Journal Entry 19: The Smashed Tactical Box

...And Some Damn Good Advice

Ron Kanterman (September 2012)

Guest Blogger; Deputy Chief Jim Murtagh (Ret.), FDNY

My guest blogger for Journal Entry #19 is Jim Murtagh. I met Jim in 1974 when I was a freshman at John Jay College in New York City and he was an adjunct professor and company offer on the upper west side of Manhattan. Jim has been a friend, advisor, professor and mentor during my entire career and to this day, as in the last 38 years, I welcome his commentary on anything I do. This piece was a note to me, however I modified it for the reading audience so it would look more like an editorial piece.  

Jim spent 35 years in the FDNY and retired in 2000 as a Deputy Assistant Chief of Department. He rose to the rank of Deputy Chief in record time, about 12 years and was a chief officer longer then he was all other ranks put together, over his career. Not an easy feat in the FDNY. Jim is a wealth of knowledge and has taught fire operations, strategy and tactics all over the United States. He is also an accomplished author and has produced an invaluable body of work.

The following are his thoughts and comments on my last feature article “New Fire loads, New Tactics; Smashing the Tactical Box.” Once again, Jim lends his expertise and life time of experience to all of us here. Enjoy the read.

Ronnie K

Bread & Butter-Not So Fast………………….

Under the subject heading of “Bread and Butter” fires, you talked about using 2 1/2 inch lines with a smoothbore nozzle in a house, staffing permitting of course. Then you went on to talk about the fact that maybe we should look at these new residential fires as commercial fires; and that the new fires are producing more BTUs. I agree with the second half of this statement, but not the first half.

I have found in the course of my career at FDNY that a 2 1/2" hose is not appropriate for fighting interior fires in multiple dwellings, housing projects, and tenement buildings. The obvious conditions which make this size hose inappropriate is the weight of the hose when filled with water (the larger diameter making it more difficult to handle in tight spots) and the back pressure at the nozzle due to the greater flow. However what's not obvious is the difficulty moving the line into the desired location once it is charged. Once the hose begins to discharge water it requires a significant effort to control; more than the effort provided by the nozzle person, and often more than a standard nozzle team (nozzle and back up firefighter). The weight of the water and the friction resistance of the hose rubbing along the floor, around the newel posts, corners of the walls and other obstructions makes it too difficult to advance. On a safety note and even more importantly, it’s too difficult to back out (retreat) when that option is required or mandated. My personal experience as well as the experience of thousands of New York City firefighters found that 2 1/2" hose gives you greater "knockdown power" but once you are in a confined space (hallway, doorway, vestibule, etc.) it limits your ability to control and move the hose line in most directions except straight ahead. In addition, because of the weight of dry 2 1/2" hose, there will be some delay in getting the line into its first operating position. This may give the fire time to intensify and expand in to additional areas of the structure. This presents the hose team with a threefold problem; (1) working harder to get the line into position (2) difficulty or the inability to manipulate or move the hose rapidly and (3) while they are attempting to move the line, the fire is getting away from them and maybe presenting new dangers (failure of ceilings, walls, floor or other building systems). (RK-Chief Ken Scandariato, Norwich (CT) FD has said; “Remember that we don’t fight fire fight, we fight time.”) If the building is of light weight new construction, failure under moderate conditions is probable. Structural failure may be also be caused by delays in getting the line into operation or caused by the significant punch of the stream. These are real possibilities.

My career included work in highly residential areas of New York City, 1 and 2 family homes, mid-size multiple dwellings and high-rise multiple dwellings, what we all call “Bread and Butter” areas. (RK-Jim did the 5 Borough tour over his 35 years.) In 1982 I had a fire on the top floor of the six-story multiple dwelling. The fire was in the rear apartment and at that time I was the Captain of Engine 48 in the Bronx. I had four very able-bodied and very talented firefighters stretch three lengths of 1 3/4" hose followed by four lengths of 2 1/2" hose up to the apartment door. When we began to enter the apartment on the sixth floor we opened the line and got a good flow of water and then the pressure dropped significantly. The Motor Pump Operator (MPO, driver, engineer, chauffer) was well experienced and knew how to provide an adequate water supply.  I immediately notified him that we were getting inadequate water pressure and flow as I sent the “door position” firefighter down to check the line for kinks or obstructions which may have been hampering the water delivery. My MPO advised me that he was pumping approximately 150 PSI and that if I want to go higher he could but I would have to order him to do so. The firefighter I sent to get the kinks out reported back relatively quickly and told me there were no kinks in the line and that it was in good condition. I ordered the MPO go to 200 psi.  While we did get a slight improvement it was inconsequential, so I ordered the MPO to go to 250 PSI. At that pressure, we got a reasonably good stream and started to advance. As we advanced, we experienced a burst length and had to back out.  Fortunately for us, the Battalion Chief had ordered a second line onto the floor and they were able to replace us and extinguish the fire. This is, as you know, is standard operating procedure to have a backup line in position when a hose line is put into operation.

