Samatters Radio

In this episode, I interview Andover (MN) Fire Chief Jerry Streich on the value of having a safety officer assigned during training evolutions. Chief Streich took part in a pilot program for the League of Minnesota Cities (his department’s insurance provided) in an effort to reduce training-related injuries.   The program has now been in place for two years and the Andover Fire Department has not had a single training-related injury in that time. This is impressive. Chief Streich discusses how the program came about and how your department might benefit from assigning a safety officer during training incidents.   Specific takeaways from this episode include:   The importance of having safety on the minds of all participants in a training evolution. How safety can become a valued recruitment and retention tool. How to identify predictable injuries during training evolutions. How to reduce insurance costs by reducing training injuries. Ways to implement a training safety officer in your department.   Our spon