By Craig Aberbach
Every day, most fire compa- nies complete some kind of preplans of target hazards in their jurisdictions. The preplans may be formal (reported and documented) or informal (driving around the first-due district to see which streets are closed or which buildings are being renovated or under construction). Preplanning for responses to motor vehicle accidents (MVAs) is equally important. This involves learning about modern vehicle construction, new technologies in automobile glass, air bags and curtains, seat belt pretensioners, and hybrid vehicles.
Why do we need preplans? Every firefighter knows the importance of conducting preplans of old and new buildings. Preplanning will tell us the type of building construction, exits, layout, hazards in the occupancy, etc. How many fire departments have ever preplanned a vehicle? A vehicle preplan can be as simple as going to a new or used car dealership and looking at vehicles on the lot. Reading the options list on a vehicle's windows will tell you the safety features or obstacles that will be present at an accident involving this type of car.
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