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Quick Drill: Apparatus Drill for Appliances

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So, sometimes we need a change of pace or we've had a busy day on shift, but we still need to drill. Or, maybe your at your volunteer department and you have some guys just hanging out waiting for the next call.

 

 Here is a quick drill that, in many cases, will turn into a great discussion and even progress into some flowing of water or advancing of lines.

 

As the company officer we are tasked with drilling our company and personnel. It doesn't matter whether your paid or volunteer, the task is the same.  For this drill make a list of the hose appliances and equipment you have on your apparatus.

 

 

 

 

–Give each member the correct name or lable for one piece of equipment.

–Make them correctly retrieve it and identify it and to hook it up or depoly it.

–They have to give a little presentation on what it is for, how your organization uses it and a scenario that would require its use.  This should include flow rates, friction loss, limitations, capabilities, etc.

 

 

This creates some great discussion and is excellent for reviewing items that are infrequently used but could be critical for our success if needed.

 

This same format can be used in relation to other tools and pieces of equipment as well.  Hand tools, forcible entry tools, hose loads, specific parts on your SCBA, RIT bags and so on. You should get the point by now.

 

The idea is to get intimate with all of the equipment on your apparatus and to do it as a team.

 

Another method is to have the crew inventory the entire apparatus. Write each piece of equipment on a piece of paper and tear it off and place into a hat or empty coffee can.  Have each firefighter draw a slip of paper and have them write down what compartment its in.  After everyone has drawn and written down the compartments, go out and see how you did and explain each piece of equipment you drew.

 

This is a great familiarity drill and works really well during inclimate weather.

 

Whatever you do, get out and drill.

 

Posted by on May 17, 2013 • Filed under: Uncategorized

The First Due Rural Engine: Laying the Line

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I recently have had a lot of suggestions and requests to post on some volunteer, rural, combination issues that the fire service faces. I started and am still a member of a mostly rural volunteer, now combination, department. My earliest exposure to the fire service was at this mostly rural department.





 We had a large majority of our fires outside of our public water area and our staffing was limited, just like it is today. Most of our trucks were single cab trucks that would seat two or three, depending on if the seats were buckets or benches. This was the fire service I was raised in. As time went on this department has become a functioning combination department.





But, it still has the same demographics of a large rural response area with the challenge of staffing after the first arriving unit gets on scene. In some cases those first firefighters will have to wait for over 20 minutes for the nearest mutual aid company. This, of course, causes issues with water supply, interior attack and other critical firefighting functions.





These are issues that the American fire service is facing all over this country. Along with the posts that I will be posting in the coming weeks, there is another great resource for rural to suburban tactics at County Fire Tactics. Be sure to check them out on their web site and on Facebook. This post will highlight some first due engine ops for water supply in the rural setting.





 Some of you may not agree with all of these suggestions, but these have worked and have been tested. But, if you have a better way, feel free to share.





 One of the biggest challenges for the first due engine, besides staffing, is securing a water supply. There are no hydrants and we don't always know when the first tanker will arrive. (In the Midwest we use the term tanker as a ground apparatus that carries at least 1000 gallons of water.) When operating in a response area that has public water, it is not uncommon for the second arriving unit to lay into the first apparatus from the hydrant. Our additional units are usually quicker to arrive and the fire has not progressed as far because our response times are faster. In the rural setting our response times are longer due to proximity and road miles allowing the fire to grow longer, thus consuming more of the structure.





 So, we will need big water sooner than what might be required in a hydranted area. We have to prepare for this situation before the call comes in. How we carry and load our supply lines is critical. So many times our hose and the loads we use are set up for our hydranted areas; because its easy and there is a lot of information out there on how to lay into and from a hydrant. Additionally, we usually don't have to got too far to get to a hydrant. This is not usually the case when we get into the rural setting. I'm not going to tell you what you should or shouldn't do, your department has specific needs. But, I will offer some examples that have worked. When setting up your hose bed, you need to know what appliances will be used to distribute water to multiple apparatus. Have those appliances readily available and ready for deployment. Don't hide them away in the twilight zone that requires a heavy mover to get to. Make them accessible. This will speed your hose deployment and get you water faster. You need to have a good familiarity with your rural response area. Laying 900 feet of hose and still having 400 feet to the fire can cause a delay in getting water. Ideally, we want to be able to get to the fire building as the first due engine. So, you may have to be deliberate in where you lay your line. In doing that, laying away from an intersection or half way up a road or drive, leave a cone at the coupling for visibility. Have enough hose! As the first due engine dropping line can be a very smart move, if done right. When laying your line the first issue is to not take up the road or drive. Get to one side of the road or drive and lay it out on that side to allow other apparatus access. It might be worth having a firefighter follow the truck to guide the hose to one side of the road. This will pay dividends later. Doing this also gives you a guide to how much hose your laying and can relay that to the next in unit or your water supply tanker. You need to communicate to your next arriving unit what side of the road your laying, how much hose and if you reached the fire building or not. This will determine if the second unit will be your relay or if it needs to finish the lay. Depending on your department's capabilities, you may choose to lay a 3" supply line, dual 3" lines or large diameter hose. We typically will lay dual 3" lines. This takes preparation for you hose loads and can shorten your lay.  





