The Value of a Quality Breathing Apparatus Program

The Value of a Quality Breathing Apparatus Program 

Executive Summary 

Firefighters often fight fires in conditions immediately dangerous to health and life. In these circumstances, quality firefighting personal protective equipment (PPE) provides firefighters with critical protection that significantly improves firefighting effectiveness while also protecting firefighting personnel’s health and safety.  In particular, Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus, frequently referred to as Breathing Apparatus (BA), is a critical component of PPE that isolates the firefighters from hot and toxic gases. It is the single most beneficial piece of safety equipment for a firefighter. 

Effective firefighting operations have the essential BA equipment needed to fight fires as well as staff trained in how to use BA equipment and conduct routine maintenance to ensure its proper functioning. 

Motor Vehicle Accidents

by: Mark van der Feyst

Whenever dealing with vehicle accidents, here are a few items to consider.

The Isolation Zone

In both vehicle extrication and hazardous materials situations, setting up your different work zones are important. These zones help with maintaining and isolating the initial problem. The three common zones that we have all been taught are the hot zone, the warm zone and the cold zone. The cold zone is the last zone between the situation and the general public. A fourth zone should also be established called the Isolation Zone. This zone acts as a buffer zone between the situation and the general public. It also allows for scene expansion and also for running room for the just in case moments. Whenever you are setting up your zones, be sure to establish an Isolation Zone.   

HID lights

Many new cars today are being outfitted with new technology such as HID lights. HID lights are High Intensity Discharge head lamps that provide bright light for all times of the day or night for driving purposes. The light replicated by these headlamps resemble the brightness of the sun at noon time. Essentially these lights are an arc light using less energy to produce a brighter light. The danger with these lights is when the vehicle has been in a collision or accident and the responding fire department has to work on the vehicle. These lights can and will electrocute a firefighter because of the amount of power that resides in them.  A HID light takes 12 volts from the vehicle and steps it up to 25,000 volts – this is where the danger comes in. As taught to me by Matt Stroud, do not stand in front of HID lights or any head lights for that matter to ensure that you are not in the danger zone of these potential lethal hazards.      

Popping the door with webbing        

When we are extricating a person from a vehicle and we have to force open a passenger door, there is a large amount of potential energy waiting to be released when the door does give way. We have been taught to use our body by leaning backwards into the door while the other firefighter operates the hydraulic tool. Instead we can avoid bodily injury that can result from that technique and use webbing to aid us. Webbing can be wrapped around the car post and the door post at the same time using just a girth hitch. As the door is being forced open, the girth hitch will also loosen with the operation allowing the door to travel its needed direction but will contain the door from flying open when the door is finally released. This also keeps the other firefighter back away from the operation and not right up close getting in the way.

Popping the door with a squash/tennis ball

When forcing open a passenger door on a vehicle, the toughest part of the operation is getting the door to separate from the Nader bolt. This latch can be a burden on the firefighter who is trying to open the door with a set of hydraulic tools. We try with the spreaders and we also will resort to using the cutters to cut through. One simple trick that was shown to me was the use of a squash/tennis ball or a similar ball. The squash/tennis ball can be wedged underneath the door handle allowing the door handle to remain in the open position. By doing this, it releases the door’s latch from the Nader bolt making the door easier to open with the tools.       

About the Author

Mark van der Feyst is a 25 year veteran of the fire service and is currently the Senior Battalion Chief at the Six Nations Fire & Emergency Services in Canada and a part time firefighter with the Fort Gratiot Fire Department in Michigan. He has worked in both the USA and Canada for various fire departments and holds a Masters of Science degree in Safety, Security & Emergency Management from Eastern Kentucky University.   

Suicide Warning Signs

by: Jeff Dill

Recognizing Suicide Warning Signs in Firefighters and EMTs 

Behavioral health is a key component of an overall firefighter health and wellness program. Unfortunately, it is a difficult subject to discuss – many factors affect a firefighter’s ability to understand when a fellow brother or sister is suffering, but that does not make it any less critical an issue.

By far, the number one comment by fire and EMS chiefs associated with departments that have suffered a loss is that they didn’t realize or recognize the warning signs that their member was displaying until after the loss had occurred.

The Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance (FBHA) tracks and validates FF & EMT suicides in the United States. A key component is validation: Whether we receive a confidential report, text message, or phone call of a tragic event of a suicide, confidentiality is always maintained.

FBHA has traveled across North America presenting behavioral health workshops with an emphasis on suicide awareness. Our workshops focus on warning signs and actions to take when a brother or sister is in need of help, and I’d like to share them with you here:

 Top 5 Warning Signs – Think “RAILS”

 1.     Recklessness/Impulsiveness: These might be subtle signs such as purchasing guns when a person has always been against them. Riding a motorcycle recklessly or charging into burning buildings against policy or procedure.

 2.     Anger: Suppressed anger or explosive anger from seemingly minor issues can be a dangerous sign. Displacement (directing one’s anger at someone else instead of the intended person) is often observed. Displacement is most often directed at a FF or EMT’s family.

 3.     Isolation: becoming distant from their career company around the station or volunteer firefighters who don’t participate in drills or calls as much. Members might even display isolation around their family. They lose interest in family activities.

 4.     Loss of Confidence in skills and abilities: Several FFs and EMTs have advised FBHA they lost confidence in their ability to get the job done due to concentrating on emotional or personal issues they were battling. A seasoned FF who can’t remember how put an engine in gear to pump is an example.

 5.     Sleep Deprivation: Loss of sleep can indicate stress, anxiety, PTS or several other emotional issues a member might be struggling with and not realize.

Recommendations:

 When you see someone struggling or just off their game, follow these recommendations as a starting point:

 1.     Be Proactive; Be Direct: We do this when responding to emergencies. We need to take the same approach when our brothers or sisters appear to be struggling.

 2.     Direct Questions: Remember these two questions if a member comes to you with suicidal ideations.

 a.     Do you feel like killing yourself now?

b.     Do you have a plan? 

 A “yes” to either one of these questions means you need to engage your department procedures or protocols if in the firehouse. If outside of the department then they need help immediately. NEVER leave them alone!

3.     Compassion: The theme in our workshop is: Be Direct and be compassionate. Stay in the moment when talking to them. It is the most difficult type of conversation but always speak from the heart.

 4.     Discretionary Time: If a member comes to you to talk about a difficult issue they are struggling with and you have never dealt with this type of issue, then let them know but also use discretionary time. Do not make statements just to fill a void. For example: I never realized you were struggling with this issue and I don’t have a lot of knowledge on this problem, but let me find out a little more about it and we will talk later. (If this is a crisis moment then do not leave member alone)

 5.     Walk the Walk: The number of firefighters, officers and EMTs/paramedics who help their brothers or sisters out by taking them to AA classes or counselors cannot be overstated.  They sit outside and wait until the appointment is over. Taking care of our own goes well beyond the station or fire ground.

 Posters and tip cards are available for your departments and personnel. Please contact Jeff Dill at jdill@ffbha.org for more information or visit our web page at www.ffbha.org.

Find out more about Suicide Questions and PTSD Question

Spirituality in the Fire Service

By: Rabbi Howard A Cohen (Deputy Chief, ret.) AFM Virtual Training Coordinator

I am a rabbi. For those not familiar with term, a rabbi is a person trained in Jewish law, ritual, tradition and the chief religious official of a synagogue. I’ve served congregations in Alaska, Massachusetts, Vermont, and I was a prison chaplain for five years. I was also an active firefighter for twenty years. I entered the fire service world as a department chaplain, and I retired as a deputy chief. For my well-being and spiritual health I am now an instructor for Africa Fire Mission. I share this about me so you understand that I’ve been exploring matters of spiritual health in diverse settings, especially the fire service world, for a long time. This does not make me an authority, by any means. It does, however, afford me a certain perspective on the topic of spirituality and the fire service.

