Duty Deaths and Injuries in the Fire Service

There are over 10,000 vacant fire fighting in Buffalo, New York, and these are often the target of arsonists and vandals. In 2006, the Buffalo Fire Department responded to 1,543 structural fires serious work. The following year was not much better in 1298. The Buffalo Fire Department has suffered the loss of 111 firefighters from its establishment as a fully career fire department for over 125 years. Sixteen firefighters have died since being appointed to the department in 1983, I myself worked in the fire, where 8 of the men died, five firefighters in a warehouse explosion, plus 3 singles LODD incidents. It was a warehouse fire where a wall collapsed killing a lieutenant, a fire at a battalion commander as died from smoke inhalation, and a fire in his house when a young firefighter burned to death. Having operated in the place where 8 of the men died has really pushed me to be safer and to create a safer environment for my team so we can all go home. We in Buffalo have improved. The Buffalo Fire Department has not lost a firefighter on the fire ground since 1997. However, three deaths have occurred since then. In 2005 he lost a fight in Iraq member, and his death was a huge loss for our department, while technically not LODD. A Truck Co. lieutenant who had succumbed to cancer related duty in 2005. In February 2006, a firefighter who was injured in 1995 and had remained in a coma for 10 years, died. Many of the firefighters killed reasons involve things we can do something about it. We can avoid the risks, we can avoid all the time. No matter what the incident we are responding to or operating at implies, but rather the fact that we will not expose the controllable risk. This is not "risk-benefit analysis," but "risk aversion." I will use my seatbelt when I am responding to an automatic alarm and when I am in response to an orphanage fire and participate fully occupied.

Much has been said about the firefighters of new generation, both in training and motivation. We tried today to explain why rules and regulations. This is good, because our new firefighters are smart and willing to learn. However, this does not relieve us of having rules, regulations and procedures. Many departments have replaced the operating procedures with operating guidelines. I fully understand the reasons for it. There are segments of our operations, however, it is necessary for clear direction. Standard Operating Procedures used in our department, as well as orders of the Department. Earlier I mentioned the risk aversion and risk-benefit analysis. For much of what we do in the fire service, construction of risk aversion. If we put a seat belt every time, if we SCBA during exposure to smoke, if you practice good communication at the scene of the fire with our partners and our commanders, we will reduce our risk of injury ...