You arrived fire showing, Alpha, Bravo Second story .
Often times firefighters miss the opportunity to get it right on the drill ground by failing to work on steps in small segments. In order to be able to gain proficiency we must start at understanding why we are using the hose load we are using and the pros/cons when stretching in your response area. What are the streets like? What are the dwelling sizes? What are the building types? Are you prepared for extended stretch?
Posted in Drills, Engine Tips, training-development
Do you know your SCBA? Really, REALLY know it? I do…mostly, I’m ashamed to admit I could know the numbers and pressure levels a bit better. My current position as Fire Academy Instructor has really opened my eyes to some of the basic tasks of this calling that I may be lacking adequate skills in. Granted, I could tell the recruits that I could pump water from the East coast to the West coast and they would most likely believe me. But if they challenged me to prove it I would be hard pressed to demonstrate it. I don’t generally talk about things I don’t know or that I cannot demonstrate.
So when one of the recruits challenged me in a race to assemble and don an SCBA, I accepted. The challenge is to mount the bottle, attach the lines, turn on the bottle, don the face piece and start air flow. But of course I had to handicap it in my favor. I told him the only way I would race him is if we put flash hoods on backwards first. I won.
With that in mind today’s drill is SCBA familiarization. This floated to the surface after watching the recruits struggle with the maze confidence course. There is nothing life threatening in there. It is a chance for them to work through a search and negotiate some obstacles. Some obstacles require the removal of the pack, and there are some entanglements but nothing that should be too difficult to work through. The recruits had a difficult time, which is to be expected. We also ran a couple of seasoned guys through during that same time and a couple had SCBA issues that I can only attribute to lack of familiarization with the equipment, but they did make it through without “dying”.
My opinion is that training should be harder than any expected reality. Anyone can kneel down and assemble a bottle and harness. Try to make it harder.
Start with all necessary equipment laid out in front of you however you like, some guys kneel on their gloves etc… The standards I used for a successful finished product in this drill are; Mask on flowing air, pack on your back fully opened cylinder with straps adjusted and seatbelt on, 2nd PASS activated, gloved hands in the air.
The levels I had the recruits do are as follows.
1. No restrictions
2. Gloves on
3. Gloves on and a flash hood on backwards.
4. Gloves and reversed hood on, equipment messed with.
For the “Equipment messed with” the instructors would go around and rearrange the layout, randomly tighten straps, buckle the seatbelt, turn the bottle or even the harness around. For the recruits that were really good we would tangle lines and straps.
I wish I had pics, maybe I do….
Good luck to you, and stay safe.
Posted in Drills, Education/Training, Training, training-development
The recruits have graduated, they will be moving into their first assignments. They have a lot of things left to learn but they have the basics of fire behavior and attack to build from.
Towards the end they started asking questions about firehouse life. Some of the questions had to do with when exactly will they be expected to drive and operate the pump. That is not a set answer.
We still have a patrol desk and a member on “watch” 24hrs a day. So naturally the Probies are expected to learn that first. They are supposed to use the pit as their base of operations, whenever they are done with a task they return to the pit. I personally believe the apparatus has priority over everything else. So my Probie will help check the piece and also their personal equipment first. Other officers think they should do housework first, I think that is a narrow minded view as I believe that teaches the most important thing in the firehouse if mopping the floor. It’s not.
After they learn the pit and get themselves in the watch rotation it’s time for them to start driving back from runs and also practice driving around the district. We do not have a driver or operator position so everybody takes turns driving. From the time they are in the watch rotation and driving back from runs map tests will start in earnest. When they show competency in the district and a few special responses we have then it is time for “The Test”.
Most of the apparatus in our city run a 500 gallon tank. Not a lot.
We Nose into a hydrant and when the probie says go this is what happens:
1: Open up the deck gun
2: Charge a 100′ section of 2 1/2 so we can play water.
3: Hook up the hydrant and get water into the tank before you run out.
It usually takes a couple of attempts, but after they get it they feel confident in their abilities, and we do too.
Questions? Comments?
Posted in Drills, Engine Tips, Training
Is this an acceptable drill for your new engine or truck company?
One of the highlights of my profession is the networking you are allowed to do. A person I consider a Ture Brother, Mentor, and Friend has always maintained that where we missed the mark in the fire service is to break training down into smaller segments. We must began to recognize that training firefighters does not have to be a clubbing over the head, death by powerpoint, but yet it must meet the requirements of being Realistic, and Relevant. There are a few points when injury or death occurs that can be pointed out an Ineffective command system, and firefighters who were trying to operate outside Basics. I understand that accidents happen as well based off of decisions made by others, but that too can be linked back to a failed understanding of the Basics!
