This year’s Fire-Rescue International (FRI), to be held in Dallas in late August, will mark the fourth anniversary for the National Fire Fighter Near-Miss Reporting System, which has emerged as an essential source for case studies, training information, learning opportunities and firefighter safety information. The data collected as a part of this program is now being tapped in a variety of ways by firefighters, publishers and fire departments across the United States and Canada.

Attendees at FRI 2009 will have two opportunities to explore the lessons shared through near-miss reporting. The two presentations—one designed for company officers and one for chief officers—aim to improve firefighter safety and fuel continued growth of the program.

Near Miss in COLS
Two years ago, the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) launched a Company Officer Leadership Symposium (COLS) in the hopes that chiefs would bring some of their company officers to the show, in the spirit of team building and education. The Symposium is intended to deliver current, relevant, high-impact training to company officers.

The Near-Miss Reporting System is proud to be included in this year’s Symposium schedule. On Aug. 25, from 3 to 4:30 p.m., Chief Billy Goldfeder of the Loveland-Symmes (Ohio) Fire Department will present “Near-Miss Case Studies for Company Officers.” One of the frequently identified deficiencies in company officers is experience. Traditionally, company officers have been rotated through busy units to build their experience base. This method is still used today, and it is tremendously valuable; however, the hit-or-miss nature of emergency response can make this a less-than-reliable method.

Enter case studies. Other industries (e.g., military, medicine, aviation) have used case studies for decades as a means to impart knowledge that can be turned into “vicarious  experience” that better equips the aspiring (or seasoned) officer with tools to mitigate emergencies.

The case studies in this presentation are extremely relevant to today’s fire officer. The presentation will challenge the audience on several levels. Experienced officers will be called upon to offer strategies from their own experience base and share knowledge with those who have less experience. Less-experienced officers will improve their decision-making and knowledge base. The entire group will be encouraged to promote strategies for successful mitigation and help recognize and avoid potential injury-producing situations. With growing data indicating that what goes wrong on the fireground or rescue scene is based more on human than technological failure, this session is a great place to invest 90 minutes.

Comprehensive Learning
The second learning opportunity at FRI using near-miss reports is specifically designed for the chief officer. Historically, chief officers have accumulated a wealth of experience due to tenure. However, members of today’s fire and emergency services are moving up the ranks with unprecedented speed. This rapid ascent, coupled with time spent in staff positions, sets the stage for a decreased operational experience base, as well as rusty skill sets.

On Aug. 27, from 1:30 to 3 p.m., Greg Cade, former U.S. Fire Administrator and current Deputy Director of National Programs for the IAFC, will present a focused look at near-miss reports submitted by chief officers. The 450 chief officers who had submitted reports by the time conference materials were published have been joined by an additional 141 chiefs at the time of this writing. The total number of chief-submitted reports should be far more than 600 by conference time, further deepening the data set that our experiences can be drawn from.

Following is one case study that will be examined in the session.

Sample Chief Officer Comprehensive Learning Case Study
Report number: 07-869
Synopsis: Command vehicle responds too fast.
Reporter job/rank: Fire chief
Type of event: Responding to, returning from, routine driving, etc.
Event participation: Witnessed event but not directly involved in the event  Weather at time of event: Cloudy and sleet
What were the contributing factors? Unknown; human error; accountability; decision-making; situational awareness
What do you believe is the loss potential? Property damage; minor injury; lost-time injury; life-threatening injury

Event Description
“I had finished dinner with my family at a local restaurant. We walked out of the establishment and heard sirens. The command unit was running code at a very high rate of speed. The street is considered an arterial but has many residential (stop sign) collectors. Our state law only allows responding emergency vehicles to exceed the posted speed limit by 10 mph.

“I decided against calling the battalion chief on the cell phone, because I didn’t want to distract him. As I heard him arrive on scene and provide a size-up, I notified him by cell phone and advised him of my concern. He responded by stating, ‘If you said I was going this fast, then I probably was!’ Note: This department also received a call from our local police department about this command unit moving too fast.”

Lessons Learned
“Situational awareness: The individual was not fully aware of his behavior behind the wheel—not aware of the potential of a car pulling out onto the arterial street. Additionally, the call was in a northern district, and other units would have arrived long before the unit in question.
“Suggestions: Conduct training related to safe driving and traffic laws as they pertain to emergency response. Strip drivers from this privilege until they can prove they understand the concept.
“Actions: In this incident, I directed this BC to respond only Code 1 (no lights and sirens) and attend a driver’s course at our local junior college and to teach members on his shift an emergency vehicle operation course. Time, training and progressive discipline was my corrective action. Note: This individual had one prior incident, reported by the local police department.”

Considerations/Conclusions/Strategies

• What would the critical factors be for you as the “witnessing chief” in this report?
• Noting that there is one prior incident with this officer, how would you expect the rest of your department to react to this event?
• What action would you expect your law enforcement agency to take?

Final Thoughts
The presentations by Cade and Goldfeder target topics requested by progressive leaders in today’s fire service. Taking time out of your busy week in Dallas to catch these cutting-edge topics will provide you with real knowledge you can put to use immediately upon returning home and pass along freely to better equip your colleagues, subordinates and superiors. See you in Dallas!

John Tippett is the deputy chief of operations for the Charleston (S.C.) Fire Department. Tippett recently retired from Montgomery County (Md.) Fire and Rescue after 32 years, the last 7 as a battalion chief. He has served as project manager for the National Fire Fighter Near-Miss Reporting System since 2004. In 2007, Tippett was awarded the International Society of Fire Service Instructors’ George D. Post Instructor of the Year award.

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