{"id":1836,"date":"2017-11-30T17:03:09","date_gmt":"2017-11-30T17:03:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jonsmidamerica.websitepreview.dev\/?p=1836"},"modified":"2020-09-30T13:08:15","modified_gmt":"2020-09-30T18:08:15","slug":"fire-apparatus-safety-tips-need-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jonsmidamerica.com\/fire-apparatus-safety-tips-need-know\/","title":{"rendered":"Fire Apparatus Safety Tips You Need to Know"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Operating a fire apparatus is a great deal of responsibility to ensure that people can be rescued in a fast, efficient manner. Getting to the scene of an accident or fire as soon as possible is incredibly important, but getting there safely is just as important. You won\u2019t be able to help anyone if your apparatus is turned over in a ditch or caught in a three-car collision. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Follow these basic tips so your fleet is staying safe on and off the road. <\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Starting the apparatus <\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Proper safety procedure starts the second a firefighter gets into the truck. Before the truck speeds off to the site of a crisis, here\u2019s a few steps that should be taken: <\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Put your seatbelts on.<\/strong><b> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Before responding to an alarm, all seatbelts need to be on. <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.firerescuemagazine.com\/articles\/print\/volume-6\/issue-9\/emergency-vehicle-operations\/enforcing-seatbelt-use-in-the-fire-service.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Countless firefighters<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> have died from not wearing their seatbelts in a crash. Don\u2019t assume you\u2019re safe simply because you\u2019re in your fire apparatus. <\/span><\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Use a spotter<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>.<\/strong> Safe backing procedure <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.firerescue1.com\/fire-products\/fire-apparatus\/articles\/313626018-4-fire-apparatus-safety-strategies-you-need-to-know\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">saves lives<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Blindly backing up a massive piece of equipment can easily result in the death of someone standing behind the apparatus. Use a spotter to check for other people in the area while providing a way for you to move the apparatus safely. Warn others of your movement with a backup warning alarm and hazard lights. If possible, use backup cameras, but do not rely solely on them. <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Develop standard operating procedures.<\/strong> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Establish a set of rules with your department for safety during a call. Having a set procedure makes your rules into a ritual everyone will complete without a second thought. <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Check for proper maintenance.<\/strong> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Always make sure that your apparatus is up to date on its <a href=\"https:\/\/jonsmidamerica.com\/keep-fire-apparatus-fleet-running-preventive-maintenance-plan\/\">maintenance<\/a>. This should ideally happen long before an emergency, but give your apparatus a quick once-over before embarking on a call. <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Know the law.<\/strong> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your state or county may have specific rules regarding who can drive an emergency vehicle, so check your local standards. Some places will require a CDL while others may simply require training from a fellow firefighter. You don\u2019t want to be driving illegally responding to an emergency.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On the road <\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once the apparatus is on the road, there are still numerous safety rules to follow. Once you\u2019ve started heading to the scene, make note of how you can get there safely:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Know your service area.<\/strong><b> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A fire apparatus is a large, heavy vehicle. Know if there are any bridges that couldn\u2019t handle your apparatus or underpasses that are inaccessible. If there is any construction going on in your service area, develop a plan to avoid it during emergencies. Be aware of the geography of your service area as well. GPS can be useful, but it can also be wrong. Going to the wrong location can be the difference between life and death, so know exactly where it is that you\u2019re going. <\/span><\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Don\u2019t blind traffic.<\/strong> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bright lights can help us to see, but they can also blind other drivers going down the road. Be aware of how bright your lights are and don\u2019t endanger yourself or others.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Watch your speed.<\/strong> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s easy to want to speed to a scene &#8211; that means you get there faster, right? Rather, recklessly speeding down the road can easily cause accidents, prohibiting you from getting to a fire or other emergency. Tailgating a car can result in rear ending someone, so use the two second rule to follow cars. Expect that there will be traffic and be prepared to stop at any given point. Speed limits were created by road engineers for a reason, so understand the dangers that may come with exceeding them. Getting to a scene fast is important, but do so safely. <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Turn on (or off) your lights and sirens.<\/strong> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">State regulations may vary in regards to when you should have sirens on. Some will require them at all times when responding to an emergency, whereas others will only require sirens when taking advantage of <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.firerescuemagazine.com\/articles\/print\/volume-9\/issue-1\/firefighter-safety\/safe-driving-tactics.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">driving exemptions<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Be aware of the rules regarding your sirens. <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Get there safely.<\/strong> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Simply put, know your vehicle. Be aware of the dimensions of your apparatus and know its limits. Does it perform differently in the heat, snow or ice? Does it turn sharply? What about your apparatus makes it different to operate? Are there special controls that everyone should be aware of? Driving an apparatus during an emergency is not the same as driving an apparatus at any other time.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At Jon\u2019s Mid America, we know how important it is for your apparatus to be safe. If you need <a href=\"http:\/\/(https:\/\/jonsmidamerica.com\/service-parts\/\">regular maintenance<\/a> on your apparatus, or if it\u2019s time for a <a href=\"https:\/\/jonsmidamerica.com\/new-fire-trucks\/\">new apparatus<\/a>, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/jonsmidamerica.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">contact us<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and we can help you pick a safe option. <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Operating a fire apparatus is a great deal of responsibility to ensure that people can be rescued in a fast, efficient manner. Getting to the scene of an accident or fire as soon as possible is incredibly important, but getting there safely is just as important. You won\u2019t be able to help anyone if your [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1867,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[732],"tags":[745,769],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jonsmidamerica.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1836"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jonsmidamerica.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jonsmidamerica.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jonsmidamerica.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jonsmidamerica.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1836"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/jonsmidamerica.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1836\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jonsmidamerica.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1867"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jonsmidamerica.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1836"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jonsmidamerica.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1836"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jonsmidamerica.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1836"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}