For new and aspiring fire officers remember training does not have to take all day, but has to be effective and have a measurable outcome at the end. Remember to take nothing for granted when training. A great place to start is by taking your policy manuals and ensuring the policies are truly understood and you become amazed it what drill s you can pull just out of them. If you do not have a policy manual then start with your expectations and your desired fire ground performance. The hardest part will be consistancy.
Posted in Drills, Training, training-fire-rescue-topics
We hear the term “Collyer’s Mansion conditions” thrown around a lot. As soon as you hear it visions of crap piled floor to ceiling pop into your mind. With good reason, the Collyer brothers really set the bar in the hoarding game. If you want to know more about them go here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collyer_brothers
This type of hoarding really didn’t start getting properly identified until the turn of this century. It was mostly thought of as a form of OCD, which most often it is not. The diagnosis of hoarding is still being determined. The current diagnostic criteria for hoarding is still just a proposal for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders , or DSM-V which is due in May this year. It is a VERY complicated mental issue, but, that is not our concern. Our concern as firefighters is the well being of the neighborhood first and the hoarder’s well being second.
There are more ways to classify hoarders than anyone can imagine: Pure Hoarding, Hoarding plus OCD, organized hoarder, Common hoarder, animal hoarder, etc, etc… Just to show that this phenomenon is still not understood. Either way 3-5% of the population can be diagnosed with some type of hoarding disorder (#1)
When we come across a property that looks like it’s occupied by a hoarder the first thing to remember is that this is a private residence and it is not up to us to dictate how someone should maintain their home. It is first and foremost a legal minefield that we just stepped into.
DO NOT JUDGE. The Mayo Clinic says many hoarders have limited social interactions (#2) and we most likely will put them on the defensive right away and reduce any chance of remedying the problem. The 2 that I have had to deal with I walked through the property and acted like it was normal, asked them about social interactions and family. I also asked them if they had smoke detectors and what was their plan to exit in case of a fire.
Asking around the firehouse I’ve come up with 8-10 stories involving hoarders. Most of them did not end well for the homeowner. Most of them involved the home owner dying and the neighbor calling because of the smell. A couple of the stories involved fires, one of them the occupant was not found until a week after the fire, buried under the stuff she had acquired.
If you have to write them up for something remember to not make it an issue about them or the stuff, but make it about the threat to the neighborhood. Our most recent hoarder lives in a single family home. We got called to the house because of a repair man he had at the house called 911 to complain. I advised the homeowner to make sure all exits were easy to use in case he had a medical emergency or if there was a fire. Honestly there is very little benefit in writing up an 81 year old man for hoarding. mainly because there is no law, and secondly because it will not accomplish anything. I also reported him to the “Hoarding task force” that the city runs because they are better equipped to handle these things.
I have joined my city’s Hoarding Task Force and I’ll have more info shortly.
#1 http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jclp.20797/abstract
#2 http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hoarding/DS00966/DSECTION=symptoms
Posted in fire-rescue-topics, Thoughts, Uncategorized
For this drill you will need
Remember to cover the basics
We will provide different illustrations of various techniques. If you are looking for books or videos Fire Engineering and Fire Department Training Network
We want you to Identify basic functions by putting yourself in the position of our brother and sisters in the videos. Remember these are videos and you could be the next week. We want to learn and grow not critcize.
Five basic points to consider.
•Size-Up
•Command
•Hose Lines ( Deployment, Number )
•Truck Functions
•Water Supply
Often times fire departments will arrive on the scene of a building or dwelling fire and have to over come the obstacle of a long stretch when trying to reach the front door, not even including making it to the fire.
Note: Hose lines should be setup to reflect your response area and departmental policies, and not because that is what we have always done
If any has any drills or tips they use feel
We want you to Identify basic functions by putting yourself in the position of our brother and sisters in the videos. Remember these are videos and you could be the next week. We want to learn and grow not critcize.
Five basic points to consider.
•Size-Up
•Command
•Hose Lines ( Deployment, Number )
•Truck Functions
•Water Supply
We want you to Identify basic functions by putting yourself in the position of our brother and sisters in the videos. Remember these are videos and you could be the next week. We want to learn and grow not critcize.
Five basic points to consider.
•Size-Up
•Command
•Hose Lines ( Deployment, Number )
•Truck Functions
•Water Supply
Generally, emergency responders expect to happen upon hazardous materials when responding to transportation or fixed facility incidents. Sometimes, haz mats (or potential haz mats) may be found in unexpected locations. Familiarity with haz mat container shapes and colors can be important clues indicating the presence of haz mats.
