RESPONSE SAFETYARRIVE ALIVE!

BY : RYAN L. CARROLL

Stafford County Fire and Rescue Dept.2011 Safety Stand-Down

OBJECTIVES:Discuss major causes of vehicle accidents and vehicle related deaths in the fire serviceReview ways to change or prevent accidentsGenerate discussion on driving behaviorLearn some science behind the accidentsReview of scene safety practices

HOW ARE WE DYING?Approximately 25% of all fire fighter deaths each year are caused by vehicle accidents.

• Emergency and Non-emergency driving

The three most common factors• Seatbelts (lack of), Intersections, Speed

11 out of the 85 deaths due to vehicle accidents in 2010

WHAT TIME OF DAY AND WHAT ROAD CONDITIONS ARE THE MOST COMMON IN FIRE DEPT. ACCIDENTS?

Daytime and dry road conditions……..

ACCIDENTS HAPPEN ANYWHERE….

OPEN YOUR EYES!!

* Photo used with permission of Chief 1 and Safety 1

…EVEN CLOSE TO HOME

Accidents can happen to the greenest driver or the most experienced ones.

Just because you have “driven these roads for years,” you still must maintain focus.

Make sure everyone is seat-belted in….EVERYTIME.

SEATBELTS SAVE LIVES! WE KNOW THIS, SO DO IT!

WHY DO WE SPEED???Inexperience

• Inexperience leads to over eagernessStatistics

• Pressure to get on-scene in a certain amount of time forces faster driving

• Why kill your crew and/or civilians because of inadequate staffing?

T.V. • T.V. as kids showed us fire trucks going fast, so that’s what

we do.

CITED ISSUESMany calls are not “serious” problems or false alarms being cancelled during dispatch.

• Why kill your crew or another civilian over a stubbed toe?

Ignoring a downgraded response.• Radio traffic is recorded, and you can bet a lawyer will

retrieve those tapes if you wreck going code 1

Longer distances = longer response times• Drivers may subconsciously drive faster to compensate

ISSUES CONT.Ambulances driving too fast going to the hospital.

• Providers not secured.• We have advanced life support tools/drugs, unlike the days of

the scoop and run without any pre-hospital care. This buys us more time.

• Excessive speed and erratic driving hinders proper care.

Our “We own the road” mentality• Fire apparatus drivers not yielding at intersections is the most

common example and mistake.

PREVENTATIVE MEASURES

OPTIONTraining, training, training!!!

Speed restrictions

Seat belts

Education

Tiered dispatching

EXAMPLEHave plenty of “drive time” with a mentor to shadow

Limiting speed to no more than 10 mph over the posted speed limit

Wear it!!! Every call, every time

Learn from past mistakes and know driving laws

Prioritize 911 calls with a response to match. (priority 1 = code 1, etc.)

• FDNY QUOTE :“WE ARE NOT LEARNINGWE ARE NOT CHANGINGWE ARE NOT ADAPTING”

WE ARE STILL TRYING TO MIMIC THE OLD “SALTY DOGS” AND THE WAY IT WAS DONE IN THE “OLD SCHOOL”

WE THINK WE HAVE TO BE TOUGHER, MORE AGGRESSIVE, AND FASTER THAN EVERYONE ELSE.

OUR PRIDE AND EGOS BLIND US FROM PROGRESS

THESE BEHAVIORS ARE KILLING US AND MUST CHANGE!

FIRE DEPARTMENT CULTURE

EVOCToday’s EVOC is not teaching us how to drive, and fail to teach the “science” of operating larger vehiclesThe infamous VA code 46.2

• Gives us the impression of an open door for “breaking” MOST traffic laws

• “Due Regard” clause used after each exemption is an open ended phrase that can be easily manipulated by a lawyer in court.

§ 46.2-920 OF THE CODE OF VIRGINIAVS. STAFFORD COUNTY SOP’S

§ 46.2-920 OF THE CODE OF VIRGINIA1. Disregard speed limits, while having DUE REGARD for safety of persons and property;2. Proceed past any steady or flashing red signal, traffic light, stop sign, or device indicating moving traffic shall stop if the speed of the vehicle is sufficiently reduced to enable it to pass a signal, traffic light, or device with DUE REGARD to the safety of persons and property;

§ 46.2-920 OF THE CODE OF VIRGINIA3. Park or stop notwithstanding the other provisions of this chapter;4. Disregard regulations governing a direction of movement of vehicles turning in specified directions so long as the operator does not endanger life or property;5. Pass or overtake, with DUE REGARD to the safety of persons and property, another vehicle at any intersection;

§ 46.2-920 OF THE CODE OF VIRGINIA6. Pass or overtake with DUE REGARD to the safety of persons and property, while en route to an emergency, stopped or slow-moving vehicles, by going to the left of the stopped or slow-moving vehicle either in a no-passing zone or by crossing the highway centerline; or7. Pass or overtake with DUE REGARD to the safety of persons and property, while en route to an emergency, stopped or slow-moving vehicles, by going off the paved or main traveled portion of the roadway on the right. Notwithstanding other provisions of this section, vehicles exempted in this instance will not be required to sound a siren or any device to give automatically intermittent signals.