Spirituality is one of those words that everyone thinks they know the meaning of but have a hard time defining. This is not surprising since how we understand spirituality is highly subjective. So for the purpose of this article, I am defining spirituality as a sense of meaningful connection to something beyond or bigger than ourselves.

For many of us in the fire service what we do is not merely a job, it is a vocation. We do what we do, and we face the challenges that we face, because it is a calling. We are called to help others and we are self-sacrificing as we do this. We train to save lives under extreme conditions. Every time we respond to an emergency we are answering a “higher” calling. 

We may not think of what we are doing as spiritual work, but in the eyes of those we help during the worst hours of their lives, our work must be spiritual because to them we are practically divine agents. Moreover, though we tend not to use words like spirituality, higher calling and holy when we are thinking and talking about our work, in my humble opinion, the fire service is nothing less than holy work.  

I’ve also observed that beyond the “holy” nature of our life saving work, there is something spiritual in the way we bond/connect with our colleagues. We trust our lives to one another.  The lives of those who we are called upon to aid depend on our ability to work together. And at the end of a day of soul wrenching experiences, we cry, hug, and support one another.  We do this because we have a spiritual connection to one another.

In the fire service there is a lot of talk these days about emotional wellbeing. What’s the difference between emotional wellbeing and spiritual health? I suggest that emotional wellbeing is about cultivating a frame of mind, which can broaden your outlook and help you to connect to something larger or beyond yourself. Emotional wellbeing involves accepting and exploring who you are, enhancing your inner resources to reduce stress and maintain a positive outlook on life, and awareness and acceptance of the way that you feel. On the other hand, spirituality and spiritual health are about actively seeking meaningful connections with something larger or beyond yourself which can result in positive emotions and personal growth. At the risk of oversimplification, another way to explain the difference is that spirituality starts with looking outward, while emotional wellbeing starts with looking inward.  Nevertheless, they are deeply integrated and, in fact, reinforce one another.

Unfortunately, the daily challenges of being in the fire service take their toll on us. Newness and adrenaline only carries us so far. Eventually after so many encounters with fires, car crashes, accidents, damaged bodies, and death what began as a calling starts to give way to the feeling that it is just a grunt of a job. What is happening is that the demand of the profession is slowly chipping away at our spiritual health.  The nature of being a firefighter not only brings us into direct contact with much trauma and tragedy, but the need to act, not feel, requires that we put our feelings aside.  

Over time, as we become habituated to not processing our emotions, our emotional wellbeing and spiritual health begin to suffer. Left unchecked, this leads to “burn out” and/or secondary traumatic stress that will impact our health and relationships. Our work will start to feel meaningless.  The connections to our colleagues will start to fray.  We are literally becoming dispirited.

As dire as this sounds, there is good news.  There are numerous ways to regain and sustain spiritual health.  Here are several practices you can incorporate into your daily life to strengthen both your spiritual well being and emotional health.  While I can’t say any one of these is necessarily better than the other, I’ve listed them in order of my personal preference.  

1) Develop a strong sense of gratitude:  This can be as simple as making a point of expressing gratitude every day to the many people with whom you come into contact. Take a little time every day to reflect on all of the work others do for you. Express gratitude for them to yourself. Let them know how grateful you are as well.  

2) Embrace rituals:  The life of a firefighter is filled with important daily safety tasks that need to be done.  Embrace these tasks as sacred rituals. As you go through your checklist, visualize how this connects you to your colleagues and what might happen to them if you didn’t do this task right.

3) Foster empathy for others. Develop empathy by paying close attention to the people who surround you.  Expand the empathy you feel for those you know to encompass those you haven't met.

4)  Invest in your Relationships: Invest time and energy into the people who love you and whom you love.  

5)  Meditate and/or Pray:  Work on your spiritual health by questioning, affirming, and revising your beliefs. Drill down on troubling thoughts, don't hide them from yourself. Share them with someone you trust, and discuss your concerns together.

 Throughout this article I’ve used terminology that is evocative of organized religion.  While spirituality may incorporate elements of religion, they are not the same thing, nor are they entirely distinct from one another.  Religion is about following a prescribed set of rules, traditions, or beliefs.  Spirituality is entirely subjective and can be defined in just about any way you want. Some people choose to express their spirituality by keeping the aspects of traditional religion that they enjoy, like the practice of prayer or a belief in God.  This is fine.  Ultimately, there is no right or wrong way to seek out spiritual meaning. It will be different for each individual.

About the Author

Howard retired from the Bennington Fire Dept as a deputy chief.  He spends a lot of time writing and teaching various aspects of firefighting.  He religiously works out every morning, doing a mix of high intensity interval training (HiiT), dumbbells, kettlebells, barbells and cycling. When he is not doing something for the fire service or working out he is the rabbi of two small congregations.

Skills Leaders Incorporate During Team Building

By: Frank Montes de Oca

Recently, I focused a post on common traits that good leaders demonstrate. It listed characteristics common to leaders who strive to build strong, effective teams. To recap those traits are:

1. Recognize People

2. Respect Employees

3. Communicate Effectively

4. Possess Integrity

5. Provide Ongoing Feedback

Now, let’s aim attention on skills that leaders should incorporate in their continuing team building efforts. Assessing and Monitoring the Climate: How do you know your team is forming at an acceptable pace? How do you know when your team is ready to answer the challenges of delivering emergency services? If you’re not constantly assessing and determining individual and collective progress, you won’t. The steps below outline a basic approach to assessing team development and can be modified to meet the needs of the team and its members.

Step 1: Develop (or copy) a set of guidelines or standards that are achievable and measurable.

Step 2: Make sure the guidelines or standards are relevant to your team’s mission.

Step 3: Train team members individually and collectively to the standards.

Step 4: Assess members individually and the team as a whole.

Step 5: Share the team assessment outcome with all team members.

NOTE: Communicate throughout the process to ensure no one is left behind and a sense of ownership or buy-in is present throughout the team. Some departments are managed by standards, guidelines and rules developed by others outside the department or unit. Some might have been developed years ago. To ensure relevance, make sure the guidelines are up-to-date to meet the challenges of the community. Showing Trust in Your People. In the life safety business, it’s understandable to be cautious of taking everything on face value. It is human nature; somewhat of a self-preservation practice to question. There’s a saying that serves supervisors and team leaders well: Trust and verify. That is trust people or groups, but for the sake of safety, check every once in a while to make sure the facts are what they appear to be. Regardless of how you manage to certify the accuracy of the statement or claim, demonstrating trust, confidence in and support of your people is an integral practice for leaders. Ensuring a Respectful Workplace.

This attribute was mentioned in the last blog and is #2 above. This takes it a step further by requiring all members to demonstrate respect for each other and every community member with whom they interact. Regardless of gender, age or personal beliefs, it is integral to an effective team that respect is practiced at all levels. Enforcing Accountability and Fairness

Providing emergency services requires a relationship between the responder, his/her supervisor and the citizens served. To ensure the service rendered is of the quality expected, all members must be accountable for their actions. To achieve this the unit leader holds himself/herself to the established standards and in turn holds all members accountable for their actions as well. The peak of the team’s development occurs when team members hold each other accountable. Duties should be assigned based on fairness and the individual abilities of those assigned. As soon as favoritism is witnessed or suspected, a breakdown in unit cohesiveness occurs. Therefore, to prevent this all assignments, assessments and training must be distributed equally and fairly.

Communicating, Managing and Sharing Expectations The underlying message in this post is communication. When managers and supervisors maintain an open, two-way communication loop, unit effectiveness thrives. Members want to know what is expected of them. And in turn they expect their supervisors to know and respect what they expect. This level of honesty and openness builds teams who operate with resiliency, pride and effectiveness.

Go forth and lead!

Frank Montes de Oca served as a firefighter/paramedic for over 38 years finishing his career as a fire chief and emergency services director at three departments. His focus continues to be first responder development, team building and firefighter safety and survival. Chief Montes de Oca can be reached at frm1@me.com. Visit his website www.responder1.org to find information and training programs focused on first responder safety, survival and leadership development.

