Celebrating our Volunteers!

On October 14, 2023 during our Annual Fundraiser, the Chama, Africa Fire Mission will honor volunteers Chief Bradley Banz and Chief Michael Kull.

Volunteer of the Year

Africa Fire Mission thrives on volunteers. Volunteers are at the heart of our organization. We have dozens and dozens of volunteers. We have volunteers from all across the North America, Africa and Europe that help allow AFM to serve on a daily basis.  These men, women, firefighters, civilians and children are all a vital part of Africa Fire Mission being able to achieve its goals and objectives. 

Chief Michael Kull – Volunteer of the Year

Chief Mike first joined Africa Fire Mission team in 2021 and has been all in with us ever since. Mike has participated in missions to Kenya and Malawi and facilitates AFM’s weekly virtual trainings. This past year, Mike stepped further into leadership co-leading our Malawi training trip! Mike just get’s it. He understands that the fire service in Africa is limited in physical resources and rich in people resources! Mike uses his creativity to help solve problems and helps the fire service advocate for what they need. This week we learned that the Zomba, Malawi fire brigade received its first uniforms from their local government as a result of the advocacy that their team learned from Mike. Mike’s dedication to facilitating our online trainings and lead to steady growth of our trainings from 60 participants a week at the beginning of 2023 to more than 100 participants a week now.

Mike fully embodies our mission to train, empower, support and encourage firefighters in Africa and his leadership has allowed us to continue to grow!

Thank you Mike for all that you have done for Africa Fire Mission! We are looking forward to serving with you for year’s to come!!

More about Chief Michael Kull: Chief Michael Kull is from Pennsylvania where he recently retired as the Fire Chief for the Valley Township Fire Department, Forest Fire Warden for Weiser State Forest and as a Township Supervisor for Valley Township. As a volunteer firefighter with over 25 years of experience, Michael has learned creative strategies for meeting his community’s needs for fire and rescue services.

Instructor of the Year

When Africa Fire Mission travels with a team to provide training in Africa or other parts of the world, our team members volunteer their time, talents and treasures to provide world class training to our partners.  Our instructors undergo training in advance of the trip to prepare of the mission and prepare the lessons that they will teach in our week long fire training events. We are fortunate to have many instructors return year after year who continue to build each year on the training that they have been providing as well as to build strong relationships with firefighers and our overseas partners. 

Chief Bradley Banz, Instructor of the Year

Chief Banz heard about AFM from our partner at Missions Of Hope International after providing CPR and first aid training there. Brad’s been involved with AFM since 2015. Brad has traveled with AFM on missions to Kenya, Zambia, and Malawi. Brad has been instrumental in the development of our Community Health Evangelism curriculum on Fire Prevention and Safety which has impacted millions of lives across Africa. Brad notices needs and responds making sure that curriculum developed for classes he teaches meet the needs of the fire service. This past year, he developed a Hazardous Materials class for firefighters in Africa after seeing the dangers firefighters were exposing themselves to attempting to respond to some Haz Mat incidents.

Brad encourages our team members and advocates for the firefighters. He takes time to get to know the firefighters we are serving and what their needs are. His heart for Africa is abundantly clear!

Thank you Brad for serving with heart and passion! We are grateful to have you on our team!

More about Chief Bradley Banz: Chief Banz is a firefighter with over 38 years of experience. Brad retired as a Captain for the Wichita, Kansas Fire Department and retired as Fire Chief from Colwich Kansas. Brad continues to serve his community as a volunteer firefighter in addition to training firefighters in Africa.

Interested in volunteering with AFM in administrative roles or as one of our international instructors?

Ambulance Services and Its Importance in Society

Ambulance Services and Its Importance in Society

 By: Kelvin from Swift Emergencies Response Unit - Kenya

Increase in medical ailments has led to the rise in hospitals and emergency medical services assisting patients who require emergency medical assistance at critical moments, helping them to reach the hospital on time thus saving their life.

Private and public ambulance transport services are operating in more numbers today as an inevitable service providing care to critical patients at crucial moments. In Kenya, ambulance operating centers are set up at every hospital and private EMS organization. These Ambulance operating centers function with adequate ambulance transport services to offer immediate medical care for patients. Private ambulance transport services depict a consistent rise in the growth curve each year offering non-emergency services unlike hospital ambulance transport services which primarily function for emergency needs. Some of the non-emergency services include shifting patients from one hospital to another, transporting patients for any scanning or laboratory services to the relevant facilities, or patients with any travelling disabilities in normal vehicles to hospitals for treatments.

Emergency ambulance services are usually equipped with adequate medical equipment and paramedical professionals. Sometimes, non-emergency ambulance transport services are also equipped with some basic medical aids and a para medical staff to cater the needs of immediate medical care to patients.

Let us discuss a few points about the pre-hospital medical professions - paramedics and emergency medical technicians (EMTs) who are the spine of ambulance transport services:

• Paramedics or EMTs are first treating patients even before doctors (pre-hospital care) thus saving patients through immediate medical procedures ensuring the vitals stable before reaching hospitals for further treatments.

• Paramedics and EMTs are trained healthcare professionals, authorized to attend patients with required medications and procedures based on their training level.

• Education level, standards, functions and skills of paramedics and EMTs vary with countries. However. certain standard functionalities remain common such as being trained to practice CPR procedures for cardiac arrest patients, usage of defibrillators, certain analgesic, paralytics and sedative medications for pain control, first aid to treat burns, fractures, childbirth complications, spine injury, airway management, blood control etc.

• One should respect the noble service of prehospital providers who form an integral part of ambulance services.

• The youth of our nation should involve themselves in such noble service, joining community life saving teams and can considering a career as a paramedic or EMT.

• The government could benefit from taking initiatives to support volunteer community first responders at the community level and to empower them to continue saving lives at the scene before qualified personnel arrives.

Kenya Stairclimb 2023

Kenya Stairclimb 2023

On September 16, 2023, firefighters gathered for a day of remembrance of fallen firefighters and a day of camaraderie and awareness of the fire service in Kenya.

Heels on Mountains collaborated with Africa Fire Mission for this year’s Annual Firefighter Stairclimb event in Kenya, which had a had a total of 65 participants! We are grateful to all the participants and sponsors of this event.

Heels on Mountains has continuously supported firefighters in Kenya since 2019, supporting 4 stairclimb events for firefighters at the Kenya International Conference Center . Thank you to everyone that participated: Mombasa County, Kenya Airports Authority, ICT Fire and Rescue, West Pokot County. We are grateful to individual Firefighters and EMT’s as well as supporters of First Responders.

Asanti sana. You helped Kenya be on the map as the only African country that commemorated the Twin Tower bombings with a stair climb activity.

Check out photos from the Kenya Stairclimb event here:

Supporting AFM's Programs

Thank you for being a part of AFM! - maybe you are regular donor and friend of ours, maybe you supported a team member that has trained firefighters in Africa, or maybe you have been part of an AFM event. Whatever your involvement - you are part of the work that is helping to develop fire services in Africa.   Thank you! I’m writing to ask you to continue to be part of the impact that AFM is making in Africa by giving financially to AFM.

