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Help for first responders attacked on the job

Emergency Management Alert, July 18, 2006

Help for first responders attacked on the job 

Attacks on New York City firefighters in the 1970s during the burning of the South Bronx were legendary. Unfortunately, the problem didn't stop in the '70s or at the borders of the Big Apple. Violence against EMS is still a concern, say some first responders, with attacks on the rise. At least one book has been written about the subject and at least one Web site regularly documents the trend.

The book, called When Violence Erupts: A Survival Guide for Emergency Responders, was published in 2003. Author Dennis Krebs is a retired captain with the Baltimore County Fire Department. In the book are tips for emergency responders to keep safe, including how to

• approach a patient on the highway
• enter a residence safely
• deal with a domestic quarrel
• defend yourself against a physical attack
• respond to a mass-casualty shooting
• protect yourself against youth violence
• deal with mass civil unrest
• face the dangers posed by terrorism

We saw mention of the book on Krebs' Web site, medicsurvival.com.

Web sites include firefighterclosecalls.com, which originated from "The Secret List," an independent newsletter addressing matters of injury and death to firefighters. The mission of the site is to help other first responders survive the dangers of the job through shared stories of close calls and provide a space where they can review the facts of incidents and offer advice for first responders in similar situations.

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