A Safe Start to Your Shift

Safety is paramount in the fire service, & it starts with your actions upon arriving for work

As the holiday season comes into full swing, I feel it’s appropriate to issue a reminder on safety.

Safety is something that should always be at the forefront of a firefighter’s mind. Personally, I didn’t give a whole lot of thought to safety, especially mine, in the early years of my career. Today, however, safety is constantly on my mind while going about my daily routine in the firehouse. (We call them firehouses in NYC.) Whether inside of quarters, during training or operating at fires and emergencies, I’m always looking for ways to ensure that my firefighters all go home to their families.

A Harsh Reminder
The week I wrote this, we buried two NYC firefighters. Believe me, it never gets any easier. In my 24 years on the department, I’ve attended hundreds of funerals. After 9/11, there were funerals I couldn’t even attend due to simultaneous events or because I was working at the firehouse or at Ground Zero.

I’d never wish this on my worst enemy. I truly believe that only firefighters can understand what I’m talking about. But just like you, I continue to persevere because of the sacrifices our brother and sister firefighters made to society in the protection of life and property.

So where is this column headed? Let’s start with the moment you enter the firehouse for your tour of duty. If you’re like most firefighters, you’re probably ½-1 hour early. You anticipated this moment while at home conducting family business or working your second job. You look forward to it. (Note: Next time you’re stuck in traffic, take a look at the people around you. Most of them will look miserable, and it’s probably because they have to go to jobs they don’t like. If you see a guy or gal in the car next to you belting out a tune along with the radio, they’re probably a firefighter.)

So you check in to the house watch and you look to relieve someone early so you can catch a little something extra prior to the start of your tour of duty. Personally, I would never take early relief and risk missing a response, but some people are eager to leave. Once you find someone, you remove your gear from the rack and place it near the riding position of the firefighter you relieved.

The most important thing to do at this time: Notify the officer on duty of your relief exchange and make sure it’s recorded on the riding list. Doing this ensures that if an incident goes bad, the officer will be able to account for the members operating at that moment.

PPE Check
Now you’re ready to ride, right? Not yet. If you haven’t put on your work-duty uniform, now would be a good time to do so, and you must also check your personal protective equipment (PPE). Note: Taking a shower is not acceptable once you relieve someone.

You head back down to the apparatus floor to the location of your PPE and begin checking it out. Ever go to reach for a piece of equipment and find it missing? Yes, you have, because one of your brothers or sisters borrowed it and didn’t put it back. Imagine the horror of responding to a structural fire, reaching into your pocket and finding no hood or gloves. Think this wouldn’t prevent you from operating? Go on the Internet and look at some pictures of firefighters who suffered burns to their hands or neck area; it might make you think twice. To the person who borrowed the gear and didn’t put it back: Shame on you.

OK, now your gear is all ready to go and accounted for and in shape for structural firefighting. Ready? Not sure yet? The wafting smell of the coffee permeates your nostrils and you want to make your way to the kitchen. No coffee yet, though; you must check your mask. The tool that allows firefighters to operate in the most toxic atmospheres imaginable must be operating correctly for you to operate safely.

Check your mask according to your department’s SOP/SOGs to ensure proper operation. Adjust all your straps during this inspection because doing it at the scene of a fire will result in a delay. Adjust your facepiece as well so you can don it quickly before entering the fire building. Saving seconds by doing little things can result in a saved life or prevent bad things from happening as the fire progresses.

The Kitchen Table
Now you’re ready to go into the kitchen and get that cup of coffee. If you’re lucky enough and they like you, it’s more than likely you’ll be the brunt of a few jokes.

If you’re a senior firefighter (no, 3 years is not senior in my book), get your cup, sit back and enjoy the show—or jump right in if you like. Laugh a lot, brothers and sisters, because what happens in the kitchen stays there and when we go out the door it is all business. Remember: We die on this job.

For you johnnies or newer firefighters, before you pour that cup of coffee, make sure there’s a fresh pot made for the officers and the other firefighters. Do you have an opinion on that subject? No you do not, contrary to what society may say. You’re in my society now: The Brotherhood. Embrace it, respect it and live it.

The article is dedicated to Firefighter Jamel Sears and Lieutenant Robert Ryan, who made the supreme sacrifice in November 2008. Rest in peace; we will never forget.

Chief Fred LaFemina is a 24-year veteran of the New York City Fire Department (FDNY), presently chief of Rescue Operations. He has been with Special Operations for more than 20 years and is the task force leader for New York’s Task Force 1 Urban Search and Rescue team. He is also the operations chief on the USAR IST White Team. LaFemina has written many articles on fire operations and technical rescue and lectures throughout the country. He is a technical editor of FireRescue.