Harness the Power of Anger

by Howard Cohen

Learning how to harness the power of anger in healthy ways is similar to fighting fires. Fire and anger are useful when safely and carefully managed, but extremely dangerous if they get out of control. In firefighting, the goal is to control the fire and manage the environment. In many ways, these are the same goals when dealing with anger. However, anger is about managing ourselves in situations or relationships where we are not getting what we want or need. We can express our anger in unhealthy and destructive ways or healthy and constructive ways that help us get what we want or need. Firefighters learn effective ways to control and manage the fireground. Unfortunately, anger management is not a standard part of firefighting training. This article presents a behavioral model for harnessing anger for healthy, constructive purposes.

Let me emphatically state that anger by itself is not a problem. Anger is a great motivating force for change when used constructively. For example, years ago, my neighbors and I were angry about drivers speeding on our street.  So we channeled our anger into a petition for town officials to put in a stop sign on the street to slow down the traffic. The US civil rights movement in the '60s is another example of constructively using anger. Unhealthy anger is often very destructive. A car crash as a result of road rage is an example of destructive anger. It is important to remember that anger is okay when expressed in healthy ways.

A fire occurs when an event causes an ignition. If the conditions are right, ignition leads to the fire spreading, which is called the incipient stage of the fire. The incipient stage is when a situation goes from "there is no problem to something is starting to happen." It is the same with anger. We transition from what I metaphorically describe as shifting from the "Green Light: Everything is Cool" stage to the "Yellow Light: Getting Angry" stage. The psychosocial characteristics of the "Green Light: Everything is Cool" stage include feeling in control of our lives, having fun, feeling confident, good, happy, and relaxed. The psychosocial characteristics of the "Yellow Light: Getting Angry" stage include a growing sense of losing control, power, authority, or freedom, a mix of unpleasant feelings, e.g., sadness, fear, rejection, and so forth, and an absence of fun. Just as there are many different causes of fire ignition, many elements cause a person to become angry.

An important difference between the incipient stages of a fire and anger is that we generally can't know the ignition source until after a thorough fire investigation; with anger, we can and need to know the ignition source before the anger becomes "fully developed."  There are many cues when a person has entered the "Yellow Light: Getting Angry" stage, metaphorically similar to the early phase of the growth stage in a fire.  Everyone has their cues that they are becoming angry.  In addition to experiencing unpleasant feelings, some people develop a quickened pulse, shallower breathing, stomach or headaches, reddening of the face, and nervous twitches.  Other signs of becoming angry include being sarcastic, sullen, quiet, restless, loud, tearful, and so on.  Sometimes, we aren't self-aware of any of these, but the people around us are. It can be beneficial to ask a trusted friend what signs they see that indicate we are in the "Yellow Light: Getting Angry" stage.

In the life cycle of a fire, the growth stage comes once the fire has established itself and burns self-sufficiently. As firefighters, we strive to catch fire early in this stage; unfortunately, due to the increase in plastics, glues, and hydrocarbon-based products, acceleration from the incipient stage to a fully developed fire happens nearly 8x faster than it used to. When managing anger, we also want to identify and address what propels us into the "Yellow Light: Getting Angry" stage as early as possible. How effectively and quickly we respond to the warning signs in this stage is critical to keeping our anger from turning into "fully developed" anger. 

A fire is "fully developed" when it reaches its hottest point and engulfs all the available fuel sources. This stage is the most dangerous moment in a fire's life. The same is true with anger. If we allow our anger to go unabated in the "Yellow Light: Getting Angry" stage, it will rapidly become "fully developed" unhealthy anger. Fully developed anger in this model is called "Red Light: Blow Up/In Angry." Fully developed anger, like a fully developed fire, is dangerous. The big difference is that many safe ways to fight a fully developed fire exist. When it comes to managing our anger, many of us lack the skills needed to keep ourselves in control so that we effectively resolve our conflict. Instead, what we do is often emotionally, psychologically, or physically destructive to those around us.  All too often, our actions have negative consequences, which come back and hurt us, too. Some of the psychosocial characteristics of fully developed anger are yelling, fighting, excessive drinking, abusing drugs, self-harm, and reckless driving. I call this stage "Red Light: Blow Up/In" because if we didn't slow down and heed the caution warnings in the "Yellow Light" stage, we would race headlong into the danger zone. While many people use force to express their anger toward others during the "Blow Up/In" stage, it is important to note that others use self-destructive means to channel their anger inward. 

