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The Long Stretch and Push

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Take a look at the pictures and think about getting water on the fire to the upper floor and/or making rescues. This building is one that is old and not sprinklered. It sits off of the road and aerial access is extremely limited, almost ineffective.

When looking at this type of building we need to consider the construction type, occupancy, access and egress points and any special hazards. What are our initial resources and what should we have coming on the way? This building is four stories and is a dormartory at a college. The corridor length is 225 from stairwell to stairwell. As you look at the building in the picture, the stairwell on the right is more remote from a parking surface than the one on the left. The elevation that you see in the picture from this side is the same on the opposite side.

There is a basement under this building with tunnels that lead to other campus buildings with limited access and egress where kids sneak away to do what kids sneak away to do. There is a great deal of combustible storage in these basements and tunnels.

Type 3 construction is the type of building we are dealing with and the interior has been altered over the years. There is an automatic alarm system but no standpipes. Water supply is limited; the closest hydrant is approximately 300 feet from where you would likely place first in companies and that hydrant, if laid from, would severely hinder access by other units because of only one access to the campus.

So, here we go……..what are your tactics and why? Watch the video and let everyone know what you would do and why. Use this for discussion purposes and relate it to buildings that you might have in your jurisdiction. Share your thoughts and ideas.

Train hard and we hope to see most of you at FDIC 2012 next week.

 

 

Posted by on April 9, 2012 • Filed under: administration-leadership, buildling construction, FDIC 2012, fire stopping, fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, fires, ladder truck/aerial devices, rescues, search, self rescue, situational awareness, size up, Training, training-development, Uncategorized • Tagged: , , , , , , , ,

Tools for a Purpose

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We have taught a lot of classes and trained extensively on numerous firefighter operations. One thing that always interests me is the choice of hand tools by firefighters. Each has their own preference and favorite, but in many cases when challenged as to why that specific tool is their tool of choice, the answer is not clear to them. Some are bound by the fact that they work on a truck, engine or squad.

 

Some are bound by their riding assignment based on what order they arrive on the scene. In many cases, however, they just pick what they want and what is convenient or easy to carry. This is dangerous and we encourage each firefighter to choose their tool with a purpose in mind.

When choosing your tool some things to consider are what your using it for, will it accomplish your tasks, is it durable and reliable and does it complement the tools of other members. I’m not here to tell you what tool to use, but I have some suggestions for you to consider when picking your too

l –Can you use it for forcible entry or forcible egress?

–Will it get the job your are assigned to do accomplished?

–Will it allow you to perform multiple functions with that tool? Is is versatile?

–Are you familiar and proficient with that tool? Do you train frequently with it?

–Will it complement what your team members are using?

This could be especially important for forcible entry and for being a more efficient team.

Take a look at the pictures and discuss the pros and cons of each tool. For example, I don’t like seeing guys coming off with a close hook. It is good for overhaul, but for forcible entry or breaching walls and getting out of a bad place, it’s not very useful. This is just my opinion. But, I have had firefighters pick that tool because it’s light and easy to carry. Make the tools that are preferred easy to access and train with them. Clean and inspect them on a regular basis. Take care of those tools. Get know their capabilities and their limitations. You have to get your hands on them. Discuss these options as a crew and/or company and share your thoughts. Take care and expect fire. Train hard!

Posted by on March 14, 2012 • Filed under: buildling construction, fire-rescue-topics, firefighting-operations, fires, forcible entry, ladders, RIT, search, self rescue, situational awareness, Training, Uncategorized • Tagged: , , , , , ,

More Building Construction for Size Up

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Here is a quick look at a building that offers more than one considering in regards to construction characteristics. The building in the photos is currently a resale shop. This building has been a tack shop, lawn equipment, sold boats and trailers. If you look hard at the front, it has been added onto.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The right side of the building was the original and the left was an addition. The front and side walls are wood frame with a brick veneer. As you can see, there is a parapet wall on three sides of the building. Both sides have been rearranged multiple times on the interior to accommodate the occupant of the moment. The original roof was flat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This side view shows some exterior doors and the brick veneer. We can also see the electric service and a boarded up window. This two doors lead to different areas of the building and are not adjoining. You can also see that the parapet wall appears to be very tall and of combustible material.

