Tag Archives: smoke

If we cannot objectively analyze our own actions and the actions of others for the purpose of learning and not repeating mistakes, can we really call ourselves professional firefighters?

In contrast, nearly 95 percent of the firefighters who have attended the class have made personal behavioral changes in their tactical approaches to fireground operations. While it’s a great feat to see individual firefighters taking note of the education, it’s disappointing that the majority of departments are not immediately taking action to protect the lives of their firefighters.

In support of our brother and sister firefighters and "industry insiders" who are in Tampa this week, I'm going to repost a couple of the blogs I've written in this space on the topic of firefighter deaths and injuries and our progress--and lack thereof--in reducing both of those outcomes. The first is Smoke and Firefighter Disorientation: The Link to Firefighter Fatalities and Injuries.

In the end, firefighters contract disease, illness and death through inhalation, ingestion or absorption. To prevent exposure means wearing air and USING it, clean bodies and clean PPE. While the prescription for prevention is simple, the process is complex.

If we cannot objectively analyze our own actions and the actions of others for the purpose of learning and not repeating mistakes, can we really call ourselves professional firefighters?