#AtoZChallenge: #Firefighter - #Safety - Z is for Zero

A day late (my apologies), but here's the today's (and final) post for the A-to-Z Challenge.



Z is for  ZERO as in Zero - Sixty.  No, I'm not talking about a car or any other vehicle for that matter.....  I'm talking about adrenalin rush.  As a Firefighter, Paramedic, or Police Officer your day can go from mundane and boring to *Bleep* hitting the fan in a matter of minutes.

As you know an adrenalin rush is caused by the "Fight or Flight and response, which causes Adrenalin (Epinephrine) to be released into the body.  Heart Rate, Pulse, and Breathing all accelerate and your body prepares to "stay and fight or run (thus the "Fight or Flight").  Your mind can become super-focused and your pain threshold can increase (you may not even feel pain at all).  While the release of adrenalin can be a good thing in allowing for increased focusability and increased strength and all that, the constant zero - sixty that is norm for a firefighter can have harmful results over long periods of time.

I should note that the opposite (Sixty to Zero) is just as bad....  Once, as a child, I was visiting the local fire station with my father, which I talk about in my blogpost Firefighters are my Heroes (this is actually on my WordPress blog), but to make a long story short:  Alarms go off crew heads for truck in a rapid, but controlled manner , then voice over intercom (I think that's what it was - we're talking like 30+ years ago) "False Alarm"....  Dead Silence.  I didn't understand it all back then, but I realize now that when those alarms (maybe it was klaxons) went off  the adrenalin started to be released in the body of those firefighters as they prepared for "fight or flight".  Now all that adrenlain had no place to go, it basically hit a brick wall and went Sixty to Zero.

So what are the symptoms/results of an adrenalin rush?
As I mentioned above, increased Heart Rate and Accelerated Breathing are two of the symptoms.  Heart Palpitations and Increased Blood Pressure are other symptoms that also occur.  For more info on the "Fight or Flight Response and it's effects click Fight or Flight Response (wikipedia)

What's the problem with all that Fight or Flight/Adrenlain Rush?
The constant Zero to Sixty (as well as the Sixty to Zero) situations is that over time it can lead to heart problems (Did you know that Heart Attacks and High Blood Pressure is one of the leading causes of Firefighter death - Not the fires themselves). What to do about it For one thing make sure you are physically, mentally, and emotionally to begin with.  Have yourself some form of (safe & legal) outlet to release the build up of adrenalin (a good strong work out is always a good idea).  Make sure you are taking care of YOU.

Remember Watch out for the effects of ZERO to Sixty (as well as Sixty to Zero) on the body and StaySAFE!!

So now I've reached the end of this A-to-Z Challenge.  Hopefully I have provided some good reminders to STAYSAFE  on the job.  Thank You for all you do  {{{HUGS}}}

Here's a list of Firefighting and Paramedic Blogs that I follow:

FireMen the book (by Gary Ryman)

Boots'n'BunkerPants

ELAFFHQ

Firefighter/Paramedic Stories

It's Not My Emergency

The Happy Medic

Views From the JumpSeat

EMS in the New Decade

Fire Critic

Wooden Ladders and Iron Firemen

Firehouse Zen

SA Matters

#AtoZChallenge: #Firefighter #Safety - Y is for YOU

Today is technically the last day of the A-to-Z Challenge.  I didn't get to write the post for the letter "Y" Yesterday (okay that was totally unplanned) so am having to get it done today, followed by the final post for letter "Z"

The most important aspect of all this Firefighter Safety stuff I've been spouting this past month is YOU!  Y-O-U! YOU!  No, I'm not saying that you should be selfish, thinking only of yourself (not that I see that as a problem - everything I've seen shows huge/selfless hearts & awesome sense of of humor....)  I'm saying that you need to make sure you are taking care of yourself and that your being as safe as it is possible to be.  Your no good to anyone else if you don't.  Make sure you are taking care of all aspects of your health.  We all know that Physical Health & Fitness is an important aspect to the safety of a firefighter, but Mental and Emotional health are just as important.  Make sure your keeping yourself safe and using all necessary Gear and PPE.  Be Game Ready Every Call Every Time (You can't help anyone else if you become a         victim yourself.

Remember YOU are Important and STAYSAFE!!!

Note:  It's taken longer to get this done than I expected (something about distractions and all)....  So I'll have to do "Z" tomorrow.

And now for 5 Blogs I came across:
FlashTyme
Giggling Truckers Wife
Frankly Creative
Writing Women's Fiction
Between You and Me
A Mom's Point of View

#AtoZChallenge: #Firefighter #Safety - X is for Xylene

Originally I was going to research and write this blogpost on the effects of Xylene when it comes to firefighting. But, now that it has come time to get this post out (or get myself behind on my posts once again, I find that I don't have the time (at this late hour) to go through the process of researching and trying to write something up.  So instead I have found a couple of  websites for you:

Xylene:

Wikipedia: Xylene

Xylene: Incident Management

Duram Products / Xylene

There is, of course, much more info to be found.

The most important thing with any chemical fire is to know what you are dealing with.  In fact, with any fire you should be aware of any potential chemicals that could come into play.  In fact, with any fire you should be aware of he potential for chemicals (even minor ones)  

Remember Know any Chemicals involved (sorry not an X one for tonight) and STAYSAFE

#AtoZChallenge: #Firefighter #Safety - W is for Why?

Was going to write this earlier this morning (actually should've been done yesterday), but I had to get family up & dressed for burn buster blast event today (I want to say put on my local Fire Department mainly).  Get this one and "X" and I'm caught up.

Before I start I want to include a video playlist I came across on youtube featuring Randy Mantooth (from the show Emergency!) speaking on "Remembering Why" in relation to EMS.

There are going to be days when you start to ask yourself "What the (bleep) am I doing here?"  It is times like those that you need to look back and remember WHY you chose this career to, re-afirm/confirm those reasons.

I think pretty much every firefighter/paramedic I've talked to has all said (when asked why they decided on this career path) because they wanted to, because they wanted to make a difference in peoples lives, to do something meaningful.  I've never (that I recall) heard anyone answer that they got into Fire/EMS/Police because they were forced to or had no choice.  Always, it's been something that was in their family, in their blood.  It is something that stays with you and never leaves - you know what they say, "Once a Firefighter, Always A firefighter"  It's not something you just up and walk away from one day (unless forced by events beyond your control).  Sometimes you just need to remember WHY and focus on that.

Remember WHY and STAYSAFE!!!  

Some blogs to check out!
  Our 24 year Age Gap
  Firehouse Zen
  A Day in The Life of an Ambulance Driver
  Firefighter/Paramedic Stories

#AtoZChallenge: #Firefighter #Safety - V is for Vacation!

Going to be a crazy day. Trying to pound out 4 post as I have managed (once again) to get myself behind schedule and need to get U-X done by the end of today. Plus, I'm heading out in a couple hours for the local "Burn Buster Blast" even taking place today.  

When I started this whole challenge I only knew that I was going to start of with letter A being about Awareness. Beyond that, I really had no idea what I was going to do for each letter - just that it was going to be (as best as I could do with my limited knowledge) about Firefighter Safety. My hope all along has been that my short posts would serve as reminders of things that you (firefighters) should already know.

Now I've gotten to V and it's been a toss-up between the idea of "Vacation" which is what popped into my mind and "Ventilate", an idea that was given to me by FirehouseZen. Both are important to the safety of firefighters. Ventilate is quite a bit more obvious. You all know that you need to be careful when going to ventilate. Ventilation is an important aspect in firefighting, but it is important to be sure you are doing it safely. But I'm not going to go into Ventilation. Instead, I'm going to look at VACATION - Yes, Vacation....

I don't need to tell you that being a firefighter can be hard, exhausting work - If I do, then your in the wrong profession - that burn-out is a very real concern & problem. At the same time, being a firefighter is something that gets under your skin and into your blood (how do I know this? - I listen and I learn, but I digress). So how does Vacation come into play here? Taking a break and being well rested and refreshed is just as important to the safety of a firefighter as being Aware, staying Focused, and making sure you Understand the situation. A vacation need not be extravagant or expensive, it's about relaxing, having fun, and enjoying life and coming back well rested and ready to go fight fires.

