Chapter 5

Firefighter Safety

Introduction• Fire service knows what injures and kills

firefighters• Firefighting profession carries significant

risk• Risk: chance of injury, damage, or loss• Risk management: process of minimizing

risk• Firefighter safety is grounded in

understanding risks and risk/benefit thinking

5.2

Safety Issues• Understand what events and

circumstances lead to injury or death• Fire and safety professionals have created

standards, procedures, and initiatives – Prevent injuries and deaths

• Efforts directly affected training and tactics employed today

• Being aware of safety and injury-prevention helps the fire service address safety issues

5.3

Firefighter Injury and Death Trends

• 70 percent of all duty deaths and injuries occur during emergency activities

• Heart attacks are the leading type of death-producing injury

• Firefighting fatalities as a result of fire-related causes has increased

• Understanding historical data helps us reduce deaths and injuries (see Figures 5-1 and 5-2) 5.4

Safety Standards and Regulations

• OSHA is responsible for enforcement of safety-related regulations in the workplace

• Firefighting fatalities and injuries have not noticeably decreased

• OSHA/NFPA alliance furthers the importance and accountability placed on fire safety

• NIOSH writes recommendations based on investigations of firefighter fatalities

5.5

5.6

Figure 5-3 An example of a NIOSH Alert issued to address disturbing trends in firefighter injuries and deaths.

Firefighter Safety Initiatives• In 2004, USFA and NFFF

developed sixteen Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives

• In 2005, organizations agreed that a collective time-out was needed– Stand-down safety day

• In 2007, the Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives were revisited

• Time and more focused preventative energy are necessary

5.7

5.8

Preventive Actions• Goal of exploring safety issues is to

reduce potential for further injury and deaths

• “Safety triad” and assigning action responsibilities create firefighter safety system

• All firefighters should be empowered to stop unsafe actions

• Those whose actions are stopped should view the intervention as positive

5.9

The Safety Triad• Most fire service operational

environments are made up of three key components:– Procedures– Equipment– Personnel

5.10

5.11

Figure 5-4 The safety triad includes (A) procedures, (B) equipment (Photo courtesy of Richard W. Davis), and (C) personnel.

(A) (B)

5.12

Figure 5-4 (cont’d.) The safety triad includes (A) procedures, (B) equipment (Photo courtesy of Richard W. Davis), and (C) personnel.

(C)

Procedures• Describe formal and informal

processes• Formal processes are in writing:

– Standard operating procedures– Standard operating guidelines– Departmental directives and temporary

memos

• Informal procedures are part of the department’s routine but are not written

5.13

5.14

Figure 5-5 Sample SOP index.

5.15

Figure 5-6 Sample SOP format.

Equipment• Equipment makes an operation more

safe– Least important factor

• Most critical equipment is designed to meet NFPA standards

• Must be inspected and maintained• Complete documentation of repairs and

maintenance is essential• Choosing the right tool for a given job is

paramount for safety

5.16

Personnel• Human factors cited as cause of

injuries and deaths• Safety triad must address

personnel issues• Everything learned in basic

academy should be drilled• Firefighter must strive to retain

information and skills• Firefighter's body must be capable

of handling stress5.17

5.18

Figure 5-8 Basic skills must be practiced on a regular basis.

Personnel (cont’d.)• Improve physical health and

safety:– Annual health screening– Work hardening and fitness– Nutrition education

• Keys to addressing mental health– Training and understanding of critical

incident stress management (CISM)– Utilizing available member

assistance programs (MAP)5.19

5.20

Figure 5-10 Critical incident stress is inevitable and unpreventable. CISM can be addressed through recognition (know the signs and symptoms), peer support, and debriefings.

Personnel (cont'd.)• Attitude is the hardest to address• Factors that affect safety attitudes:

– Fire department’s safety culture– Fire department’s history– Example set by others

• Ways to have a positive attitude:– Practice good habits– Learn from others– Be vigilant

5.21

5.22

Figure 5-11 Developing a positive safety attitude and practicing safe habits will demonstrate safe examples to others.

Firefighter Safety Responsibilities

• Dependent on the efforts of everyone

• Responsibility for firefighter safety rests in one of three areas:– Department– Working team– Individual

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5.24

Figure 5-12 Firefighter safety is dependent on all partners holding up their responsibilities: (A) administration, (B) teams, and (C) individual firefighters.

(A) (B) (C)

The Department (cont'd.)• Fire chiefs must create and enforce:

– Rules– Procedures– Expectations

• Create a health and safety committee• Develop standard procedures

– Personal protective equipment– Firefighter injuries– Training safely– Many others

5.25

The Department (cont'd.)• Implement risk management plan

– Risk a life to save a life– Reduce risk for valued property– Take no risk for that which is lost– Retreat when risk excessive or

deteriorating quickly

• Research and purchase appropriate equipment

• Development and delivery of awareness training

5.26

The Team• Must hold up its part of the safety

partnership• Team should follow these

procedures– Utilize an ICS– Work together and remain intact– Look after each other

5.27

The Individual Firefighter• Readiness is an attitude as well as

a physical state• Each individual must fill a role • Perform as trained• Working alone or outside the action

plan endangers individuals and the team

• Use an incident engagement checklist

5.28

5.29

Figure 5-13 Freelancing endangers individuals and the team. This firefighter is working alone in a collapse zone—for what gain?

5.30

Figure 5-14 Firefighters should perform a mental incident engagement checklist for every response.

Lessons Learned• Firefighter safety is dependent on many

factors• 70 percent of injuries and deaths occur

during emergency activities– Majority due to overexertion

• Accident prevention mitigates hazards• Use safety triad between department

administration, working teams, firefighter• Individuals must develop safe habits and

attitudes

5.31