Carolina Fire Journal | Vol. 37 No. 1 | Winter 2022

VOLUME 37 | NUMBER 1 | WINTER 2022 | WWW.CAROLINAFIREJOURNAL.COM

NEWLY REDESIGNED

The First Responder’s Resource

cover

STORY

Our WAR:

PROTRACTED

GPMs vs. BTUs / PAGE 10 Recruiting & Retention Recognizing a Problem / 2

Health & Wellness Emptying Our Stress Buckets / 16

Behavioral Health and Generations in the Workforce / 26

EMS

COVID-19 Q&A with Dr. James Winslow / 24

Carolina Fire Rescue EMS Journal 10150 Mallard Creek Rd. • Suite 201 Charlotte, NC 28262

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CONTENTS VOLUME 37 NUMBER 1 | WINTER 2022

STAFF

Features

R.B. Knight Publisher rb@baxterknight.com

10 Cover Story

Gwen Shuford Managing Editor gwen.shuford@carolinafirejournal.com

OUR PROTRACTED WAR: GPMs vs. BTUs David Greene

Trudy H. Schneider Director of Operations trudy@baxterknight.com

Departments 2

Recruiting & Retention

Recognizing A Problem David Hesselmeyer

4

International Safety Equipment Association

Fall Protection: Learning from Tragedies Raymond Mann

6

9

Ask Mr. Bill

Phising, Smishing, and Your New Year’s Financial Review Bill Carter

Update from Capitol Hill

Authorization or Appropriations: Knowing the Difference Can Make a Difference to Become an Advocate on Capitol Hill Bill Webb

14 Policies & Procedures Understanding the Recommendations of NFPA 3000 Julie Downey

16 Health & Wellness Emptying Our Stress Buckets Dena Ali

19 Spiritual Wealth

As Morale Declines Among Law Enforcement, Billy Graham Chaplains Step In The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association

20 Sixty-One Delta One

Solving the Puzzle: Intelligence Gathering on the Hazmat ‘Battlefield’ Glenn Clapp CSP, EFO, CHMM, CFPS

The First Responder’s Resource

Bill Ellis Art Director advertising@carolinafirejournal.com

24 EMS

ADVERTISING

Covid-19 Q&A with James Winslow

26 Health & Wellness

Behavioral Health and Generations in the Workforce Mark Rivero

28 Barnyard Management A Strong Letter to Follow …

Ken Farmer

30 Maintenance Tips

When Should You Consider Renting Your Gear?

Taylor Burke Gilman

Dick Murphy dick.murphy@carolinafirejournal.com Gwen Shuford gwen.shuford@carolinafirejournal.com

EDITORIAL BOARD Jim Bell — President Bobbitt Design Build, NC Division Bill Carter — Director of Fire/EMS Business Development , Civic Federal Credit Union Glenn Clapp — Division Chief – Fuquay Varina Fire Dept.

Doug Cline — President, International Fire Service Kent Davis — Consultant, Threat Suppression Dale Folwell — N.C. State Treasurer David Greene Ph.D — Ph.D Chief, Colleton County Fire Rescue David Hesselmeyer— President – On Target Preparedness, LLC Ricky Hesson — N.C. Hazmat Association Goosie Kennedy — D.R. Reynolds Beth Krah — Krah Corporation

38 Industry Tech

The Danger of the Spot Temperature Andy Starnes

Tracey Mosley - Program Manager, NC Association of Fire Chiefs Ken Newell — Stewart-Cooper-Newell Architects Lizzy Long — Billy Graham Rapid Response Team Richard Ray — Capt. Durham Fire and Rescue

40 Air & Surface Decontamination

Mark Rivero — Public Safety Management Programs S. Illinois University

“Grab 2022 by the Throat and Yell, ‘Not This Year, You Don’t!”

Caroline Schloss — Crossword Puzzle Mark Schmitt — Captain, Greensboro Fire Department Matt Sloane — Skyfire Consulting William Tatum - SC EMS Director

43 Ask Ernie

James Winslow — NC EMS Director

All Electrical Fire Apparatus?

Bill Webb — Ex. Director Congressional Fire Services Institute Dalan Zartman — President, Rapid Response

Extras

Published by KCI Media Group

22 Fire Station Profiles:

• Burton Fire District, Beaufort County, SC • Charlotte Fire Dept, Mecklenburg County, NC

32 Crossword Puzzle

10150 Mallard Creek Rd. Suite 201 Charlotte, North Carolina 28262 704-568-7804 www.kci-mediagroup.com Carolina Fire Rescue EMS Journal reserves the right to edit for clarity and content. Editorial opinions and products advertised do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the publisher. © 2022 KCI Media Group, LLC

Caroline M. Schloss

33 New Deliveries

www.carolinafirejournal.com WINTER 2022 | CAROLINA FIRE RESCUE EMS JOURNAL | 1

RECOGNIZING A PROBLEM

Recruiting&RETENTION

David Hesselmeyer

ecruitment and retention should be a priority for all of our departments now and for a long time to come.

Why, you might ask. First, our volunteer ranks are dwindling at best in most places. Departments are failing to respond to calls for service and are having to merge to maintain fire protection levels to try to meet the needs of their district.

Secondly, we are seeing less and less people apply for jobs in all areas anymore.

Where organizations use to get 30 to 40 people apply for an opening, they are now seeing five to 10.

Some may blame COVID. Some may blame politicians. That is not what should concern us the most as we need to focus on solutions for our needs.

Most times when dealing with recruitment and retention, most resources are spent on recruitment and not retention. This is due to not looking to assess our situation and if there is an issue or problem that needs to be addressed. The fire service has always been great at assessing situations and responding to fix the issues; except in one area: our situations and problems. In response, we put resources in the recruitment side and try to make sure that there are more people walking through the in door than those walking through the out door.

There are many issues with this mentality. The main one being cost. It costs money to train new members whether volunteer or career. It also costs money to outfit them when you do not have personal protective

equipment that fits them. This is all happening while there is a shortage of members requiring other actions to ensure services. Another one is that we cannot continue to arterially hemorrhage members while trying to put a simple BandAid on the wound. We must look for stronger and lengthier answers to our issues.

HOW DO WE DETERMINE IF THERE IS A PROBLEM? The first thing I would encourage you to do is to do an exit interview, if possible, with any member who is resigning or quitting, whether career or volunteer. An exit interview should be done by someone who is as neutral as can be (e.g., Departmental Board Secretary) to determine many things. Questions can include: 1. Why are you quitting or resigning?

2. Did we train you adequately for the position we expected you to serve?

3. What needs were we unable to fulfill for you as a member of our department?

4. What does your new department or organization

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have to offer that we do not?

5. Did you have a problem within the department? Did you address it with anyone?

6. What could we have done to retained you as a member?

Now, these exit interviews are done with career members, but this is something we should be asking all our members. This is important firsthand information. The member normally feels open about talking to a more neutral party and do not feel the chance of any punishment since they are leaving anyways.

Take these interviews into account individually and jointly with others.

Do you see a pattern?

We need more quality people and for them to stay in our agencies so we can maintain a high standard and level of service.

Another aspect to use to do assessment is a suggestion box or comment box. As leaders within the department, we should be open to hearing things even when it may hurt our feelings or make us mad. Train your members to understand that the suggestion or comment box is to be used for when something happens and is not being addressed or if you feel the need to share information that leadership may not know about.

Make sure that they understand this is not a complaint box for members to moan and whine about stuff. I personally encourage the leadership to encourage members submitting notices in these boxes to include ideas of how to correct the issues.

To ensure that this works and helps, the leadership must address these items. This does not mean that they must fix them. The answer may be explaining why we must do this action in this manner. The member feels their concern was addressed but also understands why it cannot be changed. The only comments that should be rejected are those moaning and complaining ones.

Otherwise, respond to all of them

in due time and in due regard, otherwise this will be another failure to the department.

Many departments have chaplains that are either career or volunteer. I know mine has a sweet couple that serves my department, and they do a great job at it. Use these chaplains to assist you in determining if there are issues. Sometimes the issues we have are simply that the member needs someone to tell them what their thoughts are and to be heard.

Chaplains can do this well and do not have to break any confidentiality rules/laws. This may break down a huge problem when someone just listens to the members.

A final piece to the puzzle here is to keep statistics on members who are parting ways with the department. Do you know how many members resigned or quit in 2020? I would venture a guess that only a few departments can answer that without some time to go through the roster month by month. Add in information concerning how many people signed on as a volunteer or career member during the year too. There is a lot of statistics that can be used to help our cause. These statistics may end up being helpful in a whole other arena in that there are grants such as the SAFER grant which can aid in these recruitment and retention efforts. Having these statistics would be very beneficial in obtaining such a grant.

In conclusion, fire departments need to make recruitment and retention a priority. We need more quality people and for them to stay in our agencies so we can maintain a high standard and level of service.

Every time we lose members, we are not just losing a body. We are losing knowledge, skills, abilities and organizational knowledge.

All of that is priceless to our departments and we must work to ensure we retain it.

Until next time, be safe.

David Hesselmeyer began his emergency services career in 1997. He is credentialed as a firefighter, paramedic, rescue technician, North Carolina Executive Emergency Manager, an as an International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) Certified Emergency Manager.

He graduated from East Carolina University with a Master of Public Administration (MPA). He owns On Target Preparedness, LLC, which is an emergency services consulting firm serving public and private agencies in preparing and responding to disasters.

He is a member of the Buies Creek Fire Department in North Carolina. He writes for multiple emergency services publications.

WWW.CAROLINAFIREJOURNAL.COM

WINTER 2022 | CAROLINA FIRE RESCUE EMS JOURNAL | 3

FALL PROTECTION: LEARNING FROM TRAGEDIES Raymond Mann

wo fatal falls brought a tragic end to the summer of 2021 for fire departments on opposite sides of the U.S. In Maryland, Frederick County Division of Fire and Rescue Services lost Captain Joshua Laird after he fell through the floor of a burning house on August 11.

And just days later in Washington, Spokane County Fire District 9 was in mourning after Lieutenant Cody Traber fell from the Wandermere Bridge, in the dark on August 26 while trying to locate a reported brush fire.

The human toll of such tragedies is never captured by statistics, of course, as numbers move up and down over the years. The latest year for which official stats are available is 2019. That year saw the lowest annual number of firefighter fatalities since the United States Fire Administration (USFA) began tracking them in 1977, with ​​62 deaths. (This total includes 10 from a heart attack or stroke as defined in the “Hometown Heroes Survivors Benefits Act of 2003,” according to the USFA.) The 2019 total was down from the 2018 total of 84

International Safety Equipment Association firefighter fatalities.

The USFA reported two firefighters were killed in 2019 from injuries sustained in a fall.

One slid off the icy rooftop of a condominium complex. The other fell through a gap between the lanes of an overpass bridge, dropping 52 feet to the ground below.

Broadly across all industries in the U.S., fatal falls, slips and trips increased 11 percent in 2019 to 880, according to the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI), which is conducted annually by the Bureau of Labor Statistics

The estimated cost of all firefighter injuries ranges between $1.6 billion and $5.9 billion annually, according to a report by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

But the human cost to fallen and injured firefighters, their families and their departments is incalculable.

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(BLS). BLS’ numbers showed that total fatal work injuries recorded in the U.S. inched higher in 2019 by two percent over 2018, rising to 5,333. “A worker died every 99 minutes from a work-related injury in 2019,” BLS reported. (Of note to firefighters: BLS reported that fatalities due to fires and explosions decreased 14 percent to 99 in 2019.)

Falls, slips and trips were the second most common workplace injury nationwide, according to the National Safety Council, accounting for 27.5 percent (244,000) of all occupational injuries involving days away from work in the U.S. in 2019.

The NSC’s math puts the injury rate at 23.9 per 10,000 full-time workers. And the organization says the most at-risk industries were transportation, warehousing and agriculture.

The International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA) has long been concerned about ensuring that every workplace has access to proper fall-protection equipment.

While first responders confront dynamic scenes characterized by fast-changing and often unknown hazards — as well as unstable surfaces and structures that don’t always present suitable anchorage points for personal fall-arrest systems — awareness, training and equipment choices each play a vital role in fall protection.

As ISEA noted in our “Safety at Heights” campaign, fall protection encompasses a wide range of equipment and systems, including anchorage connectors, horizontal lifeline systems, full-body safety harnesses, self-retracting lanyards, positioning systems, twin-leg lanyards, tie-back applications, post-fall suspension products, rescue systems, and more.

The campaign included a free webinar that remains relevant for employers seeking to prevent fatal falls. The webinar featured leading fall protection and dropped objects experts from ISEA and the National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE), as they discussed ways to implement a successful safetyat-heights program through fall protection product innovations and the new ANSI/ISEA 121 standard to prevent dropped objects, to keep workers safer and their tools secured while working at heights.

When possible, after-action reviews may produce lessons learned from both fatal and nonfatal falls that can be integrated into firefighters’ ongoing training. The estimated cost of all firefighter injuries ranges between $1.6 billion WWW.CAROLINAFIREJOURNAL.COM

PREVENTION and $5.9 billion annually, according to a report by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). But the human cost to fallen and injured firefighters, their families and their departments is incalculable.

Headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, the International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA) is the trade association in the U.S. for personal protective equipment and technologies. Its member companies are world leaders in the design, manufacture, testing, and distribution of protective clothing and equipment used in factories, construction sites, hospitals and clinics, farms, schools, laboratories, emergency response, and in the home. Since 1933, ISEA has set the standard for the personal protective equipment industry, supporting member companies united in the goal of protecting the health and safety of people worldwide.

The estimated cost of all firefighter injuries ranges between $1.6 billion and $5.9 billion annually, according to a report by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

Raymond Mann, QSSP

is a former Maryland volunteer firefighter from Concord, North Carolina.

He is 3M Personal Safety Division’s Global Senior Specialist Application Engineer and ISEA’s Fall Protection Product Group Chair.

