1

Fire Department Instructor Conference

April 16 – 20, 2012

Captain Jason Moore

2

Once again I would like to thank everyone for allowing me to go to the conference in

Indianapolis. In many ways it was the same as the conference in Myrtle Beach however, there

were two main benefits towards going to this particular event. Beyond the obvious benefits of a

renewed spirit and getting to interact with the biggest names in our career field FDIC offered a

chance to meet with firefighter from around the world and have some one-on-one time with

those that are influential to the path our career field is heading.

In addition to the normal classroom information, I would like to share some of my

experiences about the trip so that others that attend in the future will not be walking into the

conference blindly. First off, if it is possible to select the candidates earlier than this year, there

will be many more choices for hotels. Our late selection made it impossible to stay within

budget without going 20 minutes away from the conference. There were shuttles that ran

however, they were not always consistent and made it difficult to make the HOT classes which

had a meet up time of 0630 rather than 0800 like the classroom portions.

A cab ride from the airport to the hotel was $20 which was about average from what I

heard. If you are considering a rental car, I would suggest skipping it. The parking fees

downtown near the conference ranged from $18-$26 per day depending on how close you

wanted to be to the conference center and did not make things much easier due to traffic

conditions.

As far as food, there were no cheap fast food places to eat downtown and from our hotel

we had to drive 15 minutes to find a grocery store. You can plan on spending between $12-$30

per person per meal plus gratuity. Once the conference started (no food court open during the

3

pre-conference workshops) the food was still expensive but cheaper than eating at the local

restaurants.

In order to save money on future trips or better plan for the budgeting, I suggest the

following: Get with other local departments to see about a discounted group rate for the

conference, either room together or budget more money for a hotel, research how St Andrew’s

justified an increased food allowance (I believe they used military per diem rates) to ensure the

food allowance covers the meals, wait the 30 minutes or an hour for the shuttles that go from the

airport to any of the hotels, plan on close to $100 for baggage fees one way, and see if anyone

can qualify to teach one of the 1 hour 45 minute classes (FDIC comps airfare and hotel for the

week).

With all of this in mind, plan on long days if you truly want to maximize your

experience. There were over 200 classes to choose from and if you took a class during every

time frame offered, you could complete 12-14 classes. Finally, if anyone wants access to the

FDIC online database of classes and classroom materials, please contact myself of FF Bakula for

information on how to access it.

4

Leadership Excellence

Chief Ron Kanterman: 36-year fire service veteran, career chief in southeast Connecticut. He

has a bachelor’s and two master’s degrees, is an accomplished author, and lectures on a myriad

of fire service topics around the country. He is an advocate for the National Fallen Firefighters

Foundation and writes “Chief Kanterman's Journal,” a monthly column featured on

fireengineering.com .

Chief Kanterman began the class with a question about a quote by retired Chief Dennis

Compton, “When in doubt Lead!” His question was what does that quote mean to you? Obvious

answers were offered that suggested the fire service needed people willing to step up and lead.

The next question was what are qualities of a good leader? Each time he asked a question, he

took the time to go around the entire room and give each person a chance to answer. Here were

the answers given: Confidence, values, being a good example, active listener, decisiveness,

accountability, communicator, patience, perseverance, vision, ability to be fair/equal,

knowledgeable, have emotional intelligence, mentorship capabilities, courage, consistency,

ethics, common sense, integrity, trustworthiness, pride/ownership, command presence, mutual

respect, motivation/ability to motivate, charisma, and be influential. Next he asked for examples

of people (good or bad) that were exceptional leaders. The class answers were as follows:

Napoleon, Castro, Reagan, JFK, Patton, Hitler, General Epaminondas, Washington, Ben

Franklin, Ghangis Kahn, Mother Theresa, and Jesus. With several college students in the class

(enrolled to become firefighters) that were volunteering at the FDIC he directed questions about

the history of the fire service towards them. With none of them able to answer the simplest

5

questions such as where was the first fire department in the US located, he stated that we must all

know our history before being able to look towards the future.

The next potion of the lecture was based on the need for leadership development. This

began with understanding your organization’s mission, vision, and values. In simplest terms, the

three were described as where you want to go (mission), the path you want to take (vision) and in

what manner you want to get there (values). Of the three, the mission was a generic statement

that almost every department around the world uses however the vision and values often

differed. The two most important things about all three are that everyone in the agency knows

them and those that write them believe in them before they are published.

Leading into the next portion, Chief Kanterman offered this quote, “Today’s leaders must

be students of change first before they become teachers of change” - Jack Kahn. With the

knowledge of the organization’s direction, it was possible to see where you needed to improve.

According to Chief Kanterman, the need for personal development was key to beginning this

process. This led into his ideas of the three areas of personal development.

The first area included self-development. This concept of developing one’s self revolved

around three areas: fully developing functionally, fully developing technically, and taking

advantage of all opportunities to learn. This was best described by a man named Stephen Covey

that suggested in his book 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, that you needed to “Sharpen the

saw,” before trying to cut your place in history. Using some suggestions from that book Chief

Kanterman developed a list of highlights:

- Apply new things rapidly – once learned, if not applied, they become lost

- Try new things – no such thing as dumb idea, even if you know it won’t work, never

shut someone out or they will never approach you with ideas again

6

- Seek opportunities to contribute

- Attend professional development seminars/conferences (not just FD related)

- Use peers and mentors as guides, you can’t afford to make every mistake

- Develop your own model:

o K – Kidding yourself?

o A – Accept problems and correct

o N – Never forget roles and responsibilities

o T – Take action, leaders must step up when no one else will

o E – Evaluate each situation

o R – Remember who you are and why you are there

o M – Make good decisions

o A – Act quickly and decisively

o N – Never leave anything to chance, ask for help if you need it

- Accept responsibility

- Don’t get defensive when you are wrong

- Own your decisions (good and bad)

- Place department’s goals over your own (often will be able to reach both)

- Manage stress, talk to yourself, friends, peers, mentors, etc.

- Maintain “life balance”

- Get feedback and be prepared for honesty

- Network, Network, Network!

7

The second area for personal improvement revolved around building effective

relationships. This boiled down to the fire department being a different animal than it used to be

in the past. Leaders are expected to take a more understanding and flexible approach to handling

their department. This area’s key points according to Chief Kanterman included:

- Be positive and constructive

o “You do not lead by hitting people over the head… That’s assault, not

leadership.” Dwight Eisenhower

- Show mutual cooperation – not your way or no way

- Consider other people’s perspectives

o “Seek first to understand , then be understood” Stephen Covey

- Move to a higher ground – agree to disagree in some cases

- Take the time to resolve issues as “win-win” situations

- Don’t rush to judgments, do your homework

- Focus on issues, not people

o Side note – taking money from FF’s is a horrible way to punish, it often hurts

the family more than the FF, and never punish someone by sending them to

Fire Prevention.

- Never punish honesty – especially if you ask for it

- Be flexible with employees

- Take action without emotion – helps taking the time to do homework on issues prior

to making judgments

- Recognize successes and failures

8

o “When I criticize somebody I do it orally, when I praise someone I put it in

writing.” – Lee Lococca (Chrysler Motors)

FD’s often write up people for bad and give a pat on the back for good,

gives a poorly skewed picture of the person. Equal/More effort to

incorporate good paperwork should be accomplished

- Create a positive environment needed to foster relationships

- Lead by Example

- Set the tone for ethical behavior

o If you allow it, you are saying it is ok

- Integrity over all else, once it is lost you may never get it back

- Walk the Talk – do as you say and make others do it as well

- See the need, meet the challenge

The third area focused on the behaviors needed to drive yourself towards making the

improvements contained within the first two areas. This section of being pro-active included:

- Finding good solutions to problems, not just the first solution

o Brainstorm with peers

o Obtain input from others

o Pro-actively solicit ideas – some of the best ideas come from below

“Our best ideas come from clerks and stock-boys” Sam Walton

o Break large problems into smaller pieces

How do you eat an elephant? Dish it up to friends, one bite at a time

o Consider every side and possibility

o Get out of the box – Management by Walking Around (MBWA)

9

o Develop contingency plans

o Make timely decisions

o Use deadlines and deadline tools – must use available technology but not

become completely reliant on it

E-mail, phone, video conferencing, etc.

o Go to the boss when needed

o Maintain communication both up and down the chain

Read and Sign is a great way to ensure messages are being received

and cover you in the event they attempt to say they did not know

o Be prompt with everything

With the world changing and organizations realizing there is a deficit in leadership

ability, many job interviews according to a study by Carnegie Institute reveal testing and

questions are focusing on 85% leadership ability and only 15% technical skill. The section on

personal development ended with a quote by Phillip II of Macedon, “An army of deer led by a

lion is more to be feared than an army of lions led by a deer.”

