Tuesday, June 1, 2010    FIRE/EMS STAND DOWN:   The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) through the Safety, Health and Survival Section (along with partnering fire service organizations) are urging all fire chiefs and fire/EMS officers to immediately issue a stand down in their departments due to two separate, but similar confined space rescue incidents that nearly took the lives of several Firefighters. During a stand down, personnel are directed to postpone non-emergency tasks to focus on related critical safety training. In recent weeks, incidents involving confined space rescues in both Ohio and Indiana left the initial civilian victims dead and firefighters critically injured. In both cases, while heroic attempts were made to save the victims, Firefighters ended up becoming victims themselves.

In addition to federal, state and local laws, the IAFC Safety Health and Survival Section has identified below, a number of online resources for Fire/EMS Officers and personnel to use in this stand down and in their ongoing efforts to educate personnel on technical rescue operations.     ONLINE RESOURCES FOR STAND DOWN ACTION: (Click the link below and look to the right side column for numerous links related to suggested actions, drills and close call and near-miss related reports.  

FULL DETAILS:  

http://www.iafc.org/displayindustryarticle.cfm?articlenbr=42979  

http://www.iafc.org/displaycommon.cfman=1&subarticlenbr=531   

ALL OFFICERS AND DEPARTMENTS ARE RESPECTFULLY URGED TO REVIEW THE INFORMATION ON THE ABOVE LINKS ALONG WITH YOUR OWN SOP'S/SOG'S TO MINIMIZE FUTURE RELATED CLOSE CALL EVENTS.   The Secret List Tuesday June 1, 2010 www.FireFighterCloseCalls.com