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WINTER 2022 | CAROLINA FIRE RESCUE EMS JOURNAL | 5

PHISING, SMISHING, Ask MR. BILL AND YOUR NEW YEAR’S FINANCIAL REVIEW Bill Carter

ith digital banking becoming increasingly the preferred “banking” choice of consumers, we need to make sure that your accounts are always protected. If you have older family members that use the internet living with you, or children with access to an internet account, you need to make them aware of these types of scams as soon as possible.

I once had a wonderful employee years ago and I distinctly remember her coming into my office crying to

advise that her grandmother, who was in her 80s, had donated over $100,000 over a one-year period to a tele-evangelist who came on TV every day. It was her entire retirement savings.

Now this is NOT an example of phishing, but it does show how vulnerable certain age groups are to requests for money and other offers.

And with everyone in such a hurry these days, we often don’t examine emails in our own in-box before we open them.

Criminals are constantly trying to steal consumers’ personal data using

fake emails, websites, phone calls, and even text messages. They use a variety of ways to try to trick people into providing Social Security numbers, bank account numbers and other valuable information.

In most cases, their goal is to steal money from you. In this article I will share some terms used for different online scams and how they work, so you better can protect your hard-earned money.

HOW DO SCAMMERS CONTACT THEIR VICTIMS? Phishing is a term for scams commonly used when a criminal uses email to ask you to provide personal financial information.

The sender pretends to be from a bank, a retail store, or government

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agency and makes the email appear legitimate. Criminals often try to threaten, even frighten people by stating “you’re a victim of fraud” or some other urgent-sounding message to trick you into providing information without thinking.

Don’t do it.

Smishing is like phishing, but

instead of using email, the criminal uses text messaging to reach you.

Same idea, they pretend they are from an organization you might know and trust (such as a bank or the IRS) and try to get your personal information.

Vishing, like phishing and smishing, is when scammers use phone services such as a live phone call, a “robocall,” or a voicemail to try to trick you into providing personal information by sounding like a legitimate business or government official.

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF SCAMS? Government Impostor Scams are when fraudsters pretend to be an employee of the FDIC, IRS or other government agency, sometimes even using the names of real people.

Remember, the FDIC and the IRS do not send unsolicited correspondence asking for money or sensitive personal information, and they will never threaten you. Also, no government agency will ever demand that you pay by gift card, wiring money or digital currency.

These agencies would never contact you asking for personal details, such as bank account information, credit and debit card numbers, social security numbers or passwords.

Lotteries and Sudden Riches Scams are when you are told that you won a lottery, perhaps in a foreign country, or that you are entitled to receive an inheritance. You are told that to “claim" the lottery winnings or inheritance, you must pay “taxes and fees.” A fake cashier’s check might be sent to you, which the scammer asks you to cash and then wire back the funds to cover the taxes and fees.

They disappear with your funds and you get nothing but taken advantage of by the criminal when the check is found to be fraudulent, and your bank holds you responsible for the loss.

Online Auctions, Classified Listing Sites and Overpayment Scams involve an online auction or classified listing site. The scammer offers to buy an item for sale, pay for a service in advance, or rent an apartment. The clue that it is a scam is that they send you a cashier’s check for an amount that is higher than your asking WWW.CAROLINAFIREJOURNAL.COM

price. When you bring this to their attention, they will apologize for the oversight and ask you to quickly return the extra funds. The scammer’s motive is to get you to cash or deposit the check and send back legitimate money before you

it into your bank account and withdraw the amount in cash. You are then instructed to use a local money transfer business to send the funds back to the “employer” and "evaluate" the service provided by the money transfer business.

Grandparent Scams happen when a fraudster hacks into someone’s email account and sends out fake emails to friends and relatives, perhaps claiming that the real account owner is stranded abroad and might need your credit card information to return home. If you receive such an email, make sure you contact the sender through other means before sending any money or personal information. or your bank realize that the check you deposited is fake.

Grandparent Scams happen when a fraudster hacks into someone’s email account and sends out fake emails to friends and relatives, perhaps claiming that the real account owner is stranded abroad and might need your credit card information to return home. If you receive such an email, make sure you contact the sender through other means before sending any money or personal information.

Secret or Mystery Shopper Employment Scams involve fake advertisements for job opportunities that claim to be "hiring" people to work from home. As the potential new “employee,” you might receive an official check as a starting bonus and are asked to cover the cost of “account activation.” The scammer hopes to receive these funds before the official check clears and you realize you have been scammed. Another scenario involves an offer to work from home as a secret shopper to "assess the quality" of local money transfer businesses. You are sent a cashier’s check and instructed to deposit

Be sure to read the FDIC Consumer News on check fraud to learn more about scams involving checks. FDIC Consumer News: Beware of Fake Checks.

HOW CAN I AVOID SCAMS? Be suspicious if someone contacts you unexpectedly online and asks for your personal information.

It doesn’t matter how legitimate the email or website may look.

Only open emails, respond to text messages, voice mails, or callers that are from people or organizations you know, and even then, be cautious if they look questionable.

If you think an email, text message, or pop-up box might be legitimate, you should still verify it before providing personal information. If you want to check something out, independently contact the supposed source (perhaps a bank or organization) by using an email address or telephone number that you know is valid, such as from their website or a bank statement.

Be especially wary of emails or websites that have typos or other obvious mistakes. If it looks fraudulent, it probably IS fraudulent.

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Ask MR. BILL BEGIN THE NEW YEAR WITH A REVIEW OF YOUR FINANCES With the travel industry lifting restrictions, and businesses and schools beginning to open again, it creates a feeling of starting fresh and encourages us to set new goals.

Setting new financial goals should be on the top of our lists. As you reflect on the past year, focus on your experiences – build on what worked and what didn’t – to shape this year’s money habits. Here are some ideas to consider as you set your financial goals.

NEW SAVINGS ACCOUNT Think about what you want to save for the coming year and commit to opening a savings account to reach that goal, whether it’s creating an emergency fund or setting money aside for your kids’ future college tuition. There are many types of savings accounts available to save for both short-term and long-term goals.

Small Step: Decide on the type of savings account that will meet your goal and commit to depositing a set amount on a regular basis to get into the habit of saving. For example, if you open a basic savings account, deposit $25 every month and sign up for direct deposit or automatic withdrawals from your checking account or paycheck to ensure that amount is saved. Once

you’re comfortable with saving a small amount consistently, you can increase it.

PAY DOWN THAT OLD DEBT Confronting your debt and thinking about how to pay it off can be

either debt with the highest interest rates or debts with the lowest balances to pay off. While you will likely save more money paying off debts with the highest interest rates, it may be faster to pay off the

one organizational task and focus on that task for one month before adding another. For example, you might start by setting up automatic bill pay from your bank account to make sure your bills are paid

Small Step: Decide on the type of savings account that will meet your goal and commit to depositing a set amount on a regular basis to get into the habit of saving. For example, if you open a basic savings account, deposit $25 every month and sign up for direct deposit or automatic withdrawals from your checking account or paycheck to ensure that amount is saved. Once you’re comfortable with saving a small amount consistently, you can increase it. scary and overwhelming. Make a list of your debts, noting the monthly payment, current balance, and interest rate, and plan to start paying down the debts. Many experts recommend focusing on

smallest balances first. Seeing and feeling this progress may help keep you motivated.

Most of us are more concerned with monthly payments on our accounts and want to increase our personal monthly cash-flow. To do this choose your account with the largest payment and smallest balance. Once that account is paid in full you can then apply THAT former monthly payment to your next debt to pay off.

Small Step: Whichever method you choose for paying down debt, start by adding a small amount to one of your current payments.

For instance, if you are focusing on paying off a credit card with a minimum monthly payment of $100, add $25 to that amount to start (for a total monthly payment of $125).

Once you are comfortable with that new amount, add more when you’re able and stay focused on the goal.

GET ORGANIZED Keeping your finances organized will help you control your money and achieve your financial goals.

Some basic tasks to help you get organized include making a budget, tracking your spending, and putting a system in place to ensure you pay your bills on time every month.

Be sure to monitor your credit card and bank statements for any unexpected fees or unusual activity too. The sooner you find mistakes or unauthorized transactions, the easier it is to correct those issues.

Small Step: Like dealing with debt, organizing your finances can be daunting, so start small by picking

8 | CAROLINA FIRE RESCUE EMS JOURNAL | WINTER 2022

on time. Give yourself one month to learn about it, set it up, and get comfortable using it. Next month, focus on creating a budget, which gives you several weeks to learn about budgeting and work on it.

PROTECT YOUR MONEY With so many financial transactions occurring electronically, it’s important to proactively protect your personal information, including your credit card and bank account numbers. Take charge of protecting your money. Never provide your personal information in response to an unsolicited request, whether it is over the phone or over the Internet. Always track your bank and credit card statements and your credit reports for unusual activity. Catching abnormal transactions early will allow you to take steps to prevent more harm if your information has been stolen. Finally, change your account passwords often to reduce the risk of someone hacking into your accounts and stealing confidential information.

Now get busy on your 2022 budget!

Bill Carter is Director

of Fire/EMS Business Development for Civic Federal Credit Union in Raleigh. He has been in the financial services industry for 42 years and serves on the Advisory Board of the North Carolina Fallen Firefighters Foundation. You can send your questions to him at: bill.carter@ civicfcu.org.

WWW.CAROLINAFIREJOURNAL.COM

AUTHORIZATION OR Update from CAPITOL HILL APPROPRIATIONS:

Knowing the Difference Can Make a Difference to Become an Advocate on Capitol Hill Bill Webb

rying to explain how Congress funds the federal government requires a PhD in fiscal insanity. While the process, as explained on paper, seems to make sense, it’s anything but – which explains why we often read about potential government shutdowns at the end of every fiscal year.

For the purposes of this article, I will limit my comments to two important elements of the funding process: authorizations and appropriations. Both are essential to fund federal programs, but there is a tendency to think that they are one and the same. They are not.

I still recall when Congress approved legislation in 2000 to authorize the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program. I believe the legislation authorized $100 million for the new program.

Within hours of passage of the landmark legislation, organizations and trade publications were issuing

press releases announcing $100 million in federal funding for the grant program. But not so fast.

Authorizing legislation is what the term implies: establishing authority to create a new program or making changes to existing programs.

Most authorizing legislation sets timeframes. When the timeframe expires, Congress must approve reauthorization legislation to extend the life of the program. Since 1999, Congress reauthorized the AFG and SAFER programs three separate times, with the most recent reauthorization extending the program through the end of fiscal year (FY)2023.

Authorizing legislation also includes funding levels. Herein lies the confusion some people have with authorization and appropriation legislation. Funding levels in authorization legislation provide guidance for appropriations over the authorized timeframe. AFG and SAFER are each authorized at $750 million through FY2023. On the

other hand, appropriations legislation provides specific funding for a given fiscal year; it’s the actual dollars deposited into the AFG/SAFER account.

Each year, Congress is expected to approve 12 appropriations measures that include discretionary funding for AFG, SAFER, and the U.S. Fire Administration, among other priorities. For FY2021, AFG and SAFER were funded at $360 million each, an increase over prior year appropriations.

CFSI and many other fire service organizations work together every year to help secure these increases.

So why my rudimentary lesson in the federal budget process?

Because these are things you need to know to become engaged in advocacy at the federal level. Time spent with members of Congress or their staff should be spent with you educating them. You do not want them educating you. Before entering their offices, be fully prepared. The establishment of new programs are addressed in authorization legislation, whereas changes to existing programs, such as AFG and SAFER, are addressed in reauthorization legislation. Both programs are authorized through 2023. On the other hand, annually funding for federal programs comes

from appropriations legislation.

By being prepared, you can become a credible source of information for your member and their staff. And you will certainly help us in our mission.

Should you want additional information on the authorization and appropriations processes, please visit our website at: https://www. cfsi.org/legislation-advocacy/ current-legislation/ Bill Webb has served as

Executive Director of the Congressional Fire Services Institute since 1995. CFSI is a nonpartisan policy institute designed to enhance congressional awareness about the concerns and needs of the fire and emergency services. As executive director, he works closely with members of Congress and fire service leaders to sustain support on Capitol Hill for programs and legislation that benefit our nation’s fire and emergency services.

Before joining CFSI, Webb worked for the Firefighter Combat Challenge as the project manager for the competition. He currently serves as Vice Chairman of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation and is an honorary member of the Vienna Volunteer Fire Department, the Delaware Volunteer Firefighters’ Assocation and the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 36.

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Our

Cover STORY

PROTRACTED

WAR: GPMs vs. BTUs David Greene

ince the beginning of time, mankind has been fighting a war against fire. Although we find utility in it through it keeping us warm and using it for cooking, the devastation that fire has brought upon our country in the last few centuries is widespread. I suspect we never win our protracted war against our long-time nemesis “fire,” but we have won all of the battles thus far.

This is to say that there are not any fires that the responding companies keyed up their radio and said, “this is too difficult, we’re gonna let this one burn and return to quarters.” Some argue that not much has changed since the beginning of our war hundreds of years ago. I hope by the end of this article, you agree that this could not be further from the truth.

According to the United States Fire Administration, our war consisted of 1,291,500 battles (fires) in 2019. During these incidents, there were 3,704 deaths, 16,600 injuries, and $14.8 billion in damages. Although the dollar losses and deaths have increased sharply in the last decade, the number of fires is down roughly three percent

from 2010. Despite the complexity of each fire, each occurring in slightly different containers (buildings), the battle is quite simplistic. It is simply a matter of GPMs (Gallons Per Minute) versus BTUs (British Thermal Units). At each battle, we need to apply water (measured in GPMs) to absorb the heat release rates (measured in BTUs). Let’s clearly define both.

Gallons Per Minute (GPM) is simply the amount of water that we can “throw” at the fire.

Obviously, one GPM is one gallon of water applied per minute.

