Safety & Health Committee
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Additional training opportunities can be found under the “Other Information” tab
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Committee Chair
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Rick Kline, Chair - Plymouth Fire Department |
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Additional training opportunities can be found under the “Other Information” tab
The Mission of the MSFCA Safety & Health Committee is to advocate and promote various Minnesota fire service safety initiatives.
Additional training opportunities can be found under the “Other Information” tab
Safety and Health Committee 2011
The mission statement of the Safety and Health Committee is to advocate and promote various Minnesota fire service safety initiatives. Committee members believe that an active safety and health committee can make a difference in reducing injury and deaths within our profession. In 2011, the Committee has been positioned to create and maintain an interactive and engaged safety presence; one which is committed to truly enhancing safety practices and programming in our state.
2011 Areas of Focus
The Committee made strides in adopting a progressive approach in advocating fire service safety in 2011. Several action items were identified by the Committee in late 2010 which formed the basis of our 2011 Committee goals.
These areas of focus include:
• Committee representation includes a representative from the MSFDA
• Continue to offer the Minnesota Fire Service Safety Symposium to focus upon topics that impact the safety and health of our first responders. The 2010 symposium was cancelled due to low registration; however we believe that this educational offering should be continued. In 2011, we met with the managers of the fire training programs for the technical college system to determine a “best” practices approach in offering this educational opportunity. In 2012, the symposium will again focus upon emergent fireground and safety management themes, offered through the sectional school system.
• Present the National Firefighter Near-Miss Program in Minnesota, including a train-the-trainer component. This session will be offered to regional associations.
• The IAFC/IAFF Firefighter Safety & Survival Safety initiative was promoted statewide with an article published in the State Chiefs magazine. Information was also posted on the MSFCA web site.
• Several educational subject themes have been posted on the MSFCA web site. Examples include lessons learned from Minnesota near-miss events as well as seasonal safety recommendations including industry best practices.
Striving for excellence in any safety initiative requires collaboration and partnering as key ingredients for success. I invite the Minnesota fire service to join us in advocating, educating and promoting safe work practices within the fire service.
Contact any of our safety committee members to provide feedback, ask questions, or offer your experience with Minnesota fire service safety.
Chief Kline may be contacted at rkline@plymouthmn.gov
Safety and Health Committee 2011
Safety and Health Committee 2010
Safety and Health Committee 2009
Safety and Health Committee 2008
Additional training opportunities can be found under the “Other Information” tab
MSFCA Safety & Health Committee
Meeting Agenda April, 6 2010
I. Welcome & Introductions
II. 2010 Goals
a. Safety Symposium – December 4, 2010.
b. National Firefighter Near-Miss system. Train-the-Trainer class.
c. Firefighter rehabilitation.
d. MSFCA article submission (web).
III. Committee Attire
IV. 2010 Meetings
a. Locations
b. Frequency
Committee Members Attending: Kline (Plymouth), Dobesh (SLP), Crelly (Fridley), Eisinger (MSFDA).
Discussion Notes:
- For those seeking OSHA compliance information, the Minnesota State College and University System has material designed to assist departments in meeting state and federal occupational safety and health requirements.
- The NFPA 1584 guideline on Rehabililitation and Medical Monitoring was discussed. On March 10th, Chief Dobesh led a presentation aimed at introducing this standard to the Minnesota fire service. Eighty members of fire and EMS departments participated. A seven county metro task force was established to research and make recommendation to meet the intent of the standard.
- Incident commanders may consider the use of the life safety units (LSU) to help with rehabilitation needs. Several of the current LSU’s have been designated for the provision of rehabilitation service. The Hennepin County Fire Chief’s Association has taken the lead in redefining the use of the LSU fleet.
Next Meeting: Tuesday, June 8th Plymouth Public Safety Building at 2:30 p.m.
Minutes of the Meeting of April 2010
Minutes of the October 2009 Meeting
Minutes of the June 2009 Meeting
Swift Moving Water Rescue Incidents
Awareness Level Training - PowerPoint Slides Developed by the Plymouth Fire Department.
