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Seatbelts......WHY do we need to keep posting this material? Because we're still DYING
The following message for the Fire Service is from U.S. Fire Administrator Greg Cade.
Seatbelts: Enough is enough. Buckle up.
On any given day as United States Fire Administrator, I receive an abundance of information regarding the nation's fire service. As one can imagine, some of the information is good — and some is tragic.
It is the information I have been receiving over the past weeks which motivates me to comment today regarding the use – or, more importantly, the lack of use — of seatbelts. It is a tragedy when we lose a firefighter to a fire; it's a national fire service tragedy and embarrassment when we lose firefighters from vehicle ejections.
This is something we can put an immediate stop to. Each and everyone one of us owns this problem. We are each responsible for the actions we take or don't take. We are each responsible for stopping these preventable losses from ever occurring.
Is riding fire apparatus unbuckled an act of bravery? What will you tell the survivors of a firefighter lost simply because they would not buckle up? What will the burden be of the survivors during future graduations, weddings, and other significant life events be, knowing their firefighter could have shared it all by taking the simple step of buckling up? As company officers and supervisors, how could you possibly leave a station without your firefighters strapped in? I ask you today as fire service members, what part of firefighting is so important that you must be unbuckled riding on fire apparatus? What part of the mission of the fire service is so important that we allow firefighters to travel (by fire vehicles or POVs) without being securely belted into their seats? A common excuse is that riding unbuckled saves time, but in fact ejection and actions resulting from lack of seatbelt use impede the missions of your departments.
Enough is enough. Buckle up.
Several weeks ago I received word that Dallas Fire Chief Eddie Burns, Sr. successfully led a department-wide effort to secure the 100% support of seatbelt usage by the members of the Dallas Fire Department. Over 1,700 employees of the Dallas Fire Department have taken the simple and straight forward national seatbelt pledge to ensure that each and every member of the Dallas Fire Department is safely secured to moving fire apparatus. My sincere congratulations to the members of the Dallas Fire Department and to Chief Burns for this achievement.
Just yesterday I learned that Frederick County, Maryland has also achieved their 100% seatbelt pledge commitment. They join the growing ranks of departments that have achieved 100%. Given the recent actions of the Dallas Fire Department, Frederick County Fire Department, and others including the IAFC Board of Directors, the staff here at the USFA has taken the pledge as well. We do not have fire apparatus here at USFA; we do however have a dedicated staff traveling back and forth from Washington, DC in official vehicles and involved with national response efforts of FEMA. Just as important, a significant number of USFA staff also volunteer in local fire and EMS departments.
I am pleased to announce that the Canadian Fire Services have also joined this effort.
When I heard the news of these and so many other departments now taking the pledge, I knew immediately there was no department in this nation — or Canada — that could not take this simple step to improve firefighter safety.
As many of you already know, and many others should know, firefighter Christopher Brian Hunton, age 27, was a member of the Amarillo Texas Fire Department for one year. On April 23, 2005 he fell out of his fire truck responding to an alarm; he died two days later from his injuries. Brian was not wearing his seat belt. It is in his name — and in the names of others who suffered a similar fate — that we continue to work to ensure all firefighters buckle up. It requires such little effort to ensure all firefighters go home at the end of the day and not become victims of this preventable death.
This is the second time I have addressed this issue with the fire service through the Chief's Corner, yet people keep dying, in part due to their not wearing a seat belt. In my opinion, each and every one of these deaths is preventable. I truly wish I could understand why this act is looked upon with disdain by firefighters. I would like someone to explain to me why they feel putting their lives, their fellow firefighters, and family at risk is a part of their job. Instead I continue to get line of duty death notifications where firefighters have made the conscious decision to risk everything and not wear their seatbelt.
Buckle up and take an extra moment to make sure your fellow firefighters are also.
Greg Cade
U.S. Fire Administrator
Seatbelts: Enough is enough. Buckle up.
On any given day as United States Fire Administrator, I receive an abundance of information regarding the nation's fire service. As one can imagine, some of the information is good — and some is tragic.
It is the information I have been receiving over the past weeks which motivates me to comment today regarding the use – or, more importantly, the lack of use — of seatbelts. It is a tragedy when we lose a firefighter to a fire; it's a national fire service tragedy and embarrassment when we lose firefighters from vehicle ejections.
This is something we can put an immediate stop to. Each and everyone one of us owns this problem. We are each responsible for the actions we take or don't take. We are each responsible for stopping these preventable losses from ever occurring.
Is riding fire apparatus unbuckled an act of bravery? What will you tell the survivors of a firefighter lost simply because they would not buckle up? What will the burden be of the survivors during future graduations, weddings, and other significant life events be, knowing their firefighter could have shared it all by taking the simple step of buckling up? As company officers and supervisors, how could you possibly leave a station without your firefighters strapped in? I ask you today as fire service members, what part of firefighting is so important that you must be unbuckled riding on fire apparatus? What part of the mission of the fire service is so important that we allow firefighters to travel (by fire vehicles or POVs) without being securely belted into their seats? A common excuse is that riding unbuckled saves time, but in fact ejection and actions resulting from lack of seatbelt use impede the missions of your departments.
Enough is enough. Buckle up.