Determining our potential GPM starts by examining our water supply. Whether we are provided water from an apparatus booster tank, an expandable “drop tank,” a pressurized fire hydrant, or pressurized lines from tenders, this is the first consideration for how many GPMs we can bring to the battle. Next, we need to consider our pump size. While most engines have fixed pumps capable of bringing between 1,000 and 2,000 GPMs to the fight, smaller apparatus (i.e. brush trucks with 30 GPM pumps) may clearly be a constraint on our GPMs. HOSE LINE SELECTION Next step is to examine our hose line selection. Smaller hose lines may limit our GPMs by virtue of the friction loss associated with their diameter. While large hose lines may supply much larger GPMs, we have to consider their mobility as well. Although a five-inch hose line would give us incredible flexibility in regards to GPMs, many of us would not likely attempt to move a fiveinch hose line around the interior of a building fire.

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NOZZLE SELECTION We next have to consider our nozzle selection and can include solid stream versus fog nozzles as well as fixed versus variable gallonage (automatic) nozzles. Fixed gallonage (i.e., a nozzle that at most can supply 95 GPM) will obviously be a constraint whereas automatic nozzles have their GPM determined by the amount of pressure applied to the tip of the hose line. We also have to consider what we want our fire stream to do. Solid streams provide us greater penetration and the ability to produce a stream that is less likely to be converted to steam during application. Fog nozzles producing straight streams are a bit more broken than solid streams -- and much more broken when you turn them to the left in a modified fog or full fog pattern.

These streams can provide better coverage of an area, can be beneficial when converted to steam in a confined area (one that still has a roof on it), but likely offer a lower level of penetration when compared to solid streams.

HOSE LINE PLACEMENT Finally, we have to consider our hose line placement. Taking a hose line inside a burning building and applying our GPM’s directly to the burning contents is ideal. However,

sometimes the building is not safe to enter or has already had a partial or complete collapse upon our arrival.

In these cases, we have to consider the fact that even our solid streams will convert to broken streams at their breakover points when applied from the ground. Therefore, elevated solid streams -- like those at the tip of a ladder -- will provide us great tactical advantage to hold the stream together longer and have a better chance of reaching the burning contents without being converted to steam beforehand.

If we look back at the history of our war with fire, our water supplies, pumps, hose lines, and nozzles have had tremendous technological advances. We definitely have tactical advantages above our ancestors who were often forced to use horses, hand powered pumps, and buckets.

British Thermal Units (BTUs) are the way by which we measure the heat release rates of the building and its contents. Much like the heater in your home, which is rated to provide you with a certain number of BTUs, our buildings and its contents will provide us with a certain number of BTUs depending upon the volume, composition and arrangement. A BTU is the amount of heat required to raise one pound of water, one degree Fahrenheit.

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So, to move one pound of water from 68 degrees Fahrenheit to 212 degrees Fahrenheit (the temperature at which our water vaporizes and turns to steam), we need 144 BTUs (212 minus 68). One pound of water also absorbs an additional 970 BTUs through Latent Heat of Vaporization for a

total of 1,114 BTUs per pound of water. Since it takes 8.34 pounds of water to equal one gallon, we can expect that each one of our GPMs will absorb around 9,290 BTUs (1,114 x 8.34). This means we can expect our 1.75-inch handline with an automatic nozzle on it that is flowing 125 gallons per minute to absorb around 1.1 million BTUs per minute (9,920 x 125).

NIST has performed a considerable amount of research on the heat release rates of various furniture, building materials and furnishings. They found that a 100-pound sofa will produce five megawatts of energy translating to around 284,000 BTUs per minute. This explains how our 1.75-inch handline (absorbing 1.1 million BTUs per minute) is

able to extinguish a burning sofa successfully. Our heat release rates have changed as a result of the widespread use of synthetics. One hundred years ago, furniture was constructed of wood and cotton. A pound of cotton produces around 6,800 BTUs and a pound of wood produces around 7,000 BTUs. Today, our furniture is constructed of synthetics such as

We also have to consider what we want our fire stream to do. Solid streams provide us greater penetration and the ability to produce a stream that is less likely to be converted to steam during application.

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Cover STORY Polyurethane, Polyvinyl Chloride, Polystyrene, and Polyethylene (all of which contain hydrocarbon polymers). Polyurethane and polyethylene (both hydrocarbons) produce around 14,700 BTUs and 20,000 BTUs per pound respectively. Recall that gasoline is also a hydrocarbon. By comparison, a five-pound Polyethylene cushion will have a similar heat release

Class A (ordinary combustibles), even though we know they are not, we are looking at 192,000,000 BTUs. That number divided by 60 minutes of burn time for full consumption would give us a heat release rate of 3.3 million BTUs per minute. If each one of our hand lines is absorbing 1.1 million BTUs per minute, we would need three 1.75-inch handlines. Alternatively,

Lightweight construction is not lightweight. It kills you when it falls on you, which is usually really early in the fire. rate as a gallon of burning gasoline (around 115,000 BTUs). A polyurethane mattress will release 340,000 BTUs. This, however, only considers one piece of furniture.

The average single-family dwelling has 8,000 board feet of lumber at 2.5 pounds per foot (20,000 pounds) and an average of 4,000 pounds of furnishings and contents (sofa, television, carpeting, drapes, and clothing).

If given a 2,000 square foot house and we divide by the 24,000 pounds of combustibles above, we can estimate around 12 pounds of combustibles per square foot. If we assume all of our combustibles are

we could use one 1.75-inch and one 2.5-inch line. In either case, our GPMs should exceed our BTUs, which will enable us to win that battle.

NIST determined that a 100-pound sofa will produce 284,000 BTUs per minute. This would require around 30 GPM to extinguish. Since most automatic sprinkler heads can provide between 10 and 25 GPM, we really only need a sprinkler head or two to hold the fire to that item first ignited -- even when it is a sofa.

Of course, as we all know, the biggest threat to life inside a compartment fire is not the fire

itself but the toxic byproducts of combustion otherwise known as the smoke. The fuel packages 100 years ago of cotton and wood produced much less toxic smoke than today’s synthetics. The resultant smoke and heat release rates have translated into a greatly reduced time to escape today’s structure fires. Even 30 years ago, we had close to 17 minutes to exit a burning structure. Today, it is more like three to four minutes.

This is why our prevention efforts are so important. Smoke detectors, exit drills in the home, and sleeping with the door closed are all tactics that our citizens can use to maximize the very limited time they have to escape a fire in their home. Once we arrive, the battle of GPMs versus BTUs will begin.

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Don’t forget the final change that I will mention, the building construction. Remember that lightweight construction is not lightweight. It kills you when it falls on you, which is usually really early in the fire. Modern construction now sees roof trusses that are glued together and that glue will turn back to a liquid under even limited exposure to heat and flames. This will cause structural members to fail more quickly. Keep in mind also that the energy efficiency in

modern construction is designed to prevent temperature exchange with the outside environment, meaning it will hold heat from a fire better than an older building, at least until the fire is sufficiently vented.

In our protracted war against fire, remember that there is no acceptable loss of life or allowable casualty rate. Given the increased heat release rates and smoke toxicity associated with our changes to building construction, we must be more cautious in our battles than we have ever been.

Be safe and do good.

David Greene has over 31

years of experience in the fire service and is currently the deputy chief with Colleton County (S.C.) Fire-Rescue.

He holds a PhD in Fire and Emergency Management Administration from Oklahoma State University and an MBA degree from the University of South Carolina. He is a certified Executive Fire Officer through the National Fire Academy, holds the Chief Fire Officer Designation from the Center for Public Safety Excellence, holds Member Grade in the Institution of Fire Engineers, is an adjunct instructor for the South Carolina Fire Academy and is a Nationally Registered Paramedic.

He can be reached at dagreene@ lowcountry.com.

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UNDERSTANDING THE Policies&PROCEDURES RECOMMENDATIONS OF NFPA 3000 Julie Downey

s discussed in the last article, the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) 3000 Active Shooter/Hostile Event (ASHE) standard’s main objectives are to provide a single set of requirements to be used by the whole community addressing Unified Command, integrated response and planned recovery.

• Unified Command – When and

why a Unified Command needs to be in place, practiced and institutionalized by the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ).

• Whole Community – Providing

training and education to community members, preparedness information, bleeding control and emergency action plans for facilities.

• Integrated Response – All public

safety agencies that may be involved in a response collaborating to develop common operational plans in order to function as a cohesive, integrated unit.

• Recovery – Planning for each of

the Recovery Phases (immediate, early and continued recovery) is essential.

In this month’s article we take a deeper dive into Unified Command and common terminology, providing recommendations for best practices.

Establishment of a Unified Command is paramount for an effective organized response to any type of mass casualty incident or active shooter/hostile event.

According to FEMA, Unified Command (UC) is a structure that allows for multiple jurisdictions, a single jurisdiction with multiagency involvement, or multiple jurisdictions with multiagency involvement to manage an incident.

Unified Command allows agencies with different legal, geographic and functional authorities and responsibilities to work together effectively without effecting individual agency authority, responsibility or accountability.

If we review the after-action reports of several recent ASHE incidents, the consistent item that appears was the lack of establishing a Unified Command and/or co-locating all agencies with a responsibility in the incident at a common Command Post (CP), greatly hampering the communications between disciplines and jurisdictions. In addition to real-life MCI/ASHE

incidents, I have participated in hundreds of MCI/ASHE-type full scale exercises where the fire/EMS incident commander requests a law enforcement (LE) representative to report to their CP, however LE takes no action remaining in their separate command structure. Take an active approach and establish, before an incident occurs, an agreed upon process to either co-locate fire/ EMS and LE in the CP or establish a Unified Command comprised of all responsible disciplines.

A Unified Command (consisting of fire/EMS and law enforcement, at a minimum) is the most appropriate course of action during an ASHE. The use of common terminology or “plain text” communications and a Unified Command as advocated under the National Incident Management System’s (NIMS) Incident Command System (ICS) creates a more streamlined response that will increase responder safety, allow for quicker access to injured victims, and ultimately increase victim survivability. Incident Action Plan development should include input from fire/EMS and law enforcement to ensure objectives are both attainable and within the scope of each agency’s job function.

Common terminology can be a challenge as fire/EMS use different

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terminology, abbreviations, and acronyms than LE and absent “plain text,” we need to know each other’s language. Fire/EMS typically uses plain text while law enforcement uses nine or 10 codes.

Another big challenge is that fire/ EMS use letters to designate each side of a building and go clockwise starting at the front of the building, which is side A, whereas LE typically use numbers to designate each side of a building going counterclockwise: BUILDING SIDES

LE Side 1 Side 2 Side 3 Side 4

Fire/EMS Side A or “Alpha” Side D or “Delta” Side C or “Charlie” Side B or “Bravo”

As you can see, this can create much confusion. Additionally, fire/EMS typically identifies by number, i.e., “Floor #1, 2, 3,” etc., whereas LE uses letters such as “Floor A, B, C,” etc. One last communication challenge is ensuring fire/EMS personnel understand common LE terminology such as such as "Cleared, Secured, Cover, Concealment," and others.

These differences are significant

and will lead to confusion and perhaps worse, someone operating in a hazardous area. It is imperative that responding agencies work these differences out before an actual incident occurs and practice their use in training.

Fire/EMS and law enforcement agencies will not be able to predict nor stop every ASHE; however, they can increase the survivability of the victims and ensure the safety of the responders using standard operating procedures, the use of Unified Command, common terminology and joint training.

Regardless of the discipline, the objectives are the same; “stop the killing, stop the bleeding and stop the dying.” Stay Safe.

Julie Downey is Fire Chief for Davie Fire Rescue (Florida), certified firefighter/paramedic for 40 years and Chief Officer for 17 years. For over 25 years Downey has been involved with MCI training and exercise and has conducted over 300 exercises throughout the state and across the country. She is a Technical Committee member for the NFPA 3000 Standard for an Active Shooter/Hostile Event Response Program and the Chair of the State of Florida Disaster Response Committee. Downey is the author of the State of Florida MCI Procedure and MCI Field Operations Guides and has authored or coauthored over a million dollars in grant funding for MCI/ASHE related equipment and training.

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WINTER 2022 | CAROLINA FIRE RESCUE EMS JOURNAL | 15

EMPTYING OUR Health&WELLNESS STRESS BUCKETS Dena Ali

oday, education and discussion on mental health, suicide and PTSD are at the forefront for first responders.

However, despite effort, it almost seems as though negative outcomes are on the rise.

In fact, a scroll through social media would lead many to believe that a career in public safety is causal of negative mental health outcomes, suicide and PTSD. In fact, many first responders are renaming Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), to a more socially acceptable term, Post Traumatic Stress Injury (PTSI) because they believe that by replacing Disorder with Injury, they are reducing stigma and blame on the individual.

This is flawed on so many levels.

First and foremost, clinicians and researchers alike recognize that PTSD is different from PostTraumatic Stress Symptoms (PTSS). The former generally arises when a traumatic event is not properly processed and can even be described as a disorder of recovery, and the latter is a natural response to trauma. Further, attributing suicide to a career in public safety,

is also erroneous. This is because suicide is never the result of a single cause. Rather, it’s the result of a complex interplay of many factors, to which are varied from person to person. Attributing to a single cause is not only wrong, but also harmful.

There are underlying factors that can be so deep-seated, that even the individual can’t always appreciate their significance.

For example, somebody with an Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) score of six, is at a 5000 percent increased likelihood of suicide attempt, and a score of four can triple their risk of suffering from depression. We cannot and should not make assumptions based on profession alone. While we know that

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certain professions have higher rates of suicide, we also know that it’s not the profession that leads to suicide, but rather individual factors associated with persons who enter their respective professions. For example, we often attribute military and first responder careers with suicide and blindly attribute the suicide to “the traumatic calls.” However, military findings have discovered no relationship between combat and suicide. According to war journalist Sebastian Junger, there are several underlying factors that members bring to the military and additional factors created by military association.

Dr. Craig Bryan explains, “we train our warriors to use controlled violence and aggression to suppress strong emotional reactions in the face of adversity, to tolerate physical and emotional pain and to overcome the fear of injury and death.” These factors are all associated with increased risk for suicide. Dr. Brene Brown takes it one step further by explaining that “in organizations when we lead, teach, or preach from a gospel of Viking or Victim, we crush faith, innovation and adaptability to change. Take away the guns, in fact, and we find outcomes similar to those for soldiers and police in corporate America. The American Bar Association reports that suicides among lawyers are close to

four times greater than the rate of the general population.”

