South Pierce Fire & Rescue

1. South Pierce Fire & Rescue Training Division Presents

2. EVAPEmergency Vehicle AccidentPrevention

3. Lesson Topics • Legal Aspects • Concepts of Defensive Driving • Important Physical Forces • Driving Conditions & Contingencies • Vehicle Control Tasks • Apparatus Inspections • Written Exam • Rodeo & Driving Course

4. Legal Aspects of Emergency Vehicle OperationsLesson Objectives • Identify the Wash. State Statutes which apply to operators of emergency vehicles. • Identify and explain which situations represent a “true emergency”. • Explain CDL requirements. • Explain “who” is responsible for safe driving. • Explain why accurate driver qualification records are necessary.

5. Legal Aspects • State government regulations. • Revised Codes of Washington • Washington Administrative Code • Local ordinances. • E.g., Speed limits • Department policies. • Policy Book

6. Department PolicyOperations-District Apparatus 4210P-1 Page 1

7. Staff shall meet the following qualifications prior to operating a district apparatus • Be approved by the district’s vehicle insurance company. • Be a minimum of 18 years of age. • Possess a valid Washington State drivers license. • Have and maintain an acceptable driving record. • Be a staff member of the district a minimum of six months. • Meet the district medical requirements. • Maintain a current EVAP certification. • Be trained and qualified on the apparatus.

8. Three Principles of Emergency Vehicle Operations • Emergency Vehicle operators are subject to all traffic regulations unless a specific exemption is made. • Exemptions are legal only in the emergency mode. • Even with an exemption, operators can be found criminally or civilly liable in an accident.

9. The Law Applies To Me:

10. There are laws on the books which allow us to operate Emergency Vehicles and give us some freedom of action the general public does not have. Yet, there are in each section catch phrases which place the ultimate liability on our shoulders. So therefore, the laws as written apply to each and everyone of us.

11. BIG PRINT, gives it to you. You may: • Park or stand your vehicle irrespective of all laws to the contrary. • Proceed past red lights and stop signs. • Exceed the maximum speed. • Disregard regulations governing the direction of movement of traffic or turning in specific directions regardless of the posted signs or regulations to the contrary

12. The little print takes it away! • May vs Shall • Due regard

13. The Issue of Liability

14. Courts apportion blame • They look at the case and determine who and what contributed to the accident. They assign a percentage of the blame to each faction.

15. Courts apportion blame • A court may say that the “other” driver was 40% to blame; the fire department 40% to blame; the vehicle operator 20% to blame. They look at the dollar award and assign the percentages accordingly. • Let’s say the “other” driver is asking for $1,000,000 in damages for harm due to an accident.

16. “Other” driver – 40% = No award • Fire Department – 40% = $400,000 • Emeg. Vehicle Operator – 20% = $200,000

17. Was there a true emergency? • Is there a high probability that this situation could cause death or serious injury to an individual? • Is there significant property imperiled? • Could action on my part reduce the seriousness of the situation?

18. If a Emergency Vehicle operator was driving in excess of the established rules adopted by their fire department, or without “ DUE REGARD “ for the safety of others, than the Emergency Vehicle operator could be held personally responsible.

19. What is Due Regard for the safety of others? • “A reasonably careful person, performing similar duties and under similar circumstances, would act in the same manner”.

20. What problems might a person encounter after an accident? • Possible individual financial responsibility. • Uncertainty of outcome. • Months/years of mental strain on the individual or family. • Grief if you took a life or seriously injured someone.

21. Commercial Drivers License (CDL) • In Washington State, all fire department drivers operating any fire department vehicle that has a “manufacture’s weight rating”( MWR) in excess of 26,000 pounds are considered to be “commercial drivers”. • EVAP will substitute for CDL.

22. Requirements of the CDL lawIn order to meet the requirement of the CDL law, you must: • Complete all of the EVAP course requirements: • Classroom portion. • Written test 80% passing grade. • Rodeo/road course • Road test.

23. Emergency Vehicle Accident Prevention • Safety is foremost in everything we do, individually or as a team. • You are responsible for the safety of yourself and your passengers • WE ARE IN THE SAFETY BUSINESS

24. Concepts of Defensive Driving

25. Lesson Objectives • Explain why a positive attitude is necessary. • Describe several types of driver failure which contribute to accidents. • Explain the responsibility the Emergency Vehicle operator accepts while driving.

26. 25% of firefighters killed are responding to or returning from incidents

27. Defensive Driving The most important requirement of being a good driver is: A Good Attitude

28. Concepts • Knowledge • Alertness • Foresight • Good Judgment • Skill

29. Driver Failure • Carelessness • Incompetence • Recklessness • Inattentiveness • Inability to judge distances • Slow reaction of drivers

30. What are some of the things that could alter our normal driving abilities? • Alcohol • Drugs/prescription drugs • Injuries • Poor attitude brought on by family problems • Personnel conflicts • Other drivers • Excitement

31. You Have A Responsibility to: • Your own family • The department and community • The other crew members on board. As the driver, you owe them a safe trip!

32. Physical and Mental Conditions • The Emergency Vehicle operator has the responsibility to begin each shift or trip in good mental and physical condition • Financial problems. • Domestic problems. • Be aware of changing attitudes. • A good defensive driver expects and allows for the mistakes of others.

33. Important Physical Forces

34. Lesson Objectives: • Description of terms. • Discuss the effects of acceleration, deceleration and weight distribution. • Discuss braking systems and effects on driving. • Effects of weight transfer.

35. Important Physical Factors • Velocity & direction (Two of the most important) • Inertia • Centrifugal force • Friction • Brakes

36. Other Physical Forces • Weight transfer • Live loads

37. Velocity Rate of motion or speed.

38. Velocity • Acceleration • Deceleration • Braking.

39. Inertia The tendency of a body in motion to stay in motion in a straight line unless disturbed by an external force.

40. Centrifugal Force The force, caused by inertia, which tends to make a rotating body move away from the center of rotation

42. Weight Transfer/Live Loads

43. Friction Resistance to motion between two moving objects that touch

44. Friction occurs throughout • Operators hands and the steering wheel. • Engine parts rubbing together. • Gears meshing. • Tires and the road surface. • Brake shoes or pads rubbing on drum or disc.

45. Friction can be classified in three conditions • Greatest – When the wheels and the vehicle are stationary. • Very Good – When the wheel is rolling on a dry, smooth road surface. • Least – When the wheel is locked or spinning.

47. Understanding Brake Types Drum brakes Disc brakes

48. Drum brakes – Almost 90% of the total drum surface is in contact with the brake shoe at one time. Thus only about 10% of the surface can be cooled off at any one time.

49. Disc brakes – The pad makes contact with only 15% of the disc surface, about 85% of the disc surface is cooling.

50. System Types • Hydraulic system – Closed system using hydraulic fluid. • Hydraulic/vacuum assist – Closed hydraulic system with vacuum assist from the motor. • Air system – Uses compressed air to operate the vehicles service and parking brakes • Air Over Hydraulic – Uses air pressure to operate hydraulic system.