STAFFORD COUNTY SOP’SSOP #0006 (Operations of Emergency Vehicles by Career Personnel)

• All personnel operating a vehicle are subject to all the provisions of the motor vehicle code of Virginia, specifically Section 46.2-920

• All personnel are subject to the provisions of the County’s Driver Safety Program

STAFFORD COUNTY SOP’S

• Drivers will come to a COMPLETE STOP at all red lights and stop signs when possible while responding with lights and siren to ensure that all traffic has yielded the right of way prior to proceeding though the intersection.

• During an emergency response, emergency vehicles should avoid passing each other. If passing becomes necessary, the passing arrangements should be conducted through radio communications.

STAFFORD COUNTY SOP’S

• Avoid backing wherever possible. Where backing an emergency vehicle is unavoidable, a guide must be used to help back the unit. If a guide is unavailable, the operator should dismount and walk completely around the vehicle before backing.

CHANGES AND DIFFERENCESNew state code is indicating that lights AND sirens must be used when traveling through an intersection.State code does not mandate coming to a complete stop at intersections or stop signs; Stafford does, so make sure you STOP!

MATH AND SCIENCE OF DRIVINGTHE FUN STUFF

TERMS Coefficient of Friction

Critical Speed of a Curve

Total Stopping Distance

Braking Efficiency

WHAT DO THEY MEAN? Coefficient of Friction

• Boils down to how slippery the road is.• Lower the value = slicker the road

• This increases braking distances• Dry Roads = .8 - .9• Wet/Icy Roads = .2 - .3

The bottom line:

When it is wet, SLOW DOWN to compensate for the braking distance increase!

Critical Speed of a Curve• The maximum speed a vehicle can maneuver through a curve

• No matter the skill level of the driver, YOU WILL CRASH if you exceed this speed

• This speed changes with the change in Coefficient of Friction• Is calculated by the friction of the road and the radius of the curve

(how sharp of a turn)

The bottom line:

Pay attention to the posted yellow warning signs and SLOW DOWN when the road is wet! The road signs are there for a reason!

* Photo used with permission of Chief 1 and Safety 1

Total Stopping Distance• See it, process it, apply the brakes, and stop• Feet per second vs. mph

• 55 MPH = 80 FPS• Average brain takes 1.5 seconds to see, process and react to a

hazard• So if driving 55 MPH, you will travel almost 120 ft just to react to

something. • At 55 MPH, a fire truck takes 194 ft to come to a skidding stop

• 120+194= 314 ft…..aka a football field• Remember this when approaching an intersection!

The bottom line:

Drive defensively, watch following distances, and give yourself braking room! (SLOW DOWN)

Braking Efficiency• Air brakes vs. Hydraulic brakes

• Hydraulic acts immediately• Air takes almost .5 seconds to engage

• At 55 MPH, that is almost 40 extra feet to brake• Truck tires designed for weight and wear

• Sacrifice braking ability and traction for durability

The bottom line:

You need twice as much room to stop a fire truck as you do your car! (SLOW DOWN)

* Photo used with permission of Chief 1 and Safety 1

WHAT DO WE GAIN BY SPEEDING???

• Example: Traveling a distance of 8 miles• 35 mph = 13 min, 42 sec• 45 mph = 10 min, 40 sec• 55 mph = 8 min, 43 sec

• Example: Traveling a distance of 3 miles• 35 mph = 5 min, 8 sec• 45 mph = 4 min, 0 sec• 55 mph = 3 min, 16 sec

NOT MUCH!!!

NEED FOR SPEED?How effectively can providers perform CPR in a speeding ambulance? Will those few extra minutes to get to the hospital make the difference?

How do we serve those who call 911 if we never make it on-scene due to our own accident?

Your thoughts??

SCENE SAFETYTraffic Vests and Cones:

• Increase visibility and safety to scenes located on roads/highways

• Not just another silly SOP/SOG put out by different Fire Departments.

TRAFFIC VESTSIt has been proven that wearing retro-reflective clothing increases detection distances of people from 125 Ft (in normal clothing) to 890 Ft.

• This is VERY significant when considering the braking distances and speeds for the different vehicles approaching your scene.

Fire Fighters wearing reflective gear at night

CONESShould provide a barrier directing vehicles away from the emergency sceneCones should be placed “tapering” the lane(s) down Tapering distance should increase as speed limits increaseTraffic cones should be outfitted with 4” and 6” reflective tape

Click icon to add picture

Traffic Cone with 4” and 6” reflective tape

SUMMARYOur job is dangerous enough; Don’t add more potential by driving recklessly

SLOW DOWN!!! It is not our emergency

Pay attention to road signs and road conditions

ARRIVE ALIVE