Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor North Hudson Regional Fire and Rescue (NHRFR) and its outstanding professional firefighters and rescue personnel who are the pride of the five northern New Jersey communities that they serve with such…
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor North Hudson Regional Fire and Rescue (NHRFR) and its outstanding professional firefighters and rescue personnel who are the pride of the five northern New Jersey communities that they serve with such great distinction--Union City, Weehawken, North Bergen, West New York and Guttenberg.
In the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, there is renewed national appreciation and respect for the heroic men and women who put their lives at risk in the line of duty every day in every American community. These are truly the heroes in our midst, each and every one an authentic profile in courage. I share the pride of my fellow Hudson County citizens in the outstanding performance of NHRFR fire and rescue personnel in support of their NYFD and NJ-based colleagues on 9/11, and each and every day preceding and following that horrific tragedy.
Prior to my Congressional service, I had the privilege of being the mayor of Union City, New Jersey. As a mayor, I learned a lot about what it takes, in terms of money, management and leadership capability, and training time to develop and maintain a fire and rescue fire-responder team that is prepared and equipped to handle every conceivable emergency situation in a community. I am grateful to have had that experience, because I gained a great deal of understanding and insight about what we, as a nation, must now do to ensure that our fire and rescue first responders have the tools and the training to meet the growing demands and dangers of their public safety mission.
Since 9/11, the mission of our local fire and rescue first responders has expanded exponentially, and is now elevated to the level of
a national defense imperative. With the ominous continuing threat of more terrorist attacks on American soil, our local fire and rescue teams face a daunting array of new and highly-dangerous emergency response conditions, ranging from ``conventional'' bomb attacks on buildings, aircraft and public transportation systems, to attacks involving ``dirty'' nuclear bombs, lethal chemicals and biological warfare materials.
Regrettably, the President's words about providing resources for first responders have not yet been matched with funding that our local fire and rescue teams desperately need for upgraded equipment and specialized training to meet the growing challenge of post-9/11 terrorist attack scenarios. I have publicly urged Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge to release critical funding for our nation's first responders. The President's words of praise for fire-fighters and rescue personnel at the World Trade Center disaster site included his promise to deliver major funding for first responders. This Presidential promise must be kept, because failure to do so imperils the safety of the American public, and endangers the very lives of the heroic men and women whose job it is to run toward the danger and help to save their fellow human beings.
Specialized training for our local fire and rescue first responders is a key area where there is a critical need for additional federal funding. In order to underscore the importance of good training, I would like to share with my colleagues an article about North Hudson Regional Fire and Rescue that appeared in the December, 2002 edition of Fire Engineering. I commend this article about NHRFR to my colleagues, because it will provide them with a ``window'' through which to view all of the complexities involved in planning and managing technical rope rescues. Though the NHRFR team might regard this operation as ``just another day at the office'', the techniques employed in their dramatic rescue of a man who had fallen 100 feet off the Palisades cliffs should conjure up images in the minds of my colleagues about the application of these highly specialized technical skills in disaster site settings.
I also want to extend my congratulations to North Hudson Regional Fire and Rescue for its achievement as the winner of the New Jersey State League of Municipalities 2002 Innovation in Governance Award for its exemplary Quantitative Safety Project. NHRFR's achievement has been further recognized by the National League of Cities, which has added NHRFR's project information to the NLC national research database of ``best practices'' models.
Mr. Speaker, I ask consent to include the text of the December 2, 2002 Fire Engineering article about North Hudson Regional Fire and Rescue with my remarks in the Congressional Record.
[From Fire Engineering, Dec. 2002]
Planning and Managing Technical Rope Rescues
(By Anthony Avillo)
On October 11, 2002, North Hudson (NJ) Regional Fire &
Rescue responded to the Palisades cliffs for a reported
injured man. The victim was discovered approximately 100 feet
below Boulevard East in Weehawken, New Jersey. Rescuers
successfully removed him from the cliffs and transported him
to a local hospital, where he was treated for injuries
suffered in the fall and for hypothermia (see photos and
cover photo).
