Yellow Flag Response

Playing it safe in the world's most dangerous sport.

by: Lou Angeli

Dover, DE (August 13, 2010)-- No sooner does the National Anthem end than you hear “Gentlemen, start your engines!”  In a few short seconds the “home of the brave” becomes home to the world’s top racers. The noise is deafening, but that’s part of the adrenaline rush – the excitement of NASCAR.

As the field of racecars circle the Monster Mile, just inches from one another, the roar becomes more intense as 120,000 fans come to their feet. Then the pace car drops down and charges toward pit road as the green flag waves. Heartbeats quicken as the machines move forward in a bumper-to-bumper rush and the drivers focus on the day’s mission. Pass the guy who’s holding the pole position.

On the 3rd lap, a group of concerned fans scream as others point to the turn #4. The cloud of dust and debris reveal that 2 cars have collided, smashing a 3rd racer into the wall and sending another spinning into the infield. The yellow flag comes out – and so does Dover’s Bravest – the men and women of the track's Emergency Operations Team.

The safety team makes short work of the mess. In less than a minute two fires have been extinguished, 4 drivers quickly removed to safety, and wrecked vehicles moved off the track to allow debris to be cleared. In just 3 laps, the green flag signals the restart and the Fire-Rescue teams return to their positions, ready to do it all again.

Motorsports Safety starts long before drivers and teams arrive at Dover. It begins in the garage with the manufacture of the car’s chassis, where very special attention is given to the assembly of the driver cockpit. Following the tragedy that took the life of racing legend Dale Earnhardt, car owners and builders have focused on developing a super-safe cockpit with better restraints, increased head protection and the use of tough composite materials.

These new safety systems help protect drivers from serious crashes, but racing still has its risks – and wrecks. That’s why the Fire-Rescue teams at Dover International Speedway remain vitally important to the racing program.

Each raceway on the NASCAR circuit manages its own special system for safety & emergency services. Some tracks contract out their fire-rescue and medical needs to private contactors, but Dover International Speedway operates its own fully equipped Emergency Operations Department, complete with response vehicles, high-tech rescue equipment, firefighters, rescue personnel, paramedics and support staff.

On the infield, at turn 4, is an inconspicuous red brick building, which serves as the track’s firehouse. Each morning, long before drivers and crews arrive at the track, fire-rescue personnel assemble at the station, pick-up safety gear and radios, are briefed by the Infield Track Services Supervisor and given their assignments for the day.

“Our fire-rescue personnel are hand-picked,” says Ed Klima, Director of Emergency Operations and Safety at Dover International Speedway. “All of our firefighters, medics, law enforcement officers and HAZMAT technicians have to meet nationally recognized standards before they’re accepted for special training.”

That special training includes an intensive 16-hour course, which builds on an emergency responders’ current knowledge, then expands it to include the unique hazards and dangers of motorsport racing. The students leave the course prepared to work as a cohesive emergency team whose primary focus is safety.

Chief Klima’s current safety crew roster reads like a who’s who in the East Coast Fire, Rescue and EMS, including highly trained rescue personnel from the FDNY, Philadelphia, Baltimore, DC and Wilmington Fire Departments. Add to the list dozens of emergency personnel who travel hundreds of miles from their hometown companies and you’ve got a department that rates #1 in anyone’s book. In fact, during race weekend, Dover International Speedway operates the largest Fire-Rescue-EMS agency in the State of Delaware.

From the moment the first drivers guide their cars onto the Monster Mile for practice runs, fire-safety personnel and equipment are in position, ready to respond at a moment’s notice. And it’s a quick moment, because speedy intervention is what keeps a bad situation from becoming much, much worse on the track.

One of the first things you’ll notice about the Fire-Rescue-EMS crews who protect the drivers, pit crews and media, is that their protective gear differs from that used by conventional structural firefighters. The business suit worn by Dover’s firefighters are specific to their mission and include international orange Nomex/Kevlar ® jumpsuits, Nomex® hoods, leather boots, fire protective gloves and conventional racing helmets with 2-way radio communications.

Conducting fire-rescue operations on the Monster Mile doesn’t require the big rigs like pumpers and heavy-duty rescue squads. Instead, fire-rescue trucks on the track are small, lightweight and designed for rapid response. They carry a crew of 4 and are capable of reaching any point on the track within 30 seconds. There are four such crews standing by on the infield of the Monster Mile, one located at each turn.

"Turn Truck 2" one of four positioned along the raceway.

“These ‘turn trucks’ (as they’ve come to be known) may seem small but they carry plenty of firefighting power.” according to Jack Wilson, the Infield Track Services Supervisor.

