Fire protection isn’t just about what we do to protect ourselves from fires. It’s also about the safety and health hazards first responders face when responding to emergencies in the community. Fire departments and emergency services must follow health and safety rules to reduce the risks to their own employees.
What can go wrong when fire departments don’t follow health and safety rules?
A recent case involving three small fire departments and other emergency services that responded to a house fire in a rural Oregon town brings the issue into stark contrast.
The lead fire department was paged out on a fire call at 12:49 a.m. Local police officers and paramedics were the first responders to the fire. The police officers rescued an unresponsive resident from the house and moved him to the covered entryway; the paramedics began CPR to revive him.
Two firefighters from the lead fire department arrived at 1:11 a.m. in their fire truck. Seeking to assess the extent of the fire, they entered the burning house. But they did so without self-contained breathing apparatuses (SCBA). Such personal protective equipment is vital: It provides a clean air supply, allowing users to safely operate in a hazardous environment. Five minutes later, another two-person emergency support team arrived, entered the house wearing only street clothes, and tried to extinguish the fire source with a pressurized water can. Their effort failed. The fire spread rapidly throughout the house.
At 1:21 a.m., the two firefighters from the lead fire department attacked the fire with water from a pre-connected hose from their truck. Nine minutes later firefighters from the two other fire departments arrived and helped put out the fire.
Fortunately, none of the firefighters or other emergency responders was injured. However, several key issues put all the responders at risk:
- The firefighters from the lead fire department entered the burning house without self-containing breathing apparatuses.
- The two-person emergency support team entered the house wearing only street clothes.
- After firefighters from the lead fire department entered the house, they did not stay in visual or voice contact with one another at all times. Such communication is critical to maintaining situational awareness, coordination, and rapid hazard recognition.
- Firefighters from the lead fire department had not been properly trained and did not meet National Fire Protection Association 1001 standards.
The rural Oregon house fire incident takes on more relevance when you consider that the United States celebrates Fire Prevention Month annually in October in honor of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, which began on Oct.8. The fire killed as many as 300 people, destroyed 17,000 structures, and left more than 100,000 residents homeless.
The month-long campaign is dedicated to educating the public about the importance of fire prevention, emergency preparedness, and the steps to take if a fire happens. Although the focus is on public awareness, firefighter safety matters too. Fire Prevention Month serves as a reminder that everyone needs protection from fire risks. To learn more about related Oregon OSHA rules and resources, please review the division’s A-to-Z topic index about firefighters and fire protection.