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Should CPR be a Mandatory Part of Firefighter I?
To begin with i'd like to say i believe CPR should be mandatory training for firefighters. before anyone responds to this, I am trying to find out, if anything and what is being done to accomplish this or prevent it.
U.S. Fire Administration report on Firefighter Fatalities published July 2010, shows that in 2009 there were 90 Line of Duty Deaths (the lowest number since 1994). Of the LODDs of those 50 (55%) were classified as "Stress or Overexertion", of with 39 were determined to be cardiac arrest. 13 or those heart attacks were on scene fire duties, 6 on scene non-fire, 3 were in training, 3 were in route, 2 were returning, 5 were on other duty and 6 were after duty (under home town heroes act).
In contrast 7 LLODs were lost, trapped or in a collapse.
1. Why are the majority of Firefighters not trained to BCLS (Professional Rescue) level CPR & AED?
2. Why are DOH agencies not providing Firefighter Down Specific Protocols?
3. Why is there a lacking in EMT/CFR training directly for handling firefighter injuries?
In reading these questions you might think my department does this or be asking why we should.
The fact is that NY Firefighter 1 class is not teaching even basic CPR. In New York OFPC is not providing SFIs as CPR certified instructors for outreach classes, and there does not appear to be any contracted service to provide Red Cross or American Heart CPR for them. This leaves individual agencies to fend for themselves, and leaves a major gap in the safety movement.
Mayday, survival, FAST/RIT (rapid intervention teams), SCBA (mask) confidence, and even firefighter fitness and health all address the issues surrounding firefighter injury and fatalities. Yet, CPR is the first line of action in the largest area of firefighter deaths, cardiac events.
So the big question here really is shouldn't CPR be officially made part of Firefighter 1?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Damo on
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We had to learn CPR the first week of our volunteer firefighting training. Although we have many EMTs on staff you just don't know who will be riding on that particular call, so it is better to have every trained just in case.
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Permalink Reply by Paul Montpetit on
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YES.....enough said
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Permalink Reply by Bekks on
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It couldn't hurt...
In Ontario, Canada having Standard First Aid and CPR are pre-employment requirements - even for volunteers. A First Responder course is taught at the Ontario Fire College and available through certain First Aid training providers.
The community colleges here are pumping out paramedic grads every year and not enough EMS jobs to go around so they are applying to (and getting hired by) the fire services. (FD operated ambulances are VERY rare in Ontario, less than 1% or so - usually a seperate municipal service).
We are not lacking training in CPR for the most part here... but it's a great idea!
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Permalink Reply by Bill Carlisle on
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Yes it should be offered , even if it adds an additional 16 hours to the class .
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Permalink Reply by KEVIN LOCKWOOD on
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I know that you are required in Texas to have your EMT to complete the fire academy, but I know several volunteers who have been for years that don't even CPR training. I don't know why this is not mandatory. I believe any training we can get just makes us better at our jobs and makes it better for the communities we serve.
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Permalink Reply by John Dobson on
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Are dept the first thing you must do is be certified in CPR & AED.
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Permalink Reply by Mitchell Donovan on
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thanks for all these responses, CPR is not a requirement in most areas and EMS training is not a mandate in many either. FF1 in most areas as fare as i have seen doesn't address the issue of cardiac events among firefighters. However there are several areas focusing on safety and rescue.
a little more food for thought on this issue...
CPR for the types of incidents were firefighters are working a job would require additional training for the circumstances involved.
how to go about proving the point to the administrators in getting CRP added to FF1 and adding "CPR for down firefighters" to the BCLS or Professional Rescuer class (as an add on just for fire training).
first what CPR changes might work and should be researched and developed.
in all salvageable heart attack scenarios there is a direct relationship to time laps between the cardiac event and surgical or other in hospital medical interventions success rate. (*per AHA see links blow) "Effective bystander CPR, provided immediately after sudden cardiac arrest, can double or triple a victim’s chance of survival." & "Unless CPR and defibrillation are provided within minutes of collapse, few attempts at resuscitation are successful."
for a down Firefighter: my thought is: check, followed by chest compressions. followed by rescue moves & more & compressions alternating until out of the hazard area.
the compressions can be done with some effectiveness through the turnout gear, foe the short time. but would only deliver a minimal, still better than nothing chance.
the proving ground:
1. doing a dummy drag: use a dummy weight equal to that of a firefighter including gear and SCBA: time how long it takes to perform a rescue extraction from a room, with travel of 25 feet with obstructions (i.e. furniture) to the door being sure to move at least 15 feet or and out of the collapse zone and get the mask and bottle off and open the coat.
include additional rescuers entering and assisting with the movement.
once out side start CPR and apply AED as you would and include right up to loading the PT into and ambulance.
record times from start to the first compressions and the first shock and loading into the bus.
2. repeat this drill adding 50 compressions only every minute during the move and have the AED, BVM and a longboard staged at the safe point (15 feet from the door).
record the same times.
the rescue effort is slowed, but the CRP is (in part) delivered faster. i am hoping that all makes sense and adds up in a practical method.
realizing that the majority of cardiac events take place in overhaul and demobilization or post incident activities.
still the most important factors are recognition of signs and awareness. however in gear and under the stress with adrenaline and excitement of a working scene the ability to notice these events are a bit more limited.
* links
http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/CPRAndECC/WhatisCPR/CPRFactsandStats/...
http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/CPRAndECC/CPR_UCM_001118_SubHomePage.jsp
http://firechief.com/ems/aha12162005/
http://cpr-professionals.com/blog/?p=218
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right, FF1 is a long class, and OFPC has included about 10-15 hours of firefighter safety relating to Escape, FAST, and orientation. all being essential skills, but still the minority in LODDs and injuries. the 2 top killers and the top injuries are Stress / Overexertion and MVAs. and MVAs account for almost 65% of on duty injuries. while firefighters traped & disoriented account for 5% of less in both. so why not CPR? there is a fitness section, encouraging heath improvements and physical fitness a bout 2 hours. There is also a cost to CPR, and leaving it to the individual companies may not get it done.
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Permalink Reply by PA Firefighter on
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Definitely, that should be the minimum training. Our jobs are to save lives. We will most likely perform CPR more often than we will pull people out a fire. All of our firefighters leave the academy as an EMT and are required to maintain it for the length of their employment.
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Permalink Reply by Eric Dotten REMT-P,NCEE on
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RIT works great as concept but what happens once there out, do your department have medical protocols to prevent a firefighters death like always considering the toxic twins in fire smoke carbon Monoxide and Cyanide.
please check out cyanokit.com website and increase your awareness to smoke inhalations deaths.
Thanks
Eric REMT-P, NCEE
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Permalink Reply by Daniel Stoddard on
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In South Carolina Proof of CPR/AED/First aid training is required before you can even enroll in Firefighter I
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