Eventually, the fire will enter the decay stage when it runs out of oxygen or fuel to sustain itself.  This is true too of anger.  When our anger subsides, we enter the "Repair Shop/Cool Down" stage in the anger cycle. Eventually, anger subsides, though there is still a potential for flare-ups in the "Repair Shop/Cool Down" stage, just like in the decay stage of a fire. Generally, the psychosocial characteristics experienced here are remorse, guilt, embarrassment, and sadness at the pain and suffering our anger caused. Often, there are promises that such behavior will never happen again.

Unfortunately, without increasing self-awareness while in the "Yellow Light" stage and using anger management skills, the promises made in the "Repair Shop/Cool Down" stage do not last. In fire service terms, self-awareness is personal situational awareness. Thus, the first skill to develop is to pay attention to how you are feeling, acting/behaving, and what's missing that you need or want.  Personal situational awareness means you recognize that you are feeling stressed, annoyed, judged, disappointed, frustrated, hungry, tired, thirsty, and so forth. The earlier we recognize the signs of anger growth, the sooner we can address them. Often, we don't recognize our anger signs, so it can be helpful to ask someone who knows us what they have noticed about us when you are getting angry. 

Once we notice the warning signs, we should pause and ask ourselves questions like, "What's wrong? What's the problem? What am I not getting that I need or want?" These questions help diffuse the negative feelings characteristic of the "Yellow Light: Getting Angry" stage. In addition, there are several proven tactical ways to slow down the anger growth process to avoid big blow-ups. These include talking with a friend, paying attention to self-care (adequate sleep, hydrating, food, and fun), exercising, meditating, yoga, journaling, mini vacations/time outs, and deep breathing exercises.  These are not problem-solving skills. They are helpful self-control tactics.  By utilizing self-situational awareness and one or more tactical skills for managing anger, it is possible to turn the unhealthy anger cycle into a healthy one. Once the anger growth is under control, we can enter the transformed "Red Light: Healthy Problem Solving" stage. 

It is important to remember that anger is often a secondary emotion, masking vulnerable feelings like fear or frustration. It is often helpful to identify the deeper feelings manifesting as anger.  One way to do this is by asking, "How does it feel to feel angry?" Sometimes, this is doable when we are in the Yellow Light stage or when we are in the healthy Red Light stage. This line of questioning often helps to reveal the unmet needs, wants, or concerns.

Fire and anger share a similar life cycle. Both require skills, tactics, strategies, and an understanding of the underlying dynamics. Firefighters train using their skills, tactics, and strategies in controlled environments, not during actual fires. Unfortunately, most of us wait until we are angry before we practice anger management skills. An excellent exercise is reflecting on past anger experiences in your life. What was physically happening to us as we were becoming angry? How did we react? Were our responses helpful? Reimagine how we responded; only this time, imagine using one or more of the anger management skills described above. Ask a trusted friend what they notice about us when we become angry. 

The more self-aware we are (personal situational awareness), the earlier we can identify that "ignition" occurred and that we are entering the "growth" stage of anger. With our increased self-awareness and anger management skills, we can continue onto the "Red Light: Healthy Problem Solving" stage of the anger cycle. Instead of responding in an unhealthy way, we are now harnessing the power of our anger to find a peaceful and meaningful resolution to whatever was the "ignition" or cause of the conflict.

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Howard Cohen is a retired deputy chief with 20 years of experience in the fire service. He entered the fire service as a chaplain and still acts as a rabbi and leadership coach for first responders. Howard has been volunteering with Africa Fire Mission since 2020.