For the previously mentioned populations, strength, resilience, courage and personal sacrifice in the face of adversity is valued. Yet, the stigma associated with illness, weakness, sadness and a desire to die by suicide is seen as weakness.

Therefore, the association between being a firefighter and suicide is not causal, but instead due to a host of other variables to which they are both linked, and which explains their association. This means, we cannot generalize causal factors based on occupation, we must consider individual factors.

Moreover, there is no such thing as PTSI. While you will find PTSD in the diagnostic and statistical manual (DSM), you will not find PTSI. I understand the reasons people explain for using this term.

They claim that PTSD is too harsh of a diagnosis since disorder blames the individual, and Injury is less stigmatizing. We must understand that PTSD is real, however, so is PTS. Post-Traumatic Stress is universal, and it’s normal, and all of the symptoms associated are healthy and adaptive. Most people exposed to trauma will display PTSS. And with good sleep, a good social network and good coping skills, most people will not develop long term PTSD. Furthermore, 80 percent of people who do develop PTSD will recover! PTSD IS NOT A LIFE SENTENCE. However, we must understand that it is real, and there are things we can do to prevent its manifestation. For example, we know isolated and alienated people are at greater risk for both suicide and PTSD. Moreover, so are people who are unable to disclose their true sources of pain, and people who are unable to receive post traumatic support.

Finally, by blindly attributing suicide to trauma, PTSD, PTS, or PTSI, we are causing more damage to those who are struggling in silence from other stressors.

We are conveying the message that PTSD/I is honorable and unpreventable. Through this messaging, we are further silencing those suffering from depression, anxiety, substance use disorder, relationship issues, bullying and many other common stressors.

And while the causes of the previously mentioned mental health disorders are complex and varied, the solutions are not. The solutions are all common sense, yet unfortunately not common practice. Because of this, most first responders are not well prepared to process negative events or manage stress in a healthy way.

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Historically, our method to deal with the bad stuff was to bury it down by either staying busy or drinking the negative thoughts away. However, today, we know all that does is build up until the most insignificant thing makes you implode.

I know, talking is hard. An alternative is journaling. Multiple research studies from college students, to rape survivors, combat veterans, and even prisoners have found that writing about traumatic thoughts and experiences helps to resolve them and store them as

Feelings have a life cycle of 90 seconds if you allow them to roll though. Research recommends feeling them all the way through and even letting them complete their cycle vocally resolves them.

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memory and not trigger. You can simply write down your thoughts, then tear them up if you don't want the reminder. The simple practice of writing them down is sufficient.

No matter how you decide to process your trauma, if you want to improve mental health, you must sleep. Sleep is what Dr. Van Der Kolk (world renowned trauma psychologist) refers to as in-built therapy. Specifically, REM sleep.

REM sleep works to process and lay traumatic memories to rest.

Furthermore, sleep scientist Dr. Matthew Walker explains that insufficient sleep is tied to every single mental health disorder. Poor sleep results in an amplification of the amygdala which reduces patience and increases emotional responses.

We must work to develop good sleep habits early in our careers and lives. Because without a good sleep routine, stress and trauma can make sleep even more difficult.

Small changes have profound effects on sleep. Get rid of blue light and television an hour before bed. Work to develop consistent bedtime routines and times. Stop using sedatives (Ambien/alcohol/ etc.) to sleep. Because they sedate you, they also suppress the active processes that take place during sleep. They prevent you from getting to REM sleep and ergo, their use increases the risk of PTSD, depression and suicide.

Learn a mindfulness practice to calm your mind and become less reactionary to stimulus and less judgmental of your thoughts.

My favorite app is Headspace, but Calm, and Insight Timer are also great.

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So, what's the alternative.

First and foremost, supervisor support and willingness to talk to your crews about EMOTIONS and difficult feelings is critical. Research has found that supervisor support is the strongest predictor of decreased PTSD severity. If the company officer has the courage to open up and know available resources, members are more likely to utilize those resources. Company officers must take time to learn about the resources available to them and to their crews. It’s imperative that they understand how their agencies EAP works, know how to find a therapist, how therapy works and why just simply talking is helpful.

Traumatic situations can get stuck in the limbic system, and the best way to free them and move them to memory without physical response is to simply process them by talking about them. A great resource for anybody is https:// www.psychologytoday.com/us.

All you have to do is type in your zip code, insurance and whatever issues you may need help with.

Then the screen will populate a list of clinicians with their picture and biographies. It is recommended that you select three clinicians to reach out to and meet. After talking to each of them, pick the one you feel most comfortable with. Finding the right clinician is like finding the right pair of running shoes.

However, you don’t always have to reach out to a clinician to heal.

You simply must find somebody to have meaningful conversation with. This doesn’t have to be a professional or even a trained peer.

It’s anyone who you can open to without fear of judgement.

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Health&WELLNESS Allow yourself to feel what you feel. If you are angry, be angry.

If you are sad, be sad. Feelings have a life cycle of 90 seconds if you allow them to roll though.

Research recommends feeling them all the way through and even letting them complete their cycle vocally resolves them. YELL, CRY, SCREAM, whatever you need to do to allow the cycle of the feeling to pass. If you think I am crazy, study other mammals. No mammal suppresses their feelings, they jump and scream, and then return to baseline calm without the need to get drunk. Releasing their feelings allow them to remain calm and prepared.

Modern society has normalized the destructive habit of suppressing those feelings that should signal to your body that something is off.

Sadness tells us that we need to grieve a loss, anger tells us that we need to get rid of something, and joy tells us that we need to embrace the moment. Don’t be afraid to utilize your feelings as clues.

Knowing what you feel is the first step to understanding why you feel, which is a clue to taking action.

Finally, take time to practice gratitude. I know it sounds crazy with all the bad in the world.

But expressions of gratitude are

Modern society has normalized the destructive habit of suppressing those feelings that should signal to your body that something is off.

Sadness tells us that we need to grieve a loss, anger tells us that we need to get rid of something, and joy tells us that we need to embrace the moment. scientifically proven to reduce distress and increase our resilience.

Take five minutes to sit and consider all that you have to be grateful for. Make this a daily habit.

I know I said finally, but now, Lastly, Laugh. Laughter is medicine. Find something or someone to laugh at.

If you need support, please reach out to a trusted confidant. If you’re in crisis, never hesitate to call the

suicide prevention lifeline 1-800273-Talk. If you just need a little support, you can Text SUPPORT To 1.833.698.7864 to reach Next Rung or if you're in North Carolina, call North Carolina Peer Support 1-855-7NC-PEER. There is no doubt that a first responder career is stressful.

Everything from the time away from home, sleepless nights and unspeakable calls add to our stress

bucket. But those buckets don’t have to overflow. By learning the positive coping skills mentioned in this article, we can grow into a stronger and more resilient version of ourselves.

Dena Ali is a captain with the Raleigh, NC Fire Department where she has worked her way up the ranks. Ali has a degree from North Carolina State University and an MPA from the University of North Carolina—Pembroke, where her research focused on firefighter suicide. She received the NC Office of State Fire Marshal Honor, Courage, and Valor award in 2018 for her steadfast effort to bring awareness to firefighter mental health through her vulnerability. She is an advocate of awareness, education, and understanding of mental health disorders and suicidality. She speaks locally and nationally on these topics and is a QPR Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper Instructor and is the founder and director of North Carolina Peer Support where she helped to develop their statewide curriculum. She is also a founding member of the Carolina Brotherhood, a group of cyclists/firefighters in North Carolina who honor the fallen and their families annually.

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AS MORALE Spiritual WEALTH DECLINES AMONG LAW ENFORCEMENT, BILLY GRAHAM CHAPLAINS STEP IN The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association

very day law enforcement officers report to work, their lives are at risk. But that’s not all. Their mental health is also on the line. In recent years, more officers have died by suicide than in the line of duty.

With such a great need for emotional and spiritual support, police forces across the country are inviting the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team (BG-RRT) to train their own officers as chaplains.

“Unlike any other chaplain course I’ve ever seen, we are Bible-based and Christ-centered,” explained David Rutledge, co-manager of the Rapid Response Team’s law enforcement ministry. “Jesus is the heart of it. We’re obvious about that.”

Rutledge and other Billy Graham chaplains with law enforcement experience are leading trainings nationwide — from the tip of Florida to the California coast.

These weeklong trainings are open not only to active duty and

retired officers, but pastors and community members with hearts for law enforcement as well. Through lessons and discussions, Billy Graham chaplains dive deep into the challenges officers face and offer tips for how attendees can support them.

They also guide chaplain trainees who are officers themselves how not to burn out helping others.

“We get a healthy mix of different people that adds a lot to discussions,” said Eric Hubbard, Rutledge’s fellow manager and another former officer. His own wife went through the 40-hour course.

The material doesn’t change based on location. But the Holy Spirit always shows up to meet attendees in personal ways.

“This training was real and “I did not want the week to pure, and God was present,” end,” added another. said one attendee.

“God is using you. Keep it going as much as He allows,” said one more.

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So far, the BG-RRT has hosted more than a dozen trainings, and the invitations keep coming in.

And Rutledge, who worked in law enforcement for more than 30 years, thinks it’s a sign of revival.

“When I first started in 1980, nobody talked about faith,” he said.

“There’s a spiritual hunger now.

Christian officers are much more open about their faith. … To be a part of that is just amazing.”

Hubbard, who had a 20-year law enforcement career, noted recent tensions have factored in the change.

“People are now realizing that their hope isn’t in what they thought it was in,” he said. “There’s all this unreasonable anger toward them. They’re realizing that there’s got to be more than this.

“We get to explain that there’s a bigger hope, and His name is Jesus.”

To learn more about the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team, visit BillyGraham.org/RRT.

WINTER 2022 | CAROLINA FIRE RESCUE EMS JOURNAL | 19

SOLVING THE PUZZLE: INTELLIGENCE GATHERING ON THE HAZMAT ‘BATTLEFIELD’

Glenn Clapp CSP, EFO, CHMM, CFPS

The adage “Knowledge is power” applies not only to life in general, but also to the discipline of hazmat response.

Sixty-One DELTA ONE The quantity and quality of intelligence we gather, both prior to and during a hazmat incident, is a great predictor of our success in bringing the incident to an efficient and effective positive outcome.

Such intelligence assists us in determining the product or products we are dealing with, their relative hazards and the overall details of the situation at hand.

Successful intelligence gathering in relation to hazmat incidents should begin well before an incident occurs. Fire service personnel are very well acquainted with the preplanning of commercial occupancies to enable us to be familiar with their layout, construction, and fire protection systems so that our fire suppression efforts can be maximized. In fact, the Insurance Services Office values pre-planning

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20 | CAROLINA FIRE RESCUE EMS JOURNAL | WINTER 2022

efforts so highly that in their Public Protection Classification (PPC) Rating that rates the fire suppression capabilities of a department, the maximum number of points that can be awarded in one section is gained by performing a minimum of one pre-planning activity per year with each commercial, industrial, institutional, or similar occupancy in their territory.

This emphasis on pre-planning activities should also be carried over into the field of hazardous materials response. Hazardous materials facilities are often more than willing to welcome hazmat response personnel into their facilities, as it benefits both emergency response and facility personnel.

Hazmat pre-planning efforts not only allow response personnel to familiarize themselves with the facility itself and the hazardous materials therein, but also allow the emergency responders and facility personnel to become acquainted with one another and each other’s response capabilities, equipment and response methodologies. As we oftentimes state, the time and place to get to know one another is not on the incident scene. Although preplanning activities place an added load on our already full “plates,” the time spent on those activities pays off huge dividends when an incident actually occurs. A pre-plan visit can also be an opportune time to inquire about the existence and content of an Emergency Response Plan (ERP) as required by OSHA in 29 CFR 1910.120 (the HAZWOPER Standard). The ERP is required by OSHA to contain information on pre-emergency planning and coordination with outside parties, evacuation routes and procedures; and PPE and emergency equipment utilized at the facility -- just to name a few of the required items. The effective transfer of pertinent intelligence and information can also be assisted through the participation of hazmat response personnel in joint training and exercise (both table-top and full scale in nature) activities. The relationship between public and private sector personnel is only enhanced by such events, which can serve as valuable preludes to the “real thing” in terms of an incident.

Hazmat response personnel should also become familiar with and obtain intelligence from required chemical reporting data. Title III of the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (also known as the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act [EPCRA]) requires that Tier II Chemical Reports be filed by facilities meeting certain criteria on or before the first day of March of WWW.CAROLINAFIREJOURNAL.COM

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every year. Tier II Reports reference the hazardous chemicals on site during the preceding calendar year and contain data such as facility contact information, the hazardous chemicals present at the facility, their locations, and quantities of same reported in ranges.

The normal thresholds observed for Tier II reporting are 10,000 pounds for non-extremely hazardous substances and 500 pounds for extremely hazardous substances (EHSs). Local Emergency Planning Committees (LEPCs), however, can choose to adopt more stringent thresholds. As a case in point, the Wake County, North Carolina LEPC has set Tier II reporting thresholds at 55 gallons/500 pounds or the Threshold Planning Quantity of an extremely hazardous substance (the lesser of the three). In North Carolina, Tier II Reports are filed using the E-Plan online filing system and are automatically disseminated to state and local emergency management agencies, and the local fire department having jurisdiction.

Section 303 of EPCRA requires that facilities possessing quantities of extremely hazardous substances (EHSs) more than their Threshold Planning Quantities (TPQs) provide specified information to their LEPC. Wake County, North Carolina for example requires that such facilities submit the information in the form of a Site Specific Plan (SSP) that can best be described as a more detailed and thorough Tier II Report. The SSP template is available online and is completed by the facility and the information is then disseminated to the appropriate emergency response agencies. Such SSPs can be a valuable asset in pre-planning efforts as they provide a detailed look into the facility, the chemicals present and the response procedures utilized by facility personnel and responding agencies.

Let us now turn our discussion from intelligence gathering efforts conducted prior to the occurrence of an incident to those utilized once we respond to the scene of a hazmat incident.

As we should have become familiar with key facility personnel during our pre-planning activities, we should know who the best facility contact is to obtain accurate information from regarding the nature and extent of the incident. There may even be certain personnel that serve as the best source of information for certain areas of or process lines at the facility. Knowing the appropriate contact or contacts helps us to reduce the likelihood of having to progress through multiple personnel to find the most accurate and pertinent information. While many hazmat response personnel prefer to speak to chemical engineers or management personnel at a fixed facility to gather intelligence, responders should not discount the institutional knowledge of process operators and other similar personnel with many years of experience

working with specific processes and chemicals. Such personnel can oftentimes quickly tell you in no uncertain terms what the hazards and idiosyncrasies of specific chemicals they work with are.

As gatherers of intelligence at hazmat incidents, hazmat response personnel should also strive to develop a group of personnel that can competently utilize research sources to verify the intelligence gathered at the incident scene. This Research Group as it is termed in Incident Command System (ICS) parlance should be allowed to work in an unobstructed and uninterrupted manner to determine exactly what hazardous materials the hazmat team is dealing with and the hazards therein so that responders can “trust but verify” the intelligence being gathered from facility personnel, chemical reporting and other resources.

The Research Group can be one of the busiest entities on scene in the initial stages of a hazmat incident, and I have always said that one of the best items ever placed on a hazmat unit is the lock on the door of the research area, as it allows the Research Group to perform their work in an unimpeded manner on the incident scene.

As we have discussed above, the gathering of intelligence prior to and during a hazmat incident often sets the tone of the success of our actions on scene. Intelligence gathering can be thought of as solving the puzzle of what product or products we are dealing with, their hazards and situationally specific details of the incident itself. The greater the quantity and accuracy of the intelligence and information we gather, the safer and more effective our on-scene actions will be. As always, stay safe out there and be sure to visit the North Carolina Association of Hazardous Materials Responders website at www. nchazmat.com.

Glenn Clapp is a

past president of the North Carolina Association of Hazardous Materials Responders and has over 24 years of fire service and emergency management experience. He is currently an Improvement Specialist with the Industry Expansion Solutions Division of North Carolina State University and is a volunteer firefighter with the Fairview Fire Department. He is also a Technician-Level Hazmat Instructor, an Executive Fire Officer, a Certified Hazardous Materials Manager and a Certified Fire Protection Specialist.

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Burton Fire District

South Carolina

Beaufort County, SC

FIRE STATION PROFILE Department Name: Burton Fire District County: Beaufort Type Department: Career Structure: Burton Fire District Grays Hill ALS Fire Station ISO: 2/2y Number of Stations: 5 Number of Apparatus: 6 Pumpers, 1 Aerial, 2 Specialty Do you provide EMS? Yes, ALS Annual Budget: $5,665,310 Chief Harry Rountree

Area Covered (square miles): 50 Population: 35,573

Total Runs: 2,834 (Fire: 850, EMS: 1984) Chief: Chief Harry Rountree Chief Officers: Deputy Chief Tom Webb, Assistant Fire Chief James Still, Battalion Chief Tony Carneavale, Battalion Chief Grabenbauer, Battalion Chief Matthew Maichel

Number of Members: Paid: 55, Volunteer: 0 Address: 36 Burton Hill Rd, Beaufort, SC 29906 Web site: https://www.burtonfd.org/ Phone: (843) 255-8011 Community Outreach: The Burton Fire District has an active Community Risk Reduction program with a dedicated person to carry out programs, which include community CPR and an active Stop the Bleed program. We also have an Engine Company Inspection/Pre-Plan program (COVID temporary suspended) which not only increases community safety, but keeps our personnel in continuous contact with the community and familiar with building layouts.

Top concerns in your community: We protect a large portion of rural county serving mostly middle to low-income families, as well as many citizens in the “at risk” group for fires and injury. Our county is also rapidly growing in our municipal areas, and combined with our tourism population, are increasing traffic on our roadways. Our top two concerns are increases in traffic accidents with injuries and entrapment, and structure fires.

What are you doing for fundraising? Our District has an active Firefighter Assistance Support Team which conducts various fundraisers in the community.

We are also accepting donations for our JACOB Kit program.

What special hazards or unique businesses in your community? We protect a large rural community with high numbers of “at risk” citizens, along with limited industrial areas.

Many of our commercial structures are not sprinklered and built under older fire codes. While not in our district proper, the local military air station lies right on our border, placing aircraft

What problems in your department that you would like feedback from others?

We have explored the possibility of a community paramedic program and would like some ideas from equal sized and staffed departments who have such a program, as well as information on departments who manage an engine company inspection program. Assistance with applying for an AFG grant for a mobile safety education house is very welcome. Despite our “at risk” population, a full-time community risk reduction program, our fire injury/death statistics, along with demonstrating a regional need and agreements with fire departments, we continue to be unsuccessful.

Other Officers: 4 Captains, 7 Lieutenants

What upgrades will you make in your department this year? Purchasing new apparatus and station upgrades. We continue to apply for AFG Grants to replace equipment.

We are also working towards implementing the new Advanced Emergency Medical Technician certification as a basic level of service, and will continue sending personnel to this upgrade training.

flight patterns directly over our district. In 2018 we responded to an F-35 crash, and in 2007 a Navy Blue Angel went down in our district.

Accomplishments in your department: In 2017, our department created, and recently completed, the JACOB Kit program where a bleeding control kit is placed in every classroom in every school, along with annual teacher/staff training in Stop the Bleed. Over $20,000 was raised through local partnerships and donations, along with local grants, to accomplish this goal. In 2019, our fire district and the Beaufort County School District were given the Firehouse Magazine’s Thomas Carr Community Service Award for this successful partnership.

Our fire district also maintains our own training facility, including a live burn building and auto fire and extrication props, which allows for training evolutions ranging from suppression, forcible entry and vertical ventilation, to specialized rescue. We have hosted several regional and national programs at this facility.

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North Carolina

FIRE STATION PROFILE

Charlotte Fire Dept Mecklenburg County, NC

Type Department: Paid Structure: Conventional org chart ISO: 1 Number of Stations: 43 Number of Apparatus: 94 Pumpers: 43 frontline and 16 Reserves Aerials: 16 Frontline and 10 Reserves Specialty: 9 Specialty which includes foam, hazmat, and rescue equipment Do you provide EMS? We are EMTs and provide first responder services.

What type: FR Specialty Operations: (list all) ARFF, Dive Team, HazMat, Police Assist Company, Swift Water Rescue, USAR Annual Budget: $144 million Area Covered (square miles): 315 Population: 887,214 Total Incidents: 119,603 Fires: 2,260 Structure Fires: 689 EMS: 74,679 Chief: Reginald T. Johnson Chief Officers: Deputy Chiefs Peter Skeris, Jerry Winkles, Samuel Jones, 7 Division Chiefs, 38 Battalion Chiefs

Chief Reginald T. Johnson

members are experiencing increased stress due to COVID’s impacts on our community and organization.

What are you doing for fundraising?

We are fortunate to have many generous donors within our community who have helped fund programs like Camp Hornet’s Nest, Camp Ignite, and the K-9 Support Program.

Number of Members: Paid: Ops1104; Non-ops-126 Volunteer: 0

What upgrades will you make in your department this year? New fire stations, implementation of towers and tillers, expanding behavioral health.

Address: 500 Dalton Ave, Charlotte, NC 28206

What special hazards or unique businesses in your community?

Other Officers: (list number of Captains, Lieutenants, etc.) 210 Captains

Web site: https://charlottenc.gov/fire/ Pages/default.aspx Phone: 704-336-4174 Community Outreach (describe what you do in the community): The members of our organization very much enjoy being active within the community. This year, our organization participated in initiatives like Steve’s Coats for Kids, Toys for Tots, home renovation project for a military member, food drives, and many other special programs.

Our Fire & Life Safety Education division connects with elementary and middle school students to share the importance of fire safety. Members of this division also participate in a Friendship Tray program, delivering meals and groceries to the elderly and individuals who are unable to prepare meals for themselves.

Each year we host two camps, Camp Ignite, open to girls in grades 9-12, and Camp Hornet’s Nest, open to boys in grades 9-12. These programs provide an insider look at a career in firefighting while instilling leadership skills.

SPECIAL HAZARDS • Fire • Explosions • Natural hazards • Hazardous materials • Terrorism

• Workplace violence • Pandemic disease • Critical infrastructure failures • Supply chain failures • Cyber attacks • Civil unrest • War • Radiological emergencies • Mass casualty incidents • Unique Businesses: • Charlotte houses the Carolina Panthers and Charlotte FC (Bank of America Stadium), Charlotte Hornets (Spectrum Center), Charlotte Checkers (Bojangles Coliseum), and Charlotte Knights (Truist Field).

• Uptown Charlotte and the surrounding areas are also home to companies such as Bank of America, Duke Energy, Sonic Automotive, Coca-Cola Consolidated, LendingTree, Bojangles’, Honeywell etc.

What problems in your department that you would like feedback from others? Recruitment, staffing, budget, Officer development List anything else you are proud of and would like the readers to know about, are you doing anything special in Recruitment, Retention or anything unique other departments could benefit from. In May 2020, we established our K-9 program, with Educator Rick Dunton and K-9 Lady Katherine, aka “Cat”, becoming our first official Charlotte Fire Department K-9 therapy team. Rick and Cat play a significant role in our community engagement efforts, elementary and middle school fire education programs, and behavioral health support for our members. Recently we added K-9 Phoenix, assigned to FFII Matthew Wiatrowski. This team focuses solely on behavioral wellbeing.

Text “NCSFAAPP” to 844-745-4513 to have the app link sent to your phone or search “N C State Firefighters’ Assoc” in your app store.

Top Two concerns in your community: The top two concerns in our community are fire deaths and firefighter wellness. This fiscal year we have experienced twelve fire deaths.

Firefighter wellness is always one of our top concerns as many of our WINTER 2022 | CAROLINA FIRE RESCUE EMS JOURNAL | 23

EMS

COVID-19 Q&A

WITH DR. JAMES WINSLOW

I want to go over some common questions I get from EMS personnel regarding COVID-19. Below I have done my best to summarize how I have answered these questions in the past. I believe that everyone should also verify information given to them, so I have included references for all data I use in my answers. Please feel free to reach out if you would like me to visit your agency to talk about COVID and the COVID vaccines. I want all EMS personnel to have the best information possible, and I want all EMS personnel to be safe. I am honored to be able to work with you.

Please keep in mind that you should always defer to your local medical director for treatment decisions within your own practice.

Also, keep in mind that if you have personal medical decisions to make, please contact your primary care physician to obtain more information and guidance. None of this information is meant to come between you and your medical director/primary care physician.

If I get infected with COVID-19 is “natural” immunity enough to protect me from future infections?

Short Answer: No Long Answer: People who have

been infected with COVID-19 are 5.5 times more likely to be hospitalized if they get re-infected versus people who get COVID-19 after getting vaccinated. For people over age 65 the non-vaccinated

group with a past history of infection was 20 times more likely to be admitted to the hospital if they were re-infected versus the vaccinated group: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/ volumes/70/wr/mm7044e1.htm

What’s the risk to a pregnancy if a pregnant woman gets COVID-19?

Short Answer: A pregnant woman who gets COVID has a high risk of losing the baby and dying.

Long Answer: Pregnant women

who get COVID-19 have double the risk of having a still birth than a pregnant woman who does not have COVID-19. The mother is also at high risk for getting seriously ill. A pregnant woman has 22 times greater risk of dying than one not infected with COVID. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/ volumes/70/wr/mm7047e1.htm https://jamanetwork.com/journals/ jamapediatrics/fullarticle/2779182

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How effective are steroids with COVID-19 infection and when can they be used?

Short Answer: They are effective; however, only use steroids later in the disease course after a person has developed an oxygen requirement.

Long Answer: If steroids are

used during the later phase of COVID-19 infection they can improve outcomes by reducing inflammation. If steroids are given to a patient who does not have an oxygen requirement, then steroids can increase their risk of developing severe COVID-19. The reason for this is that there are two phases of COVID-19 infection. The first phase is the initial infection when the virus is starting to multiply rapidly, and the immune system is starting to fight the infection.

During this first phase steroids can slow down the immune response which can prevent the body from fighting the infection. The second phase of COVID-19 is when the body’s immune system basically goes into overdrive trying to fight the infection. The immune response during the second phase often causes a large amount of excessive systemic inflammation. This inflammation can negatively affect a person. Much of this inflammation can be in the lungs and can cause an oxygen requirement to develop.

The second phase is when steroids can help because they reduce the inflammation. https://doi.org/10.1093/qjmed/ hcab212

How effective are monoclonal antibodies?

Short answer: Monoclonal antibodies

are very effective if used early.

Long Answer: • Monoclonal use in previously vaccinated. One study looked

at 1935 vaccinated people who go COVID-19. Of these 1935 people only 7.7 percent were hospitalized. Most of the hospitalized patients had significant medical problems.

When reviewing the care given to the 1935 patients treatment with monoclonal antibodies

greatly reduced the chance of hospitalization. https://academic.oup.com/jid/ advance-article/doi/10.1093/ infdis/jiab570/6429422

• Prophylaxis. For people who have

been exposed to COVID-19, treatment with monoclonal antibodies has been shown to reduce the chance of contracting COVID-19 by 82 percent for up to six months. The study looking at the effectiveness of monoclonal antibodies also showed that no one was hospitalized with COVID-19 during that time period. Treatment with prophylactic monoclonal antibodies for people living with an infected person would likely be very protective for those exposed individuals. https://doi.org/10.1093/infdis/ jiab570

• Early treatment of infection.

