Firefighting, many say it’s just one of many dangerous jobs. Most firefighters disagree with that, firefighting is not only dangerous, it is the most dangerous job in the world. This is true because of the elevated cancer rates of firefighters, job-related deaths and injuries, and cardiac health issues. With a total of around 1,160,450 active firefighters in the United States, 3% are between 16-19, 21% are 20-29, 27% 30-39, 24% 40-49, 17% 50-59, 8% 60 and up. Low percentages in the younger age group is a danger the fire service is facing, it has no one to replace older firefighters who are retiring. While there are 58,750 fire stations in the United States, one-third of the stations are understaffed or not staffed at all, or have seven miles …show more content…
In 2007 there were forty stress-related deaths in the fire service, there was also thirty-eight deaths classified as sudden cardiac deaths, like heart attacks, or heart failure. Heart failure in firefighting is caused by continuous hard stress on the body, when inside fighting fire for long periods, or fighting large outside fires, and lack of rest (Fahy). When you go inside of a burning building you have 110+ pounds on you from your gear and protective equipment and tools(Quarters). On February 19, 2007, a 44 year old died inside of a fire while actively fighting from a heart attack. Cardiac issues only come up to about 37% of injuries and death, 8% is nonspecific, 28% internal trauma, 23% asphyxiation, and 4% burns …show more content…
From the lack of personnel to the lack of equipment and apparatus, firefighting is a rough tough and dirty job. When you sign up for the ride your in for life, you can't back out of the fire service, PTSD and emotional struggles will follow you whole career. If your lucky you get away with no cancer, as 66% of firefighters will have cancer. A majority will have major health issues such as heart failure or respiratory problems. With all the listed risk plus the never-ending risk of getting injured or killed on a call or in a fire, firefighting is the most dangerous job in the
Introduction Those interested in pursuing a career in firefighting are faced with many options when it comes to selecting a department to apply to. Attaining a career with Columbus Fire is often a goal of students in Central Ohio, and for good reason. Problem The Columbus Division of Fire is a large organization that hires candidates using a standard civil service hiring process every two years (unless there is not a need). This means that if the city has enough employees at the end of the two-year cycle to continue operations, they can opt to forgo a testing process until it is needed.
Throughout the fire service, firefighters encounter a high level of different stresses that can cause post dramatic stress disorder. A plethora amount of people have not thought about how not only the military personnel, however a wide range of emergency calls or other factors come into play that results in fire personnel acquiring this disorder. This disorder has an enormous problem that will affect the management in the fire department.
Since the early 1980’s Grimwood (2000) has studied and implemented the use of water fog spray directly into the fire gas layers from a fog nozzle, also termed (3-D) water fog, developed by the Swedish Fire service. Grimwood reviews studies and tests conducted by the U.S. Navy. Compared to a straight stream attack using a smooth bore nozzle three significant observations were recorded, the time spent fighting fire was reduced, the working heart rates of the firefighters were reduced, and peak body temperatures of the firefighters were lowered, while implementing the (3-D) water fog technique from a fog nozzle. The author indicates that over the last 10-20 years Line of duty Deaths (LODD) from flashovers, or ignition of the fire gases, in the United States, has increased, while in Sweden there has been a decrease in LODD’s since the uses of fog nozzles was adopted during this same time period. Grimwood evaluates several spe...
Mental health in the fire service is an upcoming problem, but has been occurring for years without firefighters even knowing it. Specifically post-traumatic stress disorder known as PTSD and firefighter suicides are the main issues that have a large impact in the fire service. This outline will lay out the main points that are a result, impact, or other subjects in relation to the two main issues above. Firefighter deaths are rising rapidly, members of the fire service need to be educated on PTSD and suicide to provide treatment before another devastating event occurs in result of the issues effects.
On July 10, 2001 four U.S Forest Service Firefighters died while battling the thirty mile fire. Six others injured including two hikers. The thirty mile fire was the second deadliest fire in Washington state history.
# Coleman, Ronny J., et al.Fighter's Handbook: Essentials of Firefighting and Emergency Response. Delmar/Thompson Learning, Stamford, CT, 2000.
The City of Detroit, Michigan, seems to be a city on the decline in America. Job prospects some of the lowest in the country and one of the only cities to be shrinking, rather than growing. There are a lot of problems Detroit is facing, one of them is there incidence rate for fires. Detroit is the number one city in America for house fires, not to mention their high rate of fires in the many vacant buildings throughout the city. There are many socioeconomic factors with the city that make the incident rates rise, and response less effective.
