One of the biggest myths in fitness and in injury prevention is how to properly train the abdominal wall.

Think of your abdominal muscles like a corset or weight belt, and with that visual in mind get rid of the notion that crunches and leg raises make your abs stronger.

Your abdominals' primary job is twofold: to create trunk stability and core/spine stiffness. The key to strong abs is possessing the ability to maintain postural control with the abdominal wall engaged for the duration of an event.

In public safety, this directly affects patient handling and lifting. The exercises in this video — plank reach, lateral plank and core press — are simple and highly effective. They allow you to get stronger while on duty and in uniform.

The keys to the exercises are simple, perfect positioning and progressive hold of the positions. As you get stronger, the duration of the exercise will increase, which will directly affect the ease at which you do your job.

Since crunches actually increase your chance for back injury, and leg raises cause postural distortions that increase your chance for back and knee injury, it only makes sense to incorporate some very safe, effective and easy on-duty exercises into your training.

Train your abs 2-3 times per week for 2-3 sets of a progressive hold. Start out with 20-30 seconds and build up from there, but remember that form always trumps function. As with all your training, it's quality over quantity.

With each new iteration of the iPhone, iPad, Blackberry or Android phone, consumers are faced with the same question: "How will I protect this device from the inevitable drops, falls, bangs, dings, and scratches that inevitably arise from daily use?"

That is even more relevant for first responders who, with the ever-growing use of fire, EMS and police apps, are becoming increasingly dependent on these pocket-sized computers to do their jobs.

For civilians, a broken smartphone means an interruption in their quest to defeat Angry Birds. For first responders, a broken smartphone could mean a lost life or a hamstrung investigation.

OtterBox, with their heavy-duty Defender Series cases, has created a level of smartphone protection that will keep your mobile device well protected through month after month of heavy-duty daily use.

OtterBox sent me a Defender Series case to try out with my new iPhone 4, but they also manufacture models for Blackberry, Motorola, Nokia, Samsung, HTC, and LG smartphones, as well as the Apple iPad.

The effectiveness of the Defender Series comes from its layered design. Instead of a simple plastic or rubber case that clips around your phone, the Defender has several layers of protection to keep the phone safe from drops and scratches.

The first layer is a polycarbonate shell that clips snugly around the phone. A plastic membrane on the front of the shell offers durable screen protection, making an adhesive screen protection film unnecessary.

Installing the shell took less than a minute and, once in place, it felt totally secure; pulling on the front and back of the case didn't offer any give.

Surrounding the base shell is a silicon cover that smoothes over the base layer's hard edges and creates another level of shock protection. The silicon layer has flaps that cover all the iPhone's ports and clip securely shut, but can easily be pulled open for access to the charging port, headphone jack, and volume buttons.

With the first two layers in place, the protected iPhone then clips into a polycarbonate holster that holds the device face in or face out.

The holster is, essentially, a case for your case, and with the phone clipped into all three (polycarbonate shell, silicone layer, and holster), the phone feels extremely secure.

It's bulky, but not overly so, and for the day I wore it clipped to my belt it never felt intrusive or uncomfortable. Firefighters, Medics or cops — who are used to having gadgets hanging from their utility belts — won't notice the added bulk.

But the real question when it comes to smartphone cases is: How far can you drop it?

I tested it for myself, dropping my Defender-wrapped iPhone from waist height, and then chest height. No damage whatsoever. I was tempted to drop it off our balcony, but the memory of replacing the glass backing of my iPhone a few months ago stopped me.

I asked OtterBox' Public Relations Specialist Kristen Tatti about the case's dropping capability, and she said their rule is "Three feet to concrete," meaning you can drop it from your pocket without risk of damage.

Tatti added that local firefighters in Fort Collins, Colo., (OtterBox' home) have been outfitted with the cases, and all have raved about the Defender's durability.

"They say it's nice to have something sturdy so they don't have to worry about their phones," she said. "With more and more firefighters getting emergency pages on their smartphones, a broken device can really ruin your day."

OtterBox also makes lines of cases more sleek than the Defender, including the "Commuter" (a simpler polycarbonate and silicone combination) and the "Impact" (just a silicon shell). Visit OtterBox' website to learn about all their smartphone and tablet cases.

Last week my fire department was dispatched to assist to a neighboring department with a house fire. I happened to be at the firehouse so I quickly proceeded to don my gear and grab a jump seat — for once I didn't have to drive! The rear of the ladder truck soon filled with four other members and we turned out down the street.

One of the members sitting across from me was a newly promoted lieutenant. As with many volunteer departments, a line officer is often found riding in the back seat when another line officer has already grabbed the front — we can argue that practice at a later time. I noticed that this new lieutenant was not wearing his seat belt. I immediately said "Dude, where's your seat belt?" Motioning at the retracted seat belt as he glared at me, he replied, "Right here."

My response? "How 'bout you put your seat belt on so that if we crash this thing you don't come across the seat and kill me?" Somehow I went from scoring a coveted jump seat en route to a working fire to the middle of a stand-off. Grudgingly, he put his seat belt on and we continued on our way.

As we pulled up to the scene, this newly minted lieutenant snidely plucked at his seat belt strap and said, "Is it all right to take this off now?" At that point, I felt I'd had enough. Having spent several years as a line and chief officer, this lieutenant for me was setting an extremely poor example for the younger and more impressionable members riding in the rig. I then proceeded to explain my feelings to this lieutenant — perhaps a bit harshly — until another senior member put the discussion to rest by simply stating, "At this station, we wear our seat belts." End of story.

Epitomizes problems
So why do I share this story? I do so because this 3-minute episode epitomizes the problems that we face in today’s fire service on many different levels. The title of this year's Safety, Health and Survival Week is "Committed to Long-Term Results." But how can we commit to long-term results if those in positions of leadership and power won't follow the rules themselves? How is it possible that a line officer can not only get away with not wearing a seat belt, but can then argue the issue with someone who tells him to put it on? Have we learned nothing from those who have given their lives before us?

Imagine this scenario: A fire apparatus rolls out the door with two young firefighters and a line officer. One of the young firefighters sees that his officer isn't wearing his seat belt and figures he doesn't need to wear it either. The truck crashes and the young firefighter is ejected and killed. Who is at fault? The reports and the scuttlebutt will all say that if this young firefighter had just put his seat belt on, he would still be here today. People will question his poor judgment and shake their heads at what they believe was a rookie mistake. But was it?

In reality, that same line officer who set a silent example by not wearing his seat belt is largely responsible for this hypothetical fatality. Like it or not, when you pin a fancy gold horn on your collar or put that shiny white front piece on your helmet, you’ve become someone that younger members look up to and follow. Even when you don’t realize it, these members are emulating you and following your example. Senior firefighters, line officers and chiefs all create a culture that younger and more junior firefighters will learn to live by. It is this culture that can save or cost a life.

If the fire service truly wishes to bring about long-term results, it's time to start holding people responsible for their actions. It seems that every time one of us is injured or killed, the rest of us are hesitant to ask questions or pass judgment. As a result, this culture never changes. How do I know? Look at the number of firefighter fatalities over the past 20 years. Does anyone really see a difference?

So how should we hold people accountable? It's time to start wielding a big stick. Fancy posters and cute little stickers telling you to wear your seat belt haven’t worked. Every year there are still numerous line-of-duty deaths that are a direct result of someone not wearing their seat belt. Want to make a difference? Start randomly stopping your rigs and checking to see that everyone has their seat belt on. If someone doesn't, suspend them. More than three infractions, show them the door. Maybe it's time to have the cops start citing people who can't get the message through their heads. After all, not wearing your seat belt is against the law!

