The average American driver travels over 14,000 miles by car each year. When you consider the 239 million licensed drivers on U.S. roads at any given time, there’s ample opportunity for a crash to occur. In fact, the National Safety Council of America states that your odds of dying in a motor vehicle crash are 1 in 101, far higher than the 2020 Massachusetts Institute of Technology findings claiming one in 7.9 million people will perish in a plane crash.
While there’s inherent risk when behind the wheel, there’s another group of people who are also in danger of dying from a moving vehicle – firefighters responding to the scene of a crash. From 2019 to 2022 alone, it’s estimated that 33 fire and EMS professionals lost their lives as a result of working a motor vehicle crash (MVC).
One would think a driver approaching the scene of an accident would be aware enough to avoid hitting someone, but a range of variables can contribute to these unfortunate events. Inclement weather can hamper a driver’s ability to see what’s ahead of them and respond quickly, while cell phone use or eating contributes to distracted driving. Additionally, fire crews might be operating with reduced situational awareness or have failed to establish an appropriate temporary traffic control zone.
In light of National Traffic Awareness Month, which takes place each August, here are several ways your department and you can mitigate the risk of becoming another MVC fatality statistic.
TYPICAL TOOLS TO INCREASE SAFETY
Whether it’s your first time working an MVC or you’ve now lost count of how many you’ve responded to, it’s always smart to brush up on best practices. When arriving at the scene of an accident, your first line of defense against being hit by another motorist is to use your apparatus as a shield.
Park at an angle so that if a motorist hits your vehicle, their vehicle will deflect away from those working the scene. Ambulances should park in locations that allow them to easily leave the scene but are also protected by your apparatus, with patient loading areas facing away from moving traffic.
It’s not just vehicle positioning that works to reduce secondary roadway accidents, though. When drivers are injured and time is of the essence, it seems counterintuitive to stop and assess what you’re wearing. However, your turnout gear may not be all that’s needed to help keep you safe. Additional PPE, like DOT-approved vests and helmets, offers increased visibility to help drivers see you more clearly and avoid hitting you while you work.
Working MVCs at night presents another layer of challenge, as the cover of darkness makes it that much more difficult for passing motorists to see what’s ahead of them. Rather than relying on your apparatus lights, which could blind oncoming drivers, use area lighting systems in conjunction with flare lights.
A NEW WAY OF TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT
One of the tools fire crews rely on the most when working motor vehicle crashes is traffic cones. While many may consider traffic cones to be tried and true items that drivers will easily recognize, that’s sadly not always the case. If you ask around to fellow first responders, there’s a good chance at least a few of them will tell you about a time they saw a motorist completely ignore their use of cones.
It’s critical that fire crews block off as many lanes of traffic as needed to create a safety barrier when working an MVC, but how can you make traffic management effective if using traffic cones isn’t always 100% successful? Many departments, like the Geneva-on-the-Lake Fire Department in Ohio, have turned to using FirstGard foldable traffic cones manufactured by PSS.
“When we have calls on the highway and we’re on the side of the road, there are semis going by,” said Captain Rachel Carcell. “People don’t always pay attention, so you have to pay more attention to your personal safety and scene safety.”
Not only are FirstGard traffic cones more visible on roadways thanks to the cone’s design, whose flat panels allow its reflective sheeting to reflect up to twice as much light back to motorists when compared to the same reflective sheeting on standard 28-inch traffic cones, but they are quick and easy to deploy, saving fire crews from having to spend more time near moving traffic than needed.
FirstGard cones fold flat for easy storage and transport, with a set of five fitting neatly in a provided carry bag. They pop open quickly and, unlike traditional rubber cones, can be set up over charged fire hoses to prevent drivers from running over your equipment.
“They are so easy to use – just put them in one bag, you pull them out, they unfold, and you set them down and go to the next one,” Carcell explained. “With a stack of rubber cones, you’re just carrying one and then another trying to get them to be unstuck because sometimes they stick together.”
Daytime MVCs can be blocked off by looping caution tape from one FirstGard cone to the next. Night incidents benefit from a magnetic piece at the top of each cone that accepts a flare light.
Staying safe while working motor vehicle crashes should always be top of mind. While using your apparatus as a shield, donning PPE and deploying innovative tools like FirstGard traffic cones can help, extreme situational awareness is always a must. This National Traffic Awareness Month, along with every month of the year, make sure your department is prepared to prevent secondary roadway accidents.
Visit PSS for more information.