The hose that we thought had burst was brand-new and had only been delivered to us the day before.  We had put it on apparatus but did not pressure test it before we used it.  (It was not common practice to pressure test hose when it was delivered by the FDNY hose unit.) I contacted the Hose Unit, Safety Unit and Research and Development and told them about the burst length. As it turns out, it was not a burst length in the true sense and the hose did not break. The butt of the hose blew off the hose from the end where it was connected. They questioned me and asked me about the increased pressures and I told him that my studies had indicated that the hose was rated far beyond the pressures we used that and that there is no reason that the butt end of the brand-new hose should come off. They agreed and also agreed to do some research over the course of the next several weeks. I went out to the Division of Training and met with the hose manufacturers as well as officers from the Hose Unit, Safety Battalion, Research and Development and the Training Bureau.  We all examined the hose and discussed the problem and agreed we should do a test to see if we could repeat what had happened. We stretched hose and forced water through both the old hose and new hose.  We were not able to repeat what had happened at the fire, however one interesting thing did come from our research.  When we took an internal measurement of the butt and the new hose it was in fact 1 3/4"inches just as the manufacturer had said it would be and just as the purchase order said it was supposed to be. However when we measured the old 1 3/4" hose we found that the butt was 1 3/4" but the hose was found to be 1.96" in diameter. This small, slightly less than a quarter inch (21/100's of an inch) difference was significant enough to retard the flow of water and when pushed to achieve the 185 GPM flow, strong enough to overcome the power of the hose retaining ring used to hold the hose on to the butt.  The older hose (1.96") was the size we had been using and, we were accustomed to receiving its larger flow at fires. The fire department returned all the hose it had ordered and ordered new hose at 1.96 inches in diameter. (RK-A good lesson learned for all of us. Do you really know what the true diameter of your hose lines are?)

Several years later I found someone who had worked on the original research that was done in the mid-70s.  They tried to determine what size hose we could go to and get away from using 2 1/2" hose for residential firefighting. The FDNY recognized booster lines were totally inadequate and extremely dangerous in most multiple dwelling or private dwelling fires. It also recognized that 2 1/2" was totally improper for firefighting in residential occupancies. The 2 1/2" hose is appropriate for commercial occupancies and large-scale fires provided you don't have to move the hose around too often or at a rapid pace. (RK-The open floor plan in a McMansion may be one of those residential spaces a 2 ½ may work as mentioned in my article, but that may be it. Try everything first before you engage on the fire ground!)

About six months after the incident with the 1 3/4" we went to a top floor fire in a significantly large H type building with the fire on the top floor and in the cockloft. We  were the fourth engine on the assignment and the chief told me he wanted me to take a line up the outside of the building and then into the top floor. I directed my unit to stretch 2 1/2" hose not 1 3/4".  They of course objected and thought it was ridiculous. We were going straight up the fire escape and then into a vacant apartment, down the hallway  and out to the fire area. It was a relatively easy straight run. The line was pulled up the fire escape and into the apartment by four firefighters, working together to get the line in position relatively quickly.  Once we were in position I called for water and notified the Battalion Chief who was on the fire floor, that I had my line in position and was ready to attack the expanding fire. He looked at me and said "What do you think you are going to do with that?"  I told him I was going knock the ceiling down and put the fire out. To the amazement of my own firefighters and some of the other units that were working with us and who were accustomed to using only 1 ¾  lines, they saw the power of the 2 1/2" line with a  straight bore nozzle to hydraulically overhaul walls and ceilings (open up) and rapidly extinguishing the fire. However when we tried to move the line forward I had to ask the Battalion Chief for additional support. We actually used seven firefighters to effectively move the line to various areas on the top floor. The line operated just as I had expected and just as my past experience had proven. This was the right situation and we had ample and experienced firefighters to do what need to be done. (RK-It looks to me that you have to have the right people, trained and experienced and plenty of them!)

Ron, you can see by what I have written, I'm not in favor 2 1/2" hose in small homes and MD's.  I think it would be dangerous in buildings with light weight construction. However if you use a 2 1/2" hose from the outside it works GREAT; and much better than 1 3/4" which I see often in the pictures in our Fire Service Publications. (RK-Yes, even one of the masters agrees that sometimes transitional attack is the way to go. Another argument for another day, however??)

Foam….Really?

I began to read what you wrote about foam and I immediately began to think of high expansion foam and all of its pitfalls. Fortunately you did not talk about high expansion foam. Thank you! I believe it would be an absolute disaster in these kinds of lightweight buildings and would result in bigger fires and more dangerous conditions. However the low expansion foam that you're talking about seems to have a good possibility for being a solution to a growing problem. I do not have a great deal of experience with using foam as an attack line in residential occupancies. In fact I have never heard of it until you wrote about it in this article. So let me say "bravo" to your thinking out-of-the-box and your understanding and willing to try things which are not commonly thought about. I'm sure that this will be further looked into and researched and evaluated by many Fire Departments over the next several years. I sure hope it works.

Again, I reiterate that your article is excellent. It is thoughtful, different, and steps out-of-the-box - something we all need to do more often.

Best regards,

Jim

Journal Entry 18: Smash the Tactical Box

“We have fire in another mini tank farm”

By Ron Kanterman (7/5/2012)

Hope you summer is going well. On the LODD front, we’re not doing great. In my last Journal Entry (#17), we talked about seatbelts, speed and intersections. This is just one cog in the safety wheel. Hopefully you and your team mates have all recommitted to safety during the International Fire & EMS Safety week in June.