Nearly every day I hear stories of firefighters that feel empowered to do their jobs in Africa.   I hear stories of community members who have started coming alongside the fire service in Africa and I learn about communities where lives have been saved due to the fire prevention work that is ongoing.   Your support to AFM makes all of this possible!

This is just SOME of what’s happened already this year:

• The Tochi and José Fire Safety Show is making a huge impact in Kenya with the Kenya Burn Society reporting that they have seen a 60% reduction in burns requiring hospital care compared to this time in 2022. We have 7 new episodes coming out by the end of 2023 to further expand our impact.

• 400 sets of firefighter personal protective equipment are being sent to Nigeria as part of a public-private partnership with FCT Fire Service, AFM & the Institute of Human Virology.

• AFM’s weekly online trainings are averaging over 65 training participants each week!

• AFM’s mission trip to Malawi in June resulted in training at all of the fire stations in Malawi and over 80% of the municipal firefighters in Malawi receiving training!   Our team members were encouraged to see the growth of the firefighters over the past year.   In addition to training we were also able to begin a mentoring program for the fire chief’s that we plan to grow in the coming year!

Every person needs to be safe from harmful fires. Africa Fire Mission is working to empower people with knowledge of how to harness fire for good: light, heat, cooking, so that they can be safe and secure in their homes. We are partnering with firefighters to ensure that they have the knowledge, training and equipment to effectively protect those they serve from unwanted fires and other disasters.  Will you help us continue to provide life-saving trainings and equipment in Africa?

Here are some ways your donations will be put to work:

• $25,000 provides funding for a Fire Safety Advocate in Africa.

• $5,000 allows us to produce an episode of the Tochi and José Fire Safety Show

• $200 allows to provide one hour of online training & certificates to 80 firefighters in Africa

• $50 helps us provide one set of firefighter PPE to firefighters in Africa

• $25 allows us to print one copy of our training of trainer’s curriculum so that firefighters and community members can train their community in fire prevention.  

• $10 provides one firefighter with safety gloves and eye protection

Our goal for this campaign is $50,400 – which will allow us finish our year strong and enables us to continue to expand our reach (requests are coming from Ghana, Nigeria and Zambia to expand our work). Will you help us continue to Train, Empower, Support and Encourage firefighters and communities in Africa with a gift to support the growth in our ongoing work?  

Here are some ways to contribute:

• Become a monthly donor or make a one-time donation - DONATE HERE >

• Mail a check to us:   P.O. Box 53242, Cincinnati, OH 45253

• Double your impact with matching funds from your employer

• Donate stock:   email me and I’ll send you the details

• Designate a gift to Africa Fire Mission in your estate

• Introduce us to individuals or businesses that might be interested in partnering with us financially

Thank you for providing firefighters and other first responders in Africa with the training and equipment they need to thrive and flourish and provides community members with life-saving fire prevention trainings.                                                                             

Please contact me directly if you have any questions about our programs and how you could get involved in our work!

With Gratitude, Nancy

Nancy L. Moore, LISW-S; Co-Founder & Executive Director

nancy@africafiremission.org

(513) 620-4236

SAVE THE DATE!

AFM’s annual event – The “Chama” -  Saturday, October 14, 2023

Cincinnati Fire Museum.

Using EXIT Principles in Motor Vehicle Accidents

Many patients will require extrication following a motor vehicle collision (MVC) however, little information exists on the time taken for the various stages of extrication. Dr. Tim Nutbeam, Rob Fenwick and their research team conducted research on the time it takes to extricate a patient and the positive results that reducing time for extrication may have on their health. 

The EXIT Project - Using EXIT Principles

 by : Dr Tim Nutbeam and Rob Fenwick

In this article, we are going to take a brief look at the main EXIT Principles – identified during Evidence Based Research in the UK – and from two different perspectives. We’ll also see how these principles can be put in Practice. Find out more here.

The Rescuer’s Perspective

The main principle identified in the research study was that rescuers should reduce extrication times by recognizing that the patient movement minimization approach (MMA), which focuses on potential damage to the patient’s spinal cord, was never justified.

The research findings point to the idea that MMA should be replaced with a primary emphasis on rapid patient self or assisted extrication, if medically appropriate and where they can follow instructions and also move their legs.

Where this is not the case, they should be extricated by rescuers focussing on the minimization of time rather than movement, with the creation of the minimum necessary safe extrication space.

In terms of clinical care, this latter practice is facilitated by :

-        medical and fire rescuers working together to develop and manage a patient centred extrication plan

-        medical and fire rescuers being aware that frequent stops for medical observations will extend the extrication time, thereby delaying arrival at hospital and so should be kept to a minimum

-        limiting care to only the clinical interventions necessary to allow safe extrication.

-        medical and fire rescuers being aware of the signs of patient deterioration and notifying the senior clinician if these signs are seen.

The Patient’s Perspective

The principle here is to meet both the physical and emotional needs of the patient. The EXIT researchers consulted with past trauma patients and found that this often tends to be poor or gets missed, because the main rescuers focus is on (extensive) space creation activities.

In response to these findings, EXIT is a patient-centred practice and allocates a dedicated ‘extrication buddy’ to the patient. Pivotal to the buddy’s role is communication; establishing a connection with that vulnerable person, including being in the car with them, using their name, explaining what’s happening and advocating on their behalf with the rescue team.

The ‘buddy’ should also use clear language, give assurance that any co-occupants and pets are safe and allow patients to call family or other close contacts.

Patient privacy is also important and so limiting the ability of the public to record events (and subsequently post them on social media), perhaps via the Police attendance, may be necessary. Note that this restriction also applies to the rescuers and their respective organizations.

Conclusion

The EXIT Principles identify that while we must care for the patient’s needs, where they present with any evidence of injury, that they should be considered as time-dependent and efforts must be made to minimise their extrication time. The quickest way to enable this is assisted self - extrication, as rescuer-extrications can be complex and take longer to perform, and so should only be employed where self-extrication is not feasible.

Learn More > The EXIT PROJECT

Confined Space Rescue: Reasons for Technical Rescue Operations Failures

Conducting a confined space rescue is a risky endeavor that requires great skill and patience.

Many times we have seen numerous rescue attempts fail due to the lack of patience and skill

being exercised by rescue personnel. In training of technical rescue operations, we instruct

upon how we want to avoid a failed rescue attempt by recognizing certain attributes that are

lending to the overall situation. The acronym FAILURE is used to describe these certain

attributes that can be present at each confined space rescue operation. The acronym FAILURE

stands for:

F – Failure to understand the environment

A – Additional medical implications not considered – dust, crush syndrome

I – Inadequate preparation

L – Lack of team work, training

U – Underestimating the logistical needs

R – Rescue vs. Recovery

E – Equipment not mastered

The first important consideration of the environment is the atmosphere inside and around the

confined space. Monitoring the atmosphere is sometimes overlooked by responding personnel

and thus leads them to become victims as atmospheric conditions overtake. The basic four gas

monitor will be a benefit as it will detect for percentage of oxygen, carbon monoxide, hydrogen

sulfide gas and lower explosive limits. Ideally, conditions should be 0 % for hydrogen sulfide, 0%

for carbon monoxide, 0% for LEL and 21% for oxygen. An increase/decrease of 1% in any

category is equivalent to 10,000 ppm of a contaminant in the ambient air. Even though there is

just a 1% difference between normal and acceptable limits, doesn’t mean that it is safe to

enter. Using hydrogen sulfide as an example, it only takes between 1000 to 2000 ppm to cause

death in a few minutes which is less than 1%.

