28/08/2020
FIRE FIGHTERS IN THE FACE OF COVID 19
Ever since the outbreak of Covid 19 in 2019 over 15million people have contracted the virus with close to a million death. Just yesterday, Nigeria confirmed more than 50,000 cases of Covid 19.
The Covid 19 virus has done a major damage on the economy of the world leading to loss of millions of jobs worldwide, disruption of business work flow, families turned apart, more widows, widowers and orphans created. The fire fighters and other First Responders were also impacted by the pandemic but unfortunately little or nothing is being said about these categories of people. During the period of the lockdown, the Fire Fighters were one of the few organizations that could not be lockdown and they have to risk their lives responding to emergencies other than the Covid 19, they have to find their way to work without logistic provision from their employers, no provision for food, no water and other resources essential for comfortable shift operations. I heard about the arrest of more than 20 firemen in Lagos by men of the Nigeria Police with the claim of breaking Curfew restrictions while on their way to work and returning home from their shift.
Let’s remember that during the lockdown period, the treasury house was engulfed in a fire, the men of the Federal and all states fire services were battling an average of 2 fire incidents a day nationwide most especially in the residential area as people now spend more time at home than at work so the trend changed. In March 2020, the Lagos State Fire Service in her Monthly Fire Report responded to 150 fire incidents in Lagos, this number increased drastically with fire incidents at Lagos Airport Hotel, Epe Gas Leak, fallen tanker at Lasu Igando road, Alesh Bus stop, fire involving a 48 rooms bungalow building, NNPC filling station fire at ogba, rescue from well at Ikorodu and Barracks area of surulere, Oando petrol station fire at Obalende were some of the fires responded to by the trio of the Federal Fire Service, Lagos State Fire Service and other privately operated Fire Station in Lagos. Kara multiple petroleum truck fire, NNPC burst pipeline incident at Ayobo, kudirat Abiola Road Fire Incidents, ozumba Nbadewi, Alakuko tanker incidents, Ajao estate gas explosion, Ladipo Foam Market incidents and Oke-Arin Markets fires and other hazardous Material Response that we have faced during this period. This is just a list of incidents in Lagos, just imagine what the figures will look like when the report of the 36 states of the Federation is put together.
The statistics above shows that the Day’s work never ends, workloads have worsened during this crisis. Most apparent is the increased acuity of calls volume. According to Wang, 2020, New York Fire Department (NYFD) noticed a 50% call volume increase in April. Many firemen worked for 24hours shift and there is often little time or ability for the firemen to decompress. This has resulted into sickness or other behavioral issues for a lot of firemen. Between April and June 2020, 3 NYFD fire fighters have committed su***de due to this new work life imbalance {Edelma, 2020}. In our part of the world, 2 in 5 operational fire fighter in Lagos is under the influence of drug and/or alcohol while on duty. The use of alcohol may be our own way of responding to the stress.
Covid 19 requires keeping physical distancing of at least 2meters from people, with us in the Fire Fighting profession this is practically impossible because we use the buddy system and sometimes must touch the victims. We only rely on our PPEs for protection. Aside the fear of the fireman contracting the virus he also fears becoming a vector for the virus and taken it home to other family members. The best the government have done for the firemen during this pandemic was to give each fire fighter a home-made Facemask instead of the minimum N95 and provision of the much need breathing apparatus. If an average fire fighter is fully and adequately kitted, we will not be scared of providing adequate response during the pandemic. The Fire Code {NFPA 1}, Safe Person’s Concept, HASAWA 1975, Fire Service act 1963, Factory act and requires that employers must provide suitable workplace and work wear. Each time the emergency phone line rings, it is always a potential call to death as the response team faces hundreds of ways to die. They can be killed by hot toxic gas, elevated temperature of more than 5000 degrees centigrade, being struck by objects, slips, trips and fall, fall from height, human and animal attack and now covid. With appropriate head, foot, whole body and lungs protection the impacts of these hazards are reduced or even eliminated.
One of the assumptions of Hazardous Materials Response is that once you remove your PPE after a HAZMAT response, you already take out 80% of the impurities and dangerous materials on you. The remaining 20% of impurities are removed by immediate bath. It is practically impossible in majority of our Fire Stations in Nigeria to achieve this requirement because the washing facilities in the fire stations are so poor. Some of the toilets have no shower, no soap, poor lighting, slippery floors and hard water. In some countries firemen are issued at least 2 turnout gears as you use one, it is sent for dry cleaning while you use the second one. In these countries of the world, they provide rest materials {beddings}, recreational materials, food and water, atmospheric conditioning, fumigation, PPEs and others materials and conditions that will make their work life easy. Here firemen, use their turn out top as head rest when on Night duty, they have to wear the turnout cloth if they are cold at night. Remember this is the same cloth that was used during fire response, the same cloth that has on it hazmat, potential Covid 19 virus and other biological hazards.
Covid 19 may be with us for long, how do we protect our Heroes? There have been reported cases of firefighters testing positive to the virus, how do we stop the spread in the fire station? Surely the government have the responsibilities of providing the leadership but more responsibilities lie on the firemen. The fireman must get adequate and useful knowledge to protect him/herself from the virus, they must take personal responsibilities of cleaning their turnout gears after every response, even when the government have not provided the best of recreational and toiletry facilities, we must to the best of our abilities maintain our wellbeing. Firemen most especially the old and experienced ones should remember that dirty turnout gears do not depicts experience but a dirty and unclean personality.
Surely during firefighting there will be different organizations responding to the incident, individual fire fighters should always be on their Facemask or better still Face piece when they are resting at the Fire Scene. This will be a very difficult mountain to climb but no expert have said that PPEs will be comfortable. Firemen should not share drinks with other firemen, no hugs, handshakes and others after successful firefighting.
At the fire station, it must be mandatory for all fire fighters to be on their Mask (plastic or Face Shield), maintain physical distancing, discourage sharing of phones, radio, office supplies, and other work tools and equipments. Limit to the fire station by non-fire personnel should be encouraged, to keep log of close contacts and submit to supervisors daily.
During this pandemic period, firemen should imbibe strong personal hygiene before, during and most especially after fire fighting. Wash hands frequently, for at least 20 seconds with soaps, cough or sneeze into disposable tissue papers, employers should provide hand wash stations and sanitizers for use at the fire station, avoid the temptation to touch your nose, mouth and eyes, take a cool or warm bath after each response and any other activities that resulted into sweating, ensure that you wash your response gear each time and immediately after every response, and wipe all response equipement ( hose, entry tools, hand tools). Firemen should take personal responsibility not eat too much, not to take drugs and alcohol, limit coffee and cola drinks, avoid stimulant at bed time, hydrate appropriately and sleep in a quality environment.
Hammed Usman {GIFireE, IDIPNEBOSH, ANISP}
Fire Fighter.
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