As I write this journal entry, I can’t help but have my thoughts with the brothers out west who are getting their proverbial asses kicked in the wild land. I was out in Colorado the third week in June teaching a class and was probably in the only town that wasn’t on fire, but you can bet all of those guys ended up traveling to a fire location. Hell, even guys from Delaware flew west. My “Back Step Boys” radio partner Tom Aurnhammer was teaching at the NFA for two weeks and in the true spirit of the American Fire Service, told me on the phone the day before he headed home to Colorado, “I’m chomping at the bit to get back and dig in.” Others not in our business are driving away from it. Tom was flying home to get in to it. Pray for rain and that all come home safely. Pray for those who haven’t come home, particularly the four National Guardsmen who perished in their C-130 transport.

Let’s briefly talk about smashing the tactical box. For one moment, let’s not get out of the box, let’s take it apart violently and with vigor. As most of you have seen by now, the FDNY is doing some tactical testing by lighting fires in acquired structures to study the heat release rate of materials and how to attack the hydrocarbon laden fires we have today. Those of us who have the opportunity to teach (and preach) have been discussing the new fires and the new fire loads for a year or three. I tell young firefighters in my classes, that they’re not going to my fires anymore. The heat release rate of the materials, the speed of flame propagation and the toxic by-products are all very fast and very new. The Smoke Coalition (www.firesmoke.org) has published papers and DVD’s entitled “The Toxic Twins” meaning Carbon Monoxide (CO) and Hydrogen Cyanide (HCN). That’s a pretty good reason to wear your mask during a structure fire and right through overhaul, isn’t it?

Food for thought:

Knowing what we know, we may be bringing a pea shooter to a gun fight. Hey, we evolved albeit slowly and went from 1 ½” line to 1 ¾” line. Some even use 2” attack lines as well. With fires in “mini tank farms” (that would be today’s home or business full of hydrocarbon materials, e.g. plastics and like) should we be thinking 2 ½” for a few rooms of fire in a house? In terms of transitional attack, how about a shot of dry chemical in a window for knock down? How about a shot of foam (Class A or B) in the window for knock down. Stay tuned in to what New York is doing.  To read more tactical tips on smashing the blox at your next mini tank farm fire -- I mean structure fire -- CLICK HERE.

Be safe,

Ronnie K

PS-Just want to wish much good luck to Bob Colameta who left the Everyone Goes Home Program. Bob was the web site, resource administrator and “backbone” of the EGH program and a George D. Post Instructor of the Year for the work he did on the program. I’m sure we haven’t heard or seen the last of him. God speed big guy!                  

Journal Entry 17 -- Seat belts, Speed, and Intersections

An Easy Way to a Long Life

By Ron Kanterman

So, in Journal Entry 14 (posted December, 2011), we discussed the merits of the Everyone Goes Home, Courage to be Safe program; where we are, and where we’re going. Indeed, the low hanging fruit is the driving issue. Statistically, the number of members killed driving POV’s and/or apparatus has markedly dropped. It’s pretty basic stuff. Seatbelts, speed, and intersections. If we look at these in their most basic forms, they make the most sense. Buckle up, slow down, and stop for red lights and stop signs. The NFPA recorded that from 1977-2007, 932 firefighters were killed in vehicle accidents. For purposes of round numbers, that’s almost a thousand of us that never went home because of a driving issue. Are all of these the fault of our people? Probably not. Are most of them the fault of our people? Probably. Listen gang, this is the easy one. To date, 6 of the 32 LODD’s nationwide were vehicle fatalities. We can do better. It has to be a constant push from the Chief on down. Front seat officers and the drivers themselves all must take responsibility. In fact, each and every member must take stock in themselves, their own safety, and the safety of those around them whether it’s their brothers and sisters in the firehouse or the citizens they swore to protect. Life Safety Initiative #4 reads “All firefighters must be empowered to stop unsafe practices.” Empower your people to “say something” so if it doesn’t look or feel right it’s OK to chime in. Everyone on the crew has to be able to say, “hey driver, knucklehead, dopey, speedy, Andretti (or any other endearing term) slow down!” And for our volunteers responding in their POV’s, perhaps a short suspension for traffic violations is in order.

Seatbelts:

Yes, a time proven method of staying in the vehicle versus being tossed out when it rolls, crashes, slides, hits something or stops wheels up. This, I think is a good thing. I love hearing all the excuses (and that’s all they are, excuses) of why guys can’t buckle up. The most popular excuse is putting the air pack on in the jump seat. When the “pack in the seat” system was invented, it was a good idea for its time. Get of the rig readier and faster and get in quicker. Bull! The fact remains that we’re not really getting off the rig and heading directly into a structure to make a difference of any kind. We still get off the rig, do size up, stretch lines, throw a ladder perhaps, and then maybe go in. There are a few remedies here.

1)    Get in the seat. Put your pack on. Buckle up. (Yes, it can be done.)

2)    Get in the seat. Don’t put your pack on. Buckle up. When you get to the fire, unbuckle and put your pack on. (Yes, this can be done.)

3)    Put the air packs back in the side compartments. Get in the seat. Buckle up. Unbuckle upon arrival. While you’re throwing your air pack on over your head, do a “size up and cinch up” and plan your attack with your crew.

4)    Consider ordering new apparatus with overhead pull down seatbelts like the flight attendants have on jets. It’s got to be easier than reaching around.

5)    Consider ordering new apparatus with regular seats and place the packs back in the side compartments. (The seats will be more comfy when on longer rides, inspection duty, and other non-emergency details.)

6)    Consider that every time you get on an apparatus, think about your survivability if it crashes.