The next section of the lecture described the three areas need for department

development. This need was important since many feel like the disasters that have happened to

departments around the world will never happen to us. Ultimately, every day that things go

without being fixed, places us one day closer to an event occurring. For the ease of this paper, I

will just put the sections in note form:

1. Customer Focus

- Identify internal and external customers – can’t know what to offer and how to

accomplish goals unless you know who is involved

10

- Respond quickly – not just in the vehicles, treat every contact as a first chance to make

an impression

- Perform customer feedback surveys – randomly selected or for every incident, helps

provide feedback and keep crews in check

- Get involved with the community beyond being a safety net

- Stay current with your area’s demographics to understand who you are serving

2. Collaboration

- Internal

+ Align yourself with the entire department

+ Ensure unit goals are aligned with department goals

+ Support department leaders across all lines, break down in support by

supervisors and peers will destroy support by subordinates

+ Never do your dirty laundry in public – best to handle internal issues inside

- External

+ Work with other departments

+ Become multi-functional

+ Get involved with task forces or multi-jurisdictional endeavors

+ Work with and understand home other departments are functioning

+ Support the needs of your public

3. Think and Act Strategically

- Know who you are and what your department represents

- Know the people in your department

- Understand how your actions impact the career field, department, and people

11

- Consider variables in your decision making process

- Be consistent with your thinking and actions

+ “What you allow to happen without intervention will become YOUR standard.”

Chief Peter Lamb

- Seek out and implement Best Practices

- Use contacts, share ideas

- Share successes and failures, lessons learned from them

- Retool and Regroup

+ “If it doesn’t work, try something else.” Chief Brunacini

- Balance long-term and short-term goals

- Anticipate the changes

- Track progress to allow for re-evaluations

- Delegate according to skills not rank\

- Train your people

- Take risks and study prudent risk takers

With a brief overview of developing your department, Chief Kanterman took a minute to

review what the five horns on a chief’s badge represent according to Chief Charlie Dickinson,

author of The Five Horns of Leadership. As people rise in rank, bugles or horns are

symbolically awarded and placed on their badge. During the early years of firefighting,

command officers used these horns to shout out orders on the fireground whereas the symbol

came to represent the power within a department. Today, these horns represent many aspects of

the chief’s job and Chief Dickinson describes them to include one horn for each of these areas:

Department, Firefighters, Public Safety, Politics, and Personal Integrity. According to Chief

12

Kanterman, these obligations are worn on the chest to remind the chief of his responsibility.

With personal development and department develop being the core of making things better; they

are bridged together when the chief ensures staff development. This section was broken down

into five areas of a fire chief’s responsibilities which again I will leave in note format to make it

easier:

- Clear expectations

o Everyone must know the goals and objectives (be S.M.A.R.T.)

o Align everyone as one department

If each shift is “its own department” the chief is at fault

o Daily activities must support goals and objectives

o “I attribute my success to never taking or giving excuses” Florence

Nightingale

- Constructive feedback

o Must be clear and concise

o Be prepared to dish it out and receive it

o Be specific on how actions met expectations or fell short

Admonish in private, praise in public

Use “Hills and Valleys” or Good-bad-Good technique

- Reward Performance

o Recognize other’s performance and ideas

o NEVER steal credit for ideas

o Celebrate milestones to keep big projects in perspective

o Keep everyone posted on progress

13

o Recognize and use special talent

o Reward groups and individuals

- Train and develop staff

o empower people but be prepared to catch them if they fall

o use formalized mentor programs (Be one, Get One)

o Assign low risk issues to members to help develop problem solving abilities

o Avoid learned helplessness (two stories to demonstrate)

Elephant – Baby elephants kept chained to their cage so that when they

are big enough to run away they feel like they can’t

Limiting the potential of your people will result in them never

being willing or able to step up

Piranha – glass placed in a tank between piranhas and feeder fish, after

months of hitting glass, when it was removed, they would not cross

over to eat their prey, nor would the feeder fish cross the imaginary

line

Placing roadblocks in front of your people make them

unwilling to approach you or issues for fear they will hit a

roadblock even if it doesn’t exist

o Leave a Legacy – don’t hold others back so that when you are gone

everything falls apart.

- Dignity and respect

o Follow the golden rule of treating others as you want to be treated

o Be patient, accept people make mistakes

14

o Be courteous

o Speak to not at people

o Understand that “EGO eats brains” and check it at the door

The topics covered during this class are not difficult to incorporate into our daily lives.

What it really boils down to is taking the time to know our people, department, and career field;

followed by taking the time to develop our people to support the direction we are heading.

Firefighter & Fire Officer Survival

Chief Billy Goldfeder – completed NFA EFO course, is deputy chief of the Loveland-Symmes

(OH) Fire Department. He has been a firefighter since 1973, a company officer since 1979, and a

chief officer since 1982. He serves on the International Association of Fire Chief board of

directors, the Sept, 11th Families Association, and the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation.

He has taught at FDIC for 30-plus years and is a member of the Fire Engineering editorial

advisory board and the FDIC executive advisory board. Author of the Secret List .

This particular class was an examination of case studies along with a presentation on

examples from social media sites of common mistakes that are costing FF’s their lives. The

main point brought up by Chief Goldfeder was that the internet is one of the best resources

however any mistakes become viral instantly.

The first scenario examined was the Hackensack fire of 1988. Five fire fighters from the

Hackensack, New Jersey Fire Department were killed while they were engaged in interior fire

suppression efforts at an automobile dealership when portions of the buildings wood bowstring

15

truss roof suddenly collapsed. The incident occurred on Friday, July 1, 1988, at approximately

3:00 p.m., when the fire department began to receive the first of a series of telephone calls

reporting "flames and smoke" coming from the roof of the Hackensack Ford Dealership.

Two engines, a ladder company, and a battalion chief responded to the first alarm assignment.

The first arriving fire fighters observed a "heavy smoke condition" at the roof area of the

building. Engine company crews investigated the source of the smoke inside the building while

the truck company crew assessed conditions on the roof. For the next 20 minutes, the focus of

the suppression effort was concentrated on these initial tactics. During this time, however, little

headway appeared to have been made by the initial suppression efforts, and the magnitude of the

fire continued to grow. The overall fire ground tactics were shifted to a more "defensive" posture

(exterior operation) and the battalion chief gave the order to "back your lines out." However,

before suppression crews could exit from the interior, a sudden partial collapse of the truss roof

occurred, trapping six fire fighters. An intense fire immediately engulfed the area of the collapse.

One trapped fire fighter was able to escape through an opening in the debris. The other five died

as a result of the collapse. This incident and several others before and since, provide important

lessons to the fire service regarding the fire ground hazards of wood truss roof assemblies.

The major lessons learned from this fire included: not to risk lives for unsavable property,

do not “nickel and dime” when requesting resources – ask for what you need, do not vent fires

that have self-vented on truss roof systems, use the appropriate sized handline, give and receive

confirmations on orders given, maintain accountability. This fire claimed the lives of five

firefighters. Three died in the collapse two of which were 24 year veterans and one was a 14

year veteran. Two died after running out of air after the collapse one was a 23 year veteran and

the other was a five year veteran. The point behind this incident was that command failed to

16

operate on a strategic level and let the tasks drive the operation. Practically every accident is

preventable if you understand what creates the scenario that creates accidents.

The diagram above is used to show how things must line up for an accident to occur. The

first factor is when an organization either fails to identify the need for a policy, fails to enforce a

policy, and/or the members fail to follow the policy. As you can see the occurrence of this is

relatively low since most departments understand the need to have policies in place. The next

factor is a lack of competent supervision. This is not always due to the leaders in ability to see

problems; in fact many times this break down is associated with a lack of man power or need to

split crews up on the fireground. The occurrence of this problem are more common however,

they are becoming less of an issue as standard response manning is being dictated. The third

17

factor is failure to recognize preconditions. This is becoming more of an issue as experienced

people are being replaced by those that lack the first-hand knowledge. As you can see by the

diagram this occurs quite often. The final factor is something we see on every fireground across

the world. Whether due to a lack of proper training or complacency, this factor is also on the

rise. By figuring the odds, it is a matter of “when” not “if” these factors will line up. By

understanding the factors, it becomes easier to prevent the MISHAP. Ultimately, each of these

factors requires someone to identify the issue and stop it from happening. By focusing on the

areas in which we can control, the likelihood of a MISHAP will be greatly reduced.

