Beyond the Flames

Last week, the fire service mourned the loss of two Toledo, Ohio firefighters who were killed in the line of duty while operating at a multi-story mixed-use building in the city Jan. 26.
Private Stephen A. Machcinski, a 16-year veteran of the department, and Private James A. Dickman, a member of the department for only six months but a longtime firefighter with other area departments, perished after becoming disoriented in the blaze, which “rapidly deteriorated in condition,” according to the department’s chief.
And while the national media may have been more focused on the arrest of Justin Bieber than the death of two of Ohio’s finest, the local Toledo-area organizations were full of coverage. And when reading up on the incident and browsing through some of the stories posted, one seemed to resonate with me the most.
Jeremy Baumhower, a columnist for the Toledo Free Press, took a moment to write his thoughts on the incident in a piece entitled “Toledo’s Broken Heart.” He wrote a heartfelt story of how he had a personal connection to the deaths, and how despite all the complaining the people of Toledo have done about the cold weather this winter, it was this tragedy that has made the winter unbearable. I encourage everyone to read it.
However, one line Baumhower penned really struck home for me. “Yesterday did not happen in Detroit nor Chicago; it happened on Magnolia Street,” he said. “We had been very fortunate with the number of fires and arsons in our area that this has not happened more often. Our luck ran out yesterday.”
As I read the line, I couldn’t help but think how easily “Magnolia Street” could have been replaced with Route 47, or Cape May Avenue, or Ocean Drive. Line of duty deaths don’t just happen in major cities with large paid departments. They happen in hometowns, in tight knit communities that rely on their neighbors to put out the flames. In fact, nearly 20 percent more volunteers have died in the line of duty than that of their paid counterparts.
What if a firefighter went down on your scene tomorrow? Is your department ready? Many volunteer departments are often slow to update their standard operating guidelines—some due to the lack of calls they run each year, and some due simply to them being neglected. But often times reports on line of duty deaths identify gaping holes in standard procedures and training regarding maydays. Why do we let this continue?
Each department should establish a working mayday procedure that is known, trained on, and followed by all members of your department. All firefighters, from the junior to the veteran officer, should understand the lingo that might be used. Whether it be PAR (Personnel Accountability Report) or LUNAR (Location, Unit, Name, Assignment/Air, Resources Needed), your crews need to be cohesive in their knowledge, as well as the knowledge of evacuation tones and procedures used by your department.
How about your Rapid Intervention procedures? Do you establish one yourself on every call? Maybe you have a mutual aid company coming on an automatic box? Maybe you don’t use one at all. Whether you call it RIT, RIC, RAT, or Rescue Crew, failure to establish one on the fireground is asking for chaos in the event of an emergency. A designated crew, reserved for the rescue of downed firefighters, eliminates the mass rush to the building by any personnel in the event of an emergency that could present even more issues.
Finally, how about your dispatchers? Do you train with them during your mayday drills? If you don’t, you’re doing yourself a disfavor. Dispatchers play a vital role during a fireground emergency, as they are often able to hear an emergency transmission better than someone on the scene might. Work with your centers to establish a standard in dealing with emergency transmissions, activating evacuation tones, ect. The only way you become proficient for a real emergency is if you practice.
With the evolution of the fire service and the amount of information that is available online today, there are literally thousands of resources available to assist your department in preparation of such procedures. The IAFF, NFPA, National Fallen Firefighter’s Foundation, Fire Engineering, Firehouse, and Firefighter Close Calls are some good places to start.
Training is the most vital part of the firefighting community, volunteer or paid. Your life depends on it. Stay safe.