The Importance of Wearing Your Personal Protective Equipment as a Firefighter

by Mark van der Feyst

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is essential for all firefighters. PPE for firefighters is not only required, but it is extremely important as it protects them from many dangers that they will face within the scope of their job. Some of the dangers that firefighters will come across within their job include heat and flames, hazardous materials, injuries, burns and possible death. While safety is the main reason why proper PPE should be worn, they are needed by firefighters to prevent them from inhaling hazardous fumes, toxins, and debris that could harm their lungs, respiratory system, as well as a shield to prevent the skin from absorbing harmful toxins and particles that might otherwise lead to chronic health conditions.

Firefighter helmet and boots

Firefighter's PPE, also known as turnout gear or bunker gear, is a critical component as it is made with different layers of fabric for optimal fire protection. The outer and thermal layer protects the firefighter from radiant heat, and it can also serve as protection from partial flame. The moisture barrier serves as a protection from the sprayed water to prevent the body from getting soaked, thus saving them from injuries due to steam burns. The gloves and boots that firefighters wear are made from fire-resistant materials to protect their hands and feet from sharp objects, radiant heat, and other dangers that might occur. The helmet is made from durable and fire-resistant materials as well as it includes a mounted flip-down shield to protect their heads and faces from extreme temperatures and falling debris. Likewise, it also prevents the firefighter from getting drenched from the sprayed water. The PPE also includes a face mask, air pack, and an air cylinder so that they are able to regulate air pressure and breathe clean air.  

The proper fit of a firefighter's PPE is crucial to their safety as well as endurance. PPE that fits properly enhances the firefighter's ability to carry out their duties effectively while minimizing the risk of accidents and injuries. Gear that is not fitted properly can impede movement, restrict flexibility, and compromise overall functionality, posing potential hazards on the fire ground. Firefighters who are properly protected have a greater chance of survival than those who are not.  

In addition to wearing PPE correctly, proper cleaning and maintenance of this gear is also essential. Carcinogens are present on the fireground so as a carrier of contamination, wearing inadequately cleaned or uncleaned PPE results in the transfer of that contamination to any surface or person the firefighter encounters. The equipment should always remain in good condition and be ready to be worn for the next emergency. 

PPE is the only equipment that is used in every emergency. Wearing the appropriate PPE is heroic. A firefighter cannot help or save someone else if they themselves are hurt, injured, or worse, dead. Simply put, PPE is as important a tool as anything else in the fire service.

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Mark van der Feyst has been in the fire service since 1998, currently serving as a firefighter with the Fort Gratiot Fire Department in Michigan. He is an international instructor teaching in Canada, the United States, and India. He is a veteran of two AFM trips to Kenya.

Hazmat Awareness

by Brad Banz

In our world, we are surrounded by chemicals. From the fuel we use to power our vehicles and cook our foods to the pesticides used to keep insects away from crops, chemicals are everywhere. Chemicals benefit all of us, unless they are used improperly or released from their containers when they shouldn’t be. That’s when they become hazardous materials. As first responders, all of us need to know how to recognize possible sources of hazardous materials and signs that a release has occurred.

I want to start by introducing some locations to be aware of that might have the presence of hazardous materials. As a first responder, it is important to be knowledgeable of your response area. If you are dispatched to a specific occupancy, you should have an idea they may have hazardous materials just by recognizing their name and address. Perhaps you may even know what types of materials are involved.  Chiefs and station officers, it’s your responsibility to preplan. Occupancies to watch for include factories, processing plants, warehouses, agriculture, transportation routes, and water treatment. These are not the only ones, but the most common. Sometimes potential hazardous materials at some of these occupancies may be identified by the type of manufacturing or processing they do. That’s why it’s important to preplan your area. Roads can even be preplanned by doing vehicle counts for container types and placard information at specific locations. Agriculture will have pesticides and herbicides, which are poisons. They will also have fertilizers and fuel. Water treatment facilities will have chlorine gas. 

Different kinds of vehicles may have different materials inside.

