Episode 36: What's Your Head Worth - Are First Responders Wearing the Right Head Protection at Roadway Incidents? Artwork

Local Officials: Stronger, Together Podcast

The Texas Municipal League Intergovernmental Risk Pool proudly introduces the Local Officials: Stronger, Together Podcast Series. The Pool is producing this regular podcast series, which has been dubbed STP, to help local officials (and managers and staff) understand key operational and legal concepts, and the services the Pool provides. After arming members with that information, each 15-minute episode will give easy action items to help keep your citizens, employees, volunteers, and property safe, all while saving public dollars. City council members can earn up to 19 Texas Municipal League Institute CEUs for listening to the podcasts. To receive CEUs for a particular episode, an elected official must provide a description of the episode, which must be educational in nature, pertain to municipal leadership, and should enhance your service as an elected official, for TML approval. Attorneys who listen to podcasts may be eligible for up to three hours of self-study CLE credit. Please refer to the State Bar CLE compliance rules for more information.

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Local Officials: Stronger, Together Podcast

Episode 36: What's Your Head Worth - Are First Responders Wearing the Right Head Protection at Roadway Incidents?

September 13, 2024 • Scott Houston • Season 1 • Episode 36

On January 11, 2020, in Lubbock, a driver from the opposing lane of travel crossed the median while emergency crews were working the scene of an accident. Firefighter Lieutenant Eric Hill and Police Officer Nicholas Reyna were killed. Firefighter/Paramedic Matt Dawson suffered many broken bones across his legs, arms, and torso, a cracked skull along with multiple orbital fractures, and a traumatic brain injury. After working tirelessly to recover, Dawson also ultimately passed away in 2024.

In this episode, Scott visits with Lubbock Firefighter Brady Robinette about the use of specialized helmets by first responders working roadway incidents. “If those involved were wearing helmets constructed according to standards designed to protect their heads against the impacts they experienced, would the results have been different? Would the head injuries have been less serious?” Those questions have led Robinette to make it his mission to educate local officials on the issue.

Interested Members are encouraged to reach out to him at brady.d.robinette@gmail.com for more information.

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Scott Houston

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