Vehicle Operations

Explore by category: Vehicle Operations
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Non-Members Riding in ESO Vehicles

Parades, Fire Prevention Week, citizen ride along programs and similar public relations events are an important part of public service activities for the ESO, there are also inherent risks associated with ride along programs

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An Overview of Driver Monitoring Systems

A quick overview of driver monitoring systems to consider before you make a purchase.

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Annual Requalification of Emergency Vehicle Operators

Why you need an annual driver requalification process and best practices to consider.

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Assigning an Agreed Value to Your Vehicles

Tips to help you assign an agreed value to your VFIS insured vehicles.

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Comparing Capabilities of Driver Monitoring Systems

A comparison of popular driver monitoring systems in the fire and EMS industry.

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Conversion and Overweight Vehicles: Evaluation Form

This form can be used to help evaluate the safety and handling of conversion vehicles.

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Conversion and Overweight Vehicles: Risks + Best Practices

This booklet provides detailed guidance to help make these vehicles safer to operate.

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Conversion Vehicles: Selection and Design

What to consider when selecting or designing a conversion vehicle.

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Driving Evaluation Form: Street, Highway + Off Road

A printable checklist to help you evaluate the technique and knowledge of your drivers.

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Emergency Vehicle Accident/Loss Investigation Report

A printable form to record key incident details and assess situations for root causes.

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Emergency Vehicle Driver and Officer Responsibility

Best practices for drivers and officers while operating an emergency vehicle.

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Emergency Vehicle Driver Log

Keep track of who has operated your emergency vehicles with this simple log.

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Driver Selection Criteria using MVRs

How you can use motor vehicle reports to help you select and utilize the best drivers.

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Emergency Vehicle Driver/Operator Requirements

This guide provides tactics to help you select, train and maintain safe drivers.

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Emergency Vehicle Driver's Competency Course Score Sheet

A sample course and scoring sheet to help asses an emergency vehicle driver's proficiency.

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Emergency Vehicle Driver's Safety Checklist

This checklist can help you perform basic vehicle inspections before and after trips.

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Emergency Vehicle Maintenance Record

A form to help your organization keep track of vehicle maintenance.

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Emergency Vehicle Response Guidelines

A guide for developing comprehensive emergency vehicle response policies and training.

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Fire Aerial Devices: Maintenance and Inspection

Steps you can take to help reduce wear and tear and structural failure risks.

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Hose Loading Policies

Considerations for when hose loading operators should be permitted to ride on apparatus.

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Hose Securement

Suggestions to properly secure hoses and help prevent potentially devasting incidents.

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Using the 'Sterile Cab' to Help Combat Distracted Driving

What the "sterile cab" concept is and how it could help you combat distracted driving.

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Incident & Near Miss Investigation: A guide for Emergency Service Organizations

A guide to developing and utilizing a near miss program to help address your unique risks.

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Intersection Practices

Best practices for adopting intersection operating guidelines during emergency response.

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Long Distance Transport: Managing EMS Fatigue

How to help address fatigue and crewmember strain during long transports.

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Maximum Response Speed

Response speed recommendations to help reduce your risks and keep vehicles under control.

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Near Miss Incident Reporting

How you can use near miss incidents to develop a proactive approach to safety.

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North Carolina Transportation Notification System (NC TNS)

Information about the NC TNS and tips to help your agency gain access to the system.

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Overhead Door Safety

Recommendations to help prevent injuries and property damage caused by overhead doors.

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Paratransit Operator Proficiency Evaluation Checklist

A printable checklist to help you assess the proficiency of your paratransit operators.

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Paratransit Van Operations: Safety Program

How a Paratransit Vehicle Safety program can help ensure effective and safe operations.

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Paratransit Vehicle Operations: Inspection Guide

A printable checklist to help paratransit operators preform pre-trip inspections.

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Personally-Owned Vehicle Response

Considerations to help your members arrive safely to calls in their personal vehicles.