Monoclonal antibodies are very effective early in the course of disease for those infected with COVID-19. If a person receives monoclonal antibodies less than or equal to five days after the start of symptoms, then monoclonal antibodies can reduce risk of hospitalization by 85 percent. It is important to remember that monoclonal antibodies must be given early. Also remember that monoclonal antibodies are within the scope of practice for paramedics in North Carolina.

infection, there is a potential risk that people may take fewer precautions against SARS-CoV-2 exposure. Taking fewer precautions against SARS-CoV-2 exposure can increase their risk of infection and may result in increased spread of SARS-CoV-2.”

risk compared to those not vaccinated.

The vaccinated group had a 67 percent lower chance of dying from any cause.

Put another way getting vaccinated was protective against dying.

https://www.fda.gov/medicaldevices/safety-communications/ antibody-testing-not-currentlyrecommended-assess-immunityafter-covid-19-vaccination-fda-safety

Is there any reason not to get vaccinated?

If I get the vaccine, will it increase my risk of dying from some type of vaccine adverse reaction?

Short answer: People who get vaccinated for COVID-19 have a lower chance of dying from all causes than those not vaccinated.

Long answer: If you are worried you

could have a vaccine adverse reaction that might cause you to die, this data shows that not getting the vaccine actually puts a person at higher risk of all causes of death. Vaccinated people have a lower non-COVID mortality

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/ volumes/70/wr/mm7043e2.htm

Short answer: No Long answer: You should not get

vaccinated if you have a history of anaphylaxis to any of the vaccine components. There is nothing wrong with having questions and trying to educate yourself. As a professional you need to find reliable sources of information so that you can best inform yourself.

If you are unsure about getting vaccinated contact your primary care physician or medical director.

Dr. Winslow has worked at Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem for the past 11 years. He was appointed as the Medical Director of the North Carolina Office of EMS in 2011. This document contains all protocol, procedures and policies for all EMS agencies in North Carolina.

https://www.bmj.com/ content/370/bmj.m3379

If I have high COVID-19 antibody titers, am I protected?

Short answer: High antibody titers don’t mean you are immune to COVID-19.

Long answer: Unfortunately, an

antibody test showing a high level of COVID-19 antibodies in your blood cannot be used to determine how much immunity you might have. Here is the exact wording from the FDA: “Test results from currently authorized SARS-CoV-2 antibody tests should not be used to evaluate a person’s level of immunity or protection from COVID-19. If the results of the antibody test are interpreted as an indication of a specific level of immunity or protection from SARS-CoV-2 WINTER 2022 | CAROLINA FIRE RESCUE EMS JOURNAL | 25

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH Health&WELLNESS AND GENERATIONS IN THE WORKFORCE Mark Rivero

n today’s workforce and career field, especially all working as first responders, behavioral health is a major concern.

Typically, the time from October to February is very emotional and strenuous mentally to a lot of the population in the United States. In the current workforce, one can see individuals from the age of 15 up to age 70.

In the past, people retired in their mid 60s to 70s and left the career field and its progression to the younger employees. But, in today’s workforce, employees are working longer than ever before.

With this change, the number of generations working alongside of each other has affected language and terms as well. An old saying is people won’t change until the change has a direct effect on them.

This is also true when it comes to an employee’s personal health both physically and mentally. Just a few short years ago, and even today,

when a tragic event occurs there will be comments on one’s mental health or stability. These events probably occur on two fronts, one being the victim and their family and one on the perpetrator if it is a criminal incident. But let’s look at the first responder and what effect does a life-threatening event have on them.

In any casualty event, there can be numerous injuries including loss of life. And if the first responder has never trained for the casualty aspect, what happens to them mentally? They can be exposed to circumstances that will give them

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, (PTSD), for an unknown amount of time or even for a lifetime.

When this occurs what resources are available for the responder?

Most departments or agencies probably have trained professionals in this area and are available for all employees to seek some type of help. But as a supervisor of first

responders, what do you look for and how do you approach the person effected?

Another thing included in the approach of a person in need is what are the age differences in the supervisor and the employee in need? This is where terminology is meeting the world of change. In older generations of first responders,

Any employee in any organization feels the sense of belonging and is willing to put in the extra effort when they are recognized and even when one is displaying certain behaviors. Take a minute and acknowledge the behavior difference you recognized and step in with concern for their overall health.

The pay back and reward is always beneficial to both sides.

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they were told that this is part of the job and you knew what to expect when you were hired. Not the best approach for the employee.

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hired firefighter will really need some coaching in use of language to get the firefighter to open up and discuss the incident that has affected them.

In learning new strategies, the new wave for PTSD and other

type of challenging emotions is to look at the term “behavioral health.” Behavior is really a part of the mental process. Looking at how we can discuss in open or private situations the behavior that is affecting someone allows us to

find a resolution and to provide the necessary resources. Behavioral health does include the physical health along with the mental health of all people.

In the career field of first responders, we need to look at what can and will present issues both mentally and physically to our employees and provide avenues and resources for effectively helping the employee to be able to work and deal with the issue. The behavior change, and resources, are not only important for the organization but also to the families of the employees.

In a recent situation I experienced, our weekly disposal collection operator was displaying some very emotional expressions.

When I asked him if everything was alright he stated, “no but I will make it through the shift.”

On our next meeting I waved him down and simply asked him if he was doing better and he said that all is good and thanked me for just simply checking on him. What I probably should have should have done is call his supervisor to check on him throughout his shift. Any employee in any organization feels the sense of belonging and is willing to put in the extra effort when they are recognized and even when one is displaying certain behaviors.

Take a minute and acknowledge the behavior difference you recognized and step in with concern for their overall health.

The pay back and reward is always beneficial to both sides.

Remember that behavioral health is mental health in today’s workforce and the life you get involved with will be the life you probably save.

Mark Rivero worked for the

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WINTER 2022 | CAROLINA FIRE RESCUE EMS JOURNAL | 27

A STRONG LETTER Barnyard MANAGEMENT TO FOLLOW …

Ken Farmer

ay back in 1975, I met a person who turned out to be a larger-than-life influence on my life in the fire service. Sadly, he died in November 2021 at the age of 78, after a short and brave battle with pancreatic cancer. We became very close friends and have a wide range of memories and great stories over the last 46 years. His name was Al Morganelli.

Al came from New York city when his family moved to Columbia, SC to get a fresh start in the early 1950’s. With an Italian name like Morganelli, coming to South Carolina at that time was a huge challenge and quite a mind shift for a little Italian kid. He developed quite a strong personality that fit him well as he grew up.

As an adult, Al went into sales.

He had the personality and wit that made him perfect for selling ice to Eskimos! One of his first entrances to the fire service came about when he lived in Parkwood, NC (outside of Durham, NC). He got appointed as Assistant Chief of the Parkwood Volunteer Fire Department just as they got started. One of his first

tasks was to walk into the office of Elwood Inscoe. Mr. Inscoe was the Deputy Commissioner of the NC Department of Insurance for Fire and Rescue Service in about 1960. Al worked at that time for Buxton Wallets and Accessories.

He self-titled himself as the “best damn pocketbook salesperson in the US”. Al was good at what he did. He came to see Mr. Inscoe to find out how to create and build a successful fire department. Al and Elwood became lifetime friends and he introduced Al to the world of fire truck and equipment sales.

Al went on to work for many of the famous fire truck manufacturing companies’ products in the US. That list includes John Beam, Emergency One, FMC, Atlas/EE, Gruman, Whelean Emergency Lights, and Hackney.

He was known widely in the fire truck industry and helped start Emergency One in Ocala, Florida on in the 1970’s. Al was known across the country for his knowledge and technical aspects of fire apparatus and fire equipment.

One of the biggest strengths Al had was being able to develop a business plan and make it happen.

28 | CAROLINA FIRE RESCUE EMS JOURNAL | WINTER 2022

He trained many salespeople in the art of selling that he learned while working for Buxton Wallets.

His famous motto was, “If you are going to say it, you better have the paperwork to prove it.” He taught these salesmen how to sell without bashing the competitor.

based sales; he made a major sale of many trucks to a military fire contract. As a salesperson, he was paid on a percentage of the cost of the trucks. At the home company office, the head financial person walked over the to the President’s office and told him that Al was going

“If you are going to say it, you better have the paperwork to prove it.”

-Al Morganelli

Before I start this series of stories, I must admit that every person I mention has now sadly passed away. I wish they were all still here with us to add or embellish these tales. The good news is that the statute of limitations has run out on any criminal charges now!

Early in his career of selling fire trucks, while still on commission-

to make more money, due to sales, than the President’s salary that year.

In minutes, a letter went from the President to Al informing him that he was immediately being put on a base salary instead of a commission.

Basically, he went from a potential paycheck of $100,000 to $25,000 in a flash. Al’s version of the story goes that he cranked up his manual

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typewriter and wrote the following letter to the President, which I had to clean up for this article: Dear President XXX: I am in receipt of your letter regarding my change in salary. Screw you, strong letter to follow.

Signed Al J. Morganelli He sued the company and won his money back. That was Al in a nutshell.

hotel occupant (a visiting Pastor per the story) opened his door to see what all the noise was about, his entire room and its contents immediately washed out the door from the high-pressure hose! This story ended with all the guys and the salesmen tossed out of the hotel immediately and made to pay for the damage. Al was dead in the middle of this event per his version of the story.

The next story is about the time several of us were travelling in the

The more Elwood blushed, the more Al embellished the story.

The waitress believed every word Al said and left us to tell the rest of the people who were in the restaurant.

We travelled together to many parts of North Carolina visiting different fire departments around the state. I wanted to share a couple of stories about Al that might give you some idea of his sense of humor and his impact on all of us.

In the early 1960’s the NC Fire College and Pump School was held in Salisbury, NC. During one of the after-class discussions around the hotel pool at the Holiday Inn, a claim was made by Jack Slagle of the power and impact of the newly released Jim Beam High Pressure pump. Al suggested that the “discussion” end with an actual test of the pump pressure. With that, a hard suction hose was tossed into the pool, the RPM revved up, and the pump engaged. The water flowed across the parking lot! When another

western part of North Carolina with Rufus Keith (former Chief of the Raleigh Fire Department) Al, Elwood Inscoe of the NC Department of Insurance, and myself. At that time in my career, I worked for Chief Keith as his administrative assistant in Raleigh. During the dinner, the young waitress mentioned to us how Elwood looked like a movie star, but she was not sure whom he resembled. Elwood had some Cherokee blood in him and was a handsome man. Al immediately told the waitress that Elwood was the famous Hollywood actor, Jay Silverheels who stared in the television story for the 1960’s The Long Ranger. Elwood immediately began to loudly disagree with Al’s

statement but that just added to the story. The more Elwood blushed, the more Al embellished the story.

The waitress believed every word Al said and left us to tell the rest of the people who were in the restaurant. We even had two people come over and ask Elwood for his autograph as Jay Silverheels, of course. Elwood never forgave Al for this event!

The third and final story came about when the Chief of the Raleigh Fire Department Sherman Pickard.

This occurred in May 1989. (Thanks Mike Legeros!). Chief Pickard had to let a person leave the department due to safety reasons. The person came to the Chief’s office at the RFD Training Center to share their frustration with his decision.

Unfortunately, the person brought a pistol. At the same time, there was a Fire Academy Recruit class being held. The story ended well as the person backed down after the police arrived. Al’s version of the story went a little different, of course. According to Al, who knew Chief Pickard very well, the recruit class went outside the center and started carrying protest signs. One group held signs up that said, “Save our Chief”, while the other group held up ones that said, “Shoot the rascal”. Of course, Al was never one to let facts get in the way of a good story!

I have so many more similar stories about Al, but I know one thing for sure. Although he was not known widely across the fire service in

both North and South Carolina, he had a large heart. He was loved by everyone that knew him and he made a big difference every day in how he lived and how he helped people, including me. Through his friendship, I have met so many people around the United States.

Going to the FDIC (National Fire Instructor’s Conference) with him was difficult as he had to stop and say hello to everyone he knew.

Throughout his professional career he was knows as the “go to guy” who would help you any way he could.

His heart and compassion to help his fellow man was as big as the sky.

He was a great storyteller, a great friend and never met a stranger.

He will be missed. He did a lot of good for his friends and was a great husband to his wife Kathy and a great father to his three kids, Denise, O’Hara and AJ. If you wish to send a donation, please send it to the Irmo (SC) Fire Department Foundation to the Al Morganelli Tuition Reimbursement Program at 6017 St. Andrews Road, Columbia, SC 29212.

December 2021 Stay Safe Ken Farmer is Section Chief, Leadership and Fire Risk Reduction at the National Fire Academy, United States Fire Administration in Maryland. Email him at ken. farmer@dhs.gov.

honor your bravest from FIREFIGHTER to CHIEF with solid bronze awards

WINTER 2022 | CAROLINA FIRE RESCUE EMS JOURNAL | 29

WHEN SHOULD YOU Maintenance TIPS CONSIDER RENTING • YOUR GEAR? Taylor Burke Gilman

agreement for your PPE needs, this will allow you to better evaluate the benefits that leasing might have over purchasing gear.

Compliance expertise. All turnout and equipment rentals should be NFPA 1971-compliant (meets minimum levels of protection from thermal, physical, environmental, and bloodborne pathogen hazards) and maintained to current NFPA 1851 safety guidelines. A reliable and knowledgeable vendor takes

• When you are waiting for new he National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1851 guidelines recommend two cleanings per year for turnout gear. All departments know the importance of proper care and maintenance for firefighting protective garments, but what can be done when primary helmets, jackets, pants, gloves, and boots are out for inspection?

If your department is already contracted with a PPE cleaning and inspection service, this is the place to start as many providers offer rental packages for different needs and budgets. If you are evaluating services, be sure to choose an experienced equipment care specialist that understands the latest NFPA 1851 requirements.

Whether you are renting head-totoe ensembles or individual items, the following guidelines can help ensure a seamless experience.

The 2020 NFPA 1851 standard calls for advanced cleanings of ensembles every six months at a minimum. The NFPA also recommends at least one advanced inspection a year.