Sometimes large container shapes can help us determine what product type might be inside. At fixed facilities, there are several different types of tanks to be concerned about. A tank with rounded ends will contain liquified, compressed gas such as LPG. A spherical tank could contain the same products as well. Sloped roof tanks can contain liquids of any type. The occupancy type may help determine the type of product in the tank. Large, round tanks with a floating roof indicate petroleum storage. A cylindrical, vertical tank at a medical facility or manufacturing plant indicates a cryogenic such as oxygen or nitrogen.

Trailers with rounded ends indicate the presence of a liquified, compressed gas. An oblong-shaped trailer usually carries petrol, diesel, or jet fuel. Small diameter, tube shaped trailers with reinforcing rings and splash protection on top are indicators of an acid. Larger tanks with splash protection on top may contain combustible liquids, bases, toxic liquids, or waste material. 

Forms of non-bulk packaging you might see include drums, boxes, bags, carboys, bottles, and dewars. Drums can contain flammable, toxic, corrosive, and waste materials. Boxes can carry the same types of materials, as well as oxidizers, explosives, and radioactive materials. Bags will hold explosives, toxic materials, and fertilizers. Carboys and bottles can carry corrosives. Bottles will also hold toxic materials as well.  Dewars typically contain cryogenics. Labels and shipping papers are very important when attempting to identify contents in non-bulk packaging.

Senses are important in detecting a possible release. Hearing a boom, a hiss, or a loud roaring sound are all clues. Seeing sights such as a vapor cloud, liquid on the ground or water, dead fish, dead animals, or dead vegetation are indicators. If you smell a peculiar odor, it may be time to relocate.

I alluded to shipping papers and labeling earlier. Placarding and labeling on large and small containers are very important. They can have the 9 hazard classes, which can help guide you to initial actions.    Containers may have a 4-digit UN number. Shipping papers, such as manifests, are also very helpful because they will tell you exact product information. These can be found with a vehicle driver.

I would like to discuss the US DOT Guidebook briefly. The DOT Guidebook is a reference for first responders and is used as a guide for initial actions in a hazmat incident. It can be found in paperback form as well as online and in Google and iPhone apps. Products can be researched by container shape, hazard class, product name, or 4-digit UN number. Spill information, fire information, PPE information, first aid, and evacuation distances can all be found. The online address is: www.phmsa.gov/hazmat/training. The app for Android phones is in the Google Playstore-ERG for Android. The app for iPhone is in the iPhone App Store-ERG for iOS.

Finally, if you have identified a hazmat release, I want to share some initial response actions. Your responsibility as a first responder is not to mitigate the incident but to help keep the public safe. To keep the public safe, you must stay safe. If you are responding in an outside area, approach the scene from an uphill and upwind direction if possible. In a building, stay out of the suspected area. Your responsibility is to secure the area. In an outside area, set a perimeter. A good starting point is 100 meters, although common sense must be exercised to either increase or decrease the size as necessary. If you have access to the Emergency Response Guide, use it as a reference to establish your perimeter. In a building, isolate the room or floor as necessary.  Inside your perimeter, make sure that all occupants are evacuated. It is also your responsibility to notify additional resources to help with the incident.

This is a very quick size-up of what any first responder should expect when assessing for a possible hazmat release. If you suspect a possible release, always be cautious about your size up and response. Thank you and stay safe out there.

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Recently, Brad Banz led a virtual training session about Hazmat Awareness. If you would like to learn more about this topic, listen to the AFM virtual training session here. For additional virtual trainings, subscribe to our YouTube page and register for our virtual trainings today!

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Brad Banz has been involved in the fire service for 40 years, serving with the Colwich Fire Department as a volunteer from age 20, including a 10 year term as Chief. Brad Banz has served with AFM on several mission trips.

The After-Action Review

by Nicholas J. Higgins

The size-up is, for all intents and purposes, our game plan or battle plan against the structure we are working at. The size-up is where firefighters and fire officers gather information in order to make safe, efficient, and effective fire ground decisions. Fire ground decision making, as we know, is meant to be quick, with an emphasis on safety and ensuring the tactics are done efficiently and effectively.

