A fire chief in a small department out west had just finished teaching a class when a discussion of line-of-duty deaths began. When the question “What justification or explanations can we offer to the survivors?” came up, they were unable to arrive at any answer that provided them any degree of sincere comfort.

Anyone who has attended the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation annual memorial service can begin to comprehend the effects of this sudden loss on a family. The eyes and body language of the mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, husbands, wives and children of the lost firefighters tell a very sad story. In 2003, 106 firefighters were honored at this ceremony, and this number is not unusual.

Why do we continue to tolerate this life loss as an acceptable aspect of our vocation? What message are we sending to our members, their families and others who observe our actions? By tolerating the loss of life continually suffered within our ranks, are we in effect condoning a mentality of acceptance? Our industry is filled with threats and dangers, but we all would fare better if we didn't play into the hands of the enemy.

If we all want to have a truly happy new year, every firefighter, officer and chief must adopt a sincere attitude of zero tolerance for line-of-duty deaths. We are too good at putting together a line-of-duty funeral. We are too good at presenting beautiful memorial services. We have magnificent monuments to our fallen brothers and sisters. But we need to become as good or better at taking care of ourselves. Every fire department leader must educate themselves in every way possible, seeking information and learning from each other. IAFC Executive Director Garry Briese put it in a clear concise way when he said, “Firefighter safety requires action, not talk.”

Here are some ways of going into action. The OSHA Division of Safety Research states that motor vehicle — related incidents have been a prominent cause of line-of-duty fatalities in the past few years. While fireground activities continue to exact a toll on firefighter mortality, reduction of firefighter fatalities should include measures to address motor vehicle hazards. OSHA recommends that vehicle types often involved in firefighters fatal injuries be identified and that the event characteristics associated with firefighter motor vehicle — related fatal injuries should be researched.

It's also important that safety SOPs be established in all departments, no matter how big or small that department may be. It becomes incumbent on fire department leaders to look at the procedures of other departments to see if a better or safer guideline has been established. One absolute SOP that must be in every department in this country is that the apparatus doesn't roll to an emergency unless everyone is belted in. One place to go for this information and the other pressing and stressful issue of close calls is www.firefighterclosecalls.com.

Let's think about the definition of a true emergency. The 1980 U.S. DOT EVOC Instructors Manual states a true emergency is any situation in which there is a high probability of death or serious injury or a significant property loss, and the actions by the emergency vehicle driver may reduce the seriousness of the situation. But how many of our responses fit that definition?

Robert J. Faugh, chairman of the Fireman's Association of the State of New York's training and education committee, said, “We can no longer say ‘what if’ and put our people and the public at risk by running red to calls we know are not life or serious property threats. Automatic alarms without a backup call are false 99.5% of the time. If we respond to them ‘non-emergency,’ how much longer would it take? The answer is 90 seconds. If it is a serious incident, it is better to get there 90 seconds later and in one piece. We have to err on the side of caution instead of ‘it might be,’ which is killing our people and other innocent people who get in our way.”

This is cultural change, but the traditional way of thinking has been killing firefighters on a regular basis.

We also must begin training firefighters and EMTs in traffic control and safety measures while working on the roadways. How many firefighters are trained in such things as the location of vehicles and placement of cones and early warning signs at highway emergencies? What vests are proper to wear? What is the safest way to place equipment on apparatus? An organization that can help a department with these issues is Responder Safety, sponsored by the Cumberland Valley Volunteer Fireman's Association. Available on their Web site (www.respondersafety.com) are SOP examples and a free training DVD, Ten Cones of Highway Safety.

Risk management is another key way to save firefighter lives. Is it worth losing firefighters in abandoned buildings or in buildings that are fully involved with no life hazard? This, too, is a cultural change. A document that is a must-read is “The 10 Rules of Engagement for Structural Firefighting” by the IAFC. It's available at www.iafc.org/downloads/rules.pdf.

But no discussion of LODDs can ignore heart- and stress-related deaths. Heart attacks are the number-one killer of firefighters. Mark A. Whitney, a USFA fire program specialist, said that cutting down the number of heart attacks in the fire service “is going to be a difficult objective to get to, but I think it can happen. Health and wellness projects are going on right now with the IAFC, IAFF and NVFC, and we need to have lifestyle changes for firefighters.” He stresses the importance of hydration and rehab to relieve stress, heat and body temperature.

Heath and wellness programs are necessary in every department. If a department doesn't have room for one in the budget, it's essential to pursue partners in the community. Local hospitals, physical therapy clinics and gyms, and the chamber of commerce are avenues to follow. Every department also must have a program of physicals for each member to comply with NFPA 1582, Comprehensive Occupational Medical Program for Fire Departments.

Now is the time to rethink our individual and organizational commitment to those we serve and serve with. Each firefighter lost represents a tragic loss. Sadly, the tragedy associated with these losses may be dynamically amplified by their preventability. In reading the after-action reports of line-of-duty fatalities, there is one constant: failure. We fail to train our members adequately, fail to communicate effectively, fail to maintain necessary levels of health and wellness, fail to procure and use personal protective equipment, fail to have and enforce SOPs.

“We have ownership in determining and defining the ambient level of safety within the workplaces to which we are subjected,” said Chief Jon Surbeck of the Evans (Colo.) Fire Department said. “In this battle of life, we have ownership on an individual and organizational level. The madness stops when we say it does.”

---

Chief Mike Chiaramonte is a 35-year member of the Lynbrook (N.Y.) Fire Department and a past chief of the department. He's currently the chief fire inspector, where he's responsible for code enforcement and prevention education. Chiaramonte was a past chairman and board member of the IAFC Volunteer and Combination Officers Section Board and New York State Director to the IAFC Eastern Division. He's also a National Fire Academy Instructor and an adviser to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. Chiaramonte is a state EMT-CC and an instructor at the Nassau County EMS Academy. He has a bachelor's degree from the University of Houston and a master's degree from Hofstra University, both in communications education.