Welcome our new board members!

As Africa Fire Mission continues to grow, our board of directors continues to be a vital part of supporting our growth toward the future. Africa Fire Mission is pleased to welcome Lori Thomas and Jerry Bennett to our Board of Directors.

Lori Thomas

Jerry Bennett

Lori Thomas is a Global Environmental Health and Safety Leader for GE Aerospace, Commercial Engines & Services, Edison Works, Military Systems. Her experience in Health and Safety at GE will support AFM’s growth in industrial fire services as well as supporting businesses in safety practices.

Jerry Bennett participated with AFM in 2021’s Kenya Mission and 2022 Nigeria. Jerry is a retired District Fire Chief from East Moline, IL. He currently lives in Iowa. Jerry’s experiences in Africa and his work in the fire service will support AFM’s program development and growth.

Growing Community Fire Prevention Programs

Growing Community Fire Prevention Programs - AFM’s first annual Fire Prevention Competition!

January 1, 2023

by: Nancy L. Moore, Executive Director

When my husband, Dave, and I arrived in Nairobi, Kenya in 2012 we immediately began to see the dangers of fires that are a reality of life in Africa. When we learned in 2014 that many firefighters in Zambia didn’t know the basics of fire prevention and fire safety we knew we had to do something.

From our partners at Missions of Hope International and CMF International we learned about Community Health Evangelism or Community Health Education and realized that there was very little education for developing communities on fire prevention and fire safety. So we worked together with firefighters in Africa, community members in Kenya and AFM’s American firefighter volunteers to develop a curriculum that would be culturally appropriate for developing communities.

We have trained thousands of firefighters and community volunteers in using our curriculum and have been able to track results as fire services in Africa report that communities that have received training call the fire brigade sooner in cases of fire outbreaks and that they have a better understanding of how the fire service works and what firefighters need from the community in order to do their job. In 2022, firefighters and community volunteers reported more than 520,000 people were educated in fire prevention and fire safety through training activities, community walks and fire prevention week activities. Through public television and radio more than 13 million people were received life saving fire safety education.

With more than 1 billion people in Sub-Saharan Africa - there are many more people to reach with these important life safety lessons.

In 2023 AFM has launched an initiative to reach more people by encouraging training and reporting that training through our first annual Fire Prevention Competition. We will have 4 categories for participation:

• Individual Volunteer - someone who is not paid for trainings that they are providing.

• Individual Paid - someone doing this as a part of their job, in the fire service, private or public sector.

• Fire Brigade (paid firefighters this could be a recognition for the whole fire department what they submit across all shifts, etc).

• Groups- organization or informal group (this could be firefighters or community members that are not getting paid to do the trainings and are doing it on their own time)

Trainings reported and taking place from November 20, 2022- November 1, 2023 will be considered. For the competition, trainings must take place in Africa. Participants in the competition may use the Africa Fire Mission curriculum as a guide for what training content to include: https://www.africafiremission.org/fire-safety-curriculum

The requirements to be considered include:

1. Submit training documentation to Africa Fire Mission via this form: https://www.africafiremission.org/fire-safety-training-reporting

2. Submit pictures of the training to info@africafiremission.org

Submission reviews to determine winners of the competition:

• Africa Fire Mission will review the all of the submitted training reports for quality of training as well as number of persons trained.

• Training photos will also be reviewed and AFM should be able to tell what content is being taught through the photos evidence.

• Trainings may be done formally (for instance a classroom setting or community gathering) or informally community walk, media interviews)

Winners will be announced at the closing of the Kenya Fire EMS Symposium and Competition 2023, in Nairobi, Kenya, November 2023. Winners will also receive recognition on AFM social media and AFM’s monthly newsletter. A certificate will be issued to the winners as well as a gift (yet to be determined).

Please note: Individuals training together are considered a group, please have one person from the group submit the reports and list the name of the group with the training report. Duplicate trainings will be combined as one training report. If there are participants from multiple countries, awards may be issued by country. AFM staff will not be considered as part of the competition. AFM holds the full decision making over the winners of the competition.

Looking Forward to 2023

Committed to increasing the sustainable capacity of  fire departments in developing communities 

December 2022 

Dear Friends and Partners, 

Thank you for your ongoing support of Africa Fire Mission. AFM is able to continue advancing its work with your generous support. 2022 has been another year of growth and service. This November, we celebrated our 10 year anniversary of our first trip to Kenya! Who could have imagined, on that mission trip in 2012, when Dave didn’t want to go, that Africa Fire Mission would have provided fire training programs, consultation and equipment in Kenya, Zambia, Malawi, Sierra Leone, Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria and Ukraine!   We’ve impacted millions through our Fire Prevention initiatives!   (If you don’t know how we started – check out Our Story

We can’t do this work without you – By volunteering with us, praying for us and supporting our work financially, you are part of our team and our success!  AFM continues to have opportunities to expand our work in the areas we are already working and in new places.   In order take AFM to the next level, we need about $85,000 a year in new gifts which would allow us to add a full-time program person in the US and a full-time Fire Safety Advocate in Africa to support our growing programs.     

Would you consider becoming a monthly donor to AFM?  $25, $50 or $100 a month will make a big difference toward our goal.   Your year-end gift will also support our growth goal in 2023!  

Here are some highlights from our work in 2022.  

• Team mission trips to Kenya, Malawi and Nigeria with over 600 firefighters and EMT's trained in the countries in which AFM is serving. 

• 5 Training of Trainer’s in Community Fire Prevention.  

• More than 40,000 community members trained in Community Fire Prevention by our Fire Safety Advocate, AFM volunteers and African Fire Fighters. 

• More than 5 million children reached with our new Tochi and José Fire Prevention Show airing on Akili Kids Network in Kenya! 

• New partnership in Nigeria with University of Maryland, School of Medicine and the Institute of Human Virology – Nigeria.  

Your financial gifts ensure that firefighters and other first responders are trained in effective firefighting strategies and emergency medical response.   That children and their parents know what to do to prevent fires and what to do if there is a fire. That firefighters have the advocacy training and equipment they need to protect their communities and that our mission partners have fire protection, and prevention tools for their facilities.   Thank you for impacting lives through fire department and communities in Africa. We appreciate your generous support and partnership.  

Wishing you have a blessed Christmas and Holiday Season, 

Nancy Moore, Co-Founder & Executive Director     

After Action Review

By: Rabbi Howard A Cohen (Deputy Chief, ret.) AFM Virtual Training Coordinator

An important, but often overlooked, training tool is the after-action review, sometimes called a debriefing.  An after-action review (AAR), or debriefing, is a discussion of an event for the purpose of examining what happened, why it happened, what, if any, improvements could be made, and who needs to know what was learned?  

After-action reviews were originally developed by the United States Army and are now used in many different industries, including the fire service, hospitals and sports teams.  Studies demonstrate that AARs have a demonstrable positive impact on the culture of organizations that utilize them.  They increase trust among team members; improve ability to deliver services; and improve safety on the scene.

The AAR is an important component in creating a culture of positive change within a department. AAR debriefs, whether structured and formal (appropriate after a large complex event) or informal, encourage a candid critique and evaluation of a crew’s strengths and areas in need of improvement.  The key to successfully using the AAR is that it is done after every incident, no matter how small or seemingly routine.  As we know, any call, no matter how routine it may seem, has the potential to turn into something life threatening.  Thus, something innocuous learned in one AAR, might very well be instrumental in avoiding something serious in a future incident.

One reason why AAR is so effective is that it takes the ego out of evaluating an incident.  AAR is not about finger pointing, judging, or critiquing individuals. There is no rank and everyone gets to speak.  While there are different ways to organize an AAR, the original model structured around five specific and open-ended questions is arguably still the best.  The five questions of the AAR are: What was our intention;  What went well;  What could have gone better;  What should we have done differently; Who needs to know.  Let’s take a closer look at each of these five questions.

