SAM 043 | Interview with Asheville Fire Chief Scott Burnette – Part 1

In this two-part interview we start by talking about the structure fire at 445 Biltmore Avenue on July 28, 2011 that resulted in the tragic line-of-duty death of Captain Jeff Bowen. During this interview, Fire Chief Scott Burnette talks about that fateful day and the significant changes that have occurred in the Asheville Fire Department – changes that every fire department can benefit from. Takeaways from this interview include:

1. How the process of a facilitated debriefing helped the Asheville Fire Department identify the 16 focus reas that represented opportunities for improvement.

2. The importance of having an air management protocol and changing the department’s culture about air management.

3. The need to have the right staffing front-loaded at an incident scene, including a command aide (or command technician) to support the Incident Commander.

4. The value of completing critical task analysis to determine how many personnel are needed to perform vital tasks at incidents (such as RIT and incident management).

5. The importance of training personnel on how and WHEN to call a mayday.

6. The focus on health and wellness – ensuring members are fit for duty and providing on-duty time to workout.

Our sponsor:

Midwest Fire
MidwestFire.com

Intro Music
Safety Dance (1982)
Men Without Hats
GMC - Virgin Records

Guest Contact Information
Fire Chief Scott Burnette
Asheville Fire Department
stburnette@ashevillenc.gov

Situational Awareness Matters! website
www.SAMatters.com

Firefighter Near Miss Reporting System
http://www.firefighternearmiss.com/

Contact Rich Gasaway
www.RichGasaway.com
Support@RichGasaway.com
612-548-4424