One aspect we do not stress enough is the fact we do not take into account the culmination of the incident. After fire command is terminated and all units are back in quarters and in service, we must remember the pre-planning is not over just because we cleared the incident and everyone is back in the station and safe. This is where the add-value work is put into place and now it is time for the after-action review or post-incident size-up.

Firefighters review a building’s fire prevention equipment

After-Action Review

During the after-action review (AAR), firefighters and fire officers can discuss and share information obtained from the alarm and also discuss the success and failures they have experienced during the incident. This is a time to ask a few questions:

• What did we expect to happen?

• What actually occurred?

• What went well and why?

• What can we improve upon and how?

The benefit of asking these questions allow for strengths to be easily identifiable, making it easier to uncover areas of weakness. By uncovering areas of weakness, you can develop ways to improve them!

If you do not identify what went wrong, how could you ever expect to improve? On the contrary, if you do not understand what went right and why, duplicating that same success in the future will not be easy. Ensure necessary changes discussed in the AAR are implemented sooner than later, as the longer it is on hold, the likelihood of any changes being implemented diminishes. 

The size-up as a whole is a valuable step by step process for all firefighters to obtain knowledge of their response district, riding assignments, and strategy and tactic implementation. By beginning this process, formally or informally, it will allow for continual growth for each firefighter and fire officer. The key to success as an individual and team is to get ahead of the game and prevent ourselves from being reactive, rather proactive.

Until next time, work hard, stay safe & live inspired.

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Nicholas J. Higgins is a firefighter and district training officer for Piscataway Fire District #2 in Piscataway, New Jersey. He is a New Jersey State Level 2 Fire Instructor, a National Fallen Firefighters Foundation state advocate, and a member of the Board of Directors for the 5-Alarm Task Force—a 501 (c) (3), non-profit organization. Nick is also the founder and a contributor of The Firehouse Tribune website and has spoken at various fire departments and fire conferences nationwide. He is the author of both “The 5-Tool Firefighter,” a book that helps firefighters perform at their highest level and the companion book, “The 5-Tool Firefighter Tactical Workbook” along with being the host of “The 5-Tool Firefighter Podcast”.

Advocacy and Action After Disaster

by Mike Kull

If you've been in the Fire Service for long enough, your Fire Brigade has experienced an incident that overwhelmed your capabilities. It's happened to all of us. Despite our best efforts, we couldn’t perform at the level we wanted, or the level we were expected to perform at. It may have been a technical rescue that you didn't have the proper equipment to make the rescue, or it may have been a large fire that you couldn’t stop because you didn’t have enough fire engines, enough manpower, or enough water. The result after the incident may be the loss of life or a large value of property damage. So, what do we do now?

Fire Brigades everywhere are facing challenges with funding, equipment and manpower. Some places are much better off than others but there are very few places in the world where firefighters will tell you they have everything they need. A Fire Brigade must be prepared for every possible disaster or emergency that you could ever imagine. Accidents, vehicle crashes, fires, electrical emergencies, agricultural emergencies, industrial accidents, weather related emergencies, victims trapped or lost, water rescue -- the list goes on and on. It is almost impossible to have specialized equipment and training for absolutely every type of incident you may be called to. Again, we must ask ourselves, what do we do now?

One of the first things that we need to do is to take care of ourselves. The job of a firefighter is stressful and can be very detrimental to our mental health. We need to look after each other, we need to talk to someone if we are feeling depressed and we need to support each other in both our professional and personal lives. Make sure everyone is alright and staying healthy, both physically and mentally. Once we are sure everyone is alright, we need to make ourselves better.

Learning is a lifelong process. There will always be new skills and new knowledge to learn. Technology is always changing, and the world is always changing so there will always be something new that will help us to be better firefighters. There is a vast number of resources available to firefighters that have access to the internet. Simple internet searches will turn up large volumes of information on every topic imaginable. Read and learn as much as you can about the types of threats you will face. After an incident where you’ve faced something new or something you’ve never seen before, you need to research it. Learn as much as you can about it so that you are better prepared to handle it in the future. This makes for some great Company Level Drills during which you can share this knowledge with everyone in your Fire Brigade.