Until these types of attitudes change or people are held responsible for their actions, I don’t believe we will ever reduce the number of line–of-duty deaths, especially those that are a direct result of vehicle crashes. Unless those in charge begin to lead by example and create a culture in which reckless driving, poor attitudes and lack of seat belt use are no longer tolerated, the culture will never change and we will be doomed to repeat our mistakes over and over again.

To those who have already begun to move this ship in a positive direction, my hat is off to you. And to those that refuse to help the rest of us reduce the number of firefighter fatalities by continuing this reckless culture ... I say maybe it's time to go.

A box truck fire in Athens, Ariz., last month put firefighters in a dangerous situation because of poor initial size-up and rig placement.

We are taught early on in the academy that size-up starts when the call goes out. We are taught to practice continual size-up and have situational awareness.

Without these critical components and a basic understanding of fires we will continue to place ourselves in compromising situations.

En route, continue your size-up and plan a safe attack method and approach. Typically on arrival, vehicle fires are a total loss.

Unless the vehicle is occupied there is absolutely no reason to put firefighters in a position of unnecessary dangers and risks. Vehicle fires are not the fires in which to play hero at.

On arrival, remember the importance of rig placement. Understand the ramifications of wind on vehicle fires as well as changes in elevation.

Changes in elevation at vehicle fires can be dangerous for the following reasons:

• Fuel spills compromising firefighters or apparatus
• Hazardous liquids compromising firefighters or apparatus
• Vehicle can lose brakes or not be in park, compromising firefighters or apparatus

Wind direction can impact:

• Smoke direction
• Exposure Risks
• Fire spread

Knowing the changes in elevation and the wind direction can assist you in allowing the apparatus to be positioned in a safe location.

This placement will also allow firefighters to advance the line downwind and downhill to help limit inhalation and spill hazards.

The firefighters in the video above are punished for not following the basics, but were thankfully not hurt. Use this video as a training tool to limit unnecessary risk and exposure in your department.

You are getting ready to clear your EMS unit from a fire standby when the Truck Captain asks you to check out Chuck, one of the members of his company.

He was walking around the side of the truck when he walked into an open cabinet door, striking his head pretty hard. He did not pass out but has been feeling dizzy for the past 20 minutes since the incident.

His fellow members of the company tell you he seems a little "dazed" and although you don't know Chuck very well, he does some a bit slower than normal. He tells you, "I think I just got my bell rung — I'll be fine."

So, what do we do with Chuck? In emergency medical services, we need to consider the worst case scenario. In the case of a traumatic head injury, the worst case scenario is bleeding in the brain.

Assuming he does not have a neck injury (which is always possible, but we have discussed that in previous columns), the next consideration is a concussion.

Let's take a look at both of those conditions so we can convince Chuck what to do and what to expect over the next few days and weeks.

Even surprisingly mild trauma such as a fall from standing can cause bleeding in or around the brain. There are some situations where the risk is greater than normal.

Patients that are elderly have an increased risk because the human's brain shrinks slightly with age. This means that there are blood vessels between the brain and skull that are somewhat stretched and have an increased tendency to be damaged and bleed.

In addition, this potential space between the smaller brain and the skull allows blood to accumulate before symptoms can be present.

A younger patient would have symptoms more quickly because of the pressure on the brain. In older patients it takes some time for this pressure on the brain to build up.

If Chuck takes any blood thinners, the risk of bleeding is also increased. These include warfarin (Coumadin), Plavix, heparin and possibly full dose aspirin (although aspirin is much less of a risk than the other three.)

While if he was taking these medications he probably should not be working as an active firefighter, that is a discussion for another time, and there is always the possibility that he is not completely honest with everyone — he may want to hide that he is on these medications so he can continue to work, so make sure you ask.

In Emergency Medicine, we try to figure out which patients need imaging such as a CT Scan and which patients do not.

We can't CT every patient with a bump on the head or we would be irradiating a lot of healthy brains and clogging up the emergency department.

It is beyond the scope of this article to discuss the specific rules that are sometimes used, but it is helpful to know some of the symptoms or conditions on the list so we can use that information to convince Chuck that he really needs to go to the hospital and likely will need a CT scan to rule out bleeding.

Some of these conditions include:

• Persistent headache
• Vomiting
• Age over 60
• Drug or alcohol intoxication (hopefully not applicable in this case but intoxicated patients are difficult to accurately assess)
• Persistent anterograde amnesia (They cannot remember new things)
• Seizures
• Not fully alert, or a Glasgow Coma Score 14 or less (15 is normal)

If these conditions are present in Chuck or any patient with a head injury, use this information to convince them to go and get checked out, as the risk of bleeding is higher.

OK, so let's assume Chuck does not have bleeding in his head. But he continues to be a bit dizzy and is speaking more slowly than normal. Thus, he likely has a concussion.

The definition of a concussion is controversial because of the implications for athletic activity, work and liability.

One feature often debated is if a loss of consciousness is needed for a patient to have a concussion. In general the consensus is now that loss of consciousness is not required.

So the best definition of a mild concussion is a transient alteration of mental status after a blow to the head that can include headache, dizziness, nausea and unsteadiness.

A more severe concussion includes a loss of consciousness and amnesia.

Does every concussion need to go to the hospital? Probably not — we see a number of protocols in the athletic arena that indicate that if the symptoms are very brief and there is no loss of consciousness, and the athlete is back to normal in less than 15 minutes, they may even be able to return to the field.

Now this varies significantly based on the level of play — a little leaguer would likely not return to play, but a pro hockey player in the Stanley Cup probably would.

How does this apply to our firefighters? Well, it does give us a number of cases to study to try and figure out what is the best course of action — a lot of athletes are experiencing concussions so there is a lot of money and research looking at them.

But the immediate issue is that we don't really know the risks of allowing patients who have had a concussion to return to play or work.

We believe that if a person who has had a concussion has another one while still symptomatic, it might be bad, but we don't know specifically why.

Based on a number of the classifications of concussion and the recommended actions, I believe that if our firefighters still have any symptoms that last longer than 15 minutes, or have any of the risk factors for bleeding listed above, then evaluation in the emergency department is definitely indicated.

What about long term? There is a "Post Concussion Syndrome" that is the constellation of symptoms that can continue for weeks or months after the initial trauma.

These symptoms can include headache, difficulty concentrating and dizziness. This syndrome is not often seen in children or in countries where there is little to no litigation and compensation issues, so maybe there are some exacerbating circumstances.

But one could see how a firefighter with these continued symptoms would have a hard time returning to work.

Back to Chuck. He has already had symptoms for longer than 15 minutes so he should be checked out at the hospital. He may or may not get a CT scan, but I think it is clear he has had more than just having his "bell rung."

The National Hockey League and the National Football League are finally realizing that concussions are a serious threat to their players so we should recognize the threat to our firefighters. I believe we do, so let's stay vigilant.

Stay safe.

On Christmas day, the doorbell at my firehouse rang. I went downstairs and was greeted by a father and his teenage son and daughter. The father was holding a very large tray of baked goods.

He introduced himself, told me where they lived and said that his daughter had started this tradition of bringing baked goods to the firehouse on Christmas. I introduced myself to her and her brother and thanked them on behalf of all of the firefighters.

As I walked upstairs with this amazing tray filled with a wide variety of homemade treats, I was overwhelmed with feelings of gratitude and guilt. I realized the amount of time, energy and thoughtfulness this extraordinary young woman had put into this generous gift. My simple "thank you" just didn’t seem to fit her generosity and thoughtfulness.

I placed the baked goods on the table and read the note that was on the tray. It said, “To our local Firefighters, baked by Jana, age 13.” A lump formed in my throat, so moved I was by this special gift basket.

Don’t get me wrong, we often get gifts around the holidays. Canisters of popcorn, baked goods, candies and other such treats are common gifts, but this one was extra-special in every way. I regretted not spending more time with them and properly showing my appreciation.

