning the building once a week?"

Agencies should also be flexible to the potential or recruiting volunteers to non-traditional volunteer EMS roles such as PR, marketing and book-keeping personnel, Barishansky told the session.

"Not everybody who wants to help your organization needs to be an EMS provider," he said. "Your organization has other needs than patient care givers."

Barishansky has been involved in EMS for the past 18 years in a variety of systems including urban, suburban and rural and in a variety of positions as a provider, supervisor and manager. Prior to his current position, he served as executive director of the Hudson Valley Regional EMS Council based in Newburgh, N.Y., and worked with the Teaneck Volunteer Ambulance Corps.

During the session, he gave an example of a local garage owner who walked into his station one day to tell them that while he had always wanted to donate to the agency, he did not have enough money to do so.

"The person who did our vehicle maintenance told him he had always had a particular problem with a Ford ambulance. The guy said, 'I can help with that — can that be my donation?"

The session was also told that agencies need to be flexible with where they look to recruit volunteers.

"Have one week a year when you go to every single house of worship in your community and say, "Reverend, father, rabbi, iman … you need to assist us in recruiting volunteers. Can you help us by reading from this sheet of paper?" Barishansky said.

Barishansky said the agency can draft the note, which can detail the basic facts of what the agency does and the type of people it is looking for. This message when delivered by the head of the house of worship, Barishansky said, can carry huge resonance within the community.

By Jason Zigmont

Anytime a volunteer department makes something 'mandatory' there is usually an outcry from the members along the lines of, "I joined the volunteer department, not the mandatory department." Unfortunately, with tough times and changing regulatory requirements, sometimes there is no choice to make certain drills, events, calls, or time mandatory. We have all gone through these battles before and many of us remember the nightmares of making people shave their beards due to OSHA mandates, and it is always painful but necessary. Mandating anything to a volunteer department is an art, but there are things you can do to make it easier.

It is easiest to mandate any requirements before a member joins. If a member knows in advance what is expected of them, they can then make an educated decision whether they have enough time to volunteer or not. While it is true that this may scare away some potential members, it is better that they know up front rather than have you springing the requirements on them after they have already committed a fixed amount of time to the department. One department I visited assigns each new member one Bingo night a month. The member then knows that they are responsible for the Bingo on the second Tuesday of the month and can plan accordingly. They also know that they are only responsible for the second Tuesday Bingo, and can choose to help on the other Bingos or not.

Mandating anything for existing members is going to be difficult but does not have to divide your department if it is fair for everyone and agreed upon. I know how hard it is to get agreement in a volunteer department and I know we have all beaten our own proverbial dead horses but if someone in power arbitrarily makes something mandatory then there is guaranteed to be trouble. There will be members who think everything should be mandatory and those who think nothing should be mandatory, but compromise is key. Neither group will be 100 percent happy, but a compromise may be the best chance you have of keeping the department from fighting non-stop about what is mandatory and what is not.

Only mission critical operations should be mandatory, and even then members' time must to be taken into account. In the previous example, if Bingo events are the department's primary source of income and pay for the building and fire apparatus, then they are definitely mission critical in addition to core firefighting duties. OSHA and other State or Federal agencies will most likely decide for you which drills are mandatory but the total number may be up for discussion. Responding to calls is at the core of why volunteer fire departments exist but it is not reasonable to expect your members to respond to every call. An alternative is setting a minimum percentage of calls during time when members are available. For example, if they work days, they may have to respond to 35 percent of all calls from 1800 to 0600 hours.

Once your department has decided what is mandatory, the next task is to decide what the members receive for meeting the minimum and what they lose for not meeting their requirements. Members should have to meet all of the mandatory requirements to qualify for any LOSAP or other incentive programs. If a member does not meet the mandatory requirements, they may have to be placed on probation or administrative leave until they meet the minimums. The key there is that the member has to have a chance to improve rather than just being summarily excommunicated from the department whenever they miss a drill or other mandatory event.

In order to be fair, everyone has to be held to exactly the same standards, no matter who they are. That means if the Chief's daughter does not meet the minimums then she is put on probation the same as the guy no one likes. Favoritism has destroyed many departments and when mandatory requirements are involved the effects of favoritism are multiplied. Mandatory programs have to be designed for the entire department and every member, not just to make members quit or get rid of 'problem' members. The first time someone is treated differently the entire program is destroyed.

In the end modern volunteer fire departments may have no choice but to make components mandatory. The challenge is making them fair for everyone and only requiring the absolute minimum. With a bit of planning and negotiating the needs of your department can be balanced with those of your members for a better department overall.

Report: Critically burned Md. firefighter lacked survival skills training

A Prince George's County investigation found the firefighter frantically searched for an exit and removed his PPE without issuing a mayday

By Ken Robinson
FireRescue1 Associate Editor

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, Md. Improper tactics and lack of survival skills training contributed to the critical injuries of a disoriented firefighter in a Maryland house fire, according to an investigation.

Prince George's County Firefighter/Paramedic Daniel McGown was critically injured with first and second degree burns to the face and neck, along with respiratory burns that extended down into lung tissue in April 2009.

Two other firefighters received first- and second-degree burns to their ears.

The three were operating the first attack hose line in the kitchen area of the home when Firefighter McGown became disoriented after he was struck by an object believed to be a ceiling fan, and attempted to find an exit by standing up.

Searching for a way out, he mistook a glass door inside the house as an exterior door and thought a brick fireplace was an outside wall, an internal report released Wednesday said.

Believing he had exited to the front porch, Firefighter McGown removed his helmet, mask and hood.

Marks on the wall indicate Firefighter McGown "searched frantically" for an exit and was within one foot of the window he would later be rescued from, the report said.

Eight minutes after the first apparatus arrived on scene, a mayday was issued and crews found Firefighter McGown unresponsive with his helmet, mask, hood and gloves removed.

Evidence from the other two injured firefighters suggests a flashover or rollover occurred.

"Damage noted to the SCBA units in use by these two fire fighters is consistent with damage often seen in flashover or rollover conditions," the report said.

One of the injured firefighters, an instructor for flashover simulation training, confirmed that the conditions mirrored those seen in the simulator.

Safety breakdowns
Investigators say Firefighter McGown "failed to follow or implement basic fire fighter survival skills and techniques" as he did not call a mayday or radio for assistance, and never manually activated his PASS device.

A more thorough size-up report than the one given is also necessary at any fire, investigators said.

"The officer of the first due engine did not provide the correct address, number of floors or type of construction which is required by the general order," the report said. "In addition, a clear description of the conditions found was not communicated."

Investigators also stressed that interior size-up is just as important as exterior size-up.

"At no time did Command receive an interior size-up from any of the units other than the third due engine reporting conditions in the basement," the report said.

In addition, a significant delay in establishing water supply for the first fire truck led them to rely on only a booster tank supply for initial operations, which could have become a safety issue, investigators found.

"The booster tank of the first due engine was depleted at nearly the same time as the MAYDAY was declared," the report said. "Had the removal of the injured fire fighter been complicated, this loss of water could have been a critical factor."

Poor ventilation, communication and officer supervision also contributed to make conditions less safe, investigators found.

Despite the safety breakdowns, the report still had praise for the response to the mayday, from the firefighters that removed their injured brother to Command who "performed extraordinarily well."

"Lessons learned by our department can be of value to others in preventing injury and death to firefighters across the country," Prince George's County Acting Fire Chief Marc S. Bashoor said in response to the public release of the report originally completed in December, 2009.

"One of our most challenging tasks as an organization is to pause and conduct a thorough and honest critique of ourselves in an incident such as this," Chief Bashoor said.