From the standpoint of the company/chief officer the easiest factor to prevent deals with

the organizational responsibility. Chief Goldfeder recommended a color coding system to help

people identify the policies/guidelines that could cause major problems where red is life safety,

yellow indicates legal issues, and green covering all others. In order to understand the policies, it

is necessary to identify their life cycle and where the weaknesses occur.

18

This diagram shows the typical lifecycle of a policy. When a policy is identified as to

being needed, there are two options initially. Going with the idea that there is no new problem in

the fire service, the first option is to look at other organizations to see if they already have a

policy/solution to the issue, if not then look towards internal resources to draft a policy. Once a

policy is drafted, it should be reviewed by all of the parties that have a legal/ethical/procedural

requirement to do so. Once given the ok, the policy is published. Immediate training should be

provided that includes: classroom sessions, hands-on training (if applicable), and evaluation

(read and sign or testing to ensure comprehension). The next two stages are the weak links of

policies. One, the policy is never followed or undercut by leadership so that no one follows it

and two, there were no consequences built in if the policy was not followed. Many of these

issues can be handled during the training phase. The easiest way to accomplish this task is to

apply and if possible show the real-world consequences that can occur if someone fails to follow

the new policy. Some of these policies are difficult to show the real-world consequences

however, in many of the safety policies, a search on the internet can often lead to many

examples. After the policy has been issued, the need for reoccurring training or corrective

actions may be present, and should include retraining if the policy involves life safety or legal

issues. Finally, every policy should have an annual review to ensure it is still the best practice.

In the end, policies are in place to help modify behavior. This change occurs in several ways:

through training (and acceptance), through reminder or enforcement, and/or there is a point of no

return incident where something happens. Out of the three methods, the last one is the one that

no one wants to face. It is typically the result of a death/serious injury in which people decide

the approach they were taking was inappropriate.

19

Cutting-Edge Command Officer

Chief Ed Hadfield: M ore than 25 years of fire service experience and serves as a division chief.

He is a frequent speaker on leadership, sharing his experiences within the fire service, and also

with corporate and civic leaders throughout the United States. He created and teaches company

officer development programs and is a specialist in truck company operations, firefighter safety

and survivability, and mission-focused command tactics. He was the 2004 California Training

Officer of the Year. He has developed state and regional truck company academies in California,

Washington, and Oregon.

Chief Hadfield began his lecture by identifying several statistical facts about the fire

service with the most prominent fact being “We (the fire service) suck at collecting statistical

data.” Many of the inclinations over the years have pointed towards a decline in fires, more

specifically structure fires. The estimate from the 1970’s showed 768,000 fires annually which

included all types of fires. Today fires are separated into many sub-classifications and the two

main reporting agencies NFPA and NFIRS show varying results. The more recent figures show

550,000 (NFPA) structure fires annually and 450,000 (NFIRS) structure fires annually with an

estimated 30-40% margin of error. This has occurred for many reasons, some resulting from a

lack of reporting requirements in certain states to miss-classified codes. Some statistical data

that wasn’t corrupted revolved around two subjects: fireground fatalities and flashover.

Currently, 75 percent of all fireground fatalities had the commonality that the chief officer did

not conduct or obtain a 360 degree size-up. Also, flashover in the 1970’s occurred around 6

minutes and 38 seconds whereas flashover in 2009 was occurring around 2 minutes 14 seconds.

With those statistics in mind it is important to not only operate efficiently but to also

report efficiently. Many officers (especially chief officers) are afraid to post information on the

20

near miss websites since it will paint themselves or their department in a bad light however,

learning about a mistake could potentially save someone’s life. In addition, much like the data

recorded and analyzed pertaining to CPR, the information we provide is being used to save lives

by changing how we do things. One big change that has occurred because of the many toxins

released by fires today and the rapid flashover is how we teach people to prevent death by fire.

According to Chief Hadfield, their department is now teaching some of the vent, enter, and

search (VES) techniques to their population. By no longer getting low and getting out, people

are able to avoid inhaling the toxic fumes and being trapped in flashover. The new procedures

include: checking the door for heat or smoke. If either are present ensure the door is closed and

find an exterior window to either escape from or signal for help. They also teach for them to turn

on the bedroom light and make every attempt to get someone’s attention. Some other numbers

that were presented included: 10-12 minutes which represents the average working time with an

SCBA, 25% the amount of air that should be left when FF’s exit the IDLH, and (3) number of

states that do not report to NFIRS.

Other subjects covered during his lecture included the likelihood of particular accidents

occurring in each of the main types of fires we fight in single family dwellings. The first type is

the compartmentalized fire which is defined as a fire that has not reached structural members and

is typically contained to the room or origin. In these types of fires the things that kill and injure

FF’s often include random events such as: Hidden electrical hazards, highly combustible

contents, explosions, flashover, and backdrafts. The second type is referred to as a fully

involved or structure fire. These fires almost always have destroyed structural components, have

minimal life expectancy and kill firefighters by collapsing on them.

21

The next area covered was how to organize the incident and obtain a proper 360 on

structures too large to walk around. His suggestions on incident organization were to use

division and group assignments as soon as possible. Per his department, functional groups were

used on confirmed rescues, special incidents, or incidents beyond the average residential fire.

The RIT group supervisor was assigned to handle any MAYDAY calls to allow command to

continue to run the incident and provide logistical support for rescue operations. He explained

why using the term interior division was only acceptable for one story single family dwellings

and suggested eliminating that term all together since it could accidentally be used in a multi-

story building which deteriorates the ability for command to know where the people are. In

regards to obtaining a 360 on large structures, he stated that they often rely on a Roof report.

These reports should include: Type of roof (peaked/flat), conditions (stable/unstable), fire/smoke

conditions, firewall presence and locations, any heavy roof loads, attic conditions (if known),

blueprint considerations (if something weird is found such as remodeling work, etc.) and actions

taken.

Chief Problem Solver

Chief Richard Marinucci: has been a chief for more than 27 years. He is a speaker at FDIC, a

columnist for Fire Engineering and Fire Apparatus & Emergency Equipment magazines, and

editor of the 7th edition of the Fire Chief's Handbook . He is a faculty member at Eastern

Michigan University and the Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute.

There are many issues faced by fire chiefs, most of these problems are created by people

and events beyond an individual chief’s power/authority to correct. Of these problems, the

biggest typically revolves around the budget. Currently, the economy has caused many public

22

service agencies to be blamed for over-expenditures. The larger agencies are being blamed for

local recession conditions where the benefits paid to FF’s including retirement and medical

benefits have been slashed. With a poor public perception, the issue is how do we (those in the

fire service) promote change without killing someone? Chief Marinucci’s answer is to talk about

our career in terms of insurance. Just because there is a lack of emergencies, does that justify

reducing manning and cutting budgets? When put into terms of insurance coverage, just because

you have driven your car for 20 years with no accidents, would you feel comfortable cancelling

your insurance policy? If their answer is no, then they shouldn’t be willing to cut our services

either. Also, when looking at minimum manning, we cannot rely on NFPA standards or codes to

justify. Being creative and showing the statistics behind the codes will prove to be a better

argument. When confronting the crews that get to handle the end results of those inevitable

budget cuts the best policy is to be open and honest about it, understand the limitations caused by

the cuts, and take extra precautions from a command point of view to limit risk to the crews.

With the problems being presented, public image is becoming even more important. “If

you hire thugs and idiots, they will not disappoint.” – Gordon Graham. Basically, if you do not

start out with high quality people, don’t expect to be able to look like a high quality organization.

With the additional pressure of social media and every cell phone having the ability to take

video, it is necessary to prevent screw-ups on scene. These problems can destroy the public’s

confidence in the agency and in the end will lead to some very embarrassing moments as you

have to explain yourself.

After listing the main problems, Chief Marinucci said he could give us all the answer to

having the best department however, the ability to follow the solution is the universal problem.

In order to have the perfect department we must:

23

- Hire the best people, by paying for what you get

o Know the crew’s limitations = better approaches to managing incident time

- Provide/Mandate the best training available

o More knowledge = better predictions thus better solutions

o Master skills = more efficient and effective

- Constantly monitor and use the “Best Practices”

- Procure and use the best equipment

With that list on the screen, he said that the only problem is that most departments can’t get past

step one.