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Personally-Owned Vehicle Safety Checklist

Assess the safety and function of your personal vehicle with this checklist.

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Securing EMS Stations + Vehicles

Consider these steps to help ensure your station and ambulances are secure.

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State MVR Check Procedures

What state-specific procedures to follow to obtain the driving records of your members.

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Vehicle Accident Investigation Form

A printable form to keep in your glove compartment and complete should an incident occur.

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Vehicle Backing Practices

How backing SOGs and training can help you reduce your risks and avoid collisions.

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Vehicle Preventive Maintenance

An overview of developing a vehicle maintenance program and best practices to consider.

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Vehicle Rollovers: Lessons Learned from Past Incidents

Quick rollover case studies you can use to spark conversation in your organization.

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Weekly Emergency Vehicle Report Form

Form to help you perform weekly inspections of your emergency vehicles.

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Witness Form

A printable witness card to complete should an incident occur.

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Animal Strikes: Deer-Vehicle Collisions

Check out this infographic for tips to help avoid vehicle-deer crashes.

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Distracted Driving

Check out this infograhic to know the facts and risks of distracted driving.

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Motor Vehicle Accidents

How costly are they? Check out this infograhic to learn more.

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Winter Weather Driving Preparedness

Check out this infographic to learn more about preparing for the hazards of winter weather driving.

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ONLINE TRAINING

Vanessa K. Free

Driver training refresher to meet Vanessa K. Free Emergency Services Training Act

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ONLINE TRAINING

Ten Cones of Safety Video

Discusses best operating guidelines when working on a highway incident

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ONLINE TRAINING

Intersection Safety

Discusses 8 guidelines to reduce the number and severity of intersection accidents

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ONLINE TRAINING

Privately Owned Vehicles Video

Designed to assist in the reduction of unsafe POV operation

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ONLINE TRAINING

Safe Backing Video

Designed to assist in the reduction of damage and/or injury thru safe back best practices

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ONLINE TRAINING

NC Who Holds the Keys

Discusses safe vehicle operation focused on North Carolina

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ONLINE TRAINING

Drive Safe

Hard-hitting program on personal responsibility and mindful driving of emergency vehicles

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ONLINE TRAINING

Ergonomic Issues

Review of engineering and admin controls to reduce slips, trips, falls and back injuries

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ONLINE TRAINING

POV Answering Call Safely

Discusses proper training and best operating practices for POV operation

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ONLINE TRAINING

Seat Belt Safety

A contributing factor in LODD from vehicle operation is lack of seat belt use

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ONLINE TRAINING

10 Keys For Safe Vehicle Ops

This VFIS University course focuses on key issues affecting safe vehicle operations.

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ONLINE TRAINING

Who Holds the Keys to Safe Emergency Vehicle Operations

Every member "holds the keys" to safe emergency vehicle operation

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IN-PERSON TRAINING

Emergency Vehicle Driver Training

Student level course to verify competencies with emergency vehicle driving

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IN-PERSON TRAINING

Emergency Vehicle Driver Training Instructor course

Instructor course on assessing competencies for operators of emergency vehicles

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IN-PERSON TRAINING

EMS Vehilce Operations Training

Student level course to verify competencies with EMS vehicle driving

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IN-PERSON TRAINING

EMS Vehicle Operations Instructor course

Instructor course on assessing competencies for operators of emergency vehicles

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AUDIO

VFIS University with Maria Lichty

In this episode, Maria Lichty reviews some recent changes to VFIS University

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AUDIO

Psychiatric Transport Vehicles with Jerry Schramm

In this episode, Deputy Chief Jerry Schramm discusses his organization’s integration of mental health vehicles into their fleet

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AUDIO

Backing Best Practices with VFIS Client Risk Solutions

In this conversation with members of the VFIS Client Risk Solutions team, we discuss some best practices to consider when developing a backing policy.  

