In the last 10 years, more than 225 firefighters died in vehicle accidents while on duty. Vehicle accidents are one of the leading causes of firefighter deaths, and the real tragedy is that many of these accidents are preventable.

To stop this awful loss of life, departments need to institute and enforce some simple practices to ensure the safe operation of emergency vehicles. Here are five steps your department can take to help reduce vehicle-related injuries and deaths:

#1 Use Your Seat Belts. It's hard to believe that seat belts have been around for almost 50 years, and yet many people still refuse to use them. Seat belts may not prevent accidents, but they do save lives. Every seat should have a seat belt, and every person riding in an apparatus should use his or her seat belt. Failure to do so should result in disciplinary action. Crews should practice by timing how long it takes to enter the cab in full turnout gear and fasten their seat belts. They should then identify any problems and work towards improving the time. The wheels shouldn't roll unless everyone's seat belt is fastened. Period!

#2 Ride Inside. Apparatus built before 1991 were not required to have fully enclosed cabs. Some had semi-enclosed canopy cabs, while others had two-door cabs with firefighters riding on the tailboard. A lot of these older apparatus are still in service, and departments need to make some hard decisions about using them. Ideally, these apparatus should be upgraded or placed in reserve. If that isn’t possible, departments should establish a policy that everyone must ride inside the apparatus cab or in another fire department vehicle's cab. This restriction should also prohibit firefighters from riding anywhere on the body of the apparatus when fighting grass fires -- a common, but extremely dangerous, practice.

#3 Restrict Alcohol Use. Although departments cannot restrict alcohol use during off-duty hours, they can restrict its use within a reasonable period prior to reporting for duty. The International Association of Fire Chiefs has adopted a "zero-tolerance" policy for the consumption of alcohol. It specifically prohibits personnel from responding to emergencies if they have consumed alcohol within eight hours prior to a call or if they are still noticeably impaired. It further bans alcohol from the premises of any operational portion of the department. Your department should adopt a similar policy.

#4 Restrict Vehicle Speed. Excessive speed by inexperienced, over-eager drivers is a common cause of emergency vehicle accidents. It is especially deadly when operating tankers on rural roads. Some speed guidelines you might consider include prohibiting apparatus from traveling more than 10mph over the posted speed limit when responding to emergencies. If the apparatus are forced to travel in the opposing traffic lanes, the maximum speed should be 20mph. If firefighters must proceed through an intersection against a stop sign or red light, they must come to a full stop first. And a maximum speed of 35mph for tankers is reasonable and would go a long way to prevent rollover accidents.

#5 Train Drivers. Some departments let the first person to arrive at the station be the driver. Other departments assign drivers to the first-due rigs, but let anyone else drive the support vehicles. Both are bad practices. Everyone who drives an emergency vehicle should be trained. At a minimum, they should have enough training to obtain and hold a valid driver's license for the type and class of vehicle to be driven. In many states, tractor-trailers, tankers and vehicles with air brakes require special licenses or certifications.

Additional information on these points and many others are included in the Federal Emergency Management Agency publication "Emergency Vehicle Safety Initiative." It contains detailed recommendations on establishing department SOPs and training programs, along with examples of best practices from several fire departments throughout the United States. Download a copy at USFA Publications Web site, or call 800-561-3356 or 301-447-1189 for a free print copy. Requests may also be faxed to 301-447-1213.

Related:

Cab Occupant Protection
To increase the safety of firefighters in apparatus, consider specifying apparatus with special cab occupant protection systems.