I would normally leave reporting on the fire service across the pond to the FireGeezer, but this article sucked me in.  An unsuccessful confined space rescue in Scotland has sparked a debate about what our priority should be as firefighters: the safety of the rescuer, or saving the victim?

Click here to see this must read account of what happened when a women fell down a mine shaft, and the Chief prevented firefighters from attempting a rescue.  When the incident was reviewed, the Chief stuck to his guns that the incident was the success, even the thought the victim did not survive. Read about the review here.

In my opinion, the pendulum has swung to far to the side safety.   In paraphrasing my good friend Buzz Melton, a retired Battalion Chief from Baltimore City “This job has an acceptable level of risk, if you don’t believe that, maybe you should work at McDonald’s…you can still be part of a team and help people”. (more…)