First responders are the first on scene; it’s in their job title. Taking care of those who selflessly take care of us should never be an afterthought. Proper time and equipment should always be dedicated to treat our first responders in emergency situations.
firefighter rehab - NFPA 1584
According to a 2009 report from the National Fire Protection Association, around 80,000 firefighters are injured in response situations each year. Even worse, approximately 100 firefighters die each year, with cardiac events causing 50% of these deaths.
The NFPA adopted rehab guidelines to ensure that firefighters receive care for their mental and physical conditions on the job. This was adopted to both improve firefighter performance (short term and long term), but more importantly to reduce the likelihood of injury or death.
In order to comply with NFPA 1584, the rehab area must:
Protect from the elements
Provide safe refuge from the incident
Protect from environmental conditions created by the incident (smoke, toxins, etc)
Be large enough to accommodate both rehab personnel and multiple responding crews
Be located near EMS
rehab for responders
Rehab is equally important for first responders, search and rescue officials, and law enforcement officers. Trailers created for responders may have different requirements than firefighter rehab trailers, but often can be used by multiple departments facing different missions.
Rehab Trailers
The most efficient way to effectively rehab firefighters is to provide a fully outfitted rehab trailer. Rehab operations should be equipped with air conditioning, seating, medical supplies, fan/misting system, water and electrolytes, amongst other necessities. All of these can easily be added to a trailer, which offers additional benefits such as:
Ease of mobility between location/response events or in case rehab location becomes unusable due to smoke
Interoperability between multiple departments (city/county/state)
Significant number of grant opportunities for funding purposes
Together with our sister brand CrewBoss, we create both custom and off-the-shelf rehab trailers to fit departments of all sizes and needs. Trailers are completely customizable but include the following specifications in standard units:
Full climate control
12 volt LED interior lighting
Removable 8′ storage bench with seat cushions, or 8′ fold down seating
Multifunctional 12 volt exhaust fan
Ceiling utility hangers (for IV bags, air masks, etc)
Custom thermal curtains maintain climate control while also providing privacy for responders
Completely washable interior surfaces simplify decon and sterilization
On board battery runs interior lights in the event of a power loss
Non-skid transition ramp and folding hand rail
rehab shelters
We offer rehab shelters in addition to our rehab trailer kits, or as standalone packages. Rehab shelters can come in a variety of configurations and shelter options, such as a CB16 shelter (as shown in above images) or as a Sentry (shown below). Rigid frame and inflatable shelters can be a space and cost efficient way to meet rehab requirements in certain situations, or to expand the footprint and capabilities of a rehab trailer deployment.
rehab accessories
Additionally, all Western Shelter/CrewBoss trailers are outfitted with the following:
Seating for responders and paramedics
Medical supplies organizer with a hard writing surface
Toilet with separate privacy shelter
Cooler
Towels
Heavy-duty, multi-tiered cart
Multiple ground tarps
Misting fan system
Folding tables
Water cooler and cup dispenser
Storage totes provided for your clothing, blankets, and food/water supplies
Quick release tie-downs to keep all the gear secure within the cart
