Firefighter Michael Karl McNeil spent twenty-five years in the fire service and rose to Fire Battalion Chief. Running alongside those ranks was a second line of training that the public sees less often: emergency medicine. He certified as an EMT on the federal side, holds EMT-II certification in California, and holds certification as a tactical medic.

Why medicine belongs on a fire crew

On a wildland assignment, the nearest hospital can be hours away by road. The crew’s own medical capability is what decides whether a burn, a laceration, heat illness or a fall becomes a manageable injury or a life-threatening one. A fire officer with medical training sizes up the crew as well as the fire: who is drinking enough water, who is moving slower than an hour ago, who needs to come off the line.

What carried into the consulting work

That habit of watching people, not only hazards, is central to the work McNeil does now as principal of McNeil Safety Consulting. Heat illness prevention, first aid and emergency medical planning on construction sites, and exposure work in industrial hygiene all start from the same question a fire officer asks on the line: what is happening to the people doing the work, and how fast can help reach them if something goes wrong.

It also explains a practical point he makes to employers. A first aid kit and a posted phone number are only the start. The plan has to answer how an injured worker gets from where they fell to where they can be treated, who goes with them, and how long it takes. On a fireground, that answer is worked out before the first engine arrives. On a job site, it should be worked out before the first shift.

The record

Michael Karl McNeil is a Former Fire Battalion Chief who advanced from Fire Prevention Captain, holds NWCG and CSFM credentials, and today practices as Michael Karl McNeil, REP, RIH, EPP, QSD. His full fire service record is on the fire service record page, and his training is on the training and qualifications page.