Be sure to checkout this months edition of Fire Engineering magazine for an awesome article on Primary Roof Ventilation Operations at Flat Roof Structures.
One of TT’s instructors, Dan is a 34 year veteran and presently the Captain of DCFD Truck 6. He brings some great tips on size up, ventilation, and more.
Click the image below to view the article, and be sure to let us know your thoughts in the comments!
Uh, what the *%#$? Are you flexible enough to get to the stairs, good luck making the push down them to fight fire.
“It’s in the basement” can be a frantic transmission heard on the fireground. Often, it’s one that heightens our awareness and can trigger the myriad of tactical decisions that are imperative for basement fire success. Basement fires can be some of the most dangerous and challenging fires we face. In the residential structure they can be especially dangerous, all you have to do is review many recent “close calls” and several line of duty deaths.
The run-of-the-mill basement fire possesses enough challenges for the Combat Ready Company, day in and day out. Some of these challenges include: the presence of lightweight components (eager to fail and drop you into the basement), the task of finding and maintaining control of the basement door, and the absolutely essential coordination of multiple hoselines to extinguish the fire.
Imagine if you added to the litany of issues in the challenge of finding a basement / cellar door. How long do you think that we would be searching for the steps that are located behind the storage doors of an entertainment center!
We recently discovered this “cosmetic covering” of a basement stair entrance during a walk-through of a local assisted living residential facility. This would certainly only add to the complexity of a basement fire in this structure.
As pictured below, the basement entrance appears to be part of the entertainment center. It only becomes obvious when you open the door. There are no indicator signs to what is behind the door. Imagine a firefighter attempting to enter and descend these stairs. Compounding this downward obstruction is the cheap construction of the open wooden steps that lead down, certain to fail quickly in fire conditions.
To be Combat Ready we must:
Thanks to the firefighters at Fairfax Firehouse 10 for spotting this during a routine medical local call.
A view down the rickety steps
Looks like an ordinary run of the mill entertainment center....
This is actually the entrance to basement.
As many of you know, the hydra-ram is often not my first choice for forcible entry, but it’s definitely a frontline tool with purpose. And like any mechanical tool, it’s prone to failure… Last week at while teaching forcible entry at the training academy we had three separate failures of hydra-rams:
The take home point is: WE HAVE TO TEST OUR TOOLS BEFORE WE GET TO THE FIRE DOOR. The hydra-ram is one of the tools that needs to be checked daily on the rig, but many problems with hydra-rams are not discovered until the tool is placed under load. A simple way to test the tool is to find something heavy around the firehouse and put the ram to the test! In this example, I simply used our dumpster out back. The tool is pumped to full extension, lifting the load, and left to sit for a minute to insure all’s well – then released. Should any problems arise, we can get a replacement or fix the tool before it’s needed on a job.
These failures should also further remind us of the importance of maintaining your forcible entry skills with the irons – both 1 and 2 firefighter techniques. Remember – when the door is locked, no interior operations can begin till it’s opened… Everyone’s counting on you, be prepared.
We’ve talked a few times on here about going thru-the-lock on Adams-Rite style locks. I think this is an important skill as this style of lock is found on almost every glass commercial storefront in the nation, so it’s something found in almost everyone’s first due. Further, due to various associated challenges we’ve discussed in past posts, I think that going thru-the-lock in this scenario is likely our fastest option and will ultimately provide us with the most egress. You can see some of the reasons I make this statement in this previous post.
Adams-Rite locks are found on almost any storefront. Remember additional security may also be present.
This video demonstrates using a pair of modified channel locks to remove the lock cylinder and open the lock (click the link to learn how to make your own). Of course a K-tool, A-tool, or other lock puller could be used to remove the cylinder more quickly as well.
For a picture step-by-step on unlocking these with your key tool or channel locks, check out our previous post here. And let us know -- what are your experiences and thoughts with this scenario?
Last weekend TT instructors Scott Kraut, Mike Stothers, Joe Brown, and Nick Martin headed west to the metro Des Moines area for a Tower Ladder Operations course with the Johnston Fire Department. The two-day program brought attendees from all over Polk County to talk about truck work and the capabilities of various apparatus. All kinds of topics were covered, from forcible entry to ventilation to designing riding assignments. Sunday brought 40 students and 4 different styles of aerial apparatus for an awesome day of hands-on training at a great acquired building.