Fortunately, I remembered her father telling me where they lived and decided to do something a little special to show our gratitude. We purchased a thank-you card, and all of the firefighters signed it. We also chipped in to buy her and her brother department T-shirts.

Random acts of kindness need to be met with equal acts of gratitude and appreciation. Mother Theresa herself once said, “There is more hunger for love and appreciation in this world than for bread.”

This young lady had gone out of her way to bake and deliver such a wonderful gift to us. When people go above and beyond to show their appreciation, it is important to go above and beyond to show your gratitude and reinforce the goodwill that they are bringing to the world around them.

People often do not expect this in return, but there is no greater reward than sincere appreciation. Her incredibly thoughtful and labor-intensive gift brought joy to our firehouse, not only by way of our taste buds but also in knowing that our services are acknowledged and appreciated. I wanted to make sure she knew her gift was appreciated and made a difference not just in our mouths and bellies that day, but in our hearts and lives long after those treats were gone.

Having raised children, I have a special soft spot in my heart for young people who show this kind of generosity, thoughtfulness and kindness. I hope that you firefighters out there will read this and go above and beyond the next time someone goes out of their way to show their appreciation, brings an offering to your firehouse or is otherwise deserving of a great big "thank you."

Or maybe it’s you who goes above and beyond to help someone in your community or simply to show that you care. A little goodwill goes a long way, and a little appreciation will perpetuate that goodwill even further.

If you haven’t already come up with a New Year’s resolution, consider mine: In 2012, I hope to show more appreciation to people in my life and my community who are generously and selflessly giving back and giving to others.

On behalf of FireRecruit.com, I would like to wish everyone a healthy and prosperous new year.

With 2008 under way, it's time for us to reflect on the year past and to begin developing our plans for the future. Here are eight straightforward ideas that company officers can use right now to help their crews stay ahead in 2008.

1. Be an informer
Passing on relevant information about decisions, plans and activities to the people (your firefighters) who need it to do their work is vital. You can't expect them to accomplish goals that they know nothing about. Discuss the daily objectives at the morning briefing, including any training, inspections, pre-fire plans or scheduled community education. You can never provide too much information to your people.

2. Promote the team
Crew cohesion, or working together as a team, is an important human factor in firefighter safety and for getting things done. Problems with crew cohesion have been identified with several near-misses and tragic accidents. Look for and promote good work practices that safely and effectively accomplish team objectives. Stress the importance of how individual capabilities contribute to the team's success.

3. Create a training plan to keep your crew ready Your training goal should be to prepare your firefighters to be ready to operate safely and effectively at any intensity level, anywhere, anytime, and to return home alive. Readiness training demands teamwork, dedication and sustained practice. Create a flexible and believable training plan that addresses the training needs for your crew while prioritizing those training needs, focusing on safety first.

4. Address problems as they occur
Be willing to confront problems head on and have those tough conversations with your firefighters. A team that is comfortable talking openly with each other, and willing to air their disagreements or problems, will move forward together. Identify and remediate all performance issues immediately, understanding that everyone operates at a different level.

5. Define your expectations and keep them believable
It's pretty simple. Let your crew know what you expect of them. Here are a few examples: Be safe by responding safely, following operational policies, maintaining and operating equipment properly, and practicing personnel accountability. Be proficient by training for readiness and improvement, arriving on scene ready to work, communicating effectively, and following the chain of command. Be professional by practicing a positive image all the time, everywhere you go. Be nice to each other and everyone you meet. If your team makes an effort to follow these basic expectations, you will have a safe and rewarding year.

6. Motivate them
Recognize the likes and differences of your firefighters to help you motivate them to be a more productive team. Appeal to their individual emotions and values to generate enthusiasm for their work. Invite their participation when making decisions, and allow them to have responsibility in carrying out their work activities.

7. Recognize and praise them, at the right time
Provide praise and recognition for excellent (not ordinary) performance. If it's really good work, put it in writing. Be specific about what you are praising. Give praise for weak performance that’s improving. Recognizing their efforts shows your appreciation for the work they do.

8. Support and mentor them
Act friendly and considerate. Be patient and helpful. Do things to facilitate your firefighters' skill development and career enhancement. Be responsive to their requests for assistance or support, and set an example for proper behavior. Be their leader.

Take some time and see if you can add a few ideas to the list. Even if you can only address a few of these recommendations you'll be on the road to developing a fresh attitude and healthy approach for a new and exciting year.

There are obviously a lot of tools, gears, gadgets, and equipment that make up a fire station's resources. Here are a few things to consider when buying some of the most important pieces of equipment for your firehouse:

Exhaust Removal Systems
Exhaust removal systems help to create a safer environment for firefighters in confined environments by protecting them from noxious vehicle exhaust. According to NIOSH, studies show that an "occupational carcinogenic hazard exists in human exposure to diesel exhaust."

There are two types of exhaust systems available to fire departments: direct source capture systems and filtration systems. The direct source capture systems are categorized into two sub categories: exhaust evacuation systems and direct source filtration systems.

Exhaust evacuation systems
These consist of control panel, a track-mounted hose and cables, an exhaust fan and ducting. The system attaches directly to the tailpipe, thereby capturing all exhaust emissions and carrying them out of the building via a fan and duct system.

Requirements of the systems include adequate electrical power (amperage and electrical phase capability) and a duct to the exterior of the building to vent the exhaust. Consideration should be given to the location of this discharge point regarding neighboring occupancies and intake points of a breathing air system if located in the same station.

When operational procedures are followed for attachment of the systems, especially if the vehicle backs into the station, firefighters attaching the systems will not be exposed to diesel exhaust. Remember that backing spotters are necessary any time a vehicle is moving in reverse.

Vehicle-mounted filtration systems
This system consists of a filter diverter, filter and an electronic control unit. The system automatically operates for 10-99 seconds after the vehicle starts. This time is adjustable to suit the department’s needs and allows the vehicle to leave the station. The system also activates when the vehicle is in reverse gear. After the vehicle is shifted out of reverse gear, the system will continue in the filter mode for the pre-set time allowing the vehicle to back into the building and shut it off.

Filtration systems
These are sometimes referred to as "hoseless" systems and are mounted to the ceiling. Harmful exhaust components are forced through a series of three disposable filters. The filters trap certain particles and chemically absorb other diesel exhaust components. The system automatically activates through a system of door switches or electric eyes that detect vehicle movement. Filtration systems involve the least amount of work necessary to install an exhaust removal system. No vehicle modification is needed and only an electrical power source and ceiling mounting space are needed in the fire station.

EPA rules
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 2007 Highway Diesel Rule (EPA07) requires a reduction in the diesel particulate matter and nitrous oxide in diesel exhaust emission. Manufacturers have adapted their products to work with the vehicle changes necessary to meet EPA07.

Regeneration is a process to eliminate particulate matter in the ATD. It is recommended that this regeneration process be conducted outside of the fire station. EPA07 does not address issues relevant to diesel exhaust indoors; however, NFPA Standard 1500 and most building codes do. Therefore, a vehicle exhaust extraction or filtration system is highly recommended to protect firefighters from the risk of exposure to harmful diesel exhaust emissions.

Gear Racks
One piece of fire station equipment that is used daily is the gear rack where firefighters store their gear between shifts. There are several different options when considering gear racks.

Design
Racks need to have an open air design to allow gear to thoroughly dry. If gear remains wet, it will wear our faster and cause steam burns to firefighters. Commercially purchased racks are available with wheels allowing them to be moved throughout the station. Others are designed to be secured in one location such as stand alone, or wall-mounted units. Options can also include having locking doors to secure gear. However, locking doors can be a problem when quickly locating keys if gear needs to be accessed or moved, such as in a major emergency.

Size
Racks should be large and tall enough to allow wet turnout pants to be pulled up to fully dry. They should also be painted or coated to prevent rusting. Some companies have a 15 year warranty against rust and corrosion. A last resort in difficult economic times is to build your own racks. This can be an option to help manage costs but may have drawbacks depending on the experience of the builder.