Several weeks ago I received word that Dallas Fire Chief Eddie Burns, Sr. successfully led a department-wide effort to secure the 100% support of seatbelt usage by the members of the Dallas Fire Department. Over 1,700 employees of the Dallas Fire Department have taken the simple and straight forward national seatbelt pledge to ensure that each and every member of the Dallas Fire Department is safely secured to moving fire apparatus. My sincere congratulations to the members of the Dallas Fire Department and to Chief Burns for this achievement.
Just yesterday I learned that Frederick County, Maryland has also achieved their 100% seatbelt pledge commitment. They join the growing ranks of departments that have achieved 100%. Given the recent actions of the Dallas Fire Department, Frederick County Fire Department, and others including the IAFC Board of Directors, the staff here at the USFA has taken the pledge as well. We do not have fire apparatus here at USFA; we do however have a dedicated staff traveling back and forth from Washington, DC in official vehicles and involved with national response efforts of FEMA. Just as important, a significant number of USFA staff also volunteer in local fire and EMS departments.
I am pleased to announce that the Canadian Fire Services have also joined this effort.
When I heard the news of these and so many other departments now taking the pledge, I knew immediately there was no department in this nation — or Canada — that could not take this simple step to improve firefighter safety.
As many of you already know, and many others should know, firefighter Christopher Brian Hunton, age 27, was a member of the Amarillo Texas Fire Department for one year. On April 23, 2005 he fell out of his fire truck responding to an alarm; he died two days later from his injuries. Brian was not wearing his seat belt. It is in his name — and in the names of others who suffered a similar fate — that we continue to work to ensure all firefighters buckle up. It requires such little effort to ensure all firefighters go home at the end of the day and not become victims of this preventable death.
This is the second time I have addressed this issue with the fire service through the Chief's Corner, yet people keep dying, in part due to their not wearing a seat belt. In my opinion, each and every one of these deaths is preventable. I truly wish I could understand why this act is looked upon with disdain by firefighters. I would like someone to explain to me why they feel putting their lives, their fellow firefighters, and family at risk is a part of their job. Instead I continue to get line of duty death notifications where firefighters have made the conscious decision to risk everything and not wear their seatbelt.
Buckle up and take an extra moment to make sure your fellow firefighters are also.
Greg Cade
U.S. Fire Administrator
Add a Comment
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Comment by Moose on August 1, 2008 at 9:30am
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I will back you up 100% and I am right around the corner from you Mel, if there is anything I can do to help I WILL DO IT, just ask. You can use my post, especially if it helps our fellow firefighters become safer. Do not hesitate to contact me and I will do whatever I can to help you. Thanks Mel!!!
Brian "Moose" Jones
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Comment by Mary Ellen Shea on August 1, 2008 at 9:30am
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why, because I'm as stubborn as the day is long?
:)
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Comment by Kimberly A Bownas on August 1, 2008 at 9:27am
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You go for it Mel, I think it is a great idea. If anyone can get it done I know you can... :o)
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Well that pretty much settles it in my head. I work for an organization that represents 45,000 volunteer firefighters across the state, if I can't get some sort of seatbelt campaign running from our base, then I should just pack it in.
With all of your permission, I'll be using your commentaries in my argument to push a state-wide seatbelt pledge forward.
Thanks all of you for the kick in the butt to stop bitching and start doing.
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Comment by Jim Brunelle Jr. on July 31, 2008 at 9:02pm
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I agree 100% Moose,ROCK ON!
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Comment by Art "ChiefReason" Goodrich on July 30, 2008 at 11:17am
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If people won't do the common sense thing, then the LEADERS need to LEGISLATE it.
REQUIRE IT. ENFORCE IT. DISCIPLINE FOR VIOLATING IT. Would you rather have someone MAD or DEAD?
Seems like such a simple choice. So, don't make it a choice. Make it a RULE.
I swear; people won't use the brains they were born with.
TCSS.
Art
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Comment by Bob on July 28, 2008 at 2:05pm
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Woops... Sorry for the sarcasm FASNY... Sometimes I just can't help myself.
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We've all been "young, dunb and full of..... BS" at one point or another. Here in deepest darkest Mississippi, if you don't buckle up, the operator gets cited.
I ain't gonna get a ticket because some mental midget doesn't care. My rig don't roll until I'm sure the Detroit chastity belt is buckled, period.
Look at the stats... The people killed in apparatus accidents are killed mosthy by EJECTION!
Gee, what prevents that?
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Comment by Selena Schmidt on July 28, 2008 at 9:42am
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I am affraid that until tragedy happens to them or someone they know, FF's and EMS will take the issue lightly. What puzzles me is that we see what not wearing a seatbelt does to our patients and that is what pushes me to wear it...without failure. If my partner doesn't put his on, I ask him to...for his safety and mine. As a Paramedic, I can tell you that not wearing your seatbelt in the same cab as your brother or sister is yet a very "selfish" act. You will become a lethal object in a collision or rollover. If anything, wear it for your family and your partners! :-) xoxoxo
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Well, something needs to be done instead of complaining or arguing about it. We should do the same as the other brothers and make everyone in our area do the seatbelt pledge as well, write it into our SOP's and make it punishable by termination from employment if you are career, and suspension from duty if you are volunteer. Give everyone the wake up call they need instead of begging and pleading them to be safe.
My E-Mail is CLUTTERED with LODD announcements from the secret list.....I for one will not stand for it anymore and I will not stop carrying on the fight.
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