Posts Tagged: ‘firefighter safety’

The Build Up: Progressive Drills

December 29, 2012 Posted by Jason

This past Fall we were doing a Survival class and one of the drills we do is the “following the coupling” drill. It is one of the most basic of drills and is well known throughout the fire service. We have posted on this drill before on using a cut piece of hose to hand to your firefighters and have them tell you which way would be back to the truck.

We get comment about how basic this drill this and some like to try and shrug it off. Well, as we all know, we must master the basics. Like in athletics, we building the fundamentals and gradually move to more advance skills that expand on those fundamental skills. On the surface these skills are very basic but look a little harder; we can make these advanced drills easily that will incorporate the basic skill and more advanced techniques.

This is true for any drills, start with the most basic and when mastery is achieved, add to the drill and make it more advanced. Do this in steps and before you know it you have an expanded drill that will challenge the most seasoned firefighter.

So, for this example of drill progression we will use the “follow the coupling” drill. We start wtih one firefighter on a charged hose line. Black them out or in a smoked room, put them on the line somewhere in the middle. Have them find the coupling and make their way out. Easy enough.

Now, we want to build in the parameters for calling a Mayday, so we have them call the Mayday using LUNAR and they must communicate with command as they find their way out by “following the coupling.” Now they have to think about more than just following the coupling but the basic skill is still being used.

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You get the idea. Here is how this drill can progress:

-One firefighter lost off of the line, one on the line. The one on the line verbally leads the lost firefighter to the line and they follow the coupling out.

-One firefighter has an air issue, they can buddy breath on the way out following the coupling.

-A downed firefighter on the line and his crew packages, fixes the air and removes him following the coupling out.

So, you can see that we can expand on this drill. Your only limited by your imagination and creativeness. Use caution not to make so unrealistic that it frustrates your firefighters though. It doesn’t take much to make a drill challenging; keep it simple.

Have a Blessed and Safe New Year and thanks for all of the support this year.
Jason

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Categories: fire attack, firefighter safety, rescue, SCBA, search

Response Area Familiarity

November 15, 2012 Posted by Jason

Here is a short article by Firefighter/Paramedic Zach Krato of the Florissant Valley Fire Protection District about the importance of being familiar with your response area.  Nice job Zach!

 

 

 

 

House layouts are tricky.  Between the different structure layout options, the homeowner renovations, or just being in a zero visibility environment, navigating around a house that’s not yours is dangerous.

I attended a class at FDIC called How are Firefighters Dying, the instructor said it best, “every firefighter is a disoriented firefighter the minute they pass the doorway.”  It doesn’t matter the layout or the size of house, it’s not your house.  You have no idea what the homeowner did to the house or how it was built.

So how do we prepare ourselves for those calls where getting somewhere in the house fast matters the most? Where finding the homeowners’ kid’s bedroom fast or finding the basement stairs is crucial to putting a stop to the fast growing fire beneath us.

 

Not every call you run is a fire, but every call to a house, apartment, or commercial building is an opportunity to prepare for that worse case scenario. While you’re driving around looking at the houses or buildings in the area you serve, go thru your size up in your head.

What would your size up sound like if you arrived on the scene of that house you’re looking at if it were on fire? While you’re looking at these houses, try to determine your tactical decisions.

The children trapped scenario, can you figure out how many rooms there are just from looking at the house? If so, can you figure out which one could be the master bedroom or possible kids rooms? You’re told the fire is in the basement. Where do you think the stairs are? Are they in the kitchen, next to the exterior car port side door, or under the staircase that goes to the upstairs? Does the house have a basement walk out?

When you run a call to a structure that you get to go into, I challenge you to ask yourself a few questions before you even get through the front door.  Where is the kitchen? Where are the bedrooms? How many bedrooms are in this house? What path gets me there? I do this a lot.

Many times after I go inside I’m surprised by the lay out. Just like when you’re working a fire and your forming a picture of what you think the structure looks like. Then after the fire, you walk through and say, “wow, that looks totally different.”

 

Let’s not wait till that 2am call with mom and dad screaming “my baby is trapped in their room” to figure out where that crib might be. Be safe and give it a try.

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Categories: fire attack, firefighter safety, rescue, search

Learn the Building

March 5, 2012 Posted by Jason

Here are some more pictures from my A Shift buddies, Jim, Bob and Dave at Florissant Valley Fire Protection District.  These photos show the challenges of just getting into some of our buildings.  It’s a lot easier to get a good look at the working mechanisms and traits of these obstacles during daylight and in non-emergent situations.

Take time to know what is behind these doors and grates.  What are they protecting and how secure are they? Is just a matter of prying bolts out of the brick and concrete or are they really seated into the building?  Now is the time to find out.