Beyond budgeting concerns and a growing popularity for publicly embarrassing Fire

Departments, the problems that chief officers deal with on a daily basis revolve around people.

What is so amazing is that problem solving is a learned skill and FF’s are taught to do it with

minimal thought. According to Chief Marinucci most fire department problems can be boiled

down to three key causes: competency, complacency, and cockiness. How can FD’s solve their

problems? There is no single solution or guideline to solving every single problem however,

there are several ways to plan for and reduce the impact of problems.

When entering the role of a chief officer there are many advantages to handling problems

within the department compared to handling problems on the fireground. The biggest benefit is

being able to take a time-out and consider each course of action carefully before making a

decision. The tactic of making snap decisions on the fireground typically does not translate as

well to administrative decisions. Careful consideration to policy, fairness, equality, and the

precedence you are about to set should all be weighed before making the decision.

24

What are some tools, techniques, and systems chiefs can use to their advantage to solve

problems? The number one answer to this is networking. Making friends with the media can

offer eased communications and less twisting of words when being interviewed. Another benefit

includes early warning of bad headlines such as one of your FF’s being arrested. The key to

networking is that it takes effort. This has to be based on trust and it helps to build personal

relationships that will strengthen professional relationships.

As the chief, another person or group of people which it is good to network with is the

decision makers. Again, it takes effort and often the time is limited, unless of course there is a

problem which can unfortunately increase “face-time.” Put forth the extra time to have positive

interaction with the manager, council, mayor, etc. since personal relationships make it easier to

have access to the people you need when a problem arises. This positive interaction can also add

a safety net when it comes to employment. If you have no personal relationship and issues come

up, it would be preferential to find a replacement compared to working with you. This action

also helps prevent “grapevine” knowledge which can undercut a chief in a heartbeat. If the

decision makers are getting their information through a long line of people without proper

knowledge, it is much worse than getting the right information straight from the source.

One technique that many people use which requires skill revolves around estimates.

Whether budget estimates, completion of project estimates, or other things with too many

variables to name; the need to give accurate estimates is key to building a reputation of

consistency. Using standard errors of measurement can allow for estimates that are not overly

inflated but still leave room for mistakes, overages and errors. This skill becomes helpful when

dealing with time, money, or outcomes since it is extremely difficult to approach the politicians

to ask for more when things are already tight.

25

Another technique that will serve fire department management well is to stay current on

social trends. For instance, social media is affecting every corporation in the world, to sit blindly

and expect it to not affect the fire department is either wishful thinking or ignorance.

Maintaining a grasp of current events can allow management to foresee future problems and

even proactively deal with the things that can create issues before they occur.

With the concept of maintaining touch with current events, it is important for everyone in

management to prepare for an increase in diversity. While the concept is not new, the

implications of being unprepared are occurring all over the country. Language barriers, cultural

barriers, generational gaps, and legal involvement are costing millions of dollars every year. For

public agencies that are already facing tight purse strings, the failure to address diversity

concerns could destroy a department. Most of the concern with diversity, from a chief officer

standpoint revolves around the creation of policies that do not discriminate. Ultimately, the

biggest issue comes when someone makes a judgment based on personal values rather than the

organizational values. The constant in this formula is that diversity = differences = potential

problems. The final issue on the subject of diversity was romance in the workplace. As more

women enter the career field and society has a greater acceptance of different sexual orientations,

there are issues with romance in the workplace. Corporate America is starting to initiate

Consensual Relationship Agreements (CRA’s) to help protect the company however, with union

involvement and “at will” considerations; fire departments are finding roadblocks to this

solution. Ultimately, Chief Gordon Graham suggests to “NEVER allow romance in your

department.”

The one constant in every fire department is that there are the fewest number of problems

in busy companies. These busy companies are able to maintain proficiency through constant

26

practice and expel the excessive energy firefighter build up when they are idle. If a company is

not busy by call volume, it is important to treat this issue as a ticking time bomb and find

productive activities for them to do.

With all of the problems faced by chiefs, the creation of a magical book of answers

should be created however, it is impossible. Politics, policies, experience, community needs,

family-like atmospheres, and the unique ability for FF’s to create new and interesting problems

leads many towards making poor decisions. Just like the fireground, chief officers must maintain

situational awareness of their department. Some refer to this as Management by Walking around

(MBWA) where management mingles with all levels of the department in order to understand

the issues being faced. Another benefit to this is method is that it aids in identifying those with

special talent so it can be put to good use before that talent is used to find a new and creative

problem for the department. Ultimately, the best solution will not always be well liked or easy.

Considerations of the long term impact must be considered, leniency now may result in more

occurrences of the problem. If a chief always considers the top three priorities (community,

department, individuals) in order, then decisions will have the best outcome possible.

Many chiefs are made or broken by how they deal with one-time big issues. The day-to-

day problems are important to handle since often times, inappropriately handled little issues

become those one-time big issues. Identifying the underlining problems, understanding the

motivations behind those involved, and paying attention to detail can often mean the difference

between a successful career and the end. The issue of motivation is one that was barely covered

however, a few points were made. First, money is a satisfier not a motivator so it cannot be used

to maintain motivation unless you have an unlimited budget. Second, people are motivated by

two main things: passion or fear. Passion is a positive motivator however fear is a combination

27

of both positive and negative. For the positive perspective, fear of disappointing themselves or

others can lead to good decisions. From the negative perspective, fear of discipline and

consequences can keep the average people from crossing the line.

For every piece of advice there are often contraindications where that advice should not

be applied. In many cases your problem solving methods and tactics should be compared to a

coach’s play book. If the same play works over and over, they use it until it is no longer

effective. The main consideration is to stay current on the game conditions: know the players,

the rules, the regulations, and labor agreements. If you know the playing field it is easier to keep

from going out of bounds and creating an issue. Remember the biggest thing about the law,

ignorance isn’t a defense.

When it comes to problem solving, there are occasional times where no action is the right

action. Like many things in life it requires a balanced perspective. Too harsh or too light of a

reaction can make things worse. Use critical thinking and promote those under you to use

critical thinking as well. When you allow your personnel to delegate problems up, there will be

no end. As they rise in rank, they must be willing to take the good and the bad. The issue of

delegation is another issue that can cause many problems for a chief to solve. Every good officer

must learn the art of delegation which includes: knowing who you can delegate to, whom to

trust, who to avoid, and how to let go so the person you delegated to can accomplish what you

need done.

When considering perfection, many are willing to accept less than 100%. To put this in

perspective, Chief Marinucci provided some statistics prepared by Jeff Dewar from QCI

Research entitled 99.9% is not always good enough. If we routinely accepted 99.9% then:

- There would be two plane crashes per day at Chicago International Airport

28

- 16,000 pieces of mail would be lost every hour

- 20,000 drug prescription errors would occur per year

- 500 wrong surgical procedures would be accomplished every week

- 22,000 checks would be deducted from the wrong account every hour.

The closing remarks included four points: Good intentions are not enough, Cameras are

everywhere from the time you leave your home till you return, we are held to higher standards

(permanently branded with the association to the brotherhood), and PPEAA (Plan, Prepare,

Evaluate, Analyze, and Anticipate).

Command and Control: Doing it Better

Chief Mike Bryant: a 31-year veteran of the Los Angeles County (CA) Fire Department, is

operations deputy fire chief and commands the East Regional Operations Bureau. He has a BS

degree in occupational studies from California State University, Long Beach. He is a California

State Fire Training-certified master instructor and fire and chief officer; he is nationally qualified

as a type II incident commander, operations section chief, safety officer, and division supervisor.

Opening quotation: “Don’t be the Incident Commander who doesn’t know what they are

supposed to know at the time they need to know it!” With the change of methodology and

increasing need for multi-purpose departments, the lack of fire ground experience is setting our

career field up for some long-term problems. Many Incident Commanders fail to move beyond

company level thinking to consider strategies. This has led to a new form of insurance that many

big departments are looking into, Incident Command malpractice insurance. To help protect the

person filling the role and the department, it is important to follow established guidelines. At a

29

minimum NFPA 1521 (safety officer), 1561 (IMS), and 1026 (incident management

qualifications) should be understood and followed. In addition, every incident commander

should know the standards which state, “NO risk to safety of the members shall be acceptable

when there is no possibility to save lives or property.” This concept was best illustrated by Chief

Bryant’s example. On the screen showed a picture of a firefighter with his family. He said,

“Risk has a name, face, and family; if the benefit doesn’t have the same, it isn’t worth it.”

