Oct 7, 2014
On this episode, I interview Firefighter Richard Marcus of the New Hartford Volunteer Fire Department in Connecticut. On May 5, 2006, Firefighter Marcus was in the officer’s seat of New Hartford Engine 1 responding to a report of a fire on the roadside. While in route, they were cancelled and a discussion in the cab caused the driver to become momentarily distracted. For the brief moment that he had his eyes off the roadway, the engine drifted of the right side of the road. While the driver attempted to correct and recover, the engine veered out of control and struck a tree on the officer’s side of the engine. As a result, Firefighter Marcus suffered multiple injuries that included a spinal fracture and bilateral knee injuries. All firefighters riding in the engine were wearing seat belts. However the engine was older and was only equipped with lap belts, not shoulder belts.
Listen in as Firefighter Marcus shares this incredible story of how this incident impacted his life. Lessons learned include:
1.The adoption of commercial driver’s license (or Q-endorsements in Connecticut) for drivers.
2.The implementation of a sterile cockpit policy (adopted from the airline industry). This is a topic I speak about in the SAMatters Online Academy and during the live Fifty Ways to Kill a First Responder program. I will talk about this more in an upcoming podcast.
3.Changes the department made in vehicle safety following the incident.
4.The establishment of a driver’s training program with criteria to accomplishment.
5.Richard shares how the accident changed how he was treated in his department.
6.The challenges Richard has seen in his efforts to get his department to develop SOGs and to implement best practices.
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Contact Rich Gasaway
612-548-4424