Speed:

Speed kills. It’s as old as me. (Speed the drug and speed the speed.) There are hundreds of thousands of accident data that proves this theory. We still lose 50,000 Americans in vehicle crashes each year across the U.S. It’s also proven that people don’t get killed, severely injured, or ejected in low speed crashes. We in the emergency services should be setting the example and bumping the bar when it comes to driving and traffic safety. We are certainly no good to our customers if, in fact, we don’t get there. What if your family was hanging out of a window waiting for a ladder or entangled in a car waiting to be extricated? Think about getting to the scene safely so you can perform the duties you were trained for. Think about getting to the scene safely so you can make a difference in someone’s life. Think about getting to the scene safely and returning the same way. Just think! (Tom Brennan said; “we need trained thinking firefighters to be successful.”)

Intersections:

As we know, not all crashes happen at intersections. We suffer roll overs, going off the side of the road and tipping on our sides, and hitting strong inanimate objects like trees. Perhaps the most dangerous place to be however is an intersection. Controlled (traffic lights) intersections are better than most. At lease we have a shot and don’t have to think too much. Red stop. Green go. Yellow, slow down and get ready to stop. It’s pretty easy. All the lights and sirens in the world mean little to the people driving in sound proof cars, stereo up, head phones on, ear pods in, “gotta get the kids to soccer practice,” “gotta get to school,” “gotta get to work.” “I got the green, look out―I’m coming through!” How many times have you come up behind a car with lights, siren, and air horn going and they have no idea you’re behind them? Now picture that you’re coming from the side road with no warning. Stop, look, and listen! In an uncontrolled intersection, do it twice!

Start preaching; “seatbelts, speed and intersections.” Have your people repeat it. Write it down. Hang it up in the day room. Place it in your cabs. Talk about it. Live it. If you love your life and you love your family, live to love them!

Be safe.

Ronnie K                        

Journal Entry 16 - The Union Gave What to Who? "Courage, Valor and a Firefighter's Chief"

An Invitation:
Keeping in touch with the brothers from North Plainfield, NJ after I had left the neighborhood three years ago has been a blessing. While working as a chief in Union County (NJ), I lived and volunteered with the Borough's combination fire department from 1997-2008. Like most other fire departments in our great country, it was the "same circus with different clowns." For those of you who travel the country or go to national conferences like FDIC, there is no doubt you've met a double or even a triplet of the guys you run with whether career, volunteer, Military, industrial or however you respond. I still thank God that I chose this profession, although sometimes I think it chose me. Good to be one of the clowns.

So, I get an email a few weeks back from my buddy, Jeff Holtz, who doubles as the Local 2958, President for the IAFF chapter in North Plainfield. It's an invitation to the Professional Firefighters Association of New Jersey (PFANJ) annual Valor Awards Ceremony. He asked me to attend to help with recognizing his Chief, William Eaton, for great strides with the Department. My initial reaction was "the Union is giving what to who?" Jeff nominated his chief to the State Board of the PFANJ for outstanding leadership and relentless progress in the labor-management arena. This was the inaugural award, for the Union had never done this before. It was a great idea whose time had come. Of course, emails from me followed with; where, when, what shall I say and most important, what shall I wear? And oh yeah, what are we eating? (Very important.) With all of the details knocked out I couldn't wait to get back home, even for one night. This is by far one of my favorite fire service activities, attending a valor awards ceremony.

On Thursday, March 29, 2012 I left southeast Connecticut and headed south on I-95. What should have taken 3 hours took 4 with rush hour traffic. (If you're from the area, you know that it's rush hour all the time on I-95. I built in the extra time in order to get there on time. (When you live here, you know to do that.) The reunion started upon my arrival at the Garden State Arts Center Reception Area. As I got out of the car I ran into a Chief from the Elizabeth (NJ) Fire Department. Once inside, it kicked into high gear-- handshakes, hugs and greetings. The long drive was already worth it. As I got to my table, I saw Billy (Chief Eaton) and another dozen or so members of the NPFD who turned out for their Chief. After more greetings and some catching up, the awards presentation started while the wait staff served dinner.


Acts of Valor, Bravery and Courage:
The Union President, Dominick Marino greeted everyone along with the pipes and drums serving as an escort for the award winners. (This is one of those rare times when hearing the pipes is OK; it's those other times I've learned to hate.) After the salute to the flag and invocation by the Chaplain, Fr. Tom Ryan, the president started to read the acts of valor and called upon the recipients to come to the stage and be recognized. Firefighter after firefighter and group after group, they went to the stage to standing ovations and thunderous rounds of applause, all humble and almost looking embarrassed to be up there. The one or two that did speak said what all of them were thinking. "I was doing my job, I did was I was trained to do and/or I was in the right place at the right time." Hey, they all did something phenomenal and were being recognized whether they liked it or not. It's OK to be recognized folks. Take it, smile, say thanks and remain humble. I heard some unbelievable things. A group from Newark made multiple rescues from a 3/4-involved, multiple dwelling; an off-duty drowning rescue; multiple CPR and life-saving EMS rescues; and some outstanding administrative accomplishments. Nice job all--you make the fire service what it is!

