Before one of you freaks out and accuses me of not being "cancer conscious" please remember I co-founded and still help run a cancer charity.
I am also someone who has been heckled for washing my gear after a fire, wearing my mask on air at fires and during overhaul, and being told me lid "doesn't have the salt to match your stories." Probably because I washed it after fires and painted it every year.
Cancer in the fire service is a plague. Plain and simple.
For decades we have been inhaling God knows what at overhaul, then returning to the firehouse, walking around the carpeted day room in our boots, then placing the pants and boots next to our beds while we slept. How were we supposed to know all the crap in the smoke is killing us?
Then we were told that is what is happening and a number of initiates sprung up. There was wash your hood Sundays, Departments issuing a complete second set of turnouts so you have a clean pair to wear, an industry has even popped up to help us wipe the soot off our exposed skin (how did it get there I wonder?) after a fire.
There are many solutions to prevent unnecessary exposure to the toxins causing cancer in the Fire Service, I'm just not sure how much of an impact some of them are going to have.
Case in point:
The "Clean Cab" concept as noted in this KRQE story from Bernalillo County, New Mexico:
Full disclosure and the reason I'm allowed to dig deep on this one...I was volunteer for BCFD District 4 back in the mid 1990s.
Now that that is out of the way...
I'm not sold. The small amount of time Firefighters are exposed to the gear while inside the Engine is a drop in the exposure bucket compared to on the scene of a fire, motor vehicle collision, haz mat or any other incident they run. Not to mention wearing it on a cold day like their social media streams show members doing. Coat in cab = bad exposure. Coat on cold day = meh. More on that in a moment. Properly washed and maintained there is zero reason the gear can't be in the cab. Zero.
The airpacks I like in the compartments for 2 reasons. First, the fact that no one can get those things clean after a fire and the cab smells for days, and secondly, you shouldn't get out of the Engine with your airpack and mask on anyways, it hinders you from getting a good look at the fire and hazards before you go in.
Does it delay attacking the fire? Sure, maybe 60 seconds, but we get a better look at the fire.
Now add another 60 seconds where you can't look at the fire. Keep in mind fire doubles in size every minute.
Putting on gear AT THE SCENE boggles my mind. I've been dispatched to fires while out checking hydrants and didn't have a chance to dress enroute. The added stress can cause mistakes in donning of safety gear, been there done that. It's hard enough to formulate an initial attack plan, give orders to the firefighter and engineer and give the initial radio report while listening to some mother scream that her family is still inside...now they want their people to have to get dressed at the same time. Oh, and since we're on different sides of the Engine, that all gets delayed.
I don't know, gang, I just don't see the amount of "cancer prevention" this claims to give benefiting anyone.
Also, the Department Facebook page shows their members at schools, wearing the dangerous gear, and exposing the kids to it. If it is so dangerous we are limiting the employee exposure in the cab why on earth are we wearing it at the schools? Or did we not think this one all the way through?
Considering Clean Cab like BCFD? How about the following first:
Or could the guy who sells the SCBA brackets be behind this idea? From the story:
"The department plans to retrofit the rest of its fleet for about $5,000 per engine by July"
At about $200...each...so $800 per engine plus man hours to install, or let each Company install them on duty? Plus think of all the money you'll save buying regular seats for the cab of your next engines.
Am I wrong on this one? Will it help as much as they say or is this just the easiest thing to throw out there to check a box?
I am also someone who has been heckled for washing my gear after a fire, wearing my mask on air at fires and during overhaul, and being told me lid "doesn't have the salt to match your stories." Probably because I washed it after fires and painted it every year.
Cancer in the fire service is a plague. Plain and simple.
For decades we have been inhaling God knows what at overhaul, then returning to the firehouse, walking around the carpeted day room in our boots, then placing the pants and boots next to our beds while we slept. How were we supposed to know all the crap in the smoke is killing us?
Then we were told that is what is happening and a number of initiates sprung up. There was wash your hood Sundays, Departments issuing a complete second set of turnouts so you have a clean pair to wear, an industry has even popped up to help us wipe the soot off our exposed skin (how did it get there I wonder?) after a fire.
There are many solutions to prevent unnecessary exposure to the toxins causing cancer in the Fire Service, I'm just not sure how much of an impact some of them are going to have.
Case in point:
The "Clean Cab" concept as noted in this KRQE story from Bernalillo County, New Mexico:
Full disclosure and the reason I'm allowed to dig deep on this one...I was volunteer for BCFD District 4 back in the mid 1990s.
Now that that is out of the way...
I'm not sold. The small amount of time Firefighters are exposed to the gear while inside the Engine is a drop in the exposure bucket compared to on the scene of a fire, motor vehicle collision, haz mat or any other incident they run. Not to mention wearing it on a cold day like their social media streams show members doing. Coat in cab = bad exposure. Coat on cold day = meh. More on that in a moment. Properly washed and maintained there is zero reason the gear can't be in the cab. Zero.
The airpacks I like in the compartments for 2 reasons. First, the fact that no one can get those things clean after a fire and the cab smells for days, and secondly, you shouldn't get out of the Engine with your airpack and mask on anyways, it hinders you from getting a good look at the fire and hazards before you go in.
Does it delay attacking the fire? Sure, maybe 60 seconds, but we get a better look at the fire.
Now add another 60 seconds where you can't look at the fire. Keep in mind fire doubles in size every minute.
Putting on gear AT THE SCENE boggles my mind. I've been dispatched to fires while out checking hydrants and didn't have a chance to dress enroute. The added stress can cause mistakes in donning of safety gear, been there done that. It's hard enough to formulate an initial attack plan, give orders to the firefighter and engineer and give the initial radio report while listening to some mother scream that her family is still inside...now they want their people to have to get dressed at the same time. Oh, and since we're on different sides of the Engine, that all gets delayed.
I don't know, gang, I just don't see the amount of "cancer prevention" this claims to give benefiting anyone.
Considering Clean Cab like BCFD? How about the following first:
- 100% compliance with SCBA during firefighting and overhaul
- Decontamination at fire scenes to include washdown of dirty gear, bagging of dirty gear and crew out of service until new gear ready back at firehouse.
- 6 month cleaning and inspection of seams, shell and thermal barrier.
- 100% use of structural gloves.
- 100% ban on turnouts in living areas...clean or not.
- 100% ban on wearing turnout coat on cold days
- Full spectrum cancer screenings for any members
- Finally, if all the above are done, things that might actually help, sure, go Clean Cab.
Or could the guy who sells the SCBA brackets be behind this idea? From the story:
"The department plans to retrofit the rest of its fleet for about $5,000 per engine by July"
At about $200...each...so $800 per engine plus man hours to install, or let each Company install them on duty? Plus think of all the money you'll save buying regular seats for the cab of your next engines.
Am I wrong on this one? Will it help as much as they say or is this just the easiest thing to throw out there to check a box?
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