Successful technical rope rescues (TRRs) do not just
happen. Successful rope and rigging operations are the end
product of a program approach based on planning, preplanning,
practice, and implementation.
There are three priorities to address whenever operating at
a technical rescue:
Priority 1: Safety of operating personnel (Command's
overriding concern).
Priority 2: Stabilization of the victim medically and of
possible incident complications.
Priority 3: Victim removal.
keys to success
For a positive outcome, you must consider the following
points:
Preplanning. A large percentage of TRR decisions lend
themselves to preplanning. The ``we'll figure it out on the
mountain'' school of thought is a failure-rich mindset. When
preplanning, consider tactics, strategies, and action paths.
Preplanning clears the screen for the rescue commander and
allows him to focus on unique aspects and variables of the
particular incident. TRRs require rapid, on-site decisions
and tactics. This task can consume command energy and divert
attention away from other command and control goals. If you
preplan system construction, apparatus placement (anchor
points), and on-line and in-system personnel assignments, the
IC and rescue personnel will arrive on-scene with a continuum
of pre-determinations and are more able to respond to the
variables.
Training and technical skills. North Hudson Regional
performs three or four of these rescues a year, and each
presents its own set of challenges. Improvisation is often
the name of the game to be successful. Remember, however,
that only through mastery of the technical skills and
equipment required to conduct a technical rope rescue is safe
improvisation possible. To be able to safely improvise at the
scene takes countless hours of training and extreme
familiarity with the equipment.
At times, it may be necessary--based on staffing and the
demands of the rescue--to teach simple rescue techniques such
as belay line on the spot as the incident is unfolding. This
still requires initial personnel with technical skills.
Preassigned positioning of the rescue team. Successfully
conducting this type of operation requires developing an
organization prior to the incident. Training on rigging
construction and rope and knot skills is essential, but you
also must focus on preassignment of incident positions and
responsibilities. Address span-of-control issues and key
operating positions, and spell out responsibilities and
duties in standard operating procedures. Preassign primary
and backup personnel for all on-line and rigging positions.
It is a good idea to have at least one member of each on-line
team trained to at least the first responder or EMT level so
that you can perform an immediate victim assessment when you
reach the victim. Also preassign Command positions such as
rescue group leader, hauling boss (that member assigned to
run the actual hauling/lowering operation), rigging master
(the member assigned to oversee all anchoring and rigging
operations), hot zone safety officer, and other support
positions. Continuous cross-training of personnel will
increase organizational and operational flexibility and thus
effectiveness.
Apparatus positioning. You get only one chance to position
properly at this type of incident. Officers should stage
apparatus for optimal tactical flexibility. Congesting the
scene, especially in a remote area where many of these
rescues take place, will only complicate the problem. Aerial
apparatus should get the key positions, as the device will
likely be used as a gin pole from which to lower personnel
and hoist victims. Again, preplan. Companies responding
without aerial capability must not drive into the middle of
the operational zone.
Foremost in the minds of the IC and the first-arriving
officers is the availability of anchor points. These should
be ``bombproof,'' or immovable. Common anchor points include
apparatus, trees, telephone poles, and solidly anchored
fences. In apparatus-unfriendly areas, big trees or big rocks
have been used. Leave a clear path between anchor points,
hauling/lowering devices, and the target zone.
Command and control. Strong command and control are
integral to safe, organized, and coordinated rescue
operations. The key to this organization is decentralization
of the rescue ground. If this can be resolved prior to an
incident, the less the IC has to think about in regard to how
to break down the operational area and to whom to assign
these responsibilities.
Predesignation of rescue personnel coupled with an
effective SOP that is both adhered to and enforced is the
first step in this organizational process. One of the most
crucial positions assigned is the Operations Section chief,
who will act as a buffer between the IC and the rescue
operation, freeing the IC to attend to other issues pertinent
to the incident, while not directly participating in the
operation itself.