The letter “A” represents a lack of consideration for additional medical implications that are not

being considered. The majority of confined space rescues involve a person who is overcome by

a toxic environment or a lack of oxygen within the space. Very few incidents involve medical

reasons as the catalyst for the rescue operation. When we think of medical reasons we are

considering falls, traumas, and cardiac arrest. These types of incidents represent a very low

number of why we have a confined space rescue. However, when there is a confined space

rescue operation initiated, these factors must be considered and answered.

The letter “I” is in reference to inadequate preparation. What makes a confined space rescue

incident worse is the lack of preparation for the worse to happen. Many workers will enter into

a confined space thinking that it is only another routine day. There has been no time taken to

prepare for the actual rescue of that worker. Gaining entry into a confined space is the easy

part, getting the entrant out of the confined space when something goes wrong is the hard

part. Adequate preparation must be taken to ensure that the question of “How do we get the

entrant out” can be answered before the entrant goes in.

The letter “L” is for a lack of team work. During a confined space rescue incident, there needs to

be one person one charge who will be your Incident Commander. This person will be the one

who will make the final decisions on how to affect the rescue, which person will do what tasks

and oversee the whole operation from start to finish. When you have emotions taking over

certain members of the team, they seem to want to control the operation and start to ignore

the Incident Commander and start to implement what they think is best and should be done. At

this point communications starts to break down, and mistakes start to occur.

The letter “U” is for understanding the logistical needs. It is wise to expect the worse and be

prepared for it rather than being unprepared and expecting the least. Many times rescue crews

are responding to a call not prepared for what they are going to be faced with. For a confined

space rescue incident, the crews responding need to expect the worse. This way they will be

prepared when arriving and ready to act without hesitation.

The letter “R” is for rescue vs. recovery. Establishing the mode of operation at the onset of the

effort is vital to the success of it. The Incident Commander needs to determine right away

whether they are going to be conducting a rescue or a recovery. This determination will set the

pace of the operation and it needs to be communicated to everyone on site very clearly..

Would be rescuers soon become the victim as they are overcome by toxic atmospheres found

within the space. According to statistics from NIOSH, 60% of confined space fatalities are would

be rescuers.

The letter “E” is for equipment not mastered. Confined space rescue teams use lots of different

equipment to aid them with their operations. The equipment used needs to be mastered by all

those who are expected to use it. This only occurs through training and practicing with the

equipment on a regular basis. The time to learn how to use a certain piece of equipment is on

the training grounds and not at the confined space incident.

About the Author:

Mark van der Feyst is a 25 year veteran of the fire service and is currently the Senior Battalion Chief at the Six Nations Fire & Emergency Services in Canada and a part time firefighter with the Fort Gratiot Fire Department in Michigan. He has worked in both the USA and Canada for various fire departments and holds a Masters of Science degree in Safety, Security & Emergency Management from Eastern Kentucky University.

Malawi: How the Future of Their Fire Service is Bright

By: Brad Banz

I was blessed to be a part of the recent AFM team that travelled to Malawi in June. During our trip, our team split up to visit all four fire brigades in the country. We shared our knowledge and provided equipment to better allow them to execute their jobs.

I have been working with AFM, almost since their beginning, making my first trip to Kenya with Dave and Nancy Moore in 2015. I have been travelling to Kenya since 2009, working in the Mathare Valley with church mission groups. My interest in the Kenyan fire service was boosted after a trip to Kenya was cancelled in 2013, due to a victim of a fire in the airports arrival hall the day before we were to arrive. What does this have to do with Malawi, you might be asking? In terms of resources, the Malawi fire service is where Kenya’s was 10 years ago.

As I alluded to earlier, Malawi has four fire brigades for a country of 18 million people. The firefighters have no uniforms, their apparatus and PPE are donated from other countries. From what I could see, less than half of the apparatus’ were in working condition. The fire brigades do not have their own stations, but are instead collocated within public works facility, using whatever leftover space is afforded to them. While the state of the fire brigades are saddening, they are not surprising. Malawi has the 12th poorest household income in the world.

Something that also stuck with me was an interaction I had with one of the firefighters. While firefighters were building a wood fire to heat the cooking oil for our fire prevention demonstration, one of them shared with me that his wife woke up every morning at 5, built such a fire, heated water, and put in a basin so he could bathe and got to work. This is an example of how little their firefighters are getting paid in this country. Living in homes without hot water is a struggle very few of us can relate to- and it reminds me of how blessed I am to have the resources I have. Despite these limitations, like most firefighters, they get the most they can out of the resources at hand.

Zomba firefighters stopped a fire in a small attached building from spreading to a much larger one. The Lilongwe Chief was summoned to city hall to answer for a fire that burned the top floor of a six story building. His firefighters couldn’t get to the sixth floor because they didn’t have the hose. Using what they had, they confined it to the top. What Malawi does have is firefighters who are eager to do the job. This is the best resource any fire brigade can have.

After visiting both, Malawi and Kenya are very different countries with different challenges. Our team all talked about how we could fix the problems, but it is a complex issue that will require that both us as westerners and the Malawians both quit creating a mindset of dependency and start helping them to develop. The changes that we have seen in Kenya are what the Malawi fire service can use as a benchmark to learn from.

Serving Firefighters in Malawi

June 5, 2023 a team of eight instructors for Africa Fire Mission set off from their homes in the United States, Germany, and Kenya. Our team members come from diverse experiences in the fire service.

We set off, with most team members having more than 30 hours of travel, to serve the firefighters in Malawi. There are 4 fire brigades in Malawi - Mzuzu, Lilongwe, Zomba and Blantyre and we were able to provide training at each station. After arriving in Malawi - our team divided into 2 smaller teams and traveled to each city.

Training topics and practical application was customized for each department and included: hazmat, rope rescue, hose management, ladders, interior search and rescue, CPR, first aid, and community fire prevention. While they were in Malawi the team went with the Fire Brigade to nearby schools and practiced showing the children fire safety!

Our team found it encouraging to see how the firefighters had furthered their trainings form our work in 2022 and improved their skills. Firefighters in Malawi work so hard and deserve the respect that they are gaining from their communities! Chief Mike Kull said, "It is such a pleasure working and training with these firefighters who are so dedicated to their profession and so willing to learn and train." Additionally, we were able to donate 15 sets of PPE to the firefighters this year and are making arrangements with the help of Malawi Goodlife to send more equipment to the fire service from Germany.