Fitness Equipment
As firefighters we are prime candidates for acquiring and hopefully utilizing appropriate exercise equipment within the confines of our firehouse. The best way to select such equipment is to take a reverse engineering approach. What health issue kills firefighters (cardiac), and what serious injuries are firefighters most likely to sustain during our career (back, shoulder, etc.)?

Cardio Equipment
It makes sense to start with your heart. While there are numerous products out there designed to improve cardiovascular health, the gold standard by which all are compared is the treadmill. It is simple to use, versatile (walk, jog, incline, etc.) and can be placed in a climate controlled environment (unless it’s stuck in an apparatus room). Stair climbers, elliptical machines and other similar products are useful and can offer great cardio options but seem to get less overall use.

Strength Training
From a muscular strength and endurance standpoint there are also many options. Standard barbell, dumbbell, and squat rack options can be effective, but there is plenty of evidence to suggest that improper application can lead to acute or chronic injuries. Multi-station, cable based units are also effective and possibly safer from a solo participant standpoint. Today’s flavors include kettle bells, medicine balls, Bosa or Swiss balls that provide an infinite amount movement options with moderate resistance. Education ultimately is the key ingredient to long term success.

Cost
From a purchasing philosophy get the best you can afford. Treadmills in particular are notorious for breaking down when buying on the cheap. A great treadmill starts with a great motor (A/C preferred) and frame, and commercial grade products generally run in the $4-7k range.
Keep in mind that whatever the tools available for training, participation is the goal. Safely exercising goes hand in hand with participation and education ensures a successful experience. Keep on moving!

This How to Buy guide was compiled from articles written by FireRescue1 contributors Michael Petroff, Jim Sideras, and Captain Shawn Perry.

As the year draws to a close, it is worth reviewing some of the legal issues to hit the fire and emergency medical services in 2011.

Social media is a big deal for emergency service organizations
Emergency service organizations, states, dispatch centers and non-profits are implementing social media in ways that have positively impacted public safety. At the same time, social media channels present a variety of liability risks that must be managed.

Organizations that use social media to engage in two-way conversations with the public are particularly at risk. For example, emergency service organizations that allow members of the public to post in their social media channels may face First Amendment liability when they attempt to remove or edit offensive posts.

These organizations may also face liability if members of the public place calls for help using social media channels and receive no response.

When using social media to communicate with the public, emergency service organizations should use social media like a news feed, not a telephone, providing information but not receiving it.

Organizations must also have published attorney-reviewed social media policies that use disclaimers to discourage citizens from using social media as an alternative to the 911 system.

Restricting social media use among paid employees also has risks. Disciplining employees for comments or other postings they make in social media channels outside of work may create First Amendment liability.

Recent actions from the National Labor Relations Board ("NLRB"), the federal agency responsible for employee-labor relations, suggest that a social media policy that is overly restrictive of employee speech violates the National Labor Relations Act even if the offensive policy is never enforced.

Organizations with paid employees should review internal social media policies to determine whether a particular restriction is necessary to preserve the core operations of the organization.

Provisions that punish employees for making offensive or annoying comments in social media channels during non-working hours will generally not pass muster.

It is extremely important to consult with an attorney licensed to practice in your state prior to terminating any employee for their use of social media.

And the labor laws, they are a changing...
The laws governing the relationship between employers and unions are being revisited in a dramatic fashion after years of stagnation.
At the national level, Obama administration policies are shifting the employer-labor balance in favor of the unions. Recent NLRB complaints, NLRB appointments and executive orders have signaled a sharp union-friendly departure from the Bush administration.

Although most emergency service workers' unions fall under the purview of the state labor laws, many states model their labor laws after the federal law and NLRB interpretations are influential.

At the same time, some Republican-controlled states are attempting to sharply curtail the collective bargaining rights of public sector unions.

Wisconsin, Ohio, Tennessee and Indiana have considered restricting or already restricted collective bargaining rights.
Even in those states that have not modified the laws, government officials are becoming increasingly resistant to any pay increases for both union and non-union paid responders.

In many cases, officials have relied on volunteers to minimize the impact of funding and personnel cuts.
As states continue to experience budget shortfalls, there will likely be continued shifts in this area which organizations must monitor.

Mutual aid agreements
The continued trend of waning volunteerism and cuts to paid departments have emphasized the need to revisit or readjust mutual aid agreements. Although some states have adopted statewide mutual aid systems by statute, many communities rely on agreements with surrounding departments not only to manage large incident but for day to day coverage.

Although the components of mutual aid agreements will be addressed in a future article, effective agreements must clearly define the relationship between responders from different organizations, allocate risks and create functional mechanisms for reimbursements.

Specifically, mutual aid agreements should deal with the chain of command, workers' compensation coverage, reimbursement for expenses and equipment damage, EMS and hazmat billing rights and payment of overtime.

This article is not intended as legal advice and there is no substitute for competent legal counsel licensed to practice in your state.

Beeping noises are designed to get our attention. Whether they come from alarm clocks, cooking timers, telephones, car horns, washers or dryers, they all cry out for us to stop what we are doing and focus our efforts on the beeping noise.

The beeping noise that smoke alarms emit is also designed to get your attention when they need a new battery, but why wait?

Most U. S. homes have smoke alarms, but most Americans don't test them as often as they should. The National Fire Protection Association recommends testing smoke alarms at least once a month.

However, when more than 1,000 adults were randomly surveyed by phone, fewer than half said they tested their smoke alarms every few months or sooner.

Further, only 42 percent had two to three smoke alarms in their residences, and most of them lived in single-family homes.
We have to drive home the message that our families should have at least one smoke alarm on each level of the house, including the basement and outside of sleeping areas.

We also have to make our community aware that smoke alarms have an "expiration date." The alarms tend to be more prone to malfunctions and false alarms when they are more than 10 years old.

The year of manufacture should be clearly listed on the smoke alarms, and if they are not, they are probably more than 10 years old and in need of replacement, as the requirement for manufacture dates on smoke alarms took effect in the year 2000.

To find out just how important smoke alarms can be, you can look at the circumstances of a Joe Stevens from last year in Lancaster County, South Carolina. On a Friday morning, Mr. Stevens said he woke up at 5 a.m. and started fixing breakfast.

He heard a smoke alarm on the other side of the house and went to investigate. He walked to the other side of the house and saw the bedroom on fire.

Just two weeks earlier, Mr. Stevens went through the house with his granddaughter, who is a firefighter. Upon seeing no smoke alarms in the home, they went to the store, purchased three smoke alarms and installed them.

Mr. Stevens believes that without the smoke alarms, he and his family may not have been able to get out of the house before the fire consumed it.
This would seem to be a perfect time to spend a few minutes making sure your citizens have enough smoke alarms in their home, and remind them to test them all to make sure they work.

Remind the adults to make sure the battery has been replaced in the past year. And to take them down or open them up and find the manufacture date, and make sure the alarm is less than 10 years old.

Finally, they should spend a few seconds dusting the inside of the alarm with a feather duster to keep it clean. Let's learn the lesson on having several working smoke alarms from Mr. Stevens' story.

By Bob Smith
Director of Strategic Development, APCO International

It's 0300 hours, you're in the front right seat of the first due engine on a multi-story residential structure fire with several exposures. As you climb out of the truck and start your size-up you've got about 10,000 things going through your head.

How many personnel are responding to this fire? Is that enough? What units are responding? Is that enough? Should I call for an additional alarm? Or two? Where should I position the ladder when it gets here? And dozens more. The number and complexity of those things you'll need to consider won't really start to dwindle until the clean-up is over and units are returning to the station.

