The Nest — #firefighters

  When a team of fire fighters responds to a call, there is usually a dangerous situation at hand. Upon reaching the scene it is critical for these first responders to immediately get to work in order to keep the people in these situations safe. When encountering a person with an autism spectrum disorder, the fire fighters may need to adjust their emergency response accordingly. In situations where the individual may be at risk, it is vital that the fire fighters be able to identify certain signs that may indicate that the person has ASD. The proper training and knowledge...

A first responder is seven times more likely to come in contact with an individual with autism than the average person By Fire Captain John M. SokolPrevent-educate.org Knowing that an emergency situation involves an individual with autism is important, from the dispatcher to the first responders on scene. When the dispatcher includes the phrase "the individual has autism," what is going to be your reaction?Is autism something you just heard about or are you prepared for a situation that will be unique and unpredictable? The answer could mean the difference of injury or death to the first responder or individual,...

BULLYING ON THE JOB: A NEW THREAT TO THE FIRE SERVICE   By Scott E. Crandall There is a frightening new behavior sweeping across the country that could wreak havoc with the core fire serviceconcepts of teamwork and brotherhood. It can be initiated by any member of the service, regardless of rank. This new behavior is workplace bullying. No doubt, you have seen media reports on the subject of "school bullying." Many kids have taken their own lives because of this atrocious behavior. The statistics on school bullying and suicide are alarming: Suicide is the third leading cause of death...