TIM Trend: June 2020

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June 2020


How do YOU approach a vehicle?

Non-Traffic Side Approach

Best Practice: A procedure or set of procedures that is preferred or considered standard within an organization, industry, etc.

Best practices are the things that we use to keep us all safe. They are constantly evolving and it’s imperative that we share them with everyone — and often. It is important to remember that best practices can be something as simple as how you hang your turnout coat on the mirror or how you get into your vehicle.

As a first responder myself, I have heard quite a few best practices over the years and I’ve had the privilege to pass them on to my fellow first responders. Out of all the best practices, I consider the non-traffic side vehicle approach one of the best and most important ones we use. This strategy puts you on the non-traffic facing side of a vehicle. But why is it so important? It keeps you away from oncoming traffic and at a reduced risk of being hit. All too often first responders are wired to automatically go to the driver’s side, which more often than not, is facing traffic.

Some things to remember:

  1. If the non-traffic side approach is going to put you between a barrier/ledge/object and a vehicle, maybe it isn’t the best spot. Evaluate traffic flow and environment before you leave your vehicle.
  2. Make sure that you always have an escape plan. Observe your surroundings and determine how traffic is moving, the direction and where you are most likely to be hit.
  3. Regardless of the side of the vehicle you approach, always keep your head on a swivel and watch and listen to traffic. Don’t be complacent.

This is a simple best practice to train and teach. It can easily become habit if we talk about it and practice it enough. It’s only then we can break the cycle — we have to break the cycle.

If you have a best practice that you want to share, drop us an email or visit our Facebook - @OregonTIMResponders.

Stay safe,

Justin Guinan Signature

Justin Guinan, Oregon TIM Coordinator


Training update

As you know, we’ve had to cancel in-person trainings. We are beginning to develop an online version of our TIM training and will begin rolling it out in the coming weeks. Currently, we will focus on agency specific groups, but hope to begin trainings for a broader base in the near future.

If your agency would like to schedule a training, please contact Justin Guinan at 971.701.3387.