As a dedicated health and safety trainer and consultant, Karl Beeman was still making edits to the San Diego County Fall Protection Policy in the final months before his passing in October 2020. Beeman spent 22 years working in the fire service, after which he devoted his time to making firefighting safer through occupational safety and health (OSH) and health and safety officer (HSO) training.
As an FDSOA trainer, Beeman had an impact on the San Diego Fire Department, and they determined that they needed to write a fall protection policy. The program was approximately five years in the making, as fall protection is complicated to manage in the fire service. It was an issue Beeman was passionate about, and he helped tailor the policy for San Diego and for the various vehicles, equipment and structures that firefighters climb.
In March, the San Diego County Health & Safety Section approved the final policy language and it was accepted by the county chiefs. After the policy’s approval, San Diego Battalion Chief and Health and Safety Officer David Picone proposed to officially name the policy the Karl Beeman Fall Protection Policy. “It wasn’t glamorous, but it was an issue that was near and dear to him,” said Picone.
At the end of June, a virtual presentation was held with Beeman’s wife, Benita. The template for the San Diego policy is available in the Members’ Document Library at www.fdsoa.org.
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The Fire Department Safety Officers Association (FDSOA) was established in 1989 as a non-profit association. Its mission is to promote safety standards and practices in the fire, rescue and emergency services community. The association is led by a volunteer board of directors and has a small staff to handle the day-to-day operations. The association is dedicated to the issues that affect the critical role of the safety officer in protecting and promoting the safety and health responsibilities of fire departments, communities and first responders. FDSOA can be found on the web at www.fdsoa.org. Please follow FDSOA on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