 

This is the rear view and the most telling about this building. We can see that the back wall is different from the other three walls. The back wall is of block. We can also see that the roof is a lean to type of construction and knowing the history of this building, it is a “rain roof” or “roof over” that covered an old flat roof.

We can also see the parapet wall is brick on the two side walls with support ties. We know that those connections are very likely going to fail during a fire. There is a lot of void space that could be difficult to get to due to the “rain roof” and early collapse of the parapet wall should be expected.

In addition, the importance of the block wall in the back is important for orientation as well. If we get inside and get to a wall that is block, we have a pretty good idea of where we are. We only would know this by pre-planning and/or doing our 360.

These are just a few of the considerations you must think of when presented with this building or one like it. Discuss this with your crews and identify buildings that are similar in your response areas.

Train hard, stay safe, and remember those who have fallen for the lives of others. Please especially remember the families of Chief Kyle Ienn, Firefighter Doug Haase, Chief David Flint, Fire Lt. Kevin West who all left us this week.

Posted by on February 3, 2012 • Filed under: administration-leadership, buildling construction, command-leadership, fire codes, fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, fires, in-the-line-of-duty • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Anatomy of a Basement Fire

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Here is a short video that you can use for a drill or training night. Feel free to use however you like. This is from a recent basement fire and what was looked for and what was done. There are some considerations to think about. This is not everything for all basement fires. Just a simple tutorial. Feel free to add your experience and ideas to this video.

Stay safe,
Jason

Posted by on December 25, 2011 • Filed under: administration-leadership, buildling construction, fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, fires, rescues, RIT, search, self rescue, situational awareness, size up, Training, training-development, training-fire-rescue-topics, VES • Tagged: , , , , , ,

Judge Not….

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I’ve done it and you’ve done it. It is going to happen again and it’s going to happen soon. With every line of duty death the Monday morning quarterbacks come out and tell us all what they should have or should not have done. We preach and teach to learn from these tragedies by understanding the circumstances surrounding the incident. But, what are we doing to make sure that this doesn’t happen?

Our job is dangerous. Worcester Fire Department is a highly trained department and according to some reports I have gotten, fight these types of fires every year. There are some additional factors like high winds and possibly illegal renovations that compromised the structural integrity of the building. Neither of these two factors can be anticipated or controlled. We have a job to do and when we are told that someone is in a building, we do what we can to get to them. As I write this I have not heard confirmation that there was or was not a victim found.

I have no doubt that we could dissect and scrutinize what happened and we would have done this or that differently. We will hear how simplistic it should have been and others pounding the table that we don’t enter buildings that are compromised. Guess what? As soon as that building catches fire it is compromised!

What frustrates me more is that in the fire service many are real good at solving problems after the fact and few try to identify and solve them before they are actualized. It’s not just judging the YouTube video or a line of duty death, no, it’s many things. “That guy doesn’t know what he’s doing.” “That guideline is outdated and inefficient.” “That small time volunteer fire department doesn’t know what they’re doing.” Of course, most of these “kitchen table experts” have no desire to be proactive or to put themselves out there to take the lead on a project to make a positive change.

Sometimes, and I’m not saying this is the case yet, things are not preventable. Sometimes we are going to lose. We hope not, but we are running into burning, compromised buildings to save lives and property. When someone comes to us and is telling us someone is in the building, if we can make a push, we will and we should. This is what we do and why we are here. There is no time to run down a check list to determine if a certain profile is met. We don’t have time to switch our size up decision making. We have to consider the situation presented to us at the time and use our training and experience to do our best to attempt a rescue.

But, if we do want to be Monday morning quarterbacks I suggest a different approach. Take your expertise and knowledge to some less fortunate departments in regards to resources for training and teach. Share your experience and knowledge with these departments and individuals to keep bad decisions being made on the fire ground. I believe that this is the best way to honor those who have sacrificed their lives for others. Whether there were mistakes or not, we can help to prevent those who don’t have resources to perform appropriately on the fire ground.

We recently did a class in a remote part of our state and had two firefighters arrive with some hand-me down gear and SCBA. Neither had worn the gear before and neither had ever had on an SCBA. They stated they had been fighting fire with self purchased boots, gloves and helmets. That’s it. Nothing more. This is still happening. We had to pull these two firefighters aside and walk them through some basics about gear and SCBA operations. We took extra time with them just to teach them basic firefighter skills. They were more than willing to learn and were eager.