This chart was shown to the class as a visual cue, anything less than risking a life for a savable

life is a waste. The calculated risk to life for salvageable property falls between the two

however, Chief Bryant was adamant about that being a carefully planned risk. In regards to

actually losing someone he stated, “There is no greater influence of change in the Fire Service

than the line-of-duty-death of a firefighter.”

In order to prevent needless LODD, it is necessary to develop a command process. Just

like how we manage a medical evaluation, instituting a consistent process to evaluating a scene

30

can prevent mistakes caused by missing something. This whole process must start with a good

size-up, followed by constant intelligence gathering and maintaining situational awareness. It is

impossible to give the command role the attention it deserves if you are on an attack crew.

Basically, command or attack, you can’t do both.

How do scenes fall apart? The answer is much simpler than people realize. When the

command process isn’t followed, the scene falls apart. Command must focus on establishing the

incident priorities and picking out the strategy rather than assigning tactics and tasks.

As the picture shows, it is impossible to balance the incident if the incident priorities or strategies

shift during an operation. For instance, an IC who is focused on fire attack will over-commit

resources making it difficult or impossible to shift to rescue operation. By having a stable base

built on priorities, followed by strategies, tactics, and then tasks; it is easier to be flexible and

reallocate resources as needed. In addition to being flexible, this approach also makes it easier to

transition to a larger command structure if the incident continues to grow.

31

When an IC can step back and see the entire picture another big problem is being able to

communicate their vision of what is to be accomplished. In order to communicate proper

directions, it is important to focus on the end result. By giving a group of fire officers a desired

result, it allows for the IC to stay away from designating tactics and remained focused on the

bigger picture. Chief Bryant also suggests division and group supervisors should avoid being

directly involved in tasks. Another problem with division or group supervisors revolves around

how they are named. For instance the title “interior” could be a group, division, function, or

command position. How each person perceives the term will dictate where they envision that

person to be. This becomes problematic when the IC is envisioning one thing and the person

assigned to the position is somewhere else.

Although many of us understand the basics of reducing span of control issues through the

use of divisions and groups, there are very few that know which one to use. There are arguments

for each however; one has a clear advantage over the other. Groups have no limits on boundaries

thus creating a nightmare in the event a RIT activation is required. By using Divisions, a large

scene is subdivided into more manageable portions and in the event of a RIT activation; the

search area is smaller greatly enhancing the chance of a successful outcome. Ultimately,

following a command process, establishing proper priorities, and properly utilizing the command

structure can greatly reduce the oversights that cost firefighters their lives.

32

Creating, improving, and maintaining good instructors

Lt. Scott Carrigan: is a full-time lieutenant with Nashua (NH) Fire Rescue and a senior staff

instructor with the NH Fire Academy. He is an adjunct professor at Lakes Region Community

College and co-owner of Innovative Fire Training Solutions, LLC. A graduate of Oklahoma

State University, he is completing his master of education degree.

Lt. Carrigan began the class by asking why it is important to have good instructors.

Some of the reasons included: the nature of the business (200+ hours to go from Joe to Hero),

not all skills can be absorbed from the internet, to perpetuate a cultural change, and certain

students need an instructor to be able to understand the material being presented. The fact is that

a good instructor can make a horrible subject good whereas a bad instructor can make a good

subject bad.

When considering the range of instructors, Lt. Carrigan stated that typically 10-20 percent are

good instructors, 10-20 percent are poor instructors, and 60-80 percent are indifferent. The good

instructors and bad instructors are often easy to pick out however, the section considered to be

mediocre can often be hard to isolate since it often depends on what they teach as to their level of

instruction. With the three main categories established, qualities for each were discussed.

33

With all of the qualities listed, Lt. Carrigan suggested that the three most important factors that

make an instructor cross from being indifferent to being good are: knowing what they teach,

liking what they teach, and liking the students. Another point was made that the bad instructors

typically fall into four categories: “librarians” that read the information from the book or slide,

“drill instructors” that equate the students hate for them as motivation to learn (typically found in

recruit schools), “professors” that teach beyond the student’s comprehension level, and

“monotone” that speak in a voice that can put people to sleep in short periods of time.

Although much of the blame for becoming a poor instructor falls on the instructor

themselves, there are many problems being created by the current trends. To standardize the

training, many “off of the shelf” programs are being developed which promise to make a

firefighter out of students after they watch the video series or complete the slideshows. The need

to have PowerPoint for everything has created a reliance on them that breeds mediocrity.

Coupled with poorly designed programs, it doesn’t take too many instructor flaws to create a bad

program where the instructor looks bad.

In order to be a good instructor you need to know that you are teaching. This is beyond

reviewing the lesson and knowing the book. To combat the growing issues, instructors need to

find a specialty. Many of the problems are created by attempting to teach too many subjects or

34

being coerced into teaching a subject they do not like or feel comfortable in. The high demand

of our career field has made it necessary for our instructors to be subject matter experts. By

becoming a subject matter expert the instructor: knows the book, has refined their skill sets,

keeps up with latest trends/events/case studies, and can back all of that up with personal

experience. This one factor is limiting on fire academies and the staff within a department but

should be pushed as the most important issue. It is easy to find people that like to teach and like

the students. The hard part is finding someone with the knowledge and experience to back the

love for the job up.

The second thing needed to be a good instructor is the ability to like what you teach.

Generally speaking, by becoming a subject matter expert, you have to invest a huge amount of

time and effort. It is easier to put in the extra effort if it is something you like. Basically, by

liking what you teach, you are able to pass along your enthusiasm and interest by making the

class interesting and providing personal motivation to the students. I teach CPR and first

responder on a regular basis to non-firefighters. What I have found is that establishing the

motivation in the first moments of class has yielded better classes and better retention of

information. If you like what you teach; it is easy to capture an audience, explain how it could

benefit them, and establish the structure of the class.

The final thing that you need to be a good instructor is to like the students. This does not

necessarily mean you have to like each individual person but rather students in general. If you

don’t genuinely care about their education, developing them personally/professionally, and

creating motivation for success; it is difficult to teach. By maintaining the love of molding the

students, many instructors find internal motivation which can help in classes that are not the most

interesting or poorly developed.

35

While liking the students is important, many instructors have fallen into the trap of

needing the students to like them. The overuse of course evaluations has led to many “hard”

instructors being ousted because the students basically voted them out. Course evaluations are

generally irrelevant to the instructor unless coming from a peer or supervisor. With all of this in

mind, the use of evaluations is not likely to end anytime soon making it necessary to be friendly

to the students. This is a fine line though. Personal favors or compromising the tests to gain

favor is never the way to being a good instructor.

This was the perfect lead into teaching traps. These traps were identified as the leading

problems for education in general. Technology has added many dimensions to the teaching

platform over the years however; it has also become a crutch to some and barrier to others.

Powerpoint is a tool to assist with presentations although has almost completely replaced many

instructors. To avoid this problem: institute joint lesson plans that include classroom and

practical portions, use bullets on the slides rather than the entire line of information, and fine

tune the presentations to encourage a review of the material. The next teaching trap is a lack of

continuing education in the subject being presented. Although certain fundamentals may not

change, our career field is constantly changing which requires the instructors to stay on top of the

trends. This can be accomplished by: research, studying, participating in teaching centers

(http://www.cte.ku.eduor bokcenter.harvard.edu). Beyond knowing the subjects being taught it

is also important to keep up with current educational trends associated with teaching adults.

Other things that are important to know include: the audience and yourself. Before you

even consider teaching, a self-assessment is needed. As you begin to teach, the feedback from

others is invaluable but should be weighted according to the evaluator’s level. A poor review by

a peer instructor weighs more heavily than a dozen good reviews by students that have no base-

36

line to judge you. Other methods for getting to know yourself, in terms of your instructing

ability, includes: audio/video recording, test results, outside observer input, and trials with proper

feedback. Once you know yourself it is necessary to know the audience. Knowing the audience

will allow a good instructor to adapt the presentation methods or material to suit the audience.

The differences in audiences include: instructors/students, old/new firefighters,

firefighters/normal citizens, men/women, officers/firefighters, career/volunteer, generational

gaps (baby boomer, X, Y, etc.), and many others. The main concern with understanding these

differences boils down to how to avoid offending them and presenting the material in the best

way possible. The example given was a video of a woman talking to the news about a fire. In

the presence of most firefighters it would be a considered appropriate humor. In a room of

citizens or chief officers it may not add to the lesson or convey a point that makes it needed.