“Each truck carries 150 pounds of Purple-K dry chemical, as well as three 20-lb Purple K hand extinguishers that are by the firefighters’ side at all times.” explains Wilson, whose full-time job is as shift commander of Wilmington (DE) Fire Department’s Rescue-1.

Purple-K is and other dry chemcials has proven to be the most effective extinguishing agent in fighting flammable liquid fires, stopping a blaze 4 times faster than water, then smothering any remaining fuel. Each Pit Firefighter carries a 20-lb Purple K extinguisher which is armed and ready to smother a blaze whenever a driver makes a stop. Nearby pit road, is a conventional Class-A pumper which carries 1,000 gallons of water, in the unlikely event that a fire gets out of hand.

Engine 324 staged at the access gate to Pit Road.

At turns 2 and 4 are special rescue vehicles, which carry a full range of power tools, hydraulic spreaders and cutters, capable of ripping through sheet metal, tubular steel and composite roll cage components. At Dover the rescue equipment of choice is manufactured by Maryland-based Holmatro, a well-known name on the motorsports circuit and in firehouses worldwide.

Two rescue vehicles carry hydraulic spreaders and cutters.

During time trials, practice runs and each race, crashes which result in driver injuries means a trip to the track hospital, where physicians and medical teams do a full evaluation and stabilize the patient. Then paramedics move the driver turned patient to a waiting Delaware State Police MedEvac helicopter who is then flown to Christiana Care, Delaware’s Level-1 Trauma Center, for definitive care.

Delaware State Police Trooper-4: Ready to fly injured drivers to the Trauma Center

Track safety operations are certainly important, but it’s just a small part of the department’s larger mission -- to protect the city, which exists on the other side of the grandstands. Keeping order among the tens of thousands of fans and visitors is the responsibility of the Speedway’s law enforcement unit, made up of troopers and officers from throughout the state of Delaware.

One of the busiest emergency groups at Dover is the Emergency Medical Service. Paramedics and EMT’s staff nearly a dozen ambulances and specially equipped “Gators.” They treat hundreds of injuries each day ranging from a simple bee sting to life-threatening heart attacks. In all, Dover International Speedway employs nearly 300 professional emergency personnel all under the command of Chief Klima and his assistants, who operate from the emergency operations center. Don’t ask me where it is, because in this era of Homeland Security, Ed Klima isn’t telling.

One of several ALS staffed EMS Gators

Safety is not simply a buzzword – it’s a way of life at Dover. And many of the firefighters who work the track hope to convert their colleagues back home to NASCAR’s way of thinking.

“Municipal Fire departments should look to NASCAR as an example of a dangerous industry that does not accept death and injury as part of the job.” says Lynnbrook, NY Fire Chief Mike Chiaramonte. “Every member of a municipal fire department should be ingrained with the same safety ethic that is part of the NASCAR culture,” he adds.

Perhaps the best testimonial to Dover’s Fire-Rescue crews comes from a man who has circled the Monster Mile more than any other racer, Richard Petty, Jr. He’s been rescued more times than he cares to remember, and has a sincere respect for track safety teams.

Racing legend Richard Petty, Jr. -- one of Fire-Rescue's biggest fans.

“After a crash, and the driver finally is freed, the crowd always cheers,” Richard tells me. “The applause and cheers aren’t for the drives though… they’re for the rescue guys. And us drivers are cheering right along with the fans.”

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Special thanks to Ed Klima, Jack Wilson and Gary Camp for helping me share this story with NASCAR fans nationwide. Photo Credits: Corbis Motion and Lou Angeli

(c) 2010, Lou Angeli, All Rights Reserved

Why America Still Burns!

A History Lesson
by: Lou Angeli

Organized chaos. That's how the fire scene is often described. The adrenaline charged atmosphere feels like a battleground. But in this war zone there's no time to develop a battle plan. For the firefight to be successful action must be immediate. Firefighters have only a few precious minutes to defeat their opponent.

Back in the day, Firefighting was all about racing to the scene, donning a tin helmet and aiming the nozzle at the flames and smoke. And that's pretty much how the general public still perceives the job. But times have changed, and today there’s an art, not to mention a science, to fighting fires.

In terms of extinguishing blazes, today’s firefighters are trained to go face-to-face with the beast, inside the burning building for an "offensive" attack. Some fire training experts say that the trick is to tame the fire, before extinguishing it, and there are dozens of tactics for doing so. But these strategies often come with extreme risk. Bottom line -- firefighters must make crucial life and death decisions quickly.

During the past 30 years, annual civilian fire deaths have been reduced by 50%. But firefighters deaths continue to rise, with 112 being lost in the line of duty last year alone. Even more disturbing are OSHA and the National Fire Protection Association’s predictions that fully one-third of the current firefighting force of 1,100,000 will be injured on the job during they year 2009. Of those who will be injured, it is estimated that over half do not have adequate insurance coverage to attend their needs. Is this any way to treat the Bravest?

