Safety & Health Committee
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Committee Chair
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Rick Kline Chair – Plymouth Fire Dept. |
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Additional training opportunities can be found under the “Other Information” tab
The Mission of the MSFCA Safety & Health Committee is to advocate and promote various Minnesota fire service safety initiatives.
Additional training opportunities can be found under the “Other Information” tab
Safety and Health Committee 2012
Our Mission:
The Mission of the MSFCA Safety & Health Committee is to advocate and promote various Minnesota fire service safety initiatives.
Committee Actions:
The Committee continued making progress in promoting and adopting a progressive approach in advocating fire service safety in 2012. Key focus areas include:
- Inclusion of Bob Boe, the public safety coordinator for the League of Minnesota Cities (LMC) as an active member of the Committee. Bob recently began working with several law enforcement agencies in an effort to manage and reduce risk in their work environment. Since there are only negligible differences in the risk management strategies for both police and fire agencies, the Committee will be reviewing LMC safety programming and recommending risk management practices for fire service activities. Appling lessons learned through our law enforcement brothers will reduce risk to our first responders and form a stronger tie with law enforcement.
- Fire related safety topics have been presented at recent sectional fire schools and are planned for the remainder of this year. The committee has not researched the feasibility of offering a seminar focused specifically upon firefighter safety as the sole topic as had been offered in 2009 and 2012. The Committee seeks input from the Minnesota fire service as to the receptiveness to this offering.
- Chief Kline (Plymouth) is working with Captain Dave Dreelan (Plymouth) and Captain Steve Baker (Golden Valley) on the production of an introductory educational video on air management. Several planning meetings have been completed with “filming” to occur in August. The intent of this brief introduction into air management is to offer an awareness level educational program with later editions focused upon implementing air management practices into the local fire department. . The video will be available on selected social media sites and via the MSFCA and MSFDA web sites.
- Then IAFC/IAFF Safety & Survival Week was highlighted in the May/June issue of the Minnesota Fire Chief Magazine. Electronic links to the IAFC site were provided as well as safety week training topics, with links to training material. The article has also been posted on the MSFCA and MSFDA web sites.
- Apparatus operator and driver training practices moves to the forefront of committee projects for the second half of 2012. Local best practice for apparatus operator and driver training programs are sought. We are also interested in departments having recurrent (annual) apparatus qualification programs. National programs such as the National Safety Council and Volunteer Fireman’s Insurance Service (VFIS) educational services will be reviewed; with suggested practices communicated to the Minnesota fire service.
Safety and Health Committee 2012
Safety and Health Committee 2011
Safety and Health Committee 2010
Safety and Health Committee 2009
Safety and Health Committee 2008
Additional training opportunities can be found under the “Other Information” tab
MSFCA Safety & Health Committee
Meeting Agenda June 5, 2012
I. Welcome & Introductions
II. League of Minnesota Cities. Interface with MSFCA Safety & Health
The committee welcomes Bob Boe, the public safety coordinator for the League of Minnesota Cities. Bob recently began working with several law enforcement agencies in an effort to manage and reduce risk in their work environment. There is little difference in risk management strategies for both police and fire agencies. Applying and sharing these risk management practices will benefit both disciplines.
III. Project Updates:
a. Firefighter Rehab (Dobesh)
No Report.
b. MN Safety Symposium (Kline)
Fire related safety topics have been presented at recent sectional fire schools and are planned for latter this year. The committee has not researched the feasibility of offering a seminar focused upon firefighter safety as the sole topic(s).
c. Air Aware (Kline)
Chief Kline is working with Captain Dave Dreelan (Plymouth) and Captain Steve Baker (Golden Valley) on the production of an introductory educational video on air management. A meeting is scheduled for mid-July to develop an educational outline. The intent of this brief introduction into air management is to offer this awareness level training via the MSFCA and MSFDA web sites.
d. Safety & Survival Week (Luth)
The Minnesota Fire Chief magazine contained an article highlighting the IAFC Safety & Health week. Links to the IAFC site to obtain information has been posted on the MSFCA and MSFDA web sites.
IV. New Business
Considerable dialogue concerning driver training practices. References were made to the National Safety Council and Volunteer Fireman’s Insurance Service (VFIS) educational services as well as several programs offered by individual fire departments. “Best practice” driver training programs will be a future goal to distribute via the state web sites.
V. Next Meeting
Tuesday, September 11th at 2:00 p.m. Plymouth Public Safety Building.
