Who is using our Backing Safety System?
City of Los Angeles, CA - Fire
City of Santa Monica, CA - Fire
Ft Gordon, GA - Fire
Ottawa, Canada - Airport Crash
Flint Hills Refinery, MN - Fire
Tesoro Refinery, CA - Fire
Howell Township, NJ - Fire
Huntington Beach, CA - Fire
Posted: Thu, 11/12/2009 - 11:59am
A federal investigation into the Line of Duty Death (LODD) of a New Jersey career firefighter suggests that the loss of direct communication between an apparatus driver and the firefighter spotting him while backing was a primary factor leading to the tragic death when the engine backed over the veteran brother.
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) released a report this week investigating the causes of the backing accident that resulted in the death of the 57-year-old career firefighter in a New Jersey community on Jan. 2, 2009.
PASADENA FIRE TO ORDER INNOVATIVE BACKING DEVICE
May 2011 Pasadena, CA
A City of Pasadena Fire Department official has announced that, beginning in July, it will retrofit the entire fleet of fire apparatus and ambulance vehicles with a new and innovative backing safety system that utilizes wireless technology.
The device is produced by Reverse Control, Inc. and proponents claim it will save the city money by preventing costly backing accidents and associated injuries. More importantly, they make the case that the device will save lives.
Many fire fighters have been injured over the years, and some have been killed by backing fire apparatus. The cost to repair damage to fire vehicles that have been involved in backing accidents has been sizeable as well.
In August 2004, Jamie Foster, a female fire fighter working for the City of Los Angeles was accidentally backed over and crushed to death while she was assisting with a backing operation. The sytem was conceived and developed by a fire fighter in response to that terrible incident.
OSHA Considers New Backing Regs.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
OSHA RIN:1218-AC52 Fall 2010
Title: "Backing Operations"
"..... Backing accidents cause 500 deaths and 15,000 injuries per year." ... "OSHA believes that regulatory action is necessary to address risks associated with backup operations."
FIREFIGHTER CRITICAL AFTER FIRE APPARATUS BACKING INCIDENT IN CALIFORNIA
Tuesday, July 12, 2011 firefighterclosecalls.com
On July 10, 2011 at 1830 hours, a CalFire Firefighter, while acting as a back-up person for an engine company, sustained a serious head injury when he became pinned between 2 CAL FIRE engine companies.
The incident occurred following release from a company cover assignment at Nevada-Yuba-Placer Unit. An Amador-El Dorado Unit (AEU) engine strike team stopped at a local restaurant to eat. While attempting to back the AEU engine into a space immediately adjacent to another engine, the right rear tire rode up on the curb. When the fire apparatus operator moved the engine off of the curb, the engine shifted. The Firefighter who was acting as back-up person became pinned between the two engine companies. The Firefighter received a serious head injury and was transported by ground ambulance to a local trauma center for treatment. We wish the Firefighter a successful recovery.