A lot of fire departments have a family atmosphere. Some of them really are family. Tarley said that respect was the best way to deal with the difficult emotional situations arising from interviews. It s hard to emotionally distance yourself from the victim, but it s important to concentrate on the actual event. The investigators ask about the training, the situation, and the actual event.
Investigators ask everyone on the scene about their role during the incident.
In as much detail as possible, they attempt to recreate the event on paper. Diagrams and descriptions are used to piece together the situation. There s an overwhelming amount of information. Firefighters are exposed to so many different hazards. Unfortunately, the SCBA is often damaged by the time McDowell receives it.