October 12th, 2007
Let’s get this out in the open - Deaf people as firefighters
In some of the media articles that have covered deaf firefighters, I’ve always been pretty annoyed at how the reporters completely sidestep the issue of firefighter safety and survival especially as it relates to having a deaf person on the crew. Yes, it’s a tough question to ask but aren’t they supposed to ask tough questions? Furthermore, aren’t the fire departments themselves supposed to ask them?
So I was very glad to receive this comment in the queue for one of my earlier postings. It asks tough questions and with the permission of the author (Vic Fichman of firetraining.net , I decided I’d make it its own posting.
The idea of a deaf fireman at first glance is glance would strike one as a completely fool-hardy idea, but when it comes down to it there may be a lot more to it then might come out in a mundane conversation.
I “know” from anecdotal evidence that what one lacks in certain physical attributes can be made up for in other ways: the blind person with extra sharp hearing or sense of smell comes to mind.
What I wonder about is the level of communication that can or can’t occur on the scene, particularly in the heat of the moment (if you’ll forgive the pun). I’d be interested in some conversation about that aspect of your service.
Thanks for your interesting blog and looking forward to having the time to read more.
Great questions. At first glance, I can understand how someone might think a deaf person in a the fire services might not be such a good idea. We come face to face with vehicle accidents, hazardous materials, technical rescues, and fires. All these things have their own risks and communication needs.
But if you really break it down and look at the fire service as a whole, you’ll see that there are niches that deaf people fit quite nicely into. For example, my preferred role is to as a control position on the Engine. This basically means I’ve got my airpack on, I’m in the fire building, but I’m staying with the relative security of a hoseline and helping the guys move that hoseline toward the fire.
My personal favorite type of call is a car fire. You’ve got a wide-open field of view and often, visibility is pretty darn good. Living in an area where there’s a mall and 3 major thoroughfares, we get plenty of those each year.
The calls I feel most out of my element in are calls at large warehouse-type facilities and I’m on the Ladder. A ladder crew operates without a hoseline and is relatively untethered. I’m trained for it and I’ve done it several times before but I’ve always got those hairs on the back of my neck standing up.
Finally, for situations where either I or the officer feel the circumstances pose an unnecessary safety risk, (ie. the BIG MAJOR calls where things go to hell in a handbasket) these require a different set of skills. The current plan for those is to basically assign me directly at the Incident Command post to assist with various Incident Command tasks (liaison, Public Information officer, whatever).
So, yes, there are a lot of niches that a physically-able deaf person can fill in the fire service, both administratively and operationally without posing any (in my view) unnecessary risk to themselves or their comrades.
Obviously, the level of communication that can/can’t happen on the fireground depends on the circumstances of that particular call. It’s just a matter of adjusting to the circumstances, relying on your training, and doing that risk assessment in your head as a firefighter and an officer. Sound familiar? It’s the same thing every single firefighter SHOULD do on every single call. I just make a much more conscious and critical effort toward those mental mathematics.
We do have a set of signals that we use when visibility is poor: 1 tap = STOP, 2 taps = KEEP GOING, and 3 taps = EVACUATE / GET OUT NOW!.
October 12th, 2007 at 2:35 pm
Isn’t it so loud in a warehouse-type fire that none of the hearies can hear their walkie-talkies or maybe barely making out what its saying? Therefore, are all firefighters regardless of hearing levels in the same boat?
October 12th, 2007 at 6:22 pm
Thank you for this story… one of my deaf sons is interested in becoming a firefighter, he graduates high school this year. We have been searching for information related to this subject! Could you e-mail, please? Thanks
October 14th, 2007 at 1:56 pm
I was doing some research on the Winecoff fire, and found a link to your blog on firewhirl.com (which seems to be defunct). Only had a chance to read this piece so far, but I plan on stopping back after work.
Deaf and hearing-impaired people do indeed have a place in the world of firefighting. A friend of mine, partially (bordering on mostly) deaf majored in Fire Science and - last I heard - was Deputy Chief of his department.
From a formerly burnt-out ex-cop, hang in there, brother.
October 14th, 2007 at 2:03 pm
Okay, I just read back as far as March. (And if my boss doesn’t like it, well, toughies on him).
Soon as I get home, I’m adding you to my blogroll.
Have you checked out “Other People’s Emergencies: Random Thoughts of an Urban Paramedic” - urbanparamedic.blogspot.com? Really good.