What was our intention with our actions?  Was the call something we could have anticipated and planned for?  Did we have an action plan for this kind of call?  If so, did we follow it?  If not, should we develop one?  What were our expectations and how did we prepare ourselves for this kind of call?  Was what we expected different than what we encountered?

What went well?  What actually happened?  Consider the incident from all the different perspectives.  Who did what?  What tools were involved?  What outcomes were achieved?

What could have gone better?  What additional training do we need?

What should we have done differently?  Any unanticipated problems?  How was our situational awareness?  Were risks and hazards recognized?  Do we need to change our policies and procedures for this kind of call?

Who needs to know?  Who needs to know what was learned from the AAR?  How do you share what was learned?

If you are ready to institute AAR into your department there are six steps to take.  First, write standard operating policies/guidelines (SOPs/Gs) that document the purpose of AAR and how it is to be done. Second, make sure to provide training to department members who will most likely be the ones leading AARs.  Third, support open communication by providing a safe place where the firefighters can talk freely and without fear of judgment.  Fourth, make sure that there is time for an AAR.  Fifth, make sure that there is a process for recommending policy and training updates based on AAR feedback.  And the sixth and final step is to make sure that there is a way for communicating AAR findings to everybody in the organization.  This last step not only shows that the process has positive effects, but that the information gleaned from an AAR might also save someone’s life at the next call.

If your department does not yet have an AAR practice, this is the perfect time to start one.  AARs promote organizational safety and improve performance.  Every incident now becomes a learning opportunity. In the fire service, enhanced performance is measured by lives and property saved and the well being of the first responders.

Recognizing our Volunteers

On October 22, 2022 during our Annual Fundraiser, the Chama, Africa Fire Mission was pleased to honor Judy Johnson and Howard Cohen.

Africa Fire Mission thrives on volunteers.   Volunteers are at the heart of our organization.   We have dozens and dozens of volunteers. We have volunteers from all across the North America, Africa and Europe that help to make AFM run on a daily basis.  These men, women, firefighters, civilians and children are all a vital part of Africa Fire Mission being able to achieve its goals and objectives. 

Judy Johnson – Volunteer of the Year

Judy has been critical to helping developing AFM into the organization that it is today. Judy was the person who introduced Dave and Nancy to Missions of Hope International and she was instrumental in ensuring that we had a solid plan for taking team members to Africa - from training team members to helping to write our application Judy prepared us to do the work we do. As a board member to AFM, Judy has helped to ensure that AFM was connect with other organizations around the world so that we can collaborate with others to do our work.

Thank you Judy for all that you have done for Africa Fire Mission! We hope you’ll continue to enjoy your retirement!

When Africa Fire Mission travels with a team to provide training in Africa or other parts of the world, our team members volunteer their time, talents and treasures to provide world class training to our partners.  Our instructors, undergo training in advance of the trip to prepare of the mission and prepare the lessons that they will teach in our week long fire training events.   We have been fortunate to have many instructors return year after year and continue to build each year on the training that they have been providing as well as to build strong relationships with firefighers and our overseas partners. 

Howard Cohen, Instructor of the Year

Howard has been pivoting and helping to grow AFM since he signed up for his first trip in 2020 - which turned into a virtual trip/training. Howard then went to Kenya with AFM in 2021 and signed up to coordinate our weekly online trainings. With Howard’s leadership and planning, we have grown from an average of 16 participants a week in 2021 to 65 weekly participants in 2022!  Howard is headed back to Kenya with AFM in November 2022 and is looking forward to reconnecting in person with those he has been building relationship with. Check out what Howard has to say about being part of AFM below!

Interested in volunteering with AFM in administrative roles or as one of our international instructors?

Fire Prevention Activities Grow in Kenya

When Dave and Nancy , Co-Founders of Africa Fire Mission, went to Kenya in November 2012. One of the things that surprised them was the lack of knowledge around fire prevention and fire safety. In the US, children start to learn about fire safety in Pre-School and fire prevention messages and what to do in case of fire are integrated into school and work for many Americans. In most of Africa we have learned that there is very little education around fire prevention or fire safety.

As soon as Dave saw the gap he invited the Nairobi Fire Service to come to Missions of Hope International (AFM’s first partner) to teach the teachers a little about fire prevention. Stop, Drop and Roll, Crawling Under Smoke (Get Low and Get Out), how to call the fire department and how to use a fire extinguisher were among the first lessons taught. That first fire prevention session in Nairobi had about 30 participants - since then AFM has been growing our fire prevention program through curriculum and a train the trainer model through CHE (Community Health Education).

This October, Kenya participated in Fire Prevention week - at least 10 counties participated and more than 40,000 individuals received direct training in fire prevention! Children and adults conducted fire drills in their schools and businesses. Firefighters went into their communities and shared safety messages in churches, schools, businesses and anywhere that people gathered!

Indirectly, the impact was pretty great too! There were walks to raise awareness and media campaigns to share the work! Millions were impacted indirectly through these collaborations!

At Africa Fire Mission we are committed to continue to increase the impact of fire prevention and safety to save lives! It is important to our mission just as training firefighters. Our curriculum is available for free on our website - check it out here: Fire Safety Curriculum and we’d love for those using our curriculum to report their training experiences here: Report

To all the firefighters in Kenya that are spreading the message of fire safety - Asante Sana (thank you!) We can’t want to see the multiplication continue in Kenya and across all of Africa!

IHVN Staff Receive Fire Safety Training

Fire wardens participate in a practical session on the use of fire protection equipment.

The Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN) has partnered with the Africa Fire Mission (AFM) and FCT Fire Service to train its staff on fire prevention, suppression and safety management.

In a two-day training of the Institute’s staff and security personnel to serve as fire wardens at the IHVN Campus, IHVN Chief Operating Officer and Managing Director, Dr Charles Olalekan Mensah stated that, “fire-fighting is an integral part of our daily lives. Let us keep the IHVN campus safe. The more educated we are about fire safety, the more we can protect individuals and the nation as a whole.” Dr Mensah urged staff to take lessons learned at the training to their families and the community.

Over 30 fire wardens were trained to identify fire hazards, handle fire drills as well as emergencies in collaboration with the FCT Fire Service. There were also practical sessions on the use maintenance of fire protection devices.

Executive Director Africa Fire Mission, Mrs Nancy Moore facilitating a training session.

Executive Director of the Africa Fire Mission, Mrs Nancy Moore explained that, “you don’t have to be a fire fighter to prevent fires.” She called on the wardens to be aware of their surroundings and take responsibility to protect themselves and others.

One of the participants, Ms Kyusonn Samuel said that the training has increased the awareness of staff about the fire safety. “We were taught what to do in case of an emergency and are more aware of potential hazards. The good thing about the training is that in one of the sessions, we were told to step-down what we have learned to our colleagues. This has increased staff’s awareness about fire safety,” she said.

Staff from the FCT Fire Service were on hand at the training to provide guidance on emergency response and contacts to call in case of a fire outbreak. They also participated in an inspection of the Institute’s fire protection equipment along with the team from AFM.

Read this article on IHVN website here

Incident Command: Coordinating with limited resources

By: Chief Mike Kull

In a perfect world, every time our Fire Brigade receives a call for service, we will have all the manpower we need and all of the necessary equipment available at a moment’s notice.  Of course, we don’t live in a perfect world and no matter where you are serving as a firefighter, there will be times that you will not have all of the resources you may need to properly respond.  So, what do we do to prepare for those times when we don’t have everything we THINK we NEED?

