PA Fireman/PA Fire Police Article June 2008 "Parade Preparations" Posted by: "ABC Safety Network" abcps1@gmail.com abcsafetynet Date: Sat Jul 5, 2008 8:56 am ======================================================= I was requested to reprint my most recent PA Fireman article here on the message board. So, in case you missed it in June's PA Fireman magazine, here it is. Tom Kupiszewski is a PA State Fire Academy Approved Instructor, IFSAC Certified Fire Police Officer I and a 24-year veteran of the volunteer fire service. Email: abcps1@gmail.com ======================================================= PA Fire Police "Parade Preparations" Ah, summer is finally here! Warm weather, vacations, and all those outdoor activities we look forward to (as opposed to those we dread: long-lasting emergency calls in the middle of a winter night when it's 10 below zero and there's freezing rain coming down)! And yes, with the coming of the season of summer comes the season of parades and carnivals! Pennsylvania is a state that loves parades and carnivals. As fire police, some of us see a lot of them, year after year. Some of us don't do parades and carnivals, only emergency calls. That's okay. As a volunteer, you always have the choice whether or not to help out at any activity or emergency you wish. Just remember, once you do show up, you're committed until the end of the event/emergency or until properly relieved, but that's a topic for another article. For those of us who do help out at parades, I wanted to cover some points that, I hope, will make your parade and carnival experiences a little more enjoyable and, more importantly, safer. There's a very valuable class you should take; it's called "Fire Police in Non-Emergency Operations." Trust me, it's loaded with very useful information. It offers some pointers for dealing with parades, carnivals, funerals, and other non-emergency events, but it's also loaded with information on good leadership skills and good documentation practices, which are important for all fire police, but especially those who aspire to move up in rank. Either take that class the next time it's offered in your area, or contact me or any instructor qualified to teach the class and book it yourself. (Like every other fire police class, it's free as long as you can get 15 warm bodies in the room, even if they're not all from your department.) Now, I'd like to cover a few of my own thoughts about parades and carnivals. 1. Make sure your municipality has received a copy of the hosting municipality's written request for your assistance. Without a written request from the municipality where the event is being held, and without your home municipality's permission to help out, you might not be covered by your department's workmen's compensation insurance in case something happens. Also, without your municipality's permission to help at a non-emergency event outside your municipality, you might not have any authority as a fire police officer. You are a sworn officer of your home municipality, but there are limitations on when and where you're authorized by law to exercise the limited police powers of a fire police officer, especially outside the municipality where you're sworn in. Know the laws that govern fire police activities and how they apply to you. If none of this seems familiar to you, take the Basic Fire Police class again as a refresher, soon. 2. Know exactly where you're going before you leave the house and give yourself enough time to get there. If you're helping with a parade or carnival outside your home town, know where and when the fire police are organizing, know at least two ways to get there and give yourself more than enough time. Sometimes streets get closed well in advance of a parade, and then your first route is no longer an option. Finding your way around an unfamiliar town can be time-consuming, gas-consuming, and could cost you the chance to work the "good spot" in the parade. I also hope that being late for a parade will not mean you'll put your foot down on the gas a little harder. 3. As Yoda said, "Remember your training! Save you it can!" Using the traffic control skills you learned in Basic Fire Police is as important during non-emergency events as it is any other time you're directing traffic. If your Basic Fire Police instructor did not teach you the appropriate traffic control skills, book another Basic Fire Police class with a different instructor. 4. Wearing a uniform is okay. Wearing a vest is better. Parades and carnivals are a great time to look your best for the public and represent yourself, your department and your fellow fire police with pride and distinction. If you have a fire department dress uniform, now is a good time to show it off. HOWEVER, if you are working in or around traffic, WEAR A VEST over it. I know this drum has been beat a thousand times, but as long as I still see one fire police officer not wearing a vest while working in traffic, I'm going to keep beating it. I hear some fire police criticize police officers for not wearing high-visibility garments while directing traffic, yet some fire police also seem to think their uniform is all they need. Let me tell you, a lot of research has gone into writing the standards for high-visibility vests, and the reason your vest meets ANSI 107 or 207 standards is because they've discovered that IT WORKS. Your vest really does make you easier to see and less likely to get hit. So wear the uniform with pride, but wear your vest on top of it if you're "playing in traffic." I can hear the arguments now: "But this is not an emergency situation, traffic isn't moving as fast, there's less of it, or there's more (to the point that no one is going anywhere), etc. etc. etc…" If you've ever worked at a parade, you know that people will drive like maniacs while trying to get around or through parade routes as much as they will any other time you close a road. Worse, the parade offers a lot more to see than your typical accident or fire scene. There's a lot more to distract the driver, including the screaming kids in the back seat who want daddy to park the car so they can get out and see the parade. All of this means there's a greater likelihood that the driver will not see you right away, which is all the more reason you want to be as visible as possible. If your own safety isn't a good enough reason to wear your vest every time you work in traffic, what about your INSURANCE? I tell this to every class I teach: Every insurance company I've ever heard of is a for-profit business, not a charity. Their goal is to make money. Many insurance companies make the most of their profits by collecting premiums from you and denying your claims whenever possible. Some insurance companies will look for every excuse to deny your claim if you get injured. For example, your insurance company may follow ANSI standards in deciding whether or not you were properly attired to be directing traffic. If you get hurt, and you were not wearing a vest, it's entirely possible your insurance company will not cover your claim. Good luck then, trying to pay your hospital expenses out of your own pocket. A uniform alone is fine if you will not be performing any traffic control duties at the parade or carnival. For example, fire police are often asked to perform security-type functions on carnival grounds. If you want to make yourself more recognizable and stand out more from the crowd (so people who need you can find you easier), a vest will do that for you. It's not necessary for safety reasons when dealing only with pedestrian traffic, but please, please wear one when dealing with vehicular traffic. 