Notwithstanding motor vehicle accidents, you should know by now that the NUMBER ONE MECHANISM for disabling, injuring, maiming, and killing FFs and WFs over the past 25+ years is TREES. Yes, trees in all phases of growth (and decay). We classify them right in there with the others - Watch Out #19 DEATH FROM ABOVE!
Snags are merely dead trees, and depending on the jurisdiction or reasonableness of your READ, it will have connotations of "wildlife" and you will be asked to "save it." STOP calling them "snags" and from now on call them ALL HAZARD TREES! Because that's what they are. Explain to the READSs that "it is critical to the safe accomplishment of your mission to cut, fell, remove, whatever these HAZARD TREES. Continue to keep and utilize the phrases to "snag the line, the road, the whatever."
I'm pretty certain it is still acceptable to REFUSE orders that are either ILLEGAL, IMMORAL, UNETHICAL, and UNSAFE. There may be occasional issues with the IMMORAL one the way things are going these days. Remember too that STUPID is outside those standards. There will be RARE occasions where you will nee to prove to them on ONE partial or whole SHIFT that you are correct. And this is much harder to accomplish as a Contractor or Type 2 Crew compared to a Hot Shot Crew. STAND YOUR GROUND because your ultimate responsibility as a SUPERVISORS is the safety and welfare of those you supervise - NO MATTER WHAT!
You MUST repeatedly utilize your finest "How to Properly Refuse Risk" skills (IRPG p. 19), sometimes, quite assertively, by insisting on turning down these recurring deadly assignments at the likely risk of being assigned to "Division Siberia" - some piece of dirt that's been cold for a week to mop it up and eventually be demobbed.
There are COUNTLESS incidents of all manner of Resources being asked, then ultimately threatened to enter old burns, snag patches, etc. with many ending in minor, to career-ending injuries, to near misses, to deaths. You know which ones these are, you know the ones responsible, you know what to do. Thank you for the opportunity to spew.
Establishing “Safe Work Zones” work as well. Training/Experience required to read the hazards/risk and what tactics will do the job to secure the hazard tree. More then just some ribbon around the tree. We started the NWCG Hazard Tree Task Force to put more emphasis on this persistent and insidious safety problem and frankly a lot more effort needs to be invested in this complex problem.
I agree that the risk assessment maps fall short but by now we should be able to develop an assessment to get more action from at-risk homeowners and communities. I am not a fan of subsidizing homes/communities that can not be defended while others have done the work and design of defensible space. The criteria for wildfire risk assessment does not have to complicated and could have prescribed mitigation affording a responsible property owner to bring the risk and rates down.
Notwithstanding motor vehicle accidents, you should know by now that the NUMBER ONE MECHANISM for disabling, injuring, maiming, and killing FFs and WFs over the past 25+ years is TREES. Yes, trees in all phases of growth (and decay). We classify them right in there with the others - Watch Out #19 DEATH FROM ABOVE!
Snags are merely dead trees, and depending on the jurisdiction or reasonableness of your READ, it will have connotations of "wildlife" and you will be asked to "save it." STOP calling them "snags" and from now on call them ALL HAZARD TREES! Because that's what they are. Explain to the READSs that "it is critical to the safe accomplishment of your mission to cut, fell, remove, whatever these HAZARD TREES. Continue to keep and utilize the phrases to "snag the line, the road, the whatever."
I'm pretty certain it is still acceptable to REFUSE orders that are either ILLEGAL, IMMORAL, UNETHICAL, and UNSAFE. There may be occasional issues with the IMMORAL one the way things are going these days. Remember too that STUPID is outside those standards. There will be RARE occasions where you will nee to prove to them on ONE partial or whole SHIFT that you are correct. And this is much harder to accomplish as a Contractor or Type 2 Crew compared to a Hot Shot Crew. STAND YOUR GROUND because your ultimate responsibility as a SUPERVISORS is the safety and welfare of those you supervise - NO MATTER WHAT!
You MUST repeatedly utilize your finest "How to Properly Refuse Risk" skills (IRPG p. 19), sometimes, quite assertively, by insisting on turning down these recurring deadly assignments at the likely risk of being assigned to "Division Siberia" - some piece of dirt that's been cold for a week to mop it up and eventually be demobbed.
There are numerous fatal and near-fatal HAZARD TREE INCIDENTS. Here are a few listed in the WLF LLC and/or the SAFENETS. Go to your GACC and look for Safety Or Safety Mgmt. (https://gacc.nifc.gov/swcc/management_admin/safety/safety.htm) the SAFENET, then Past SAFENETS (https://safenet.nifc.gov/) Search for them in three ways, e.g. "available fields." Or Wildfire Today in the Hazard Tree Archives (https://wildfiretoday.com/tag/hazardous-tree/). Or the all-time favorite ---- GTS the ones you heard or know of. "Analysis of 53 firefighter injuries during tree falling operations" (https://wildfiretoday.com/2020/02/22/analysis-of-53-firefighter-injuries-during-tree-falling-operations/)
There are COUNTLESS incidents of all manner of Resources being asked, then ultimately threatened to enter old burns, snag patches, etc. with many ending in minor, to career-ending injuries, to near misses, to deaths. You know which ones these are, you know the ones responsible, you know what to do. Thank you for the opportunity to spew.
Establishing “Safe Work Zones” work as well. Training/Experience required to read the hazards/risk and what tactics will do the job to secure the hazard tree. More then just some ribbon around the tree. We started the NWCG Hazard Tree Task Force to put more emphasis on this persistent and insidious safety problem and frankly a lot more effort needs to be invested in this complex problem.
https://www.nwcg.gov/sites/default/files/committee/docs/httfs-risk-mgmt.pdf
I agree that the risk assessment maps fall short but by now we should be able to develop an assessment to get more action from at-risk homeowners and communities. I am not a fan of subsidizing homes/communities that can not be defended while others have done the work and design of defensible space. The criteria for wildfire risk assessment does not have to complicated and could have prescribed mitigation affording a responsible property owner to bring the risk and rates down.
I just remembered that SNAGGS are "Sensitive New Age Guys and Gals"