One of the goals for the weekend was to allow attendees to work with and understand the various capabilities of different aerial apparatus. While many departments only own one style of truck, it’s imperative that departments understand the capabilities and limitations of any style of aerial apparatus that might respond into their town. Rear-mount, mid-mount, tiller, tower, aerial – they all have specifics as to their positioning needs and use in various scenarios. The time to find those things out is NOT the fireground – if you don’t know these things in advance, you can’t POSSIBLY put the rig to the best use when it gets to your fire! It was great to work with a forward-thinking, pro-active group of enthusiastic firefighters. Thanks to the firefighters of Polk County for your hospitality and we’ll look forward to seeing you again!
While drilling with my company on forcing outward-opening doors the other day, we discovered a problem that is unique to a situation where the door is recessed in a pocket and not flush with the door opening, and is secured with a surface-mounted lock (photo 1)…
Click the link to see the problem & solution…
A concept which seems to be increasingly lost on today's fire service
Complacency is the foundation on which many great fire service debacles have been constructed. Many good, sometimes even great firefighters, have allowed themselves to fall victim to complacency. If this occurs, often it provides them with a front row seat to the “domino effect” it can cause on the fire ground. Actively training during times of peace is not itself enough to ensure success in war. Regardless of the training regimen employed in the class-room and out in the field, failure to carry that performance onto the emergency scene will no doubt lead to a less than desirable result.
The fireground is the battlefield on which firefighters wage war on a very experienced and aggressive adversary. The enemy has no care of what you think you know; it worries no more of a 30 year line officer than of a 6 month rookie. It hasn’t the slightest worry for GPM debates, friction loss equations, risk/reward analysis or ISO ratings; it will fight the good fight just like it has done for thousands of years. It is the burden of the firefighter to stop it.
Just as in battle, the enemy does not always present itself as one might like. It may hide in wait preparing to ambush its attackers, or it may flex its muscle for all to see, as if to say, “Here I am, what are you going to do about it?”. To achieve victory the firefighter must meet his enemy swiftly and effectively, connecting adequate training with appropriate timing to knock the enemy down into submission. The key to this concept is appropriate timing. One single misstep at the onset of an incident will often dictate the next 10 corrective actions it will take to reverse the downward spiral of the situation. Adversely, one correct, well timed action at the onset of an incident will set the tempo for the rest of the firegrounds journey towards a positive outcome.
(Positive outcome= fire goes out, those in danger get rescued, no more property is burned than when we arrived.)
“Play like you practice” is an adaptation of the better known “Practice like you play” concept which equates to the fact that firefighters must train with as much intensity and purpose as if it were the real deal. Being “Combat Ready” and training with a purpose is absolutely the goal to which all firefighters should strive in their skill building. However this saying alone leads one to believe that a firefighter will automatically perform well on the scene because they practiced before the fact. “Play like you practice” should be a concept used in conjunction with the previous in order to connect all the dots and mount a stout attack on the enemy when it counts.
Spot hydrants, stretch lines and leave room for other units even if everything seems "normal"
Play like you practice, what do you mean? I’m referring to the fact that a company can be as well rounded in training as is possible, but if they are complacent when the run comes in, it can be disastrous. Every member can stretch lines quickly and effectively, they know various ladder throw techniques, forcible entry is second nature, ventilation concepts are repeatable on command and the intricacies of their areas streets and buildings are like a glossary index in their minds. Their preparation can be flawless, but if they show up to a “fire reported out” without stretching lines and throwing ladders the best way they know how then the tempo is already on the side of the enemy when it finally decides to show itself.
We have all seen it done and we have all heard the excuses, “it sounded like BS, it was 2 in the am, we were tired, we didn’t want to rerack all that hose for nothing…” the list goes on and on. All of these are big, bold examples of how “Complacency” can turn good companies into lawn ornaments when things aren’t as they seem. Playing “catch up” is no place for a fire company to be when lives are on the line, especially when the flip side is so easily obtainable with correct discipline and effort.
