Ford, Fire and Emergency Services Safety & Survival

© 2012 by Pearson Education, Inc.

FIRE AND EMERGENCY

SERVICES SAFETY & SURVIVAL

Unsafe Practices

Chapter 4

Unsafe Practices

• Great strides over two decades made in

the way fire and emergency services

address issue of health and safety. – Wingspread Conference

– NFPA 1500

Unsafe Practices

• The 16 Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives – Most controversial “All firefighters must be

empowered to stop unsafe practices.” – Some fear empowerment may compromise

the incident commander's plan by inserting

too much independent action.

Unsafe Practices

• The 16 Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives – Overriding goal is to have safe and

coordinated response.

– Not been practice for non-officers to

intervene. • Developed into laissez faire culture of non-

intervention.

Unsafe Practices

• The 16 Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives – Intention was to foster open

communication. • Two heads are better than one.

• Company officer cannot possibly process all

information at scene.

Unsafe Practices

• The 16 Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives – Firefighters trained in situational

awareness more acutely alert to potential

dangers.

– Situational awareness is not an ability

limited to officers.

Unsafe Practices

• The 16 Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives – 16 initiatives predicated on cultural change

• Changing the way firefighters have traditionally

viewed concepts of safety and accountability.

• Every action or inaction is connected to the

responder's focus of safety. – Through empowerment every responder becomes

invested with the authority to speak up.

What are Unsafe Practices?

• Any actions that directly or indirectly

compromise the physical well-being of

the firefighter. – Not committed with intent

– Responder may stray outside standard

operating procedures. • Results may be negative

• Also result from decisions made without

situational awareness

What are Unsafe Practices?

• Any actions that directly or indirectly

compromise the physical well-being of

the firefighter. – Some entire departments have displayed

total disregard for safety.

– Difference between unsafe acts committed

today as opposed to twenty years ago is

knowledge.

– Today's emergencies are more complex

and far more varied than those of the past.

What are Unsafe Practices?

• Any actions that directly or indirectly

compromise the physical well-being of

the firefighter. – Total number of building fires are down,

but nature of enemy has changed.

– Modern day firefighter must be far more

educated about the emergency scene than

their predecessors.

FIGURE 4.2 Stay within your personal “locus of safety.” Courtesy of Scott LaPrade

What are Unsafe Practices?

• Any actions that directly or indirectly

compromise the physical well-being of

the firefighter. – Pushing the limits

• Firefighters caught finding themselves where

objectives are just at edge of their capabilities. – Increased with limited staffing

What are Unsafe Practices?

• Any actions that directly or indirectly

compromise the physical well-being of

the firefighter. – Make the right decision

• Skill in anticipating possible outcome prior to an

event actually happening developed with

experience supported in training and practice.

• This is the foundation of situational awareness.

Empowerment: Speak Up!

• The concept of “speak up” has been

difficult to initiate. – Every firefighter has the right and

responsibility to voice concern over what

he or she perceives is an unsafe act.

Empowerment: Speak Up!

• The concept of “speak up” has been

difficult to initiate. – Concept is not new.

• Simply the act of being heard.

• Less literal concept is one of being given

permission to voice an opinion. – Given permission, empowered

Empowerment: Speak Up!

• The concept of “speak up” has been

difficult to initiate. – Authority is an important factor of

empowerment. • Without it there is risk of discipline

• Specific mandate will minimize risk

Empowerment: Speak Up!

• The concept of “speak up” has been

difficult to initiate. – IAFF supports the idea, “Fire departments

and unions have an obligation to adopt and

enforce SOP's that enhance the safety of

firefighters. • Safety advocate should not be the “bad guy” • Instill idea that unsafe acts must stop.

Empowerment: Speak Up!

• The concept of “speak up” has been

difficult to initiate. – Cultural shift

• Fire departments continuously develop and

improve.

• New generations of employees take a more

active role in building future of department.

Empowerment: Speak Up!

• The concept of “speak up” has been

difficult to initiate. – Cultural shift

• Profound change over past decades

• Tremendous influx of innovative ideas have

resulted over exchange of ideas. – Impact on firefighter safety

Empowerment: Speak Up!

• The concept of “speak up” has been

difficult to initiate. – Generations

• Retirements increase

• Younger and less experienced take their place

Empowerment: Speak Up!

• The concept of “speak up” has been

difficult to initiate. – Generations

• As Baby Boomers retire, Generation Xers rise

into influence and authority. – More technically advanced than predecessors

– Brought up in more open learning environment

Empowerment: Speak Up!

• The concept of “speak up” has been

difficult to initiate. – Generations

• Accrued experiences are different than from

other experience. – Empowerment can therefore cause tension in ranks.

• Baby boomers have come to recognize the

merits of fresh ideas.

Empowerment: Speak Up!

• The concept of “speak up” has been

difficult to initiate. – Tradition: A double-edged sword

• Fierce pride in tradition

• Some not really tradition, just best practice

FIGURE 4.4 Decision making is not always an individual process. When an

individual is given an assignment in which conditions are questionable,

he or she should challenge and confirm.

Courtesy of Scott LaPrade

Empowerment: Speak Up!

