2017 Fire/EMS Safety and Health Week Being Ready for the Mayday

Being Ready for the Mayday Fire fighters/EMTs can better prepare themselves to be ready for a Mayday situation by reviewing the following: Personal Safety Equipment Communications Accountability Systems RIT/RIC Procedures and Protocols By following key points in the proceeding slides, and their associated Near-Miss Reports, Fire fighters can be better prepared in “Being Ready for the Mayday”

Personal Safety Equipment Fire fighters need to check their personal protective equipment (PPE) daily to ensure that it is fully operational. Gear and equipment should be kept clean, free of debris, and “ready-to-go”. Soiled, burned, and damaged gear jeopardizes your safety and health. Properly donn all of your gear (fasten all SCBA belts and buckle every coat latch). Follow a routine cleaning and safety check for all equipment per your department’s regulations.

Personal Safety Equipment Near Miss Officer falls through floor during fire attack. “The officer fell through the floor near the front door on side ‘A’. The RIT team staged in the front lawn saw this and immediately attempted to pull the officer from the floor. The basement fire vented through the hole in the floor and around the officer. It was difficult to remove the officer from the floor due to the fact the SCBA waist strap was not fastened.  The officer had severe burns. The turnout gear worn was 15 years old and was made for someone else. The officer’s gear was so hot it was difficult to remove…”

Communications Radio channels have to remain clear and only used for relevant transmissions, once a Mayday is called. Establishing a dedicated radio channel for the Mayday rescue will assist the IC in timely intervention. Clear, concise messages need to be transmitted from units to command, and vice versa. Ensure proper radio communications are present between mutual aide departments.

Communications Near-Miss Radio traffic prevents progress updates “…My crew was experiencing heavy smoke and heat conditions while advancing to the seat of the fire. Once the fire was knocked down, several attempts were made to notify Incident Command of the conditions of the fire but were unsuccessful due to the amount of heavy radio traffic. It took several minutes to get through to Incident Command to notify them that the fire was out and overhaul was being performed.”

Accountability Systems Accountability is the system of understanding where units are operating, what there operation consists of, how many members they have with them, and what the present conditions are. Accurate accountability on any emergency provides safety and crew integrity, and allows members to more readily access any crew in a Mayday situation. Crew progress reports need to be requested by command and accurately reported by operating units.

Accountability Systems Near-Miss Fire stream knocks over chimney and endangers crew. “...My crew and two other units were operating on the first floor at the time of [the EVAC] notification, so we exited from the "B" Side and were walking towards the front of the structure. Smoke was laying low and visibility was minimal. We suddenly heard the sound of a [master stream] spraying the upper part of the structure. Less than five seconds later the top of a chimney, weighing approximately one hundred pounds, fell through the smoke and crashed in between one of my firefighters and me. .. The decision to deploy the elevated stream up was made by the IC without checking personnel locations or performing a PAR as per SOP. “

RIT/RIC Procedures and Protocols Command needs to deploy RIT/RIC immediately upon being notified of a Mayday. RIT/RIC teams need to do an effective 360 RIT Recon. Dedicate a radio channel for the RIT/RIC operation. RIT/RIC teams need to be replaced if they are forward deployed.

Activity The following activity is meant to be a hands-on activity that will help prepare both the Incident Commander and units operating in accountability during a structure fire scenario. This activity is intended to work on crew accountability and communications. The Drill: Have one member be the role of IC. Have 2-3 crews consisting of 2 or more members. With face pieces “blacked out”, one by one lead each crew to a different location in a building. Once all crews are in position, start the scenario by having each crew attempt to describe where they are in the building to the IC. Under the discretion of the IC, have two other crews (Rapid Intervention Teams) attempt to located the various crews in the structure.

QUESTIONS? SHARE YOUR STORY. Protect the next shift . . . International Association of Fire Chiefs Firefighter Near Miss Program NearMiss@IAFC.org www.FirefighterNearMiss.com