Say you don’t stretch a line or bring ladders to the building for a reported “food on the stove”. Say you turn out to be right, there really is no fire, it really was so called “BS”, what have you accomplished? What have you gained? True, we didn’t waste any extra effort: True, we don’t have any hose on the ground or tools to be stowed: True, we can leave immediately for another call. To these facts I say big deal! Effectiveness is our mission, as such effort is not only a prerequisite but a continued requirement. So… we have hose on the ground and tools to be stowed, are we serious? This mindset is simply a poor excuse for an excuse. How long does it really take to disconnect or rerack a line? How long does it really take to put a ladder back on the truck or equipment back in its compartment? If the answer is any more than a few minutes then I would say you should probably become more efficient at that also, through practice.
The abandoned school you've run 100 times for alarm bells might look like this on trip 101. Show up ready to play.
Even though there was no fire, still what have we lost? We lost one more opportunity for our members to use their skills, one more opportunity to “practice like we play”, and one more opportunity to prepare for that time when we open the door for food on the stove and find a kitchen off with people trapped in the rear bedroom. Complacency and laziness breed further complacency and laziness, and the only way to stop it is by removing it from our mindset. We do this by treating every call as if it were a working fire, we do this by practicing our positioning, our techniques and our size-ups on each call whether we think it is “BS” or there is fire showing. We must place the wheels in motion for a positive outcome from the onset and ensure that we are giving our crews every possible advantage over the enemy we fight.
A well rehearsed fire scene is pure poetry in motion, effectiveness and efficiency, on display for the community we serve.
A complacent fire scene looks more like a beaten force routed by its enemy, with ineffective actions scattered sporadically across the fireground in a desperate attempt to turn the tide of incompetence. Firefighters must “Play like we practice” if we are going to match our adequate training with appropriate timing and effective action.
Part 2 will look into some techniques to accomplish this objective on a daily basis and help keep your company at the top of its game, fire showing or not. Stay Safe.
Michael Stothers, Traditions Training Instructor
Your company is responding on a run with the report of 11 people stuck in an elevator. As you arrive, you find no occupants in the lobby to grant your company access to the building. How do we gain entry? How can we do this with minimal or no damage to the building doors and still be able to re-secure the occupancy afterwards?
We begin every forcible entry problem in the same manner: Door size-up! Many newly constructed and/or recently renovated buildings are utilizing these style lobby doors (most of them have lots of glass to allow natural light into the lobby). In sizing up the particular door shown below, we have determined that we have: An outward opening aluminum frame/glass double-door, with a remote electronic swipe card entry, and a key cylinder. Also, we can see by looking thru the door that both inside doors are equipped with push bar exit hardware.
Continued size-up: Simply pushing/pulling on the door reveals that there is no throw or bolt between the double doors at the cylinder area or at ground level on either door. The locking mechanism for these doors is at the top. It is a magnetic lock, consisting of an electromagnet on the doorframe and an armature plate on the door.
Gaining entry: By pushing on one door, while pulling on the other, you create a gap large enough for a tool to slide between. Utilizing a door chock can help you hold open the gap you’ve just created. With this method, little if any damage is done to the doors. 
The Tool: By gapping the doors and sliding a tool between them (this particular tool is made of a mid-weight metal bar from one of those closet organizers (with the smaller spines cut off) and then bent into shape), you are able to activate the push bar by pulling back on the tool. This tool was made by a firefighter in the company. The tool needs to be strong and yet still pliable enough to have its shape manipulated if necessary. Another effective application for this particular handmade tool, again in the non emergency mode, is to allow us to help a civilian get into a car that have keys locked inside….infact that is where the idea from this tool was borrowed. One firefighter, (who used to work at a car dealership service department) used this particular closet organizer rod to retrieve keys when they would be routinely locked in vehicles under repair.
bent tip of end
The Lock: With this style of lock, the magnetic lock requires a constant power source to remain locked. The lock is disengaged by three means: 1. Engaging the push bar. 2. Utilizing the key in the cylinder. 3. Or use of an authorized swipe card in the exterior card reader. All three of these functions disrupt the power to the magnetic, therefore unlocking the doors. By utilizing our home-made tool, we are causing the release of the lock by activating the push bar.
Summary: Although the technique discussed here may not be your only option (or may not apply to doors with additional levels of security) it certainly is a quick, simple and effective method for entering this particular style of door with no damage.