A Firefighter's Chief:
President Marino introduced me and I headed for the podium on the stage. It was a surprise to Billy that I was not only there for the ceremonies, but that I was participating in the ceremony to honor him. After a few initial remarks, I couldn't help but to mention one of the firefighters who came to the stage earlier. FF Jason Fazio received a Special Valor and Courage Award. About 14 months prior to this night while working in Asbury Park, NJ (where Springsteen started) the room Jason was searching flashed over. All he could do was muster the strength to get up on a window sill and throw himself from the second floor to the pavement below. After suffering multiple broken bones and third-degree burns over 50 percent of his body, he looked physically strong this night, but his attitude and outlook were even stronger. He gave all the credit to the doctors and nurses of the St. Barnabas Hospital Burn Unit and also brought the doctor to the stage with him. There's that humble thinking and humility from our people again. He talked all about their work, and how they saved him, etc. (The folks at St. Barnabas are, in fact, incredible people who have created miracles over many years. The firefighters in the region know, love and respect them and the work they do.) He also talked about the brothers in the firehouse that took care of him and his family while we has incapacitated. He never mentioned the fire or his act of valor making searches under horrendous conditions. I told him from the podium that guys like him was the reason I joined this profession and stayed for the past 34 years, and that he was an inspiration to all.

Back to Chief Eaton.

The first thing I said was that there were only a handful of guys I'd drive 420 miles for in one night...and Billy Eaton was one of them. The next two pages were about our friendship and how I watched him grow from a young Lieutenant to an intelligent,

level-headed commander and leader. Moreover, I was so happy to see a younger Chief coming up and taking the reigns. Those of us who have been around longer than 15 minutes are consistently seeking the next generation of leaders. Chief Eaton is one of them. The next few pages of accolades and accomplishments were penned mostly by the Union president. Billy managed to avoid grievances since his appointment 6 years ago through his leadership style and sense of what's good for the Department. He also raised staffing 25 percent through two SAFER grants. The Department (one station for 2-½ square miles with 23,000 people) hadn't seen 28 men in many years. Billy is truly a firefighter's chief. He's a chief's chief as well, and has earned the respect of the New Jersey fire service at large.

Congratulations Chief Eaton; congratulations Local 2958 President Jeff Holtz on having a great idea; congratulations PFANJ President Marino and the members at large on going with this project. You have cut a new path and have planted seeds for labor-management relations. During these extremely difficult times, you've knocked the bar up a few notches because there will be strength in unity from the "proby" to the Chief. Nice job all on a fantastic night. I am forever grateful that you included me, and I offer you a personal "tip-of-the-helmet."

Take care, be well, be safe,
Ronnie K

Building a Fan Base for Future Success

Brothers and sisters:

I am happy to welcome long time friend and brother, Firefighter Rob Beattie of the North Plainfield, NJ, Fire/Rescue Department (NPFD) to my Journal. I met Rob 15 years ago when I started to run with the NPFD. While I was the Chief of Merck Fire Department (MFD), I began volunteering in North Plainfield along with Rob who was a young, 20-something volunteer waiting for the opportunity to jump at the chance for a career position. Rob followed his Dad's footsteps who retired as a Captain from the NPFD years before. He's been on the job now for 13 years, is a FF/EMT, holds numerous NJ certifications and is active with his IAFF Local. He also coordinated an annual activity through the firehouse for the past 8 years to raise money to fight childhood cancer (St. Baldrick's Foundation) and to his credit, has raised over a half-million dollars through his tenacity, dedication and leadership. It gives me great pride and pleasure to welcome Rob to my Journal as a "guest blogger" for the month of March, 2012. Check out his comparison of the American fire service and professional sports.

Enjoy and be safe. Ronnie K

Building a Fan Base for Future Success
By Rob Beattie

I hate to admit it, but I waited until late in life to appreciate professional sports. When I did start paying attention, I found it addictive. Not just the playing of the game, but the culture that follows it. As a firefighter I have been told that ours is a performance-based profession, to which I agree. Like football and hockey players, we wear heavy equipment and perform under adrenalin driven, adverse and pressure filled conditions. Like a relief pitcher seeking a win from a deficit, we battle against great odds to prevail in our objective. Like athletes in the moment, our evolutions require focus, determination and physical exertion; our physical and mental conditioning contributes to improved performance and success. The only hitch is that we never know when our game day will be, unlike the professional athletes who get to schedule their adrenaline rush. The other main difference--no one pays to watch us play the game.

There are more similarities between our fire service and sports. Not in the playing of the game or the performance of our duties, but the connection between the teams, players and fans. Sports teams and their talent enjoy an intimate relationship with their geographical home base. Beyond the game, athletes are engaged with their surroundings and the people in it, and do not necessarily live in the city where they play--even fewer are "from" there. In reality, many don't even live in the same State or even the same country during their off season. But the locals in the host city/town/village, etc. know who they are and a lot about them. Even people who live near the stadium, arena or ballpark who aren't fans of the home team likely appreciate the contribution and positive impact of the athletes and the team in the neighborhood. A connection at almost any level is recognized and endears the team and the players to the communities they play in. If an athlete isn't doing the right things in the team's home town, fans and non-fans alike let them know about it. You will read it on the sports page, see it on the news, and maybe even on a t-shirt. It is bad for the athlete, but worse, for the team. A firefighter is a public figure and hopefully a role model, held to a higher standard and I believe rightfully so. Do the wrong things and you'll make the papers or the 6:00 news. It may or may not end your career, but it will certainly impact you and your Department... your team!