Chief Mike Kull trained in Blantyre and Zomba and blogged about his experience. If you’d like to read more about AFM’s mission to Malawi, check out Chief Kull’s blog: Far Off Chief.

Keeping Firefighters Safe through PPE Donations

If you are a firefighter you probably know that gear expires. Maybe reading this, you are learning about the fire service and this might be new information to you. Either way, in the United States, NFPA codes dictate how long firefighter equipment can be used and when it needs to be replaced. For good equipment, the reason equipment expires is largely with the thought that within 10 years there are very likely new equipment safety technologies to keep firefighters safe.

Many firefighters in the world don’t have the luxury of new gear every 10 years. Additionally, much of the 10 year old gear is still effective in keeping firefighters safe from fire even if it is not the newest technology. As a result, Africa Fire Mission has partnered with fire departments across the US (and in Germany) to get quality used personal protective equipment to Africa.

In September 2022, AFM had a team visit FCT Fire Service in Abuja, Nigeria. While there, I asked one of the firefighters to allow me to inspect the label of his Turnout Coat. Bold of me, but important to the work that we do to understand the needs of the firefighters. When he a allowed me to look - I was expecting to see a label dated 30 years old based on the PPE I was looking at - instead there was no date and the label said that the garment was actually a “Firefighter Costume” with NO international approvals or rating. Our team educated the firefighters about their current equipment limitations and have been helping to advocate for a public private partnership with the Institute of Human Virology- Nigeria to support training and equipment for the fire service in Nigeria.

We are excited to have the opportunity to send over 300 sets of PPE to the Institute of Human Virology, Nigeria. We will load a 20 foot container on August 5, 2023.

We need your help! We have most of the equipment we need for this shipment, but still need about 160 fire helmets! If you know a fire department that has decommissioned fire helmets that are still serviceable, please contact us and we will determine the best way to get the equipment to us in Cincinnati, Ohio.

We also need volunteers to help us load the equipment on August 5th! You can sign up to help by clicking this link:

From Ideal to Real

By: Rabbi Howard A Cohen (Deputy Chief, ret.) AFM Virtual Training Coordinator

As first responders we are required to absorb an overwhelming quantity of data.  As good as our intentions are to remember all that we are taught, the reality is that we forget details.  This is why constant reviewing, drilling and periodic recertification is so important.  Even with doing our best to keep our skills sharp and our knowledge base current, the reality is that we cannot possibly be experts in every situation we might encounter in the course of work.  For example, though we may have a solid understanding of basic first aid principles, we are not doctors and therefore are limited to the extent that we can help a patient in the field.  Even if we were trained to the level of a medical doctor, in the field far removed from a hospital facility, we would still be limited with what can do.  We do not work in controlled environments or under ideal conditions.  No matter what the situation or our skill level, our response is always on a spectrum that moves from the ideal to the real.

Every three years I re-certify as a wilderness first responder.  Every three years I’m embarrassed to admit how much I’ve forgotten.  Although I wish my memory was such that I was better at calling up a lot of details and data that I rarely ever use, I don’t worry about it.  Why? Early on in my first responder career I was taught two important lessons.  The first lesson is that an emergency response in the field will always be somewhere on the spectrum from the ideal to the real.  As emergency responders we do the best that we can with the tools and knowledge that we have on the scene. This is what it means to move from the ideal to the real.  Remember, as first responders, our objective is keep the patient alive long enough to get to advanced medical care.  It is not our job, nor do we have the skills, to fix or heal patients.  Our job is to stabilize, comfort, and transport our patients.

To do our job well as first responders we do not need a medical education. This brings me to the second important lesson I have learned in my career as a first responder:  Pay special attention to the three big systems: circulatory, neurological and respiratory and do whatever you can do to keep them functioning.  The vast majority of injuries to people are not life threatening.  However, any significant trauma to one or more the three big systems has a high probability of being life threatening.  If a person is bleeding, stop the bleeding.  You do not need to know how to suture.  You do not need to know how long to keep pressure on an open wound.  You only need to know that you have to “plug” the hole where the bleeding is coming from.  If your patient is not breathing you don’t need to know how to do a tracheotomy.  You just need to know what to do to open her airway because if you can’t get your patient breathing she will die.  Ideal to the real.  Remember, it is not our job, nor do we have the skills, to fix or heal patients.  Our job is to keep them alive and as comfortable as possible as we get them to advanced medical care.

As first responders we will always strive to respond with the very best of our abilities.  That’s what we do.  However, the reality is that we are generalists trained to respond to a mind boggling variety of emergency situations that always happen under less than ideal conditions.  Ideally, we might want to respond in a certain way, in reality, the situation and our knowledge level will determine our response.  Therefore, it is important to remember that emergency medical responses in the field always fall somewhere on the ideal to real spectrum. Our goal is to do the best that we can with the tools and knowledge we have on the scene.

About the author:

Howard joined the fire service in 2001 to serve as chaplain of his local fire department. Twenty years later he retired as his department's deputy chief.  Howard planned to join Africa Fire Mission on a trip to Zambia but Covid interrupted those plans. He has since traveled twice to Kenya with AFM. He is regular AFM blog contributor and webinar instructor. Outside of the fire service, Howard serves as rabbi to Congregation Shirat Hayam in Duxbury MA. He also has a leadership and mental fitness coaching practice called code3leadershipcoaching.

Africa Fire Mission Supports Fire Service Development with White Papers

Africa Fire Mission Supports Fire Service Development with White Papers

by Nancy L. Moore, LISW-S, LCSW, CPCC, Executive Director and Co-Founder of AFM

It’s hard to believe that Africa Fire Mission has been working in Africa for over a decade. Since 2012, we have been working closely to provide training and consultation to the Fire Service in Africa. While our largest program is in Kenya, we have also worked directly in Zambia, Malawi, Ghana, Nigeria and Ethiopia. We have provided consultation or equipment in other countries across Africa as well.

As we support the fire service, we continue to look for ways that we can grow our impact. Our next step in supporting the African fire service in developing communities is by providing more advocacy resources that will help leaders in Africa to be able to support a well functioning fire service. In order to support our advocacy efforts, AFM is drafting white papers to help provide quality information for African leaders to support decision making with developing programs, making equipment purchases or accepting used equipment donations.

All too often AFM has seen situations when fire service leaders know what they need and have a hard time articulating the need or justifying the costs of quality programs and equipment to the government officials making the budgetary decisions. Our hope is to provide quality information that is designed to support these advocacy efforts.

Our first white paper is now available and addresses the need for a quality Breathing Apparatus Program. Let us know what you think. More importantly, please utilize the white paper as a tool for advocacy when you need support!

Spirituality in the Fire Service

By: Rabbi Howard A Cohen (Deputy Chief, ret.) AFM Virtual Training Coordinator

I am a rabbi. For those not familiar with term, a rabbi is a person trained in Jewish law, ritual, tradition and the chief religious official of a synagogue. I’ve served congregations in Alaska, Massachusetts, Vermont, and I was a prison chaplain for five years. I was also an active firefighter for twenty years. I entered the fire service world as a department chaplain, and I retired as a deputy chief. For my well-being and spiritual health I am now an instructor for Africa Fire Mission. I share this about me so you understand that I’ve been exploring matters of spiritual health in diverse settings, especially the fire service world, for a long time. This does not make me an authority, by any means. It does, however, afford me a certain perspective on the topic of spirituality and the fire service.

