I found a very informative and interesting video about pre-hospital treamtment for drowning victims.
You may view it here;  https://vimeo.com/user29371773/lwbdrowning
The entire lecture is interesting but of particular interest to me was the personal watercraft surf rescue portion that started at about 15:00 of the video, the hypoxic arrest information at about 22:00 and in water resuscitation  at 25:00. 

You can see drowning statistics for B.C. at; http://www.redcross.ca/training-and-certification/swimming-and-water-safety-tips-and-resources/drowning-research

An analysis of my swiftwater rescue personal floation device (PFD's).

Swiftwater season has arrived and it is time to make sure my gear is more than ready.

This year I have decided to switch to start utilizing a new PFD from Northwater.  It is essentially the same as my older rescue PFD but is slightly different.  One noteable difference it hasn't been used ever.  My older PFD has had a lot of use on a lot of rivers and been in a lot of swims.  I almost think it is lucky and am a bit hesitant to change it out.

At times, it is nice to have a lot of floatation, so possibly switching to use a new PFD after 7 seasons of use might be a good idea.  I have read a few articles where some serious whitewater junkies changeout there pfd's every year.  I think Mark Cramer may of mentioned that in an article.  You can always learn from somebody who does that much whitewater.  Read more about it at;
http://paddlinglife.net/2008/04/02/user-mark-cramer/ and also this is a good article;
https://www.canoekayak.com/inflatables/legends-of-rafting-mark-cramer/

There is a warning on PFD's that they may lose floatation over time.

The US Coast Guard specifies that a PFD must have a minimum of 15.5 pounds of floatation in an adult pfd.  Most adults in a bathing suit need seven to 12 pounds of extra floatation to keep their head out of water.  Remember that muscle is heavier than fat and the more muscle you have the more floatation you will need.  There is some physics behind this and you can read more about that by researching the Archimedes Principle.
A body partially or completely submerged in a fluid is buoyed up by a force equal to the weight of the fluid displaced by the body. This means someone immersed in water is "buoyed" upward by a force equal to the weight of the volume of water that their body takes up (displaces). Gravity pulls a person's body downward by a force equal to their weight. The difference between these forces is a person's net buoyancy. A PFD is very lightweight, but displaces enough water to make the PFD and the person wearing it very buoyant. It also follows that the people hardest to float are those with compact, dense bodies. These tend to be people with athletic body builds, with a lot of bone and muscle mass, and not much fat. Fat is not as dense as muscle and bone, so people who are overweight can actually be easier to float than someone who is much smaller and leaner. Heavy people do not need a higher buoyancy PFD because of their weight.

So to calculate how much floatation you may need you need to figure out a few variables;
1) Water density is affected by temperature.  Its more dense when cold.  62.40lbs at 26F.
2) Calculate your volume.  density = mass / volume.  volume = mass / density.

Anyway, I weighed the PFD - empty - without any added accessories and then the accessories and came up with the following weights;




So it looks like I am adding about 7.25lbs of gear to my PFD and the drysuit adds about 6.1lbs of weight on top of that.
Northwater has two types of PFD's. One has additional floatation to handle the increased weight of accessories worn on your belt.  For a small person that adds about 8lbs of floatation and for a large person it may be an extra 5 lbs of floatation.

I would prefer the extra floatation.  Might come in handy if you are caught in a hole. 

Of course your best bet when in a hole is to swim out of it by swimming to the side or the bottom.
Floatation in this situation can be both a benefit and a detriment.

The following picture shows two pfd's.  According to the specs I believe that one probably has 25lbs of floatation while the other claims 30lbs of floatation.



One is a System 30 as shown on the label.


The only real way to know is to test these pfd's for floatation.

A compilation of crash maps from all over the world

I was wondering how many public crash maps out there since it is so hard to see one for British Columbia and Canada.  The data is not open like it is in other countries.  Anyway, here is a list;

United Kingdom:  http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-15975720
                      or     http://crashmap.com/Search

USA:             https://cdan.nhtsa.gov/GISMaps/STSI_MAP_Mobile.htm?1&USA&VAR1=1&41&-99&34,439&32,539&30,056&5

Jamaica:  http://traffic-crashmap.monagis.com/

Michigan:  Michigan tells you how to create your own crash map
                   www.michigan.gov/documents/mdot/TrafficCrashMapInstructions_530358_7.PDF
                  When you generate the map you can even click on the accident and see the police
                  report (less any personal information).

