Assuming any call is normal is no longer the norm for Fire Chief Robert Griffin.
“Before Sept. 11, you could chuckle at some of the bizarre things we have to deal with,” Griffin said. “Sept. 11 took away some of that humor.”
Since the terrorist attack on Sept. 11, 2001, Griffin and the 150 career firefighters and 1,200 volunteers working in the county are taking a closer look at what appear to be suspicious calls. A call could be the “tip of the iceberg” pointing to a larger incident, such as a terrorist attack, a hazardous materials situation or bioterrorism, Griffin said. “You look for the normal thing that might not be normal,” he said. “Is there something more to this? Do I need to put additional resources in place? You play out more ‘what ifs’ than you did on scenarios in the past.”
“Anything that is strange and out of the ordinary, we now have to report,” said Capt. Mike Lamb, firefighter for Sterling Volunteer Fire Company 18 in Cascades.
IN THE PAST, the Department of Fire and Rescue Services provided career and volunteer staff with training on hazardous materials but did not take potential biological or chemical attack as seriously, Griffin said.
Since 9/11, the department increased hazmat training for terrorist attacks and mass fatality and destruction scenes, what are considered low-probability and high-impact events. Hazmat training deals with running calls in a terrorist event, providing incident command and keeping the staff and public safe.
The department joined forces with other departments and resources in the regions to develop a regional response to large events. Regional groups include the Council of Governments Fire Chiefs, the Northern Virginia Fire Chief and several regional groups working on plans for operations, regional communication and hazmat responses.
“Volunteer and career have up-staffed as far as their training and knowledge base [is concerned],” Griffin said. “You try to keep up with what’s recent without losing track of what you’ve already done.”
Since Sept. 11, the department has continued to address high-probability events, such as car accidents, room and brush fires and heart attacks. In that sense, the daily work has not changed.
“For the most part, everything we do has turned to normal, except some of the calls we do,” Lamb said, adding that the department still receives calls for suspicious packages and anything out of the ordinary. “People are more likely to call more about things they aren’t familiar with. … People are more careful with the unknown.”
RIGHT AFTER Sept. 11, the call volume dropped almost to nothing. Residents were calling only for the severest emergencies. The call volume increased in October following the anthrax scare. The calls were for a variety of suspicious packages and items and numbered 20 to 30 calls a day, tapering down by mid-January to one to two calls a week. A hazmat team combined staff from the fire department and the Sheriff’s Office to respond to the calls.
“In reality, life goes on in the community. … All the call volume and growth issues before Sept. 11 continue to go on,” Griffin said.
The impact of Sept. 11 was overshadowed by the department’s attempt to address rapid growth, Lamb said. “We spend more time trying to make sure we have enough people to deal with the growth of the system related to the growth of the county,” he said.
Griffin and Lamb noted a change in the attitude toward firefighters following the Sept. 11 attack. Residents in the county were more likely to pull over to the side of the road to let emergency vehicles pass, at least for a few days. They thanked their firefighters, let them in the front of the line at grocery stores and bought them beverages at convenience stations.
“The sacrifice that was made in New York drove home to folks the importance of their safety people,” Griffin said. “For awhile, people gave us a much-needed break, pulling over and being more courteous. We’ve noticed people have forgotten a little bit, which is frustrating. Four hundred firefighters shouldn’t have to die for people to know what they do is important.”
That’s where the flag comes in, flown proudly on emergency vehicles.
“The flags on our vehicles show solidarity across the nation,” Griffin said. “It’s a visible reminder we’re all part of this country. Being part of society means we need to work together.”