As part of the opening ceremony for the Pike's Peak Chiefs Forum's annual dinner in Colorado Springs, Colo., a U.S. Air Force firefighter explained the significance of the small table with only one place set for dinner at the front of the banquet room. A vase contained two roses: a red rose for lost firefighters and a white rose for those injured on calls. A slice of lemon and some salt represented the bitter loss of life and tears shed by loved ones. Finally, an overturned glass represented a firefighter who would not be dining with us that night.

The Air Force Academy Fire Department's color guard marched forward and placed a firefighter's helmet on the table and lit a candle. A bagpiper performed “Amazing Grace.” It was a very simple but moving ceremony honoring lost firefighters.

Notice that I didn't say heroes. We often hear of “the ultimate sacrifice,” but is every line-of-duty death the loss of a hero?

As the dinner's keynote speaker, safety was on my mind. Last year a Colorado Springs Fire Department crew was involved in a dramatic accident. Station 11's Driver/Engineer Kerry Coleman, Paramedic Robert Berry and Firefighter Matthew Langley had been dispatched to an infant cardiac-arrest call. While responding, they drove through a major intersection with four lanes east and west.

Pushing against a red light, the crew felt they had traffic under control when a southbound pickup truck went through the intersection and struck the fire apparatus just behind the left front wheel. The pickup driver's attempt to avoid the accident brought the truck's rear tires onto the front fender of the apparatus. As a result, the apparatus rolled over completely before coming to rest on its wheels.

Coleman was knocked unconscious, and Berry was shaken up. Langley, who was on a rear flip-seat, broke seven ribs and separated his right shoulder. His seatbelt restrained him, but as his body moved straight up, the flip-seat closed. He ended up in the cab's stairwell, still held by the seatbelt.

According to Fleet Management and Operations Capt. Bruce Long, equipment from the apparatus was sprawled everywhere at the scene. The two-month-old apparatus was totaled, but the crew members survived because they followed the mandatory seatbelt policy of their city and fire department.

“We spend a great deal of effort with our safety committee from the time [firefighters] are recruits,” said Chief Manuel Navarro. “It was to their credit the crew follows the safety orders. Also, thank goodness we had a brand-new rig. The engine was airborne and flipped. The old rig would not have held up.”

The safety orders are no accident. “When I was with the Oakland (Calif.) Fire Department, I was in four wrecks and thankfully, we were buckled in,” said Navarro. “So I've got a spot for this type of safety.”

Fire Chief has always believed in the use of seatbelts. To help chiefs reinforce their departmental safety policies, we created a poster four years ago that depicted a crew who survived an accident because they were wearing seatbelts. This month, we offer a new poster with the same message.

Harold Boer, president of Rosenbauer America, is sponsoring our 2006 seatbelt safety poster as well as the distribution of additional free posters. If you'd like extra copies for your fire stations, please e-mail sales@rosenbaueramerica.com.

The fire service has made great strides in safety, but more can always be done. In the words of Texas trial lawyer Jim Juneau, “Why take the trouble to wear helmets, gloves, gear, hearing protectors, SCBAS, PASS devices, etc., and not wear seatbelts en route?”

Accidents are accidents. Responding to emergencies is a high-risk business. But take a look at the firefighter fatalities from the past few years at www.fireheroes.org. Which ones could have been prevented?

The lone table setting for the firefighter at the chiefs' dinner was a beautiful memorial, but I also told the chiefs, “Don't be responsible for a firefighter's death because you didn't enforce your department's rules.”

Reader Responses

Outstanding

Bravo, Janet! I applaud you for a fine editorial. Safety Stickler was an outstanding article, but then that shouldn't have surprised me as most of your editorials hit the nail on the head.

Hats off to Rosenbauer America for again stepping up to the plate with the posters. The shoulder harness high-lighters previously distributed were also an outstanding contribution. Thanks again for a great article.

Chief William Walton CFO
Eastern Division Director
International Association Of Fire Chiefs