            The first step is for us to do an HONEST review of our available resources and manpower from our own fire station.  What is the lowest number of firefighters we have available to respond?  What equipment do we have that will be available and in good working order order for EVERY call?  This is where we start our preparation and training.  If we can only expect to have two firefighters available to respond to a call for service, we can make that work!  As we train at our stations, we train with only two firefighters performing tasks that we will be expected to do at an emergency.  We continue training and practicing as a two-person team until EVERYONE can complete all tasks with only two people.  Now, if we respond to an incident and we have more than two firefighters available, it will make the tasks go quicker and easier.  While we are practicing and training, we will be sure to use the equipment that we will have available and in good working order for every call.  We will be sure to properly MAINTAIN that equipment so that it is always available and in good working order.  If we then have other equipment available to us at an incident it will, again, make our jobs quicker and easier.

            Once we have become very good at working with low manpower and minimum equipment, our next step is to become familiar with other resources.  Is there another Fire Station or Brigade near-by that can bring more firefighters or other equipment?  If so, it is important to take the time to visit with those other firefighters and to practice and train with them as well. They may not always be available when you call them for help, but you will be familiar with them and their equipment if they do arrive to help.

            Now that we have become well trained with our own firefighters and our own equipment as well as with the available resources from nearby firefighters, we must look for other places to find the resources we need.  Are there police officers at the incident that can help us control the crowd or traffic nearby?  Are there members of the COMMUNITY that can assist us with tasks that do not put them in danger?  Is there a nearby business that may have tools or equipment that could be useful?  Are there hand tools that are not designed for firefighting that we may be able to use?  Can we build our own tools out of resources available nearby?

            All of this takes place BEFORE we are called to service.  It is important to identify the types of emergencies that we will be called to.  Then we must try to learn what equipment and resources we will need to help out at that emergency. We can PRE-PLAN what we will need so that we can practice those skills with our limited manpower and equipment and learn how to be successful. 

            In order to become a Fire Brigade that can perform well with limited resources we must practice and train often within our own Fire Stations and also those nearby.  We must utilize resources available in our community and we must find ways to use tools and equipment that are available to us to perform our jobs as firefighters. We must know the types of emergencies we will be called to and what resources we will need.  As we practice and train with very limited resources we become very good at our jobs and we can perform even better as more resources are found or arrive to help.

 About the Author:

Chief Mike Kull is a Fire Chief in rural Pennsylvania and successfully deals with limited resources on every call. He has been serving his local community for 25 years. Chief Kull serves as Fire Chief and Administrator of his local volunteer fire department as well as serving as a local elected official and has served in various government roles for his entire career. He is also a Forest Fire Warden with the PA Bureau of Forestry and serves on his church council.

Africa Fire Mission Receives Major Grant from Motorola Solutions Foundation

For Immediate Release

August 29, 2022

Africa Fire Mission Receives Major Grant from Motorola Solutions Foundation

Africa Fire Mission (AFM) is a Cincinnati-based non-profit organization with team members of firefighters from across the United States, Canada and Europe who for ten years have provided fire training and equipment in various parts of Africa.   AFM has announced that they have received a $25,000 grant from the Motorola Solutions Foundation to help continue its training programs and to provide a national Fire and EMS Training Symposium and Competition in Kenya in November 2022.

This grant will support hands-on Fire Training and distribution of firefighter personal protective equipment (PPE).  In November, a team of twenty-two firefighters, paramedics and nurses from the United States and Canada will train over 350 Kenyan firefighters and EMT’s at the Jomo-Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Kenya.

AFM’s training team members volunteer their time and pay their own expenses to travel to Africa to teach their fellow firefighters the latest techniques in firefighting, rescue and emergency medical services.

“Africa Fire Mission is grateful to Motorola Solutions Foundations for its continued support of our programs through this grant.   Through continued partnership, we will be able to continue to impact communities and support firefighters in Africa as they strive to save lives and property” says Nancy Moore, Executive Director for Africa Fire Mission.

The Motorola Solutions Foundation, which has donated $100 million over the past 10 years, focuses its giving on three key areas: first responder programming, technology and engineering education, and programs that blend the two. The Foundation has a long-standing commitment to supporting programs that benefit underrepresented populations and aims to partner with organizations that align to its values of accountability, innovation, impact, diversity and inclusion.

The Motorola Solutions Foundation is proud to partner with organizations like Africa Fire Mission that share our values and passion for driving positive change in the community,” said Karem Perez, Executive Director of the Motorola Solutions Foundation. “We believe in the work that Africa Fire Mission is doing and look forward to seeing their continued impact.

For additional information on the Motorola Solutions Foundation grants program, visit: motorolasolutions.com/foundation-grant-partner.

For additional information regarding Africa Fire Mission visit: www.africafiremission.org  - Contact Nancy Moore at 513-620-4236 or nancy@africafiremission.org

About Africa Fire Mission

Africa Fire Mission is a nonprofit organization committed to increasing the sustainable capacity of Fire Departments in developing communities. We accomplish this through training, empowerment, support and encouragement.

·        Train – We partner with governments, NGO’s, missionaries, schools and corporations to provide education and training to firefighters and local communities. We use Community Health Education to teach firefighters and community members in Africa to protect themselves from the dangers of fire. We provide fire prevention training and fire safety assessments to schools ensuring the students are able to learn in an environment safe from fires.

·        Empower – We work to increase the ability of communities in Africa to respond to disasters and provide relief when disasters occur.

·        Support – We provide personal protective equipment and communication tools to fire services throughout Africa to allow fire departments to operate in a safer and more coordinator manner.

·        Encourage – We build the capacity of African fire services so that local communities are able to provide sustainable public safety and disaster management services.

Where does AFM work?

Africa Fire Mission currently works in 6 countries throughout Africa including: Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Sierra Leone, and Zambia. In 2022, we are expanding our consultation work into Nigeria.  In 2018, a request to expand our services into Ukraine has led us outside of Africa and into Europe.

About the Motorola Solutions Foundation

As the charitable and philanthropic arm of Motorola Solutions, the Motorola Solutions Foundation partners with organizations around the globe to create safer cities and equitable, thriving communities. We focus on giving back through strategic grants, employee volunteerism and other community investment initiatives. Our strategic grants program supports organizations that offer first responder programming and technology and engineering education, and align to our values of accountability, innovation, impact, diversity and inclusion. The Foundation is one of the many ways in which the company lives out its purpose of helping people be their best in the moments that matter. For more information on the Foundation, visit: www.motorolasolutions.com/foundation

Basic Troubleshooting for Petrol Powered Engines

By: Chief Mike Kull

Power tools can increase the ability of firefighters to perform their required tasks at emergency incidents and help to protect lives and property. Your petrol powered tools must be properly maintained. They must be started and run until the engine is warm on a regular basis. There will be times that you will not be able to get the engine started. Here are some basics to check when troubleshooting an engine that will not start.

Petrol powered equipment is very similar to the fires that we fight.  A fire requires three things in order to burn: Heat, Fuel and Oxygen.  In the same way, a petrol engine requires those same three things: Spark (Heat), Petrol (Fuel) and Air (Oxygen).  If a petrol engine will not run the first steps to fixing it requires checking those three things.

Spark (Heat):

The first thing to check is if the engine has spark.  To check this, you must remove the spark plug.  A look at the spark plug will tell you something about the engine’s performance.  If the spark plug is wet and black, there may be too much fuel (Rich).  If the spark plug is brown, there may be too much air (Lean).  Clean and dry the spark plug and check the gap of the electrode.  The correct gap is usually about the thickness of a thin coin.  After cleaning and setting the gap, be sure the top of the spark plug is firmly set into the spark plug wire and hold the bottom metal end of the spark plug against the metal of the engine block.  Pull the starting rope of the engine and watch to see if the plug is generating a spark.  If not try cleaning and resetting the gap.  If it still does not spark, replace the plug.  If there is still no spark, this indicates a bigger problem with the engine than we are discussing in this post.  If there is a spark, it is time to move on to the next item to check.