Spirituality is one of those words that everyone thinks they know the meaning of but have a hard time defining. This is not surprising since how we understand spirituality is highly subjective. So for the purpose of this article, I am defining spirituality as a sense of meaningful connection to something beyond or bigger than ourselves.

For many of us in the fire service what we do is not merely a job, it is a vocation. We do what we do, and we face the challenges that we face, because it is a calling. We are called to help others and we are self-sacrificing as we do this. We train to save lives under extreme conditions. Every time we respond to an emergency we are answering a “higher” calling. 

We may not think of what we are doing as spiritual work, but in the eyes of those we help during the worst hours of their lives, our work must be spiritual because to them we are practically divine agents. Moreover, though we tend not to use words like spirituality, higher calling and holy when we are thinking and talking about our work, in my humble opinion, the fire service is nothing less than holy work.  

I’ve also observed that beyond the “holy” nature of our life saving work, there is something spiritual in the way we bond/connect with our colleagues. We trust our lives to one another.  The lives of those who we are called upon to aid depend on our ability to work together. And at the end of a day of soul wrenching experiences, we cry, hug, and support one another.  We do this because we have a spiritual connection to one another.

In the fire service there is a lot of talk these days about emotional wellbeing. What’s the difference between emotional wellbeing and spiritual health? I suggest that emotional wellbeing is about cultivating a frame of mind, which can broaden your outlook and help you to connect to something larger or beyond yourself. Emotional wellbeing involves accepting and exploring who you are, enhancing your inner resources to reduce stress and maintain a positive outlook on life, and awareness and acceptance of the way that you feel. On the other hand, spirituality and spiritual health are about actively seeking meaningful connections with something larger or beyond yourself which can result in positive emotions and personal growth. At the risk of oversimplification, another way to explain the difference is that spirituality starts with looking outward, while emotional wellbeing starts with looking inward.  Nevertheless, they are deeply integrated and, in fact, reinforce one another.

Unfortunately, the daily challenges of being in the fire service take their toll on us. Newness and adrenaline only carries us so far. Eventually after so many encounters with fires, car crashes, accidents, damaged bodies, and death what began as a calling starts to give way to the feeling that it is just a grunt of a job. What is happening is that the demand of the profession is slowly chipping away at our spiritual health.  The nature of being a firefighter not only brings us into direct contact with much trauma and tragedy, but the need to act, not feel, requires that we put our feelings aside.  

Over time, as we become habituated to not processing our emotions, our emotional wellbeing and spiritual health begin to suffer. Left unchecked, this leads to “burn out” and/or secondary traumatic stress that will impact our health and relationships. Our work will start to feel meaningless.  The connections to our colleagues will start to fray.  We are literally becoming dispirited.

As dire as this sounds, there is good news.  There are numerous ways to regain and sustain spiritual health.  Here are several practices you can incorporate into your daily life to strengthen both your spiritual well being and emotional health.  While I can’t say any one of these is necessarily better than the other, I’ve listed them in order of my personal preference.  

1) Develop a strong sense of gratitude:  This can be as simple as making a point of expressing gratitude every day to the many people with whom you come into contact. Take a little time every day to reflect on all of the work others do for you. Express gratitude for them to yourself. Let them know how grateful you are as well.  

2) Embrace rituals:  The life of a firefighter is filled with important daily safety tasks that need to be done.  Embrace these tasks as sacred rituals. As you go through your checklist, visualize how this connects you to your colleagues and what might happen to them if you didn’t do this task right.

3) Foster empathy for others. Develop empathy by paying close attention to the people who surround you.  Expand the empathy you feel for those you know to encompass those you haven't met.

4)  Invest in your Relationships: Invest time and energy into the people who love you and whom you love.  

5)  Meditate and/or Pray:  Work on your spiritual health by questioning, affirming, and revising your beliefs. Drill down on troubling thoughts, don't hide them from yourself. Share them with someone you trust, and discuss your concerns together.

 Throughout this article I’ve used terminology that is evocative of organized religion.  While spirituality may incorporate elements of religion, they are not the same thing, nor are they entirely distinct from one another.  Religion is about following a prescribed set of rules, traditions, or beliefs.  Spirituality is entirely subjective and can be defined in just about any way you want. Some people choose to express their spirituality by keeping the aspects of traditional religion that they enjoy, like the practice of prayer or a belief in God.  This is fine.  Ultimately, there is no right or wrong way to seek out spiritual meaning. It will be different for each individual.

About the Author

Howard retired from the Bennington Fire Dept as a deputy chief.  He spends a lot of time writing and teaching various aspects of firefighting.  He religiously works out every morning, doing a mix of high intensity interval training (HiiT), dumbbells, kettlebells, barbells and cycling. When he is not doing something for the fire service or working out he is the rabbi of two small congregations.

Skills Leaders Incorporate During Team Building

By: Frank Montes de Oca

Recently, I focused a post on common traits that good leaders demonstrate. It listed characteristics common to leaders who strive to build strong, effective teams. To recap those traits are:

1. Recognize People

2. Respect Employees

3. Communicate Effectively

4. Possess Integrity

5. Provide Ongoing Feedback

Now, let’s aim attention on skills that leaders should incorporate in their continuing team building efforts. Assessing and Monitoring the Climate: How do you know your team is forming at an acceptable pace? How do you know when your team is ready to answer the challenges of delivering emergency services? If you’re not constantly assessing and determining individual and collective progress, you won’t. The steps below outline a basic approach to assessing team development and can be modified to meet the needs of the team and its members.

Step 1: Develop (or copy) a set of guidelines or standards that are achievable and measurable.

Step 2: Make sure the guidelines or standards are relevant to your team’s mission.

Step 3: Train team members individually and collectively to the standards.

Step 4: Assess members individually and the team as a whole.

Step 5: Share the team assessment outcome with all team members.

NOTE: Communicate throughout the process to ensure no one is left behind and a sense of ownership or buy-in is present throughout the team. Some departments are managed by standards, guidelines and rules developed by others outside the department or unit. Some might have been developed years ago. To ensure relevance, make sure the guidelines are up-to-date to meet the challenges of the community. Showing Trust in Your People. In the life safety business, it’s understandable to be cautious of taking everything on face value. It is human nature; somewhat of a self-preservation practice to question. There’s a saying that serves supervisors and team leaders well: Trust and verify. That is trust people or groups, but for the sake of safety, check every once in a while to make sure the facts are what they appear to be. Regardless of how you manage to certify the accuracy of the statement or claim, demonstrating trust, confidence in and support of your people is an integral practice for leaders. Ensuring a Respectful Workplace.

