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As an Assistant Chief of Operations at my fire department, I recognize that health and safety are integral to the success of tasks inside the department as well as on the scene of emergencies. To ensure the well-being of my team, I plan to continue to use the Risk Assessment Matrix and Job Safety Analysis to identify and mitigate potential hazards, assign controls and ensure that risk is accepted at the appropriate level. The Air Force has a standard form that is used to assess risk known as the Deliberate Risk Assessment Form 4437. We use this when we have non-emergency situations that require a higher level of authority to accept risk. An example of this is a Wing Commander accepting the risk of a plane landing at their airfield without sufficient fire apparatus in service. For Job Safety Analysis, we utilize the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1500 checklist which covers all safety concerns in the fire station, on the way to the scene and at the scene of an incident. We use this to further develop our Standard Operating Procedures and Flight Management Plans (USAF, 2023).

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Part of my responsibilities is to ensure the health & safety of the 93 firefighters that work for me across 3 fire stations. To ensure this is done, I have to capture every task within our job, identify the associated hazards and use the hierarchy of controls to reduce risk to acceptable levels. In the unfortunate event that an incident occurs and someone is hurt, we implement the Incident reporting and investigation procedures to ensure we dive down to the root cause of the issue and make the appropriate decisions through the implementation of controls to negate future occurrences (NFPA, 2021).

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In my role, the JSA is crucial for pre-incident planning. Before we even have an emergency, fireground tasks are evaluated. On scene, before entering a burning building, I evaluate risks such as toxic smoke exposure, possible structural collapse, and fire behavior to determine if it's safe enough to enter, or if we should enter a defensive firefighting operation. The risk assessment matrix helps me assess how likely these risks are and how severe they might be, allowing me to make quick decisions to protect my team. I will also ensure that all firefighters are trained to recognize and mitigate these risks in real-time (USFA, n.d.).

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Applicability to Firefighting:

Firefighting involves numerous risks, such as exposure to smoke, toxic chemicals, structural collapse, and extreme heat. A Comprehensive Occupational Health and Safety Program (OHS) is essential for identifying these hazards and implementing prevention strategies.

Such programs provide frameworks for ensuring the health and safety of firefighters by including safety training, personal protective equipment (PPE) use, and health monitoring.

OHS programs in firefighting also address long-term health issues, like the risk of cancer from exposure to hazardous materials, ensuring that firefighters have the resources and support for recovery and prevention.

Example in Firefighting: Pre-incident planning, proper PPE use, safety drills, physical fitness programs, and post-incident health checks are all part of a comprehensive OHS program (OSHA, n.d.).

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Applicability to Firefighting:

Safety Management Systems (SMS) are increasingly used in high-risk environments like firefighting, especially in larger departments or emergency response organizations. SMS provides a structured approach to managing safety risks, with a focus on proactive risk identification, continuous safety monitoring, and fostering a culture of safety.

SMS frameworks typically include:

Risk assessments before each operation

Incident investigations

Performance monitoring and audits

Continuous safety improvement through feedback loops

Example in Firefighting: During a fire incident, SMS can help firefighters assess risks (hazardous materials, structural collapse), implement control measures, and make real-time safety decisions based on data and past experiences (OSHA, n.d.).

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One challenge is that during high-pressure situations, we often have limited time to conduct thorough JSAs for every task. Additionally, the chaotic nature of fire incidents can make it difficult to assess risks in real-time. Risk Assessment Matrix can also be difficult to use on the fly if the team is not familiar with it, especially when we're responding to rapidly changing situations. This is why we train constantly on ensure that "everyone is responsible for safety" (Fire Engineering, n.d.).

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Solutions & Actions to Overcome Barriers

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Solutions & Actions to Overcome Barriers

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To overcome these challenges, I will integrate JSA into routine training drills so that the team is familiar with the process during real operations. This is as simple as conducting safety briefings prior to our high hazard training events like confined space, Hazardous Materials or live firefighting. By making risk assessments a standard part of the incident action plan, we can quickly assess the situation while on the scene. For Risk Assessment Matrices, I plan to include simplified, pre-assessed templates for common scenarios, ensuring that the team can use them in high-stress situations. We call these our Quick Reaction Checklists. We will also continue to use the standard ICS 200 forms to ensure that we can integrate with our mutual aid partners more effectively (USFA, n.d.).

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Commitment to Continuous Safety Improvement

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Commitment to Continuous Safety Improvement

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As an Incident Commander, I am committed to ensuring the continuous improvement of our safety practices. After each exercise and real-world incident, we do a debrief where we discuss how we did things, any safety concerns that arose and what we can do in the future to improve the services we provide to the community (NFPA, 2021).

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By incorporating JSA and the Risk Assessment Matrix into our fire operations, we can better protect our team, reduce risks during incidents, and ensure effective response strategies. I'm committed to continuously improving these methods to safeguard both my team and the community. Incidents and Accidents strike when we least expect it, so I intend to not get complacent...our lives depend on that!

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Which system do you think is most applicable to the firefighting career field?

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Occupational Safety & Health Management Systems

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Fire Engineering. (n.d.). Fire Safety. Clarion Events North America. Fire Safety & Suppression: Prevention, Protection & Systems

NFPA. (2021). Standard on fire department occupational safety, health, and wellness program. National Fire Protection Association. NFPA 1500 Standard Development

OSHA. (n.d.). Fire Safety. U.S. Department of Labor. Fire Safety - Standards | OSHA.gov | Occupational Safety and Health Administration

OSHA. (n.d.). Recommended practices for safety and health programs. U.S. Department of Labor. Safety Management - A safe workplace is sound business | OSHA.gov | Occupational Safety and Health Administration

USAF. (2023). Deliberate Risk Assessment. United States Air Force. dafi90-802.pdf

USFA. (n.d.). Emergency responder health, safety and wellness. FEMA. Emergency Responder Health, Safety and Wellness: