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With Heavy Hearts and Heads in Hands

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Once again we find ourselves mourning the loss of two brothers.  Lt. Steven Velazquez and Firefighter Michel Baik paid the ulitmate price on Saturday July 24 in Bridgeport Connecticut.

It is way too early to know what happened and why, but we should take a moment to refocus our efforts and make sure we are as prepared as we can be to do our jobs.  We need to be extra vigilant and always expect that the worst can happen. 

So as you head to the station this morning, take a moment to say a prayers for Brothers Velazquez , Baik, their families and the Bridgeport Fire Department.  Then take a moment to make sure you are as prepared as you can be.  We owe to these brothers, and the hundreds of brothers before them that have made the ultimate sacrafice.

Posted by on July 25, 2010 • Filed under: Thoughts

As the first lines goes……but how did it get there?

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Many of us have heard the phrase, “As the first line goes, so goes the fire”.  But how did that first line get there?

Certainly handline operations are something that we could discuss for hours and there are many different hoseloads and techniques that exist to accomplish the same goal.  But what is that goal?

That goal should be to arrive at the fire area with the nozzle and 50′ of hose, enough for the fire floor.  The hose should be flaked out so that it can be advanced easily into the fire area, and so that it is free of kinks.  The un-stated part is that you must have enough hose to get that 50′ there.   What techniques were you taught to estimate the stretch?  I was taught 50 for the fire floor, 50 for each floor to get there and 50 from the truck to the building.  Of course in my area 50′ might not get you halfway tot he front door anymore, as the lots are bigger and the houses set further back.

Like so many of the basics, I think we are losing some of the skills we need when it come to stretching lines and estimating the stretch.  Crosslays or mattydales have taken some choices away from us but have also simplified some operations.

How many have seen the “grab and go”? Where the nozzle firefighter grabs the nozzle and then runs to the front door, the result being a taut line from the truck to the front door.  Or the “spaghetti pile” where 150′ of hose is pulled from the crosslay and dumped in a pile on the ground while the nozzle is stretched?

We load our crosslays with two sets of loops or ears?  1 ear is set in the bottom 50′ length so that the bed can be cleared easily, and the other is in the first 50′ so that the nozzleman can grab the nozzle and the first 50′ and stretch it to the fire.  It makes no difference in time to set our hoseloads up this way, but makes a huge difference when time is of the essence on the fireground.

So the next shift go out and look at your hoseloads.  Are they set up so that you can easily stretch your attack lines?  Practice pulling them, not only does this give you the practice, but it also allows you to determine how long it will take.  That time can be crucial when your officer is trying to think where the fire is going, not just where it is now.

Posted by on May 11, 2010 • Filed under: Engine Tips, Thoughts

Rest In Peace Lt. Richard Hamilton – FDNY (RET)

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LT RICHARD HAMILTON-FDNY (Ret)

Lieutenant Dick Hamilton (F.F. L-17, R-3, R-4 & Lt. R-2) has passed away with his family by his side. Lt Hamilton was the most decorated FF in the F.D.N.Y. when he retired. He was the author of the absolutely outstanding book “20,000 Alarms”-now out of print and much in demand. He was also a WW 2 Naval Veteran.

Borrowed from the Secret List.

One of the best stories of out the book I use almost daily is something like this……..

There was a new Lieutenant assigned to the Rescue and they responded to a fire in a taxpayer. Dick Hamilton and another firefighter jumped out of the truck when it arrived and went into an adjoining store and began pulling down the vents to stop the fire spread. The Lt. chewed their ass.

Apparently this Lt got promoted to Capt and was assigned to a truck. His truck responded to a fire several years later and he ordered two of his men to go to the roof.

When the fire went to a multiple alarm, the Chief tried to figure out what went wrong. He discovered that the two firefighters assigned to the roof had never vented. So he asked them, in front of their Capt., why they didn’t vent. They stated, we received no order to vent Chief. We were ordered to go to the roof.

The Chief then asked, “You need an order to perform such a basic function?”

They replied, “Chief, in this company you need an order to go to the bathroom.”

So much for the Captain……

Strong SOPs and pre-determined assignments should avoid situations like the one described above from happening.  Unfortunately some Officers are unable to let go of the “Mother May I” mentality and feel they must micro manage even the most basic functions of their crews.

This leads to the Officers becoming over loaded with minor details and a crew that is unaccustomed to making it’s own decisions based on their size up and responsibilities.

Posted by on April 19, 2010 • Filed under: Uncategorized • Tagged: , ,

Our Season is longer than 162 Games……

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Baseball season started me thinking about how we build our own teams.  In Baseball it begins in the farm system, but they also have Winter Meetings, where they can trade and get players to make their team ready to meet the challenge of the 162 game season.   Certainly there are times when it would be nice for us to go out and grab some free agents, or possibly even trade for a player to be named later.

The reality of things is that most times we must work with the cards we are dealt.  While transferring a “less than desirable” firefighter off your group may seem like a good idea, all it does is shift the burden of your problems to someone else.  And if ”A” shift has an “all star” then they are not likely to hand him over willingly.

So what are we supposed to do?

I remember reading about people that don’t meet your expectations.  The line of reasoning was that rather than writing them off, you should consider that maybe they just have not had the opportunity to prove themselves to you.

The gist is the everyone has the potential, you just have to work it out of them.

To further the comparison to professional sports, how many teams have acquired a mediocre player only to have him shine with the right combination of teammates and management?  By being put in the right place, anyone can reach their true potential. 

Does this mean that behind every badge is a Tom Brennan or Ray Downey?  Or a (insert name here) from your Department?  No.  It means that as a company officer you have the obligation to try and bring the best out each employee.  Certainly personalities and other factors limit your ability to do this.  However at the end of the day, that is what your job is.

Posted by on April 9, 2010 • Filed under: Thoughts