Robbinsdale Fire Station |
Greg
brought the message home as he challenged the class with questions like, “Does
our culture ever clash with safety?” In some of the video clips we saw of others
making mistakes, we had a chance to see ourselves.
While the videos rolled through scene after
scene, he continued to pepper us with questions like, “Have you seen that?” and
“Why can we see where this is going…” The scenarios were so accurate and
reflective of real-world experiences that at one point the instructor pointed
to himself in a photo and said, “Yep, that’s me—what’s wrong with this
picture?”
Initiative
#1 focuses on “the need for a cultural change within the fire service related
to safety, incorporating leadership, management, supervision, accountability,
and personal responsibility.” This initiative was the main theme of the night—and to make the message even more
personal, Greg
shared his story about the impacts of a line of duty death in his department. The
room was silent.
The last thing Savage firefighters see as they leave for a call |
This
program has been presented to about 10% of the firefighters in Minnesota. It needs
to be seen by 100%. Crawford Weistling, Tim Zehnder, and Greg Hayes are taking
this training to all corners of the state. I encourage fire departments to bring
this training to their fire hall. The cost of the class can be reimbursed by
the Minnesota Board of Firefighter Training and Education. Make the most of
this opportunity and invite the local police and EMS providers to the training
as well— this message really does apply to the whole team.
I
thank Chief Mark Fairchild, his firefighters, and Greg Hayes for letting me be
a part of their world for one night. Greg started the presentation by saying, “I
knew what kind of place this was when I opened the door.” I agree—it was
spotless. Keep up the good work and remember:
Responder Safety =
Public Safety
Up
next time…flight crews on emergency runs.
In
the meantime, stay safe and be careful.
Rob