By Cristi Laquer
EMS1 Staff
 Photo Cristi Laquer San Francisco Firefighter/EMT Julia DeJarlais dons sterile gloves to perform a daily check of SCBA packs on her apparatus. |
Fire/EMS 2008 Safety, Health and Survival Week presented a great opportunity for the fire service, at every level of organization, to focus on the unique risks that members face every day.
Now it’s up to departments to take the impetus hopefully gained this week and make safety a priority at all times, according to San Francisco Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White.
“The message needs to be out there 365 days a year,” she said. “But for the whole nation, and even the international service, to dedicate a week to health and safety and have a unified front is a great message for the fire service and for the public we serve.”
The San Francisco Fire Department, which also provides EMS for the city, distributed a Safety, Health and Survival Week general order to each of its 42 stations, in the hopes of reaching its 1,800 firefighters. “We made sure, in line with the IAFF and the IAFC, that everyone was aware that of Safety Week,” said Chief Hayes-White.
Slowing down
From Monday until Thursday, roll call at each San Francisco station included a schedule distributed by the chief’s office. Company officers were directed to begin roll call with a moment of silence to remember those who died in the line of duty over the past year.
“We asked for a moment of silence at each roll call so that we didn’t take any shifts for granted,” said Chief Hayes-White. “We wanted to remind our members to be cognizant that they’re in a dangerous occupation, because everyone hopes to return to their family after each shift.”
San Francisco’s curriculum included a list of line-of-duty deaths, which members were asked to review, and a PowerPoint presentation on Health and Fitness issues in the fire service. “We received a fitness and wellness grant, and assigned a paramedic to put together this PowerPoint, which talks about the fact that firefighters experience physical, mental and emotional situations that task our health and wellness,” Chief Hayes-White said.
“As a reminder, we’ve said that SFFD also stands for Strength, Fitness, Fun and Dedication,” said Hayes-White. “The PowerPoint covers everything from injury rates and how to avoid injuries to eating right and trends of obesity. It has different resources related to maintaining fitness.”
Station 13
On Thursday, Captain Pete Fay addressed the crew of San Francisco station 13, saying, “It’s dangerous enough, what we do. And if you look at this list of lost members for the last year, you can see a lot of the line-of-duty deaths were due to medical conditions.” The crew stood and observed a moment of silence for those lost over the past 12 months.
| Resources distributed to SFFD members |
Capt. Fay went on to emphasize key points from the department’s PowerPoint presentation. “Firefighters have a 10- to 100-fold increased risk for death from coronary heart disease during suppression … EMS professionals have one of the highest incidences of injury at 8.1 out of 100 workers.”
Normal parts of the day’s agenda also had an increased focus on health and safety. “The chief will be coming by for a PPE inspection,” he said. “Today’s drill will emphasize safety, and, who’s cooking? We want to encourage a healthy meal in particular today.”
Fay urged drivers to make sure they thoroughly went over their apparatus — and said that he would be ensuring everyone wore seat belts when they had to roll out of the station. “It’s bad enough when unforeseen things happen on the scene, without putting ourselves in more danger,” he said.
Other members were asked to add safety tips. “Just watch out for yourselves on the scene. If you’re getting wiped out, hydration is the most important thing,” said Rescue Captain and Paramedic Dan Casey. “Don’t be a hero. You’ll have enough opportunities for that.”
Though most firefighters’ daily routines weren’t radically different during the special week, members said they were glad to hear the points reemphasized. “It’s just a good reminder,” said Firefighter/EMT Julia DeJarlais, while checking her apparatus and its equipment, “because we get comfortable, and there might be something we’ve overlooked in our usual routine. You just want to make sure your head’s still in the game.”