VESTS ON TURN OUT GEAR ANOTHER BEST PRACTICE

Ron Moore Chief Instructor at the CVVFA Emergency Responder Safety Institute is on the road again. This time in Pennsylvania. Ron discovered another safety inovation in his travels and presents it to respondersafety.com readers in the following article

A recent trip to Montgomery County, PA allowed me the opportunity to visit several area fire stations. One such visit was to the George Clay Fire Company. As I walked through that volunteer fire station, I noted a very progressive and innovative practice related to the safety of their personnel during highway operations.

All turnout gear for the responders is maintained in wall racks along side of the apparatus. Members respond to the station, don their gear, get into the apparatus, and respond to the emergency call. What is different about the Clay FD's arrangement is that each turnout coat on the rack has a high-visibility highway safety vest already in position over top of it. When the responders don their gear, they are automatically donning highway safety vests at the same time.

Command personnel report that the personnel are instructed to remove the high-visibility vests in the event of a response to a fire emergency.

A great idea and a 'best practice' in my book!