"When I got to the D Side, I could see fire in the A/D corner. The garage was fully involved with 2 cars inside, and some fire showing under the second floor roof overhang. The wind was coming from the B/C corner of the house, blowing at approximately 10-15mph------- One of the neighbors informed me that 4 people lived in the home and they believed they were still inside. I advised our first engine that they would be doing a primary search in the front door------- Visibility inside was very good. Interior crews had just completed the primary search and met at the front door foyer when we had our second floor roof collapse-------- The interior crews advised me we had a Lieutenant down inside. We had a second collapse, and the rest of the roof came down. The Lieutenant that was trapped was able to free himself after the first collapse, but the second collapse trapped him again------ This is the closest that I have ever come to losing a firefighter and it scared the HELL out of me."
For the past eight months, nearly 700 personnel from around the country have shared similar incidents that occurred on the fire ground, at a rescue or on an EMS call. And, officials say those lessons learned are invaluable.
The National Firefighter Near-Miss Reporting System, launched last August by the International Association of Fire Chiefs, has been well-received throughout the emergency services community, said John Tippett, project manager and a Battalion Chief in Montgomery County, MD.
Borrowing the anonymous near miss idea from the aviation industry, IAFC officials believed anything was worth a try if it would reduce the number of responder injuries and deaths. The site has had more than 30,000 visitors, which Tippett says also shows that people are interested.
In addition to being very user-friendly, anonymity also is believed to be a reason for the site's success. "We go to great lengths to protect the identity of the department. We don't even list the state."
When a visitor logs on to review the near-miss, they are but just a few clicks away from reviewing an incident report. Website managers said they've strived to make it as easy as possible. The person will see that the event occurred in a particular FEMA region. Tippett said he knows people would not be as willing to share information if their companies were identifiable.
Once a report is entered, it is read and documented by reviewers. "They sign a confidentiality agreement, and they understand how important it is. They don't work in their stations, either, just in case..."
The three reviewers represent the whole spectrum of the service - volunteer, career, fire, EMS - and they hold various ranks. If the person making the report has included a name and contact number, one of the panel may call if more information is needed.
With the volume of reports being submitted, the turn-around time is now 10-14 days. Tippett said it was much less early on in the program. "If the reviewers feel it needs immediate feedback, they may call it to the attention of one of the others and post it."
There's been a wide range of incidents shared including mishaps on the fireground, events during training, response issues and things that have happened during routine station duties.
There is no immediacy to filing a report either. One scenario was from 1973. "Our mission is to share so others can learn." Information can be used for training drills or sparking discussions among other things.
The project is funded through a $750,000 FIRE Act grant and $350,000 award from Fireman's Fund Insurance Company.
Tippett said he's always been interested in promoting safety, but a personal loss made that even more intense. "I met a firefighter from New York City. A year later he died in a fire in an abandoned building."
A Battalion Chief in Montgomery County Maryland Fire and Rescue Service, Tippett is detailed to the IAFC to help with Near-Miss, and he sees it as a perfect fit. "Chief (Tom) Carr is very committed to safety, and realizes the importance of the program..."
Amy Hultman, another project manager, said there have been a few departments or individuals who've submitted paper reports. "I guess they don't have a computer or don't trust them. But, it's important that we got the report."
She said they usually see a spike in participation after she and other Near-Miss officials visit trade shows, stations or associations. In the near future, visitors will be able to see an incident report by entering a key word such as ambulance or SCBA.
Visitors to the site may also sign up to receive weekly reports. After a brief description of the incident, the reviewer poses a few topics for conversation based on what happened.
The IAFC provides a National Fire Fighter Near-Miss Reporting System program kit that includes PowerPoint presentations, downloadable reporting form and instructions on how to submit a report. It can be downloaded on the IAFC Near-Miss Site, Ms. Hultman said.
Until the keyword search is launched, people wishing additional help should contact her at IAFC.
Statistics she compiled show:
40.6 percent of those filing reports were employed by career municipal departments; 24 percent, combination, mostly paid; 18.9 percent, volunteer; 13.8 percent, combination, mostly volunteer. Firefighters filed the majority of the Near-Miss reports, 26.1 percent; while 19 percent were captains; 13.2 percent were lieutenants and 11.7 percent were chiefs Six out of 10 reports indicated that a serious life-threatening injury was possible. Reports have been received from 43 states.