• The concept of “speak up” has been

difficult to initiate. – Challenge and confirm

• Bolsters empowerment and generational

convergence

• Identifiable process for speak-up policy

• Allows member to voice a “challenge”

Empowerment: Speak Up!

• The concept of “speak up” has been

difficult to initiate. – Challenge and confirm

• Challenge must be considered by supervisor

• Supervisor must entertain challenge without

feeling threatened

• Confirm safety or appropriateness of action

Empowerment: Speak Up!

• The concept of “speak up” has been

difficult to initiate. – Challenge and confirm

• Can be used at any level within department

Crew Resource

Management • Originally called Cockpit Resource

Management – Developed in wake of several airline

disasters

– 2003 IAFC issued its own version of CRM

– CRM model chronicled success in reducing

human errors

Crew Resource

Management • What is crew resource management?

– System of utilizing collective experience,

knowledge, and attentiveness of all

members in decision making process.

– Officer maintains authority, but allows for

input from all members.

– About need for better situational

awareness.

FIGURE 4.5 Crew resource management

helps in the decision-making process to promote safety.

Courtesy of Roger B. Conant

Crew Resource

Management • What is crew resource management?

– Core concept is institutionalization of

empowerment. • Every responder has a responsibility to

maintain situational awareness.

• Take action when needed.

• Not viewed as subversive

Crew Resource

Management • What is crew resource management?

– CRM training is a three step process • Awareness

• Reinforcement

• Refresher

FIGURE 4.6 Situational awareness is a key component of decision making.

Courtesy of Roger B. Conant

Crew Resource

Management • Communications

– Nearly every after-action report of a LODD

includes a break down of communications.

– Critical information may not reach intended

target.

– Communication cycle becomes

compromised.

Crew Resource

Management • Situational awareness

– Cause of many tragedies • Lack of situational awareness

– Being acutely alert to what is going on

around you, converting data into

meaningful information, and translating the

potential effects of these facts into the

current situation.

Crew Resource

Management • Situational awareness

– Quality of situational awareness based on

three factors • Perception

• Comprehension

• Projection

Crew Resource

Management • Situational awareness

– Strategy for maintaining situational

awareness • Maintain control

• Assess the problem in time available

• Gather information from all sources

• Monitor the results

Decision Making

• Decision making and situational

awareness are interdependent – Perception, comprehension and projection

form foundation for decision making.

– Risk benefit analysis

– Utilize knowledge, skills and abilities

Decision Making

• Traditional decision making – Not complex

– Not all decisions made during emergency

operations

– SOG's are designed to streamline decision

making process

Decision Making

• Recognition primed decision making – How people in high stress situations make

decisions quickly and accurately.

– Theory that people use intuitive responses

to quickly develop a course of action based

on the situation.

– Process is nearly instantaneous conditional

to knowledge skills and abilities.

Putting it Together with ICS

• Full implementation of initiative and

developing the ability to apply that

knowledge.

• Institutionalization of a principle

demands sustained exertion at all

levels.

• Culture change may take generations to

achieve.

FIGURE 4.8 Accountability enhances emergency scene safety.

Courtesy of Paul Shea

Putting it Together with ICS

• ICS helps ensure IC has situational

awareness. – Enhances overall safety

• Ability to react quickly when something

goes wrong

Putting it Together with ICS

• Individual situational awareness must

be translated when appropriate to the IC

in the form of a briefing.

• Reports are essential for IC to fully

comprehend the conditions occurring

throughout the emergency scene.

Recognize & Reward

• Proper recognition can be used to

reinforce safety.

• Current mindset usually is to give

awards only for heroic acts that defy

safe practice. – Does not lend itself to safety.

Recognize & Reward

• Fire departments should reward positive

behavior.

• Recent increase in recognition and

reward behaviors that impact firefighter

safety. – Instills pride and ownership

Chapter 4 Summary

• The safety of all personnel working on

an emergency scene is of paramount

importance.

• Emergency scene can be a dynamic

and dangerous environment

Chapter 4 Summary

• Scene safety is dynamic and is the

shared responsibility of all firefighters.

• Situational awareness is further

enhanced through the development of

the model of recognition primed

decision making.

Case Study

• The Scene:

In the early morning hours firefighters

were on the scene of an unresponsive

middle-aged woman considered a

possible DOA (Dead on Arrival) in a

bedroom. When the paramedics arrived,

they also evaluated the woman and

concurred.

•

Case Study In order to make the official determination that

CPR was not required because of obvious

signs of death, another crew member hooked

up a monitor. While the paramedics worked to

make the official determination, the firefighters

began to smell an out of place odor. After

searching the room and finding a large

portable generator not running. Everybody

decided to exit the structure.

Case Study

After taking the CO readings, the

bedroom was approximately 260 ppm

even though the front door had been

open for more than a half hour. The

scene was then determined to be

unsafe, and reentry was permitted with

SCBA for proper ventilation of the

structure.

Things to Consider

1. Do not take scene safety for granted.

2. Always do your own scene size-up by

conducting a 360.

3. Always use all of your senses to

determine scene safety.

4. Speak up when something seems out

of place.