Poor Choices/Poor Outcomes

[x635 4,066]

Excellent article on what's been a hot topic on this forum recently. It's written by Lawrence Shultz, Retired Assistant Fire Chief Of Operations from the Washington DC Fire Department. It should be a must read for everyone.

I am taking a break from my typical anarchist message and, pleading with you to read this very personal story as a personal assessment tool. I am a fire service traditionalist to the core and my style of writing is always intended to offer an opposing (or alternative) view of what I term the “overzealous safety culture”. My issue(s) are not, nor have they ever been about safety itself, but our approach to assessing and managing risk, without using emotional coercion.

I am going to attempt to address a true risk / health and safety concern, and do so without violating my, no emotional coercion rule. It’s my personal experience and I share to give people something to consider. Before you start jumping to the conclusion that this will be an on-line conversion where I join the “I hate old-school” fan club, simmer down a minute.

Article: http://community.fireengineering.com/m/blogpost?id=1219672%3ABlogPost%3A625148

[Quickness 7]

You'd have to redesign firehouses to be able to do all that.

[CTFF 65]

You'd have to redesign firehouses to be able to do all that.

Then we redesign firehouses, that's less of a big deal then the big "C".

[Quickness 7]

So after EVERY type of fire you're supposed to wash your turnout gear, take a shower, wash your uniform, and do all that stuff. Some departments are too busy for that and firehouses not set up for that. Can't even go get a cup of coffee after a run without having to perform a big decon operation on yourself first.

[Flashpoint 94]

So after EVERY type of fire you're supposed to wash your turnout gear, take a shower, wash your uniform, and do all that stuff.

Yes. Reread the article to see WHY.

[CTFF 65]

So after EVERY type of fire you're supposed to wash your turnout gear, take a shower, wash your uniform, and do all that stuff. Some departments are too busy for that and firehouses not set up for that. Can't even go get a cup of coffee after a run without having to perform a big decon operation on yourself first.

Look we know firefighters get certain cancers more frequently then the general population. There are all sorts of tips to reduce our exposures to known carcinogens that we as firefighters can do to protect ourselves. From the simple wash your face/neck/hands on scene before leaving a fire, maybe a gross decon of your gear.

I think as firefighters we are owed a second set of gear, including hoods and gloves. We should be given the time to shower after a call, you should have a second uniform at the station to change into after a shower. I can't imagine what one Cancer diagnosis costs my city ( and by the way we've had way too many where is work)in terms of the Healthcare costs, the overtime. I'm willing to bet with some steps that might cost a little but more now ( secodn set of gear, time to get clean) we could reduce cancer for our guys, and save the city money of the long term.

In the future maybe we should think about proper firehouse design to reduce cross contamination in our living areas but that's an issue that will be taken up I'm sure as new firehouses are built and stations are remodeled.