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Ahh the hot button issue... Seatbelts
What are your thoughts about them? What are your departments policies? Are they actually enforced? Is it tough to get compliance?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Daniel Jackson on
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I always buckle up. no matter what. Some people may not because they think that the extra 2 seconds it takes to take a seatbelt off is going to make a difference in whether the fire gets put out. I may be a rookie at this but i can tell you 2 seconds to take a seatbelt off will not change a thing
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Permalink Reply by Mick Mayers on
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I buckle up, call or not. I feel naked without it on anymore. At first I didn't, but I realized that the inside of a rolling truck is a nice place to be because outside, that truck can get kinda heavy on top of you. I see enough rollovers to know. If we catch someone not wearing them, they get a day off. Is it difficult to enforce? You bet it is. It's nearly impossible.
I also believe that if I don't wear my seatbelt and something happens, my actions also affect my family and I owe them more than that. Being an officer on the truck means I have a responsibility to my people too, to be there for them and to set the example, since I am the designated adult supervision. I was at the NFA and Dr. Clark personally handed me "The Pledge" to sign. How can you not be honest with that guy?
However (here's a big one), if departments and manufacturers were sincere in trying to make things safe, they'd make it easier for us to buckle up. I know of initiatives to do so, including different restraint configurations to help us, but come on, having to search for your belt in some apparatus is a joke and it's no wonder people don't do it. I think they should have some sort of restraint like they have in roller coasters that drops down when you get in and holds you in until the truck is stopped, when it lets you out.
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Permalink Reply by flfireofficer on
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buckle up EVERY time the engine leaves quarters. Someone calling 911 is not my emergency! As for being to big to fit in the seat and have a pack on,well,that might be a whole other topic. put your pack on when you arrive at the scene. it only takes 10 seconds to unstrap it from the seat and put it on while grabbing a tool. My crew dons their packs when we arrive,it gives everyone a few seconds to take in the big picture instead of grabbing a tool and taking off.
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Permalink Reply by Terry Lambert on
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Our department policy is wear them. In my one department, they are a bright orange, so you can tell if someone is not wearing them. One day one of our units was responding to a fire, and someone was trying to get dressed in the back. They never made it to the scene, instead they had to go to the hospital because the person in back was thrown against the back of the unit, and was knocked out. Since then, the unit does not move until everyone is wearing a seatbelt.
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Permalink Reply by carl hockett on
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for those interested in stats and reports on this, and other issues try the National Instute of Occupational
Saftey and Health (NIOSH) website. here is a link to their reports on firefighters:
http://www2a.cdc.gov/NIOSH-fire-fighter-face/state.asp?state=ALL&am...
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Permalink Reply by Jason Brooks on
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There are sensors that you can get now, that send an alarm when the seat is occupied and the elt is not connected. I do not know what type of truck, but a community by me has this option.
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Permalink Reply by turk182 on
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It is our policy to wear them but I think we are all adults and should not have to have anyone checking to see if we are wearing them or not. If it is policy and in your s.o.g.s then they should be on. that beening said does anyone miss riding the beaver tail with safety belts of course?
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Permalink Reply by John Mc. on
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My department doesnt think anything about them. There are no policies about responding or just driving around. When responding no one wears their seatbelts mainly because their standing in the cab getting their gear on and when they do sit down they strap into the SCBA thats mounted into the seat, but when just driving around town me and one other guy whos been there for about 5 years are the only ones who wear them.
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Permalink Reply by FF Nick on
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I cant't speak for everyone in our dept, but if ask any of our guys they know that if Im driving the rig, I aint goin anywhere till everyone has their seatbelt on. I could care less if half the area is burning down. As far as putting your gear on, you should either put it on before you get in the truck, or as you get onscene...not driving down the road. Rumor has it that NFPA is going to try and change the standard on having jump seats in the rigs because some still wear the airpack as a seatbelt.
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Permalink Reply by Joe Stoltz on
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If you study the LODD statistics each year you will see it repeat over and over again - FFs killed responding because they were ejected from the car or apparatus they were riding in. There have been several this year.
We need to think of seat belts as another piece of PPE. We wouldn't go into a burning structure without helmet, hood, gloves, mask and such. Why are seat belts different? They can save us from serious injury or death.
BTW we do have an SOP on apparatus driving that mandates the use of seat belts. I would be suprised if we had 100% compliance but many of us do buckle up before leaving the house.
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Permalink Reply by Spanner 122 on
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John, why can't you get your gear on before getting into the rig? I take off my pants and uniform shirt (shorts and t-shirt underneath), put on my bunker panks, flashhood (unless it's a medical of course) and coat before stepping into the pump, I sit, do up the clasps, put the shoulder straps on, the waist belt is on and tightened and I reach for my seatbelt, at this point we are just pulling off the tarmac (and it's only on truck length long).
There really is no excuse. If firefighters cannot get their gear on before entering the vehicle, maybe that is something they have to work on.
I don't mean to sound rude or preachy, it's hard not to when you're typing... lol... but we take pride in being out of the station fast, ready and buckled in.
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Permalink Reply by Steve Davis on
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The policy of my department is simple. If you are caught not wearing them when you are not running to a call and trying to get dressed and ensure your gear is ready, then you are getting a vacation. General running around is absolutely mandatory for occupants to be belted in. I have heard admin giving a 72hour unpaid vacation for not wearing them. I think that was more a way to make an example out of someone, but, an example he was.
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