The point is this: let’s put our efforts into training and teaching firefighters to operate safely instead of beating up departments, officers and firefighters after the fact. Can we learn from these tragic events? Absolutely! We should learn lessons in a constructive manner from not just tragic events, but from every call we run. There is always something to learn whether things went well or not so well.

Train, be tolerant and make a difference in a positive way. Stay safe and thanks for reading.
Jason

Posted by on December 11, 2011 • Filed under: administration-leadership, buildling construction, command-leadership, fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, fires, in-the-line-of-duty, line-of-duty, major-incidents, mayday, news, rescues, RIT, scba, search, self rescue, situational awareness, size up, Training, training-development, training-fire-rescue-topics, vacant building fires, ventilation, VES • Tagged: , , , ,

Balloon Frame Construction: From the Inside

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This short clip show balloon frame construction from the inside. With Engine House Training, LLC this summer, we had the opportunity to hold a class in this building. It was going to be torn down and the interior wall coverings in most of the house had been removed. That exposed the balloon frame construction characteristics that we so often speak of but seldom have the chance to see.

Use this however you like and share it.  Hopefully, this will help someone to better understand the meaning of balloon frame buildings and to ensure proper tactics are used with these structures.

Keep training and pass on your knowledge to others. Share the gift.

Posted by on November 18, 2011 • Filed under: buildling construction, fire stopping, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, fires, self rescue, situational awareness, size up, training-development, training-fire-rescue-topics, trusses • Tagged: , , , , ,

One Aspect of the 360

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I understand that all buildings, for various reasons, will not get a 360 performed on it during a fire. But, for those that we do get to job around, we need to understand what we are looking for.

I recently spoke with an acting officer and asked him what he was looking for when performing a 360. His answer was "fire."  I asked what else? The answer came, "ways in."  We need to make sure we are taking advantage of the information being made available to us while we are circling the building.

This post is going to focus on some basement indicators.  The pictures shown below are just examples of things you might see when making the round.  Keep in mind that at night you need to take a hand light.  For example, the wood behind the basement windows below may not be noticeable with shining a light in the windows on the way around.

        

We must pay attention to what we are looking for when conduction the 360. As you can see, we may be faced with some very challenging situations.  Not only do we need to be aware during the initial arrival, but the RIT will need this information as well.

As always, follow you own operational guidelines and train hard.

This and other topics will be discussed during one of my presentations at Fire Rescue International 2011.  I am presenting for the Company Officer Development track and hope to see you there.

Jason

Posted by on August 21, 2011 • Filed under: administration-leadership, buildling construction, command-leadership, exits, fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, fires, forcible entry, mayday, rescues, RIT, scba, search, self rescue, situational awareness, size up • Tagged: , , , , , , ,

Upcoming Radio Show with “Taking it to the Streets”

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Check the upcoming radio show tomorrow night on "Taking it to the Streets" with Chris Naum.  It is sure to be a great show and a good time.  Here is some more information:

 

Please call in with your questions and get involved in the online discussions that always are part of the shows.

Stay safe and keep training hard.

Jason

Posted by on August 16, 2011 • Filed under: administration-leadership, command-leadership, fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, fires, self rescue, situational awareness, training-development, training-fire-rescue-topics • Tagged: , , , , , , ,

Basic Tactical Considerations

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This post is just a simple challenge of tactical considerations.  The photos that are posted show a single-family house that had fire venting from the C/D corner when first units arrived.  The first in crews could not make the entire hallway on the first push do to intense heat and smoke.

The smoke was banked almost to the floor even with the fire venting from that corner bedroom.

What are some considerations that must be looked at with this fire?  What would be your next plan of action?  Why ist there so much heat and smoke with the fire venting the exterior?  What is your size up?

Share your thoughts and answers with everyone and use this as discussion with your crew.  

As always, train hard and stay safe,

Jason

Posted by on July 23, 2011 • Filed under: buildling construction, command-leadership, fire-rescue-topics, firefighting-operations, fires, search, situational awareness, size up, training-development, training-fire-rescue-topics, Uncategorized, vent, ventilation • Tagged: , , , , , , , , ,

Storage in the Stairs

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We know the importance of inspections and identifying hazards in the buildings that we serve and respond to.  This is just a simple reminder of one hazard that depending on it's location in the building, can be missed.

Combustible storage under stairs or in the stairwell can cause some serious problems.  Even in sprinklered buildings this is a hazard.

