What can a fire chief do to protect firefighters from line-of-duty deaths?
The primary cause of line-of-duty deaths is heart attacks. It is important to ensure that firefighters are physically fit, have the methodology to deal with cardiovascular conditions, and are rehabbed when they are involved in operations. The second leading cause of firefighter deaths is vehicle accidents. Have good equipment, policies and procedures on how to operate and respond in those vehicles. There are other areas where firefighters die, such as in training incidents. Have a good training program, policies and procedures about live burns. You have firefighters who die from traumatic occurrences, which leads to tactics and prevention, building construction and all aspects related to codes and standards in the city. They are all intertwined. Every department has to assess where it is in those fields to see where there are vulnerabilities. Some departments have great physical fitness programs, but their issue might be training or operating vehicles.
