'We had a crash! And now we need more driver training'

Apparatus crashes mean a host of legal and personnel issues, not to mention the potential for tragedy

In this episode of "What's YOUR Problem?" Deputy Chief Billy Goldfeder answers this reader question:

I recently viewed your video about the importance of driver operators slowing for intersections (and stopping if necessary). We unfortunately had an incident in our department involving a crash with a citizen’s vehicle while responding to a car fire. We have an active investigation underway. Preliminary findings indicate that our apparatus was at fault for not properly clearing the intersection.

We do have driving/training policies that are thorough (i.e., EVOC class requirements, license class B, testing), but I’d like your thoughts on continuing education for drivers, and maybe even the officer, on the importance of driving safely.

And, do you have any suggestions on the best practices in creating lessons learned from incidents like this? I’m an assistant safety officer and have been in the department for 16 years. This is our first incident of this type, and we want to be thorough in finding the root cause and implementing effective training and awareness.

Do you have a question for Chief Goldfeder? Email editor@firerescue1.com or submit a question here.

Watch more What's YOUR Problem? videos here.

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