Notebook: Firefighters become mobile ER

[MMiz]

Notebook: Firefighters become mobile ER

"I tell everyone that comes to work here to treat everyone like you'd treat your mother," said Capt. Scott McKenney, who leads a four-man team at Metro Fire Station 53.

Comprised of a two-person medic team and a three-person engine team, McKenney's station house covers the busiest part of the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District, he said. Based in South Sacramento, the firefighters there are no strangers to the violence and disarray that plague most of that neighborhood.

Read more!

 

[VentMedic]

This was the other article mentioned:
http://www.sacbee.com/city/story/1489816.html?mi_rss=Sacramento+City+News

A Bee Exclusive: City looks at overtime costs



By Phillip Reese and Ryan Lillis
preese@sacbee.com
Published: Sunday, Dec. 21, 2008

A question of safety

Working extreme hours can cause exhaustion – a leading factor in firefighter injuries and on-the-job accidents.
"I think it has to do with people being fatigued and putting them in a situation where they are apt to make a mistake," said Claire Caruso, research health scientist for the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, summarizing several papers on the ethics of employers letting workers toil long hours. "If they are driving, they are risking the people on the road."

There was a similar article in the San Chroncle about FFs and OT. It was noted that some FFs were working up to 9 shifts straight which may indicate too little to do and lots of sleep time or a very unsafe condition by being over tired or just on the job too long.

 

[mycrofft]

SacBee also reported a while ago about how every FD retiree put in for disability.

In fact, the SacMetro Fire official who vowed to get to the bottom of it cut his participation short to retire...with disability.

The slant of the article as I saw it was that FD employees were milking the system, with comments about overtiredness being sort of a fair play sop.