The pictures you seeshows a pile of combustible storage in the stairwell and under the stairs in a hotel.  You can also see that this is in the means of egress area next to the exit door.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Smoke from a fire from these combustible materials can make the use of the stairwell almost impossible and access for firefighters difficult.  Occupants are expected to use the stairs during a fire and a large mass of people filling a smoke filled stairwell is disastrous.

This building also is equipped with standpipes in the stairwells, so making that connection would be difficult for fire crews trying to make the connection.

Keep an eye on your buildings and explain this situations to your crews to impress the importance of inspections and mitigating these hazards before they become problems.

Train hard and stay safe.

Jason

Posted by on June 25, 2011 • Filed under: administration-leadership, command-leadership, fire codes, fire sprinklers, fire-prevention-education, fires, high rise, inspections, situational awareness, size up, training-development • Tagged: , , , ,

Standpipe Crowding

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We have discussed standpipes in the past, but I think it is worth mentioning again. Standpipes in large and high rise buildings are our water source. It is important to know the location of these devices and to ensure that they are not obstructed.

In addition we need to know and understand if they have pressure reducing devices and how that affects our operations.  Study up on these systems and know how to adapt and trouble shoot the stand pipes in your area.

The picture shown is a stand pipe in a hotel. I went to ice in the hotel I was staying in and this was right next to the ice machine.  I didn't measure it, but this standpipe would be very difficult to connect to. Additionally, if we did get connected with hose only, there would certainly be a kink at the coupling, further reducing our pressure.  

This might be a time when we would try to put an elbow on the connection prior to connecting our hose.  However, I think that with this particular standpipe connection, it would be a stretch just to get the elbow connected as well.

Know your buildings and their systems. Prepare for these types of problems and come up with solutions before you have a fire. Thanks for reading and train hard.

Jason

Posted by on June 19, 2011 • Filed under: buildling construction, command-leadership, fire codes, fire-prevention-education, fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, fires, high rise, inspections, situational awareness, training-fire-rescue-topics • Tagged: , , , , , , ,

Where Goes the Second Line?

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We all know that it is easy to fall into a rut when it comes to training and even operating at what is labeled the "routine" call. Especially for those that are in suburban, mostly bedroom communities.  

If your like most of the country, you pull past the house to get three sides, stretch a pre-connected hand line and make entry into the front door.  Does this sound familiar to anyone?  And, more times than not, this works just fine.

However, sometimes the bigger issue becomes where to take the second line? What apparatus does it come from and what size should it be?  What about the length?

For most single-family, single story homes, line placement becomes mundane and we get a bit complacent.  The second line many times gets pulled from the same rig as the attack line and goes in the same door as the attack line.

Again, I prefer a seconday apparatus for the back up line, but in most house fires the front door is appropriate for the back up line too.  Of course, it all depends on what is taking place and many other variables as well.

One of the biggest problems I see quite often is on two story house fires.  The first line goes to the fire up stairs and the back up line is at the door.  One of the primary concerns is the integrity of those stairs.  That second line needs to go to the stairs to protect the egress for the crew operating on the second floor.

The same has to be done if you have an attack team on the first floor and a search team on the second; a line needs to be deployed to the stairs.  We must protect that  egress point.  In addition, note changing conditions to the search team and the attack team.  Maybe the fire has spread or can't be found by the attack team and your observations are important.

What are your operational guidelines for the back up line?  Share you experiences and thoughts.

As always, stay safe and train hard.

Jason

Posted by on April 23, 2011 • Filed under: buildling construction, command-leadership, fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, fires, rescues, RIT, search, situational awareness, Uncategorized • Tagged: , , , , , , , ,

Basement Considerations

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With the recent posts about the anniversary of the Colerain-Township LODD from 2008, I thought I would provide some thoughts about basements and some of the things we can do to better prepare.

It recent years it seems we hear a lot about firefighters being killed and injured in residential fires where the basement was involved.  There are a few reasons for this including changing building construction as in the use of engineered i-joists and the heavy fire loads that we have in basements.  In addition, most houses with basements don't just use them for storage anymore. Basements are used as active living spaces increasing activity, heating and electrical demands that were not always present in the past.

One thing that we can do to help prevent some of these issues is to know what we are dealing with.  Probably one of the most important tasks a fire officer can do when arriving on the scene of a residential fire is to complete a 360 walk around of that building.  This gives us information we cannot obtain by darting for the front door.

