Reducing Fire Apparatus Accidents: A Management Approach
(Room 4A)
26 Feb 16
10:00 AM
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12:00 PM
Fire apparatus accidents are a leading cause of firefighter line of duty death and injury. Of far less importance but still significant, the monetary losses related to these incidents are staggering. So, rightfully, we spend a good deal of time discussing and training to reduce such events, however they continue to occur with frightening frequency. A recent three-year study into the root causes of these incidents indicated management techniques which have had a significant impact on reducing the accidents. The three year study, covering over 1,000 U.S. Fire Departments indicated six areas, controlled by the departments’ management, which had a direct effect on the frequency and severity of fire apparatus accidents. This study confirmed several items which risk management has relayed to fleet managers for years, but now actual and numerical proof is at hand. This class will go into the findings in detail providing fire chiefs with specific recommendations to reduce apparatus accidents and related firefighter injuries. All of these six factors are under the control of fire department management and when administered properly can have a positive effect on collision frequency and severity. The study is updated every three years and is currently under review, so the findings presented here will be either new or newly confirmed. When visiting fire departments with poor accident history, the instructor very often find the fire chiefs saying, “What can I do? I can’t drive it for them!” The results of this study and this class will answer that question conclusively.