Lee Shaffer
Asst Chief of Special Operations
Kirtland AFB, NM
VEHICLE ACCIDENTS


May 2003, during time
trials for FAA
inspection, a P-23
goes into dirt, does a
180, and almost rolls
Fire Chief told young
airman “Put the pedal
to the metal and don’t
stop until you get to
Fox-3”
VEHICLE ACCIDENTS


Aug 04, while
responding to a smell
of smoke, basket of
102’ aerial hits roll up
door.
Driver failed to ensure
door was fully raised,
could not see door
VEHICLE ACCIDENTS



Aug 09, during a wild
land fire response,
driver of 5000 gal
tanker was backing
vehicle when vehicle
slid off road into ditch
Vehicle totaled
because of bent frame
Driver failed to ask for
assistance or get out
and check area
EQUIPMENT DAMAGE


Mar 08, door and
window of P-19
damaged due to gust
of high winds
Passenger failed to
close door
EQUIPMENT DAMAGE
Feb 08, while pulling vehicle out, radio fell
off of front bumper of R-3 and was crushed
 Feb 10, while pulling vehicle out during
morning check out, ran over and destroyed
two saws
 Mar 10, during morning check out, driver
pulling out vehicle when MSA mask falls
and is crushed by vehicle
 Driver’s failed to secure equipment

INJURIES
May 08, during a fast moving wild land fire,
4 members received 1st and 2nd degree
burns
 Members failed to wear PPE properly
 Crew chief failed to take proper survey of
situation

INJURIES
Oct 09, passenger receives head
laceration when P-19 drives over dip in the
road
 Failure to wear seat belt

WHERE DID THIS HAPPEN?

All incidents just mentioned and will be
discussed happened at Kirtland AFB over
several years

Had a very serious incident happened

May introduce incidents from other
jurisdictions
GAME RULES

During this presentation, think of incidents
that happened at your department, what
was the investigation result, what was the
outcome, and please share

Please hold all questions and comments
until the end, may answer your question
Overview





Kirtland AFB, who are we
Incidents at Kirtland AFB
The “SCBA SCARE”
Lessons Learned
What are we doing as Chiefs and FF
KIRTLAND AFB FIRE DEPT
Kirtland AFB is located in the southeast
quadrant of Albuquerque, N.M., adjacent to
the International Airport
 Response area covers approximately
53,000 acres; third largest base in the
AFMC command.

KIRTLAND AFB FIRE DEPT
Response area includes the airport in which
we have a joint use agreement with the city
 Average 158,000 landing and takeoffs
 Average over 5,888,000 passengers in and
out of the airport
 Commercial, cargo, and general aviation
aircraft to include Eclipse International

KIRTLAND AFB FIRE DEPT
With 5 fire stations, we protect on average
over 30,000 people, 1800 homes, two
elementary schools, three day cares,
several laboratories & research centers, a
dozen dormitories, many aircraft, and a
complex maintenance facility.
 We average about 2500 to 3000
emergencies annually.

KIRTLAND AFB FIRE DEPT

Employees 108 personnel
 88 shift personnel working 48/72,48/72, 48/48 in




a two week period
9 administrative personnel working a 60 hour
work week and are shift qualified
2 fire inspectors and 1 logistics person
8 dispatchers working 12 hour shift
All personnel are IFSAC certified to their
assigned position
KIRTLAND AFB FIRE DEPT

Structural Vehicles
 3 pumpers
 1 102’ aerial
 3 water tankers; 1 5000 gal and 2 2000 gal

Crash
 2 P-23 CFR, 3300 gal of water, 500 gal foam
 3 P-19 CFR, 1000 gal of water, 130 gal foam

Support
 Hazmat/IC, hazmat response trailers
VEHICLE ACCIDENTS
2005 – 2009
 34 incidents

 7 Backing accidents – failure to use spotter
 3 Emergency response – failure to maintain
control and clearance
 16 Vehicle movements – failure to maintain
clearance, striking building/stalls, inexperience
 8 Nature/accident – winds, rocks, accident
avoidance, equipment failure
VEHICLE ACCIDENTS
2010
 5 incidents

 2 Backing accidents – failure to use spotter
 1 Emergency response – failure to maintain
control and clearance…new driver
 1 Vehicle movements – failure to maintain
clearance
 1 Nature/accident –accident avoidance
EQUIPMENT DAMAGE
2005 – 2009
 9 incidents

 3 Emergency response – failure to secure




equipment, failure to close compartments
1 Vehicle movement – failure to ensure clear
path of travel…radio crushed
1 Training – damage to building from equipment
4 Equipment – failure to maintain control…radio
dropped through hole while fighting fire
14 PPE – contaminated with fuel from tanker roll
over
EQUIPMENT DAMAGE
2010
 4 incidents

 3 Vehicle movements – 1 MSA mask crushed, 1
radio crushed, and 2 saw damaged….failure to
ensure clear path of travel
 1 SCBA incident – failure to maintain control,
catastrophic event
INJURIES
2005 – 2009
 108 injuries

 22 FD training – 1 failure to wear PPE properly, 3
dismounting vehicle wrong, 4 improper lifting
 18 Emergency response – 8 failure to wear PPE,
1 fell off truck while getting out
 31 Sport – 9 improper lifting, 5 improper warm up
 37 Other – 16 improper lifting, 5 slipping or
tripping, 1 ladder not secure, 1 failure to wear
ladder belt falling from aerial, a bunch of not
paying attention
INJURIES
2010
 5 injuries

 3 FD training – 1 improper lifting
 1 Emergency response – 1 improper lifting
 1 Sport – 1 improper lifting
 1 Other – 1 improper lifting
MEDICALS
2005 – 2009
 9 medicals