By seeing all four sides of the fire building we can see if the seat of the fire is in the basement and may allow us a more direct attack from the same level as the fire reducing the chances of floor failure.  We are also able to see hazards that impede our egress if a quick escape is necessary.  It gives us an idea of our options for ventilation and fire control.

The pictures show some of the hazards that we can find and keep mind of during our 360.  Exterior stair wells are altered and secured causing us difficulty making an egress.  This is a perfect time for the first due officer to relay these findings to the next due or the RIT crew.  These other units should cut locks, open bulk heads and make sure the egress points of the basement are accessible.

Additionally, we need to know the characteristics of the buildings in our still area.  This is a picture of a house that is approximately 50 years old and the stairs to the basement are in the garage.  Not knowing this could put our initial attack team at risk by searching the main level while fire is burning under them increasing the chances of a failure.  Some of these homes have no outside exit and we must protect the stairs for the basement crew just like we would for a crew that ascend to a floor above us.

Take some time to look around your area and discuss these issues with your crew.  Prepare your newer members for that thermal layer as you descend the stairs into a basement.  We all know what that first experience is like.  Train hard and don't forget to do that 360, it may just save your life.

Train hard and stay safe,

Jason

Posted by on April 8, 2011 • Filed under: buildling construction, engineered lumber, fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, fires, i joists, line-of-duty, rescues, search, self rescue, situational awareness, size up, training-development, training-fire-rescue-topics, Uncategorized • Tagged: , , , , , , ,

Kitchen Suppression Dump Test and Suggestion

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Some devastating fires have occurred in commercial cooking establishments.  We all know the history of fast food restaurant fires and the toll they can have on a fire department if the fire is not found early.

Kitchen suppression systems are designed to activate to limit the effects of a grease fire in these establishments. It is important to note that when these fires occur and the system is activated, the return air should shut off and the hood vent should activate if it is not already on.

When these systems are designed they are equipment specific. Meaning that the flow points are determined by the type of cooking appliance and its location under the hood and suppression system. Moving or replacing any appliance requires reevaluation of the system and could mean an alteration to keep the system adequate.

As you can see in the picture, the appliance shown has wheels.  This could create a problem in the future when the ownership wants to move things around a bit and could be detrimental to the effectiveness of the system. One suggestion is to adopt a local ordinance that requires these wheels to be removed or locked. I have seen it both ways and it is up to your jurisdiction on how to do that.

Secondly, you want to ensure that the suppression system is hooked into a monitored fire alarm system or on a direct dial alarm system.  We, the fire department, want to know if this system activates.  Even if the system puts the fire out, there is a possibility of fire being pulled into the vent duct. If there are any penetrations or gaps in that duct, fire could smolder above for a long time or it could be burning the uncleaned grease.  We also want to make sure that if that system activates it gets put back in service appropriately and prior to cooking commencing again.

In the video it shows a "dump" test where we make sure that the correct amount of product is being flowed and that all utilities are shut off with the activation.

I know this is not a tactical post, but it gives you a little insight of why these systems are important.  I may not have touched on all of the aspects of these systems, so if you have additional comments or suggestions, please feel free to comment.

Thanks, stay safe and be careful.

Jason

Posted by on March 31, 2011 • Filed under: buildling construction, fire codes, fire-prevention-education, firefighting-operations, fires, inspections, kitchen systems, training-fire-rescue-topics • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , ,

Type IV Construction

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We are continuing to look at the different types of construction and the characteristics of each.  This post will outline considerations of Type IV or Heavy Timber construction.

Heavy timber construction is a type of construction we don’t see popping up in new buildings very often. However, there are still a great many buildings that are or were Type IV construction in our jurisdictions.  We need to identify these buildings in both circumstances.

True heavy timber construction does not have void spaces. It is built with masonry or brick exterior walls with large diameter, six inches and more, interior structural components.  There have been debates about how these large beams and structural elements hold up to fire and some have found the large diameter wood components to hold up longer than steel.  The reason for this is that the steel will elongate and deform at around 1000 degrees and is prone to failure at that point. The large diameter components may burn, but they hold their integrity longer than the time it takes for steel to deform.  Obviously, there are variables, but an interesting bit of information.