Finally, what can fire service leaders do after an incident that overwhelms your Fire Brigade. The first step is to ensure that you utilized all the resources that you had available. Ensure that you have mutual aid agreements with other resources in your area that may have equipment or resources that you may need. This could include other Fire Brigades, police agencies, military units or civilian resources with access to heavy machinery, water bowsers or other resources. Arrangements should be made to outline how to activate or call upon these resources and other details such as how billing or payments will be managed if necessary.

Once you have ensured that all local resources available have been accounted for, advocacy must begin. Many times, these types of incidents will be reported in the media and on social media. The Fire Brigade may be blamed for the outcome of the incident even if they have done everything to the best of their ability. It is critical to accurately document every shortcoming experienced. Did you have enough manpower? How many more were needed? Did you have enough of the proper equipment? What equipment do you need to change the outcome? Did you have enough resources such as water? What would have helped with a lack of water?  Everything must be documented, and that list of needs must be provided to the local authority having jurisdiction over the Fire Brigade. To supply you with the equipment you need, the local government must know exactly what your needs are, as well as having justification for the expense. Try to find reports or news stories about other similar events that had a better outcome due to the Fire Brigade having the resources it needs. Use these as an example of how your incident could have had a better outcome with the appropriate resources. Advocate for whatever your needs may be, whether it is more manpower, more fire engines, more fire hose, breathing apparatus, rescue tools or an adequate water supply. Make your list and prioritize it, starting with the needs that will have the biggest impact. Provide information about locally available resources that can be quickly acquired.  Give them as much information as possible so that they can make informed decisions and stress the need for a plan to reach full operational readiness.

Fire Brigades may face incidents that overwhelm their resources, leading to significant loss of life or property due to insufficient funding, equipment, or personnel. To mitigate these issues, it is essential for firefighters to prioritize their mental and physical health, pursue continuous training, and document deficiencies encountered during emergencies. Fire service leaders are encouraged to optimize local resource use and advocate for improvements by clearly communicating their needs to local authorities. By highlighting documented gaps and comparing them with better-resourced responses, they can underscore the necessity for adequate support to improve operational readiness for future incidents.

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Mike Kull is a retired Fire Chief from Central Pennsylvania. Mike has over 25 years of experience in the fire service and teaches firefighting in both the US and Africa. Mike now serves as Programs Director for Africa Fire Mission and as a firefighter at his local volunteer fire company.

Facing Electrical Issues

by Brad Banz

As firefighters, we respond to a wide variety of scenarios involving electrical hazards. Immediately, downed lines calls come to mind to most responders because of the obvious hazards they pose. In this article, I would like to discuss other types of incidents in which electrical hazards could be encountered and address our response as first responders.

Since I started the conversation by bringing up the topic of downed electrical lines, what should you do if you encounter such a situation? As in many other emergency situations, your job is to secure the area and keep people out. Electrical lines can carry many thousands of volts of electricity, with cross-country transmission lines carrying up to 345,000 volts. What does that mean to you? That means that you don't have to be in contact with the line for an electrical path to be established. Electricity from energized high voltage lines can jump several meters to things such as ladders if they are establishing a path to ground. The area around an energized downed line can also form a ground gradient, an area which is energized, and which will still be a shocking hazard.  That's why it's important to secure the area in between poles and keep all ladders a minimum of 3 meters away from energized lines. Treat all lines as energized. Also have the contact number available for your local electrical utility so they can be notified of the situation. If electrical lines are downed across vehicles, have the passengers jump to become free from the vehicle if they can do so. If they cannot, then make them stay in the vehicle until the electrical lines have been shut off by the electrical utility. 

