Last week was recognized by public safety workers as a safety stand down, focusing on highway safety. Up until recently, I would have said that incidents on America’s roadways present the greatest hazard for all public servants. My concern is that the greatest danger to a police officer here lately is when they put on the uniform. Police officers have become a target and we, the people, must do everything in our power to change that. I have the greatest respect for every man and woman who puts on a uniform, sworn to protect and serve, whatever the costs. Our nation may have its issues, but it is still one that many around this globe would leave everything to come here. Our police are a vital part of every community. There may need to be some level of reform in some of our cities, but defunding the police is sheer lunacy. Enough of my soapbox; I will get back to the safety issue that was recognized in the stand down.
Highway incidents put firefighters, police officers, and medics in harm’s way every time something happens that causes them to have to get out of their vehicles. I cannot tell you the number of times that one accident on the interstate has led to other accidents because of distracted drivers. Depending on the type of incident, public safety is tasked with scene control, patient care, hazard mitigation, law enforcement, and whatever else is necessary to get the roadway cleared. An out-of-control vehicle, for a number of reasons, can cause greater injury or death. Limited-access highways, such as I-95, I-85, I-295, I-895, 288, and Chippenham Parkway, are extremely dangerous due to the number and speed of vehicles. We don’t need to talk about the number of close calls, since there are public servants who have lost their lives working on our roadways. We need to realize that this is a problem caused by us, the drivers of motor vehicles. Many states are making it state law that drivers must move over, if possible, when approaching emergency vehicles on the roadway. The problem is that a law is usually a “day late and a dollar short.” In other words, someone has already died or been injured, for a law to hit the books.
So, what has the fire service done to improve its plight when working on roadways? Chesterfield added a piece of apparatus to every limited-access roadway incident, with one unit’s purpose being to set up a safety zone for the units working at the incident scene. Chesterfield also instituted the Tactical Safety Officer (TSO). There is a TSO each shift, an extension of the department’s safety officer responding to incidents for the sole purpose of overseeing scene and firefighter safety, which are pretty much one and in the same. Another big thing that happened was that the back of apparatus got a reflective color scheme that has nothing to do with aesthetics, but everything to do with safety. You would think that the lights would be enough to make emergency equipment visible, but units and personnel are still being struck. Personnel working on roadways are required to wear reflective clothing. Even with all of the steps taken to make our roadways safer, drivers still have a responsibility in this. Drivers need to slow down, be observant, move over, and follow directions closely. Things become worse when inclement weather is a part of the equation.
May we not only think about highway safety on a special week, but every time that we get behind the wheel. We must each do our part to fix this. Public servants are tasked with the job of responding and dealing with incidents on our roadways. Our responsibility is to drive defensively at all times, and to drive with greater care and caution when we approach an emergency scene. Our public servants deserve every driver’s attention. Think about it.
