Preventing Deaths And Injuries To Firefighters Working At Strip Mall Fires

Strip malls present challenges that may cause firefighters to become disoriented while conducting interior search and firefighting operations. The first arriving resource's ability to conduct a 360-degree might not occur due to the size (length and width) of the building. This information needs to be communicated to the dispatcher and other responding units by the first arriving resource. If the initial size-up doesn't include Side Charlie, resources should be assigned to the rear of the building (Side Charlie) [NVERS 2013].

In his first book, William Mora, a 30-year fire service veteran and firefighter safety advocate, discusses how to prevent traumatic structural firefighter fatalities. Firefighter disorientation can be defined as “the loss of direction due to the lack of vision in a structure fire.” To combat this problem, Mora outlines a multipronged approach to effectively address the components that contribute to disorientation and structural firefighter fatalities. This text includes many case studies and guidelines for size-up factors and is an important resource for all firefighters.

The third edition of Fire Department Incident Safety Officer has been thoroughly updated to cover the latest trends, information, and best-practices needed by current and aspiring Incident Safety Officers (ISO’s). Developed in partnership with the Fire Department Safety Officer’s Association and based on the 2015 Edition of NFPA 1521, Standard for Fire Department Safety Officer Professional Qualifications, this authoritative resource focuses uniquely on the roles, responsibilities, and duties for fire service officers assigned to the incident command staff position of safety officer. From smoke reading to alternative energy sources to green construction buildings, Fire Department Incident Safety Officer, Third Edition is loaded with up-to-date information needed to keep fire department members safe, including: A new chapter dedicated to the Incident Safety Officer at Training Drills and Special Events Entire chapters devoted to important topics like reading smoke, reading buildings,

The NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program conducts investigations of fire fighter line-of-duty deaths and injuries to formulate recommendations for preventing future deaths and injuries. The program does not seek to determine fault or place blame on fire departments or individual fire fighters but to learn from these tragic events and prevent future similar events.The Program Objectives are: • Better define the characteristics of line-of-duty deaths among fire fighters • Develop recommendations for the prevention of deaths and injuries • Disseminate prevention strategies to the fire service.

Report was carried out by members of the Research Triangle Institute (RTI) and the Division of Safety Research, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Report documents the findings of the evaluation of the Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program (FFFIPP), a program of NIOSH that conducts investigations of firefighter line-of-duty- deaths (LODD) and formulates recommendations for preventing future deaths and injuries. Key implications from the evaluation are: Small, volunteer departments have the greatest challenges to following safety guidelines; safety is impacted by limited resources such as Personal Alert Safety System (PASS) devices, Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) and other protective equipment, Automated External Defibrillator (AED) devices, etc.; gaps in knowledge and attitudes also limit safety; FFFIPP investigations and LODD reports provide useful information; fire departments need additional information to enhance the effectiveness of the LODD report.