This is an excellent example of knowing your response area, knowing your buildings and coming up with quick and simple solutions to overcome the ever-changing challenges facing firefighters.
When conducting forcible entry operations at commercial occupancies, especially taxpayers and/or strip malls, members may encounter roll-down gates which are secured with circular padlocks. These padlocks can be of several different types and sizes. In some areas, the American 2000 series (also known as the Hockey Puck Lock) is very popular (Photo 1). In other areas, the Abbus Discus lock (Photo 2) or other round types of round locks are widely used (Photo 3). These locks pose a significant problem in that they can not be cut as easily as standard padlocks. This is because the staples on these locks are either covered by the lock body itself (as with the American 2000), or protected by the pin and bracket. In addition, these locks are often protected by steel guards that are welded to the channel rails (Photo 4). These guards can also sometimes be found protecting standard pad locks as well (Photo 5, 6).Quite often, the quickest way to defeat these locks is to use a forcible entry (circular) saw to cut the channel rails above and below the locks and bend the locks out of the way to release the pins from the gate. Follow the link below for the rest of the tips and photos…
If you noticed things on the site have been quiet, it’s because we spent last week in Indianpolis at Fire Engineering’s Fire Department Instructor Conference (FDIC). TT instructors Nick Martin, Dan Shaw, and Doug Mitchell were thrilled to be invited to speak at the largest fire department conference in the world. Over the week we had the oppurtunity to network with some other great figures in the fire service, attend some great training, as well as deliver FIVE of our own programs!
On Monday morning, Nick Martin presented “Single Truck Company Operations” - which focused on making maximum use of minimum manpower and equipment to accomplish essential “truck” tasks during the ATTACK PHASE of a structural fire.
A special thanks goes out to Chad Cox and the boys from Wichita Fire Department, who despite being involved in significant car accident on the way to FDIC, STILL MADE IT TO OUR CLASS ON MONDAY MORNING!!! Thankfully the boys were ok and their efforts only go to further demonstrate the deep commitment to training that they embody.
It was a great week celebrating many fire service traditions, from having a few with our brothers from around the country in the evening to sharing and learning great training tips in the morning. We’re looking forward to seeing everyone at FDIC 2011!
While some members of the Traditions Training staff boarded a plane for FDIC 2010, Instructors Dan Doyle, Scott Kraut, Mike Stothers and Joe Brown were with the volunteers of Brunnerville for Truck Company Operations. Although the Brunnerville Volunteers do not have a Truck, the officers and members understood the need for traditional truck company duties on the fireground. The 2 day class covered such skills as:
Forcible Entry TechniquesFor day 2 the Truck Company from Lititz VFD was on hand to enhance their close working relationship on a first due Brunnerville fire. Students learned the importance of thinking of the fireground in terms of duties to be completed instead of the apparatus styles they arrived on. Drawing from their previous Traditions Training class on engine ops, the double engine house quickly adapted to multiple scenarios and arrival positions, including splitting their crews and completing both initial engine and truck ops effectively and without delay.
An abandoned school provided plenty of scenario options for day 2 as the Traditions staff tested the newly acquired skills of the Brunnerville Volunteers. Scenarios closely mimicked possible situations the students may find themselves in, from arriving together and finding fire and multiple people trapped to arriving alone for a fire alarm and requesting additional units for a discovered fire. Crews where faced with multiple forcible entry challenges, traveling smoke, search obstructions and multiple victims just to name a few. The Traditions Training staff had a great time and look forward to their next trip to Brunnerville.
Have you received this month’s edition of Fire Engineering? If so, be sure to look for content from some of Traditions Training’s own staff:
We are particularly excited to be in this issue, with it’s nostalgic cover celebrating the history of the “National Fireman’s Journal”. If you haven’t seen these articles yet, be sure to check them out in the April issue. Keep your eye out, we’ve got more coming!
In our first post on R.I.T, we reviewed the new “NFPA Standard for Rapid Intervention #1407 ” and its role in defining RIT training. In this is second blog post we will take a look at the rest of the NFPA 1407 document. On the fireground, No one is coming in for us, but more of us… We need to be sure that we are ready to go to work as a member of a R.I.T Company.
