No matter the loss, there’s always going to be devastation. The short time period after, which can span months depending on the person grieving, is emotionally intense and painful. PoliceOne reminds us that it’s important to remember that the need to provide support and understanding to those affected can continue years later.
Here are some things to remember as time goes on after the loss of an officer:
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FireRecruit.com offers a nice selection of articles about the “how tos” of becoming a firefighter. One of the most recent article offers advice to would-be firefighters. It’s an interesting piece, worth sharing with friends and family looking to join our ranks.
According to the article, here are 10 things firefighter candidates should do to make themselves a marketable, prepared candidate.
- Become an EMT — the majority of firehouse calls are related to emergency medical assistance.
- Spend time doing community service — show your dedication to the community.
- Take fire technology classes at a local community college — be prepared in advance.
- Live a clean life that will make a positive impression.
- Become familiar with all stages of the firefighter hiring process.
- Take firefighter tests — practice makes perfect.
- Stop by fire stations and learn more about the lifestyle and professional responsibilities.
- Shore up your life experience — cooking, cleaning, general maintenance — so you’re an asset around the firehouse.
- Start preparing the documents you’ll need for your background check — gather what you need from employers, family and friends, as well as licenses, training documents, credit reports.
Keep tabs on firefighting by subscribing to newsletters, blogs and RSS feeds, while also gaining some volunteer experience in a firehouse.
Law enforcement officials have it tough: you’re either sitting for long hours at a time or walking patrol for long hours with the possibility of being called into action at a moments notice. It is both physically and physiologically difficult to be an officer. Unlike firefighters and EMS, police officers are unable to exercise while on duty. But that doesn’t mean you can’t integrate fitness into your shift.
Performing complicated stretches in your uniform can be difficult, especially with all the gear being carried around. So keep it simple. Stay hydrated – even mild dehydration can hinder performance. Focus on muscles groups that are frequently injured such as the shoulders, knees and lower back. Longer is better and less is more. Stretch for a full 60 seconds to really stretch your muscles, making sure not to strain them in the process. Stretching shouldn’t hurt; it should just be mildly uncomfortable.
Officer.com suggests performing chest, shoulder, knee, and hip stretches in Enforcement Flexibility: On Duty Stretching to stay fit and flexible while in uniform and on duty. Check it out for stretch specifics, including pictures, to ensure you’re performing then correctly.
Why should firefighters care about the codes and standards process? Because there are more than 300 codes and standards, all of which impact the fire service. All NFPA codes and standards are revised and updated every three to five years in revision cycles that begin twice each year and take approximately two years to complete. Each revision cycle follows a published schedule that includes final dates for all major events in the process.
Check out the following six ways you can become involved according to this article.
1. Submit a change to the code called a proposal. You’ll need specific ideas on exactly what to change while providing a reason for this change. Even if a committee isn’t actively seeking proposals, you can still submit a proposal anytime between revision cycles.
2. Submit a second round of changes called a comment. As with proposals, your ideas will need to be specific and contain reasons for the change. Comments are submitted in response to the Report on Proposals (ROP), which outlines the actions the committee has taken in regards to revising that particular standard. You can then look at the changes and submit other ideas or suggestions for revision.
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So you’ve decided to investigate renting gear for training purposes. A good rental program can provide excellent value for fire fighter training, because it saves wear and tear on your fire department’s PPE while providing your fire fighters the protection they need. Just like any outsourced service, you need to evaluate different programs to ensure that you select one that meets your needs, provides good condition NFPA 1971 compliant PPE and nets you real cost savings.
A rental program provided by a company with your fire fighters’ safety in mind will guarantee that the PPE supplied meets the current standard. It isn’t reconditioned gear, but gear purchased new specifically to rent. Some rental companies provide a mismatch of reconditioned gear that they purchase from fire departments for a few cents on the dollar. In these cases, it isn’t unusual to find rental gear that is nearly 10 years old and several NFPA 1971 editions behind.
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Never underestimate the power of silence when it comes to gathering information from people. According to an article at PoliceOne, whether you’re trying to get a suspect to give more information or you’re helping somebody who is trying to be cooperative but needs that little extra bit of time to recall information, silence can be a highly useful tool.
