Beyond the Flames

In a field such as emergency services, changes are inevitable. New innovations and tactics are changing the way we approach events. Every incident we run, every class we take, lessons will be learned, and adaptations will be made.
Being in such a seasonally and socially diverse area, Cape May County is always a prime location for such changes. The changing times have brought about new aspects of emergency response and preparedness to area departments, tasks that were never imagined or foreseen as viable duties to a fire department’s success. But, as in most fields, change doesn’t come easy. Old-school tactics clash with newer ones, as do the veterans and the young guns on a variety of topics, each with valid points and reasoning behind their methods. A happy medium is required to perform to the greatest ability.
It’s no secret that the number of actual fires that fire departments responded to has decreased dramatically compared to that same number 30 or even 20 years ago. With the increase in fire prevention, the more prevalent use of smoke detectors, and the amount of newly constructed homes, many different factors have led to the decrease of serious home fires in our area and across the nation as a whole.
Subsequently, the number of motor vehicle accidents in the county has remained high. With the increased popularity of traveling to the shore, through the use of Route 55, Route 47, the Garden State Parkway, and Route 9, thousands of visitors flock to the area each summer in addition to the thousands that live here year round, giving a large presence on the roadway and an increased likelihood of an accident.
Departments in many area towns, particularly those where a large portion of the before-mentioned roadways fall, respond to far move motor vehicle accidents than fires or other emergencies. Previously, fire departments were viewed as primarily fire suppression-oriented, but the changing frequency of calls has forced a change in that way of thinking.
Departments now must focus on dealing with the hazards from motor vehicle accidents, such as the dangers of hybrid vehicles, preparing for extrication, and providing emergency medical treatment or assistance along with EMTs on scene, all worries that weren’t a top priority for the firefighters trained before the late 1990’s or early 2000’s. With regards to the emergency medical service, fire department involvement in emergency medical response has increased dramatically in the last 25 years, having tripled in number since 1980 according to the National Fire Protection Association.
Sixty percent of fire departments in the U.S. provided some form of emergency medical service, at the basic life support or advanced life support level. Cape May County features several departments that provide full EMS services in their towns, including the cities of Wildwood, North Wildwood, Cape May, and Ocean City.
Of the remaining 40 percent, an estimated 20 percent of those departments run some form of “first responder” program, where firefighters with a specialized form of medical training respond in addition to the local EMS provider to provide basic medical services until the EMS crews arrive. Several departments in Cape May County that do not provide EMS services do provide a form of the first responder program, which is aimed at providing quick, initial medical services until the local EMS crews can arrive.
Training has certainly changed over the years to reflect the changes in the fire service. Younger firefighters who are now getting certified in Firefighter I are taking part in a much different program than the ones that were taken in in the last few decades.
As a result, younger firefighters are coming back to their departments with new ideas and tactics in regards to new hazards to the fire service that weren’t present when some of their more senior firefighters took their training. This has led to some heated debates on how something should be done in many departments.
Veteran firefighters and department leaders surely know what they’re doing, but it certainly doesn’t mean they know everything. Younger firefighters may seem arrogant or as though they have a “know-it-all” attitude; but some might actually have some new training that could prove beneficial to all in the department.
With the increased pressure on local budgets by government officials, fire departments are being asked to do more with less, and in order to more efficiently manage departments, some long-time priorities in training and tactics may need to be adjusted to deal with the changing times.
The “know-it-all” mindset isn’t productive for anyone in the department, so listening to some of the newer tactics and approaches and incorporating forms of them into a department’s response along with age-old mindsets may be necessary to ensure the best possible service is provided. Change may not always be a welcomed, but it’s a necessary step in reducing firefighter injuries and increases the value of your service. Stay safe.