Beyond the Flames

Firefighter injuries continue to be a key issue in the United States, with nearly 70,000 firefighters injured in the line of duty each year. The fire service has long strived to lower the number of injuries that occur through awareness, and some new technology is set to aid the process.
The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) recently announced that it has revamped its popular “Near Miss Reporting System” to provide a better user experience for those using the service.
A near miss, according to the IAFC’s site for the program, is any incident that occurs in the fire service that could have resulted in injury, death, or property damage had it not been for a fortunate chain of events to alter the outcome.
The program, which was launched in 2005, allows firefighters to share their near miss experiences and turn personal stories into lessons learned for other firefighters in the hopes to prevent an injury from happening in the future.
The IAFC has struggled to obtain funding for the program in recent years, but was able to perform the program revamp thanks in part to a grant form the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program.
As part of the new system, advanced technology transferred from the Department of Defense is aimed to make the program self-sustaining in the future, a news release by the IAFC said.
New technology updates are expected to improve the submission section of the program, which should allow the site’s visitors to more easily access and share information.
In addition, users will be able to sign up for a weekly “Report of the Week,” which will be emailed to subscribers.
Training was a main priority of the new revamping. A training bundle featuring videos and tabletop lessons developed on reports will be available monthly, as well a scenario-based simulation, the IAFC said.
The relaunch of the program accompanies a recently released study conducted by the National Fire Protection Association about firefighter injuries.
In the report, the NFPA analyzed data from 2,795 fire departments across the United States in regards to injuries that occurred from 2010-2012.
The results found a total of over 31,500 injuries occurring in both career and volunteer departments. The study found that the most common injuries suffered by firefighters were strains/sprains, muscular pain and cuts were the most common types of injuries that occurred.
Burns and smoke inhalation, contrary to notions held by many both in and outside the fire service, accounted for only six percent of injuries suffered.
Volunteer firefighters, the study found, were more likely to receive injuries on the fireground as opposed to career firefighters, while career personnel were more likely to suffer non-fire emergency injuries, such as injuries that occur on EMS calls.
This is due to the fact that many volunteer fire departments do not provide EMS, and are more likely to have inadequate personal protective equipment than career departments, the study said.
The IAFC said it hopes that the Near-Miss program’s relaunch is another step forward in the hopes to turning near-miss experiences into safe practices and fewer injuries in the fire and emergency service.
To experience the revamped program, visit www.FirefighterNearMiss.com. The NFPA report on firefighter injuries can be found at http://www.nfpa.org/research.