Control of the scene by designating operational zones is
the next step in the command and control process. Address
scene and perimeter control in SOPs, similar to establishing
haz-mat control zones. Control zones are as follows:
Target zone: The area where the victim is located. Keep the
number of target zone personnel to a bare minimum, usually
two rescuers. This is the most dangerous area on the rescue
ground, usually the last zone established and the first
terminated. A major focus of Command should be to minimize
operational time in the target zone. It is essential that,
whatever number of rescuers are on-line, there be an equal
number of rescuers (basically a rescue rapid intervention
team) properly geared up and ready to go should something go
wrong in the target zone.
Hot zone: The main area where technical rescue operations
(rope systems and rigging) take place. Participation in the
hot zone should be by ``invitation only'' and be limited to
those personnel whose duties and responsibilities are
directly related to the safe setup, operation, and breakdown
of rescue systems. The rescue group leader, hot zone safety
officer, hauling boss, rigging master, and rescue group
support personnel are located in the hot zone.
Warm zone: The area where support of the technical rescue
operation is attended to. The Operations Section chief is
generally located in this area. He should liaison with the
hot zone safety officer and rescue group leader and reinforce
and support the hot zone activities as required. He will also
keep Command informed and updated on incident progress.
Generally, if the incident is going smoothly, the Operations
Section chief remains in the warm zone. He only moves if the
need arises. The incident safety officer, whose duty is to
monitor overall scene safety, is generally located in the
warm zone but may spend some time in the other zones as the
situation dictates. Also initially located in the warm zone
are those personnel who will support the operation and work
in the hot zone once the rescue system is assembled. They are
essentially hauling personnel,
who are best kept a safe distance from the main setup area
until the hauling/lowering is ready to proceed.
Cold zone: This is the area where incident support
operations are directed to both the internal rescue operation
and external activities required to coordinate and bring the
incident under control. The Command Post is located in this
area, providing direction and overall control of the
incident. An accountability officer and entry control point
supervisor should also be located in this area. In addition,
firefighter rehab and EMS are located in the cold zone, as
are personnel assigned as tactical reserve.
Public zone: This area is for such extrinsic activities as
public information. The department's public information
officer should establish a press area. Uncommitted apparatus
staging should also be located in this zone. Perimeter and
scene control is nothing new to the fire service, but it is a
critical and often overlooked portion of the technical rescue
operation.
Victim/target zone access and stabilization. The main
priority of the entire operation must be the victim and where
he is located (the target zone). The rescue group leader must
determine the safest, most effective path for rescuers to
reach the victim.
Assess target zone terrain. Ask yourself, What hazards are
present? Is it dark? Is a steep slope involved? Is there a
frictionless footing hazard such as wet or icy terrain? Are
there anchor points in the target zone that can be used as
temporary tie-offs for rescuers? What special equipment will
be required to work in the target zone, and what is the best
way to get it there? Utility umbilicals should be built into
all rescue systems to ferry equipment and supplies to the
target zone. Lifelines should NOT be used for this purpose.
Then, assess the victim: Can you even see the victim? Is
there more than one victim? Can a thermal imaging camera
help? What is the probable medical profile of the victim(s)?
You must try to improve victim comfort as soon as possible.
This may include conducting a medical assessment in the
target zone, providing blankets to keep body heat from being
lost, and administering fluids and possibly intravenous
medication prior to removal. The rescue group leader must
keep the victim's comfort in mind as the incident unfolds.
Sometimes, so much is going on topside that the victim's
needs take a backseat. Remember, the entire complex operation
stems from the victim's predicament.