Structure fires are another common instance when electricity can be an issue. While electrical service may not always be involved in the fire, regardless of cause, it's a good idea to secure electrical power to ensure that it doesn't become a hazard. Electrical power can usually be secured by turning it off at a circuit breaker if safe to do so. If electrical service is a major issue, the electrical utility must be notified so they can secure power outside the structure. The utility company should also be notified in areas such as informal settlements where illegal wiring arrangements are involved. The illegal wiring can be dangerous, especially with the iron sheet construction of many of these homes. Finally, one last consideration is hidden fire. If you have an electrical fire, or suspected electrical in wiring, open the wall up. 

Many machines, especially in industrial settings, use lots of electrical power. Many times, an electrical fire or smoldering electrical fire can be controlled by simply securing electrical power to the machine. Even if the machine has any fire involvement at all not involving the electrical systems, it's still good to secure power. If power cannot be secured, a powder extinguisher suitable for electrical fires should be used. One set of machines in which powder should not be used on are computers or other types of electronics. Many computer centers have their own halon extinguishing systems. CO2 extinguishers are the preferred agent for use on computers and electronics. 

While there are other electrical issues that you as a first responder may run across during your career, I tried to come up with the ones that you would be most likely to come across. I hope that everyone has gained something from this article. As always, stay safe out there.   

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Brad Banz has been involved in the fire

service for 40 years, serving with the Colwich

Fire Department as a volunteer from age 20,

including a 10 year term as Chief. Brad Banz

has served with AFM on several mission trips.

Water Rescue Safety Information

by Tyler Prater

Water rescue operations are a very dangerous, highly technical operation. With water covering over 70 percent of our world, as first responders we are bound to respond to a water emergency. One of the biggest hazards is flash flood and swiftwater emergencies. Swiftwater is described as water moving more than 1 nautical mile per hour (Knot). NFPA 1006 standards breaks swiftwater rescue into 3 parts.

1. Awareness, meaning that the responder is aware of the hazards but is not trained to mitigate.

2. Operations, meaning that responders can take a defensive role using throwbags or throwable flotation and have been trained in self rescue defensive swimming techniques.

3. Technician level training, meaning that the responder is equipped and properly trained to respond to in water emergencies using a “Go” rescue.

It's also important to note the water rescue order of operations. Remember the saying “Reach, Throw, Row, Go.”

Reach - To reach for the victim trapped in the water. Long Sticks, ladders, poles, or anything sturdy enough to reach into the water to get to the victim.

Throw - Throw a rope or a flotation device to your victim trapped in the water.

Row - Use a boat to row your way to the victim.

Go - The most dangerous and last resort in water rescue: to send a rescue swimmer into the water.

As in all rescue operations, PPE is an especially important factor for water rescue. Making sure anyone operating near the water knows how to swim and has proper flotation in place. If making a “Go’ rescue it is imperative that the PFD the rescuer is wearing has enough flotation for both the rescuer and the victim. When responding to emergencies in fire apparatus, remember that we are not invincible to the power of water. It only takes a few inches of water to float and move a vehicle. Turn around, don't drown. Flood water is also a known health hazard. As water floods a village or city it picks up all waste and hazardous materials and flows it across the city. If vehicles or sewage facilities are involved, fuels and biohazards could enter the water. Treat all flood water as hazardous water and make sure to thoroughly decontaminate your body and all equipment used in the water. Multiple bystanders die each year trying to rescue victims in flood water. Tying yourself to a rope that you cannot break free from is also another hazard that is commonly misunderstood. If a rope is tied around a rescuer and that rescuer gets hung up, or reaches the end of the rope the power of the current will push the rescuer under the water.

Understanding and treating water rescue events as a high hazard, low frequency event will make both the rescuer and victim safer in the long run. Public education of the hazards of flash flood and swiftwater hazards is also imperative to preventing water emergencies. Remember to follow your level of training. Rescuers must have the appropriate PPE and resources available to make an in water rescue. For more information on this topic and to learn more about training standards, reference NFPA 1006 - Professional qualifications of technical rescuers, or check out TDISDI.com / ERDI and search for swiftwater rescue.

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Tyler Prater is a 8 year member of the St. Louis Fire Department and currently serves as a rescue squad member. Tyler is also a water rescue specialist and instructor for Water and Dive Rescue.