Emergency Scene Problem Prevention

摘要

Most of the problems we have discussed in this column have been specific to events that have gone wrong. I believe as long as there are people involved in the fire service there will be an endless supply of cases that can be discussed. There is a value in studying what has gone wrong so that the right steps can be taken to address that specific issue and also to learn for future occurrences. Every day fire departments respond to 911 calls. Many are "routine" and are handled competently, professionally, and expediently. One reason that this occurs is that many of these calls are repetitious and within the comfort zone of the firefighters. For example, fire department medics are extremely competent when handling common medical emergencies such as chest pains and difficulty breathing. The frequency with which these problems occur allows the firefighters to maintain their skills through repetition, leading to great confidence in handling these types of emergencies.