EMS considerations. EMS will play a large part in this type
of rescue, from administering to the victim to medical
monitoring of rescue personnel. As with any other agency,
determine the scope of EMS personnel's participation, roles,
and responsibilities in advance. Assign an EMS group
supervisor, preferably prior to the incident. The bulk of the
EMS responders should remain in the cold zone, with
unobstructed access into and out of the operational area. A
skeleton crew of EMS personnel with equipment should stand by
in the warm zone until the victim has been packaged and is
being removed from the target zone. EMS personnel should be
in a safe area (you can call this area the victim landing
zone) where they can have immediate access to the victim when
he is brought safely topside.
Unassigned personnel/staffing considerations. To conduct
technical rope rescues safely and properly requires much
staffing. Command must ensure that a tactical reserve is on-
scene as soon as possible. A good rule of thumb to follow is
to double the number of personnel you think you will need. To
maintain proper control over incoming personnel, establish
strict staging and nonassigned personnel policies. Additional
personnel should report to the command post for assignment.
This requires a gatekeeper position similar to the lobby
control officer in a high-rise operation. Establish a
gatekeeper position at each zone to keep track of who passes
in and out.
From the command post, assign staffing as per the
requirements set forth by the operational zones. As stated,
personnel will be required for the bull work, the working of
rescue and belay lines. These personnel are not usually
essential to the rigging operation, so stage them in the warm
zone. When they are needed, conduct a briefing outlining
their hot zone duties. In the hot zone, brief them again
prior to operation.
You will need other personnel for equipment and stretcher
shuttles, lighting, and other support operations not directly
involved in the rescue but essential to the operation.
Remember, too, that other odd jobs will always pop up. The
work of support personnel keeps the operation moving in the
proper direction.
Communications. Communications during large-scale incidents
can be a nightmare if you do not properly control and
predetermine them before the incident. The rescue team (on-
line), the rescue group leader, and the hot zone safety
officer at a minimum should operate on a rescue frequency
(basically the fireground frequency) while the Operations
Section chief and the IC maintain a Command frequency. Aides
can be used to monitor the rescue frequency.
Although many of the communications will be face-to-face,
also establish a hand signal communication system--especially
for the member operating the aerial device. From the
turntable, it may be difficult to hear the commands of
someone guiding the device over the target zone.
Establish communication with the victim as soon as
possible. Make every effort to put him at ease. Explain to
the victim that he should not risk further injury by trying
to respond to conversation or attempting to help the rescuers
in the rescue operation. Also explain to the victim what is
taking place and how the rescue will unfold. Establishing
confidence and trust will greatly assist in the transition
(vertical trip) from the target zone to the hot zone.
Safety. Safety must be the IC's overriding concern at all
times. He must have zero tolerance for firefighter injury and
must communicate this attitude through strong command and
control.
A predesignated hot zone safety officer must oversee the
operation in the hot zone and monitor and advise on
activities in the target zone. He must have the technical
skills and training of the other members operating in the hot
and target zones. An overall incident safety officer should
monitor hazards in the other designated operational zones.
Safety should permeate the entire rescue ground.
Aerial devices must be rated for rope operations. Light-
duty ladders rated for 250 pounds at the tip are not
acceptable. Aerials should be rated for at least 500 pounds
at the tip. Platforms may be well-suited if they have an
adequate tip load to handle such rescues. Use aerial devices
as gin poles only. While rotation of the devices is
acceptable and will be necessary, using the devices for
raising and lowering a load is not advised. This should be
done only by manipulation of the rope systems.
All rope systems for rigging and on-line operations should
be redundant--no member should operate with fewer than two
ropes attached to him. The same is true for any victims moved
on-line in litters.
Use utility tag lines on all equipment lowered and raised.
This will eliminate unwanted equipment movement and help
steer it in the right direction.
Another safety consideration is proper lighting of the
target zone and topside, especially if the incident will
extend into the night hours. Request a light unit well in
advance of when you'll need it.
Engine noise and exhaust can create problems on-scene. Shut
down apparatus not directly involved in the operation,
especially those in the hot zone just being used as anchor
points.
Technical rope rescue operations often show just how well
or how poorly a department is prepared on the command and
tactical levels. How well are you prepared?