One of the many things being considered during this process is that of personnel accountability. Who's on the scene, where are they and what are they doing? Another issue is incident development. How long has this fire been burning? How long have we been at this offensive interior attack? Is it time to switch tactics to a defensive exterior attack?

Well let's take a moment to discuss an often overlooked resource that can assist an incident commander with personnel accountability and monitoring incident progress — the communications center. An adequately trained and staffed comm center can assist incident commanders in a multitude of areas beyond the traditional dispatch, information management and resource tracking.

PARs in the fire service
Let's start with accountability. Conducting personnel accountability reports (PAR) during an event of any size has become second nature to the fire service. Effective department accountability programs should incorporate PARs on incidents of any size and of any nature.

A PAR is a tool that allows incident commanders to ensure all personnel on scene are safe and accounted for. This action can easily be carried out by the comm center and many jurisdictions have done just that by training their comm center personnel on how to conduct PARs and how to relay the PAR's findings to the IC. One less action needed to be carried out by the IC.

Another tool that comm centers can provide an IC to assist with personnel safety are regular time checks during an incident. Time checks can be designed so that beginning at a certain point in the incident — say 10 minutes after the first unit arrives on scene or the IC announces that knockdown has begun — the comm center staff will notify the IC every 10 to 20 minutes.

We all know that 10 minutes worth of free burning in a traditional structure fire can make the difference between a successful knockdown and leaving nothing but the foundation. Also, most departments have limits to the amount of time they will allow personnel to remain inside a building during interior attack modes.

This "heads up" from the comm center allows the IC to monitor the passage of time during an incident without having to actually watch a clock themselves. One less action needed to be carried out by the IC.

Emergency evacuations
Another area that allows for comm centers to assist ICs during an incident is playing a role in a department's emergency evacuation process. Many agencies across the country have developed emergency evacuation plans that incorporate steps such as having the comm center make evacuation announcements over primary and tactical channels and even activating pagers and radio alerts on scene.

To accomplish this, the comm center personnel must be trained in the department's evacuation plan and the plan must be tested regularly. In addition, comm centers that serve multiple fire departments should encourage all departments to adopt similar evacuation procedures to prevent confusion should a department need an evacuation announcement made during an incident.

All of these actions combined with routine responder safety actions such as monitoring the radio for Mayday calls or other unexpected traffic can increase the level of service and assistance your local comm center can provide to your department.

To accomplish this though, the comm center must have a highly trained and professional staff equipped with the most current tools and resources available. It is the responsibility of every firefighter and officer to encourage your local comm center to ensure their personnel are trained and equipped to the highest level. Because as the old saying goes, "the life you save may be your own."

AP/Minnesota Daily, Stacy Bengs
Firefighters size up the scene after the bridge collapse in Minn. last week.

Years ago, when I took my first search and rescue class, the instructor talked about the six-sided review of a building or incident. "Look up, look down, and make sure you look all around before committing yourself," he told us.

Over the years, I have thought of that simple saying on many emergency incidents and have passed it on to thousands of my students during training. The bottom line: Don't get sucked into something before you give it the old once over.

It's easier said than done sometimes, especially when lives hang in the balance and quick action will affect the outcome of an incident. But what about all of those other occasions when you may have the time to do it right?

What is your approach and thought process when you come across a technical rescue or any type of rescue for that matter? Is it a well executed series of steps or a fly by the seat of your pants operation?

Good team members, the right tools and practical training shouldn't be under valued, but that doesn't replace mentally being on your game.

To do that, you have to do something that most people hate or are too lazy to do Rescue is a thinking game you need to play the "what if" game. "What if a car goes over that edge, what if that building falls down, what if that place blows up, what if I have to cut that guy in half to get past him, what if I have to crawl in that hole to get that victim?"

It's not enough to just know how to use the tools, or be well practiced or to have a cohesive team. Rescue is a thinking game, and the people who can plan ahead, see something coming and be ready for it are worth their weight in gold.

Organized chaos
You're always behind before you get there, that's a given. But how far ahead of the incident are you when you arrive? I used to work for a battalion chief who would say, "You don't bring a crisis to an emergency." Sure it's organized chaos at some scenes, but your level of organization and the ability to achieve the required levels under the most impossible circumstances is the real key.

How many of us can say that we are "masters" of our craft and how many want to be? Chances are, if you're reading this column, you're already a student of the trade, which makes you a cut above the rest. But there is a lifetime of learning to be done and every day is a school day in our profession.

If you think that you know it all, have seen it all or have it done it all, we're all in trouble and chances are you're probably a liability at a significant incident. Confidence should never be replaced by arrogance.

Rescue is a thinking game. The best people who have seen a thing or two tend to mostly be humbled by the experience — they don't say much, but when the going gets tough they often get going.

I love watching new firefighters, they have so much energy and so much enthusiasm, and they're great to be around. It's also fun to watch them expend all of that energy to no successful end sometimes. But with age and experience comes wisdom!

The veteran firefighter may not always be as enthusiastic, but that tempered approach, years of real world experience and knowledge of the tricks of the trade often carry them through most calls.

But to be in the class above, you have to love it a little more to be really, really good at it. Superstars train harder, practice longer and are very, very focused.

So what does it take to be a master of disaster? Out of the box thinking, the ability to write down your first 20-30 moves on any type of rescue with a twist and a constant desire for perfection. And don't forget the lifetime of learning, listening and talking about the "what ifs" of our job.

In the public safety field, one of the least addressed topics is the mental wellness of our responders. When tragedy and violence hit, we're the first to be there. Having to care for people when they are at their worst, and having to deal with the impact of the call, can take its toll.

This tends to impact the first responders in many different ways. These individuals might be the first people to see the tragedy but they are the last to admit that it has had any emotional or mental effect to them. So, when an outside group comes in to intervene or defuse the situation, there is resistance from the first responders

First responders tend to rely on their comrades in the field. When outside groups or people try to intervene, the responders tend to be reluctant to their offers of help. "You have no idea what we do" is usually the cause for reluctance.

This is why we created a peer-driven support group that we call the Horry County Crisis Intervention Team (CIT). The team is made up of 11 peer support members, four councilors, one training instructor and one chaplain.

The CIT is continuing to grow and manage all of its internal staff as well as other departments in the local area. They are also recruiting police and 911 dispatchers to round off the group. This will make the CIT very versatile.

Horry County Fire Rescue covers more than 1,134 square miles and responds to more than 42,000 calls per year. The department is made up of 275 full-time uniformed staff and 200 volunteers.

The CIT for Horry County is no stranger to unique and very stressful calls. Some of the calls that the CIT has had to intervene with have been:

• Horry County Fire Rescue roll-over engine call that had three firefighters and a lieutenant trapped
• Horry County Fire Rescue volunteer went into cardiac arrest during a medical call and had to be intervened by the same members who responded with him
• Horry County responded to a fellow firefighter's home, where he had already committed suicide. The crew prior to his shift from his own station responded
• Multiple child abuse calls; some with death as a result
• Multiple drowning calls involving children at local motel pools
• Motor vehicle accident deaths involving children and infants
• Multi- casualty incidents involving a large number of deaths

These are just some of the calls that have made an impact to Horry County Fire Rescue staff over the past couple of years. Those who responded to these have had the opportunity to get help from the CIT with positive results.

The CIT has also put together a White Paper to describe some of the statistics from the past three years. This paper will give other departments information in the field of crisis management so that they too can make their wellness program complete. Check it out here

My favorite book, Who Moved My Cheese, is by Spencer Johnson, M.D. Through this quick read, you will learn about four little characters that are in the maze of life.

Two characters are named Sniff and Scurry, and they are mice. The other two characters are Hem and Haw, and they are little people.
They all begin at Cheese Station C where they enjoy the great things in life like security and tasty cheese.

However, Sniff and Scurry taste a change in the cheese that they don't like and they journey out into the maze of life to find new and better cheese.

