| If the display of this newsletter is not suitable, please Click here. | | |
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. |
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.
| | | eNEWSLETTER SPONSOR
|  
AreaRAE Steel
The RAE Systems' AreaRAE Steel monitor is a one-to-five sensor wireless gas detector that includes a photoionization detector (PID) for measurement of VOCs, as well as LEL, O2, and up to two electrochemical toxic sensors. Our wireless AreaRAE platform solution provides perimeter monitoring so that life-critical information is available anytime, anywhere.
The AreaRAE is equipped with a wireless, RF (radio frequency) modem which allows the unit to communicate and transmit readings and other information on a real-time basis with a base controller located up to two miles away. The standard ProRAE Remote software used to control AreaRAE systems is capable of monitoring the input of up to 32 remotely-located monitors.
www.raesystems.com
|
Did you Miss the Safety WebExpo and Conference?
Featuring: Hot Work Safety and Best Practices: An Overview of NFPA 51B
Sponsored by Auburn Manufacturing, Inc.
Watch to learn about hot work hazards, safe practices and applicable regulations and consensus standards. Key features and possible changes to National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 51B, the standard for fire prevention during welding, cutting, and other hot work, is also highlighted.
Log on today!
| | | 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.
| | | 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 and internationally to highlight the technology needs of police, fire and emergency management personnel at all levels of government.
| | |
Headsets & Intercom Systems
Sigtronics has been the industry standard of excellence in high noise aircraft intercom systems since 1974. The same advanced technology has been used in the design of the emergency apparatus intercom systems to insure the highest quality, durability and reliability. INTERCOMMUNICATION: Each crew members headset is connected to a voice activated intercom system, providing convenient "hands free" communication. This feature improves safety by allowing the vehicle operator to communicate without diverting attention away from traffic surveillance. In addition, the operator now has an extra set of eyes and ears to immediately alert him to unseen traffic. Use of the Sigtronics' intercom also saves precious moments by allowing the officer to brief the crew in route. www.sigtronics.com
 Nationwide HAZMAT Training Provider
Compliance Solutions is the only nationwide HAZMAT training provider including HAZWOPER, DOT and EPA courses. FREE Demo courses available online. Three options to take our courses: LIVE SEMINARS, ONLINE, or ONSITE. Log in from anywhere, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call 800-711-2706 or visit www.CSREGS.com
 The 2008 Crop Protection Handbook is the Gold Standard for knowledge, when you need safety and hazard information about crop protection and other agricultural products. No reference source is more comprehensive, reliable, or authoritative. ORDER NOW through February 2008 and save $30! Enter code RSN18 at checkout. www.meisterpro.com
 The Bulldog Heavy Duty Headset
A heavy duty, ruggedly designed, extremely durable headset with a flexible boom mic that can be adjusted to any position. The earcup(s) fit(s) comfortably over any sized ear and transmits with excellent clarity. Designed to be worn behind the head so it can be used with a variety of helmets. Available with single or double sided speakers. Click here for more info.: www.con-space.com.
| | | | |
Are you forwarding this E-newsletter to colleagues every week?
Click HERE to begin your subscription to the Responder Safety e-Newsletter.
|
