Category: Success Stories

Baltimore County Fire Department in Towson, MD, is a combination department comprised of 2,000 members.

During the 2023 Safety Stand Down, they partnered with their hazardous materials (hazmat) team to provide daily training related to lithium-ion battery incidents. Due to the department’s unique shift configuration (2×10 hour days, 2×14 hour nights, four days off), they extended Safety Stand Down by one day to ensure all companies could participate equally.

During the two days each shift was scheduled, every company attended a 90-minute in-person training session. This included a 60-minute lecture and 30-minute hands on session demonstrating the importance of searching for batteries, as well as the mitigation tools that can be used to overpack compromised batteries.

The hazmat team taught four classes each day for eight days in a row, for a total of 32 classes. During night work, companies reviewed the department’s new standard operating procedures on lithium-ion battery response and participated in an online question and answer session.

To keep Safety Stand Down’s message top of mind, daily announcements were read over the dispatch channel during each change of shift throughout the week. The department also disseminated daily social media posts that focused on public safety relating to lithium-ion batteries. Their efforts did not go unnoticed — a local news station featured their story and training on the evening news.

While the 2023 Safety Stand Down may be over, Baltimore County Fire Department plans to continue, advance, and expand their commitment to firefighter health and safety. They look forward to participating in future Safety Stand Downs.

What did your department do for this year’s Safety Stand Down? Submit your story here.

Montgomery County (MD) Fire and Rescue Service (MCFRS) is a combination department comprised of 2,700 certified and trained career and volunteer responders. The department plans to utilize the 2023 Safety Stand Down to familiarize their members with the unique hazards lithium-ion batteries present, as well as communicate safety messages to the public.

“Phase One” of their plan is to distribute an informational flyer for line-up discussion on each shift, as well as a PDF from UL’s Fire Safety Research Institute that explains the science of fire and explosion hazards from lithium-ion batteries. Embedded in the PDF are links to online courses and instructional videos for further learning. Information will be discussed by battalion chiefs and safety officers while doing station rounds.

“Phase Two” of the plan is to coordinate with their public information officer to promote the Safety Stand Down campaign. They will provide content to media partners and distribute flyers to the community on lithium-ion battery safety. View their flyer on E-Bike and E-Scooter Safety and their flyer on Lithium-Ion Battery Safety for Consumers.

The dangers of lithium-ion batteries are not an unfamiliar concept to MCFRS; they are keenly aware of the unique hazards and have even outfitted units with special tools to fight electric vehicle fires. One of those tools is the Task Force Tips Transformer nozzle, which features a 40-inch extension and can be configured as a piercing nozzle or distributor nozzle for confined areas such as vehicle engine compartments or other concealed spaces.

Beyond lithium-ion batteries, the MCFRS promotes other health and safety initiatives throughout the year. MCFRS Capitan Rick Triplett developed the concept of “Wash-Your-Hood Sunday,” which has turned into a national initiative of the Firefighter Cancer Support Network. They also have a detailed post-incident decon and overhaul process that all members follow. Finally, MCFRS actively finds ways to improve and protect the health of its members – from providing cardiovascular and cancer screenings, to offering free in-house mental health services for members and their families.

The Madrid City Hall Fire Brigade, located in Spain, is a career department comprised of 1,500 members. They are proud to bring awareness of the 2023 Safety Stand Down to Spain to increase citizens’ knowledge about lithium-ion batteries and the unique risks they pose.

The department hopes to inform their community about how quickly the smoke from a lithium-ion battery fire can evolve and spread – which is why it’s essential to have high-functioning smoke detectors that can detect smoke and gases early.

This initiative fits in with the department’s ongoing efforts to increase community safety through innovative smoke alarm technology as well as fire prevention and life safety efforts that include building inspections and producing accident prevention guides for the elderly.

Community Fire and Rescue of Van Etten, NY, is entirely volunteer-based. During the 2022 Safety Stand Down, it helped increase its members’ situational awareness in multiple capacities by implementing a newsletter series. Each day of the week, its volunteers received a newsletter focusing on situational awareness tips for a particular topic. Topics included structure fires, EMS, wildland, traffic incident management, and acts of violence. Links were embedded in each issue so members could get more information. To increase engagement with the material, the department hosted a drill night for each of the daily topics.

The 2021 Safety Stand Down inspired Community Fire and Rescue to place more emphasis on its members’ health and wellness. Since then, the department has been working to develop a Heart Healthy Fitness Program. This includes creating daily workouts and acquiring gym equipment for its volunteers to use in-house.