Hem and Haw, however, deny there is any change, and are reluctant to face it. The book in itself is well worth a read, but particularly as it has so much relevance to us in the fire service.

The cheese we have enjoyed in the fire service has changed and doesn't taste too good.

How to survive
While it's not as easy for members of the fire service to journey out into the maze because we are locked down in a secure job, we should begin thinking about the strategies of how to survive in this new age that we have seen in 2011.

It all comes down to using the resources we have more wisely, and how we market ourselves.

When we consider the deployment of resources, are we using them to our fullest advantage? What does the public think when we send a multitude of apparatus and personnel to a general sick call? What cost cutting measures are we implementing in our departments and how does it affect our business model?

Better yet…what is your business model? These are just a few of the many questions that the fire service needs to be prepared to answer as we move into 2012.

Need to change
The deployment model will need to change in 2012 for many agencies. I'm all for as many butts on the truck as it will seat, and as many in the firehouse as it will sleep, but that model is changing.

How will departments that have been accustomed to having bountiful resources handle a reduction in personnel and changing their deployment model?

Answer: Ask the volunteers and smaller departments. They have been doing it for years. But hold on…this isn't just for the big boys!
Volunteer departments have been experiencing a change in their volunteer recruitment and retention for some time. As the economy continues to hurt, individuals are faced with working more jobs, longer hours, and have less time to volunteer.

People have less money to donate, which also is hurting many volunteer fundraisers. How are they going to cope?

Perhaps dialogue between career and volunteer departments would be in the best interest of all. Our cry is for firefighter safety. How will changing deployment models affect that?

Less people doesn't always mean less safety, but it does mean less work we can do with those we have, which will eventually affect service delivery.

Reflect back on my last column, Why We Need A Culture of Safe Suppression. Maybe the popularity of aggressive exterior firefighting will gain in popularity?

How we market ourselves
The second item we need to look closely at is how we market ourselves. Social media is not going away; in fact, it will only develop into new and more creative ways we get information.

What we say on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, blogs, and other forums will continue to get us in trouble. We must maintain a professional image to those who trust us.

And we must stop saying that if the public doesn't care about us, then why should we care about them?

Are you kidding me? I've seen that so many times of late in blogs and posts. The old Pogo cartoon used to have a saying, "We have met the enemy and he is us!"

Do you think the people in Tennessee have a respectful perception of the fire service when two houses burned because subscription fees weren't paid? Right, wrong, or indifferent, how people FEEL about the incident carries the day.

Fire departments will need to be more creative in community involvement. Open up your firehouses and stop living in a secret society behind closed bay doors, because this is "your house."

This is their house too, and they need to be a part of it. They need to know how hard you work in training, call volume, EMS calls, hose testing, apparatus and equipment maintenance, physical fitness, stress, sleep deprivation, EMS calls, studying for promotions, public education, EMS calls, company inspections, pre-fire planning, and last but not least, EMS calls.

If you wait until the budget cuts are on the table before you start telling your story and trying to build support, you're too late. Market yourself now!

Be involved
Don't just show up to community meetings on emergency responder appreciation day. Be involved in the associations to drive the agendas to get your name, your department's name, and your message in front of the voters.

Be a part of the community proactively and not just reactively. Never forget the political process either. Refer back to my article "Firefighter Safety: How Politics Play A Part."

Marketing ourselves to our politicians in a professional-business way gains us a better seat at the budget table rather than casting stones at them once the damage is done.

2012 will be another exciting year and we will have to see how everything evolves. There is nothing to say that anything I have said in the aforementioned will or will not work.

But I've got a couple of rodeos under my belt, and have managed an eight-second ride a few times! Where will your cheese be in 2012 and are you brave enough to take the journey into the maze to find it?

Buckle up, hold on tight, and be safe!

Note: Billy D. Hayes will be presenting "A Business With No Sign Is A Sign of No Business" at Firehouse World in San Diego on Wednesday, February 22, 2012 from 9:45 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.

By Jay Lowry

A great deal. Unlike 20 years ago, we live in a very connected world and the global market is influenced by local events with repercussions felt in cities and towns across the United States.

When Greece received a bailout from the European Union, stocks plummeted in the United States — and didn't stop dropping for a while.

Why should firefighters or EMS care?

There is a steady drum beat for financial reform including pension reform, eliminating deficit spending and reducing salaries. These are local effects of a national and even international problem. NFPA 1710 staffing is being attacked as wasteful and the financial crisis helps those who want to have barebones service.

Some firefighters state this was the worst budget year in history. Not hardly.

In many areas, the big bust will be the 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 budget cycles.

The mood of the country coupled with rising debt, deficit spending, massive entitlement programs and loss of investor confidence will combine to make the current situation look tame.

Warren Buffett is known as the "Oracle of Omaha" because of his financial acumen. Testifying before Congress last month, and in subsequent interviews, Buffett discussed rising concerns over municipal bonds.

He has divested, as have others, in muni-bonds because cities and counties are finding it very hard to make payments. This is very bad news.

All is not lost. Fire and EMS will survive but both must plan for tighter budgets while educating the public on the importance of the services performed.

The economy will rebound eventually but don't expect it to happen soon. Even so, the effects will have consequences for years to come.

Vertical ventilation is one of the most hazardous tasks accomplished on the fireground. Vertical ventilation should only be accomplished when it is necessary and can be completed safely.

The key to success in delivering this tactic is to have two means of egress, limit total time of work on roof, don't let the ventilation hole get between you and your means of egress and don't loiter to admire your work when complete!

Vertical ventilation can be accomplished by utilizing existing openings in the roofing deck or making our own.

Natural openings are those structural items that require a hole to exist in the roof of a structure. The size of the opening should be selected based on availability and the largest possible. Multiple floor structures should have a number of options available.

Vertical shafts that run the height of the building will work the best, such as stairways, elevators and large utility shafts. Remember that skylights, scuttles, monitors, attic vents and swamp coolers can all be removed to assist with ventilation.

NOTE: Ladders should be used to provide safer footing for any pitched roof operation and to spread the load on any flat room. There should always be two means of escape for any roof operation and a protection hose line should be in place on the roof.

Roofs should also be checked to make sure they are safe to work on. Spongy material, bubbling tar, melted snow or dry spots on a roof, or smoke or heat emitting from the roof are some of the signs that the integrity of the roof may be compromised.

When accessing your ventilation spot, select your ventilation site based on closest area over the seat of the fire as well as an area where a sufficient size hole can be cut. Crews accessing the roof should have, as a minimum, a gas-powered saw (chain or circular), an axe to louver the decking after the cut (and if the saw quits) and a pike pole/trash hook to punch the ceiling when necessary.

Some crews will say always take a roof ladder with you. If your roof pitch is such that you don't feel comfortable working without one, take one.

In addition, recent rain or snow, or standard pitches on concrete or tile roofs may warrant the addition of a roof ladder.

Ensure the primary firefighter to access the roof is able to sound the roof for stability. Sound your rafters all the way to where your cut will be.

Locate and mark the position of the rafters for the individual utilizing the saw. Remember that a four by four hole will be considered a minimum sized hole.

Don't cut the roof rafters — in a truss system that may be weakened by fire, this could be an initiator of a collapse of the roof support system.

When cutting your ventilation hole, consider making your farthest cuts first to ensure your last cut places you closest to your egress point. Louver the roof deck and prepare to punch the ceiling on the ceiling of the floor under your cut.

DO NOT PROCEED without checking with command — interior crews must be ready! Once given the go ahead by command, punch the ceiling.

Again, consider making the farthest holes and work towards your egress. All personnel should be in full SCBA for this event. Once the ventilation task is complete, get off the roof!

Remember that ventilation is a task that will be required on all fires! The primary questions are when and how. The primary purpose of ventilation is to remove all accumulations of heat and combustion products.

