25 WAYS FOR OFFICERS TO IMPROVE COMPANY SAFETY
BY RAY McCORMACK
The fire officer`s primary responsibility is the safety of firefighters operating under his control and those around him. The following is a list of ways to improve the safe daily operations of your company.
1. Identify your company and the fire location precisely for the incident commander. For example, “Ladder 60, second floor, A wing, corner apartment, exposure 2-3.”
2. Look for potential hazards around the fire station. Are objects placed too close to a pole hole? Is equipment stored safely?
3. Maintain radio discipline. Keep messages brief and to the point and avoid stepping on someone else`s message.
4. Use your response area to sharpen everyone`s skills. Observe new construction or ask how a firefighter might force a particular door.
5. Check that your company is correctly logged in when assigned to a location by the command post before proceeding to that area.
6. Verbally confirm that all members are ready to proceed and are properly equipped prior to entering the fire area.
7. Train engine pump operators to inform their officer of any difficulties in getting water or when obtaining water from a limited source.
8. Gather as much information as possible on the floor below the fire so that your operations on the fire floor will be that much easier.
9. Keep your company together at potential collapse operations. Stay well out of the collapse zone and restrict any freelancing.
10. Break in new members slowly. Allow them to work their way up the responsibility ladder. Assign them the roof position during the day or the nozzle at outside fires.
11. Insist that members be protected (even overly protected) on medical calls to avoid infectious disease accidents.
12. Avoid tunnel vision. Get the whole picture so that you`re not working against yourself or endangering others.
13. Take a rest period. Some firefighters may be more drained than others and uneasy about asking for time.
14. Prepare the apparatus for service on your arrival at the station after a job and before members wash up.
15. Drill on company operations such as search techniques, hoseline positions, and intercompany communications.
16. Get your company together and leave the building quickly when you`ve been ordered out. Don`t plead your case for staying. Remember, the IC has the big picture.
17. Train your drivers to drive defensively. When returning to quarters, give pedestrians and other drivers a brake, even if they don`t deserve it. Being cooperative will add only a few seconds to your trip.
18. Crosstrain your firefighters to raise aerials and get water from the pumper, just in case.
19. Preplan a standard designated company meeting place (the rear of the first-due pumper) for emergency roll calls.
20. Call for additional help early. It`s better to err on the side of too much help than to have to explain why you thought you could handle it alone.
21. Stick to the basics when training. Teach the skills that are used most often and that every firefighter needs to be proficient in.
22. Don`t take risky shortcuts. They tend to backfire at the worst time.
23. Encourage your firefighters to speak up about potential hazards. The officer can`t see everything. Sharp firefighters make the officer`s job easier.
24. Verbally confirm that the apparatus and equipment were checked at the start of the shift and are ready for fire duty.
25. Keep abreast of your firefighters` location and frequently check on their progress or difficulties they may be encountering.
The fire officer is charged with keeping his company safe. This responsibility can never be taken lightly. Operating safely doesn`t mean that aggressiveness is abandoned. Both tactics are compatible. The trick is knowing when to apply one in a larger dose than the other.
RAY McCORMACK is a lieutenant and 15-year veteran of the City of New York (NY) Fire Department assigned to the 16th Battalion. He has a bachelor`s degree in communications from the New York Institute of Technology. He is a New York state-certified fire instructor and P.A.D.I.-certified in advanced scuba diving.
