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<a
href="http://fri.iafc.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/john-tippett.jpg"><img
class="alignleft size-full wp-image-524" style="margin: 10px;"
title="john-tippett"
src="http://fri.iafc.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/john-tippett.jpg"
alt="john-tippett" width="72" height="90" /></a>This year’s
Fire-Rescue International (FRI), to be held in Dallas in late August,
will mark the fourth anniversary for the National Fire Fighter
Near-Miss Reporting System, which has emerged as an essential source
for case studies, training information, learning opportunities and
firefighter safety information. The data collected as a part of this
program is now being tapped in a variety of ways by firefighters,
publishers and fire departments across the United States and
Canada.
Attendees at FRI 2009 will have two opportunities to explore
the lessons shared through near-miss reporting. The two
presentations—one designed for company officers and one for chief
officers—aim to improve firefighter safety and fuel continued growth of
the program.
Near Miss in COLS 
Two years ago, the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC)
launched a Company Officer Leadership Symposium (COLS) in the hopes
that chiefs would bring some of their company officers to the show, in
the spirit of team building and education. The Symposium is intended to
deliver current, relevant, high-impact training to company
officers.
The Near-Miss Reporting System is proud to be included in this
year’s Symposium schedule. On Aug. 25, from 3 to 4:30 p.m., Chief Billy
Goldfeder of the Loveland-Symmes (Ohio) Fire Department will present
“Near-Miss Case Studies for Company Officers.” One of the frequently
identified deficiencies in company officers is experience.
Traditionally, company officers have been rotated through busy units to
build their experience base. This method is still used today, and it is
tremendously valuable; however, the hit-or-miss nature of emergency
response can make this a less-than-reliable method.
Enter case studies. Other industries (e.g., military,
medicine, aviation) have used case studies for decades as a means to
impart knowledge that can be turned into “vicarious  experience”
that better equips the aspiring (or seasoned) officer with tools to
mitigate emergencies.
The case studies in this presentation are extremely relevant
to today’s fire officer. The presentation will challenge the audience
on several levels. Experienced officers will be called upon to offer
strategies from their own experience base and share knowledge with
those who have less experience. Less-experienced officers will improve
their decision-making and knowledge base. The entire group will be
encouraged to promote strategies for successful mitigation and help
recognize and avoid potential injury-producing situations. With growing
data indicating that what goes wrong on the fireground or rescue scene
is based more on human than technological failure, this session is a
great place to invest 90 minutes.
Comprehensive Learning 
The second learning opportunity at FRI using near-miss reports is
specifically designed for the chief officer. Historically, chief
officers have accumulated a wealth of experience due to tenure.
However, members of today’s fire and emergency services are moving up
the ranks with unprecedented speed. This rapid ascent, coupled with
time spent in staff positions, sets the stage for a decreased
operational experience base, as well as rusty skill sets.
On Aug. 27, from 1:30 to 3 p.m., Greg Cade, former U.S. Fire
Administrator and current Deputy Director of National Programs for the
IAFC, will present a focused look at near-miss reports submitted by
chief officers. The 450 chief officers who had submitted reports by the
time conference materials were published have been joined by an
additional 141 chiefs at the time of this writing. The total number of
chief-submitted reports should be far more than 600 by conference time,
further deepening the data set that our experiences can be drawn
from.
Following is one case study that will be examined in the
session.
Sample Chief Officer Comprehensive
Learning Case Study 
Report number: 07-869 
Synopsis: Command vehicle responds too fast. 
Reporter job/rank: Fire chief 
Type of event: Responding to, returning from,
routine driving, etc. 
Event participation: Witnessed event but not
directly involved in the event  Weather at time of
event: Cloudy and sleet 
What were the contributing factors? Unknown; human
error; accountability; decision-making; situational awareness 
What do you believe is the loss potential?
Property damage; minor injury; lost-time injury; life-threatening
injury 
 
Event Description 
“I had finished dinner with my family at a local restaurant. We walked
out of the establishment and heard sirens. The command unit was running
code at a very high rate of speed. The street is considered an arterial
but has many residential (stop sign) collectors. Our state law only
allows responding emergency vehicles to exceed the posted speed limit
by 10 mph.
“I decided against calling the battalion chief on the cell
phone, because I didn’t want to distract him. As I heard him arrive on
scene and provide a size-up, I notified him by cell phone and advised
him of my concern. He responded by stating, ‘If you said I was going
this fast, then I probably was!’ Note: This
department also received a call from our local police department about
this command unit moving too fast.” 
 
Lessons Learned 
“Situational awareness: The individual was not fully aware of his
behavior behind the wheel—not aware of the potential of a car pulling
out onto the arterial street. Additionally, the call was in a northern
district, and other units would have arrived long before the unit in
question. 
“Suggestions: Conduct training related to safe driving and traffic laws
as they pertain to emergency response. Strip drivers from this
privilege until they can prove they understand the concept. 
“Actions: In this incident, I directed this BC to respond only Code 1
(no lights and sirens) and attend a driver’s course at our local junior
college and to teach members on his shift an emergency vehicle
operation course. Time, training and progressive discipline was my
corrective action. Note: This individual had one prior incident,
reported by the local police department.”
Considerations/Conclusions/Strategies
<ul>
<li>What
would the critical factors be for you as the “witnessing chief” in this
report?</li>
<li>Noting that there is one prior incident with this officer,
how would you expect the rest of your department to react to this
event?</li>
<li>What action would you expect your law enforcement agency to
take?</li>
</ul>
Final Thoughts 
The presentations by Cade and Goldfeder target topics requested by
progressive leaders in today’s fire service. Taking time out of your
busy week in Dallas to catch these cutting-edge topics will provide you
with real knowledge you can put to use immediately upon returning home
and pass along freely to better equip your colleagues, subordinates and
superiors. See you in Dallas!
John Tippett is the deputy chief of operations for
the Charleston (S.C.) Fire Department. Tippett recently retired from
Montgomery County (Md.) Fire and Rescue after 32 years, the last 7 as a
battalion chief. He has served as project manager for the National Fire
Fighter Near-Miss Reporting System since 2004. In 2007, Tippett was
awarded the International Society of Fire Service Instructors’ George
D. Post Instructor of the Year award.

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6 July, 2009 @ 5:56 [Autosave] by FRI 2009
6 July, 2009 @ 5:21 by FRI 2009
17 June, 2009 @ 12:27 by FRI 2009
17 June, 2009 @ 12:25 by FRI Editor
17 June, 2009 @ 12:24 by FRI Editor
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