At this time, I would like to stand firmly upon my soap box and preach. While all methods of ventilation have their place in the tool box of tactics, I consistently see firefighters who have forgotten that we are at a fire to search, rescue and extinguish fires -- not to see how many windows we can break on a single fire.

I have been on small fires that have been extinguished and noticed as I exited the structure that nearly every window had been broken out! Why?! This is a problem for a few reasons:

• I cannot perform positive pressure on a structure that will not retain pressure!
• I am forced to consider a boarding company to ensure a possible crime scene is not contaminated after we leave.
• The total cost of repairs can be reduced if these windows do not need replacing.
• We look stupid when we break out windows from areas where there was no fire involvement

Remember, we are there to make things better if possible, not drive up the bottom line costs for home repair/replacement after a fire! I now step off the soap box and continue with the closing of the article.

This article quickly addressed one of the hallmarks of our profession. This skill of ventilation is an art and can make or break the direction of numerous activities on a fireground.

We owe it to ourselves to be practiced at this process so that we can create an environment that will allow for safe, rapid victim location and rescue, fire location and extinguishment and creating the safest possible environment for our brothers and sisters to work in.

If it’s been a while since your crews walked through a ventilation process, take the time to practice. If nothing else, walk through how your team will perform a vertical ventilation scenario as a crew. Perfect practice makes for safer effective crews.

It feels in recent months and years as if all areas of the U.S. are having more and more natural disasters.

Here in the Northeast, we have just survived a major hurricane and a freak October snowstorm. It is times like this that a volunteer fire department becomes more of a community resource than just a fire department.

It's both an essential task of a local department and also a great opportunity.

Fire departments are the last resort in any emergency, expected to handle anything the world can throw at them. Our communities expect us to be there, and we are. Fire departments turn into shelters, community centers and places of refuge.

Unfortunately, our training is often focused on handling short-term emergencies, not crisis that can stretch weeks or even months. But even if it is not what we are prepared for, we seem to find a way.

The public that we serve is not only looking for help, but often given the chance they would like to help others in case of a tragedy.

For many, finding a way to be useful in an emergency (especially a prolonged one) provides both a sense of purpose and stability.

The problem is that departments tend to be exclusionary and only rely on ourselves and our brethren. Therefore, when our community wants to help, we quickly reply that we are there to help them, not the other way around…

Community disasters provide us with an opportunity to not only help our community but to build the community as long as we are willing.

Ideally we would want to have planned in advance through programs like the Fire Corps or CERT teams. This helps to train and prepare the public to help others.

Even if we haven't set up a CERT or Fire Corps program in advance, there is likely to be great interest directly after the event that can be used to our advantage.

Also, directly after an event, we may be able to identify ways that we could have used CERT or Fire Corps members.

In the old days, before federal programs, many departments had auxiliary corps (often women's auxiliary). Many of these groups have fallen off or turned into social clubs rather than being a resource for the department.

Emergencies and disasters may spark renewed interest or focus in being an auxiliary member. Auxiliary members are often acting in non-firefighting organizational roles, which helps free up active members to do their duty.

So what happens if you do not have an auxiliary, CERT team or Fire Corps? It is still possible to leverage your community to help, but it becomes more difficult.

During a disaster, you may actually have too much help, or not the right type of help. There have been many documented cases of people self-responding to emergencies without the proper training, equipment or insurance coverage.

The difficulty comes in managing these new volunteers and assuring they are helping you, not being a hindrance.

Our community wants to help in any way it can, so the best bet is to find a way for them to be involved, but without taking too much extra effort or putting them at risk.

This is a great area for your more senior or retired members to help provide guidance and management. Your retired members can help assign tasks, track volunteers and act as a resource for those who want to help.

Public volunteers can be used to help serve food, clean, answer phones or a variety of other tasks. I even heard about a group of youths traveling from shelter to shelter with their musical instruments to provide a bit of entertainment!

After the disaster, we need to make sure to thank our community for their help just as much as they thank us. During and after a disaster there are many donations of time, money, items and food, and it is our duty to track and thank each and every donor.

We can even use community members to help thank other community members. The idea is to make sure that everyone both gets a chance to be involved and be thanked.

Disasters can tear us apart, but as we have shown many times, they also bring us together.

By Kenneth Heard
Fairfax County, V Radio Center

When Izard County (AR) Judge Rayburn Finley's grandson was injured in a four-wheeler accident last summer, Finley instinctively dialed 9-1-1 on his cellular telephone. But instead of reaching his county's dispatch center some five miles away, Finley spoke with a dispatcher in neighboring Sharp County more than 25 miles away.

Photo 9-1-1 Magazine
Izard County dispatcher Shane Farmer uses Google Earth on his computer to pinpoint locations of 9-1-1 callers using cellular telephones. Access to online sites like that, in addition to the inherent capabilities of the agency's new Vesta Pallas 9-1-1 system, give dispatchers an information edge they can pass on to responders.

Because Izard County didn't have Enhanced-9-1-1 service, cellular telephone calls were diverted to surrounding counties that have the service. Rayburn's grandson was not seriously injured, but the response time was delayed as Sharp County dispatchers had to call Izard County to send emergency help.

Now, the rural county has joined the legion of other Arkansas counties in upgrading its emergency services. It will be the first time the county has any 9-1-1 service. In the past, emergency calls were fielded by dispatchers for the sheriff's office, assessed by priorities and then sent by radio communications to whichever deputy was patrolling the closest to the call. Izard County officials have installed the AT&T Vesta Pallas 2.3 system and hope to be fully operational by the first of 2009, enabling dispatchers a way to handle cellular calls. The PBX-based system provides such services as mapping, incident tracking, Computer Aided Dispatch, digital logging, and third-party applications.

The system can also handle administrative duties such as receiving faxes, voice mail, prerecorded messaging, and routing. Dispatchers began training in the first week of October after the system was installed in September; AT&T representatives conducted brief, but successful, field tests to try out the new system a week later.
A majority of emergency calls come from cellular telephones, Izard County Sheriff Tate Lawrence said, because the county's rural roads are well traveled.

"We're a very rural county," Lawrence said of the 13,249 who live there. "We're challenged to protect the lives of everyone here. This will help us do that."

The county hopes to add landline telephones to the system in early 2009. Horseshoe Bend, a town of about 2,500 in eastern Izard County is a retirement community; Lawrence said a 9-1-1 system for home telephones in that town will assist those with medical emergencies. The county received the Vesta system with a $100,000 grant from the Arkansas Commercial Mobile Radio Services/Emergency System Telephone Board.

Cellular telephone customers in Arkansas pay a 50-cent surcharge on their monthly bills to help fund such grants. The money is disbursed based on needs to counties which apply for the grants, said Renee Pressler, a spokesman for the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management.

"The grants have helped a lot of counties who couldn't otherwise afford such services," she said.

In a move to help strengthen the fund, Arkansas Attorney General Dustin McDaniel ruled in November 2007 that prepaid cellular telephone services had to pay the monthly fees for its customers as well. He ruled that "commercial mobile radio service included any wireless two-way communication device, including ... cellular telephone service, personal communication service, or a network radio access line."

Of the 75 Arkansas counties, only two now do not have the Enhanced-9-1-1 system in place. Calhoun County in southern Arkansas plans on installing one in 2009; Newton County, one of the most rural Arkansas counties in the northwest portion of the state, has no plans for such a system.

In Izard County, four dispatchers rotate 12-hour shifts. A part-time employee and a jailer help during busy times, said Dispatch Center Administrator Cathy Schaufler.

The center averages only seven to 10 calls per shift, she said. But each call could be a life-and-death situation and time is critical, she added. "In the past, we've had people call and say, 'I don't know where I'm really at,'" Schaufler said. "They may be nervous, or hurt, or excited. We can pinpoint their calls without them stuttering around."In Izard County, cellular telephone calls were picked up by Sharp County to the east, Independence County to the south, Stone County to west, or Fulton County to the north.

