I watched a training video yesterday created by the Raleigh Fire Department after a disastrous crash involving one of their ladder trucks.  The crew was responding to a fire and entered an intersection too fast.  The truck overturned injuring the four firefighters on board. The point of the video is that sometimes we get into such a rush to help others that we fail to take care of ourselves.   I shared the video with my nephew, a Lieutenant with a local fire department.  He confirmed the pressure to get out of the station as quickly as possible. But he confirmed the extra emphasis on training and safety that is occurring too.  Everyone has to be strapped in with their seat belts before the truck leaves the station. That is tough to do with all the gear they are wearing. By taking a few more seconds they have a better chance of reaching that fire or EMS call safely.

Crushed tiller cab.

We can learn those lessons too.  Not only with wearing seat belts, but by taking the time necessary to do our jobs correctly.  Sometimes workplace pressures drive unsafe shortcuts.  As supervisors we have to be mindful of all the steps required to do a job correctly.  Then we have to provide the resources to our employees to make sure they can do their jobs the right way. Those resources include not only the people required, but the training, materials, time and the knowledge that their work is appreciated.

Photo credit – FireNews.net