Additionally, if using LDH, a good rule of thumb to remember is that every foot of LDH holds one gallon of water. So, you see how this might be a problem in filling the line initially depending on how much water your supply truck carries. Finally, the first arriving engine needs to try to place their apparatus in a position that is conducive for additional units, access to the fire and possibly room for tankers to maneuver in and out of.  





This post is very basic and only outlines an option for the first arriving engine or apparatus. We will cover more rural topics in the coming weeks. In the meantime, let us know what you want to read about. Also, share if you have tactics that you have found to be beneficial. Thanks and train hard.

Posted by on May 7, 2013 • Filed under: administration-leadership, command-leadership, firefighting-operations, fires, rescues, Training, training-development, training-fire-rescue-topics

HexArmor Glove Review

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We were visited by a sales rep from HexArmor who wanted show us their new line of extrication gloves.  He agreed to leave a few pairs for us to use during some extrication training.  We utilized four different pairs of gloves and all performed very well.  A quick note, these are do not carry the tag of meeting NFPA standards yet.  They are being used by some fire deparments for rescue and extrication ONLY. These are not firefighting gloves.  

Here is the review of the gloves.

 

 

A HexArmor sales rep stopped by the fire house one day last week while on way to another fire department.  He wanted a few minutes of our time to show a product that we have never used before.  He showed us the different styles of Extrication gloves that they sell.  We were then given a few pairs of gloves to demo and write a review on.  We then set up an extrication day with our local tow company to work the gloves through the test. 

  We had 4 different pairs of gloves on 4 different firefighters.  We then swapped with each other to see and compare the differences.  We also had another crew from a different house use the different styles of gloves.  4 pairs of gloves 10 different views and opinions. 

One of the neatest options that we shown by the sales rep was the super fabric lining.  Immediately our captain brought out his pocket knife and with a few passes  of the blade the  sample material remained intact with absolutely no signs of damage.

With all of the styles of gloves we tested we all agreed that the protection was excellent.  That was not based off of any cut rating or knife demonstration it was based off of pure use. The gloves feel strongly made and comfortable.  The dexterity and movement was great.  Grips on all models were great  whether wet or dry.  

We were able to move and turn the ball bearings collars on our hydraulic hoses easily.  There were only a few downfalls that we identified one of which was not being currently NFPA compliant.  To our understanding they are working on that.  

The other downfall was  when worn with PPE / turn out gear the models 4011 and the 4013 they could not be worn with our wristlets built into our coats. However, the model 4012 worked fine with the wristlets in our gear.

 

Thanks

Andrew, Glen, Steve

 

Different Views of gloves broken down

 

Gloves 4011 i used immediately after getting them on i noticed the dexterity. Usually with gloves with great dexterity you suffer with protection. That was not the case here.  These gloves have the leather palms and grips that did not slip at all.  The outer shell of the gloves has alot of the rubber which did not affect any of the dexterity as well.   My only downfall of the 4011 was that when used with my PPE my wristletts in my gear did not fit under the coat and could not be used.

 This problem was also the same problem Steve had with the 4013 style gloves.  Overall our opinions of the 4011 was a great overall glove with great support and protection that did not affect dexterity.

 

Glen started with the model 4012 he liked them alot and they worked well with his wristlets in the PPE. He felt that he put them to good use.  He got them wet, oiled, and never lost grip.  He felt protected and did not feel any of the sharp edges when removing glass was removed or any of the sharp edges.   The dexterity was excellent.

 

Steve was using the 4013 model gloves.  He felt just like we did the dexterity was great and even with hydraulic fluid, gas and water on the gloves the grip was excellent. 

Posted by on April 15, 2013 • Filed under: Uncategorized • Tagged: ,

Coast Knife Review

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I had one of our firefighters use the Coast Knife DX330 during some extrication training. My own use of the knife was excellent in functionality. It was sharp, felt good in my hand and was durable. The only negative I would say is that the locking mechanism did not always lock the blade. This could be an isolated problem and it wasn't an issue when using because there is a secondary, manual lock that kept the blade locked. Here is the review from the training.