Placentia (CA) Fire & Life Safety is a career department that opened on July 1, 2020. It is comprised of full-time firefighters, reserve firefighters, and single-function paramedic provided by Lynch Ambulance Service. Placentia has two fire stations that protect close to 52,000 residents over 6.63 square miles.

Health and safety of their members is a key focus for the department. They have improved their ability to handle a mayday by building a fireground rehab policy along with the addition of an RIC group supervisor accountability board. In addition, they plan to launch a three-month training series to keep health and safety at the forefront throughout the year.

For the 2021 Safety Stand Down, they found a training schedule that works for their members’ 48/96 work schedule. The training concentrated on this year’s theme of Rebuild Rehab and was broken down into 48-hour segments as follows:

Day 1

• Heat stress/hydration
• Cardiac health/nutrition
• Exposure mitigation
• Provided videos

Day 2

• Mental health
• Rehab support operations
• Recent case studies

The crews in the fire stations suspended all non-emergency activities to focus on these topics. In addition, the Orange County Training Officers Group put out a series on “Rebuild Rehab,” and the members in the stations completed that training via Vector Solutions.

According to Jon Muir, “One of the most memorable moments of this year’s Safety Stand Down was that the firefighter’s association hosted a fundraiser for a co-worker who has a child battling cancer. Many members said that the Safety Stand Down, along with the fundraiser, really brought crews closer together. They look forward to next year’s Safety Stand Down. All and all, a positive outcome for the Placentia Fire & Life Safety!”

Supporting the Physiological and Psychological Wellbeing of Firefighters

The Fresno Fire Department (FFD) has a comprehensive rehab program that supports the physical and mental wellbeing of its personnel in one of California’s busiest departments. Its 268 career firefighters responded to over 41,000 incidents from its 20 stations in 2020. This includes a record-breaking 5,766 fire calls. In the first months of 2021, FFD has responded to 21,011 calls for service, including 3,441 fire calls – with an unprecedented 650 fire responses in May. The Department has responded to over 500 fire calls in 11 of the last 12 months.

Fresno Fire provides a diverse array of health and safety resources to its 351 sworn and non-sworn personnel – before, during, and after their shifts. Over 90% of firefighters participate in the voluntary Health and Wellness Program that offers comprehensive health screenings, targeted fitness assessments, physical training, and nutrition education. Other resources that support both the mental and physical health of all members include a full-time Occupational Health and Safety Officer, Peer Support Team, and Employee Assistance Program. Critical Incident Stress Management is offered in a dedicated facility shared with a local law enforcement chaplaincy. In 2020, FFD added a 56-hour Safety Officer position that responds 24/7 to all major incidents and is bolstered by a reserve pool of 12 captains.

On-scene firefighter rehab is one of the most visible features of a robust safety program. In addition to having a Safety Officer on all major/multi-unit calls, the Department is supported by a dedicated and highly trained cadre of Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) volunteers who have deployed to support formal rehab on 179 emergent calls since the Rehab Team was established in 2008.

In addition to providing traditional cooling, hydration, and nutrition, the combined FFD/CERT team stays on the leading edge of the cancer prevention mission by facilitating on-scene decontamination. In an innovative effort to allow firefighters and their turnouts to cool simultaneously, the CERT team now deploys racks for hanging turnouts. This allows the gear to cool and off-gas while firefighter core temperature reduction is occurring and medical monitoring is being provided by EMS.

In a region where temperatures are between 80-100°F for much of the year, the team utilizes all standard passive and active cooling resources. In 2018 the Department added six portable Polar Breeze® units that deliver cooled air directly to firefighters’ lungs through hoods and/or hoses, allowing core temperature to drop up to 1°F every two minutes.

Over the past five years the Fresno Fire Department has seen a significant reduction in the number of injuries and illnesses, and the associated human and financial costs. Keeping firefighters safe and in peak condition ensures that everyone goes home and is essential to the mission of providing excellent service to the 540,000 residents of California’s fifth largest city.

Information: Rehab/CERT Carla.Glazebrook@fresno.gov – (559) 621-2328 or PIO Shane.Brown@fresno.gov – (559) 493-8759

The James City County Fire Department is a combination department with 123 members located in Williamsburg, VA. They plan to utilize the 2021 Safety Stand Down to train their members on the Rebuild Rehab theme as well as review related departmental policies.

Each morning during Safety Stand Down, members will receive an email with information and a quick tip relating to the daily theme. After that, members can use the Target Solutions online platform for multiple training and resource-based assignments to correlate to that day’s theme. Each station will also receive hydration related drink products, healthy snacks, and flyers that coincide with the daily themes. Each firefighter will receive their own cooling towel to use around the station and on calls.