Virginia:  https://www.treds.virginia.gov/Mapping/Map/CrashesByJurisdiction

New Mexico: http://tru.unm.edu/Crash-Maps/Multi-Year-Maps/index.html

Alberta:  Highway 881 and 63.  An interactive story about the accidents on these highways.  A very impresive website.  https://fatalities.safer63and881.com/

Edmonton:  Can't find a interactive map but lots of reports at; https://www.edmonton.ca/transportation/traffic_safety/motor-vehicle-collisions.aspx


Maybe talking to people attending this conference about creating a public facing crashmap for British Columbia would be advantageous:  http://www.carsp.ca/carsp-conference/carsp-conference-2018/

A very good ESRI Story Map on Analyzing traffic accidents in space and time
http://eath.maps.arcgis.com/apps/Cascade/index.html?appid=9a27635635c940539b96fb5ef954e4d5

British Columbia Trauma Information

I have been doing a bit of research on trauma in British Columbia and here are some findings;

A very informative document on what Trauma Services BC is.

Interesting note of how trauma victims are transported;  It would be nice to see this chart for the kootenay region.

This research document is interesting regarding how geo trauma works;
http://caep.ca/sites/caep.ca/files/caep/files/can_geo_trauma_implications.pdf

This document provides for more recent research on rural patient transport in B.C.
https://www.divisionsbc.ca/CMSMedia/WebPageRevisions/PageRev-12516/Rural%20Patient%20Transport%20Report%20-%20FINAL.pdf
for example:

and more information on transport studies

British Columbia - Traffic Collision Statistics

British Columbia Traffic Collision Data Research Notes

I am doing some research into British Columbia's traffic collision data and am being enlightened to a wealth of information available from various different locations.  This blog will summarize some of that here;

A) ICBC compiles a list of summarized information and that is available at;
     http://www.icbc.com/about-icbc/newsroom/Pages/Statistics.aspx
B) A look into where ICBC get's their data reveals a couple of places;
     - The BC Gov Collision Information System
     - The Police Traffic Accident System.  The data from this is possibly available from;
        https://www.injuryresearch.bc.ca/idot/traffic-accident-system/
C) A lot of information is available at;
     https://www.injuryresearch.bc.ca/resources/injury-data-online-tool-idot/
D) Information on research via JIBC
     http://www.jibc.ca/research
E) If you want to view collision information in Surrey you can just use their map
F) The Canada National Collision Database has the information but is missing location.
     http://wwwapps2.tc.gc.ca/saf-sec-sur/7/ncdb-bndc/p.aspx?l=en
G) The USA has lots of information available.  E.g.
      https://cdan.nhtsa.gov/stsi.htm

   

Wildfire terrain and broken leg - Lessons Learned

How a typical operation can go from routine to bad to worse and why you should always carry a secondary communications device whenever you are operating alone.  Watch this video to see how a climb up a hill can result in a broken leg and then a mis-step in a helicopter landing can result in a more complicated extrication.  Note: notice how they are utilizing a SKED stretcher.

https://www.nifc.gov/wfstar/modules/HF/libraryHF_DeerPark.html

Firefighter Station Gear: Cotton TShirts vs Polartec vs ??

So which TShirt is safer under your turnout? Cotton or PolarTec  or ?

Traditionally firefighters have been issued standard cotton tshirts worth about $10 for their standard station wear and these are the tshirts that they practice in and wear under their turnouts.
Is there any benefit to other types of tshirts?  This blog posts gives you some information in order to help make that decision.

