May 3-- The Philadelphia Fire Department has responded to a National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health report on the December 2014 line-of-duty death of city firefighter Joyce Craig by creating four new positions for dedicated Incident Safety Officers.
The PFD said in a release that the restructuring brings the department into compliance with the National Fire Protection Association's codes and standards. The Incident Safety Officer posts will be in addition to the Health and Safety Officer, which is another dedicated position recommended by the NFPA.
The four Incident Safety Officers will each be assigned a shift and respond to incidents city-wide, while the Health and Safety Officer is a staff position responsible for administering the department's health and safety programs, including physicals.
"The ISOs will work closely with the HSO to mitigate daily hazards by implementing programs that educate all department members and promote better communication, situational awareness and safety practices," the release says.
The department says the ISO and HSO positions are all Deputy or Division Chiefs, and the veteran firefighters assigned to the posts have more than 100 years of firefighting experience between them.
The NIOSH report into Craig's death released April 18 cited multiple reasons for the tragedy, including outdated and broken breathing equipment, becoming separated from her crew members, unrestricted air flow in the house, and a ladder crew that took 21 minutes to arrive. The 37-year-old mother of two and 11-year veteran of the PFD was the first woman firefighter to die in the line of duty in the city's history.
"The addition of the ISO position is a first in the department's history and demonstrates Fire Commissioner Adam Thiel's commitment to improving fire ground and member safety department-wide," the release says.