One note, the pic with the bars is actually a smoking lounge for an adjacent bar. Access is made from inside the building but it looks like a different occupancy.  Don’t wait until it’s smokey and dark.

Read the doors and try to identify characteristics that can indicate foricible entry challenges.  Do the doors swing out or in? Are the hinges exposed or protected? Is the jamb protected?

These are also important for RIT operations, to read the building and soften it up for interior crews if a company has not already done so.

Stay alert and get out and look around. You’ll be surprised what you’ll find.

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Categories: building construction, fire attack, firefighter safety, rescue, search, Uncategorized

Company Officer Basics

February 10, 2012 Posted by Jason

The officer must be the one that watches for conditions.

The officer must be the one that watches for conditions.

 

When a  crew is making an interior attack, or any task, on the fire ground, the officer must be the eyes and ears of his crew.

Although everyone is responsible for safety and identifying unsafe conditions, the officer must continually keep a watchful eye on conditions.

Too often I have witnessed the officer take the nozzle, dragging the firefighter along into a burning structure.  The officer should be the more experienced person on the line; there is a reason he is the officer. ( I know that is not always the case, but, you get the point.)

I can remember being in a 3-story house with fire blowing out the rear on the first floor and making an aggressive interior attack as the nozzle man.  About 5 minutes or so pass and I am right up on this thing not making much progress.  The acting officer tapped me on the shoulder and said we needed to back out.

I of course did not want to, but what I didn’t see, because I was focused on the fire fight, was that we were pushing fire around the stairwell back to the front door, where we entered.  Mostly because we had the wrong sized line for the amount of fire we had.

But, the point is, he was doing his job. Not just helping me with the hose line, but seeing the “big” picture.  He was paying attention to more than just what was in front of him.

As officers on the hose line we are expected to be aware and to get the job done.  On that fire it meant pulling out and going back with a larger line, which was effective.

Watch for changing smoke conditions. Look for fire behavior that may be odd.  Just look at everything and stay aware.  Get the job done and get back safe.

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Categories: building construction, fire attack, firefighter safety, rescue, SCBA, search

The 360: Bulkheads

February 1, 2012 Posted by Jason

We have all heard and been taught to do a 360 of the structure during a working fire.

There is some debate, but this is becoming common practice and there are several things to look for.

The picture is a bulk head for a basement. We have always been taught and trained to look for and create a secondary means of egress for upper floors. Well, it’s no different for basements.

When you make entry, especially if the fire has not been isolated, make sure that either you open it during the 360 if it’s not locked or that the information is relayed to the next in crew to cut the lock.

Cut the locks to ensure crews can exit if needed.
It may be as simple as cutting a padlock or as difficult as forcing a door or security bars.

It is important to create this exit to safety for the crews operating inside. It might just be what saves their lives.

Stay safe, be smart and train hard.

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Categories: building construction, fire attack, firefighter safety, rescue, search

Tactical Thoughts: 1

December 30, 2011 Posted by Jason

Take a look at the pictures and ask a few questions. There are always variables that we don’t know about using a still photograph, but we can put ourselves in that picture and think about what we would do. The idea is to consider different approaches and outcomes and keeping ourselves ready should a similar even occur.

1. Is there tenable space in this structure and if so, where?
2. What are your initial actions?
3. Is search an option? Why or why not?
4. Are there any other considerations for this fire?

Ask the same questions of this next picture too.

Are your responses different? If so, what and why?

Keep training and have a Happy New Year!
Jason

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Categories: firefighter safety, rescue, SCBA, search

RIT Prevention: Basement Considerations

July 17, 2011 Posted by Jason

We have all been assigned as the Rapid Intervention Team at some point in our career.  For most of us, I hope that we have taken a positive attitude and were looking for ways to prevent the need for RIT.

But, not all are so in tune with what needs to be done when assigned as RIT.  I have witnessed crews complaining and standing next to an engine with a couple of hand tools, a RIT bag and a flash light.  Good thing they were there or the engine would have rolled away, if you know what I mean.

This post is going to touch briefly on some basement considerations when assigned at RIT.  Feel free to add your comments and suggestions as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The pictures above show just a couple of the obstacle that could cause interior crews problems. As the RIT we want to identify these as soon as possible. That means we must be proactive and get around the building. But, operate within your guidelines and the IC needs to know what you are doing and when and where. Communication is key.

The first set of pictures shows fencing over the exterior door and stairs to the basement. This exit can be blocked by decks being built over them, bulkheads, storage, and any other obstacle you can think of. Open it up, clear it or force the locked mechanisms to allow a quick exit by interior crews if needed.

The second set of pictures shows the basement access in the garage. On this particular house and many others in the same area, the only access and is through the garage. Some of these exterior stairs and some do not. This can be a challenge for interior crews looking for access in smokey environments and for RIT crews looking for access from the exterior.