Knife Review

Today during our extrication demonstration my crew and I put the knife to use. We broke windows cut seat belts and really put it to the test. Initially with the knife you notice the overall look and appeal. The belt clip is strong and when opened you notice the straight and serrated blade. Upon my first couple of times opening the knife i did not like how un stable it felt open when you do not use the secondary lock. It felt like it wanted to close on me but when i used the secondary lock it was fine. I don't know if every time i open the knife that i would like the extra work.

During the extrication we used the punch to break out the windows. It took a few swings to understand the strength needed to punch the windows. I hit the corners like needed but it took a few hard swings to break the window. Others that used the knife did not use as many swings and grasped the idea faster than me. It was an effective tool and i would carry this knife for a punch before i carried a window punch.

During the removal of the seat belt I was skeptical but with very little ease the belt was cut clean. We did notice that it was harder to cut when there was no tension on the belt. As long as there was tension and belt held straight the belt cutter razor worked like a dream.

Overall it was a great tool to have and carry daily or leave in your turn out gear just for car extrication minus the looseness of the primary lock.

Andrew Krato

Posted by on April 15, 2013 • Filed under: Uncategorized • Tagged: , , , , , , ,

Not All Things Change

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I read a lot of books. Some fire service related and others aren’t. I typically prefer historical or biographies of influential characters of our history. I also really enjoy the fire service books that share stories and experiences that are easy to relate to. Relativity is a good thing!

While teaching some of my classes the topic of today’s fire service being so much different than from years ago always comes up. There is no doubt that we are fighting fires in a much different environment than in years past. But, how different is what we are doing on the fireground from the way we did it 20 years ago?

Now I understand that we have to make changes and improvements and I am usually one of the biggest advocates if it is something that makes sense. But, change for the sake change is not good and usually causes more problems than not.

The real reason for this blog post is to encourage all of you to obtain a copy of and read and re-read Tom Brennan’s “Random Thoughts.” I keep this book with me just about all of the time and it is crazy good stuff. I marvel over and over again at the timely material and tactical suggestions that are from 1991! Yes, they are still relevant!

I never knew Mr. Brennan, but his ‘random thoughts’ are timeless. Just the most basic of topics like using a roof ladder is made interesting and is still very applicable today. How to stretch a hose line and how to search. It’s all in there.

I am not one for plugging products or materials, but I feel if ‘we’ in the fire service would follow the advice in this book and learn and share from these nuggets of knowledge, we would all be much better served, and safe.

Take some time to get back to the basics of firefighting and read this book. Just pick a page or two a day, and keep doing that for your career. You and the firefighters that you share with will be much better for it and so will the people you protect.

Thanks for reading and take care,
Jason

Posted by on February 18, 2013 • Filed under: Uncategorized

Quick Roof Lesson

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This is a quick drill for you company officers and acting officers. So much of what we do is coach and mentor our younger firefighters. When we are out and about we need to take the time point out things that might be obvious to us, but maybe not so much to others on our crew.

Use these photos to explain the challenges, dangers, benefits and tactical oppportunities with this roof. Share what you see and pass it on. You might pick up on something that someone else does not. But, maybe we can reach a firefighter with this drill that we don’t have on our crew. Maybe we can reach a volunteer that doesn’t have that daily mentor.

Clark Street Shoe Building 028

Clark Street Shoe Building 025

Clark Street Shoe Building 026

Clark Street Shoe Building 027

Share and thanks for reading.

Jason

Posted by on January 7, 2013 • Filed under: buildling construction, fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, fires, heavy timber, rescues, RIT, situational awareness

Simple Low Profiling Clip for SCBA

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The attached vidoe is a very short and simple clip about how teach firefighters to low profile. As we tell firefighters in our classes, removing your SCBA should be a last resort, but a skill that you must be proficient at. Being prepared is as much about mastering the basics as it is about being able to perform in the event that conditions dictate survival skills must be used.
Some quick pointers about low profile SCBA use:
–Know your air supply and that of your partner
–Never lose contact with your SCBA, it is highly suggested that you never lose contact with the SCBA strap that holds your regulator hose.
–Don’t over extend your arm when you push the SCBA ahead of you.
–Sound the floor before you enter the space as best you can
–If you have a hemet light, use it
–Stay in verbal contact with your partner
–If your in a situation that you must low profile or remove your SCBA, your probably in trouble, call the Mayday prior to removing your SCBA and entering a confined area reduced area.
–Conserve air and make sure you can access your radion at all times. Adjust your radio prior to low profiling.
As always, you must train on these techniques. Incorporate them into other SCBA training and become proficient in the capabilities and limitations of your equipment.
Take care and train hard, Jason.

Posted by on January 4, 2013 • Filed under: fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, fires, RIT, scba, search, self rescue, situational awareness