This attribute was mentioned in the last blog and is #2 above. This takes it a step further by requiring all members to demonstrate respect for each other and every community member with whom they interact. Regardless of gender, age or personal beliefs, it is integral to an effective team that respect is practiced at all levels. Enforcing Accountability and Fairness

Providing emergency services requires a relationship between the responder, his/her supervisor and the citizens served. To ensure the service rendered is of the quality expected, all members must be accountable for their actions. To achieve this the unit leader holds himself/herself to the established standards and in turn holds all members accountable for their actions as well. The peak of the team’s development occurs when team members hold each other accountable. Duties should be assigned based on fairness and the individual abilities of those assigned. As soon as favoritism is witnessed or suspected, a breakdown in unit cohesiveness occurs. Therefore, to prevent this all assignments, assessments and training must be distributed equally and fairly.

Communicating, Managing and Sharing Expectations The underlying message in this post is communication. When managers and supervisors maintain an open, two-way communication loop, unit effectiveness thrives. Members want to know what is expected of them. And in turn they expect their supervisors to know and respect what they expect. This level of honesty and openness builds teams who operate with resiliency, pride and effectiveness.

Go forth and lead!

Frank Montes de Oca served as a firefighter/paramedic for over 38 years finishing his career as a fire chief and emergency services director at three departments. His focus continues to be first responder development, team building and firefighter safety and survival. Chief Montes de Oca can be reached at frm1@me.com. Visit his website www.responder1.org to find information and training programs focused on first responder safety, survival and leadership development.

Welcome our new board members!

As Africa Fire Mission continues to grow, our board of directors continues to be a vital part of supporting our growth toward the future. Africa Fire Mission is pleased to welcome Lori Thomas and Jerry Bennett to our Board of Directors.

Lori Thomas

Jerry Bennett

Lori Thomas is a Global Environmental Health and Safety Leader for GE Aerospace, Commercial Engines & Services, Edison Works, Military Systems. Her experience in Health and Safety at GE will support AFM’s growth in industrial fire services as well as supporting businesses in safety practices.

Jerry Bennett participated with AFM in 2021’s Kenya Mission and 2022 Nigeria. Jerry is a retired District Fire Chief from East Moline, IL. He currently lives in Iowa. Jerry’s experiences in Africa and his work in the fire service will support AFM’s program development and growth.

Growing Community Fire Prevention Programs

Growing Community Fire Prevention Programs - AFM’s first annual Fire Prevention Competition!

January 1, 2023

by: Nancy L. Moore, Executive Director

When my husband, Dave, and I arrived in Nairobi, Kenya in 2012 we immediately began to see the dangers of fires that are a reality of life in Africa. When we learned in 2014 that many firefighters in Zambia didn’t know the basics of fire prevention and fire safety we knew we had to do something.

From our partners at Missions of Hope International and CMF International we learned about Community Health Evangelism or Community Health Education and realized that there was very little education for developing communities on fire prevention and fire safety. So we worked together with firefighters in Africa, community members in Kenya and AFM’s American firefighter volunteers to develop a curriculum that would be culturally appropriate for developing communities.

We have trained thousands of firefighters and community volunteers in using our curriculum and have been able to track results as fire services in Africa report that communities that have received training call the fire brigade sooner in cases of fire outbreaks and that they have a better understanding of how the fire service works and what firefighters need from the community in order to do their job. In 2022, firefighters and community volunteers reported more than 520,000 people were educated in fire prevention and fire safety through training activities, community walks and fire prevention week activities. Through public television and radio more than 13 million people were received life saving fire safety education.

With more than 1 billion people in Sub-Saharan Africa - there are many more people to reach with these important life safety lessons.

In 2023 AFM has launched an initiative to reach more people by encouraging training and reporting that training through our first annual Fire Prevention Competition. We will have 4 categories for participation:

• Individual Volunteer - someone who is not paid for trainings that they are providing.

• Individual Paid - someone doing this as a part of their job, in the fire service, private or public sector.

• Fire Brigade (paid firefighters this could be a recognition for the whole fire department what they submit across all shifts, etc).

• Groups- organization or informal group (this could be firefighters or community members that are not getting paid to do the trainings and are doing it on their own time)

Trainings reported and taking place from November 20, 2022- November 1, 2023 will be considered. For the competition, trainings must take place in Africa. Participants in the competition may use the Africa Fire Mission curriculum as a guide for what training content to include: https://www.africafiremission.org/fire-safety-curriculum

The requirements to be considered include:

1. Submit training documentation to Africa Fire Mission via this form: https://www.africafiremission.org/fire-safety-training-reporting

2. Submit pictures of the training to info@africafiremission.org

Submission reviews to determine winners of the competition:

• Africa Fire Mission will review the all of the submitted training reports for quality of training as well as number of persons trained.

• Training photos will also be reviewed and AFM should be able to tell what content is being taught through the photos evidence.

• Trainings may be done formally (for instance a classroom setting or community gathering) or informally community walk, media interviews)

Winners will be announced at the closing of the Kenya Fire EMS Symposium and Competition 2023, in Nairobi, Kenya, November 2023. Winners will also receive recognition on AFM social media and AFM’s monthly newsletter. A certificate will be issued to the winners as well as a gift (yet to be determined).

Please note: Individuals training together are considered a group, please have one person from the group submit the reports and list the name of the group with the training report. Duplicate trainings will be combined as one training report. If there are participants from multiple countries, awards may be issued by country. AFM staff will not be considered as part of the competition. AFM holds the full decision making over the winners of the competition.

After Action Review

By: Rabbi Howard A Cohen (Deputy Chief, ret.) AFM Virtual Training Coordinator

An important, but often overlooked, training tool is the after-action review, sometimes called a debriefing.  An after-action review (AAR), or debriefing, is a discussion of an event for the purpose of examining what happened, why it happened, what, if any, improvements could be made, and who needs to know what was learned?  

After-action reviews were originally developed by the United States Army and are now used in many different industries, including the fire service, hospitals and sports teams.  Studies demonstrate that AARs have a demonstrable positive impact on the culture of organizations that utilize them.  They increase trust among team members; improve ability to deliver services; and improve safety on the scene.

The AAR is an important component in creating a culture of positive change within a department. AAR debriefs, whether structured and formal (appropriate after a large complex event) or informal, encourage a candid critique and evaluation of a crew’s strengths and areas in need of improvement.  The key to successfully using the AAR is that it is done after every incident, no matter how small or seemingly routine.  As we know, any call, no matter how routine it may seem, has the potential to turn into something life threatening.  Thus, something innocuous learned in one AAR, might very well be instrumental in avoiding something serious in a future incident.

One reason why AAR is so effective is that it takes the ego out of evaluating an incident.  AAR is not about finger pointing, judging, or critiquing individuals. There is no rank and everyone gets to speak.  While there are different ways to organize an AAR, the original model structured around five specific and open-ended questions is arguably still the best.  The five questions of the AAR are: What was our intention;  What went well;  What could have gone better;  What should we have done differently; Who needs to know.  Let’s take a closer look at each of these five questions.