Read the full article here.
In these tough economic times, your fire department is probably looking for ways to make equipment last longer. Although most people agree that regular maintenance is necessary to get the most out of your PPE, extraordinary usage can cause unexpected wear and tear. Unfortunately, conditions in a catastrophic situation can lead to extraordinary use, and that can’t be helped. A common event, such as fire fighter training, is often harder on PPE than normal use. This is particularly true for recruit training and Fire Fighter 1 & 2 courses that require months to complete. Sometimes the damage sustained is equal to two or three years of use.
Also, many departments are purchasing fewer sets of new gear and replacing gear less frequently. New gear is often issued to new recruit classes, although not all recruits will finish the program. This means that new gear becomes un-issued used gear, and re-issue could be dependent on size and condition.
Renting PPE can cost a fraction of the price to purchase. A good rental program can provide excellent value for fire fighter training because it saves wear and tear on your fire department’s PPE. Just like any outsourced service, you need to evaluate different programs to ensure that you are being provided high-quality and safe products for a fair price; plus you must always ensure that you read the fine print in the rental contract. Extra charges incurred at the end of the contract can reduce your savings.
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“Foot patrol can be a new opportunity for you to be proactive. When you get out of your cruiser, you can see, hear and smell things that you wouldn’t otherwise detect.”
While every jurisdiction is unique, consisting of areas or times that may potentially be hazardous for officers on foot, foot patrols can be conducted practically anywhere. As an officer, you know your city, along with when and where it would be safe to patrol on foot. The following is a list of areas that have garnered successful foot patrols (when conditions are safe):
- Apartment complexes
- Hotel/motels
- Liquor establishments
- Trailer courts
- Downtown business districts
- Pawn shops
- Residential areas (in some cases)
- City parks
- Public beaches
Lt. Chris Cole is a 16-year veteran of the Storm Lake (Iowa) Police Department. Sharing his own first hand experiences, check out his article – Foot Patrol: Don’t think of it as a hassle; it can be part of the solution – for a fascinating and informative look at officers patrolling on foot.
“I learned that through foot patrols we could build relationships with citizens and find solutions to problems through collaboration and teamwork.”
Keep your wits about you during the chaos of an emergency when checking victims. “Burn Care on the Fireground” offers good advice — remember your ABCs. Here’s a short synopsis of the article.
Airway. Looking for inhalation injuries? Then look for singed nasal and scalp hair, a burned face and soot in the mouth. Note any changes in voice. If a patient is conscious, rather than perform a difficult intubation, consider providing high-flow, humidified oxygen. Then get the patient to the ER ASAP. If the patient is unconscious and you think on-the-scene intubation is necessary, then choose the most experienced person and use a tube that is one-half to one size smaller than normal to adjust for swelling caused by inhalation damage.
Breathing. Listen to the person’s lungs and breathing and be sure to provide high flow oxygen. Remember, a pulse oximiter can’t tell the difference between oxygen and carbon monoxide, so a 100 percent reading doesn’t tell you much.
Circulatory. Hypotension may be caused by carbon monoxide or cyanide inhalation, Generally, if a person is experiencing hypotension, you need to check for additional traumatic injuries that may be causing the hypotension.
As far as determining whether to head to a hospital with a burn center or a closer hospital without a burn center, consider the American Burn Association’s criteria for choosing a burn center:
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For the last 15 years, Richard Fairburn, a 26-year law enforcement official, has tracked two trends in the FBI Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted (LEOKA) annual reports: the number of officers killed each year by rifles and the number of officers killed each year in what the FBI defines as an “Ambush” situation.
The LEOKA report breaks down the ambush category into two sub-categories: an “Impromptu Ambush” or a “Deliberate Ambush.” An impromptu ambush involves a felon springing a sudden and essentially unplanned attack on an officer. A deliberate ambush generally involves one or more officers being suckered into a bogus call where felons often choose center-fire rifles to give them the advantage of distance and penetration.
Though numbers vary, ambush scenarios are the cause of 11 to 20 percent of officers killed by gunfire each year. You must stay vigilant to the possibility of an ambush and avoid them whenever possible.
Check out the entire article – Ambush: Awareness means avoidance – at PoliceOne.com.
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