The final subject covered during this presentation covered motivation. Lt. Carrigan

stated that motivation is often misrepresented as something you can give to someone else. The

truth is that motivation is completely internal and the only thing good instructors can do is create

an environment that fosters motivation.

There are many motivators although the “external motivators” are more realistically satisfiers.

Internal motivators include: self-respect, personal achievement, personal growth, and sense of

responsibility. External satisfiers which only temporarily foster motivation include: money,

37

benefits and bonuses. By creating an environment that fosters motivation, it is possible to make

people want to retain the knowledge you as an instructor are offering. Poor instructors or

indifferent instructors suffer from a lack of motivation exponentially since it is hard to pass on an

attitude of motivation if not properly motivated. This factor alone is why the sense of

achievement is such an important motivator since it creates a self-perpetuating cycle.

By understanding the motivators it is possible to identify the de-motivators that affect instructors.

Some of these include: demands of administration, discouraging team spirit, neglecting rewards,

financial problems, restricted autonomy, and lack of intellectual challenge. Solutions to help

increase motivation by the administrators included: recognizing achievements, supervision and

coaching, allow/promote networking, establishing mentoring program, job sharing/shadowing,

promoting professional development, limiting busy work, and giving instructors major projects

they can handle. Solutions to help increase motivation by the instructor includes: try something

new, read up on subject, write articles, try a new teaching style, share ideas, observe colleagues,

have colleagues observe, try team teaching, attend conferences/seminars, and network with other

like-minded people.

38

Must Have Policies for Fire Departments

Captain Bradley Pinsky: is an attorney representing more than 300 fire departments throughout

New York State. He serves as captain and municipal training officer for the Manlius (NY) Fire

Department. He is one of the four attorneys hosting “Fire Service Court Radio” on

fireengineering.com. He lectures frequently throughout the nation.

Captain Pinsky began the class with a statement which he said every fire chief could

attest to: The fire service (firefighters) is famous for creating new and previously unidentified

ways of getting into trouble or getting the department sued. The best defense is a policy but

many departments have the wrong policies, fail to enforce policies, or fail to recognize the need

for policies. Before getting into the class, some generalized advice was offered along with a

disclaimer. Advice included: avoid implementing policies you know people won’t follow unless

you have the job pool to support the decision, ensure standardized enforcement of policies,

understand that the first thing a lawyer will ask for if there is an incident is your policies, and

document everything. The disclaimer was that the class was based on the laws of New York and

New Jersey. Although there are not significant differences in these laws, each state may have a

variance.

The biggest problem with the legal system is that it is legal. Many problems arise from

terminology. In the recent past, administrations were advised to move from Standard Operating

Procedures (SOP) to Standard Operating Guidelines (SOG) to prevent legal issues. Policies

include words like must, will, always, and never whereas guidelines give some leeway. The new

current trend is following after how doctors are handling the legal problems where they adopt

“Best Practices.” Currently, SOP’s and SOG’s are admissible into court while best practices are

not. The recommendation from Captain Pinsky is to have two books, one labeled SOP’s and the

39

other labeled Best Practices. In addition, volunteer departments need to make sure the SOP’s,

SOG’s and Best Practices stay out of the by-laws.

Once a department has identified the legal terminology it wants to operate with, the first

step to policy creation focusses on the Organizational Statement (OS). NFPA 1500 suggests fire

departments adopt an OS and OSHA requires them to adopt one. The basic statement should

include: basic organization structure, the functions the department performs, the

type/amount/frequency of training to be provided, and the expected number of members. This

document is a strategic document that can be useful when completing risk assessments, job

performance standards, minimum proficiency standards, and identifying community needs. With

this document many departments are able to identify minimum skills and education

requirements. These skills must be tested once they are determined to be a minimum

requirement. If identified and not tested or enforced, there will be a huge opening for lawsuits.

When looking at the minimum it is important, even if your state or department fails to adopt a

pertinent NFPA standard, to know that it can be used against you in court as a national standard.

With the background information presented, the rest of the class focused on policies that

should be in place. The first of these policies was a Physical/Mental Fitness Policy. This policy

can be modeled after NFPA 1582 and will protect a department in many ways. The inclusion of

an annual fitness evaluation should be present however many departments make the mistake of

allowing abnormalities to be reviewed by a personal physician. In several cases, the personal

doctors do not understand the requirements or the requirements are purposefully withheld from

the doctor by the member. These policies should at minimum extend to all operational positions

with a separate policy for each position (or a blanket policy that can cover every position). The

policy should address known conditions that prove to be fatal to someone in the career field of

40

firefighting (heart disease, epilepsy, emphysema, etc.). The policy should spell out the testing

requirements and be strictly adhered to. Some notes about the policy pertaining to special

considerations were brought up. Pregnancy is identified as a limiting factor however if the

firefighter is able to meet the physical requirements, the department has no say as to when she

cannot be in an operational position. You may suggest the hazards and risks however, if the

pregnant employee can still function in the job, policy cannot discriminate. Another special

consideration pertained to disability and temporary disability. A policy must be in place to

prevent those that cannot perform the job from getting in a position to cause a problem but no

matter what the disability; the standard is the judge as to capability. Even with a major

disability, such as a missing limb, if the person can perform all job related tasks as identified by

the standards, the department cannot discriminate. No one is allowed to look at someone and

make the decision that they cannot perform. The final consideration to this policy revolved

around “Light Duty.” According to the law if the policy is implemented, then the agency has a

light duty program. There cannot be subjective limitations placed on the program. The biggest

violation of this comes from departments that only allow people injured on duty participate in the

light duty program. If the program exists for one injury, it must exist for all injuries. The use of

“qualifiers” will lead to the department losing a discrimination lawsuit. In addition, the work

being done by someone on light duty must be standardized. Many use a “Chief’s Aid” position

which is an identified job description. Without standardized tasks, someone may feel like they

are being punished for their injury which will result in the department losing a discrimination

lawsuit. These programs can be stopped at any time but cannot be stopped and started since it

can give the perception of only being active for certain people.

41

The next set of policies address OSHA mandates. The biggest of these includes the

respiratory protection program. This program must be in line with OSHA CFR 1910.134 and

ensure there are policies in place to provide adequate protection for members. The program

must: have someone designated as the administrator, require medical determination of fitness to

wear the SCBA, and specify when protection is required. The biggest problem in this section

occurs when a department allows the members to remove SCBA during overhaul. Even with

atmospheric monitoring, allowing someone to say it is ok to remove protective gear opens the

department up to huge law suits and OSHA fines. The changes to materials found and hazards

associated with those materials after they have burned have created extreme acute/chronic

exposure problems. The next policy touched on the mandate for two-in, two-out. Federal law

states that anyone entering an IDLH atmosphere must be able to maintain visual or voice

communication between those inside the IDLH and those outside the IDLH. It also specifies that

the people monitoring the crew inside the IDLH must be capable, trained, and equipped to

provide rescue. The ambiguity occurs between federal and state mandates for the two-in, two-

out laws. The law does not state how far from the IDLH the “rescuers/monitoring” crews must

be nor does it specify a crew that is dedicated to the task of monitoring the interior crew. In any

case, the suggestion is to pick which standard you are going to implement and enforce it. When

there are differing opinions, you can only be held accountable for being indecisive. Other areas

that were mentioned but not discussed in length included: MAYDAY policies/training and live

fire in acquired structures (must follow NFPA 1403).

The next policy was a drug and alcohol policy. While nearly every department has a

policy, the biggest problems resulting in lawsuits revolve around terminology and enforcement.

Designating a minimum time of sobriety prior to reporting to work is neither realistic nor good

42

for the department. The example was given where a department fired an employee for arriving

to work under the influence. The policy stated nothing about the symptoms, only placed a time

limit. When the firefighter was able to prove he did not violate the time limit, he won a wrongful

termination suit. By placing the signs/symptoms of intoxication into the policy (impairment,

smell of ETOH, etc.) the end result of not having someone who is unfit for duty representing

your department will be accomplished. Drug and alcohol testing policies must also spell out the

instances when an employee can expect to be tested. These instances include: pre-employment,

reasonable suspicion, post-accident, random, return to duty, and follow-up testing. The random

testing portion does not have to spell out how the process is randomized however, must be a

systematic and uniformly enforced policy.