Minutes of June 2012
Minutes of the Meeting of April 2010
Minutes of the October 2009 Meeting
Minutes of the June 2009 Meeting
Safety & Health Week 2012 Safety and health week information is available through the following IAFC website. Be safe! The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) and the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) are introducing the theme Rules You Can Live By for the 2012 International Fire/EMS Safety and Health Week, to be held June 17-23, 2012. TheIAFC and NVFC will provide planning resources on the Safety and Health Week website www.SafetyAndHealthWeek.org and encourage the community to submit links to additional resources, articles and SOPs that can help other departments. |
Swift Moving Water Rescue Incidents
Awareness Level Training - PowerPoint Slides Developed by the Plymouth Fire Department.
Click here to Download the Presentation
Two New Reports Issued (March 2011)
Minneapolis Firefighters Injured in a Backdraft
Swift Water Response Safety Tips
Interested in Firefighter Safety and Health?
The Safety and Health Committee of the Minnesota State Fire Chiefs Association welcomes your participation in Committee activities. We invite your active involvement in improving the safety and health of all fire service personnel. If you are interested in joining the Committee, submitting ideas and input for Committee action, or sharing best practice guidelines, we would like to hear from you.
If you are interested in joining the Committee or would like more information on Committee activities, please contact Rick Kline, Committee chair at 763-509-5121 or rkline@ci.plymouth.mn.us.
Education & Training News
Live Burn Observations from B/C John Tippett, Jr., Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Service
We picked up some interesting information while conducting the 1403 Compliant Burn Class for Firehouse Expo this past week. A concerted effort was made to monitor temperature with a thermal imager and atmosphere using a 5 gas monitor during the 6 burns that were conducted over the two days.
Results: Within 3-4 minutes of ignition, ceiling temperatures in the burn rooms (8'ceilings) reached 900 degrees and 1000 degrees. Temperatures at the midpoint in the rooms peaked between 700 and 750 degrees during each burn. Floor temperatures reached 300 degrees. Based on observations of smoke movement and other indicators at the entry door, temperatures were at or near 400 degrees at the top of the door and somewhere near ambient temperature at the threshold. The entry door was 44' from the burn room. Each burn exercise ran approximately 7-10 minutes from ignition to fire out. The fuel source was the standard teepee of three pallets and approximately 1/4 bale of fluffed excelsior. Pallets used during the burns were made of pine.
Other levels measured:
- CO - Levels peaked at 1000ppm on Burn 1 and 2134 on Burn 3 (Day 1). 2325ppm was recorded on Burn 4 (first burn of Day 2) and a low of 392 on Burn 5 (Day 2).
- O2 - Lowest level recorded was 17.9%. During the other burns O2 hovered between 20.3% and 20.9%.
- HCN - Levels recorded included 1.7ppm, 11.2ppm and 1.9ppm.
- LEL – 0% for the low, 37% for the high.
What it means: Stay lower, Stay stronger, Stay safer.
* The higher the temperature you are exposed to, the quicker your strength is sapped. The quicker your strength is sapped the more fatigued you become. The more fatigued you become, the less "playing time" you'll have in the game. If you stand up entering the environment, the strength reduction process begins due to the heat absorption or "pre-heating" that takes place as the environment surrounds you. You are essentially an endothermic (heat absorbing) element in a hyper-exothermic (heat producing) environment. Your body is also trying to dissipate the heat being produced by your work effort while encapsulated in your PPE. Before long, you are absorbing heat faster than it can be dissipated. Simply put, at the moment you'll need your greatest effort (the final push to the fire, finding a victim, etc.), you'll be the most exhausted. This depleted capacity will make you more prone to injury from thermal insult (heat exhaustion) and overexertion (sprains and strains).
* Students and instructors entering the structure on Day 1 were observed crouching or standing nearly erect before being driven to the floor by heat. Students and instructors on Day 2 made a more concerted effort to enter on their knees (below the clearly delineated smoke layer) and remain on their knees for the duration of the fire attack. The soot saturation (read combustible carbon impregnation) observed in the participants' PPE was noticeably lighter on the Day 2 participants than the Day 1 participants.
Exertion observations between the two days (mostly instructors since the cadre was the same on both days) noted that on Day 2 the instructors appeared less fatigued. The weather was slightly cooler on Day 2 due to overcast conditions, but fire conditions and relative humidity were nearly identical.
Bottom line: if you want to maximize your firefighting capability and minimize your exposure to risk so you can stay in the game longer,
- observe the smoke,
- stay low,
- stay out of the superheated atmospheres,
- cool the overhead as you advance (straight stream),
- stay vigilant. Stay focused.
Fire Service Safety Best Practices
Submit your department “best practice” policy/guideline that reduces the risk to our first responders.
Operating Guideline - Emergency Vehicle Operations
Firefighter Near-Miss
Submit your personal or department Near-Miss report so we can share the lessons learned.
Click Here to View a Close Call - Plymouth, Minnesota