What if the General Manager or Team Owner is looking to trade a popular player, one the fans are particularly fond of, one who performs well for the team and is connected to the community? There is no mercy-- management will be haunted by the decision, like the "Curse of the Bambino." Sound familiar?

The firehouse is an institution in your city, town, and neighborhood much like the venue hosting the game. The firefighters who work there may not live there for any number of reasons, but they are connected to the community by the nature of the work they do. Where you work is "your town" whether you live there or not, whether you were born there or not, or grew up there or not. You are sworn to protect and preserve it just like an athlete is signed to perform, play and represent it at home and on the road. The fire department is the home team, and could be the source of civic pride as long as they play the game right. The members of the team--the firefighters, should be loved by the fans and shielded and defended from those with dangerous motives that could compromise the integrity and performance of the team. A threat to the make-up of the team should be met with opposition from the fans-- our citizens. We should expect open and public defense of the firefighters. If those against us are successful, the decision should haunt the decision makers and the fans shouldn't let them forget it. Each instance of coming up short after a politically motivated bad decision is made should be highlighted and known until the integrity of the team is restored. Don't underestimate the fans; they will know who is at fault.

The fire service has had a tough time building a fan base; we are late to the game. Some cities and towns across the Nation have had localized success. We experienced the power of the fans after the tragic events of 9/11/01, but that has unfortunately faded through no fault of our own. What we can learn from sports teams is how they treat their fans and why. The franchise knows they need a solid fan base, especially at home. They can't sit back and wait for those fans to materialize. They have to reach out and win them over, season after season, year after year. Even a team which isn't winning can maintain their fan base with effective marketing. How do they do it? They bring the fans closer; they make them feel like they are part of the team, and the team part of the family. Yes, it is a business and it is about making money for sports teams. Selling tickets and putting fans in the seats is why they play at the level they do and why they pay professionals a lot of money to play the game. But, is that all? We should be able to relate to the franchise's need for public support when the city puts their needs to a vote. Check out the case history that follows:

The New York Islanders (NHL hockey team) needs a new arena. Their current home is the second oldest in active use by an NHL team. They don't want to leave Nassau County, Long Island, and the owners don't have the money to build a new arena on their own. So it came down to the taxpayers who would have to approve a taxpayer-funded replacement for the Nassau Coliseum. In August of last year, the voters rejected it. Now, the team's future on Long Island is uncertain. The supporters of the plan failed to gain the support of the community, they didn't convince them the benefit of a new arena would bring in revenue, civic pride and commerce. Even with the N.Y. Rangers and N.J. Devils supporting the initiative, it still failed. The voters focused on the immediate increase in taxes, not the big picture and benefit of the investment. Where were their fans? Does any of this sound familiar?

When the fire department needs something important, we rely on the community we serve--the taxpayers and their votes. We know that the upfront cost may be daunting. We also know the big picture and the benefit to the community that the Department's investment will bring, namely improved service delivery, compliance with established standards, and safety of the department's most important resource--its firefighters. So, we react to whatever it is that is confronting us. We hit the streets and pursue a public education campaign to inform our customers of what we do, why we do it, how and why we need them to step-up and support us in the best interest of the community. It is never easy because we usually wind up playing catch-up and more often than not, are marginally successful. So, what if they were already our fans? Wouldn't it make the buy-in easier to gain when it matters most? I think it would.

In public budget battles our competition is the police, private sector providers in EMS, the Board of Education, Department of Public Works and all other municipal agencies. We're all vying for the same pot of money. The cops have their own unique angle; "support us or crime will go up and we can't stop it." No body likes crime, especially the police. Their fans are the "good guys" who don't like crime either. It's an easy sell. Remember, everyone believes that sooner or later they will be a victim of a crime, but no one believes they will ever be a fire victim. Just ask around. EMS for profit: "Hey, our service won't cost you a single tax-dollar." Who doesn't want to save tax-dollars? The EMS-for-profit fan is the bandwagon hopper who buys the jersey after the championship is won. They will raise ticket prices and parking next season after they win you over. I guarantee that your research of this issue will confirm my suspicions.

So we are left justifying our jobs and pleading for support. With fire activity down we get, "What do you guys really do anyway?" These are the times we really need our fans. Bring the fans in early and ask them to be a part of us. After all, fans breed fans. Bring them closer and educate them on what the fire department can do before the emergency happens and the value it brings to the community.

Capitalize on your opportunities to connect with your existing and potential fans. There are things happening around us every day that have nothing to do with the fire department and everything to do with the community. Simply showing up and being there can make an impact and turn the casual observer into a fan, maybe even an enthusiast.

I don't follow basketball and I never really have. Maybe a casual observer is how I would describe myself. No loyalty to a team, a division or even a league. I was given an opportunity to attend a college game with a friend. The game was great, fast paced and exciting. It was a close game featuring a hard fought, back-and-forth battle trading the lead several times. I left the arena that night a fan of the team. They showed up to play and performed well, exceeded my expectations, and earned my support. (I'm confident my rooting for them lead to their victory.) Win or loose, they captured my attention. Now, theirs is the only basketball score I look for on the sports pages.

My son, Robbie, and I were at a football game one night. This young guy sitting next to Robbie was very in to the game. I don't remember how, but we learned he was a professional baseball player. He played for a team nowhere near us and honestly, I had never heard of him. With some encouragement and a little prodding on my part, my son worked up some courage and introduced himself to the ballplayer/fan and they started talking baseball. This guy was very cool and not bothered at all by the questions of a ten-year old. He could have just answered them patiently until the questions ended, but instead he began asking Robbie questions about his little league team. Not what I expected. That guy gained a brand new "biggest fan", and a fan in the biggest fans Dad!