There are numerous studies out there regarding this issue.  You can check them out at;
NFPA 2112 Testing

Homeland Security Wildland Firefighter PPE Guide

You may want to avoid any underwear that is categorized as a thermoplastic.  Check this out;
What to wear under your turnouts

Here are some excerpts from ArcFlashWear
Selection of the 'perfect' FR textile and/or fibre is a complex process. Each FR textile or fibre has particular properties which either provides benefits or shortcomings. Textile manufacturers blend fibres in an attempt to balance these individual properties to maximise a textile's performance. It is imperative that assessing Corporations be aware of each fibre's properties to ensure that garments selected meet the specific requirements of a given application. To read more about the individual properties of each fabric and/or fibre used in the construction of our FR Range, click here.

and Mental and physical exertion increases the body's core temperature. Increased blood circulation and the production of perspiration cool the body down. This cooling down process can be disrupted due to improper textile heat and moisture management leading to problems with concentration, fatigue, muscle cramps, difficulties breathing and ultimately heat stroke. The excellent moisture management and breathability of FR fibres such as Lenzing FR®, Nomex®, Cotton, Kermel® and Wool, used in the manufacturing of premium FR work wear, lead to a reduction in the risk from this mortal danger.
Home laundering should be discouraged. Common household washing powders, soaps, detergents and fabric softeners are not suitable for laundering FR work wear. These ‘everyday used’ materials can remove the FR treatment from treated fabrics such as cotton and cotton/polyester. With inherent FR textiles, cleaning materials can cause a film or build-up within the fabric structure, which may itself combust should the garment be exposed to an ignition source. Home laundering also raises the possibly of transporting contaminates from the workplace to the home. Given the above, garment care labels show laundering instructions but sometimes only provide basic information. Corporations should seek further instructions from the garment manufacturer and display the instructions in appropriate workplace areas. At the time of issuing garments to employees, documented care and maintenance instructions should be provided.

Hmm, thoughts of becoming a brand ambassador?  http://www.tndwalphateam.com/

The 2016 Canadian Consenus guidelines for First Aid and CPR.

2016 Canadian Consensus guidelines for First Aid and CPR

There are a number of different first aid training providers in British Columbia.  Does your training provider include anything from the 2016 Canadian Consensus guidelines for First Aid and CPR?
Read more about that at; 2016_Canadian_Consensus_Guidelines_First_Aid_CPR.pdf

Spinal Precautions for First Responders

The times are a changing regarding Spinal Precautions in regards to better patient care but it is important to follow your level of training and protocols.

If you are curious what the current protocols are for Spinal Precautions according to BCAS then check it out at this site; https://bctg.bcas.ca/Condition/Principles/13

The medical principles in the BCAS document refer to an online course titled "Evolving Practices in Trauma Care".  I did a bit of research and believe I have found that course offered at;
https://www.itrauma.org/education/itls-etrauma/

The ITLS has a document outlining their thoughts on the use of long backboards, etc. just for patient extrication.  You can read about that at; https://www.itrauma.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/SMR-Resource-Document-FINAL.pdf

A really good article is "The Norwegian guidelines for the prehospital management of adult trauma patients with potential spinal injury". It states the following;
The vacuum mattress, while not rigid enough for extrication, is a useful transportation device. As vacuum is applied, the mattress moulds to the patient’s contours, minimising point pressure, making it more comfortable, less painful and, arguably, less likely to produce ulceration [73, 138–141]. The vacuum mattress has been shown to provide a similar, or superior, degree of stabilisation when compared to that of the backboard [132, 139, 140, 142].

According to the BCAS FR Intervention guidelines a FR is to provide manual stabilization and avoid any unnecessary movement.  (at one higher level up, an EMR is to Immobilize patient following principles of spinal immobilization).

The BCAS recently issued an advisory on how they will be changing their treatment guidelines.  This was done in the BCEHS Spinal Motion Restriction Briefing document.

Overdose Deaths in British Columbia and FR Protocols

If you are curious on the statistics on overdose deaths in British Columbia as of October 2017 look no further than just clicking this link.    You will find out that there were 1208 deaths in B.C. in 2017 of which the highest percentage occurs on Fridays.