Crews responded to a grass fire on a cold day. The fire was running through some overgrown back yards; the fuels were light and about 18-24 inches high. A slight breeze was blowing, keeping the moderate smoke condition low to the ground. While pulling a hose line toward the fire, a long, cylindrical object with round ends was spotted! What’s a pressure container doing in a back yard?? The Incident Commander was informed of the finding. Flames around the cylinder were knocked down, the cylinder was removed from the burn area, and crews were able to determine the object didn’t pose a hazard.
Photo: author
This object wasn’t the only potentially hazardous item found. A 1.5 gallon, plastic gasoline container and a portable shop air tank were found in the burn area. Several tires were burning, requiring staff to remain clear of the tire smoke while extinguishing the fire.
Always be on the lookout for potentially hazardous items. Sometimes, hazardous items will be found in unexpected locations. For a quick drill at the kitchen table, discuss this subject with your crew. What unusual conditions has your crew found? What examples can you bring to the table (pun intended) for this drill?
Posted in Education/Training, hazmat, training-development
We want you to Identify basic functions by putting yourself in the position of our brother and sisters in the videos. Remember these are videos and you could be the next week. We want to learn and grow not critcize.
Five basic points to consider.
•Size-Up
•Command
•Hose Lines ( Deployment, Number )
•Truck Functions
•Water Supply
We want you to Identify basic functions by putting yourself in the position of our brother and sisters in the videos. Remember these are videos and you could be the next week. We want to learn and grow not critcize.
Five basic points to consider.
•Size-Up
•Command
•Hose Lines ( Deployment, Number )
•Truck Functions
•Water Supply
When positioning your aerial truck square up with your objective, there will be a lot less twisting and negative force on your truck.
We want you to Identify basic functions by putting yourself in the position of our brother and sisters in the videos. Remember these are videos and you could be the next week. We want to learn and grow not critcize.
Five basic points to consider.
•Size-Up
•Command
•Hose Lines ( Deployment, Number )
•Truck Functions
•Water Supply
Posted in Education/Training, firefighting-operations, Truck Tips
We want you to Identify basic functions by putting yourself in the position of our brother and sisters in the videos. Remember these are videos and you could be the next week. We want to learn and grow not critcize.
Five basic points to consider.
•Size-Up
•Command
•Hose Lines ( Deployment, Number )
•Truck Functions
•Water Supply
Posted in command-leadership, firefighting-operations, Training, videos
Often times we look for drills that will get the crew going and makes everyone say great job I would have never thought of that, but this site is geared towards the basics so we will offer some simple tips.
General tips for all apparatus
1. Get a general impression of the apparatus- Do a complete 360 looking at the tires, body, and any external equipment for damage and wear ( i.e. spotlights, telescoping lights, hand tools)
2. Check all fluids possible that need to be checked before the apparatus is started.
3. Check all signaling equipment to include warning devices
Engines
1. Start with the above points
2. Check all nozzles ensuring they are turned to the right and set to the gallonage your department or officer requires them to flow. If using smoothbore ( Great Choice ) make sure that your handles and ball valve inside are good to go. If using automatic or selectable gallonage ensure that you have all your teeth and the bumper is in good shape also.
3. Ensure your hose is packed properly and will deploy without any hang ups
4. visually check your water level and foam if you have it. We know guages would never lie or break
5.Before engaging the pump operate and lubricant if necessary all valves and drains before placing it in pump
6. Engage the pump and make sure all controls with the exception of the valves are working ( i.e. transfer valve, pressure relief valve, manual overrides for pumps, or master control valves.
7. Be sure to check all lighting equipment, generators, and etc. ensure they run properly and properly serviced before being secured
Aerial Apparatus
1. Start with general tips above
2. Check aerial ladder for damage, check the welds and if you have a pinnable waterway, ensure it has a pin and it is placed correctly.
3. Check your hydraulic fluid and ensure there are no leaks
4. Check the outriggers and ensure there are no damage and they are operating properly.
5. Raise the Aerial ladder and place it in every angle, extended it fully, rotate it 360 degrees. ensure all safety alarms are working
6. Inspect your ground ladders and hand tools to ensure they are operating smoothly and don’t require matainance
Rescue/Squad Units
Have fun all of the above apply to you!
We want you to Identify basic functions by putting yourself in the position of our brother and sisters in the videos. Remember these are videos and you could be the next week. We want to learn and grow not critcize.
Five basic points to consider.