5. Don't ruin the uniform with a baseball cap. I saw a news article about fire police on the Internet the other day. A fire police captain was wearing a very sharp-looking uniform topped off with a baseball cap. I was very disappointed. I don't know what he looked like. I see security guards wearing baseball caps all the time, but their uniforms don't usually look as spiffy as his did. I wonder how much that uniform cost. I think the average price for a uniform shirt is around $35 these days, plus around $10 for a pair of shoulder patches, another $10 or so for collar brass, and so on. I imagine the pants are around $50-$60, plus another $15 or so if they have a stripe. It's a wonder he couldn't have come up with just a little more, about $30, to buy a white 8-point hat. If money were not an issue, he could even buy a campaign hat for $60-$75, which I know, from personal experience, people don't even look at twice. They see that hat and they don't even look below your neck at the vest that says "fire police," they just follow your instructions. But of course, the campaign hat is expensive and requires proper care and maintenance. That's probably why I see so many fire police wearing the white, 8-point hat. It's inexpensive and easier to maintain, and it's probably the most recognized symbol of fire police in PA. If even an 8-point hat is too expensive, hold a fundraiser to buy them, but buy an official hat and wear it. State law requires it. Title 67 Chapter 101.3, Authorizing Appropriately Attired Persons to Direct, Control or Regulate Traffic (emphasis added by me) states: "…an official hat and badge is sufficient attire for fire police." "Official" means "pertaining to or relating to an office." The only office a baseball cap relates to, the only "official" use for a baseball cap, is that of a baseball player. If you're wearing a baseball cap with a fire police uniform, or at any time while on duty as fire police, you are not wearing a hat that relates the public to the sworn public official that you are. If you're going to buy a dress uniform, or any part of a uniform, make an official hat your first purchase. Unlike the rest of your uniform, you need to be wearing that hat every time you're on duty, at emergencies and non-emergencies alike. I've heard arguments in favor of baseball caps too. "Police officers are wearing them." Some are. And to me, they look like security guards too. Armed ones, maybe, but still security guards. In fact, I've seen some security guards wearing uniform hats, not baseball caps. To me, they look like they have more authority than the police officers I see wearing ball caps. I hate it when fire police say "people never listen to you no matter what hat you're wearing." If that were true, that would mean that every car you try to detour would be driving down your closed road. People do listen to what you say, but they would do it more often, and with less hesitation, if you look like you have the authority to be there closing that road. This applies no matter when you're operating as fire police, whether it's on an emergency or at a parade or carnival. (Side note: If you're concerned because the white vinyl 8-point hats get too hot in the summer, they now make them out of mesh material, like the back of your baseball cap, that allows every little wisp of air to blow right through the hat and keep your head cool. So now, you can look official and still keep your head cool, and they run about the same price as the regular vinyl ones.) Only one last thought about the baseball cap and I'll move on. Consider the fact that wearing an official uniform hat makes you safer. If the hat gets you more respect and makes people more likely to obey your instructions, then there's less chance they'll try to go around you and possibly cause an accident which might involve you. So, whether you have a dress uniform from your fire department or not, wear an official hat. The law requires it and it makes your job easier. Enough said. 6. Just looking professional is not enough. Having a dress uniform can help you get respect. Some people will see a uniform and not look closely to see whether the shoulder patch says "police" or "fire police." However, a uniform alone is not all you need to earn the respect of the public. Your demeanor goes a very long way at parades and carnivals. Many, many more people will see you at a public event than at any emergency scene. How you behave toward the public at events like this will reflect far and wide in the public's attitude toward your fire department and all of your fellow fire police. People are there to have a good time. Some of them are very frustrated by not being able to find parking, or are simply trying to get around the event to get home. True, it may be their fault since they probably knew about the event as far in advance as you did, but reminding them of this will not make you any friends. Handling frustrated drivers is easy if you don't let their frustration become yours. Help them as best you can, politely and courteously. If there's nothing you can do (such as when you're in the middle of a gridlock), just shrug your shoulders. Sometimes there are just too many cars, too small roads and not enough parking spaces. That's not your fault or theirs, so don't let it bother you and don't let their being upset about the situation make you upset in the process. As a fire police officer, you're a volunteer. You volunteer because you enjoy doing it. In emergencies, you know that you're saving lives and making the job of other emergency responders easier. In non-emergency events, you help to make the whole event go more smoothly. You volunteer to serve at non-emergency events because, unlike emergency calls, nothing bad has happened (and hopefully nothing bad will happen) and the whole thing should be fun for everyone involved, including you. If you let the bad attitudes of a few people infect you, are you enjoying it? If you bring a bad attitude with you, you will not only fail to enjoy it yourself, but make it less enjoyable for those attending, not to mention making a bad impression about fire police with everyone who sees you. Remember your training and put it to use on the street, during emergencies and non-emergencies alike. Be professional. Wear a uniform if you have one, including your official hat. If you don't have a uniform, at least wear the official hat and badge as you're required to do. No matter what else you're wearing, wear a vest when working in traffic! STAY SAFE!