Click here to Download the Presentation
Two New Reports Issued (March 2011)
Minneapolis Firefighters Injured in a Backdraft
Swift Water Response Safety Tips
Interested in Firefighter Safety and Health?
The Safety and Health Committee of the Minnesota State Fire Chiefs Association welcomes your participation in Committee activities. We invite your active involvement in improving the safety and health of all fire service personnel. If you are interested in joining the Committee, submitting ideas and input for Committee action, or sharing best practice guidelines, we would like to hear from you.
If you are interested in joining the Committee or would like more information on Committee activities, please contact Rick Kline, Committee chair at 763-509-5121 or rkline@ci.plymouth.mn.us.
Education & Training News
Live Burn Observations from B/C John Tippett, Jr., Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Service
We picked up some interesting information while conducting the 1403 Compliant Burn Class for Firehouse Expo this past week. A concerted effort was made to monitor temperature with a thermal imager and atmosphere using a 5 gas monitor during the 6 burns that were conducted over the two days.
Results: Within 3-4 minutes of ignition, ceiling temperatures in the burn rooms (8'ceilings) reached 900 degrees and 1000 degrees. Temperatures at the midpoint in the rooms peaked between 700 and 750 degrees during each burn. Floor temperatures reached 300 degrees. Based on observations of smoke movement and other indicators at the entry door, temperatures were at or near 400 degrees at the top of the door and somewhere near ambient temperature at the threshold. The entry door was 44' from the burn room. Each burn exercise ran approximately 7-10 minutes from ignition to fire out. The fuel source was the standard teepee of three pallets and approximately 1/4 bale of fluffed excelsior. Pallets used during the burns were made of pine.
Other levels measured:
- CO - Levels peaked at 1000ppm on Burn 1 and 2134 on Burn 3 (Day 1). 2325ppm was recorded on Burn 4 (first burn of Day 2) and a low of 392 on Burn 5 (Day 2).
- O2 - Lowest level recorded was 17.9%. During the other burns O2 hovered between 20.3% and 20.9%.
- HCN - Levels recorded included 1.7ppm, 11.2ppm and 1.9ppm.
- LEL – 0% for the low, 37% for the high.
What it means: Stay lower, Stay stronger, Stay safer.
* The higher the temperature you are exposed to, the quicker your strength is sapped. The quicker your strength is sapped the more fatigued you become. The more fatigued you become, the less "playing time" you'll have in the game. If you stand up entering the environment, the strength reduction process begins due to the heat absorption or "pre-heating" that takes place as the environment surrounds you. You are essentially an endothermic (heat absorbing) element in a hyper-exothermic (heat producing) environment. Your body is also trying to dissipate the heat being produced by your work effort while encapsulated in your PPE. Before long, you are absorbing heat faster than it can be dissipated. Simply put, at the moment you'll need your greatest effort (the final push to the fire, finding a victim, etc.), you'll be the most exhausted. This depleted capacity will make you more prone to injury from thermal insult (heat exhaustion) and overexertion (sprains and strains).
* Students and instructors entering the structure on Day 1 were observed crouching or standing nearly erect before being driven to the floor by heat. Students and instructors on Day 2 made a more concerted effort to enter on their knees (below the clearly delineated smoke layer) and remain on their knees for the duration of the fire attack. The soot saturation (read combustible carbon impregnation) observed in the participants' PPE was noticeably lighter on the Day 2 participants than the Day 1 participants.
Exertion observations between the two days (mostly instructors since the cadre was the same on both days) noted that on Day 2 the instructors appeared less fatigued. The weather was slightly cooler on Day 2 due to overcast conditions, but fire conditions and relative humidity were nearly identical.
Bottom line: if you want to maximize your firefighting capability and minimize your exposure to risk so you can stay in the game longer,
- observe the smoke,
- stay low,
- stay out of the superheated atmospheres,
- cool the overhead as you advance (straight stream),
- stay vigilant. Stay focused.
Fire Service Safety Best Practices
Submit your department “best practice” policy/guideline that reduces the risk to our first responders.
Operating Guideline - Emergency Vehicle Operations
Firefighter Near-Miss
Submit your personal or department Near-Miss report so we can share the lessons learned.
Click Here to View a Close Call - Plymouth, Minnesota