When someone has an emergency and they call for our help, we respond. When we show up we have the opportunity to gain a fan, like that college basketball team that "got me" at the game. We show up to play and we expect to win every time. Winning is really our only option after all. The caller has an expectation of what we will do when we get there. It is our job to meet that expectation, and many times surpass it. We are professionals, volunteers and career alike. We do what we do and we do it well, better than anyone else. We know it and we have to show it. Our attitude and our disposition are on display every bit as much as our skills, abilities and talents. We are going to gain that fan when their emergency isn't as bad as they think, when we make them feel valuable for reaching out to us for help. Without their call we wouldn't be there. They gave us an opportunity to win them over so we must. "It is OK ma'am; it's what we are here for." "Everything is fine. It all checked out and YOU ARE SAFE." Guess what? You just gained a fan for life! And, if we have a lot of fans in the community, the people that our fans vote into office will need to be our fans too, for fans are loyal and demanding. Even a good politician can't convince a Red Sox fan that the Yankee's are better (even if in this writer's opinion, they are).

The stakes are higher for us than any sport, at any level, for any league. Ours comes down to life and death, and that is simply a reality. While fans live and die for their team, we live and die for our fans....and non-fans alike. If that fact isn't lost on us, we should be able to communicate it to them.

Make the most of your opportunities; be a professional every time, on every run. Do right by your fans and they will be there for you when you need them. Prepare for the game and show up to play. Stay safe and return with the victory!

Rob Beattie, FF/EMT
North Plainfield, NJ Fire/Rescue

Journal Entry 15--The Ray Downey Medal Selection Process; "The Apps, The Acts, The Facts, The Ax, and--oh yeah, I'm glad it ain't me!"

Each year I have the honor and privilege of assisting with the selection for the recipient of the Ray Downy Medal of Valor. In case you didn't know how it's done, here's a little behind the scenes stuff for ya.

Pennwell/Fire Engineering advertises for nominations through various media outlets namely the magazine and the web site. The application is pretty simple. We ask for a brief history of the nominee, a description of the event or circumstances in which the nominee displayed unparalleled courage and valor and a statement of why the person doing the nomination feels the nominee went above and beyond the call of duty. Sounds simple enough, right? Well, it's not only because what sometimes what appears to be "that kind of rescue or act of valor," a firefighter was simply doing what they were trained for. The decision to select one firefighter out of 1 million is not easy not is it taken lightly by any means. We look at the applications with a keen eye for a few things some being the degree of personal risk and the conditions under which the act was committed. Understand that the recipient is a) representing all firefighters everywhere and; b) must be aligned with the principles of Ray Downey's legacy. As most of you know with the exception of our newest members in their teens or so, Deputy Chief Ray Downey was killed on 9/11/01 at the World Trade Center. He had a long and storied career with FDNY and was the most decorated FDNY member in history at the time of his death. I knew Ray for many years through Fire Engineering and FDIC. Here's the thing. Ray would hang around the Fire Engineering booth at FDIC each year to meet firefighters and talk shop. You'd see him speaking with the Chief of the Los Angeles Fire Department for about an hour. That afternoon, I'd walk by he'd be sitting with a 20 something volunteer Lt. from a small farming community in the mid-west. That's what made Ray the man that he was. That's his legacy. Bravery and humility all rolled up in to one. No, we don't take this lightly at all.

This year, the dozen applications came to the house two weeks prior to the conference call. I waited for a quiet night, set my wife up in front of the TV with QVC locked on the screen and I dove in to the apps in another room. I do a cursory read to separate by type of act. Fire rescues, water rescues, technical rescues, rescues of fellow firefighters, on duty, off duty, alone, in a team, with or without PPE, equipment or additional help. Then I do another slow painstaking review of each one, making notes in the margins. Degree of personal risk, conditions, assistance, etc. More often than not, I can't help but say out loud "no s--t! This guy did that?" (I try to time those just when she's talking to the QVC operator and ordering something. It throws her off the track, but just for a moment. The UPS guy still pulls up two days later.) Each act seeming to one-up the one before and I can't help thinking how proud I am to be affiliated with the fire service. Every one of these guys did something spectacular. I then review the bio and the personal history of the candidates. Then I do one more round. As I read the applications a few times, the cream starts to rise to the top. The hope is that my teleconference partners are thinking what I'm thinking, just to make the process a little less tedious. I got my top 4. Then I read those and try to put those in order. During this process, I pause and take the opportunity to think about my past encounters with Ray. One of my favorite memories was a dinner at FDIC West in Sacramento, CA. There were about 25 of us in a private room, the Right Reverend Tom Brennan, presiding. I sat next to Ray and his lovely wife Rosalie as Tom got the ball rolling with a funny story, only has he could tell it. I had no choice. I shot back with a joke. I couldn't tell you much else other than it went on for hours right through dessert and we were all sore the next day from laughing. I got to spend an evening with Ray and the gang and laughed all the way through it. Golden memories.

