I think, if embraced, CRM could do more to prevent FF injury and fatality than any combination of initiatives currently in vogue in the fire service.CRM is about using all resources available to accomplish the mission.The mission, by the way, is not the standard risk management slogan we all know: risk a lot for lives, risk a little for property...The mission is that everyone goes home safely.Safety is the operation.
CRM derives from the aviation industry in the 1970s.What was found was that airplanes were not causing crashes, human behavior was.Meaning, it was not mechanical malfunctions causing planes to go down, it was the pilots flying them.Interesting.Fewer fires, more protective gear, building codes, suppression systems, SOPs, risk management, safety officers, command teams, IRIC and RIC teams, excellent training, TICs, etc., and we still kill 100 firefighters per year.Are we that steeped in tradition that we can't see that human behavior kills firefighters?Let's give CRM a chance.If the aviation industry is an example, we will see a dramatic decrease in FF injury and fatality.
This book is above average.My only constructive criticism was the implementation aspect.While there is a lot of good information, including the last chapter about implementing CRM, the substance of the book doesn't really define how that would happen.That said, I really liked this book.It will be tough for a lot of firefighters to digest because it is conceptual and not practical hands-on stuff.
For another excellent introduction to CRM I would refer readers to Dennis Rubin and his series on CRM through Firehouse magazine.These articles also provide a good introduction to this topic.
It is worth purchasing this book and I would recommend adding it to any fire department library, or personal library.
Product DescriptionCrew Resource Management for the Fire Service will provide fire service professionals with the necessary communication, leadership, and decision-making tools to operate safely and effectively under stressful conditions, thereby reducing injuries and deaths on the emergency scene. Although the concept of crew resource management has been around since the 1970s, this is the first book to apply CRM to the fire service industry. CRM emphasizes that in most cases technology isn't the root cause of catastrophe-human error is the culprit. Therefore steps taken to minimize the impact of errors are the keys to reducing the magnitude of the inevitable human failing.This book will be valuable for college classes, and may be used internationally by the fire service, emergency medical services, industrial fire brigades, technical rescue teams, and any other emergency service provider systems.
Features & benefits:
Explains the predictable manner in which firefighters react to stressful situations
Teaches methods and tools to combat these problems to provide safer and more effective operations
Provides a framework for cultural change in fire departments
Perfectly suited for both wildland and structural firefighters
About the Author
Randy Okray has been a member of the Campbell County (WY) Fire Department since 1987, where he serves as training officer. Okray earned an A.A.S. degree in Fire Science from Casper College. He is certified as a Fire Instructor III, Fire Officer III, Fire Apparatus Operator, and EMT-Basic, as well as being Wildland Certified as a Task Force Leader.Okray has been published in Fire Engineering magazine, and has presented programs at the International Wildfire Safety Summit in Alberta, Canada, the 11th International Aviation Psychology Symposium in Columbus, Ohio, and the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, MD.Tom Lubnau II, B.S., J.D., has been a member of the Campbell County Fire Department since 1990. He is certified as a Fire Officer I, Fire Apparatus Operator, Hazardous Materials Technician, EMT-Basic, and Fire Instructor III. He is a founding member of Lubnau, Bailey and Dumbrill, PC, a law firm that represents fire departments and hospitals throughout Wyoming. He has been an instructor at several conferences on legal issues in the fire service and crew resource management.
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