If you are a first responder you can find read the BCEHS document on Administration of INTRAMUSCULAR Naloxone for Suspected or Confirmed Opioid Overdose.  Keep in mind that I do not believe that a First Responder is required to phone EPOS in order to get authorization to administer Naloxone.    The reason for that is that you can confirm the First Responder treatment guidelines at the BCEHS Treatment Guidelines for Central Nervous System Depressant Poisoning /Overdose

The Emergency Medical Assistants board of B.C. recommends that all first responders review safety when around Fentanyl by viewing this site;  https://www.fentanylsafety.com/

Firefighter Ladders and tieing the Halyard

Portable Ladders and Halyards
If you are studying for a firefighter exam, you know that the proper way to deploy a extension ladder, is as follows;
A) Select the proper ladder for the job
B) Remove the ladder from the apparatus
C) Carry the ladder to the worksite.
D) Raise the ladder (which may involve untying the halyard).
E) Extend the ladder and position.
F) Tie the halyard.






I was recently at a course, where the instructor, advised, that during emergency situation, the time that is spent dealing with tying of the halyard could probably be spent more efficiently doing something else.  Sure untying and tying off the halyard only takes seconds but since the halyard's only purpose is to raise the fly, then what is the point of tying it off, other than just getting it out of the way.

The following is copied directly from a firerescue 1 article;

On an extension ground ladder, the halyard is tied off to secure the fly section to the bed section when not in use. It is common to use a clove hitch knot, incorporating the halyard in the middle of the knot with the clove hitch tied around the third or fourth rung up from the bottom of the ladder.

This adds time when trying to deploy and raise the ladder. The time it takes to untie the knot, unwrap the rope and then extend the ladder will complicate the operation.

Instead, try tying the halyard around only the bottom rung of the bed section. This allows the ladder to be extended without having to untie the knot, thus saving time in the operation. If the rope needs to be tied off after the raise, the halyard can be tied using a clove hitch on a bight.
https://www.firerescue1.com/fire-products/ladders/tips/97635039-Different-way-to-tie-the-halyard/

Piercing Nozzles - Some research....

This is a blog post regarding piercing nozzles, especially as they pertain towards use in residential structure fires. 

Under the right circumstances when a fire is compartmentalized and isolated in a confined space, using a piercing nozzle for extinguishment is safe, quick and efficient.

The piercing nozzle throws a 25-foot diameter, umbrella-type, spray pattern which, when converted to steam, can cover a 2,400 square foot area with dense fog. The steam cools the temperature of the fire gases, reducing the heat. It also cools the temperature of the fuel and displaces oxygen, thus smothering the fire.

In live fire tests conducted by the Hoquiam (Wash.) Fire Department, a fully-involved, normal-sized, room fire in a house was extinguished by a piercing nozzle in 6-8 seconds using 3-5 gallons of water. Again, under the right circumstances, using the piecing nozzle is excellent for booster tank attacks when there are a limited number of personnel or when the water supply is limited, delayed, or unavailable.
Read more about this at;  piercing-nozzle-can-be-among-the-most-effective.html

There are quite a few variations of piercing nozzles on the market.  Have a look...
Fyrestick - $879 - Invented in Billings, MT -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVTHk85gD08
First Attack - https://youtu.be/mKJObsukXx0
and More; 

Boom truck

How about put a piercing nozzle on a boom on a firetruck?  Check it out;
https://youtu.be/Z5a7foK88DQ


Some information on tactics:
A piercing nozzle, particularly if fed by Class A foam or compressed air foam, may be a particularly effective tool on attic fires if it’s pushed through the ceiling and flowed into the attic from below. These nozzles can provide a widely distributed flow of the suppression agent, reaching all around the attic space. For larger buildings, such as garden apartments, two or more of these nozzles placed under a trench cut can make an awesome firebreak, stopping horizontal fire spread. Remember: When applying water overhead, you’re adding weight to the ceiling, which can increase the potential for a ceiling collapse.
Read more about it at; ReadMore 

More tactics at; http://www.targetsolutions.com/featured-contributors/strategic-tactical-and-task-level-considerations-for-attic-fires/
and
http://www.firerescuemagazine.com/articles/print/volume-9/issue-7/firefighting-operations/using-alternative-attack-devices-for-concealed-space-firefighting.html

Tactics on Attice fires without piercing nozzle  - video from fdcam.

There is quite a bit of research on the science of attic fires.
NIST - Simulation of an attic fire in a wood frame residence This involved a FF LODD.

The new Canadian National Fire Information Database is now available.  I can't wait to get access and map out where all the fires are happening.  Check out these stats - chimney fires (heating) are actually quite low according to stats.