I read this article in The New York Times about new guidelines for entering burning buildings being implemented by police officers after the unfortunate passing of an officer due to smoke inhalation. To be honest, I never really thought about guidelines being necessary for police officers since the job of entering burning buildings is usually reserved for fire-fighters. However, as the article says, sometimes police officers are the first to arrive at the scene of a fire, and if they act quickly, they can save lives.
What I found most interesting about these guidelines is that they seem to be the same rules we as students were taught to follow from a very young age such as not using elevators, avoiding smoke-filled hallways, and testing a door with the back of one’s hand before entering a room. I realize, however, that things are different when one is entering a building as opposed to exiting one. It’s relatively easy to run down 13 flights of stairs if one’s life depends on it. Running up that same number of flights, dodging clouds of smoke, grabbing those in danger and then running back down is a much more difficult challenge which makes using elevators seem more reasonable.
The new guidelines bring up an interesting question: where should an officer draw the line between their own safety and potentially saving lives. I think that this will be one of the most difficult questions an officer may have to ask themselves when confronted with a smoky hallway or a fire in a building with 13 floors. I’d like to hear all of your opinions on the subject if possible. You can read the article here.
I think that the biggest and most challenging point of being a policeman anywhere is having the ability to make decisions in a single rapid moment. Many lives have been saved because an officer made the right choice at the correct time and I think that the Police Department recognizes that fact. I believe that they are trying to keep their police men safer in the event that a policeman is entering a burning building. Using an elevator in a burning building is generally a bad idea and is known to everyone. I would be extremely surprised if this is not covered in some form in police training. Additionally, the recommendation to not enter hallways is just that: a recommendation.
If anything, this choice is a public stunt. Police will still have the ability to enter burning buildings like they did before where they based their choice on their judgement. However now, the department came out publicly saying that it warned its officers not to go into the building. That declaration in itself will take a load off the department when it comes to unfortunate accidents like this one. I also doubt that the department will actually punish anyone who broke this recommendation by entering a burning building.