Fuel (Petrol):

The first thing to check is how fresh the fuel is.  It is always a good idea to empty the fuel tank and replace with freshly purchased fuel.  While the fuel tank is empty, look to see if it contains any dirt or debris and clean the tank if necessary.  Next, it is important to check the fuel filter.  Some small engines may not have a fuel filter.  If there is a fuel filter, look at it’s condition.  Is it filled with dirt and debris?  Can the fuel flow through the filter?  If not, the fuel filter must be replaced.  If installing a new fuel filter, be sure to check if there is an arrow indicating the correct direction of fuel flow and install properly.  It is also important to check the condition of the fuel lines (hoses) to make sure there are no leaks or clogs.  A final, more advanced component to check is the carburetor.  Many times, an engine that has not run for a while will have varnish or clogs in the carburetor blocking the fuel jets and preventing fuel from flowing through the carburetor.  If you disassemble the carburetor, be careful not to damage any gaskets and count the number of turns that it takes to remove any components so that you can return them to the same settings when you reassemble.  Also check that the floats inside the carburetor can move freely and are not filled with fuel.

Air (Oxygen):

The final component required for an engine to run is air.  Check the air filter.  You should be able to see a light shining through the air filter.  If the filter is covered in dirt and debris, clean the filter by gently brushing it off, being careful not to damage the filter material.  If necessary, replace the filter.  If the air filter is made of foam and you can not purchase a replacement filter, you may be able to make a new one.  Foam can be cut to the size of the original to use if necessary.  Be sure that the foam is not too dense to allow air to flow through.  Also be sure that the foam you use is not falling apart, allowing pieces of the filter to be drawn into the engine.  The other item to check with air is the choke.  Be sure that the choke lever is connected and working properly to restrict the flow of air when starting a cold engine and opens to allow in more air when the engine is running.

Starting the Engine:

When attempting to start a cold engine, be sure to fully close the choke.  Set the engine’s throttle to the starting position and pull the starting rope.  As soon as you hear the engine try to start or sputter, open the choke.  The engine should start in the next few pulls.

Flooded Engine:

Sometimes when an engine will not start it is because the engine has gotten too much fuel (flooded).  This happens when the choke is left on after the engine first begins to fire.  There are two ways to tell if the engine is flooded.  The first is if you smell petrol.  A flooded engine will have a strong smell of petrol.  The second way to check for a flooded engine is to remove and examine the spark plug.  If the spark plug is wet with petrol, it is most likely flooded.  Dry the plug and try again.  

If the engine does get flooded, it can usually be started by opening the choke fully, opening the throttle all the way and pulling the starter rope until the engine starts.  (This may take many, many pulls.)  Sometimes a flooded engine can be started after sitting for a few hours to allow the excess fuel to evaporate.

Other Simple Causes:

There are two other simple things that should not be overlooked.  If the engine has an On/Off Switch, be sure the switch is set to the On position.  Second, some petrol engine’s have a low oil shut off switch.  Ensure that the engine has the proper amount of oil.

These were some of the most common causes of problems found in petrol powered engines and a quick overview of how to begin to get an engine running.  Proper care and maintenance of an engine will prevent many of these problems in the future. 

About the Author:

Chief Mike Kull has been serving his local community in rural Pennsylvania for 25 years. Chief Kull serves as Fire Chief and Administrator of his local volunteer fire department as well as serving as a local elected official and has served in various government roles for his entire career. He is also a Forest Fire Warden with the PA Bureau of Forestry and serves on his church council.

Five Traits of Good Leadership

by F. R. Montes de Oca, EFO, MESH, CPM

In October I am presenting  two back-to-back lessons simply titled “Leadership”. So, to kick it off, I thought I would submit a few words to give the sessions context and background.  Often we focus on the negatives associated with leadership, especially poor leadership. So here are a few traits that reflect on the positives of leadership for you to ponder.

Recognize People 

Those of us who aspire to be “good” leaders often recognize early on that their team members and direct reports are invaluable in the positive outcomes of almost all professional endeavors we undertake. Have we witnessed a leader thanking his or her members with a simple, hand-written note highlighting an action that exemplifies the “service to others”? I’m not talking about a rescue under adverse conditions or a save at a medical call – just a simple display of actions above and beyond, such as stopping to assist a stranded motorist.  Although the act may not rise to the level of a citation or medal, a short note citing the action written by the chief or commanding officer oftentimes is priceless.  

Respect Employees

I have had the honor of working with volunteer firefighters and support members in three departments throughout my career. Suffice it to say, I learned early on that although we normally can’t offer pay or raises to volunteers the alternative is to provide a healthy dose of respect for their selfless dedication to their community. Recognition and respect are integral in developing a loyal, committed response team. 

Communicate Effectively

My personal communication practice is to over-communicate until I start getting feedback that there is too much communicating.  In my career, I seldom received that feedback. It is often: “I don’t hear anything from the puzzle palace.”, or “We’re never brought into the loop until it’s all over!’ These complaints are present in large and small, volunteer and career organizations alike. The complaints are often based on employees and volunteers who wish to be involved, informed and have some control over their lives. There is no excuse for not keeping everyone informed by utilizing every medium you have at your disposal to the greatest extent possible. Without getting into too many details and notwithstanding the intricacies of departmental policies perhaps consider:

• Placing bulletin boards in all common areas – including bathrooms. 

• Establish and support internal communication committees.

• Open up your calendar for a weekly (monthly?) “Coffee (tea) with the boss”.

• Host a blog with contributions by staff members.

• Establishing shift and crew daily activity dashboards.

• Establishing shift and unit information officers to feed into the department blog.

Possess Integrity

Integrity is like trust.  You deposit into your integrity account regularly until you’ve built up a balance.  But the minute you violate this effort by act or omission, your integrity (and trust) balance drops to zero. Leaders who communicate and act in ways that attempt to undermine or control the rank and file, often possess integrity balances of zero.  Promise one thing and deliver another?  Zero integrity account balance.  Communicate an intention, but fail to deliver?  Zero integrity account balance. Making excuses that don’t add up?  Zero integrity account balance.

Provide Ongoing Feedback

This trait is closely associated with communicating effectively. A good leader would be hard-pressed to provide feedback without effectively communicating.  No matter how high we rise in an organization, as humans we all need and appreciate feedback – especially the positive kind.  But feedback of any flavor helps us to understand if we are accomplishing the wishes or needs of our manager, the community and our subordinates.  Providing feedback helps to highlight the roadmap that has been set out for us.  So, too is the regular, timely feedback we provide members that assists them in staying on track, on schedule and within the boundaries of our unit and/or agency.

I recall working for a manager who spent more time politicking and schmoozing his bosses than leading.  His method of feedback was, “I don’t give ongoing feedback.  I’ll just let you know when you screw-up.  Until then, you can assume you’re doing okay.” The balance of his integrity and trust accounts always ran in the red. Can you imagine running a fire agency that way? It happens more often that not. Often you can see it in the faces of the members and their actions. 

Utilizing the brief, and far from comprehensive list of ideas in the Communicating Effectively section above, providing feedback to all who report to you (and those who you report to) can and should become a ritual that is another tool in your leadership toolbox.

Fire departments are living, breathing organisms made up of those who wish to serve, have meaning in their lives and feel proud of their accomplishments.  Those who lead from a perspective of trust and integrity will witness their organizations becoming a vital and successful asset to their community.  

Go forth and lead!

About the author:
Frank Montes de Oca served as a firefighter/paramedic for over 38 years. Throughout his career he has been involved in training, managing and developing firefighter safety, leadership and organizational change. Chief Montes de Oca He can be reached at frm1@me.com or www.responder1.org.

My Tools

By Edward Collet, Jackson Township Fire Department Firefighter/EMT, Ohio; Ohio Fire Chiefs

In the fire service we use many different types of equipment to carry out our duties of protecting life and property.  It is impossible to know exactly which ones we will need on any given call, meaning every piece of equipment on the apparatus and in the station must be in good working condition. Part of having equipment in good working condition is knowing the important specifications like fuel type and blade speed for saws, lifting capacity for airbags, length of pike poles, and weight of axes just to name a few.  Not only will this level of knowledge allow us to properly maintain our tools but it lets us select the best tool for the job. 