WHEN TO RENT Rental PPE is typically needed when the primarily used gear is sent to be cleaned, inspected, and/or repaired.

Other times, a rental program can support operational services and

turnout gear to arrive. Rental PPE

opportunities including:

• Cadet programs where PPE

rentals can be put to the test during academy drills instead of wasting resources on new turnout gear. Many schools and career departments use rental PPE for their training needs. A PPE services vendor can take care of sizing changes, replacements, and your annual NFPA 1851 requirements.

Typically, rental prices are set by semester and in some cases, special rates can apply that help to makes gear more accessible to new recruits.

• In industrial buildings where

protective equipment must be present in case of emergency.

A chemical process plant or manufacturing center may contract a rental service to help safeguard its workers. Employees who don’t wear protective gear every day can also benefit from vendorprovided training that addresses proper equipment use pertaining to common job site dangers such as electrical, heat, chemical, and biohazards as well as airborne particulates.

• When you want to try before you

buy. PPE rentals allow departments

to experiment with equipment in the short term (typically a three- to sixmonth trial period) before making a long-term investment. Likewise, if you are considering a lease

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can supplement your needs between placing an order for brand-new

As you evaluate prospective vendors, keep a checklist of considerations in mind for selecting the best partner for your department extra care to stay informed about the latest cleaning requirements (some even play a part in shaping future editions of the 1851 standard).

equipment and receiving it. Your garment supplier or manufacturer is likely to offer a rental package per the terms of your sales agreement or in other cases, you might lobby for a low-cost option for temporary gear as part of good faith negotiations.

• Turnaround time. Generally, rental

PPE orders should be placed at least two weeks in advance to guarantee gear availability (be advised that ongoing supply chain issues resulting from the pandemic still have the potential to impact your planning).

While average lead times vary, your chosen vendor should have

WHAT TO ASK As you evaluate prospective vendors, keep a checklist of considerations in mind for selecting the best partner for your department including:

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While average lead times vary, your chosen vendor should have the capacity to respond in days or even hours in an emergency. Many vendors even offer free door-todoor delivery and pickup.

• Bust: (women only): Measure over clothing, around the fullest part of the bust, and below the arms with arms at rest.

• Sleeve: Measure from the center

of the back of the neck, around a bent arm, to the wrist at the base of the hand.

• Waist: Measure around the outside of pants and add 4 inches to your measurement.

• Inseam: Measure from the crotch the capacity to respond in days or even hours in an emergency. Many vendors even offer free door-to-door delivery and pickup.

• Contract terms. Be aware of late

fees that can arise when rental PPE is damaged or not returned. This includes any cancellation fees that might apply if you terminate the service prematurely. These terms are standard for most service agreements but shouldn’t come as a surprise if something goes wrong. Also, be sure to ask if your department will have the option to purchase its rental garments and at what price.

HOW TO PROPERLY MEASURE Turnout gear sizes differ compared to ordinary apparel. The following guidance can help ensure that your rental gear fits right the first time.

In all cases, do not take your own measurements and consult your vendor for specific instructions.

• Chest: Measure loosely over

clothing around the fullest part of the chest and below the arms with arms at rest. For broad shoulders or muscled arms and/or back, an overthe-T-shirt arm/chest measurement is helpful. As a common practice, add 4 inches to your measurement.

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seam (inside leg) to the top of the ankle. For baggy pants, be sure to pull the crotch uptight before taking your measurement.

• Gloves: The NFPA quick reference

chart is a helpful guide for sizing structural fire gloves. It breaks down how NFPA sizes compare to most standard glove sizes: STANDARD SIZING XS SM MD LG XL 2XL

NFPA SIZING 70N 70W 76N 76W 82N 82W

Your rental PPE provider should be a reliable resource for any equipment needs or education that will help your department run smoothly. Whether as part of a cleaning and inspection service or for situations calling for temporary protective gear, equipment rentals are a great way to protect your crew while avoiding the cost of buying new garments. Be sure to choose a partner that will tailor a PPE rental program to your specific needs.

Taylor Burke is the youngest

daughter of Chairman and Owner Bill Burke, and she joined the Fire-Dex Family in January 2019 as our Customer Relations Manager. Quickly after, in August 2019, she became Division Manager of Gear Wash, where she confidently led the onboarding of two acquisitions for Gear Wash in Milwaukee and Hudson, granting her the promotion to Director of Gear Wash in 2021 and eventually President of Gear Wash in 2021. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Telecommunications and a Master of Science in Business Management from the University of Florida.

The gwinett County (Ga) Fire Department took delivery of this SVI Air/Light Unit

in 2020. Featuring an 18′ aluminum SVI body mounted on a Kenworth T370 chassis, the apparatus is equipped with Girard retractable awnings and a Command Light CL Series tower, while the truck’s air features include a Bauer 3M fill station and storage modules for multiple 8″ SCBA bottles.

To see this Air/Light Unit’s specs, drawings and more photos visit bit.ly/gwinett-1111.

WINTER 2022 | CAROLINA FIRE RESCUE EMS JOURNAL | 31

Crossword PUZZLE

Caroline M. Schloss

Answers on page 44

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THE DANGER OF THE SPOT TEMPERATURE Andy Starnes

ne of the most common problems in thermal imaging use in the fire service is the reading of the spot temperature. As we travel and offer training to firefighters, we continue to find that most firefighters are NOT aware that they should NOT use the spot temperature (the numerical temperature indicator located in the lower right corner of the viewfinder) for critical decision making. This spot temperature is known by many names in the Thermal Imaging world such as:

• DTM: Direct Temperature Measurement

• Spot Temperature • Temperature Indicator • Crosshair: “Indicated by

an intersection vertical and horizontal line superimposed on the TIC Display” (Bullard Definition)

It is important to note that this is an approximate measurement of a defined area and NOT the entire image. And this temperature is dependent upon many variables: the emissivity of the object, distance from the object, and atmospheric conditions. Notice the spot temperature in the image to the above. It is obviously hotter than 240 degrees Fahrenheit, but the TIC is measuring the temperature of the wall of the burn building. It is not accounting for the emissivity of the wall, the distance to the target, and any atmospheric interference between the TIC and the target.

In thermography, there is two types of thermal imaging studies:

• Quantitative: this is typically

in an industrial, medical, and or business setting where the thermographer is looking for exact temperature measurements of a specific object or area. This measurement is carefully taken and calculated based on the object’s emissivity, reflectivity, and transmissivity. These values are manually entered into the TIC’s parameters to provide

Industry TECH that are exhausting from this door frame.

Many firefighters have dismissed such an image as insignificant and non-threatening only to be injured, burned, and suffer a near miss from such a misinterpretation.

Firefighters are under stress to make split second decisions in zero or limited visibility. A TIC that makes this interpretation more complicated or difficult can create more opportunities for misinterpretation rather than using the information to their advantage.

Thankfully, the new NFPA 1801 2021 standard has removed the spot temperature from the TI Basic format. A firefighter who turns on a TIC that meets this standard will be greeted by all the same familiar symbols but will notice the spot temperature is missing.

As shown in the image below, the symbols shown are standard in this model. However, the NFPA 1801

than five minutes of battery life remaining.

13. Spot meter: This is the area of measurement that the spot temperature is displaying an EXAMPLES OF TIC SPOT TEMPERATURE VARIATIONS • SCOTT X380: +/-5 Degrees Fahrenheit. (D:S-450:1) • FLIR One: Cell phone adapter: +/-5.4 °F) or ±5%, typical Percent of the difference between ambient and scene temperature.

• FLIR K2/K33/K53/K55/K65 +/-7.2 Degrees Fahrenheit (D:S 10:1) • MSA 6000 spot temperature measurement accuracy: +/-18 Degrees Fahrenheit.

• Leader: +/-32 Degrees Fahrenheit (D:S 95:1) • FLIR K1: +/-41 Degrees Fahrenheit

a more accurate temperature measurement.

• Qualitative: this is typically

involving inspections or looking for an anomaly or a specific problem but not a specific measurement. This is more applicable to the fire service because it involves reading the entire color palette or image versus reading the spot temperature.

As is displayed in the image, the amount of heat moving over the firefighter’s head is displayed as convection currents, yet the spot temperature shows a relatively low temperature. But this temperature is a small measurement of the overall area within the field of view of the surface and not the gases.

However, the trained end user would note the entire image that is very concerning due to the following:

• Low Sensitivity Mode: This is

indicated by the green triangle that is visible and located in the upper left-hand corner of the display. In this brand/model of TIC, this indicates that at least 3% of the overall pixel temperature measurements within the field of view are over 240degrees Fahrenheit.

• Overall severity of image:

Qualitative thermography isn’t about having an accurate interpretation of the temperature but an indication that there is something wrong in the image that needs to be fixed. This photo is a perfect example of that due to the overall amount of heat visible in gray scale, the descending thermal layer, and the fast-moving convection currents

38 | CAROLINA FIRE RESCUE EMS JOURNAL | WINTER 2022

standardized symbols are as follows: 6. Low Sensitivity Indicator: 7. Overheating indicator: The indicator provides a visual warning to the user that the thermal imager is about to shut down due to internal overheating.

8. Change in the color reference indicator symbol. When a new mode is selected,a change in the color temperature reference triangle appears above the reference bar. The triangle remains visible for 1 second.

9. Reference Bar 10. Temperature Bar 11. Spot Meter Temperature (which has been removed from TI Basic).

12. Battery Condition Indicator: It consists of four bars with each bar equating to at least 30 minutes of battery life. When the battery bar turns red and is flashing it equates to less

apparent temperature, but it is based on a preset emissivity of .95-97 at a preset distance and calibrated in a factory. These measurements of “apparent temperatures” can be off by 5-41 degrees from the factory (depending on the model) and those measurements can be up to several hundred degrees off from the actual measurement based on emissivity of the target and other variables.

14. Plus sign: This indicates the Thermal Imaging Camera is not in the TI-Basic mode.

As shown in this chart provided by 3M Scott Safety, we can see as the temperature and the difference in emissivity increases so does the variance in displayed temperature from actual temperatures. This is another reason why fire service TICs are not to be used for exact measurements.

For example, if a fire is near a polished stainless-steel object such as a refrigerator or stove is reading a WWW.CAROLINAFIREJOURNAL.COM

temperature on the surface of the metal displayed at 200 degrees Fahrenheit; it is 563 degrees Fahrenheit!

For this reason and more, the spot temperature has been removed from TI Basic on fire service thermal imaging cameras. There have been

numerous incidents where firefighters have misread the image based on this measurement. The following examples are why the spot temperature measurement was removed:

• A NIOSH LODD-report cites the

following Engine XX to Command “We have a 184 Degree Fahrenheit reading on the door-thermal imaging reading.”

• Numerous reports of Firefighters have misinterpreted the thermal environment based on the spot temperature measurement.

• Rekindles have been reported due to firefighters basing their error of reading the spot temperature

And regarding this issue, NFPA 1801 2021 edition states the following: “In Chapter 6, the spot temperature measurement feature has moved from the TI BASIC operational format to the TI BASIC PLUS operational format. Despite all thermal

imager manufacturer user manual warnings not to use temperature measurement to make tactical decisions, it became apparent in three recent NIOSH Firefighter Fatality Investigation Reports that there is a lack of understanding on behalf of the fire service of the feature’s capabilities. Although the use of the temperature measurement feature was not considered the sole factor in these fatalities, its use and potential misuse certainly could be considered a factor in a cascading series of events that may have been attributed to these fire fighter injuries and fatalities. The move is further

substantiated in all previous editions of NFPA 1801 in Subsection 6.5.2, which requires additional training for TI BASIC PLUS operational format functions, enhancements, and innovations beyond TI BASIC.” (Citation NFPA 1801 2021 edition Chapter 6).

While I applaud and support this decision, it is a short-term fix to a long-term problem. The last sentence from NFPA 1801 regarding the removal of the spot temperature summarizes the problem well:

“This move is further substantiated in all previous editions of NFPA 1801 in subsection 6.5.2, which requires additional training for TI BASIC PLUS operational format functions, enhancements, and innovations beyond TI BASIC.” The problem remains that few firefighters have had proper thermal imaging training that meets or exceeds NFPA 1801 and NFPA 1408. Firefighters need to understand their specific model of thermal imaging camera, the limitations, and contraindications of thermal imaging, and how to use it to enhance strategies and tactics on the fire ground. If firefighters would have read the instructions, they would find statements such as these:

“Do not use the FLIR K Series camera without correct training. If the persons do not have the correct training, an incorrect analysis of the infrared images can occur.”

“Do not use temperature indicator readings as exact measurements” Firefighters who read the instructions, would also learn how their TIC calculates “apparent temperatures” and when it switches from High to Low Sensitivity. This is done automatically in fire service TIC’s. Firefighters do not have the luxury of thermography training nor the time to calculate each measurement.

Therefore, the fire service TIC is a qualitative device that provides apparent temperatures automatically

based on the temperatures within the measurable field of view.

For example, this model of thermal imaging camera changes from High Sensitivity (which equates to 0-302 degrees Fahrenheit) to Low Sensitivity (which equates to 302-1200 degrees Fahrenheit) if more than 2% of the pixels within the measured area constantly (for more than one second) have a temperature above the maximum temperature of the high sensitivity range. Also, an automatic change from low sensitivity to high sensitivity occurs if more than 98% of the pixels within the measured area constantly have, for more than 1 second, a temperature lower than 122 degrees Fahrenheit.

(Citation FLIR KXX series instruction manual).

Thermography professionals have known this and are aware of the variances in temperature measurement. However, the fire service has placed this valuable life saving device into service without proper training and education. Very few firefighters are aware of the following standards:

• NFPA 1801- NFPA 1801 Standard on Thermal Imagers for the Fire Service (introduced in 2013).

• NFPA 1408- Standard for

Training Fire Service Personnel in the Operation, Care, Use, and Maintenance of Thermal Imagers (introduced in 2015).

