We recently received several new fire engines. These beautiful Pierce Quantums are everything you could want in a fire engine. However, it seems there is at least one thing that some people don't want. The seats in the engines have sensors that can tell if someone is sitting there and whether or not the seat belt is buckled.
Last week, as I was gathering my gear from the engine, the Captain who relieved me asked the engineer if the engine had one of those seat belt warning alarms. When he was told that it did, he proceeded to buckle the seat belt and place the shoulder strap behind the seat. I couldn't believe it. I confronted the Captain about this. He says he never wears a seat belt in the engine, claiming that seat belts get in the way. Not a good example for the company officer.
BTW, we have a policy stating the seat belt must be worn whenever the a department vehicle is in motion.
I am amazed that in 2011 we still have people who believe that not wearing a seat belt in a fire engine is an acceptable practice. After asking around it appears that at leas 25% of the people in my department do not wear seat belts in the apparatus and higher percentage don't wear them when responding to structure fires. Everyone gives the same excuse: They get in the way and slow us down.
What can the fire service do to change this attitude? Last March, San Antonio's Fire Chief made a statement for his department members, issuing lengthy suspensions because they were not wearing seat belts when their apparatus was involved in a collision. The collision seriously injured one firefighter. The day the collision occurred was the injured firefighters first shift.You can read the story here.
Not wearing your seat belt is just plain stupid. Check out the LODD reports. In most, if not all, LODD's from vehicle collision the dead firefighter was not wearing a seat belt. If you don't wear the seat belt for yourself, at least think about your family and the others that you will leave behind.
Add a Comment
They can pick and choose what will be covered! Yes, this is a "Special Fund", but they can still pick who will be covered and who won't.
The following You Tube link is the best one I have seen to demonstrate the reason to use a Seat Belt! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbTxhUNKeZg&feature=feedlik
Posted: Mon, 05/21/2007 - 12:00am
Updated: Fri, 06/15/2007 - 02:03pm
What did the princess, the governor, and the firefighter have in common?
They did not wear their seat belts. The princess was known worldwide, but she did not have her seat belt on when the car crashed; she died. The governor did not have his seat belt on when the car crashed; he was severely injured. Since the first National Fire Service Safety Stand Down Day in June 2005, too many firefighters have been killed and injured in department apparatus because they did not have their seat belts on.
The number one safety violation committee by firefighters is still not using their seat belts. This means WE ARE NOT "Ready to Respond." If we know this, why can't we fix it?
A colleague of mine who investigates line of duty deaths went to visit her daughter and grandson. My friend had just completed a seat belt related LODD investigation. The crash was still on her mind when she met the six-year-old grandson and he asked her why she was sad. She explained that a firefighter had died because he fell out of a fire truck. The boy asked her if he had his seat belt on, and she replied, that he did not.
"Why not Grandma", he asked? "Well, it's complicated", she said (referring to the explanation not the act). He looked at her with a puzzled look and said, "no it's not Grandma, it's real easy, you just click it together!"
The six-year old, the princess, the governor, and the firefighter all know. "It's really easy (to use seat belts), you just click them together." But, do they buckle up every time? The only one I am 100% confident in is the six-year-old.
We, as Fire Officers shall set the example and the Firefighters shall follow the Standing Order, The Rig does not move until ALL Occupant Restraints are properly in place. Anyone not siding with this statement is not doing his / her job to Decrease or Minimize LOSS! If you decide this statement is wrong, I would like ot hear your reason. I am not hiding behind a Screen Name, nor am I hiding where I am from. I am Proud to be a Hard Nose for Firefighter Safety, I trust I am not the only one!
We had the same refusal to change b y some older members. Everyone was told starting today (zero tolerance) and if seen you will be sent home. First time it was seen, the person refusing to wear it was sent home. Word spreads pretty fast and from that point forward, the membership realized the policy was not lipstick. Try explaining to your spouse you were sent home because you refused to wear your seat belt... then proceed to get your ass chewed at home as well.
@John I like your policy. I need to try to develop something like that for my department.
@FETC: You are right about our policy. No one enforces it. The fact that this Captain did this in front me, the Department Safety Officer, pretty much shows where that policy stands. Changing safety culture in a fire department is a slow and difficult process that we have been working on for the last several years. Things are getting better but we still have dinosaurs.
© 2024 Created by Firefighter Nation WebChief. Powered by
You need to be a member of My Firefighter Nation to add comments!
Join My Firefighter Nation