Change Comes Slowly to America's Firehouses

Our firefighting counterparts of just 50 years ago were leather-lunged old salts who were overworked, under trained and poorly equipped. Without adequate personal protection, or proper equipment, a "career" in the fire service back then was a sure fire invitation to an early grave.

Thankfully, our job as firefighters has evolved into a high-tech profession. During the last generation alone, the fire-rescue service has seen more change than it did in its first 250 years. In the years immediately following World War II, some of the technology that had been made available to the armed services was brought home to fire stations by the soldiers and sailors who actually used it.

Tools and equipment like Chem-Ox masks, fog nozzles, even 1.5 inch hose were all born from military uses during the War. Imagine the culture shock that existed among veteran 1950's firefighters, when these "wet behind the ears" probies introduced their new toys. Hell, the old-timers we're just growing accustomed to motorized apparatus.

But the post War techno-revolution was short-lived, and our counterparts of the late 50's and early 60's found themselves falling way behind the rest of society. The World was changing, and so were our first-alarm districts. In homes and businesses, wooden furniture and cotton products were replaced by plastics and hydrocarbons, which changed the way we did business at fires. The DuPont slogan, "Better Living Through Chemistry," brought new meaning to America's Bravest.

Without proper equipment and training, fighting these "new wave" fires was a tough game. By 1965, we'd lost possession of the ball and our forward momentum had stalled. Our coaching staff was perplexed and the spectators were beginning to lose their interest.

The Fire Act of 1972

President Richard M. Nixon (a Republican) made a bold move by appointing a special commission to study the fire problem here in the United States. His directive was simple -- determine the fire problems, and make suggestions on how to fix them. Nixon was determined to make the Commission succeed, and he did so by enlisting and recruiting the nation's movers and shakers of the fire-rescue services.

Once together, theirs was no small task. The commission took on some very controversial issues including rising civilian deaths, firefighter safety, the high-rise dilemma, and fire prevention. Their report "America Burning" was a harsh, and very critical review of the fire situation here in America.

"It is appalling,' the report began, 'that the most technologically advanced nation in the World, reports the highest per-capita fire deaths and monetary fire loss." They pulled no punches in their treatment of the issues, and those of us who serve today, owe a great deal to the men and women who recommended the changes most of us take for granted.

35 Years Later

Now 35 years later, the fire problem here in the United States has once again raised its fiery head. And according to fire administrators, the situation seems to be getting worse, instead of better.

“To a great extent, the fire problem in America remains as severe as it was 30 years ago.” That’s the very first sentence in the updated report, “America Burning Recommissioned.”

Even with the introduction of the smoke detector, the incidence of fire in this nation has increased to an alarming rate. Why? Some say it’s public apathy.

“Americans have always been neglectful of safety and loss prevention,” says investigative journalist Herb Denenberg, He adds, “Perhaps we are more focused on producing wealth than preserving it.” The most recent commission agrees. “The indifference with which Americans confront the subject, which the 1973 Commission found so striking, continues today.”

Fire is the most common of all home disasters and the third leading cause of accidental injury and death in the home. Fires spread very quickly, but it isn’t the fire itself that kills! Deadly smoke and poisonous gases snuff the life out of victims long before the flames reach them. There's no time to stop and think and wonder what's the best thing to do. The situation can change in seconds. Half a minute after the smoke alarm goes off, an entire floor of your house could be filled with dense smoke.

More than 4,500 Americans die each year in fires and over 150,000 are injured. An overwhelming number of these life-threatening fires occur in the home. However, there are time-tested ways to prevent and survive a fire. It's not a question of luck - it's a matter of planning ahead. Too many fires are caused by carelessness and ignorance of fire safety principles that have been, until now, thought to be obvious. Education about the fire hazard should not only reach children, but to the adult community as well – the caretakers.

But one of the problems for fire departments is finding necessary funding to conduct adult oriented public education programs. Fact is, there are few fire safety informational programs designed for secondary education and adults.

Do you know what you should do if there's a fire? Are you sure? Does everyone who lives in your home know? If you're not able to answer these questions, ask your kid.

In a recent early morning row home fire in Baltimore, a news helicopter arrived before the fire department. Hovering above the scene, the camera reveals a fire that's moving rocket fast through the center of the block, spreading quickly to homes on either side through common cocklofts.

What struck me most about the chopper coverage was the evacuation of the two attached homes -- both led by children. In one scene, a youngster is shown taking his parents and siblings by the hand and moving them to a safer spot further up the block.

Now, that kid deserves a medal.

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