Coal was wealth For those of you who have never heard of "Coal was wealth," it is likely that you never met retired Chief George Goldbach. George was a former chief officer from the FDNY, who upon retirement moved to Colorado and became a transitional chief for West Metro. George used to teach Coal was wealth, and while coal still is wealth, and is a major contributor to global warming and mercury poisioning in the fish we eat, Coal Was Wealth is a fire service acronym for conducting a scene sizeup. Here is what it stands for. C: Construction O: Occupancy A: Apparatus and manpower L: Life Hazards W: Water Supply A: Auxillary appliances S: Street Conditions W: Weather E: Exposures A: Area L: Location and extent of the fire T: Time H: Height It is obvious that the acronym does not go in order, but it does provide a way of remembering many of the factors that go into a scene size-up from the time of tone to the initial arrival. NIOSH Report: Preventing Fire Fighter Fatalities Due to Heart Attacks and Other Sudden Cardiovascular Events (Excerpt from the NIOSH Blog) Coronary artery disease in fire fighters is due to a combination of personal and workplace factors. The personal factors are well known: age, gender, family history, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, smoking, high blood cholesterol, obesity, and lack of exercise. Not as widely known, however, is that fire fighters have exposures to workplace factors that are associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes such as exposure to fire smoke (notably carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide, and particulates), heat stress, noise, and shift work. (Click here for the blog) or here for the report. Quote of the Month:
Now for something completely different! Where the Hell is Matt (Inspire someone today) The Chemical Safety Board Releases Report on the Little General convenience store and gas station explosion in Ghent, West Virginia. Four people were killed and five others were seriously injured when propane vapors from a storage tank ignited and exploded. |  The following article is reprinted with permission from the blog of John Halbrook of Halbrook & Asscoiates. John is a Search & Rescue Tech, a Paramedic, and Firefighter in Central Iowa. He runs a firm that consults on emergency response planning, coordination, and training. Guest Article“I’m just a volunteer” an excuse, or a standard The vast majority of emergency responders in this country are “volunteers”. These volunteers serve their communities in many forms. Some train and adhere to the highest professional standards for their discipline, while others adopt varying levels of training and certification. Some volunteers staff and augment full timers within their industry while others respond from home to serve their community; still others spend their time providing different types of support to these response organizations. As we look at the concept of volunteerism it is interesting to see how little payment plays into volunteer operations. Although the classic volunteer is an individual who does not receive an hourly wage for their services many volunteers take home some form of compensation for their efforts. Some are reimbursed for their expenses while others are paid for facilities that they bring to the table. Still others receive an hourly compensation for their time served. These compensations may or may not be the same as full timers in the same industry. Looking at the classic Tennessee volunteers brings this truth home. The fact is that General Andrew Jackson paid his “Volunteers”.So, volunteers come in many different shapes, sizes, and disciplines. What does that mean for the emergency response industry? My belief is that the person who calls for help does not care weather the responders who assist them are paid or not. They also don’t care if you have a “real job”. What the victims care about is that the responders who assist them are capable, competent, and available when tasked. So, if you are a volunteer organization that is attempting to build, or rebuild credibility within an emergency response industry you really need to stay away from the “I’m just a volunteer mentality”. The simple truth is that no one cares. Either you are capable of the public trust that has been placed upon you, or you are not. If you are building or working towards a professional responsibility you need to determine what your entity is capable of. It is not until you determine and commit to a level of service that you can be taken seriously within your chosen industry. -John Halbrook - www.HalbrookAssociates.com This website may contain copyrighted material that was not specifically authorized by the copyright owner. EFPD personnel believe this constitutes “fair use” of copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use copyrighted material contained within this document for your own purposes that go beyond “fair use,” you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. |
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October 2008 |