"Our system was nothing more than a telephone system with caller ID," Lawrence said. "This system will give us mapping capabilities, and we'll send that information to our deputies' computers in their patrol units."

The Izard County dispatch room is located in the center of the sheriff's department and the detention center. There are two terminals at a work station along with several video monitors that's how scenes of the jail cells.

Dispatcher Shane Farmer worked at one terminal during a day shift recently and showed the locations of recent calls. The system incorporates Google Earth, a satellite mapping system that allows computer users to see actual aerial photographs of land. He zoomed in on the detention center and showed the winding roads that traverse through the county.

Dispatchers have already received some cellular telephone calls through the system. Cellular telephones that have service with AT&T and Cingular Wireless are already online, Schaufler said. Other services such as Sprint and Verizon are expected to be accessible by early 2009, she said.

The Vesta system was delivered to Izard County on September 11. It was fitting, Schaufler said, because the date and the service they added shared the same digits – 9-1-1. "I thought that was really appropriate," she said.

The Vesta system is stacked on a six-foot-high metal rack in a storage room near the center of the facility. Schaufler's office is nearby. She hopes to add digital recording equipment by the end of the year. The extra equipment needed to handle landline telephones can be added to the rack easily, she said.

Meanwhile, County Judge Finley is overseeing the county's conversion to physically addressing every street and road in the county to be ready for the full 9-1-1 conversion.

"We'll put every address on our Global Positioning Systems," he said." A lot of people have lived in [rural] areas here all their lives and they've never had street addresses.

"This is going to be a huge benefit for every person in our county," he said. The county has more than 2,500 miles of gravel road, Lawrence said. There are only 10 deputies working for the sheriff's office who protect nearly 550 square miles.

The county is diverse in its topography, too, he said. The White River, which is prone to dangerous flooding in the spring, edges the county on the west and south. Hilly terrain and lonely, curvy roads make up most of the county, making it rife for vehicle accidents. Deputies were delayed early this spring when responding to a vehicular accident because the caller did could not pinpoint where the incident occurred. A car traveling on Arkansas Highway 56 left the road one night in April, Lawrence said. A woman spotted the accident and dialed 9-1-1 on her cellular telephone.

The woman saw a road sign indicating the Izard County town of Franklin was ahead and mistakenly thought she was already in Franklin. Her emergency call went to Sharp County where dispatchers forwarded it to Izard County.

After searching near Franklin, Izard County dispatchers finally found that the accident occurred across the county line in Sharp County and notified authorities there again with the correct location. The vehicle's driver was not seriously injured, but had he been, the time it took to sort out the accident location would have been critical, Lawrence said.

The new system would have greatly benefited Izard County deputies last February when a devastating tornado packing winds in excess of 100 miles per hour ripped through the center of the county.

Two people were killed when the twister struck Zion, about five miles south of Melbourne and the county's dispatch center. A second twister ripped through Ash Flat and Highland in Sharp County, tying up dispatchers for hours.

"It was total confusion," Finley, who lives in Zion, said of the emergency response. "It was awful. A lot of the [cellular telephone] towers were downed, but some people could call out."

He said he drove the rural roads around Zion with a chainsaw, cutting toppled trees out of the way so ambulances and emergency personnel could drive to the scene.

"We were hauling people out of house one after another. Sometimes ambulances took two or three at a time," Schaufler said. "With this system, when people call in trouble, we can find them," Finley added. Lawrence said deputies' computer terminals in their patrol units will be equipped with a program to help locate callers' locations once the system is fully incorporated. The terminals will use both mapping and Google Earth.

"We'll be able to pinpoint people now," he said. "It will be one step further in helping our people.

"It will eliminate a lot of confusion," he added. "Before, when someone called in, we would try to get them to describe their location as best they could. The problem was enhanced at night when everything looks the same.

"Now we can get there quicker and we'll definitely save lives," he said.

Kenneth Heard is the Jonesboro News Bureau chief for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

This article first appeared in the January/February 2009 issue of 9-1-1 MAGAZINE. 9-1-1 MAGAZINE is the magazine for the emergency communications and response industry, serving law enforcement, fire, and emergency medical services. 9-1-1 MAGAZINE provides valuable information to readers in all aspects of the public safety communications and response community. Visit 9-1-1 MAGAZINE online at www.9-1-1magazine.com.

By David Peterson

Training sessions for hazmat response can become boring, monotonous and stale over time. This staleness can take its toll with a downturn in the team's morale and even resignations of members. If left alone, good operating hazmat teams can quickly become dysfunctional and difficult to correct. So what can be done to prevent a hazmat team's demise from a training perspective?

The answer lies in how training sessions are approached. With a small amount of imagination, they can be challenging and stimulating and even leave team members wanting more. Hazmat training should also be realistic with a focus on real-life situations that the team has faced in the past or could face in the future.

During a recent hazmat team training session we held, a vacant building was secured for Level A entries. The building is inside our city and served as a dairy during its active years. Fortunately, most of the pipes and valves and containers for the ammonia cooling system remained on the premises and consequently were ours to play with. The building also did not have electricity so was extremely dark inside even on a sunny day. It all bode well for a challenging training session.

Few restrictions
As the building is slated to be deconstructed, there were not many restrictions. Consequently a scenario was developed where a multi-purpose fire extinguisher would be used to create a yellowish cloud within a small room where a pipe leak had developed. The cloud would be proclaimed as a chlorine gas leak from a corroded pipe and entry teams would need to apply a leaking-pipe patch kit. To make the entries realistic, the extinguisher would be discharged just before the entry team members entered the room.

Also in the room with the yellow cloud would be a marked pipe to indicate the source of the leak. To make the leak realistic, an air cylinder was cracked open and left to slowly leak at the floor near the leaking pipe (see image #1). This would indicate to the entry team where the leak was located when they entered the room. The air cylinder also helped to "kick-up" the extinguishing agent as it started to fall out of the air.

Now that the setting for the "business end" of the session was completed, the team was briefed on the scenario and they were left to respond as they normally would. They were also informed of the layout of the building and the location of the valves and shutoffs by an anonymous building "employee." To tackle this problem, the team decided to make entry in Level A suits and first shut down all lines as directed by the responsible party (see image #2). Next they decided to use positive pressure ventilation to clear the room with the leaking pipe of the simulated chlorine gas (see image #3). Last, the entry team would apply a patch to the leaking pipe (see image #4).

Ways of approach
The team utilized their position vests, their position checklists, appropriate monitoring equipment, and decontamination in their approach to mitigating this scenario. They also researched the chemical and physical properties of chlorine in order to respond to the release effectively. Because of the information from the responsible party, the entry team also brought a small step ladder and hand lights in order to better navigate the dark rooms. To complete all of the tasks that were identified and planned, two entry teams were needed.

At the completion of the scenario, all team personnel were escorted into the building to see what the entry teams saw. This is an effective technique so everyone can benefit through the visualization of the business end of hazmat. This important tool also provides an opportunity to answer questions that may arise.

It is also an opportunity for team growth in that it builds confidence, lends to a better comfort level for entry personnel and also provides the team trainers and leaders of tomorrow with ideas for future training sessions.

As you can see, an effective and challenging training session is actually an easy task if you use your resources and your imagination. The only cost of this session was the recharging of the multi-purpose fire extinguisher.

For a minimal cost, a very realistic scenario was developed to prepare Level A entry personnel for the real thing. What is the sign that personnel enjoyed the training session and felt that their time was well-spent? The answer is found by listening to their banter afterward. If you hear them saying how much the scenario challenged them and how it exceeded their expectations, then you’ll know it was not boring, monotonous or stale!