BY CHRIS WHITBY
Whether it’s a small rural fire department replacing much-needed equipment or an urban fire department buying every toy known to man just so it can say that it has it, hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars are spent purchasing fire service equipment each day. And often, one aspect often overlooked during these purchases is what I call “Firefighter Ergonomics.”
You may be asking, What do ergonomics have to do with purchasing and using fire equipment? One dictionary definition of ergonomics is, “the science of suitable working conditions.” This may sound very scientific, but I by no means am a scientific guy. I am, however, a firm believer in working smarter, not harder, and keeping things as simple as possible. Let’s look at how an ergonomic state of mind can enhance the performance of some types of fire service equipment.
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