The next policy is where most of the lawsuits have been coming from lately. Emergency

vehicle policies typically address the aspect of operating an apparatus but fail to address the

other aspects regarding checkout, maintenance, training, and certification. When an accident

occurs, the resulting lawsuit normally identifies: negligent/reckless driving, negligent/reckless

supervision, negligent/reckless maintenance, and/or negligent/reckless training as the cause. Fire

departments often lack the documented proof to protect themselves. Obtaining driving records

prior to promotion, identifying the minimum certifications, spelling out and documenting

required driving time prior to promotion, and administering an annual evaluation on

abilities/knowledge can greatly enhance a department’s protection. Many departments have a

training program but once someone is in a position, they are given a free ride. Adding a

reoccurring evaluation to retain the position will provide justification to eliminate hazardous

drivers. Other driver related policy problems included: specifying stopping unless intersection is

controlled, setting an acceptable speed above the limit to drive (someone wrecks doing 11 over

43

rather than 10 over, can it be enforced?), failing to have a policy requiring officers to report

unsafe driving, allowing chief officers to respond in their take home vehicles with family inside,

an failing to define what an “acceptable risk” is.

Although the time ran out before class was completed Capt. Pinsky stated that another

growing trend pertaining to social media and department violations of the 1st Amendment.

Firefighter Free Speech

Chief David “CHIP” Comstock JR.: is a 30-year veteran of the fire service and chief of

the Western Reserve Joint Fire District in Poland, Ohio. He is a Chief Fire Officer designee and

lectures extensively on fire service topics related to company officer operations, liability, and

personnel issues. His articles have appeared in many fire service magazines including Fire

Engineering . He is an attorney in the firm of Comstock, Springer & Wilson Co., L.P.A. in

Youngstown, Ohio. His law practice is focused on insurance defense litigation, including

governmental liability and insurance fraud/arson cases.

The beginning of class was a review of legal documents that influence free speech.

These documents included: the 1st Amendment (protects religion, speech and assembly), the 14th

Amendment (due process – makes 1st Amenedment applicable to states), 42 USC Section 1983

(better known as civil rights), Civil Rights Act of 1866 (only government can violate rights).

The next review was over retaliation actions, where someone is disciplined for speaking. The 1st

Amendment allows people to speak as a citizen on matters of public concern. In order to win a

free speech violation lawsuit the firefighter must have four factors line up in their favor. The

first factor is that there was an adverse employment condition which could be as simple as being

made to clean a toilet if it is not your normal duty. The second is where many lawsuits fail. This

44

factor is that the matter has to be of public concern. The example given was a group of

firefighters going public with plans for budget cuts. Since the cut will reduce the safety of the

public (not responders), resulting in a loss of services or policy change, it qualifies as a matter of

public concern. The third factor is a balance test. This test is defined as “The weighing,

especially by a court, of competing values and interests and deciding which one will prevail, in

an attempt to achieve equality or fairness between those values and interests.” Simply put, a

judge will determine if what you said would have impacted anything. The fourth factor which is

often the second hardest thing to prove is that the speech motivated the discipline. The main

point is that public employees are held to higher standards and the information we are previewed

to along with the higher regard for our position creates a problem with being allowed to say

whatever we want to say. Another consideration is that the Fire Chief is less protected than any

other member since his/her word carries more weight and they are previewed to even more

information. Beyond statements in a formal regard (pertaining to the department or while in

uniform) the firefighter retains their rights as an ordinary citizen to say whatever they want when

they want to say it. A new problem coming from social media has yet to have a precedence set

by someone taking it to court however, being identified as a department member (permanently

thorough your profile) may cause issues when it comes to what you post. Opinions are opinions

until you back it with your affiliation to a public agency. Suggests adding a disclaimer to your

website/social media site that the opinions expressed are your own and not the departments. The

rest of the class was spent going over case studies:

Galoegos v. Los Alamos County Fire Department

Eudy v. City of Richland Mississippi

Foley v. Town of Randolph

45

Firefighting on Modern Roofs

Lt. John Shafer: training officer for the Greencastle (IN) Fire Department and the Indiana

Homeland Security District 7 fire training coordinator. He is a 17-year veteran of the career and

volunteer fire service. He was an advisor to the Indiana Department of Homeland Security for

the state’s development of the Fire Training System of Indiana and assisted in the development

of the District 7 Training Council and the District 7 Response Task Force. He developed and

manages the social networking site Green Building Construction for the Fire Service on

Facebook and is owner/writer for Green Maltese LLC http://greenmaltese.com.

There are no shortages of close calls / LODD where firefighters fall through a roof or a

wall collapses. In the times where companies are looking to save time, money and resources

building construction is becoming a huge hazard to firefighters. The biggest hazards can be

classified as materials, design, and technology. The need to study these changes is something

that every firefighter should take an interest in.

Laminated (Engineered) I-Beam

Looking at the first type of hazard, building materials has changed drastically over the

past decade. Engineered wood, structural insulation panels and composite/lightweight metal

have replaced the traditional materials. Engineered wood which is often made to do what once

heavy timber use to accomplish has surprising results when tested in the UL laboratory. Wooden

46

I-beams made of engineered wood have been documented failing at only 6 minutes 3 seconds of

fire exposure where the counterpart (2x10) took 18 minutes and 45 seconds to fail. Why is this

important to a firefighter on a roof? These laminated I-beams are used as the main support for

many roof and floor structures.

SIP Panel

SIP Panel Construction

The next hazard is becoming more prevalent with the tax breaks for building energy star

rated buildings. Structural Insulated Panels (SIP) are being found everywhere and reduce energy

loss by filling the void normally found in walls/floor/roofs with polyurethane foam. These

panels are typically comprised of a layer of OSB, layer of polyurethane, and a layer of OSB or

47

gypsum board. This type of construction results in 90% less air leakage than a stick-built

building which increases the possibility of a backdraft. In addition, polyurethane does not

require direct flame contact to decompose. If direct flame comes into contact with the

polyurethane foam, the fire hazard can easily spread through the entire structure. Since the

structural strength is created by the combination of the layers, a reduction in any of the layers

will result in early collapse. The layering also has an additional hazard for those standing on it.

When it comes to running utilities, this product is hollowed out to run wiring, pipes, etc.

Without standard studs/rafters/joist it is difficult to figure out where these hidden hazards are and

leaves an opportunity for a small electrical short in the wall to turn into a major incident. It also

adds a difficulty to self-rescue when you have been trained to break out the gypsum board and

squeeze between wall studs. This product shows no sign of deterioration before it fails and once

construction is complete looks virtually the same as normal construction.

48

Radiant Barrier on OSB

Radiant Barrier (aftermarket installation)

The next building material to be used recently adds an increased risk from radiant heat.

Reflective sheeting or radiant barriers have been found to prevent some of the radiant heat from

entering the home. These panels (aftermarket installation or do it yourself kits) can actually

negate the benefits of using a thermal imager. In addition there are studies that have found the

metal foil coating of the material may actually attract lightning strikes. The final hazard is

associated with an increased build-up of heat inside of a home during a fire. When the radiant

49

heat from the fire hits the radiant barrier, it is reflected back down into the home. If the

homeowner used an aftermarket kit to install the radiant barrier, there is also a hazard of

additional hidden spaces from improper installation. In commercial applications, this barrier is

often white and placed over the existing roof. This “new roof” does not address any structural

issues and can mask signs that the roof will collapse. The best way to stay on top of a roof

(literally) is to get out and see what materials are being used in your area. If any of these

materials are found, it should be listed as an additional hazard.

With the need to recycle materials hitting every business, the use of old tires to make all

sorts of products is becoming a common place. The newest trend in tire recycling is roofing.

These rubber shingles boast double-lifetime warranties; resistance to rot, mold, discoloration and

hail making them an excellent choice. At first glance most people cannot distinguish the

difference between normal roofing products and the new rubber ones. This adds additional

hazards if the firefighters fail to recognize the material. This material gums up and ruins

ventilation saws, cannot be cut with an axe, causes slips from roofs, and when ignited drips

flaming goo on anything below it.

The next set of hazards being created for firefighters is a result of design changes. Some

of these changes are easy to spot however others are covered up and can lead to poor choices

pertaining to getting on a roof. Failure to recognize the design, implement design controls prior

to construction, and the ability for do-it-yourself remedies have created major problems that

compromise the ability for a roof to be ventilated.