•Size-Up
•Command
•Hose Lines ( Deployment, Number )
•Truck Functions
•Water Supply
Just a few rants for the week
Fell free to add to the list and vent. No names, but feel free to let go
Posted in firefighter-safety-health, Thoughts
After being apart of some conversations, emails, and training I found that firefighters do not have an understanding that fire ground survival skills and Rapid Intervention are two separate disciplines. Fire Ground survival skills such as low profile maneuvers, ladder bails, and entanglement training provided the skills need to rescue a fellow firefighter who may encounter a fire ground emergency. Survival skills and Rapid Intervention get used everyday interchangeably but deserve their own time to develop these skills. Think of it like this we learn in school how to add and subtract, and those two alone are the foundation and survival skills you need later on for advanced mathematics such as Algebra. The reason we should know the difference is often firefighters on the fire ground are asked to be a RIT on the fire ground, but have no survival skills training to base RIT operations off of. When departments are creating training programs, trainers need to make sure members understand and are not getting burnt out on RIT training as many will say. Explanation will be required for members to understand how regular training allows for the proper default to learn skills when faced with emergencies. In the future we will post individual survival skills and rit drills. For success and more information on fire ground survival and rit I use the Fire Department Traininig Network. The Network has Fire Notes easy to read books that are practical and to the point as well as joining and receiving the monthly newsletter, and drill packages can be purchased check it out.
How do some firefighters get really good at their job and some, well, not so much. I was just perusing Malcolm Gladwell’s book “Outliers” and one of the focuses of the book is the 10,000 hour rule to become an expert or successful. I don’t plan on reading the book, but I’ve heard this 10,000 hour number before.
10,000 hours….
5 years full time employment (40hrs a week)
10 years part time
For the average firefighter that may take an hour a shift to check the piece; 64 years, if you do 3 shifts per week
OUCH! And that is just operating the piece and the equipment on it, not RIT training, not roof operations, not EMS skills, not fitness all of which a firefighter should be an expert at. Or is it 10,000 hours of “firefighter job related stuff”? Either way, I’m nowhere near it.
Now Gladwell is far from THE authority on the subject, having written about other people’s research and weaving in some interviews for flavor, but the idea is interesting.
I may have brought this up before, but have you ever watched someone at an incident farting around with a power tool like a monkey fornicating a football? Don’t you just think “Come on guy, the switch is still off”? How much time has he spent with that saw? How many hours? Minutes? He is acting like it’s his first time.
We ran a 2 1/2″ line in an attempt to fill our local pond on my last shift. The crew was all experienced and professional and I would consider a most of them to be experts. I asked for a solid stream (built into the nozzle) we had an issue finding it, when the hydrant was charged it gave the line too much pressure, We had a difficult time with apparatus placement to have an easy escape in order to stay available for responses.
The placement issue was all me. It was a silly new officer mistake. I try not to micro manage so I let the driver pick the placement based on my requirements, now I know better. The line problems were just rust. Not equipment rust, but firefighter rust. I know they are good at their jobs, it was a good refresher for all. The total delay or inconvenience was negligible and barely noticeable to anyone watching but everyone involved knew what happened and how to fix it.
When we were harassing each other about it later one of the younger firefighters ask what we were talking about and why it was an issue. So I see we need to do it again and get him a little closer to the 10,000.
Every time you put your hands on that piece of equipment you are learning something about it. All those little things that make checking the piece faster and easier for you also make you more familiar with it. The more familiar you are, the better you are but also the more complacent you become, not getting into that today.
Do I think the saw needs to be checked every day to be maintained? No. I do think it needs to be checked every day to maintain our readiness and competency with it. I can understand getting rusty with a 2 1/2″ line, 75% of our work is handled with an 1 3/4″, but there is no excuse for not knowing your saw, ladder, EMS equipment.
Are you going to get 10,000 hours of training and become an “expert”? I doubt it. Most of us have long passed the expert level at sleeping or channel surfing, maybe Grand Master level for some. But the general idea here is that you need to get your hands on that stuff. Get your face in the books.
Become a student of the fire service.
We want you to Identify basic functions by putting yourself in the position of our brother and sisters in the videos. Remember these are videos and you could be the next week. We want to learn and grow not critcize. Five basic points to consider.
•Size-Up
•Command
•Hose Lines ( Deployment, Number )
•Truck Functions
•Water Supply
We want you to Identify basic functions by putting yourself in the position of our brother and sisters in the videos. Remember these are videos and you could be the next week. We want to learn and grow not critcize. Five basic points to consider.
•Size-Up
•Command
•Hose Lines ( Deployment, Number )
•Truck Functions
•Water Supply
The True Honor and the best Memorial will to be by Training and Never repeating what has already been done. Seek excellence in all you do. Don’t talk training, Live it! Live to Learn, and Learn to Live!
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