What was our intention with our actions?  Was the call something we could have anticipated and planned for?  Did we have an action plan for this kind of call?  If so, did we follow it?  If not, should we develop one?  What were our expectations and how did we prepare ourselves for this kind of call?  Was what we expected different than what we encountered?

What went well?  What actually happened?  Consider the incident from all the different perspectives.  Who did what?  What tools were involved?  What outcomes were achieved?

What could have gone better?  What additional training do we need?

What should we have done differently?  Any unanticipated problems?  How was our situational awareness?  Were risks and hazards recognized?  Do we need to change our policies and procedures for this kind of call?

Who needs to know?  Who needs to know what was learned from the AAR?  How do you share what was learned?

If you are ready to institute AAR into your department there are six steps to take.  First, write standard operating policies/guidelines (SOPs/Gs) that document the purpose of AAR and how it is to be done. Second, make sure to provide training to department members who will most likely be the ones leading AARs.  Third, support open communication by providing a safe place where the firefighters can talk freely and without fear of judgment.  Fourth, make sure that there is time for an AAR.  Fifth, make sure that there is a process for recommending policy and training updates based on AAR feedback.  And the sixth and final step is to make sure that there is a way for communicating AAR findings to everybody in the organization.  This last step not only shows that the process has positive effects, but that the information gleaned from an AAR might also save someone’s life at the next call.

If your department does not yet have an AAR practice, this is the perfect time to start one.  AARs promote organizational safety and improve performance.  Every incident now becomes a learning opportunity. In the fire service, enhanced performance is measured by lives and property saved and the well being of the first responders.

Recognizing our Volunteers

On October 22, 2022 during our Annual Fundraiser, the Chama, Africa Fire Mission was pleased to honor Judy Johnson and Howard Cohen.

Africa Fire Mission thrives on volunteers.   Volunteers are at the heart of our organization.   We have dozens and dozens of volunteers. We have volunteers from all across the North America, Africa and Europe that help to make AFM run on a daily basis.  These men, women, firefighters, civilians and children are all a vital part of Africa Fire Mission being able to achieve its goals and objectives. 

Judy Johnson – Volunteer of the Year

Judy has been critical to helping developing AFM into the organization that it is today. Judy was the person who introduced Dave and Nancy to Missions of Hope International and she was instrumental in ensuring that we had a solid plan for taking team members to Africa - from training team members to helping to write our application Judy prepared us to do the work we do. As a board member to AFM, Judy has helped to ensure that AFM was connect with other organizations around the world so that we can collaborate with others to do our work.

Thank you Judy for all that you have done for Africa Fire Mission! We hope you’ll continue to enjoy your retirement!

When Africa Fire Mission travels with a team to provide training in Africa or other parts of the world, our team members volunteer their time, talents and treasures to provide world class training to our partners.  Our instructors, undergo training in advance of the trip to prepare of the mission and prepare the lessons that they will teach in our week long fire training events.   We have been fortunate to have many instructors return year after year and continue to build each year on the training that they have been providing as well as to build strong relationships with firefighers and our overseas partners. 

Howard Cohen, Instructor of the Year

Howard has been pivoting and helping to grow AFM since he signed up for his first trip in 2020 - which turned into a virtual trip/training. Howard then went to Kenya with AFM in 2021 and signed up to coordinate our weekly online trainings. With Howard’s leadership and planning, we have grown from an average of 16 participants a week in 2021 to 65 weekly participants in 2022!  Howard is headed back to Kenya with AFM in November 2022 and is looking forward to reconnecting in person with those he has been building relationship with. Check out what Howard has to say about being part of AFM below!

Interested in volunteering with AFM in administrative roles or as one of our international instructors?

Fire Prevention Activities Grow in Kenya

When Dave and Nancy , Co-Founders of Africa Fire Mission, went to Kenya in November 2012. One of the things that surprised them was the lack of knowledge around fire prevention and fire safety. In the US, children start to learn about fire safety in Pre-School and fire prevention messages and what to do in case of fire are integrated into school and work for many Americans. In most of Africa we have learned that there is very little education around fire prevention or fire safety.

As soon as Dave saw the gap he invited the Nairobi Fire Service to come to Missions of Hope International (AFM’s first partner) to teach the teachers a little about fire prevention. Stop, Drop and Roll, Crawling Under Smoke (Get Low and Get Out), how to call the fire department and how to use a fire extinguisher were among the first lessons taught. That first fire prevention session in Nairobi had about 30 participants - since then AFM has been growing our fire prevention program through curriculum and a train the trainer model through CHE (Community Health Education).

This October, Kenya participated in Fire Prevention week - at least 10 counties participated and more than 40,000 individuals received direct training in fire prevention! Children and adults conducted fire drills in their schools and businesses. Firefighters went into their communities and shared safety messages in churches, schools, businesses and anywhere that people gathered!

Indirectly, the impact was pretty great too! There were walks to raise awareness and media campaigns to share the work! Millions were impacted indirectly through these collaborations!

At Africa Fire Mission we are committed to continue to increase the impact of fire prevention and safety to save lives! It is important to our mission just as training firefighters. Our curriculum is available for free on our website - check it out here: Fire Safety Curriculum and we’d love for those using our curriculum to report their training experiences here: Report

To all the firefighters in Kenya that are spreading the message of fire safety - Asante Sana (thank you!) We can’t want to see the multiplication continue in Kenya and across all of Africa!

Africa Fire Mission Receives Major Grant from Motorola Solutions Foundation

For Immediate Release

August 29, 2022

Africa Fire Mission Receives Major Grant from Motorola Solutions Foundation

Africa Fire Mission (AFM) is a Cincinnati-based non-profit organization with team members of firefighters from across the United States, Canada and Europe who for ten years have provided fire training and equipment in various parts of Africa.   AFM has announced that they have received a $25,000 grant from the Motorola Solutions Foundation to help continue its training programs and to provide a national Fire and EMS Training Symposium and Competition in Kenya in November 2022.

This grant will support hands-on Fire Training and distribution of firefighter personal protective equipment (PPE).  In November, a team of twenty-two firefighters, paramedics and nurses from the United States and Canada will train over 350 Kenyan firefighters and EMT’s at the Jomo-Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Kenya.

AFM’s training team members volunteer their time and pay their own expenses to travel to Africa to teach their fellow firefighters the latest techniques in firefighting, rescue and emergency medical services.

“Africa Fire Mission is grateful to Motorola Solutions Foundations for its continued support of our programs through this grant.   Through continued partnership, we will be able to continue to impact communities and support firefighters in Africa as they strive to save lives and property” says Nancy Moore, Executive Director for Africa Fire Mission.

The Motorola Solutions Foundation, which has donated $100 million over the past 10 years, focuses its giving on three key areas: first responder programming, technology and engineering education, and programs that blend the two. The Foundation has a long-standing commitment to supporting programs that benefit underrepresented populations and aims to partner with organizations that align to its values of accountability, innovation, impact, diversity and inclusion.

The Motorola Solutions Foundation is proud to partner with organizations like Africa Fire Mission that share our values and passion for driving positive change in the community,” said Karem Perez, Executive Director of the Motorola Solutions Foundation. “We believe in the work that Africa Fire Mission is doing and look forward to seeing their continued impact.