50

The first design change is called advanced framing. Basically, engineers in an attempt to

reduce the materials, needed to structurally support structures, have developed ways to provide

the same strength with less lumber. While the building is just as strong as a whole unit, if any

unit fails, the likelihood of collapse is significantly higher. This advanced framing has led to

structural members being 24 inches apart rather than the traditional 16 inches and two stud

corner framing rather than four or six stud. The main hazard beyond early collapse for someone

on the roof is that all structural members line up. If fire on the first floor gets into the wall it will

rapidly move into the attic.

The next hazard is referred to by many names including eco-design, passive solar design,

awnings, extended-roof, etc. however, the result is the same. The extension of the roof helps

keep the sun out of structures thus reducing cooling costs but leaves fire departments without

51

stable access. These sections can extend several feet without the extra support necessary to

support the weight of firefighters and equipment. If identified, alternate roof access points

should be located. Never put someone on a roof by climbing on these extended sections.

Extensive Semi-Intensive Intensive

The next roof is a growing trend to reduce “heat island” issues created within urban

environments. The “green roof” uses the natural protection, insulation, and rain capturing

abilities to save money, reduce maintenance costs, and prevent overflowing of storm-water

systems. If properly done, where an engineer adds the additional support necessary to hold the

extra weight, these roof structures only cause issues through lack of maintenance and if vertical

ventilation is required. There are three categories of green roof design. Extensive includes

smaller growth plants, typically ground cover varieties, is not made for human use, and adds 20-

30 pounds per square foot. The semi-intensive design includes ground cover, bushes and small

trees, is not designed for human use, and can add 40-70 pounds per square foot. The final type,

intensive contains any type of plant life, can be designed for human use and will add a minimum

of 55 pounds per square foot (typically is 100+ pounds per square foot). Beyond the issue of

adding stress to a building promoting collapse, there are reports of wildland fires occurring in

these areas. Most have limited access and did not address the issue of water supply making it

especially challenging. Currently there are very few standards that provide guidance for these

52

types of roofs however, IFC 2012 317.2 limits the total area to 15,625 square feet or 125 feet in

length or width without having fire breaks.

The final category of changes being made to roofs is technology. The need to create

newer, cleaner, and self-sustaining forms of energy production has opened up the once useless

space taken by the roof. Active solar technology is no longer the big bulky solar panels we saw

in magazines years ago. Today, the technology is adapting, becoming more aesthetically

appealing, and blending in better. While this is great news for property owners, it is hiding

hazards for firefighters.

Solar panels, roofing, and shingles are becoming cheaper to install and harder to identify.

They generate electricity as long as light hit the area, including artificial light sources such as

flashlights. Older generations of panels could not be disconnected unless the entire system was

completely protected from light however; new advances have identified the need to remove

individual panels. If these systems are found, it represents a hazard to everyone on the scene.

Even after a meter is pulled, these systems can back feed power throughout the structure. The

associated power management systems that are found inside the home also are an additional

hazard. Taking advantage of high light conditions, many of these systems store the electricity in

batteries for use at night. One variation of the solar technology is used to heat water for the

home. It can be identified by the water lines running to and from the panel with the added

53

hazard of scalding hot water coming out if broken. In any case, unless you have preplanned the

solar technology, the best thing is to avoid touching them.

The final hazard that was presented is being found on many roofs as the need to expand

cell phone coverage has increased. Cellular antennas look relatively harmless however; they

have been associated with RF burns and high voltage injuries. If found they should be avoided

by firefighters. If involved in fire the power must be secured prior to getting close to the

antennas. As with most things, if unsure it is best to ask or avoid it.

As building construction changes, the need to identify the additional hazards pertaining to

the fire service is monumental. Very few innovations look at the safety or job tasks of

emergency responders. Failure to understand the limitations and issues created by the changing

environment will lead to firefighter injuries and fatalities. It doesn’t always occur in big cities

first where the lessons can be learned by large departments. In many cases, these changes

happen in our backyard without any thought given to making sure we know about them.

54

FDIC Speaker, Fire Engineering Author/Photographer “How-to”

In order to learn the processes to become a speaker at FDIC or have work published by Fire

Engineering (FE) the following hints, guidelines, and red flags where given in an impromptu

meeting.

To become a speaker at FDIC:

- go to FDIC website and fill out a paperless application

- best to apply for one of the 190, 1 hour 45 minute classes if you are not well known

- can submit two applications total, any more will be thrown out

- class must be original, planned, and tested (do not expect to test new class at FDIC)

- If accepted, FDIC pays travel, hotel, registration for the week, longer classes provide

payment for class

- each class is reviewed by a panel of 6 people to determine relativeness and validity

- helps if you submit articles (even if they are not published)

To get published in FE magazine:

- minimum of 1000 words

- Email article to FE and allow days to months for review (depends on monthly theme

of magazine, not just how good the article is)

- editors will offer constructive criticism on rejected articles

- print time can take over a year

- best kind of articles include lessons learned, mistakes made, big incident

- biggest problems found: referencing outdated codes, using names, vent (payback)

articles, submitting same article to multiple magazines (require exclusivity)

- Photos pay $200 for department, $100 for feature, $300 for cover

55

To publish a book or video:

- fill out application online

- better chance if articles are published and you have presented at FDIC

- must submit outline and several chapters, do not have to have the entire book written

- can cover expenses, pays royalties beyond 500 copies sold

- you must do the work to obtain rights to photos and illustrations

- they will assist with editing, obtaining approval but the more they do the less you get

paid

- for videos – submit script, if accepted they will pay production costs

General guidelines included: don’t plagiarize, don’t BS them (everything is run by several

leading experts), avoid overly controversial issues, and keep submitting (can’t get published if

you don’t try).

Product Review:

56

Every year that I attend a conference, I review products or materials being presented and offer

my opinion. This year at FDIC, I was pretty worn out by the end but still took the time to review

a few things.

Command Sim: In the world of there being an app for everything, this product was specifically

made for helping with training. Made for both the Apple and Google operating systems, this

application allows you to take a picture with a smart phone and add fire conditions. It comes in a

free version that has advertisements and a paid version that has expanded features without ads.

The free version includes several types of smoke, fire and explosions that can be set on timed

delay to show progressing conditions. It was simple to learn and can help reduce the amount of

imagination needed in spontaneous company training. In a matter of minutes I was able to setup

a house that had minimal smoke, progressing to a room and content fire.

This product is available in both the mobile version I reviewed and a version made for a

computer. The limitations to this app include: cannot be used to show multiple angles

simultaneously like other fire simulation programs and no downloadable content to expand its

use. The upside is that it is free, accessible to anyone looking to use it, and is easy to use. Visit

http://www.commandsim.com/ or search for it in app world/ I tunes for more information.

57

Armored Textile Hose: In preparation for the inevitable need to purchase fire hose, I decided to

look at several manufactures’ products. The one that caught my attention was Armored Textiles.

For many of us, fire hose is fire hose however this company has addressed several issues that

influence the durability of the product and safety of crews using the hose. For attack lines, the

first thing I noticed was a recessed arrow in the coupling that eliminates the need to remember

which direction of bumps can lead you out of a fire. Even with a gloved hand, it was easy to

identify the direction the arrow was pointing. When looking at the 5 inch supply line, there were

no plastic parts in the coupling and I noticed each of the Storz lock releases had an additional

piece of metal that protected the components from the road. Whether single jacket or double

jacket hose, the processes used by the manufacture to make the hose boasted claims of being

resistant to jacket separation. The outside jacket offers resistance to acids, alkalis, oils, gasoline

and ozone. Meets NFPA 1961 standards. All weather performance from -36F to 1200F.

Specifications

10 Year Warranty Nitrile/PVC Through-The-Weave Rubber Covered Construction NFPA Compliant Attack Hose Resistance to sea water Lightweight Chemical Resistance Heat Resistance Maintenance Free

Pros: durability, exit path marking, Storz lock protection

Cons: price, weight (100 ft section of 5 inch was 109 pounds)

58

Conclusion

It was a very long week full of learning experiences and networking opportunities. I feel

that everyone has something to gain from attending these types of events and look forward to

going back. Save the few things I pointed out at the beginning of this paper, I would do it the

same way next year. I attempted to present the information as it was given to me in class and

need to point out that I do not fully agree with every aspect of the information. With that being

said, this was a valid attempt to remain neutral and pass information on as if you had attended

the classes yourself.

I appreciate my department permitting me to represent James Island PSD FD and for

affording me the opportunity to experience FDIC 2012. If anyone has any questions or wants

additional information on anything covered feel free to contact me.

Moorefire4507@yahoo.com

JMoore@jifd.org.