Issue 1: Building Design and Material
The building design and materials can help in classification of fire emergency procedures for the building. The information of a building’s design and materials used in construction is found in the construction information of the building either in their architectural archives or from the contractors that built the structure. The information on building design and materials used is significant for incident pre-planning.
According to Kapalo and LaViola (2019), pre-incident plans are crucial in assisting firefighters to understand information about the construction of a facility during fires and related emergencies. In the fire suppression operations, time is of the essence in ensuring successful incident management. Whereas most workers find problems in retrieving information of structures after construction is completed, the information is crucial in swift action and accident management. The pre-incident plan documents the important aspects of a building such as walls, roof, and contents to enhance accident management strategies. Firefighters need information on building designs and materials to develop defensive attack modes for accident management.
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Kapalo and LaViola (2019) conducted an international web-based survey for 50 firefighters and had them characterize the benefits and challenges of using pre-incident systems. The findings of their study proved that there is limited reporting on pre-incident planning and robust technological solutions were needed to manage unpredictable environments. Pre-incident planning is critical in aiding firefighters and responders comprehend the critical elements of a building to develop the best tactical decisions for anticipated conditions or emergencies (Kapalo&LaViola, 2019). The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standard mandates that fire departments should identify elements in environments to assist in predicting future hazards.
A pre-incident survey of a structure under construction is therefore critical in determining the composition of the building materials, the access pathways, and location of fire suppression systems. Knowledge of building materials can help incident managers assess whether a building structure can sustain large fires, earthquakes, or other disasters. Knowing this information helps firefighters and first responders during emergencies to act fast and save more lives or property. It can also help firefighters is to find alternative routes for exiting the building.
More information about constructed structures can be found in the building’s archives or website. The information documents who constructed the building, how long it took them, the materials used in construction, and emergency measures. More information can also be derived from national or organizational standards about pre-incident management. Some structures may have similar planning systems which may aid firefighters and responders counter adverse events. Assessing the literature of pre-incident surveys can help firefighters acquire knowledge on building materials and how to develop better response actions.
Issues 2: Firefighter Training
A field training officer is an experienced senior member in an organization. Their duties include evaluation and training for junior members. The roles of a firefighter field training officer include ensuring volunteers are trained and attend a diverse range of incidences in modern fore emergencies. Miller (2019) states that volunteer training should not only deliver operational requirements of the role but should also address the complexities of different learning styles. Miller (2019) conducted a study of New Zealand volunteer firefighters and finds that training takes a three-tiered approach that consists, off-course, distance learning, block course phase, and consolidation phase. The purpose of the training course is to understand the needs of trainees and ensuring they are well supported throughout the entire program.
The assessment of Miller’s investigation suggests that a strong suit of a firefighting training officer should be looking out for the needs of the trainees. The training officer should teach the firefighter ow to do the firefighting PPEs. The firefighting field training officer ensures the trainees exercise according to the rules of the standard operating procedures. Essentially, the field training officer enforces the guidelines of the firefighting programme to the firefighter trainees. According to Miller (2019), despite the existence of standard operating procedures documenting the requirements for physical exercise of trainee firefighters, the level of awareness and adherence to the guidelines is minimal.
As the generations of firefighters retire, a lot of knowledge goes with them. A good field training officer is, therefore, someone who is capable of imparting knowledge of the stipulated guidelines of firefighting and ensuring trainees follow them to the later. The field training officer should have extensive experience in the field and share the tactics previously used with the trainees. Evidence-based teaching can help trainees learn from experienced personnel. Improving the chances of operating an effective fire station involves extracting information from the senior members and leaving a legacy for which future fighter fighters can benefit.
Developing a field training officer program is one way to get trainees to acquire knowledge from experienced senior members. The respondents of Miller’s study asserted that they needed a mentor and documented how trainers were their support networks (Miller, 2019). The qualification for the FTO would be experience in the field and possessing leadership skills.