 2 insect bites
 2 lightening strikes – fire station was not
properly grounded
 2 anxiety – stress
 4 heart attacks – stress, improper diet,
smoking, over weight; one individual has had 2
heart attacks in a three year period
MEDICALS
2010
 0

COST and TIME LOST
2005 – 2009 Incident Type
Incidents
34
Vehicle
9
Equipment
Time Lost Light Duty
Cost
87 days
0
$45,000
0
0
$78,000
108
Injuries
453 days
638 days
?
9
Medical
185 days
147 days
?
2010
Incidents
Incident Type Time Lost Light Duty
5
Vehicle
4
Equipment
5
Injuries
0
Medical
Cost
0 days
0
$1,000
0
0
$7,000
14 days
0
155 days
0
?
0
SCBA SCARE



Jan 2010
During morning check
out, individual was
checking reserve air
bottles assigned to
R-4
Individual took air
bottle out of holder to
replace another bottle
SCBA SCARE



Bottle slips out of
hands and strikes
rim of right rear
wheel cracking head
Bottle starts
spinning around
People start running
for cover
SCBA SCARE


Head of SCBA
completely releases
causing catastrophic
failure resulting in
“Pin Ball Wizard”
action.
Air bottle takes off
striking several
objects resulting in
several thousands
of dollars of damage
SCBA SCARE
SCBA SCARE
SCBA SCARE
SCBA SCARE
SCBA SCARE
SCBA SCARE
SCBA SCARE
SCBA SCARE
SCBA SCARE
AFTER ACTION

Each Assistant Chief ordered to look at
their perspective area’s
 Records
 Causes
 Corrective actions
 NFPA, OSHA, and AFI updates
 Contact peers from other bases and
departments
 Think outside of the box
AFTER ACTION

Requested assistance from wing safety
and vehicle maintenance
 Looked at all equipment, vehicle reports,
work orders, and inspections
 Looked at all station inspections and work
orders
 Assisted in Safety Down Day inspections
 Report findings…this was not a hit nor a
write up because we requested assistance
AFTER ACTION

Safety Down Day
 Each station inspected for safety violations
 All vehicles inspected inside and out
 All equipment inspected for defects
 All personnel received safety briefings from the
use of PPE, lifting techniques, to driving GOV
and POV to include motorcycle and ATV riding
FAULT – WHO IS AT FAULT
Fire Chief?
 Chief Officers?
 Company Officers?
 Firefighters?


Kirtland AFB was second highest in the Air
Force for injuries and accidents
FAULT – WHO IS AT FAULT

PPE violations – failure to wear PPE for 4
burn injuries, 2 chemical exposures, and 2
body fluid exposures
 Where were the buddy/safety checks

Driving accidents – backing incidents,
driving into stall doors, buildings….
 Where were the spotters
FAULT – WHO IS AT FAULT

Equipment damage – running over saws,
radio, mask, tools falling out of
compartments
 Where was the walk around by operator/crew
 Why was the equipment placed in path of travel

Injuries/Medicals – lifting injuries, heart
attacks, jumping off vehicles
FAULT – WHO IS AT FAULT

Chief Officers –
 Failure to enforce safety standards and policies
 Lack of supervision to include disciplinary
actions
 Not up to date with current issues
 Paper work not filled out properly
 Staying in the office
FAULT – WHO IS AT FAULT

Company Officers –
 Failure to follow/enforce safety standards and
policies
 Lack of leadership skills – these are my friends

Firefighters –
 Failure to follow/enforce safety standards and
policies
FAULT - WHOSE IS IT

Fault is with ALL personnel
 SAFETY
is the RESPONSIBILITY of
EVERYONE, from the fire chief to the
firefighter
FINDINGS
Safety forms (KAFB Form 300), and CA
forms not filled out
 Lack of situation awareness
 Lack of enforcement from all parties
 Laziness

CORRECTIVE ACTION-INCIDENTS

Panel of peers
 Consisted of Deputy Fire Chief, 2 Asst.
Chief, 2 Bat Chief, 4 Lt’s, and 8 firefighters
○ Asst. Chief, Bat Chief 2 Lt’s, and 4 firefighters
must be off duty at time of incident
○ All incidents will be looked at; depending the
nature, those incidents will be investigated
○ Good idea and had the support by most
bargaining unit members, but union shot it
down
CORRECTIVE ACTION-INCIDENTS

Light installed on aerial doors
 Green for door is up, red for door is down

Spotters to ensure doors are up
 Any time vehicle moves – in/out
2 spotters for back up
 Ensure all compartments and doors are
closed before movements

 Operator and crew chief must walk around
vehicle to secure vehicle equipment
CORRECTIVE ACTION-INCIDENTS

Hold all personnel responsible
 Before – incidents were swept under carpet
 Depending on nature of incident, two off duty
chief officer’s and/or outside agency will
investigate
 Disciplinary action and/or paying for damages
may be enforced
All reports must be turned in with in 24
hours of incident
 Major accidents or supervisors discretion driver’s will be drug tested

CORRECTIVE ACTION-INJURIES






Personnel trained to be personal trainers
Hold all personnel responsible for buddy
checks and safety
Proper lifting techniques
Be aware of surrounding areas
Pick up and watch out for all tripping hazards
Wipe up all spills
CORRECTIVE ACTION-MEDICAL
Personnel trained to be personal trainers
 Request assistance from HAWK

 Smoking cessation
 Cholesterol screening
 Nutrition counseling
OUTCOME
After Jan, through Feb – Aug 2010
 3 Vehicles accidents, one was an
accident compared to average of 7 per
year
 Equipment, lost two saws and a mask
 Injuries are way down
 No medical incidents…yet
