THE VALUE OF SAFETY: EMBRACING THE CULTURE OF FIREFIGHTING - by Ronald J. Siarnicki

THE VALUE OF SAFETY: EMBRACING THE CULTURE OF FIREFIGHTING

Culture is generally defined as the behaviors, attitudes, ideas, and beliefs that are shared within a group and conveyed to new members. It reflects the collective perception of right and wrong, good and bad, or desirable and undesirable behaviors and characteristics.  

Within the fire service, we are steeped in a culture of traditions, service to others and courage. These characteristics have been attributed to firefighters for centuries and they are what compel us to respond within a moment’s notice to a call for help. 

There are times, however, when this compulsion to act can interfere with our ability to lead effectively and act responsibility. It can result in an overriding rush of adrenaline and a sense of invincibility that nothing bad will happen to me.  All too often, this impetuousness – which some equate with courage – leads to tragic consequences.

The culture of safety in the fire service, or how a department and its members value safety, can determine the outcome of all emergency responses. The 1st Initiative of the Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives calls for the fire service to “Define and advocate the need for a cultural change within the fire service relating to safety; incorporating leadership, management, supervision, accountability and personal responsibility.”

Fires must be fought and emergencies responded to by intelligent men and women who value lives over property and who perform their jobs with the common goal to protect and assist their community members. This dedication and courage is at the core of the fire service culture and what draws admiration from the public.  

It is important to understand that it is not the culture itself that causes line-of-duty deaths, and implementing safety standards within the fire service culture is not an attack on our traditions.  A firefighter should not back down from a significant challenge, especially when the welfare of another is in jeopardy.  However, we must recognize when the risks of our actions far outweigh the benefits to others.  To do our jobs effectively, we must bring the reality of fire safety initiatives to the forefront of our training and experience. 

Quite simply, the 1^st Life Safety Initiative asks us to explore the values, behaviors, and assumptions of our departments in order to bring about a higher commitment to safety. While there are some in the fire service who suggest that this effort – to reduce line-of-duty deaths and injuries – diminishes the traditions and culture of firefighting, I disagree. 

Research has shown that a firefighter dies in the line of duty because of at least one of the following six root causes.

•             Lack of effective policies and procedures.  Every department must have a clear set of policies and procedures that underscore safety. This includes every standard practice, from the minimum number of personnel on an apparatus to how to proceed through an intersection when responding to a call.

•             Lack of leadership. Department leadership must not only develop a clear set of policies and procedures for all aspects of the department’s operations, but we must adhere to those policies and set appropriate examples.

•             Lack of preparedness. Departments must offer all necessary training, and all department members must participate in necessary training and recertification in a timely manner.

•             Lack of appropriate decision making. Consciously refusing to follow standard procedures and policies interferes with our ability, and our colleagues, to do our jobs effectively. 

•             Lack of personal responsibility. We must be good to ourselves. Treat and manage medical conditions, use all the available Personal Protective Equipment including the seat belts and other restraint systems in all vehicles.

•             Unpredictable events. There are extraordinary events that are beyond anyone’s control. Even when a firefighter does everything right there are times when something goes horribly wrong, and we must be prepared to handle those situations. Departments must have the appropriate policies in place that will provide guidance on how to manage a serious injury or the death of a member. 

A conscientious approach to fire safety should not be considered an affront to the valued traditions that distinguish the culture of firefighting. Rather, it is an opportunity to raise the bar of the firefighting culture and free the industry from the antiquated thinking that injuries and deaths are simply part of the job. Such a shift is not a call to abandon the culture of the fire service, but to identify areas that need to be adjusted to improve the overall performance and safety of its members.

New gear, apparatus and tools are introduced to the market place regularly to help us respond to myriad incidents to the very best of our abilities. But by far, the most valuable instrument we can use is our heads. Logical, rational thinking and common sense must take precedence over the urge to react or behave impulsively. 

Consider this: the two leading causes of firefighter fatalities are cardiovascular events, or heart attacks, and vehicular crashes. These two things are within our realm to control. Do you always buckle up? Are you making smart, heart-healthy choices in your daily lives? 

We also know that fires burn differently – hotter, faster and more unpredictably – than ever before in large part because of the new construction and combustible materials used to manufacture everything we see in today’s homes and offices. These new materials require a different approach to firefighting than in decades before. 

Recently, researchers from NIST burned a series of abandoned houses in Spartansburg, SC to better understand the impact of modern construction on how fire travels and grows. In addition to the usual furniture, window coverings, carpets and other items found in any home, sensors, monitors and video equipment were installed. What they’re discovering could have a tremendous impact on how we train and prepare in the future.

To be clear, embracing the culture of firefighting, as we’ve always done, and at the same time giving it our best to ensure everyone goes home are not mutually exclusive ideas. In fact, just the opposite is true. Life safety has always been our priority and that should include the safety of firefighters. Accepting this personal responsibility allows us to effectively serve our communities and save lives.

As someone who has looked into the eyes and held the hands of countless survivors of fallen firefighters I am asking you to do something very important for them. Commit yourself to accepting personal accountability for your training as well as on your way to, during and returning from an incident. And encourage everyone within your department to do the same. More firefighters who embrace this cultural change will mean that fewer families of firefighters will have to make the trip to Emmitsburg each fall.

At the end of each shift, everyone should go home to their other valued roles as family members and friends.  

Ronald J. Siarnicki is the Executive Director of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. To read the complete white paper on Initiative #1 go to http://www.lifesafetyinitiatives.com/.