Issue 3: Building Design and Material
The building designs can aid firefighters in mapping the access routes for retrieving injured people and putting out fires. The building materials help firefighters assess the structural integrity of a building and how many fire personnel can get into the building during emergencies without compromising it. Knowing the structural design and materials used in construction can be beneficial in determining whether defensive or offensive modes can be used in firefighting during an emergency. A defensive fire attack is initiated when the fire conditions prevent normal entry making it unsafe for firefighters to go in or civilians to get out of the building.
According to Butsch (2017), pre-incident planning is documentation of building plans that are used in fire protection. Pre-incident plans have to be established to enhance the effectiveness of manual fire suppression activities. Firefighters can, therefore, use established pre-incident plans to develop defensive attacks on buildings during fire emergencies. An incident commander will determine the extent of the fire and the life hazards involved. The commander can then initiate a defensive attack. Protection of life is the penultimate goal of firefighting and as such defensive attacks may be initiated to rescue people from a building looks like it may not survive.
Residential fires involved building designs that cause the most firefighter deaths. This is because the firefighters usually have no prior knowledge of the house design or the materials used. The house may collapse in while they are trying to save someone. This fact shows that pre-incident planning is necessary to identify the structure of a building and its composition. This way, firefighters can know how to access a building, whether it is strong enough to sustain big fires, and how they can navigate their way out of the building during a fire incident even when some exit routes are blocked. Firefighters can take advantage of collaborative radiological response planning as it is flexible and can be tailored for use by a team (Butsch, 2017).
Issue 4: Firefighter Health and Safety
A majority of firefighters are injured during active duty. A common injury among many is back pain due to heavy or improper lifting techniques. The bodies of people are not wired to lift heavy loads. According to a study by Frost et al. (2016) on injuries experienced by firefighters in a Canadian fire department, back injuries were more frequent at 23 percent and more costly. Back injuries resulted from lifting and attending to fire station-related responsibilities. The occupation of firefighters exposes them to ergonomic hazards. Back pain is an indication of strain on the backbone of a person. Often, back pain progresses to become a musculoskeletal disorder.
Back injuries are the most expensive of musculoskeletal disorders and are one of the most common work-related injuries. Fire departments should devise measures of lifting to reduce back injures for firefighters. Firefighters are more at risk of back pain compared to other occupations owing to the nature of their jobs. Severe back complications are especially difficult to treat. Sprains and strains routinely account for about 50 percent of an active line of duty injuries. The rest of line-of-duty injuries are back pain injuries. There is, however, limited research on back injuries for firefighters.
At the lower back, the spinal column is curved and any heavy lifting puts a strain on the area. Whereas firefighters use their arms to lift, they use the thoracic area to support the weight of the load they are carrying. The complex system if muscle alignments ligaments and bone structure provide enormous strength and flexibility that support the weight of both the firefighter and the load being carried. This action done repeatedly wears out the lower back. When the pain becomes unbearable, a firefighter will become incapacitated. When many firefighters become incapacitated, the fire department is impacted in a major way. Treatment for back pain and related musculoskeletal disorders is very costly hence fire departments should put measures to provide firefighters assistance for load lifting.
References
Butsch, A. L. (2017). Dashboards for the fire service . Naval Postgraduate School Monterey United States.
Frost, D. M., Beach, T. A. C., Crosby, I., & McGill, S. M. (2016). The cost and distribution of firefighter injuries in a large Canadian Fire Department. Work , 55 (3), 497-504.
Kapalo, K. &LaViola Jr, J. (2019, November). Failing to Plan is Planning to Fail: Capturing the Pre-incident Planning Needs of Firefighters. In Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting (Vol. 63, No. 1, pp. 612-616). Sage CA: Los Angeles, CA: SAGE Publications.
Miller, T. (2019). Enhancing Readiness: an exploration of New Zealand qualified firefighter programme (Doctoral dissertation, Auckland University of Technology).
