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Responder
Safety E-News for January 8, 2008 |
Responder Safety provides news and information
to help emergency managers in government and industry improve the
safety, health and operational effectiveness of emergency responders -
fire, police, EMS, hazmat and other services. For more information about
responder safety, facility security and new technology, visit our
Website www.respondersafetyonline.com.
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In This
Issue:
1. Drive It,
Push It, Tow It or Drag It!
2. Responders Go
High-Tech: This is Not Your Father's Rescue Vehicle
3. Expert Advice
For Employers: Prepare for Pandemic Flu Now
4. Oxygen
Deficiency: The Silent Killer
5. Putting First
Responders First
1. Drive It, Push It, Tow It or Drag
It!
(With this January 2008 issue of Responder Safety E-News, we're
launching a new feature: a full-length article written by experts in the
areas of emergency response, responder safety, emergency planning,
facility protection or security. This first feature is written by Howard
McCann and Robert Averitt, who are affiliated with the Texas Engineering
Extension Service (TEEX) TEEX is a member of the Texas A&M University
System and offers hands-on, customized first-responder training,
homeland security exercises, technical assistance and technology
transfer services impacting Texas and beyond. TEEX programs include fire
services, homeland security, law enforcement, public works, safety and
health, search and rescue and economic development.)
By Howard McCann and Robert Averitt
Here's to a safe and happy new year.
That seems like a trite saying, but a fresh calendar year provides a
perfect opportunity to refocus our attention and energy on keeping
ourselves safe so we can fulfill our jobs as emergency responders.
Each year, hundreds -- sometimes thousands -- of men and women in
various emergency response fields across the country are severely
injured or killed as a result of secondary traffic accidents. And sadly,
many of these accidents could have been prevented had the police
officer, firefighter or public works employee received the right kind of
training.
Sure, all responders have safe practices in mind. But it's not uncommon
for a police officer to approach an accident scene differently than a
firefighter, who was trained differently than a utility worker. The goal
is the same, but a lack of cohesion and communication can prove to be
deadly.
The Texas Engineering Extension Service, or TEEX, offers a course to
help overcome that challenge: Teaching first responders how to stay
alive while saving the lives of others. Law enforcement, firefighters,
EMS personnel and public works employees learn how to communicate with
one another and quickly clear accident scenes while protecting
themselves and the public.
Why Quick Clearance?
Quick clearance of a traffic incident is critical because it shortens
the time responders are in harm's way. It reduces the incident duration,
which decreases chances for secondary crashes, and it minimizes
congestion by restoring the roadway to its full traffic-carrying
capacity.
Texas is an example of a state that now authorizes law enforcement
agencies -- without owner consent -- to quickly remove personal
property, such as vehicles, cargo or debris, from roadways if traffic is
blocked or public safety is jeopardized. Law enforcement personnel also
are protected from claims of damage to the property unless removal was
carried out in a reckless or grossly negligent manner.
Getting It Done
Executing quick and safe clearance of an accident scene requires the
right training, equipment and personnel. Usual means of removal include
driving a vehicle under its own power, using push-bars on police cars,
utilizing tow chains or tow trucks, using public works equipment or
accepting voluntary assistance from the public working in cooperation
with law enforcement.
Responders also should be prepared to promptly summon any special
service or equipment that might be needed, such as wreckers, sweepers,
traffic control devices, front-end loaders, cranes and utility
crews.
The bottom line is that quick clearance at traffic accident scenes keeps
responders and road users safer. Getting the right training to execute
this properly might actually be a New Year's resolution that all of us
can keep!
Howard McCann, P.E., is Transportation Training director for the
Texas Engineering Extension Service. Retired from the U. S. Department
of Transportation, McCann now works with TEEX specialists in law
enforcement and fire services, and helped develop the agency's new Safe
Practices for Traffic Incident Responders course.
Robert Averitt, a 28-year veteran of the Austin Police Department, has
extensive experience with clearing traffic incidents and also
contributed to the development of TEEX's Safe Practices for Traffic
Incident Responders curriculum. He serves as an adjunct instructor for
the TEEX course.
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Log on today!
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4. Oxygen Deficiency: The Silent
Killer
Injury or death due to oxygen deficiency is a common hazard in the
petrochemical, refining and other industries, and confined spaces, if
not properly monitored, can create hazards for workers and rescuers.
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5. Putting First Responders First
The 2008 Homeland Security S&T Stakeholders Conference West, held
Jan. 14-17 in Los Angeles, will draw officials from across the nation
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and emergency management personnel at all levels of government.
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