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AUDIO

Pediatric Injury Prevention with Shannon DePatto

In this episode, Trauma Prevention Coordinator Shannon DePatto from Penn State Children’s Hospital talks about the hospital’s efforts to reduce pediatric injuries and trauma

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AUDIO

Non-Members in Department Apparatus

In this episode, members of the VFIS team discuss important considerations for allowing non-ESO members to ride in department vehicles.

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Rollover Prevention with VFIS Client Risk Solutions

In this episode with members of the VFIS team, we discuss the significance of rollover prevention

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Modified Response with VFIS Client Risk Solutions

n this episode with members of the VFIS Client Risk Solutions team, we discuss modified response and the use of lights and sirens in your organization.

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Emergency Vehicle Response with VFIS Client Risk Solutions

In this episode, members of the VFIS Client Risk Solutions team discuss the importance of having written policies and procedures in place

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AUDIO

Agreed Value with Chris Rodgers and Peter Feid

What are the different types of physical damage insurance for emergency vehicles?

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AUDIO

Striking Fixed Objects

Parked vehicles, utility poles, other emergency vehicles, the station itself - striking fi

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AUDIO

Encore Episode: Sterile Cab Concept in Practice

The Don't Risk It podcast team is taking a well-deserved break this summer, but we will be

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AUDIO

Situational Awareness

Situational awareness is a person's ability to perceive and understand what is happening i

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AUDIO

Safety Culture Revisited - Roundtable

Standard Operating Guidelines (SOGs) are the foundation of an ESO's safety culture. Withou

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Intersection Safety

Intersections are responsible for the majority of accidents involving emergency vehicles.

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AUDIO

Encore Episode: Rollover Prevention

It's been one year since the launch of the Don't Risk It! podcast, and to help commemorate

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Encore Episode: Driver Training

It's been one year since the launch of the Don't Risk It! podcast, and to help commemorate

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Encore Episode: POV Exposures & Controls

It's been one year since the launch of the Don't Risk It! podcast, and to help commemorate

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AUDIO

Medical Evaluations for ESOs

A responder's health can impact the safety of other crew members, agency resources, and ci

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AUDIO

Rollover Prevention

Emergency service organizations operate a wide range of vehicles in terms of size, weight,

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Portable Equipment Loss Reduction

Portable equipment is essential in fire and EMS response but these vital pieces of equipme

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AUDIO

Culture Change in Emergency Services

Maintaining a positive culture throughout an ESO must include building a culture of safety

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AUDIO

Driver Monitoring Systems

Is your emergency service organization getting the most out of your current driver monitor

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AUDIO

Securing Emergency Response Units

Theft of emergency vehicles, including the specialized medical equipment and medications o

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AUDIO

Emergency Driver Training: Initial & Ongoing

Emergency vehicle drivers have in their care, custody and control most of the major assets

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AUDIO

POV Exposures & Controls

Most volunteer emergency service departments rely heavily on the ability of their members

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AUDIO

The Sterile Cab Concept in Practice

Distracted driving is a significant factor in vehicle accidents and emergency services org

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Article

1 to 5: How many stars would you give your drivers?

How your emergency service organization can implement a comprehensive driving program to achieve 5-star drivers.

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Article

Emergency Vehicle Rollover Prevention

Emergency vehicle rollovers continue to be an all-too-frequent cause of vehicle damage, serious injuries and fatalities.

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Article

How Drivers + Spotters Can Help Prevent Fixed Object Strikes in Emergency Vehicles

Fixed object strikes are among the most common types of emergency vehicle incidents.

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Article

Intersection Safety During Emergency Response

Why written training, policies and procedures are so important for intersections, and how to develop effective guidelines to help your emergency service organization address this risk.

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Article

The route to roadway safety for emergency service organizations

Let's take a look at the roadway hazards your crew faces and review how your ESO can implement policies to help address them.

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Article

9 Lessons your emergency service organization doesn't have to learn the hard way

Challenges other fire departments, EMS agencies and 911 centers have faced—and how you can help avoid them.

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Article

What is agreed value?

Agreed value eliminates many of the downsides that emergency service organizations may experience from traditional auto policies.

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