Searching for victims, getting a line on a fire – all require that we first get inside! Join our experienced instructors for 8-hours of essential information for getting YOU though the door. Firefighters must practice forcible entry to polish their technique. Each attendee will force doors MULTIPLE times to gain this needed experience using their existing and newly acquired skills.
This 8-hour hands-on program is highly-interactive and dynamic, focusing on giving you multiple options – using different tools, techniques, with or without a partner. Never find yourself out of ideas at the door again!
Perhaps you have heard about “good vs bad” halligans. How can this be? What is good? What is bad? There are several points on this issue, but today I just wanted to talk about the overall construction of the Halligan.
A “good” Halligan is forged from a single piece of steel. This solid, one-piece design gives it maximum strength. And since we’re going to use it to pry and beat on things for years, added strength is our friend.
A "good" Halligan has a solid, 1-piece design.
Contrast that design with others… Some Halligan-STYLE bars are born of 3 pieces: a shaft, a head, and a fork. They are slapped together and secured maybe with a little pin and some tack-welds. Anytime two seperate pieces are joined, vulnerability exists at their connection. Over time, stress on these bars can cause these connections to weaken; and eventually to fail. In a worst case scenario this failure occurs at the fire door, when others are counting on us to get in.
At our Forcible Entry Academy last week in Lancaster, Lt. Josh Schrieber from Parkesburg Fire shared some good pictures with us of a “bad” Halligan that had indeed failed:
This “Halligan” failed under stress where the fork joined the shaft, illustrating the hazard of a 3-piece design. Several years ago while participating in the testing of forcible entry tools for the SAFER program, several of our staff encountered the same types of problems with various brands of Halligans – bending shafts, separating heads/forks, oversize parts, etc..
These problems just go to illustrate further that the devil IS in the details with forcible entry – right down to the design features of our tools. When selecting tools for your rig, be sure that what you select is up to the job!
Recently, a new NFPA standard was released that impacts Rapid Intervention Team Training. Along with a few other items,”NFPA 1407: Standard for Training Fire Service Rapid Intervention Crews, 2010 Edition” has formalized the training requirements for members who participate in RIT and for those who serve as leaders of a RIT. The document provides a framework for identifying the skills that are necessary to be included in training for RIT and for training in Firefighter Safety and Survival.
The wording in the NFPA standard is clear to point out that the document does not attempt to address the operational deployment of the R.I.T. But, as is found with most of the training we do, the training mirrors what we do…when we go to work. (more…)
The staff of TT is excited to head to some new territory this June. We will be putting on a “Two-Team Truck & Tower Ops” program for the Johnston Fire Department, just outside of Des Moines, Iowa. The program will be held on June 26 & 27 and consists of two parts:
The program features instructors from the DCFD, FDNY and Kentland VFD. This will be an exciting and informative program and, since “truck work” is performed on ALL firegrounds, will be applicable for departments with or without aerial apparatus. If your in the western states, we hope to see you there!
Fires on the rear proches of attached dwellings (rowhouses, townhouses, etc) provide some unique challenges, some of which include:
Below are some quick thoughts on initial tactics at these fires. Read on, and let us know your thoughts!
With the ever changing dynamics of the fire service, firefighter’s daily functions are as vast and wide ranging as the great country in which their respective departments lie. With such duties ranging from emergency medical care and patient assists to leaking ceilings and faulty electrical outlets, firefighter’s have become the nations “jack-of-all-trades”. As responsibilities increase and time for focused fire related training shrinks, it is as important as ever to use your time wisely. With a little imagination, we can turn even the most benign public service call into a learning situation…
A routine run here may lead to questions such as: what length attack line? How would we place ladders to the porch? Apparatus Positions? Basement access? Utility cut-offs?
Making the most out of each response often involves little more than opening up your eyes to your surroundings. Calls that gain firefighter’s access to homes and buildings are an excellent opportunity to check out construction features and hazards that may come in handy should a fire occur. Often, homes within the same residential neighborhoods will have very similar layouts and construction types. A home you ran for a public service call last tour could be very similar to the working fire you’re now faced with 2 doors down.