The statement “Killing 150,000 people in less than a second actually allowed fewer lives to be lost.” might sound horrendous. However, that statement is the reason why the United States was able to win the Second World War. In contrast to this statement, some people might argue that it is inhumane to massacre that many people in less than a second. The dropping of the atomic bombs on August sixth and ninth of 1945 was the correct decision for American in order to effectively and efficiently end World War Two. America should have dropped the bomb because it saved American lives, there was a lack of incentives not to use the bomb, and dropping the bombs was the quickest way to end the war.
On March 25, 1911, 146 garment factory workers their lives in a fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York City. In less than an hour, these workers died from asphyxiation, burns, or jumping to their deaths in a futile attempt at escape (McGuire, 2011). The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory the eighth through tenth floors of New York City’s Asch building, and employed approximately 700 workers, 500 of them young women and girls (McGuire, 2011). A fire quickly broke out on the eighth floor shortly before the end of the work day. Loose fabric was strewn about the floor and stuffed under equipment, providing kindling for the fire to quickly become an inferno. As women attempted to exit, they were met with locked doors and forced to find other means of escape, including jumping from the eight floor windows, climbing down elevator cables, and scampering down the fire escape - each route of escape tragically failed, costing many their lives. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire is an example of how quickly dangerous and neglectful conditions can quickly take many lives, but it has also served as the impetus for great changes in workplace and fire safety codes and regulations, including the development of Fire Safety Codes, implementation of state-based worker’s compensation laws, and the formation of New York State’s Industrial Code. The impacts of these changes and many others are still felt today, more than 100 years later. There is, however, still work to be done in the area of workplace fire safety, as evidenced in the Kader Toy Factory fire and the Imperial Chicken Processing Plant fire.
Carbon monoxide is a major component in smoke from fires. It can cause a loss of mental acuity, acute nausea and severe headaches (Reinhardt 33). Death can occur at extreme levels of this intoxication and it can even cause shortness of breath and dizziness (Reinhardt 35). It may not seem like it is that bad, but one must consider that these things add up and can really affect their health and well-being. The carbon monoxide levels tend to shoot up when the wind speed goes up during daily exposure (U.S. Department of Agriculture 3). It also depends on what kind of duties you have as a firefighter; because those with the highest level of carbon monoxide in their system were a part of the direct attack and those with the least were the fire starters (U.S. Department of Agriculture 3). Carbon monoxide is a powerful poison that can kill you and it is absolut...
Burns are caused by many different factors. Heat burns are caused by fire, steam, hot objects, electricity, ultraviolet rays and hot liquids (Living With Burn Trauma). According to “Prevention,” an online article, the “Leading causes of fire and burn death and injury for older adults are smoking, cooking, scalds, electrical, and heating.” When one is burned, a instinct called “fight or flight” catalyzes. “Fight or Flight” causes one’s breathing and pulse to increase. When this happens, their adrenal glands release a hormone that causes pain to diminish causing some to vaguely remember their accident (Living With Burn Trauma). Many times because a victim begins to breathe rapidly, they can experience respiratory complications from the burns often resulting in respiratory failure (“First Aid and Emergencies”).
Everyone has their own interpretation of what a firefighter is or does. The dictionaries definition says, “A person who is trained to put fires out, rescue people from fires, educate the public about fire prevention, and help people in other emergencies.” My definition of a firefighter growing up was a person who runs through burning building and found people who are screaming and crying, to save them. Now growing up with the desire to become a firefighter my definition has changed to someone, a women or man, who not only thinks about themselves but about the lives and loved ones of others. Whether it is rescuing people from a burning building, caring for their medical needs, extinguishing fires in a house, large building, or in a vehicle, this profession is about helping others.
High exposure to flame retardants has been correlated with multiple adverse effects on the human body, including disruption of hormones produced by the thyroid gland, hindering of the immune, reproductive, and nervous system, cancer, and dangerous effects on fetal and child development. (SD, 2017)
Since the beginning of the fire service hundreds of years ago, this profession is usually thought of being a male dominate. Since then there has been a large number of females who have been interested and wanting to become a part of this family, as a result of the male domination, a large group has failed due to discrimination from co-workers or management personnel. Furthermore, the laws that have been put into place have helped women become a part of the fire service profession.
Public safety covers a wide variety of people and organizations, but carries one common theme and that is, the public’s safety. This course has broadened my knowledge on the many roles that make the public safety sector go around and the role the public plays in it as well. My thoughts before the course were close minded and to the point. I quickly realized that policing is not as cut and dry as I once portrayed it to be. Society is always changing and adapting, and it is the job of the those in public safety to adapt and change with it. The mindset that I grew up with, in rural Saskatchewan, was the police are good people and you will only need to deal with them if you break the law or see someone break the law. My answers in the module 1 survey reflected my upbringing. My first thought for