These standards are extremely valuable and need to be understood by all fire departments using thermal

imaging cameras. Through education and training on these standards, firefighters would understand that thermal imaging training and education is “mandatory.” It isn’t optional and due to the failure of our organizations to properly educate firefighters on this device we continue to see injuries and misuse of the device. The following slide provides a few excerpts from NFPA 1408. Notice the word “shall” is used in describing what will be done. This isn’t an option nor a suggestion. If a fire department can purchase thermal imaging camera(s), they are required to provide training on the device.

However, the fire service has not elevated thermal imaging training to its proper level of importance.

Firefighters should be trained on fire

NFPA 1408 STANDARD FOR TRAINING FIRE SERVICE PERSONNEL IN THE OPERATION, CARE, USE, AND MAINTENANCE OF THERMAL IMAGERS • 4.1.1 A TI training program shall be implemented.

• 4.2.1 The AHJ shall establish written policies for TI training that meet the requirements of this standard.

• 4.2.2 The policy shall address the training requirements for types of incidents where TIs may be used.

• 4.2.3 The training policy shall include an annual review of member competence in TI technology, operation, application, use and limitations, care and maintenance.

• 4.2.4 TI training shall include practical evolutions, using TI Degrees Fahrenheit (D:S 95:1) • FLIR K1: +/-41 Degrees Fahrenheit

behavior, building construction, PPE, and thermal imaging far more in depth than we currently require or dictate.

Firefighters who are fundamentally sound in their knowledge and understanding of these subjects will then use a TIC to their advantage.

In our trainings, travels, and consulting, we continue to see fire departments across the country purchasing thermal imaging cameras without proper research. and then simply placing these devices into service with little or no training on them. How are firefighters to properly use and maximize the effectiveness of such a device without proper training and education? The entire issue of “reading the spot temperature” would have been a moot point if thermal imaging training would have continued to be required with the purchase of these devices as they previously were back in the late 1990’s.

Firefighters who are properly trained will interpret the entire image within the TIC’s field of view.

They understand the limitations of the TIC, that the resolution affects its temperature measurement, the distance to the target, and the emissivity all account for their ability to make an adequate assessment.

Taking all of this into consideration helps firefighters to understand they are reading “apparent temperatures” which are approximates not exact measurements. In fact, the temperatures they are seeing are much hotter.

Keep learning and keep up the great work!

Andy Starnes

Instructor, Insight Training LLC Level II Thermography Certified www.insighttrainingllc.com

WINTER 2022 | CAROLINA FIRE RESCUE EMS JOURNAL | 39

“GRAB 2022 BY THE THROAT AND YELL, ‘NOT THIS YEAR, YOU DON’T!” Beth Krah

cattered papers across my desk (and falling to the floor) proved I was serious about preparing my first article for Carolina Fire. The more I dug in and researched, pulled from articles previously written, and searched for great quotes, the more frustrated I got. Finally, I flung all that aside and resolved to just have a heart to heart this time around.

This column will primarily focus on your health and the health of your crews. Upstream healthcare, environmental health, infection prevention and control, carcinogens and cancer, and maybe a bit of humor and history thrown in to provide some balance.

I encourage you to ask questions for clarification, or reach out for additional information, and appreciate the opportunity to serve you in this way. I will discuss mitigating the spread of infections during disasters, Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) issues, keeping your stations and vehicles as clean as possible without adding more toxic chemicals to the mix, and even The Great London Smog of 1952. For a teaser, you can watch Season 1, Episode 4 of The Crown, and you’ll get an idea of what that’s all about.

But for now, I like to focus on you breathing.

Seriously — when was the last time you took time out to not only breathe, but to exhale. Since March of 2020, I felt like I needed someone to slap me upside the head just so I would exhale. I provide a technology that is critical during the pandemic, and though I wasn’t working the hours all of you were, I was nonetheless completely overwhelmed and trembling as I tried to keep up with demand. I have the utmost respect for you all and everything you’ve had to deal with during this time. Covid gave the rest of the world a better glimpse of what you do every day, and I pray you see the difference you made and continue to make in every one of our lives.

Are you, are you, are you…” and the little bit of optimism that peeked out from the curtain Jan. 1st quickly

Air & Surface

DECONTAMINATION be more organized (I really do!) but realistically I’ve not gotten my head out of October’s paperwork and by the time I resurface, it’s June and Hobby Lobby is pulling out their Christmas decorations again. (Did I not just take those down?!)

You are a First Responder emergencies are your life. How can you take time for yourself when you’re so short staffed and the public cry continues to get louder?

Covid gave the rest of the world a better glimpse of what you do every day, and I pray you see the difference you made and continue to make in every one of our lives. retreats. “Do more research, pick the right products, train your team more, build the community, save the world, run, run, run…”

Every year, we try again. “I will lose weight this time!” If you’re old enough to have done this for a while, you know the drill. I try to

Maybe we’re trying to have more balance in our lives – appropriate time for family and work. We multitask, work harder, and try to be more efficient, but at the end of the day, we’re left more exhausted.

The path to a healthy balance is not more productivity, doing more and waking up earlier. It’s more

about enjoying the life that you’re living now - not being concerned about the past or worrying about the future. As long as there’s a gap between what you care about and what your life reflects, you’re going to feel anxious, exhausted and out of balance.

In a recent EntreLeadership class, Ramsey Personality Christy Wright, author of “Take Back Your Time”, suggests we need to work smarter, not harder. She mentions, “Life balance is not doing everything for an equal amount of time, it’s about doing the right thing at the right time.” You get to decide what is right for you at any given time, and that may change as situations evolve, but it must include time for your own health.

If you live by your calendar – put time in it for you. You are important. You matter to the rest of us. You need to be healthy so you can stick around longer.

Here is my suggestion: take a pen and paper, toss the phone off a cliff (momentarily, of course) and be still. If it helps to write down everything swirling around your head, do it. Christy suggests thinking through the following points to see if you can recuperate some of that time: Decide What Matters. Each season of life has its own challenges, what matters most to you right now (aging parents, family illness, career move maybe)? Give yourself permission to change your mind as things fluctuate.

Now for the heart to heart: “Have you made resolutions this year? Are you starting your to-do lists?

Are you making time for yourself and your families? Are you exercising?

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Stop Doing What Doesn’t Matter.

Are there any distractions in your life that you can ditch or any activities you’re involved with that just aren’t that important? What can you delegate? “When you stop

thrown at you, or are you purposely calling the shots? You don’t need to do everything, you need to do the rights things, at the right time.

Are you scheduling time out for relaxation and getting sleep?

from everyone else for a day so you can breathe? Only you can decide what is important to you.

Be Present for What Matters.

Do you worry about the kids when you’re at work, or worry about

Live where your feet are. You will give yourself the incredible gift of experiencing your life while you’re in it. You can create the most impressive schedule in the world, but if you’re not present for it, you miss it.

doing the things that don’t matter, you’ll be amazed at how much time you’ll have.”

Create a Schedule that Reflects What Matters. Are you passively

living life and reacting as things are

Protect What Matters. Set

boundaries around those things. Say “no” more often and protect what matters most. Is that your family, a hobby, or your job – or is it taking time for yourself by getting away

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deadlines when you’re playing with your kids? Do you remember your drive home or did you just arrive there as you sifted through work issues? Live where your feet are.

You will give yourself the incredible gift of experiencing your life while you’re in it. You can create the most impressive schedule in the world, but if you’re not present for it, you miss it.

Breathing may require you relinquishing some of the things that are tying you down. There are so many good things you can be doing, but if the timing is not right, it becomes the wrong thing.

I felt a strong sense of relief when I started applying this in my own life.

I wasn’t meant to do everything. “If everything is urgent, then nothing is.” – John Eldredge. Start by living your life in the driver’s seat instead of the passenger seat. Are you crazy enough to grab 2022 by the throat and say… “Not this year, you don’t!” Then go for a bike ride.

I pray that your 2022 is truly a fresh start focusing on your health and being able to enjoy that journey.

Feel free to connect with me and my team on social media under The Krah Corporation, or krahcorpllc.

We’d love to hear from you - what frustrates you, what encourages you, what you would like to hear from us, and how we can assist you in your efforts to keep your crew safe. Take time out to breathe this year and maybe even enjoy it a bit more. And don’t forget to laugh.

God was right, laughter really is the best medicine…and you don’t need government funding to utilize it.

Beth Krah is founder

and CEO of The Krah Corporation (dba Krah Health Solutions). She has served the healthcare community for over a decade providing non-toxic infection prevention measures with a special focus on EMS, Disaster Preparedness/Response, Medical Care Facilities and the Military. Previously employed by Solvay Pharmaceuticals in their Quality Assurance/Quality Control group, her passion to serve is of utmost importance for her and her team’s role in serving their customers and keeping them healthy so they can focus on the pressing needs of saving the lives of others.

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The First Responder’s Resource

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Ask ERNIE

ALL ELECTRICAL FIRE APPARATUS? asten your seat belts, a new concept of fire apparatus is in the works. Fire apparatus of a Type 1 through Type 6 are headed to optional offerings of Electric Vehicle (EV) drives. From apparatus EV drive only to fully functional on-board components. All operations are to be from onboard batteries, fully rechargeable at local charging sites or Governmental Fleet Ops sites.

But, hold on Trigger, not so fast.

Let’s think the process through.

An ALL electrically operated fire apparatus or support vehicles may be somewhat shortsighted. To be fully ready for an all-hazards concept that we have today, the onboard motor to propel and operate the vehicle by means of petroleum internal combustion motors is the norm at this juncture. To replace this current style apparatus with ALL electric vehicles could/may result in fire apparatus being down with dead batteries. This is unacceptable.

So, to consider the all-hazard situations in the electric vehicle, there has to be a backup system to replenish power to the battery pack when the vehicle is out of the station for extended periods of time.

To that end, those who are running electric vehicles in the research and development process have seen the need and answered the issue with an onboard engine-driven generator to replenish the batteries during those long-duration situations and where and when electric power is not available. That onboard engine-driven generator is what the apparatus manufacturers are calling the “Range Extender”. In actuality, it is a hybrid vehicle.

So, you think you won’t be going more than a few miles from the firehouse on a call and return within a few hours at most. Think again. All-Hazards mean exactly that. Let’s envision your area is in the middle of flooding, hurricane, snowstorm, raging wildfires with extensive rescue incidents backto-back-to-back. Power will be interrupted and sometimes for weeks at a time. Can we run EV fire apparatus and support vehicles in all-hazard situations? Sure, we can, but only if the EV vehicles are what we know as Hybrid vehicles. Normal day-to-day operations can be 100% battery operated and recharged back at the station or at Fleet facilities, or civilian/public charging stations.

Major fire apparatus manufacturers are going through the R&D process of testing the new EV concept for fire apparatus. All have bought into EV and have well thought out the need for the Hybrid process. To name a

few: Pierce Fire Apparatus has a test vehicle in the field at a fire station for daily long-term evaluation of their product. The REV Group has their own design in the field for the same testing and evaluation and is offered through their full line of apparatus manufacturers. Rosenbauer has their own European design EV apparatus making the rounds throughout the U.S. and Canada with several fire departments lined up to purchase their product. More and more will join the line-up of manufacturers offering EV’s. The end result is the same with all manufacturers that choose to delve into the concept.

What is being produced currently is a line of test and evaluation vehicles operating in what we know as the R&D stage. Ernie believes that many EV apparatuses will be on the street and in fire stations five years from now. And, it will be within your reach depending on the cost of purchase projected cost analysis.

Is this whole process something that we operators and mechanics have asked for? No. The whole EV evolution is being driven by politics and environmental mandates. When the full EV comes to be, we shall see.

Uncle Ernie has been on this planet for 75 years and has seen quite a bit of change in the fire service.

Like it or not, get ready. It is coming like a freight train headed your way. Embrace it. Like it, or not, it is progress.

This may not be for you………yet.

Anthony Bulygo

(A.K.A. “Ernie”) spent 34 years as Master Fire Mechanic/EVT (Emergency Vehicle Technician) for the Santa Clara County Fire Department serving in the daily routine operation, service, maintenance, inspection, training and repair of fire apparatus and fleet. He is a Certified California and Master EVTCC Aerial Apparatus Instructor for both EVT’s and Driver/Operators.

Retired for the last 18 years, he provides Aerial and full line apparatus training for the California Fire Mechanics Academy and multiple Fire Department EVT academies in the US and Canada. He serves as an inspector, investigator and expert witness in product liability cases and court cases pertaining to mechanical failures.

He served as a Committee Member and advisor to IFSTA (International Fire Service Training Association) Pumping and Aerial Apparatus D/O Handbook, Aerial Chapters.

WINTER 2022 | CAROLINA FIRE RESCUE EMS JOURNAL | 43

Advertiser INDEX

IFC= Inside Front Cover; IBC= Inside Back Cover; BC=Back Cover

A-B TECHNICAL COMMUNITY COLEGE 19

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FOX MFG - GLAS-MASTER

36

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BC

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IBC

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24 7

NORTH CAROLINA STATE FIREMNS ASSOC

23

35

NORTH CAROLINA ASSOC OF RESCUE EMS

24

29

NORTH CAROLINA SHERIFFS’ ASSOC

2

KEISER UNIVERSITY

14

PEACEFUL ROADS

27

KIMTEK CORPORATION

21

REYCO GRANNING

30

KRAH CORPORATION

41

ROLL N RACK

28

ROWAN CABARRUS COMMUNITY COLLEGE

37

LIBERTY ARTWORKS, INC.

29

MAGNEGRIP GROUP

12

MATJACK

27

MED CENTER AIR/ATRIUM

25

MIDWEST FIRE APPARATUS

5

MOUNTAIN TEK

41

N GREENVILLE FITNESS

16

NAFECO

17

STEWART COOPER NEWELL

5

SVI TRUCKS, INC.

31

SYNTEX INDUSTRIES TECHNIMOUNT SYSTEMS TLC TRI STATE LAUNDRY COMPANIES ZIAMATIC CORPORATION

7 32 8 43

NEWTON’S FIRE & SAFETY EQUIPMENT 13

This index is provided as a service. The publisher does not assume any liability for errors or omissions.

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