By J. Gordon Routley

The IAFC’s Safety, Health and Survival Section, with generous support from FireRescue magazine, conducted 2 very full days of pre-conference educational sessions at FRI 2009.

This year’s program provided two parallel tracks—one addressing topics related to health, wellness and fitness, and a second directed toward operational safety. The pre-conference sessions are designed to provide opportunities for fire chiefs and officers to learn from and interact with individuals who can bring special insight on important topics of interest. The pre-conference sessions also allow for subjects to be explored in greater detail than the general conference sessions.

The health-wellness-fitness track began with a presentation by George Cruz and Ian Crosby on how to implement the IAFF-IAFC Joint Wellness-Fitness Program. They addressed common questions related to the anticipated benefits of the program, as well as overcoming anxiety and promoting participation. The important role of peer fitness trainers to assist firefighters in developing personalized exercise and physical training programs was included in their presentation as well. Doctor Kerry Kuehl added to this discussion his analysis of the costs and benefits of wellness-fitness programs, and also presented the results of his study of the impact of sleep deprivation on fire and EMS responders.

Doctor Tom Hales of the National Institutes of Occupational Safety and Health presented the current findings of his ongoing detailed analysis of firefighter fatalities resulting from heart attacks and related cardiovascular causes. He also provided information about new efforts to look more closely at the relationship between exposure to toxins in the fire environment and firefighter cancer. Additional information on the same subject was provided by Mike Dubron, founder of the Firefighter Cancer Network, while Michael Kreuger presented a session on determining fitness for duty following a firefighter illness or injury.

Scott Kerwood and Robert Dubé, both directors of the Safety, Health and Survival Section, opened the safety track with a presentation on the critical importance of situational awareness to prevent firefighter injuries and fatalities. Captain Willie Mora (ret.) addressed the closely related topic of firefighter disorientation while operating in smoke-filled enclosed structures. He was followed by Gary Morris, another SHS Section director, who provided insight into rapid intervention procedures and air management based on his experiences with the Phoenix and Seattle fire departments. Chief Morris also invited the participants to review and comment on the draft revision to the IAFC Rules of Engagement, which is due to be completed within the next 6 months.

SHS Section Director Ed Nied, along with Derek Alkonis, presented a preview of the new IAFC-IAFF program on fireground survival, which is expected to be released in the coming months. Chief Nied also delivered a session in the health-wellness-fitness program on the risks of MRSA among emergency service delivery organizations.

A team of presenters from UL and the Chicago Fire Department delivered an overview of their research efforts on the fire resistance of lightweight wood engineered construction systems, which included direct comparisons of the performance of these increasingly common residential construction components with more traditional building systems. The tests showed that the newer systems can be expected to fail so quickly that accepted practices relating to offensive firefighting strategy must be changed when this type of construction is encountered or even suspected.

The risks associated with vacant and abandoned buildings were addressed by Chris Naum in his session on building construction. He was joined by Captain Andy Graves who discussed the efforts in Flint, Mich., to identify and promote the demolition of abandoned buildings that present unacceptable risks to firefighters and the community.

State Fire Marshal Paul Maldonado joined SHS Section Directors Danny Kistner and Wendy Norris in a presentation on dealing with the emotional impact of traumatic incidents and close call situations. This presentation was based on their experience in implementing a state-wide response team system in Texas and dealing with several real situations.

The final session featured Steve Austin and Jon Jones providing an update on responder safety when operating at incidents on roads and highways. The training programs on this topic that have been developed through the Cumberland Valley Fire Chiefs Association have been delivered to hundreds of fire departments and thousands of individual firefighters since the project was initiated.

J. Gordon Routley is a fire protection engineer and has served as fire chief in Shreveport, La.; assistant to the fire chief in Phoenix; and safety officer in Prince George’s County, Md. He is currently working with the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation on the Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives Project and is a member of the board of directors of the Safety, Health and Survival Section of the International Association of Fire Chiefs.

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