An Incident Commander’s responsibility is to assess or “size-up” the emergency situation to get a good understanding of the problems, issues and concerns and to achieve the needed situational awareness. If the incident is going to grow to where a Unified Command structure is required, it is often helpful to write down the problems that each…...
This is one of the top emergency response questions we receive each year. It seems there are some facilities that feel the Incident Command training their personnel receive in their 16-hr Operations Level and 24-hr Technician Level training qualifies those personnel to be an Incident Commander. The question is… is the training offered in these…...
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is proposing to require the filing of a premarket approval application (PMA) or a notice of completion of a product development protocol (PDP) for the following class III preamendments devices: Automated external defibrillators systems (AEDs), which includes the AED device and its accessories (i.e., pad electrodes, batteries, and adapters)…....
On a daily basis we respond to a variety of emergencies, most of which have become fairly routine. Of course, reaching that level of competence takes a lot of training, exercises and actual events. We have to constantly guard against complacency to ensure safe and effective operations. However, the extraordinary events — such as tornados, earthquakes,…...
Does your facility have “egress stairwells” located either within the building or external to the building? If your facility has multi-level structures, you should have an egress arrangement similar to the one shown to the left (whether inside or outside). These emergency egress stairs have some often over looked fire code and OSHA requirements that I…...
Do fire extinguishers have to be labeled? Answer – Yes. So what does OHSA require in 1910.157(c)(1)? The employer shall provide portable fire extinguishers and shall mount, locate and identify them so that they are readily accessible to employees without subjecting the employees to possible injury. 1910.157 was adopted from NFPA 10 back in 1980 and in that…...
WARNING! This post may offend some, but it is 2013 and to have house fires today with NO WORKING SMOKE DETECTORS, well someone needs to get offended. That 4-year old little girl DESERVED better and I will not relent to political correctness when we are KILLING our children because we have misplaced responsibilities! This…...
This FREE four-part webinar series is brought to us by the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) and provides information on the roles and responsibilities, health and safety considerations, and practical application of skills for Incident Safety Officers (ISOs). This is a GREAT series for personnel working within an Incident Command structure who may be called upon to serve…...
The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC), the leading organization representing the volunteer fire and emergency services, recognizes that many departments may have difficulty adopting these standards in their totality. The reasons for this are varied and may include factors such as limited resources or unfamiliarity with the standard. Small volunteer departments may face additional challenges…...
Anyone who has worn an SCBA has logically wondered “how long will this cylinder last me?” And we have all gotten the answer… “It depends”. The United States Fire Academy (USFA) has gone one step further and conducted a study with the City of Seminole Fire and Rescue Department to determine just how long…...
While there is no one personality type that seems to create the “perfect” Incident Commander, there are some common characteristics that are desirable. An effective IC should: Think and act strategically. Be objective driven. Have strong communication skills. Be able to delegate authority. Facilitate a collaborative atmosphere. Be trustworthy. Be adaptive. Be a multitasker. Be…...
The REVISED 2013 standard NFPA 1981 – Standard on Open-Circuit Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus for Emergency Services was officially changed in 12/2012. Manuafctuer’s are now making SCBA’s that will meet the new NFPA requirements for Open-Circuit SCBA’s. The new standard contains some significant chnages that will certainly aid the user of open-circuit SCBA’s. Those changes include:…...
