Am I a Competent And Courageous Firefighter?

This is a question I have been asking myself for 33 years, and I'm still challenged to be completely honest. I strive to be, but I know I do not always meet the mark. The art and science of being a firefighter is a life and death vocation that requires a 200% proficiency level of performance. We must perform each task 100 % correct, 100% of the time, because your life or someone else's life depends on it. Okay you say, but what does competency have to do with courage? You must - do the right thing - all the time - even when others around you are not. That takes courage.

Since the terrorist attacks of 9-11, events we all vicariously experienced, the fire service now has a new understanding of what possible dangers we face. I pray that you and I are never faced with a World Trade Center event. Those firefighters were competent and courageous that day, the ones that died and the ones that survived. My job and your job every day is to concentrate on the probable to ensure our competence and courage.

When you read the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program reports, in every case the victims and or others at the incident were not following some part of our fire service doctrine (standards, training, SOP's, good practice). In addition, heart attacks and vehicle accidents are still the number 1 and 2 cause of firefighter fatalities. Do you have a medical examination every year? Do you wear your seat belt going to and returning from every call? Jet fighter pilots do.

Consider all the tasks a firefighter needs to do every day. When you show up for your shift, the first thing I was taught to do was check your mask (SCBA). This is a simple thing, but how many SCBAs on apparatus right now are inoperable or should be put out of service .01%, .05%, 1%, 3%, 5%? What is the acceptable number of SCBAs being inoperable? The answer is 0, if it is your mask. For example, one shift I was detailed during the middle of the tour for a few hours to another engine. When I got there, the firefighter I was replacing had already left. This department had day and night shifts each 24 hours. Since I was four hours into the night shift, that SCBA should have been checked 2 times that day. My check was to be the third. You know want happened. The mask was inoperable. The harness arrangement made it impossible to put the SCBA on. This was a slow company, so they did not just get back from a fire. I was vocally upset and mumbling as I fixed the SCBA. The officer overheard my comments. He agreed with my discontent. The drill that night was on inspecting SCBA's. The engine and truck crews did not have any kind words for me.

Here is another example. I was teaching an instructor trainer course. One student decided to use SCBA inspection as his practice lesson. He bought in four SCBAs from his department's apparatus. He presented all the inspection procedures and then demonstrated. To his surprise and embarrassment, two of the four bottles were out of date for their hydrostatic test. Did you ever find a SCBA inoperable? More important, did you ever leave an SCBA inoperable?

I know how some of you are reacting to this. "Clark, you are nitpicking, every little thing does not make a big difference." You are right; one little thing may not make a big difference, but a lot of little things can add up to an error. This can lead to a mistake that results in an accident that becomes a tragedy. The problem with the little thing argument is that we, you and me, do not know in advance what little thing, in the chain of events, will turn the mistake into an injury or fatality.

Take seatbelts as an example. I know this will come as a shock to all the fire chiefs reading this, but your fire department does not have 100% compliance, 100% of the time with the policy that requires seatbelts to be used whenever the apparatus is in motion.

When I watch NBC's "Firehouse" or Hearst Entertainment's "The Bravest", I look to see how many firefighters are using their seatbelts; not many. I told one firefighter I was riding with "Put you seatbelt on." His reply was, "I choose not to wear my seatbelt." My reply was, "It is not your choice. I will file charges if you do not comply". He did. I ride out with fire departments all over the country. I estimate that 75% of the time I am the only one wearing a seatbelt. Only once did an officer reinforce that he expected me to put my seatbelt on. I was riding with a battalion chief in Indianapolis, Indiana; the chiefs aid Lt. Sonny Rideout, explained my "seatbelt wearing duty" to me. I thank him. I told Lt. Rideout I would tell his story, thanks Lt., it takes courage to make firefighters wear their seatbelts.

In another situation, I was visiting the Lehi, Utah fire department. It is a call department, so only one firefighter was there. We were talking when the tones went off for a car fire on the interstate. I asked if I could ride along, the officer said okay. I walked passed the driver, we looked at each other, and I climbed into the cab. The driver/ engineer, Captain Carry Evans turned and announced to everyone, "Clark is here, everybody put you seatbelt on or he will talk about us." Everyone in the fire truck was stunned, mostly me, we all complied. It turned out that Captain Evans recognized me from a lecture, where I talked about seatbelt usage. Thanks Captain, competence and courage are a powerful combination.

Competence and courage does not get any easier as you get more trumpets. The lack of them just becomes obvious to more people. As a new chief officer, I used the same car all the time. One shift there was a different car I had not used before. I checked my mask and look at the radios; they looked different. But I was sure I could figure them out, so I did not ask for any instruction. I did not have the courage to admit I was not 100% competent in using the radios. Ten minuets latter, I am responding on a building fire. I am checking on the air, but did not get any reply. Communications calls for me several times and I keep replying. I thought the problem was due to poor repeaters and radio traffic as often accuses. Then the nice dispatcher, from another county explains to my communications, and everyone within 100 miles, that I was on the wrong radio. When I got to the scene I used the portable. I was 100% sure it was the right radio. Now that everyone knew that I was not 100% competent in using the radio, I asked for and received instructions.

Competence and courage does not stop when you leave the firehouse. I visited my daughter and three grandchildren at their new apartment. The kids were home, age 16, 9, and 5. Gunner, the 5 year old, immediately took me to his bedroom. He wanted to show me the stars and clouds his mom painted on the ceiling and how they glowed in the dark. Great stuff. Looking at the ceiling, I noted the smoke detector outlet plat, but no smoke detector. The other bedroom was also missing a smoke detector. There was one on the ceiling between the kitchen and living room. Upon visual inspection, there was no light coming from the "on" indicator. I removed the smoke detector and found that it was not connected to the AC power and there wasn't a battery. My daughter was home by now I repressed my concern. My mind flashed back to January 2001, a Delaware house fire were 11 members of one family died. Three generations gone because the smoke detectors were not working. I got Strider, the 9 year old, to take a 9-volt battery from his hot car remote control; we put it in the smoke detector. My daughter is an electrician; I had her plug the detector into the AC. She did not know it was not working. I have not been very competent in convincing my daughter of the importance of having working smoke detectors. I called the fire department to let them know that the smoke detectors, in that apartment complex, are installed wrong. They are too close to the kitchen, so people disconnect them. I am sure they false alarm all the time.

Recently, I was at a high-level non-fire service government meeting, as an observer. Near the end of the meeting, an announcement was made. " The fire alarm system will be worked on today, so when the alarm goes off, ignore it and do not leave the building." The hairs on the back of my neck stood up and my heart began to race, but I did not say anything. I rationalized I'm just a visitor - the truth - no courage. I could not let it go. After the meeting I explained my concern to the meeting leader. He immediately understood and realized the potential danger his directions had created. He went to the fire alarm contractor and discovered that the system would acutely be out of service. This was not known by any of the building safety personnel, so the building was placed on fire watch. Opportunities to be competent and courageous abound.

Under life threatening situations, firefighters are expected to be at the journeymen level of performance at many tasks. Most of these skills we do not practice every day, even at the busiest fire stations in the country. As professional, we have a duty even when we are not at the station to do what we know is right. I strive to do my best all the time. I am grateful to be part of a team that helps me be competent and courageous when I fall short. It is my responsibility to determine how I can keep improving, so I can do better the next time. This requires life-long education, training, practice, and research. Fire service doctrine is designed to help us to be competent and courageous firefighters. Competence is a mater of doing the right thing, even the littlest thing, all the time. Courage is a matter of doing it right, even when you are the only one who does.

I keep working at being a competent and courageous firefighter. You are welcome to join me in this quest.