Here are just a few considerations to look for that may help should a fire occur:
The above list is just a small fraction of the many things firefighters should be constantly vigilant for in an effort to prepare for that next job. Involve all members of the company through simple interactions such as “do you know why the pipe chase is located here?” or “how many windows have we passed since we came in?”. Before long members will be asking questions of their own!
Your size-up at non-fire incidents may provide indispensable knowledge at the fire later on...
The window in the picture to the right was located during a run for DCFD Truck 17 to assist a citizen back into bed. The occupant had covered the window with carpet and left a small opening at its base, which was lined with nails to discourage break-ins. This poses an obvious safety issue for the outside vent man as well as criminals. High crime areas often require low income residents to fashion a wide variety of makeshift safety features for their home. These “adaptations” can vary widely from home to home, let alone jurisdiction to jurisdiction, but are not limited to high crime areas.
The senior man right down to the newest probationer has a responsibility to himself as well as their crew to observe and question the area around them. Be prepared on every run to ask the “What if it was on fire?” question and make the most out of your time out in the field. With a little practice you and your crew can perfect “The Art of Seeing”.
This past Saturday, January 20, Traditions Training staff traveled back to Philadelphia for a “Forcible Entry Academy” program with the Fort Washington Fire Company. This 8-hour program was entirely hands on and allowed students to practice numerous forcible entry skills through out the day.
Students cut actual roll-down gates. For added realism we even "tagged" them.
Some of the skills included were:
A primary focus of the day was the capabilities of various hand tools and the importance of having multiple techniques and plans for attack. With forcible entry you cannot always rely on “plan A” – when it doesn’t work out the way you hoped, your next move better be on deck!
Using a variety of real-world props, each student got the chance to put their hands on the tools and transfer their “theory” on how they might attack and obstacle into actual “experience” with a variety of new skills and techniques. Each student was encouraged not only to try “our” ideas, but to take the opportunity to try new ideas and techniques – training is the time to experiment with these things, not the front door of the fire building.
It was another excellent day for instructors and students, as both walked away with some new experiences and skills. Thanks to DFC Clauson of the Ft. Washington Fire Company for setting up another excellent training opportunity!
Pad locks can be found locking us out of a lot of things: gates, doors, etc. There are a variety of shapes, styles, and types and also various means of attacking these locks. In this post I wanted to cover just one of many available methods -- driving the body off of the shackle.
Halligan Pick / Duckbill Method:
Essentially you are performing a “spreading” motion using what is basically a wedge. This motion needs to spread the shackle VERTICALLY. I have seen firefighters place a duckbill lock-breaker with the width of the wedge perpendicular to the shackle. This will be ineffective -- it must be placed parallel. The idea here is to drive the body of the lock off of the shackle -- NOT to spread the two arms of the shackle apart.
For this method to be successful, the top of the wedge must hit the top of the shackle and the bottom of the wedge must hit the top of the lock body. In the photo to the right, the pick of the Halligan is being used. You can see that the pick is buried up to it’s widest point and is still not exerting vertical spreading force. In fact, at this point the Halligan was beginning to spread side-to-side, which was not forcing the lock -- continuing to drive it just was getting the tool stuck in the shackle. It’s not that this method doesn’t work -- it’s just that it won’t work on this padlock because the shackle is too long. If the shackle was shorter, the method would have a good chance of success.
This is a quick way for a firefighter to size-up if the pick of the Halligan will be successful before committing to the operation. Simply place the pick into the shackle and look before driving it into place with your striking tool. Does it appear that the shackle is short enough that the pick will wedge/spread the top of the hasp and the top of the body? If yes, proceed. If no, move on to another method…
In this scenario the pick of the Halligan was being used. A “Duckbill Lockbreaker”, if available, might have been a better choice. The duckbill is designed specifically for this technique and it’s wider wedge will fit padlocks with longer hasps, like this one.
The video below shows the duckbill in use and properly positioned -- but why isn’t it working? This lock / chain held a sliding gate closed. The gate was not touching the ground. As such, most of the force didn’t go to breaking the lock each “hit” delivered just caused the gate to bounce. When using the duckbill, or similar methods, we must make sure that our force is being delivered to a stable surface -- so that the force makes it to the lock.
