ORM is not just for the workplace

Published Oct. 11, 2007
By Maj. Robert Baird
507th Security Forces Squadron Commander

TINKER AIR FORCE BASE -- During the 101 days of summer, we are given multiple reminders of summer activities that can have dramatic effects.
   On Sunday afternoon last month I was back at my civilian job as a police officer in the Tulsa area.
   "Charlie 305 and backer start to assist (Emergency Medical Services)." Hearing this, my attention drew close on the radio, waiting for the location and more information on the type of call for service. After a few seconds, I learned one of our fire department's ambulances was on the way to a medical call, possibly a drowning in a backyard pool. Initial information was a parent had found a child in a pool and was starting CPR while another adult was calling for emergency assistance.
   Lights, sirens and other officers came on the radio as several of us drove to the home where a child had been found, floating in a pool. We put a life flight helicopter in the air and secured a landing zone in the middle of a residential neighborhood to get the victim to a major hospital center. These were however only response efforts.
   Out of respect for the family, I will not go into great detail about this incident, but the ending was not as we had hoped, and I was the primary investigating officer on an 18-month-old toddler drowning in a backyard pool. When we investigate a deadly incident, we constantly look for the reasons and events leading up to the final event. During the past publications on the 101 days of summer, we seemed to miss an area in some of our homes, back yard pools and some of the specific hazards these present.
   When reported on our local and state news, many of you most likely had questions in your minds about how and why a toddler could perish in such a manner. The event at the home on this evening was a birthday party for a 6-year-old, and all had been together most of the day and had been swimming earlier with no events. I can state professionally, the parents are loving and worked hard to provide a good home for their children. There was no alcohol abuse in play and the home was overall child friendly. There were a total of four adults present and five children, all under the age of 6, supervision was not an immediate problem. The children were all happy, well cared for and the home was typical of many in our communities. In this case a series of miscues happened, and a child died.
   There are many different ways to improve the safety of backyard pools.
   Checking with your local dealers or websites such as The American Academy of Pediatrics or the Insurance Information Institute can provide valuable information on reducing the risks of backyard pools. With most pools maintaining some level of water year round, a drowning hazard is not just a summertime issue. If you and your families are frequently around pools of any sort, please look at them critically and honestly. As we practice Operational Risk Management on the flightline or in daily workplaces, let's bring these methodologies into our homes.
   Just as in the Air Force, we try to find single points of mission failure and eliminate them; you should do the same ORM in your backyard. Is there unmonitored access to the pool? Are there simple redundant child proof locks or alarms on door or access points?
   Have you spoken with your family about pool safety and what to do in the case of an event? Do they know how to call for help? Will a simple and inexpensive alarm provide another level of security for you and your family? Every home is different, and in the end you take the final steps to protect your family and friends.
   Your police and fire are there to help, but we manage the incident, when you can work to avoid it in the first place.
   As a civilian police officer and a military officer, I have had the opportunity to see the best in people and sometimes not the best in people. In this case it is not fair for us to ask why of the parents, they are paying a heavy price already with the tragic loss of their youngest child. We can pay due respect to the victim by taking a critical look at our own homes, identifying hazards and working to eliminate them. ORM is not just for the workplace.