Emergency Vehicle Safe Operations

 

The following report is the result of a cooperative project between the United States Fire Administration (USFA) and The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) and include recommendations from the USFA and Department of Transportation Intelligent Transportation System to develop the Fire Service Emergency Vehicle Safety Initiative in 2002. This initiative has created many outreach implementation strategies targeted for the volunteer and combination fire service. In addition, information from the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives project, along with several existing practices in the emergency service community, and basic industry were integrated into the research and development of this program.

 

Year after year, approximately 25 percent of the firefighters who are killed in the line of duty are responding to or returning from incidents, with the majority of the fatalities from vehicle crashes. This represents the second leading cause of firefighter fatalities (second only to heart attacks).

 

Additionally, numerous firefighters have died working at emergency incidents because of being struck by vehicles. In 2003, five firefighters died from this cause, with six being killed in 2002 and three in 2001. Deaths, although the most devastating, is only one area of concern. Collisions cause injuries, which can be more costly than death in terms of long term pain, suffering and expense. These issues affect operations of the Emergency Service Organizations (ESO). In the case of volunteer operations, no one joins the ESO to have a collision that disables them, causes death, or costs the community more money than in the form of buying vehicles. Therefore, the volunteer has a personal responsibility in the safe operation of emergency vehicles.

 

The USFA, NFFF, and NVFC are committed to mitigating the fatalities, injuries, costs, and reduced efficiency associated with vehicle crashes. The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation Life Safety Initiatives of 2004, entitled "Everyone Goes Home" focuses on the fact that YOU can make a difference by getting back to basics. The premise is simple; it is the duty and responsibility to make every day a training day, so that everyone goes home. One specific initiative speaks to vehicle safety. It is captioned as "Drive with care- everyone wears a seatbelt, everyone; along with the concerns of safe speed" "always under control", "stop at red lights", "STOP", "remain seated and belted while in motion", and "protect the roadway/scene". The other four initiatives are no less dramatic to saving lives and reducing injuries and damage. These, however, strike at the heart of the emergency vehicle related causes that claim over 25% of the firefighter fatalities each year. This is further detailed in the 2004 USFA release "Emergency Vehicle Safety Initiative."

 

Objective
NVFC, working with VFIS, Inc., established a work plan to examine recommendations from the USFA Fire Service Emergency Vehicle Safety Initiative that apply to the volunteer fire and emergency services and to develop specific implementation strategies that will target the volunteer fire service.

 

Strategic Approach
Reducing emergency vehicle near misses, incidents, injuries, deaths, related property damage and operational impacts starts with identification of a core set of "Best Practices". These "Best Practices" need to be implemented and evaluated locally to match the needs and culture of the local emergency service organization. To be effective in the change, the organization's culture must be receptive to and accept the changes. They do not have to like it, but must understand the necessity. If the organization is not ready for the change, it will not be successful. The organization's leaders must first work at changing the attitude of the members, then implement the changes.

 

The "Best Practices" were developed from a series of emergency service based issues and programs; however, they fit into a more global approach driven from safety engineering principles. These include a four step safety engineering approach to limit incidents and losses. They are listed in order of impact and magnitude of results:

 

These are illustrated as follows:

• Engineer out the problem: Rollover prevention built into fire apparatus
• Implement loss reduction techniques: Seat belts installed and used
• Implement administrative controls: Standard operating procedures/standard operating guidelines (SOP/SOG) implemented and enforced
• Train personnel to use the proper safety devices and to do the job correctly: Actually drive the vehicle over-the-road before responding to incidents.

 

By now you should begin to understand why it is necessary to discuss and act on this issue:

• the injuries, deaths, property damage, and operational costs are staggering
• it is estimated that 93% of the driving public exhibits poor driving habits
• there is a lack of understanding of physical and dynamic forces affecting emergency service vehicles, and
• there is a general lack of focus on personal safety in the emergency service community.