How equipment is kept is a direct reflection of the professionalism and pride of each fire department and firefighter.  One of my favorite examples of keeping equipment in good working condition is the saw.  Saws make firefighters more efficient and effective in serving the community, but only if they work.  Whether ventilating a roof, forcing a roll-up door, or cutting locks to gain entry there are other tools to accomplish the task but they are slower and require more physical exertion than saws.  When I am at work the saws on the truck are my saws.  I do not own the saws, the community provided them to the fire department, but when I am working they are mine to execute the duties the community expects of me.

 I make sure they are clean and in proper working condition.  It does not matter how other firefighters view the tools, I view them as mine and my responsibility for the time I have been trusted with them.  Have I come in to find filthy saws that would not start with blades not capable of cutting a newspaper, absolutely.  Just because someone else left it in poor condition does not give me permission to leave it that way.  It is about having pride in the job and ownership of your tools and actions.   Retired Lewisville, Texas Chief Rick Lasky wrote a book dedicated to having pride and ownership in the job.  For someone to invest the time and effort to produce a book on a topic it must be important.  Back to my saws.  The first thing I check is the fuel, without it the saw will not run.  Then I check the bar oil on the chainsaw and the condition of the blade.  If the blade is damaged I replace it.  Not only will a damaged blade not perform effectively, but it is also dangerous.  After that I clean the saw.  This give me the chance to have a close look at every part and identify damage which was covered by dirt and grime.   Finally, I start the saw to make sure it will run properly.   Over time, doing this has provided me with a great understanding of how the saws operate making me more effective at using them during fireground operations.   Did this take effort, yes.  Did I have to ask a lot of questions to senior firefighters and do research on my own, yes.  Did it take away time from holding down a recliner, again yes.  Most importantly did it increase my knowledge of the saws and ability to use them, absolutely. 

Keeping tools in good working order is not limited to power tools.  Hand tools must be inspected regularly.   Cleaning tools provides an opportunity to make a careful inspection to find damage.   Dirty tools are often broken tools since dirt hides damage.  Having hand tools in good working condition on the apparatus is a critical backup for our power tools.  Even with diligent maintenance and care, sometimes power tools do not start or work properly.  When this happens, it is time to grab the hand tools.  As the saying goes, an ax will always start.  The ax may start, but if the head flies off the handle it does little good at the emergency scene.  Simply making a policy to keep all the tools once a week makes sure they are ready for service and look good. 

Just as important as keeping tools in good repair is knowing when certain maintenance activities are beyond our skills.  I am able to work on a saw or secure an ax head to the handle, but when the heavy hydraulic extrication tools are not working properly I know the factory technical needs to be called.  Some of the tools we carry are very specifically engineered and complex, requiring them to be serviced by a trained technician.  We may have all the good intentions of getting a tool back in service and saving money by attempting repairs but in the end it may cost more to get it repaired properly or buy a replacement if it is not properly repaired.   Losing the use of a tool because it was not serviced by a properly trained technician is a disservice to the community.  It may cost more to get a tool properly serviced but it will save money in the long run and ensure the tool is functioning to serve the community.

A master craftsman would never imagine not having clean tools in perfect working condition.  As firefighters we are masters of our craft and must maintain our tools as such.  The most intelligent, strong, and skilled firefighter cannot proficiently service his or her community if tools are working and on the apparatus.

The Fastest Two Weeks

By: Chief Mike Kull

After months of planning and meetings online, our team arrived in Blantyre, Malawi and it was stunningly beautiful. I’ve worked and traveled in East and Southern Africa but this country stood out to me. We sat down for a meal together to have our first face to face meeting.  Breaking bread together is an important part of what we do here. Most of us knew each other and had worked together before but there was a new member of the team. With such a small team, we were going to be like family before we left. We had two days per city in three major cities while we were there and we were anxious to get going.

Our two days in the first city, Blantyre, flew by. We didn’t really have a plan going into it but our team quickly adapted to teaching together like we had done this a thousand times before.  We tried to jam as much as we could into these two days and it was a real success. How do we know that? As we were having our team debriefing during supper the second day, we got a message that there was a fire reported in a slum area of the city.  A while later we received another message saying that they had successfully extinguished the fire using some of the tactics that we had taught them. What great feedback for our two days of training.

Our travel days allowed us to decompress from the crazy few days of thinking on our feet.  We toured the Namikango Mission, one of the AFM mission partners in Malawi. They are doing some great work in the community with a Maternity Clinic, a Discipleship Training Institute, a plantation, and Coffee Farm and Roastery.  While we weren’t scheduled to visit the Fire Station in Zomba, we stopped in for a quick visit. They were extremely lacking in resources but we were very encouraged by the positive attitudes of the firefighters working there.

Our next two days of training in Zomba go very quickly again with great success. We weren’t planning on doing any medical training but saw a need after arriving to teach some life saving skills in CPR and bleeding control.  We spent some time teaching vehicle extrication with hand tools.  While on a break, we began going over a set of hydraulic extrication tools that had not run for the past thirteen years. With some work, will power, and a few tools we had packed, we got the power unit running and the tools are now on the truck ready to be used out in the community. We left Zomba feeling like we had made a real difference. That was the reason we were all there.

Our next travel day took us to Lake Malawi. The Lake is such an incredible resource for the country and no trip here is complete without a visit. We only had a few hours by the Lake but it was a good chance to recharge our spirits and prepare for our final two days of teaching.

Our last two days of training were in the capital city of Lilongwe. Even in the Capital, they struggle with having the equipment they need to serve the city. There was only one functioning fire truck and it was on loan from the airport. What is so inspiring working in Africa is how dedicated these men and women are to serving their communities despite the lack of resources they have. While we were there we had a unique experience that was not on the schedule. We ended our training early our first day because the Fire Brigade had to standby at an Africa Cup of Nations (football/soccer) qualifier game between Egypt and Ethiopia.  We were invited to come along and we quickly agreed, riding with the firefighters on the Engine to the stadium (with lights and sirens at times).  Once we were there we split up into teams around the stadium.  It gave us a chance to interact with the firefighters and work side by side with them. It was mostly uneventful but still an unforgettable experience. We wrapped up our last day of training with some extrication training and a live fire. 

Our final day in Malawi was spent out in the villages with our mission partners at e3 Partners.  They are doing some great work with sustainable farming and drinking water wells in the rural areas. We even got to do some fire prevention training in a remote village. Our Fire Safety Advocate, Jose, from Kenya did an awesome job engaging everyone in the village.

I am humbled and honored to say that I am a part of Africa Fire Mission. We all did this for different reasons. All of us want to share the knowledge and training that we have learned in the Fire Service with these developing nations. For me, it is also more of a calling.  For me it is a way to carry out the Great Commission that was given to us in Matthew 28:19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations…”

Working for Africa Fire Mission is a great way for anyone to grow mentally, emotionally and spiritually. You will be inspired as you work side by side with instructors from around the US and the world as well as with these amazing firefighters in developing countries. You will leave with your spirits raised, a new enthusiasm for firefighting and more than anything, a different perspective in life and on the world as a whole.

About the Author:

Chief Mike Kull has been serving his local community in rural Pennsylvania for 25 years. Chief Kull serves as Fire Chief and Administrator of his local volunteer fire department as well as serving as a local elected official and has served in various government roles for his entire career. He is also a Forest Fire Warden with the PA Bureau of Forestry and serves on his church council

Introduction to the Principles of Emergency First Aid

By Howard Cohen

Not all firefighters are emergency medical technicians or paramedics, but often we are the first responders to scenes where it is necessary to provide life saving first aid.  Therefore, it is important for all firefighters to have at least a basic knowledge of first aid.  The purpose of this short article is to provide foundational principles for responding to trauma in situations where immediate life saving medical help is required.  In no way should this article be considered first aid training.  However, with the basic and limited information contained within, and no other training, you may still be able to save someone’s life.

