I was just wondering what peoples thoughts/department SOG's were on wearing bunker gear, ambulance crew/fire crew, on the scene of vehicle accidents. In my department's SOG's it states "Bunker gear is required for personal injury accidents", yet there are some who refuse to wear it when they respond on the squad(ambulance) because they have reflective vests or jackets. Me personally I wear my bunker gear and a refective vest no matter what truck I respond in.
We're geared up only if we're around the car. I.e. - Extrications, Medical, Cutting cables, etc. Other than that everyone else just wears a vest, like directing traffic or standing by the Rescue
There is specialized extrication PPE, which is designed for working in and around MVAs, wild land PPE is NOT for MVAs.
My thoughts are that everyone should roll with Structural firefighting PPE, then if the scene doesn't present a fire hazard (i.e. a simple rear-ender), then the IC should be able to authorize the lighter-weight extrication jacket when appropriate. It shouldn't have to be stated that all gear should meet the new reflectivity standard, including wearing a reflective vest at all times, and that helmets at all times with the appropriate level of eye protection for the task being performed (i.e. secondary eye protection for those directing traffic).
From reading here, I think we're all preaching to the choir regarding PPE on MVAs, the ones who need the message are those who aren't discussing safety, since they are the ones who keep showing up in shorts and a department T-shirt when the pager goes off.
So how do we get those departments, and those officers who continue to not use proper PPE and allow their Firefighters to not use proper PPE, to turn off the iPod when they are driving to the firehouse and actually put on the fancy firefightin' duds they sold five million pancakes to buy for everybody?
On a similar note, who carries a reflective vest in their personal vehicle for those times when they witnesses/good Samaritans, or when they have to change a flat?
if u r just on traffice and it is really hot i think just pants helmet and gloves in daylight, and add flash light at night... if u r doing other things full turnout gear no matter what..
Permalink Reply by Cory on February 17, 2009 at 8:40pm
Your Chief needs to grow some junk and write people up. Your not given $2000 dollars worth of gear, give or take a few cents, your not given it so it looks pretty hanging up. Use it as if your life depends on it, Oh wait, it does!
There is no reason for someone to not wear turnouts to accidents with everything we have to contend with today. How many times have you been dispatched to something and it was something totally different?
"Complacency Kills"
LOL..see what happens the first time one of them suffers a major injury..be it battery acid ..gasoline ..blood or a jagged metal rips them open and they try to collect or sue..they will be off the dept.. out of a job and might have to pay their own medical expenses ..if they are that moronic to try and be heros who don't gear time to suspend then toss make an example now Bro
Im in a vol dept so some times when we got toned out on an MVA im not around the station to grab my gear (or SOGs state that we have to keep our Bunkers at the hall due to ppl quiting and taking off with them) so i go in what i were. Thats why i quit wearing sandals lol. if im close enougth i go and get my gear.
A long time ago, 1975 I didn't wear full PPE, but 1 time to the ER to get a large piece of glass out of my arm, and stitched up taught me 1 thing, wear your PPE. Having to tell the Chief [luckly was my father] why I was not in my gear and all the paperwork to be filled out and I learned real quick. Now I'm Chief and our SOP state the there is a 15' Hot Zone around a vehicle and you will wear full PPE while any rescue operation are being done. As for traffic you must have your Class 2 vest on. Like in a earlier post stated Fire does not care who it burns,and glass don't care who it's cuts. Remember we have to take care of ourselfs.. Safety First and We All Go Home....
I know with my department, we have to have our gear on no matter what we are doing on the scene of an MVA, weather we are doing extercation or if we are only doing traffic control. If we show up and we are not wearing our full PPE and he Cheif or the IC spots us we are told to either go home or go put our PPE on then come back.
When we respond to a mva our sop states the crew will have all their gear on before we get on the truck and vest will be put on before we get out. If we refuse to wear our gear on we would be told not to get of that truck until we got back to the fire.