The key is for RIT to know their area and be proactive on the fireground. Identify potential hazards to crews for egress and fix them. Eliminate the need for RIT before it is needed.

As always, train hard and stay safe.

Jason

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Categories: fire attack, firefighter safety, rescue, SCBA, search

“Follow the Coupling Drill” Anywhere

June 30, 2011 Posted by Gary Graf

We have all done a “Follow the Coupling Drill” where we are placed in the center of a pile of hose spaghettied around the engine room and told to find our way out.  Here is a quick, inexpensive way to do this drill at every training exercise or anywhere around the engine house.

Find a piece of hose that has been removed from service, it works best if the couplings are not damaged.  Cut both couplings off the section of hose, leaving about 12” of hose.  Connect the couplings to each other and you’re finished.

During a training exercise walk-up to any firefighter, ask them to close their eyes, then place the coupling in their gloved hand and ask “which way is out”?

This can be taken anywhere, completed in seconds, and requires no set-up or tear-down time.

Take it and Train with it!

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Categories: fire attack, firefighter safety, rescue, SCBA, search, Uncategorized

Window Hang

June 25, 2011 Posted by Jason

When we teach personal safety and survival, we try to teach practical techniques that just about any firefighter can use with limited equipment. One of our motto’s is “No gadgets or gizmos!”  We want to train firefighters with what they have available to them.

So, when we speak of window bailouts, if the department we are working with does not have the capabilities to do a true window bailout, we want them to know that there is a very basic method to escape a rapidly deteriorating fire condition.

The window hang needs no special equipment and any firefighter can perform this skill. In addition, you can practice this on a ground level window.  This skill is important and should be mastered by all firefighters. You may need this in any building, whether it is multiple stories or a single-story ranch.

This drill also demonstrates that the use of RIT Prevention is paramount and can save lives without the actual deployment of a RIT crew.

 

 

 

To practice this drill, find a window or window prop. This can be as easy as framing a small wall with a window out of scrap lumber, but use what you have available.  Firefighters should be in full PPE with SCBA.

As the firefighter searches or is operating in the room the instructor should tell them that conditions are rapidly becoming untenable and they must exit via the window.

The firefighter, staying as low in the window as possible, should go head first out the window towards one corner or the other. If the firefighter exits towards the right, his left hand should be below him against the building and his right hand should be hooked on the inside at the bottom of sill. His left leg should immediately follow his body out the window with his right leg hooking the wall on the left side of the sill.

This takes practice and the importance of staying low is paramount. The firefighter has to stay below the intense heat and fire that may be issuing out of the window. This is a temporary fix for poor conditions. The firefighter will have to get the attention of ground crews.

This is the importance of throwing ladders as soon as possible on multi-story buildings. If a ladder is ready at that window, when the firefighter goes to this hang, he can transfer right to the ladder.

Train hard and practice this technique. No bailout system required.

Jason

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Categories: firefighter safety

Searching Off of the Line

June 5, 2011 Posted by Jason

With today’s fire service being cut to the bone, fire departments are finding themselves short handed in every aspect of our day to day functions.  This affects how we operate and it may require us to change how we perform some tasks.

In other areas fire departments have been running “short” since their inception: 3-man crews.  They have never had the man power to separate functions like fire attack and search.  They have always had to  and continue to adapt to the resources that are available.

In my part of the country, the second example is by and large the most prevelant. The majority of departments that are not volunteer operate with 3 person crews. That includes the driver.  This obviously creates some challenges and some adaptability to each situation.

One area is searching buildings.  The best way to protect victims and icnrease their survivability is to improve the atmosphere by putting out the fire and venting to let toxic gas, heat and smoke to be evacuated out of the building.

However, there are many instances that require us to physically find and remove victims from burning buildings.

Many areas are seeing large homes that are difficult to use traditional wall searches because we are not getting to the middle of the room.  This becomes a challenge also due to the many doors and additional rooms that these buildings contain.

One method that we teach and practice is searching off of the hose line with a length of webbing.  The initial crew can stretch a line and search at the same time. Is it a little slower? Sure, but they can perform both functions effectively if they train properly.  What is important is that they understand that they must put out the fire if they come to it first and remove the victim if they find them first.

When searching with a line one firefighter can tie a girth hitch onto the hose and advance with it. When they get to an area large or cut up, they extend off of the hose line while holding the webbing and staying in voice contact with the nozzle firefighter.

Depending on the length of the webbing the search firefighter can cover a lot of area in a very short time without ever losing contact with the hose.  The nozzle firefighter can continue to watch for changing conditions and has the ability to push back fire if encountered.

This is just one method that can be used in these instances.  You must train and practice to your department’s guidelines. If you have techniques and methods that you use, please share them.

Stay safe and train often.

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Categories: fire attack, firefighter safety, rescue, search, webbing

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