Remember go on VACATION and STAYSAFE!!

#AtoZChallenge: #Firefighter #Safety - U is for Understand

Alas, Once again I've ended up behind schedule. Need to get through 4 posts today (U-X) - I'm gonna need all the luck I can get.

When on-scene it is important to Understand the whole situation before jumping in and to maintain that understanding throughout.  Know What's going on, What/Who is involved, and What all the dangers (real & potential) are.  Make sure you know what's going on.  Do your own "size-up" even if IC has already done one.  Don't rely on the size-up done by anyone else.

Make sure that you are staying Aware and that you have a full understanding of the situation at all times.  This means not getting hyper-focused to the point of losing track of Communications and keeping your head in the game.

Remember Make sure you UNDERSTAND the whole situation and STAYSAFE!!

Here's some blogs I came across:
  Time for a cath up
  One Day At a Time
  Life in a Small Town

#AtoZChallenge: #Firefighter #Safety - T is for TeamWork

I actually wrote this last night and posted the one to my WordPress blog, but it got too late for me to get it up here on my blogger.... Will be working on letter U today as well (still need to decide what word I want to concentrate on --- Toss up between Understanding or Unified Command.

Fighting fires takes TeamWork.  Well maybe not some small kitchen fire type one, but larger fires (like the kind a firefighter would be called on) - Those take teamwork.  You must be able to depend on your crew.  You must work together as a team and trust that each member is doing there job.  No one person is more or less important.  Every person has a job to do and each person does their job to the absolute best of their ability (no, better).

The most important parts of Teamwork are Communication (One of my choices for the lettter C - but Caution won out) and Harmony.  To work together you must communicate your needs to others of your team. and you must work together in harmony to get the job done efficiently and safely.  I cannot stress enough the importance of Teamwork.  Right up there with Safety and Awareness.

Remember  TEAMWORK is important and STAYSAFE!!

And for 5 new blogs that I found (not necessarily firefighter related)
  Babblin Grammy
  Ramblings of a Homeschooled Escapee
  Procrastinating Mommy
  My Mind
  Trish Nugent, Writer

#AtoZChallenge: #Firefighter #Safety - C is for Caution

Well This is embarrassing....  I can't seem to find my post for letter C....  It's on my WordPress blog, but not here (at least not that I'm seeing) so I'm posting it now...

Still Playing Catch up - Hopefully today (just need to get 3 done - C, D, & E.....

Whatever the situation is that you are approaching, always use Caution.  Don't take anything for granted and Don't expect anything to be a certain way.  Take a moment to be look at the scene before you go rnning in gung ho.  Stop and assess the situation.  Take in the big picture.  It's not so easy to do so when you are in the thick of it.  Know where all the dangers are and what level of danger that danger represents to you.   Keep in mind that things may not always be as they first appear.   Sometimes the things that seem to not be reason for concern could end up being the biggest dangers.  Keep those eyes and ears open and Be AWARE and be Cautious (but not so much so that you don't do your job)

Remember Always use CAUTION and Stay SAFE

And for this blogposts 5 new blogs I'm following:
  While the Coffee Brews
  Cheryl's Random Thoughts

Sorry a bit short on this one today...  Have to pick up son for a Dental appointment (extraction = poor guy).  Get to D a bit later today.

#AtoZChallenge: #Firefighter #Safety: S is for Safety

S is for Safety.......  Your Safety. I'm not trying to lessen the desire of a firefighter, paramedic, or police officer to get in there and take action...  That's what you guys are trained for.  That's what you do - run towards those dangerous situations when others are either not moving or running away.  But in the process don't forget your own Safety.  Remember, you can't help others if you yourself become a victim.
Make sure you and your gear are "game ready" every call, every time.

Make sure you you keep current with your skills - Practice Practice Drill Drill.

Make sure you are taking care of your health - eating right, staying in shape, and taking any offered medical & physical fitness tests.

