Another viewpoint on the AFD Incident

[Guest guest]

As seen in the " fire service press " lately as published by Chief

Goldfeder (Loveland-Symes, Ohio, FD) . Chief Goldfeder is a pretty well known

fire

service commentator, author etc. Note that he's not ultra critical of AFD

itself but rather of the BIGGER issues as he sees them. Also, for the record I

consider Chief Goldfeder both a Mentor of mine and as a personal friend and

while I don't just agree with him for the purpose of agreeing with him I do

agree with him on this point.

LNM

Hey...

Any FD's " weakest link " can really be anywhere if training, lack of

leadership/supervision, planning...all that stuff, is lacking. One of the most

CRITICAL but often over-looked link from the time of the fire to the time we

return

to quarters, is the role of fire communications-and specifically, the

dispatchers who are the " first critical link " in first responding.

Dispatchers sometimes take a very unfair beating from firefighters who have

never even set foot in the dispatch center. On the other hand, there are

dispatchers who wouldn't know an engine from a truck. And then there is the long

time issue of " down playing " . You know " down-players " ...they are the ones in

our business from some chiefs to firefighters to dispatchers who take the

attitude " that call will probably be nothing " ...their years of experience have

created so much negative attitude apathy that " they know " the call will be

nothing. They don't want to put " all that equipment on the road for nothing " .

You know the attitude. And while procedures must be in place to determine-based

upon what is reported, the right equipment and staffing be sent, we are blown

away when some in our business blow off information that " might " be an

emergency...or, as some of them say " but what if it is not needed " ..?

We don't own the fire apparatus or any of the other stuff. The public owns

the stuff....it's theirs. Even if your FD bought it, the cash came from

someone(s) outside the membership if your FD. So when " someones " call the FD and

THINK THEY MIGHT HAVE A PROBLEM...send them their people and their stuff. Send

them the fire apparatus even if it sounds like nothing. Send them their EMS

units even though it might be indigestion, Why wouldn't we send even a little

MORE than what might be needed? What will it hurt? " Well, what if there is

another call!?!?!? " Push the next button. Send other stations. Call mutual aid.

Deal properly with the first call first ...with a plan for the other calls.

And the possibility of other calls shouldn't be a reason to not send what

might be needed for that first call. " But what if they have a wreck

responding? "

That's a training issue-not a reason to not respond to the slightest

possibility of a fire or related problem. If the caller felt it was worth

calling-it

is worth responding.

Take a listen to these recordings (link below). This unfortunate situation

occurred in Texas where a dispatcher-a seasoned dispatcher it seems, downplayed

the calls from citizens...until 45 minutes later companies were finally

dispatched...and the building was destroyed by fire. The fire was in a Bar B Q

restaurant and maybe the smoke was from the restaurant folks " smoking

brisket " ...but what if they weren't. And they weren't.

_http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/01/24/24fire.html_

(http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/01/24/24fire.html)

Worried about the risk of sending equipment to a call that might be nothing?

Worry more about the risk to firefighters having a chance to knock down a

smaller fire...than a larger, more dangerous one with a self-imposed delay

later....and in this case, much later. And then of course, there is the issue

of

the building being saved and even people possibly being inside. We have to

act as if every possible report of a fire, smoke, smell...whatever, is a

working incident until we get there and determine what is actually is. The

public

gives us the trucks with the expectation that when they need their trucks,

and their firefighters, we will respond, get there and make the problem better.

_http://www.firefighterclosecalls.com/_

(http://www.firefighterclosecalls.com/)

Louis N. Molino, Sr., CET

FF/NREMT-B/FSI/EMSI

Freelance Consultant/Trainer/Author/Journalist/Fire Protection Consultant

Buddhist philosopher at-large

LNMolino@...

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" A Texan with a Jersey Attitude "

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discuss people " Eleanor Roosevelt - US diplomat & reformer (1884 - 1962)

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