We conferenced in on an afternoon in late January. Bobby Halton, Ron Siarnicki (NFFF) and myself as the Administrator of the National Fire Academy Alumni Association. After the usual greetings we got down to business. In the interest of time, like the first time the jury adjourns to their room, we do a quick poll. It turns out that three of us have three in common. No surprise there. We spend time laboring over who number 4 will be because we don't actually pick the winner (That's the "I'm glad it ain't me" part from the title of this blog.) Each of us makes their case for their number 4. We pull the applications apart and put them back together and then the axe falls. The discussion further turns to the final 4 and what order we'll put them in. Another long discussion, name calling, kicking, biting, screaming and that's all just in my mind! The conversation moves along and we come to consensus. Job well done! Job not done!

Bobby ships our work off to Joe and Chuck Downey, Ray's sons who both are FDNY Battalion Chiefs and Mr. Bob Biolchini, the CEO of Pennwell. They make the final selection. (Again, I'm glad it ain't me.) All of us will be on the stage this year at FDIC on April 18 to present the winner with his medal and a check. We also get to present him, to you all of you and the nation. It will be as awesome as it always is. Ray will be proud once again.

See you at FDIC to see how the story ends.

Be well and stay safe,

Ronnie K

Journal Entry 14: It's 2012, What Do We Do Now?

Let me start by wishing all of you a very happy, healthy and safe new year. Now that the formalities are out of the way, let’s get down to business.

The Everyone Goes Home-Courage to be Safe” program is about 5 years old. Line of Duty Deaths (LODD’s) have dropped below 80 in 2010 and around 80 in 2011. The low hanging fruit which we believed to be driving is in fact just that. The LODD driving stats have dropped whether it was a fire department vehicle or a POV. So, we’re hoping at this point that they are starting to listen. Try a secret weapon. I call it “obnoxious repetition.” “Good night guys, be safe” should be your verbal sign-off when leaving the firehouse every single time. “Have a safe rest of the shift” might be thrown in now and then. Ask my college fire science students how I bid them farewell every Tuesday night. They’ll repeat it with the “we know, we know” lilt in their voices: “Be careful; seatbelts, speed and intersections. Wear your gear. Be safe. See you next week.” For those of you who have been around for more than 15 minutes, remember the war movie made in the 1970’s “The Dirty Dozen” with Lee Marvin, Jim Brown and Telly Savalas? They had a suicide mission to gain entry into a German compound and blow it up. They sat around a model of the complex for weeks. There were ten steps to the operation. They repeated it over and over again. They even made it rhyme. (The Burn Center in Livingston N.J. used “Wear your gear, don’t end up here.”) It became second nature to the soldier/actors in the movie. Much like snapping a seatbelt. You just do it automatically. They blew it up, all the way up!

I know there are Fire Chiefs and fire fighters all over the country that have not seen the EGH-CTBS program or ever heard of it. Come on folks. Are you living under a rock alongside the Geico man? Have you seen the IAFF’s program “Fire Ground Survival Awareness?” This is by far one of the best on-line training programs I’ve ever seen. It’s well done on all accounts and it’s free. These two programs alone can bring your department members to a new and heightened awareness of tactical safety and career longevity, career or volunteer. The IAFC’s sponsored Safety Week is not enough. It’s meant to be a reminder that we should be doing something each and every day. When you do radio roll call each morning, does your dispatcher recite a “Safety Tip of the Day?” Yet another simple “obnoxious reminder.” The thing is, eventually they’ll comply just to shut you up! And even then, repeat it. We’ve always said that every week is fire prevention week. Why not include that every week is firefighter safety week? All of this type of thinking falls in to Life Safety Initiative #1-Change the Culture. (If you never heard of the 16 LSI’s, you’re behind the 8 ball or perhaps you are an 8 ball!) As new members are brought in to the service, give them the religion right up front. The EGH-CTBS program should be taught at every fire academy in the country, in order to instill safety awareness at the very beginning of a career. Maybe we’ll get a whole generation of firefighters to grow up in a safety culture that will truly make dent in our LODD rate. We still got work to do.

For today, put yourself to the test. Ask yourself the following questions (there are only 38) and see what kind of answers you get. Better yet, sit down with your staff (Asst. Chiefs, Deputies, Battalions, Officers, etc.) and review them together. It may be time to re-adjust and remember to re-adjust you, before you try to re-adjust them!

• Have we made firefighter safety and health a primary value of our organization?


• Does every member understand the organizational emphasis on health and safety?


• Does every manager and supervisor understand their personal responsibility to implement safety policies and procedures?


• Are we holding people accountable for compliance with health and safety policies?


• Have I as the Fire Chief accepted the responsibility for health and safety policies and programs?


• Do I as the Fire Chief “walk the walk” and “talk the talk”?


• Do I know if the health and safety policies are being followed?


• Is there a gap between what I think is going on and what is really going on?


• Does every firefighter have the training (knowledge, skills and abilities) to perform all expected duties?


• Is every firefighter physically fit?


• Do we have a good physical fitness program?


• Do we perform fitness evaluations?


• Is every firefighter healthy?


• Regular medical examinations performed by a qualified physician?


• Do we have SOG’s/SOP’s?


• Do we really follow them?


• Are we using the procedures or just using the terminology?


• Can we really account for the position, function and status of every firefighter on the incident scene?


• Is every firefighter connected to the plan for the incident?


• Does the Incident Commander know what is really going on?


• Do we have all of the “proper” equipment we need to do the job?


• Is our equipment properly maintained and inspected?


• Do we keep maintenance and inspection records?


• Is our equipment used according to their design parameters?