Scene Survey: The First Task

Size up:  Regardless of your level of technical first aid training or medical knowledge, when responding to an incident that involves injuries your first task is to gather as much information as you can about the situation.  This is done through a careful size up.  It is critical that you assess the risks and dangers before rushing in to administer aid. Ask yourself, “What is trying to kill or harm me?”  Is it traffic, wildlife, fire, an unstable building, falling objects, or flooding waters? You do not want to become another casualty or cause further harm to the patient.

Number of patients:  Once you’ve made the scene safe and stable now is the time to determine how people are part of the incident.  It is easy to get fixated on patients who are calling out in pain, overlook those who are unconscious, or miss those who are not visible.  It is also easy to rush to aid a person whose injuries appear more life threatening than they are, for example someone who is bleeding from a superficial head injury, while someone else nearby has stopped breathing.

Primary Survey:  The Second Task

The primary survey is an assessment of the three main life supporting functions.  These are the respiratory, circulatory, and nervous systems, also known as the ABCDs.  Any problems involving one of these systems represents an immediate threat to the life of the patient and must be addressed immediately.   

ABCDs:  Once size up is completed, the scene is safe (or as safe as you can make it), and you have a sense of the number of patients needing aid,  initiate a primary survey of the patients by checking the status of the three conditions which represent an immediate threat to life.

Airway:  Check to be sure that the mouth and airway are cleared and air is actually going and out.

Blood is Circulating:  Check to make sure that blood is not pouring out and that it is circulating.

Disabled:  Check to see if the spine is stable and the central nervous system is operating normally.  Due to the limited scope of this article I will not be saying any more about injuries that involve the head, neck or spine.

Basic Life Support (BLS)

Basic life support is the immediate treatment of one of the three life threatening emergencies found during your primary survey.  The purpose of BLS is to provide temporary support to keep the patient alive while a secondary survey is conducted and/or until advanced treatment is available.

The simplest way to begin a primary survey is to ASK the patient, “How are you?” If he answers then you know that his airway is not obstructed (A), his heart is beating (B & C) and the brain is functioning (D).  If the patient does not respond or responds in an unusual way you will need to look more closely.  

Airway:

Airway problems are a result of an obstruction to the pharynx or larynx.  The obstruction can be complete or partial.  A complete obstruction is rapidly fatal, but can be effectively and dramatically treated by clearing the airway.  There are various ways an airway can become obstructed such as from vomit, a foreign object or swelling caused from trauma, an irritant or allergic reaction.  It is imperative that you clear the airway but you must do so without causing any additional harm to the patient.

Breathing:

It is possible for a person to have an open airway but still have difficulty breathing.  This can be the result of an injury to the brain, spinal cord or diaphragm.  The method for assisting a patient with breathing when more advanced medical care is not available is called positive pressure ventilation or artificial respiration (mouth to mouth).  The rate of inflation should be about 12 breaths per minute or one every 5 seconds.  Breaths should be about 1 to 1.5 seconds.  Faster breaths can force air into the stomach which can lead to vomiting.

Bleeding & Circulation:

Uninterrupted circulation of blood is essential to staying alive.  There are essentially two kinds of disruption to the circulation of blood that you can address as a first responder:  cardiac arrest and bleeding.  Cardiac arrest means the heart has stopped beating.  While doing your primary survey if you discover that the patient has no pulse it means her heart has stopped beating and she is in cardiac arrest.  It is important to note that under adverse situations, or if the patient is in shock, it can be hard to find a pulse.  The carotid pulse is the strongest to feel and easiest to access.  It is found on either side of the larynx in the neck.  If there is no carotid pulse, the heart is not beating. CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) is the only treatment for cardiac arrest.  Even with hands-on training, it has limited potential to restore and sustain life.

The second kind of disruption to circulation is caused by a major loss of blood.  Blood loss must be controlled as a part of BLS.  Bleeding can be internal and both hard to identify and stop, or external, but not necessarily obvious.  Addressing internal bleeding is beyond the scope of this article and most first responders in the field.  External bleeding is controlled by direct pressure over the bleeding site with your hand, but preferably with a cloth or bandage.  This is not to absorb the blood.  It is to provide even pressure across the wound.  Expect to apply direct pressure for 10 or more minutes.  If the bleeding is not stopping, remove the bandage and check for the source of blood and then reposition your hand.  

There is no easy rule for deciding when bleeding is severe.  A rule of thumb is that if it looks like a lot of blood, then it probably is.  However, it is worth noting that severe  bleeding can be missed if the patient is wearing a lot of clothing or the blood is absorbed into the ground around the patient.

Conclusion:

When it comes to developing first aid skills, like all skills a firefighter needs to master, training and practice are essential.  At the same time, it is important to read about the principles and theories undergirding these skills.  However, there is no substitute for training and practice.

References:  

The Outward Bound Wilderness First-Aid Handbook; Jeff Isaac & Peter Goth.

The Field Guide of Wilderness & Rescue Medicine; Jim Morrissey & David Johnson.

Opening an Unconscious Patient’s Airway with a Manual Manipulation:  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AifzmrpA7ao

https://www.redcross.org/take-a-class/cpr

About the Author

Howard retired from the Bennington Fire Dept as a deputy chief.  He spends a lot of time writing and teaching various aspects of firefighting.  He religiously works out every morning, doing a mix of high intensity interval training (HiiT), dumbbells, kettlebells, barbells and cycling. When he is not doing something for the fire service or working out he is the rabbi of two small congregations.

Driving Fire Apparatus to Preserve Life and Property

By Edward Collet, Jackson Township Fire Department Firefighter/EMT, Ohio; Ohio Fire Chiefs

Driving the fire apparatus is a great privilege and responsibility.  It is probably the least considered way firefighters protect lives and property.  Everyone has visions of a firefighter racing to the emergency scene, heroically rescuing victims and bravely dousing the inferno.  That is the way most people see firefighters saving lives and property.  Rarely does the image of a firefighter professionally and respectfully driving to an emergency scene, or anywhere for that matter, come to people’s mind when considering saving lives and preserving property.  In reality, it is driving where the fire service can have the biggest impact on the community. 

Think of how many fires and true emergencies a department responds to compared to the number of kilometers its apparatus drives in a year.  If your department is anything like mine, there are many, many more kilometers traveled than blazes fought. 

Property is preserved whenever a firefighter drives defensively and with due regard.  The fire apparatus entrusted to you by your community may be one of if not the single biggest investment it has made.  You are responsible for it being returned from your care in the same condition it was given to you.  It is possible to give it back in better condition by making sure it is clean, well maintained, and everything is working properly.  Showing the pride you have in the community’s property entrusted to you will help develop the community’s pride in the fire department. 

 Having an accident which damages the property of a community member and prevents the fire department from going to the emergency does not generate goodwill and pride for the fire department. It does just the opposite, the community will be mad at the fire department. Not only did they not do the job expected of them, they caused additional damage to the community.

As a driver you are entrusted with the lives of so many people: your brother and sister firefighter in the apparatus, every member of the community you pass, and your own.  I have talked and written about the responsibility a driver has to get his crew safely to and from an emergency scene and the responsibility not to harm the public as we go down the road on many occasions. We forget about ourselves.  As a driver we are responsible for getting ourselves back and forth to an emergency safely.  How would you feel if you could no longer perform your job and provide for your family because of a career ending injury caused by you driving less than professionally.  Or worse, you do not come home because you became a line of duty death statistic. Driving safely and professionally is a selfish endeavor, I want a long and fruitful career and to go home to my family at the end of every shift.  Unlike most things, everyone benefits from this selfish action. 

There are so many variables at an emergency we have little or no influence over, but getting there and back we have much more control over.  Drive with courtesy, respect, and professionalism and the community will see you are concerned for protecting their lives and property. Remember, if we become an emergency it is impossible to fix the original one we were called to.