Make sure you are doing everything feasible to ensure your safety and that you make it home at the end of your shift.

There really isn't a lot more for me to write on this one....  The theme I've used throughout this little challenge has been all about Safety and your need as a firefighter/paramedic/police officer to stay safe and the job and to ensure that you do all possible to make it home to your loved ones.  

Remember STAYSAFE!!!!  That's all

#AtoZChallenge: #Firefighter #Safety R is for Rapid Intervention Team

When I, un-officially, started this challenge I decided that my theme would be Firefighter Safety (Basically quick reminders of Safety to all you Firefighters out there)....  But for those of you following who are not Firefighters  Let me start this post with a quick definition as to what a Rapid Intervention Team (in some cases called Rapid Intervention Crew) is.

A Firefighter Assist and Search Team (FAST), also known as a Rapid Intervention Team/Crew (RIT/RIC), is a team of two or more firefighters dedicated solely to the search and rescue of other firefighters in distress. FAST shall have no other operational assignment during an incident. Multiple alarm fires may require multiple FAST/RIC teams. 

source:  Wikipedia: "Firefighter Assist and Search Team"

When a Firefighter is calling a MayDay it means they are in trouble and seconds count.  It is not enough to simply have a Rapid Intervention Team, your RIT/RIC should be ready to be deployed at a moments notice and should be ready for any eventuality.

NFPA and OSHA Standards require that "a minimum of two firefighters be standing by in full PPE whenever firefighters are working in a hazardous atmosphere

Equipment of the RIT/RIC should include:

Full Turn-Out Gear

SBCA

PASS Device (Personal Alert Safety System)

Portable Radio

Hand Tools

Hand Light

Search Rope or Webbing

Rapid Air Transport bag (that allows for an extra mask to provide oxygen to a downed firefighter)

I found these informative articles on Rapid Intervention Teams:

Rapid Intervention Team: Are You Ready by @FireEngineeringFireground Assessment for Rapid Intervention Teams by @FireHouseNewsRapid Intervention Team Positions and Assessments by FD Training Network

You might enjoy these blogs:
Ambulance Driver Files
Boots N Bunkerpants
Firefighter Paramedic Stories
Fire Critic

Un-Official #AtoZChallenge: O is for Observe & Obstacle

Now that I got yesterday's "N" out of the way I can get to today's post....

I had a hard time choosing between "Observe" & "Obstacle"....  Both are very suitable words when it comes to discussing Firefighter, Paramedic (and, yes, police & military) safety.

Be sure you are always observing (I know, I'm beginning to sound like a broken record) what is going on around you.  Observe any Obstacles - Obstacles that might keep you from doing your job safely or from making a quick egress (should it become necessary)

Obstacles can be all sorts:  Debris in your pathway as you transgress through a building, A hysterical person getting in the way of you providing aid, A "first choice" egress that has become blocked or un-usable.  Be aware of existing Obstacles and of anything that could potentially become an obstacle to the safety of yourself and your crew.

Remember Observe and know your Obstacles AND StaySAFE!!

OK so random Blogs:
  SAMatters
  Firehousezen
  Unwired Medic  

  Writing and Ruminations
  The World of My Imagination
  Chasing Revery

Un-Official #AtoZChallenge: N is for Nightscan

If I were to be graded on this challenge, I'd most likely be getting an "F" for FAIL, as I keep finding myself behind schedule in posting, but for now I'll get into letter "N"

I had several options in which to base, what should have been, yesterday's post on - Nurture, Needs for exit, Nightscan.  Not really having a clear cut idea of what to write for "Nurture", and having already covered the Need for exits (KNOW your way out), I figured I'd try to do something with Nightscan.

Source Credit: http://willburt.sancsoft.net

According to Wil-Burt, the company that manufactures Night Scan®, allow firefighters around the world to perform rescue operations under the safest lighting conditions possible. Most major fires & accidents occur during the nighttime hours when there is little to no light available.

Being able to see clearly is paramount in the safety of all concerned when at the scene of an accident or fire.

