Firefighter/Paramedic Edwardsville Fire Department Edwardsville, Kansas
Firefighters are often reluctant to share events that went wrong or had a negative outcome for fear of being viewed by their peers or stakeholders as unprepared or poor performers. These incidents are often hidden in the corners of fire station or swept under the rug. They are rarely treated as a learning opportunity. This event left our department asking questions and examining how as an organization to handle near misses and what can improve performance and procedures. While we had two firefighters bail out of a window due to a sudden and drastic change in interior conditions, the journey our department took to learn from situations like this and many others in order to make cultural changes was profound. This fire appeared to be out by all indication, in a matter of seconds rapid fire behavior change forced firefighters to choose between the MAYDAY or self rescue.
Learning Objectives:
The attendant will identify how unique building construction that facilitated the firefighter near miss.
The attendant will detail the factors involved in the decision-making process of interior firefighting crews.
The attendant will identify and integrate the lessons learned from the department into take-a-ways for their own agency.