Stay tuned for some tips next time on cutting pad-locks…
Traditions Training traveled to southeast PA twice in January, each time for ”Truck Company Operations” class. The first program was held in Kennett Square with the Longwood Fire Company. Two weekends later we returned to West Chester, PA for another program with the Parkesburg Fire Company and some surrounding departments… Little did we know that one department would use some of these skills just hours later.
Thanks to members of each department for these photos from the classes:
On Sunday evening after the class, members of the Honey Brook Fire Company responded to a fire in a motel. Deputy Chief Dan Brooks sent us the following account:
Nothing could make the staff at Traditions Training happier than to know that we might have provided even the smallest tip that helped someone do their job at the fire. Thanks to the members of Longwood, Parkesburg, Honey Brook, and the other department’s that attended January’s classes!
We must plan for how adverse weather effects our firefighting operations BEFORE the fire.
Riding the “hook” position at work yesterday, my duties were primarily that of the OVM (outside vent-man). At a fire -- get ladders up, ventilate horizontally, perhaps VES the upper floor, then head in to search and open-up. Being that we got 19″ of snow in DC yesterday, the idea of anything involving carrying ladders sounded terrible.
If you’re anywhere in the mid-atlantic, you’re likely in the same predicament today. Even now that the snow’s stopped, moving ladders through the deep snow that will remain for weeks will be difficult -- not everyone shovels like they should and the sides and rears of buildings will likely be untouched. Many streets may be impassable for apparatus and all our equipment will have to be lugged to the fire building… It’s easy to slip and fall in these conditions, which is usually harmless unless you have a 24′ ladder on your shoulder when you slip. In this situation we should remember two things:
1) Get ladders off the rig closest to your objective. While I usually take “my” ladders from my own rig, yesterday it was coming off the closest thing I could find to the fire building -- engine company, truck company, whatever… No sense in lugging anything further than necessary.
2) Use a ladder drag! As shown in the video, by simply grabbing the TIP end we can easily drag the ladder to our objective. It’s less work for us and less treacherous in the snow. Further, we can quickly throw a roof ladder (hooks out to snag the extension ladder) and maybe a couple tools (even a saw?) on the ladder and easily drag it to our objective. Even better if your partner throws his stuff on the ladder and helps you drag it. Particularly useful for getting a bunch of equipment down a snowy block without killing ourselves doing it.
Another snow tip? Throw a couple $0.99 hand/toe warmers in the inside pocket of your turnout coat. You never know when a BS run will become an extended incident, and all things are possible with warm hands and feet!
How are things going for you? Share your winter experiences and thoughts below…
The Halligan and Axe firefighters must both have strong technique and work together for a fast operation!
A couple weeks ago, TT Instructors Nick Martin, Danny Doyle, and Mike Stothers travelled to Kennett Square, PA for another class with the Longwood Fire Company -- this one focusing on truck company operations. The emphasis of the program was on “two-team” truck company operations, covering both inside and outside tasks simultaneously with small crews.
One of the skills covered was conventional forcible entry for inward and outward opening doors. We talked about having multiple plans and techniques for both a team of 2 and for the lone firefighter. Proper striking technique is just as essential to a quick and effective forcible entry operation as working the Halligan. Check out this video with tips for the striking (axe) firefighter:
To learn more about our “Truck Company Operations” or other programs, please contact us or e-mail info@traditionstraining.com.
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New Helmet Cam Training Video from Traditions Instructor Joe Brown
View CommentsLast week, prior to leaving for FDIC, an interactive discussion began on the Traditions Training facebook page based on a single picture, one moment in time. The picture was placed with a scenario and the readers were asked to give their thoughts and approaches to the scene. The picture was actually a freeze frame from Traditions Training instructor Joe Browns helmet cam footage from a fire that occurred earlier that same day. The below video is that helmet cam footage coupled with voice over training tips to help viewers identify with what is taking place. We have received a lot of positive feed back from Joe’s last video (found here) and how it has helped viewers’ better train and prepare for that next fire. We are pleased to be able to bring you another installment in the never ending process of becoming better firefighters.
This video is filmed from point of view of DCFD 17 Truck’s outside vent man (OVM) position on a 2 story middle of the row home with fire on the second floor. For more detailed information on the fire visit http://www.30engine.com/fullstory.php?106159. Please feel free to share your thoughts, tips and comments with us in the comments section. Stay safe and enjoy.