In addition, the department is using this opportunity to review its behavioral health program and its standard operating policies on cancer prevention and respiratory protections. They are also developing a rehab policy.

The department also focuses on health and safety through an annual firefighter physicals program that launched in 2019. Through this highly successful program, they hired a company to come in and conduct physical and fitness assessments for every member. Members then take the data they get to their personal physicians to follow up and make sure they are in optimal health.

The Windber (PA) Fire Company is a volunteer department that prioritizes the health and safety of their members. They recently developed and implemented a traffic incident management policy, and they also have an agreement with a local gym for department members to join and start becoming more active and fit.

For the 2020 Safety Stand Down, they completed baseline vitals on their members, turnout gear inspection, rig inspections, and inspections on all of their EMS/rescue gear and extrication equipment. In honor of this year’s theme of safety during roadway response, they also educated members on the 10 cones of highway safety.

The department will keep these initiatives going throughout the year. They will continue to inspect their turnout gear annually and have weekly inspections of their rig and EMS equipment. They will also maintain an up-to-date record of baseline vitals that are easily accessible to offers and EMS personnel while following all HIPAA guidelines.

The Baltimore County Fire Department in Towson, MD, is a combination department with 1,000 career and 3,000 volunteer members. The department takes the safety of its members very seriously and used the week of June 14-20 to conduct a full educational program focusing on the Safety Stand Down theme of protecting responders at roadway incidents. This included the following components:

• A joint fire/police public education initiative that included staging electronic sign boards at career and volunteer fire stations along busy thoroughfares to reinforce the “Slow Down, Move Over” law
• Social media coverage/public education effort
• Roadway safety messages transmitted on TG-1 at the start of each shift
• A new department “visor card”/roadway safety “TAC” card to provide a quick reference for major apparatus, including EMS transport units
• Distribution of a traffic incident management guidebook to all career/volunteer fire stations, provided by MDOT/CHART for use in training
• Several live offerings of a TIMS refresher, provided by MDOT/CHART (1 hour)
• SOP 400-21A revision release (Roadway Safety Operations) (effective July 1)
• Four installments of an “Arrive Alive” bulletin aimed at safe emergency vehicle driving/operation, including driving distractions and driver fatigue
• Station visits by members of the safety and logistics divisions, fire maintenance, EMS supervisors, and chief officers to discuss topics related to roadway safety

To make sure the safety initiatives have lasting impact, the department reinforced safe practices by updating their SOPs and working in conjunction with the Maryland Department of Transportation to offer several four-hour traffic incident management responder courses.

The department has an ongoing commitment to keeping responders safe on the roadways and has ordered 16 new fire engines, three new ladder trucks, and 22 new EMS transport units with enhanced safety features such as rollover protection, harness restraint systems for EMS providers in the patient compartment, emergency lighting/siren upgrades including traffic advisor arrow bars, lower step and hose bed heights, and cleanable apparatus cabs.

The Georgia TIME Task Force was created in 2002 to address the critical issues of mobility and safety related to transportation incident management in the Atlanta metro region. The task force has since expanded to include incident responders from throughout Georgia from transportation, fire, rescue, police, towing, EMS, and other related agencies. Supported by the Georgia Department of Transportation, the task force shares the message of safe, quick clearance with responders both on the front lines and behind the scenes.

The 2020 Safety Stand Down theme of protecting our responders on roadways was especially relevant to the TIME Task Force as they develop regional and local traffic incident management (TIM) teams which meet quarterly to share ideas, experiences, and to get to know one another all in the interest of safe, quick clearance of roadway incidents. To mark Safety Stand Down, they invited Chief T.J. Nedrow, the National Volunteer Fire Council’s Washington director and TIM subject matter expert, to participate in two of these meetings to share the messages of Safety Stand Down with these groups. The online sessions were well received and were recorded so they can be shared with other TIM teams.

Said task force representative Scott Malcolm, “The information was invaluable to the group and tied in perfectly with the mission of the GA TIME Task Force and all of its regional TIM teams.”

The Georgia TIME Task Force will continue to advance roadway safety for all responders throughout the year through its quarterly meetings, training for all disciplines, biennial conferences, and other programs. The work of the group has had a significant impact on responder safety in Georgia, from the successes of their TIM teams, to near-miss incidents that had positive outcomes thanks to safe, proper vehicle positioning at crash scenes, to some of the highest SHRP2 training numbers in the state.

“Many fire, law enforcement, EMS, towing and recovery, and other agencies have adopted safe operational policies and procedures based upon the training and interaction of the task force and local TIM teams,” said Malcolm.