October 17th, 2007 at 7:19 am
I worked many many years ago as a student public safety aid at the Rochester Institute of Technology in NY for a couple of terms… it was home to the National Technical Insititute for the Deaf and I’ve always had an interest in the subject (though I couldn’t sign any more to save my life).
The institute was the first place I ever saw the flashing lights above fire alarms deployed (this is in 1979) and was thinking the other day about the problem of warning a deaf firefighter about an eminent structural collapse if they were still inside. I thought maybe a radio signal activated recall beacon that starts strobing if it’s time to get out?!?
Anyone who’se been a firefighter or a police officer (I’ve been both) has known the phenomenon known as ‘tunnel vision’ during times of extreme activity and stress. Plus, it’s often times loud at these types of scenes. Sirens are blaring, people shouting, radios squawking, etc. etc…. A visual emergency notice like a stobing light would cut right through to everyone, not just the hearing impaired firefighters and give them a chance to escape with their lives.
October 18th, 2007 at 6:24 am
Vic,
You and I both agree. I also VERY STRONGLY believe (can I emphasize that enough?) that there are tens-of-thousands of police officers, firefighters, etc. who have hearing losses of varying degrees that they either refuse to acknowledge or refuse to disclose for fear of losing their jobs.
The sad fact is almost everything that has anything to do with the life-safety of responders is based solely on the audible aspect. Worse still, it’s based on the myth that the best sound for an alarm is a high-pitched sound.
As people age, they lose the ability to hear in those higher frequencies. That doesn’t help anyone if you have an alarm going off that they can’t hear.
October 18th, 2007 at 5:54 pm
Is this a good time to lobby for blind airline pilots rights?
October 21st, 2007 at 8:03 am
Several years ago, I asked a professional fireman why Deaf
people aren’t firefighters.
His reply was simple. He said he’d been in fires, where it was pitch black and then only thing, he had to rely on, was his hearing.
The same holds true, when considering a Deaf person as a police officer. I asked a deputy sherrif about that and he told me he’d had to walk down a dark alley…That’s something I cannot do because my balance is impaired in the dark.
November 14th, 2007 at 8:29 am
Hello everyone
My name is John Buccieri, Jr. I am deaf Guy. I am volunteer firefighter in Florida. I tried to show them to prove that deaf people who can do because my goal is get to full time. I’m here to ask you, please help me to tell all of them who member on Fire-EMS-Rescue, Also, please send me pictures of yourself and with on call, for example: fire house or car whatever when anybody who is there with picture send me, how long have you service for firefighter or EMS or EMT or whatever, give me some of their story when on call, hero? awards? What do you do on firefighter what kind of your active? limit or full duty? Take class who by? where? bad or good or funny or stupid happen on calls I will announce for you all. Everybody will watch on deaf newspapers, show them that they are successes and proud also I will have some interview with them, I am reporter for deaf newspaper. God Bless you.
please send:
jbuccierijr@deafnewpapers.com
Thanks
John Buccieri, Jr.
Volunteer of Marion County Fire-Rescue
November 14th, 2007 at 11:13 am
Hi everyone again,
I just mistake type e-mail so I give you right one here is jbuccierijr@deafnewspaper.com
Thanks
John Buccieri, Jr.
Volunteer Firefighter Marion County Fire-Rescue
December 7th, 2007 at 4:40 pm
As a wheelchair user i have to realise not only that some jobs are bejound me but when working in a team i must consider the safety of my team members and i guess this is just one of those situations
December 7th, 2007 at 4:42 pm
as this message wont go live due to awaiting moderation, can i ask if you fancy a link exchange with http://www.ableize.com we are a group of disabled people. can reply via my site above.
December 12th, 2007 at 5:35 pm
I cannot think of any physical reason that a deaf individual cannot be a firefighter, but the job would definatelt be much harder than it is for me. The very first thing would be knowing where to go. Ou department is dispatched by radio. Sure, we get a printout of the address, assuming we are at the station when the call comes in.
I admire you for not wanting to let anything hold you back. I have two deaf relatives, and they both have great jobs. I just think that being a firefighter would be very difficult witout hearing. I rely on my hearing so much in my firefighting job, that I cannot imagine being without.
God Bless
January 15th, 2008 at 10:47 am
I am tutoring a Deaf high school senior who dearly wants to be a firefighter/EMT. He feels his chances are slim, but it’s his dream. I wanted to surprise him with some encouraging news. Anybody have some??? Thanks