Our department doesn’t train on Mayday procedures at all. What can I do to make our chief and training division understand how crucial this is? We have had several close calls in our department and I am really concerned.
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Chief Gasaway: You are really addressing two critical issues here. First is the need to have a procedure in place for a Mayday (and the training of personnel on how to deploy the procedure). Second, is the issue of the number of close calls your department has experienced. Close calls are the precursor, the warning signs if you will, to catastrophes. Every time you have a close call it should invoke a thorough review of what happened, how it happened and an analysis of how to prevent it from happening again (which may involve changes in policy or procedure and most certainly training of personnel on how to prevent the near-miss in the future. There are many things that need to be addressed for every near-miss (or casualty) event, not just the things that went wrong at the moment of the incident.
As far as how to get your department leaders to embrace safety, I think the best approach is through education and subtle persuasion. Send them the link to this webcast or suggest it be played for a department drill and then open up some discussion about things your department could be doing differently.
May everyone you command return home safely after every call.
Fire Chief (ret.) Richard B. Gasaway, PhD, EFO, CFO, MICP
www.RichGasaway.com
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