For additional information on the Motorola Solutions Foundation grants program, visit: motorolasolutions.com/foundation-grant-partner.

For additional information regarding Africa Fire Mission visit: www.africafiremission.org  - Contact Nancy Moore at 513-620-4236 or nancy@africafiremission.org

About Africa Fire Mission

Africa Fire Mission is a nonprofit organization committed to increasing the sustainable capacity of Fire Departments in developing communities. We accomplish this through training, empowerment, support and encouragement.

·        Train – We partner with governments, NGO’s, missionaries, schools and corporations to provide education and training to firefighters and local communities. We use Community Health Education to teach firefighters and community members in Africa to protect themselves from the dangers of fire. We provide fire prevention training and fire safety assessments to schools ensuring the students are able to learn in an environment safe from fires.

·        Empower – We work to increase the ability of communities in Africa to respond to disasters and provide relief when disasters occur.

·        Support – We provide personal protective equipment and communication tools to fire services throughout Africa to allow fire departments to operate in a safer and more coordinator manner.

·        Encourage – We build the capacity of African fire services so that local communities are able to provide sustainable public safety and disaster management services.

Where does AFM work?

Africa Fire Mission currently works in 6 countries throughout Africa including: Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Sierra Leone, and Zambia. In 2022, we are expanding our consultation work into Nigeria.  In 2018, a request to expand our services into Ukraine has led us outside of Africa and into Europe.

About the Motorola Solutions Foundation

As the charitable and philanthropic arm of Motorola Solutions, the Motorola Solutions Foundation partners with organizations around the globe to create safer cities and equitable, thriving communities. We focus on giving back through strategic grants, employee volunteerism and other community investment initiatives. Our strategic grants program supports organizations that offer first responder programming and technology and engineering education, and align to our values of accountability, innovation, impact, diversity and inclusion. The Foundation is one of the many ways in which the company lives out its purpose of helping people be their best in the moments that matter. For more information on the Foundation, visit: www.motorolasolutions.com/foundation

Basic Troubleshooting for Petrol Powered Engines

By: Chief Mike Kull

Power tools can increase the ability of firefighters to perform their required tasks at emergency incidents and help to protect lives and property. Your petrol powered tools must be properly maintained. They must be started and run until the engine is warm on a regular basis. There will be times that you will not be able to get the engine started. Here are some basics to check when troubleshooting an engine that will not start.

Petrol powered equipment is very similar to the fires that we fight.  A fire requires three things in order to burn: Heat, Fuel and Oxygen.  In the same way, a petrol engine requires those same three things: Spark (Heat), Petrol (Fuel) and Air (Oxygen).  If a petrol engine will not run the first steps to fixing it requires checking those three things.

Spark (Heat):

The first thing to check is if the engine has spark.  To check this, you must remove the spark plug.  A look at the spark plug will tell you something about the engine’s performance.  If the spark plug is wet and black, there may be too much fuel (Rich).  If the spark plug is brown, there may be too much air (Lean).  Clean and dry the spark plug and check the gap of the electrode.  The correct gap is usually about the thickness of a thin coin.  After cleaning and setting the gap, be sure the top of the spark plug is firmly set into the spark plug wire and hold the bottom metal end of the spark plug against the metal of the engine block.  Pull the starting rope of the engine and watch to see if the plug is generating a spark.  If not try cleaning and resetting the gap.  If it still does not spark, replace the plug.  If there is still no spark, this indicates a bigger problem with the engine than we are discussing in this post.  If there is a spark, it is time to move on to the next item to check.

Fuel (Petrol):

The first thing to check is how fresh the fuel is.  It is always a good idea to empty the fuel tank and replace with freshly purchased fuel.  While the fuel tank is empty, look to see if it contains any dirt or debris and clean the tank if necessary.  Next, it is important to check the fuel filter.  Some small engines may not have a fuel filter.  If there is a fuel filter, look at it’s condition.  Is it filled with dirt and debris?  Can the fuel flow through the filter?  If not, the fuel filter must be replaced.  If installing a new fuel filter, be sure to check if there is an arrow indicating the correct direction of fuel flow and install properly.  It is also important to check the condition of the fuel lines (hoses) to make sure there are no leaks or clogs.  A final, more advanced component to check is the carburetor.  Many times, an engine that has not run for a while will have varnish or clogs in the carburetor blocking the fuel jets and preventing fuel from flowing through the carburetor.  If you disassemble the carburetor, be careful not to damage any gaskets and count the number of turns that it takes to remove any components so that you can return them to the same settings when you reassemble.  Also check that the floats inside the carburetor can move freely and are not filled with fuel.

Air (Oxygen):

The final component required for an engine to run is air.  Check the air filter.  You should be able to see a light shining through the air filter.  If the filter is covered in dirt and debris, clean the filter by gently brushing it off, being careful not to damage the filter material.  If necessary, replace the filter.  If the air filter is made of foam and you can not purchase a replacement filter, you may be able to make a new one.  Foam can be cut to the size of the original to use if necessary.  Be sure that the foam is not too dense to allow air to flow through.  Also be sure that the foam you use is not falling apart, allowing pieces of the filter to be drawn into the engine.  The other item to check with air is the choke.  Be sure that the choke lever is connected and working properly to restrict the flow of air when starting a cold engine and opens to allow in more air when the engine is running.

Starting the Engine:

When attempting to start a cold engine, be sure to fully close the choke.  Set the engine’s throttle to the starting position and pull the starting rope.  As soon as you hear the engine try to start or sputter, open the choke.  The engine should start in the next few pulls.

Flooded Engine:

Sometimes when an engine will not start it is because the engine has gotten too much fuel (flooded).  This happens when the choke is left on after the engine first begins to fire.  There are two ways to tell if the engine is flooded.  The first is if you smell petrol.  A flooded engine will have a strong smell of petrol.  The second way to check for a flooded engine is to remove and examine the spark plug.  If the spark plug is wet with petrol, it is most likely flooded.  Dry the plug and try again.  

If the engine does get flooded, it can usually be started by opening the choke fully, opening the throttle all the way and pulling the starter rope until the engine starts.  (This may take many, many pulls.)  Sometimes a flooded engine can be started after sitting for a few hours to allow the excess fuel to evaporate.

Other Simple Causes:

There are two other simple things that should not be overlooked.  If the engine has an On/Off Switch, be sure the switch is set to the On position.  Second, some petrol engine’s have a low oil shut off switch.  Ensure that the engine has the proper amount of oil.

These were some of the most common causes of problems found in petrol powered engines and a quick overview of how to begin to get an engine running.  Proper care and maintenance of an engine will prevent many of these problems in the future. 

About the Author:

Chief Mike Kull has been serving his local community in rural Pennsylvania for 25 years. Chief Kull serves as Fire Chief and Administrator of his local volunteer fire department as well as serving as a local elected official and has served in various government roles for his entire career. He is also a Forest Fire Warden with the PA Bureau of Forestry and serves on his church council.