Emergency Vehicle OperationsUnit I

It Can’t Happen Here…..Can It?

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Dave DennistonLoss Control Training Specialist

Emergency Vehicle Operations

Unit 1Objective: The apparatus

operator will be able to describe and list the causes of emergency vehicle accidents.

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Emergency Vehicle Operations

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0

20

40

60

80

100

120

1992 1995 1998 2001** 2004

Vehicle

Total

Total LODD vs. Responding/Returning

SECOND LEADING CAUSE OF LODD

USFA Report

Motor vehicle collisions accounted for of all emergency related LODD’s

34%

Emergency Vehicle Operations

Highlights from 2004Three (3) firefighters were killed when fire

apparatus backed over them Four (4) firefighters were killed in falls from

fire department vehicles. Seven (7) deaths involved the crash of the

firefighter's personal vehicle

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Occupational Fatality Rate Per 100,000

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

Line of Duty DeathBy Duty- 2006-2009

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

Fireground Response Training Non-Fire Other

USFA

Arrive Safely…Save Lives

Over 15,000 Fire Apparatus Accidents/Yr.

26% Increase Over 15 Years

Number of Fire Responses

Arrive Safely…Save Lives

2nd Leading Cause of LODD

> 1,000 Firefighter Injuries/Yr.

Arrive Safely…Save Lives

#1 Cause of Legal Actions Against Fire Departments

Arrive Safely…Save Lives

#1 Cause of Criminal Actions Against Firefighters

Arrive Safely…Save Lives

Matt Schumann, Fairfield, OH. Killed a 73 year old woman. Guilty of vehicular manslaughter. 90 days in jail, 2 yrs. Probation, $750 fine, license suspended, 250 hours

community service

Arrive Safely…Save Lives

ESIP

Cory Carlton, Traverse City, MI. Killed a 28 year old woman and her 11 month old child. 2 counts of criminally negligent homicide. Lawsuit settled for over $2.2 Million

Fire Truck Kills Motorist

Why 25% per Year?

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Emergency Vehicle OperationsIntersection Accident Details

Type of Response Warning Devices Percent Emergency Lights/Siren 68 % Emergency Lights Only 8 % Emergency Neither 2 % Emergency Unknown 1 %

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Causes of Accidents

Improper BackingAccounts for large

portion of all EV accidents.

Most Avoidable accident we have

Easiest to prevent

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Causes of Accidents

Urban/SuburbanIntersections

RacingInattention

Traffic Control DevicesTechnology

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Causes of Accidents

Rural Loss of Vehicle Control Highway

Design/Geometry Speed Apparatus Size

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Causes of Accidents

Tanker/Tender Accidents1990-2001

38 Fatal Incidents 31 Operators/11 Pass.

25 wheels left the road 21 Excessive Speed Over Correction No Seat Belts 31 of 42

deaths

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Causes of Accidents

A Different Animal Weight

1,000 Gals. = 4 Tons Center of Gravity Design

Surge Operator Experience?

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Causes of Accidents

Additional Factors Highway Geometry Road Conditions Level of Training

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Causes of Accidents

Special Considerations

Railroad Grade Crossings

Driver error

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Causes of Accidents

Limited Access Highways

Traffic Volume High Speed Traffic Control Access

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Merging & Lane Changing

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ECISION: Decide where you want to go.

NTENT: signal your intention.

HECK: your mirrors, lean in your seat to reduce the blind spot.

XECUTE: make gradual lane changes and merges. Avoid rocking of the vehicle.

DD

II

CC

EE

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2. As the driver of the fire apparatus, what issues are you concerned with while merging?

B. Check your left mirror, increase speed to overtake Black Suburban, and abruptly move to the left.

C. Check your left mirror, signal your intension, identify that the silver car is traveling too fast and stop on the merge ramp until it’s safe to proceed.

A. Check your left mirror, signal your intension, ensure your speed matches the flow of traffic, gradually merge into traffic.

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Decision: decide which way you want to go.

Intent: signal your intention, let others know what you are about to do.

Check: check your mirrors, lean forward in your seat to reduce the blind spot.

Execute: make your merge a gradual one, do not perform maneuvers that cause excessive swaying of the apparatus.

Causes of AccidentsVolunteer Issue

Speed Disregard for Traffic

Control North Carolina

80 MPH

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Causes of AccidentsPOV

Not an emergency response

Green lights 8 LODD’s in 2004

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Causes of Accidents

Driver ErrorInattentionFatigueDistractionEnvironmentInexperience

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Causes of Accidents

Intersections Traffic Volume Right of Way Traffic Control Device Siren Use Pedestrians Dangers of Crosswalks

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Emergency Vehicle Operations

Impact of Vehicle Accidents Personnel Injury or Death to Emergency

Responders Peripheral Injury or Death to Others Vehicle and Equipment Loss Long Term Impact What action may have prevented the

incident

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Causes of Accidents

• Turnabouts• U-Turns• Two-Point turns• Three- Point turns

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Emergency Vehicle OperationsCase History

Chicago Fire Department

Lieutenant L. C. Merrell

43 years old with a wife and five children

Assigned to Truck 24

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Emergency Vehicle Operations 1982 Seagraves 100 foot straight,

rear mount ladder

1150 hours, responding to automatic alarm in a residence

Responding with red lights and siren activated

Weather was clear and the roadway dry

Approached a four way stop intersection and did a “rolling stop”

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Emergency Vehicle Operations

Summary- The 4 Questionst responding to a True

Was the unit responding to a True Emergency?

Did the driver exercise due regard for the safety of others?

Did the driver violate any local or state laws or recognized

standards?

What action may have prevented the incident

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Emergency Vehicle Operations

Review Unit I

Objective: The apparatus operator will be able to describe and list the causes of emergency vehicle accidents

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