FIREFIGHTER SAFETY

Firefighter Safety



Firefighter Safety

The first most important thing to every fire department in the United States and perhaps the world is firefighter safety, this seems like a simple concept to most. Some would say that firefighter safety is just a matter of paying attention to what you are doing like any other job; I assure you it is just the opposite.

Since the inception of fire departments in early history, great efforts have been made by departments to keep their members safe under even the most adverse conditions. As was said in firehouse magazine “We have a great deal of work to do in the fire service when it comes to firefighter safety and our dismal firefighter fatality statistics.

Today fire departments continue to seek new ways to keep the firefighters out of harms way however this has become increasingly difficult due to the many hazards that can be found on even the smallest fire scene. It is a common misconception that fire is the most dangerous element at a fire scene. We also face toxic fumes, threat of collapse, steam burns & entrapment to name a few more. Technology has helped in that quest by providing better tools and better protection to the firefighter but still we are far from being totally protected. A firefighter has a basic set of gear and equipment that helps protect him from the elements of a fire, this includes a protective firefighting suit, self contained breathing apparatus, gloves, a helmet, boots, flashlight and a forcible entry tool (axe, halogen bar, ect), however this is not enough to protection, training is also an important aspect in the safety factor.

Looking into some of these ideas to help keep firefighters safe one can see that in the past twenty years great advances have been made for ...