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Lake Dillon Fire-Rescue Lt. Kevin Skaer lifts a heavy bag while undergoing physical training with his SCBA equipment recently at Station 2 in Frisco. Such regular exercises are critical to firefighters for maintaining the fitness needed for their jobs as well as to keep them practiced with vital equipment.
When all three crews of Lake Dillon Fire-Rescue's B Shift met at Station 8 in Dillon last Tuesday, the usual ribbing and joking soon turned to a serious subject at hand: firefighter safety.
“Firefighting is inherently dangerous, and therefore it is incumbent upon us to focus our efforts this week on effective strategies to manage risk and on-going initiatives to further enhance health and safety,” Chief Dave Parmley said in kicking off the discussion as part of 2009 Fire/EMS Safety, Health and Survival Week sponsored by the International Association of Fire Chiefs.
Under their commitment to improving safety both within the department and in the community, firefighters in each of the three shifts are reviewing safety policies — ranging from battling structure fires to defensive emergency driving — and refocusing on the personal health and fitness required for their rigorous jobs. Department chiefs also are making a concerted effort to ensure safety through training and equipment.
“It's not only this week, but every day of every shift that we need to emphasize taking care of our own when it comes to firefighter safety, health and survival,” Parmley said.
And so it was that Battalion Chief Joe Hegenderfer reminded his crews that more than 100 firefighters die on the job in the United States each year, a statistic made even more sobering by the fact that the majority of fatalities are attributed to stress-induced afflictions such as heart attacks and vehicle crashes — not directly fighting fires and saving lives.
“We need to take this stuff seriously,” Hegenderfer said. “There's a whole lot of ways we can get hurt.”
Lt. Kevin Skaer, who has served as the department's point person on its health and wellness program, urged firefighters to watch their diets and pay attention to their blood pressure and cholesterol levels, since heart attacks can strike without previous warning signs.
“When we go out on a fire, we face a maximal cardio-vascular challenge,” Skaer said, noting that the combination of heavy gear, intense heat and physical and psychological stress requires top-tier fitness.
Every year, the department offers intensive training the “front-line” skills of firefighting, car-crash rescues and emergency response, operating specialized equipment and providing life-saving assistance. Additionally, Lake Dillon Fire has invested substantially in critical equipment and protective gear, including a new aerial apparatus that meets the most current National Fire Protection Association standards; and has instituted a health and wellness program aimed at keeping crews fit for their physically demanding work and conscious of the importance of a good diet and a healthy lifestyle.
Hegenderfer emphasized “situational awareness,” reiterating for firefighters the signs of an impending building collapse and flashovers — the lethal point at which heat from a structure fire reaches the point that everything ignites in an instantaneous fireball.
Among the focuses of 2009 Fire/EMS Safety, Health and Survival Week for Lake Dillon Fire-Rescue are:
Safety: Engineers are being reminded of safe driving practices, even during emergencies.
Health: All crews are undergoing heart attack and cancer awareness training
Survival: Firefighters are taking refreshers on sizing up structures before venturing inside and focusing on situational awareness.
“All three of our shifts are examining these fundamental areas,” Parmley said. “Firefighter safety is an issue we're well aware of, and we want to do everything we can — not only to protect the lives of our firefighters but to protect the lives of the public as well.”
“Firefighting is inherently dangerous, and therefore it is incumbent upon us to focus our efforts this week on effective strategies to manage risk and on-going initiatives to further enhance health and safety,” Chief Dave Parmley said in kicking off the discussion as part of 2009 Fire/EMS Safety, Health and Survival Week sponsored by the International Association of Fire Chiefs.
Under their commitment to improving safety both within the department and in the community, firefighters in each of the three shifts are reviewing safety policies — ranging from battling structure fires to defensive emergency driving — and refocusing on the personal health and fitness required for their rigorous jobs. Department chiefs also are making a concerted effort to ensure safety through training and equipment.
“It's not only this week, but every day of every shift that we need to emphasize taking care of our own when it comes to firefighter safety, health and survival,” Parmley said.
And so it was that Battalion Chief Joe Hegenderfer reminded his crews that more than 100 firefighters die on the job in the United States each year, a statistic made even more sobering by the fact that the majority of fatalities are attributed to stress-induced afflictions such as heart attacks and vehicle crashes — not directly fighting fires and saving lives.
“We need to take this stuff seriously,” Hegenderfer said. “There's a whole lot of ways we can get hurt.”
Lt. Kevin Skaer, who has served as the department's point person on its health and wellness program, urged firefighters to watch their diets and pay attention to their blood pressure and cholesterol levels, since heart attacks can strike without previous warning signs.
“When we go out on a fire, we face a maximal cardio-vascular challenge,” Skaer said, noting that the combination of heavy gear, intense heat and physical and psychological stress requires top-tier fitness.
Every year, the department offers intensive training the “front-line” skills of firefighting, car-crash rescues and emergency response, operating specialized equipment and providing life-saving assistance. Additionally, Lake Dillon Fire has invested substantially in critical equipment and protective gear, including a new aerial apparatus that meets the most current National Fire Protection Association standards; and has instituted a health and wellness program aimed at keeping crews fit for their physically demanding work and conscious of the importance of a good diet and a healthy lifestyle.
Hegenderfer emphasized “situational awareness,” reiterating for firefighters the signs of an impending building collapse and flashovers — the lethal point at which heat from a structure fire reaches the point that everything ignites in an instantaneous fireball.
Among the focuses of 2009 Fire/EMS Safety, Health and Survival Week for Lake Dillon Fire-Rescue are:
Safety: Engineers are being reminded of safe driving practices, even during emergencies.
Health: All crews are undergoing heart attack and cancer awareness training
Survival: Firefighters are taking refreshers on sizing up structures before venturing inside and focusing on situational awareness.
“All three of our shifts are examining these fundamental areas,” Parmley said. “Firefighter safety is an issue we're well aware of, and we want to do everything we can — not only to protect the lives of our firefighters but to protect the lives of the public as well.”
