PIO 101: Two Buffalo firefighters hurt in fall from ladder. Listen to a chief officer who knows how to talk to the press & the public.

Two Buffalo, New York firefighters were hurt this morning while climbing down from the roof of a vacant house. According to Division Chief Scott Barry a ladder gave way causing the firefighters to fall about 15-feet to the ground. News reports indicate one of the firefighters is still hospitalized while the other has been treated and released.

The fire began in the vacant home next door to where the firefighters fell. Chief Barry says the pair had gone to the roof of the exposure for ventilation but quickly discovered the fire had already come through the roof.

Make sure you watch the video above and listen carefully to Chief Barry’s description of fireground operations, the injuries and the actions of the firefighters on the scene. If you are ever looking for a good example for “media” training, this is it. This is the guy who should be teaching PIO 101 to the fire service.

While he still looks and sounds very much like a firefighter, Chief Barry was able to communicate effectively and explain things to the non-firefighter world.

The chief described what had gone on without using any unexplained fire jargon. In fact, whatever fire speak the chief did use he then explained in very simple to understand terms. By doing it this way, he taught the public and the reporters on the scene about ventilation, exposures,  immobilization of patients, rapid intervention, additional alarms and firefighters taking care of their own. And he even had a colorful quote or two.

I am sure some will complain the chief was not very PC, but I think the good here far outweighs the bad. It made my day. Here is some of what I liked:

“The house was pretty much going from stem to stern, rocking and rolling”.

“We had some exposure problems which means the fire was getting into the building next door”.

“We try to make a hole in the roof if we know we have any sort of fire in the building because it makes it easier for the men operating inside to advance. It gives the heat somewhere to go.”

“We pretty much package up our members who are hurt in the same way that you might package up someone who was injured in an automobile accident. We put a collar on them. Put them on a backboard. We transport them very carefully because we don’t want to hurt them anymore than they already have been hurt by the fact that they had this trauma happen.”

“These people are our friends. We work together day in and day out. We are a very disciplined group but when you have two guys hurt and they are people who are close to you, you want to go and make sure you take care of them. And that means I need more manpower to keep the fire at bay. So I struck the second alarm with the idea I would probably be spending  two or three companies just helping out our brothers”.