I tried to find something on the history of  the Nightscan product and on the history of it's use on Fire Apparatuses, but have yet to have any luck (despite varying attempts on google).  I know something has to exist somewhere but it alludes me.  It does appear that I good number of Stations (as well other EMS & Paramilitary services) utilize Nightscan as a method to light an incident scene.

I found this video on you-tube that shows how the Nightscan lighting system works (it's a little hard to hear the guy talking).

claimer (or is that disclaimer):  I have, in NO way, received any monetary (or otherwise) reimbursement for the mention of the product "Night Scan®" or it's manufacturer Wil-Burt,

Remember Keep the scene well lit using NightScan (or other product) and StaySAFE!

A few blogs to check out:
  Wonderful Things
  Arms Wide Open
  Mama Bear Musings
  Chocolate and Morphine (Living with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome)
  A to Z Word Practice (Learn a new word, or two, each day)

Un-Official #AtoZChallenge: J is for Journey

Finally I'm getting this one done.  My apologies for being out of order.

The road to being a good (tongue in cheek) firefighter, Paramedic, Rescue Worker is a JOURNEY.  A journey that never ends.  One in which you should try and remember from whence you came and Why I'll blog on that Remembering WHY later, when we get to "W", but for now we'll stick to Journey.

I'm not sure how this is going to fit into my theme for this challenge (which has been related to Firefighter Safety and reminders to stay safe on the job.

The journey to becoming a firefighter/paramedic can be a long hard one and that journey doesn't stop when you pass your firefighter's test.  It is a journey that continues till the day you retire (and by retire I mean in all aspects including any volunteering you decide to do).  Even then it is questionable that the journey ends there as firefighting (so I hear) becomes a part of you - gets into your blood.  Till that day, the journey continues and a part of that journey is LEARNING  (I told you I'm out of order here) and getting BETTER

I came across this webpage and thought it was interesting  Journey to Firefighter  

 Remember It's a JOURNEY (with both ups & downs) and Stay SAFE

Un-Official #AtoZChallenge: L is for Learn

Note: My main blog is on Word Press at JottingsandWritings.WordPress.com

Never stop Learning!!

Anytime you think you know and have seen it all, that's when you are in the biggest danger.  There is always room to learn more when it comes to fighting fire and rescue work.  Take any and every opportunity to improve and learn new methods.  There is constantly new and improved information coming out on how to do/handle different things when it comes rescue work or fighting fire.  I understand that sometimes the so called "Improvements" that come about really aren't much of an improvement but, none-the-less it is important to keep up with new methods, technologies, etc; to learn new ways of doing things.  You should strive for constant learning and constant improvement of your skills.

Remember Never Stop LEARNING and Stay SAFE

This time I thought I'd put a few blogs that aren't a part of the A-to-Z Challenge, but are related to the work of Firefighting and Rescue Work (including Safety)

Boots 'n Bumkerpants

SAMatters

FireFighter Paramedic Stories

Views from the Jumpseat

ELAFFHQ (Excessive Leather Accessories for Fire Fighters Head Quarters)

Un-Official #AtoZChallenge: H is for Harmony

Note:  My main blog is on Wordpress (Jottings and Writings)

Firefighters refer to themselves as brothers or being a part of a "brotherhood" Your team becomes your second family (in some cases your first).  For 24 hours every 3rd day you are with them.  you see the best and worst of situations together.

It is important that firefighters work together in Harmony.  Whatever else is going on, you must know that whatever the situation your team has your back (this is true for police officers as well).  Your team must work like a well oiled machine.  Everyone doing what they need to do.   The job of the captain (or who ever is lead on the call) isn't to tell his team what needs to be done - they should already know.  His job is to make sure that everything is getting done as it needs to and nothing is overlooked.  He should be outside the situation making sure that everything and everyone is working in harmony. Without harmony you have (of course) chaos.  No one knowing what's going on, what's being done or what needs to be done.  One important aspect of harmony is to do your job and do it well and trust that the rest of the team is doing theirs.  If your team is not in harmony then there is something wrong.

Remember, your team should work in HARMONY and Stay SAFE!!