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Critical Health and Safety Issues in the Volunteer Fire Service

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Critical Health and Safety Issues in the Volunteer Fire Service U.S. Fire Administration Critical Health and Safety Issues in the Volunteer Fire Service December 2016 Mission Statement We provide national leadership to foster a solid foundation for our fi re and emergency services stakeholders in prevention, preparedness, and response. U.S. Fire Administration This project is supported by a Contract (HSFE-20-14-P-0171) between the U.S. Fire Administration and the National Volunteer Fire Council. Disclaimer The content of this report is for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for advice from a physician. You should seek prompt medical care for any specific health issues; only a health care provider should diagnose a medical condition and prescribe treatment. Acknowledgements | i Acknowledgments The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) and the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) would like to recognize and thank the following individuals and their respective organizations for their contributions and assistance toward the development of this document. NVFC and USFA would also like to thank all of the volunteer fire service men and women for their dedication to serve others. Candice McDonald Battalion Chief Quentin A. Cash International Association of Women in Shelby Fire-Rescue Department, North Fire and Emergency Services Carolina Dan Gorham Dr. Rita Fahy Fire Protection Research Foundation National Fire Protection Association Chief Keith Padgett Battalion Chief Ron Roy Columbia Southern University NVFC, Wildland Committee Chief Kenn Fontenot Dr. Sara A. Jahnke NVFC, Health, Safety and Training Center for Fire, Rescue and EMS Health Committee Research Chief Kevin D. Quinn Sarah Lee NVFC, Chairman and Standards and NVFC, Deputy Chief Executive Codes Committee Steve Austin Kimberly Quiros Cumberland Valley Volunteer Firemen’s NVFC, Chief of Communications Association, Emergency Responder Safety Institute Lori Shirley NVFC, Project Manager Wesley M. Keller Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry Matt E. Bowyer National Institute for Occupational Safety Dr. William F. Jenaway and Health Volunteer Firemen’s Insurance Services Dr. Nattinee Jitnarin William J. Troup Center for Fire, Rescue and EMS Health USFA, Project Officer Research ii | Critical Health and Safety Issues in the Volunteer Fire Service Table of Contents | iii Table of Contents Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 1 Critical Issues ....................................................................................................................... 3 The Culture ......................................................................................................................... 3 Recruitment and Retention .............................................................................................. 9 Recruitment ................................................................................................................. 9 Retention ...................................................................................................................... 13 Funding ............................................................................................................................... 15 Transitioning to a Combination Department, Consolidations and Mergers ...... 15 Resources ..................................................................................................................... 18 Fidelity .......................................................................................................................... 19 Expanded Role of Firefighters .......................................................................................... 22 Emergency Medical Services ..................................................................................... 22 Wildland Firefighting .................................................................................................. 24 Suppression .......................................................................................................... 24 Mitigation .............................................................................................................. 27 Violence Against First Responders ........................................................................... 29 Personal Health .................................................................................................................. 31 Behavioral Health ....................................................................................................... 31 Cardiovascular Disease .............................................................................................. 34 Physicals and Fitness .................................................................................................. 36 Nutrition ....................................................................................................................... 40 Cancer ........................................................................................................................... 43 Alcohol, Tobacco and Prescription Drug Abuse ...................................................... 47 Alcohol ................................................................................................................... 48 Tobacco .................................................................................................................. 48 Prescription Drugs ............................................................................................... 50 Safety Protocols ................................................................................................................. 53 Codes and Standards ................................................................................................. 53 iv | Critical Health and Safety Issues in the Volunteer Fire Service Vehicle-Related Safety ................................................................................................ 55 Personally Operated Vehicles ............................................................................. 55 Emergency Vehicle Operations .......................................................................... 57 Traffic Incident Management .............................................................................. 58 Occupational Safety and Health Act ........................................................................ 59 Standard Operating Procedures ............................................................................... 60 Role of the Company Officer in Safety ..................................................................... 62 Situational Awareness ................................................................................................ 62 Personal Protective Equipment ................................................................................ 63 Mutual and Automatic Aid ......................................................................................... 65 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................ 69 Fire Department Resources ............................................................................................... 71 References ............................................................................................................................ 75 Acronyms .............................................................................................................................. 87 Introduction | 1 Introduction Volunteer firefighters represent 69 percent of the U.S. fire service (Haynes & Stein, 2016). As a nation, we rely on them every day to save lives and protect property in times of danger and disaster. In order to do so, they must first be healthy, safe and able to respond. Firefighters are hurt and/or die from a number of health and occupational safety issues, such as heart attack, cancer and vehicle crashes. A fundamental change is needed to overturn these issues and revolutionize the volunteer fire and emergency services to create healthier and safer work environments for volunteer responders. The causes of firefighter injuries and fatalities have been tracked for years by the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) and other leading fire service organizations in an effort to increase awareness and understanding of such causes, with the ultimate goal to reduce the number of responder injuries and deaths (USFA, 2015). With this goal in mind, USFA and the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) created a project team to review data and identify health and safety trends specific to the volunteer emergency services. The resulting document, “Emerging Health and Safety Issues in the Volunteer Fire Service,” was first released in 2008. This document included a formula to address the identified emerging health and safety issues and how to manage them going forward. It can be graphically represented as follows: Figure 1. Formula to Address and Manage Emerging Health and Safety Issues Routine Positive A Safe Reduced Health Lifestyle Work Firefighter Screenings +Behaviors +Environment = Injuries Source: USFA and NVFC, 2008. While these steps do significantly improve individual health and safety outcomes, more recent research shows that issues and trends that ultimately impact firefighter health and safety are more deeply rooted in the culture of the fire service. Additionally, the identified health and safety issues are no longer recognized as “emerging” because their long- standing
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