These fires burn hot and for a long time. These are typically large buildings and have an additionally large fire load, making extinguishment difficult.  Many times we find these buildings in more urban areas and in highly dense locals. However, churches and resort lodges are common places for this type of construction.  Exposure protection is of the utmost importance and establishing an effective collapse zone is important.

When these building get remodeled and are altered, they can then be considered Type III construction.  The reason for the Heavy Timber classification is the benefit of the extended time of burning and the lack of void spaces. We lose some of that as false ceilings and new framed walls and floors are added to create lofts or office space.  Just something to consider because you will need to plan accordingly for the interior changes that are being made to these types of buildings.

Train hard, master the basics and have plan before you go to battle. Stay safe.

Lodge picture from Vermont Timber Works, visit them at vermonttimberworks.com

Posted by on February 10, 2011 • Filed under: buildling construction, fire codes, fire-rescue-topics, firefighting-operations, fires, heavy timber, situational awareness, Uncategorized • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , ,

Fire Service Books

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This is a little off the beaten path for me and my blogs, but it is something that I have been paying more attention to lately.  I have been laid up from a hernia repair and have been reading and doing a little research for other projects and it occurred to me that I utilize the same three books on a regular basis.

No matter what level you are at in the fire service, you should be building a decent sized library of fire/emergency related books.  This is one more method to staying sharp and on top of your game.  Having quality information to turn to for those forgotten tricks of the trade or to remember a characteristic of a certain type of construction is paramount and makes you a better firefighter.

Here are the three books that I use on a regular basis and why.

1. “Building Construction for the Fire Service,” 3rd Edition, by Francis L. Brannigan.

This book was one I got during the mid 90′s for a college course and I have it highlighted, marked and it is never too far from my grasp. The great thing about this book is that it has never gotten outdated.  The information is still relevant and insightful.  This is definitely one book that should be on your shelf.

Make sure you look at the “Tactical Considerations” in the chapters that give some ideas on how to apply the lessons to firefighting tactics.

2.  ”Collapse of Burning Buildings: A Guide to Fireground Safety,”  by Vincent Dunn

This book has a great deal of content that is covered in Brannigan’s book but more directly applied to the collapse of these buildings.  Chief Dunn goes into great detail how these buildings collapse and the problems that different types of collapses cause.

The illustrations are great examples for those that need some visual help and you can apply this information immediately as a firefighter and fire officer.  This book is a great tool to have company discussions with. Sit down with your crew and pick a chapter or topic and start playing out scenarios in your jurisdiction where these dangers exist.

3. “Safety and Survival on the Fireground,” by Vincent Dunn.

This book is everything firefighting.  Just about anything that you want to know about firefighting is in here. The great thing is that the information is short, to the point and easy to apply to situations.

Keeping these books and others within reach is a good way to stay engaged. These resources gives you valuable information at your fingertips when you need it. It is also a good way to pass on information to others and to have meaningful conversation about “fire stuff.”

Stay safe and keep your mind on the task at hand, becoming a better firefighter.

Other places to get books for the fire service:

Fire Engineering

Fire Service Books

FireBooks.com

FireRescue1

IFSTA

The Fire Barn

These are just a few, if you know of others, please let us know.

Posted by on February 4, 2011 • Filed under: backdraft, buildling construction, command-leadership, fire stopping, fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, fires, forcible entry, heavy timber, high rise, i joists, search, self rescue, situational awareness, size up, training-development, training-fire-rescue-topics, trusses, vacant building fires, vent, ventilation, VES • Tagged: , , , , , , , ,

Never Forget, Honor and Learn

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This marks the 6th anniversary of the Black Sunday fire in New York City. Two brothers, Lt. Curtis Meyran and Lt. John Bellew. Four other firefighters were severely injured after jumping out of the fourth floor of an apartment building, Firefighters Jeff Cool, Lt. Joe DiBernardo, Firefighter Eugene Stolowski and Firefighter Brendan Cawley to escape severe fire conditions.

The Story.

These men’s families and own lives have been forever changed and we need to honor their sacrifices and learn from the events that happen at that fire. This fire could happen to any of us. Train hard, honor the fallen and remember the lives and families left behind.

Stay safe and train hard.

Posted by on January 23, 2011 • Filed under: buildling construction, fire codes, fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, fires, in-the-line-of-duty, line-of-duty, mayday, rescues, RIT, situational awareness, training-development, training-fire-rescue-topics • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

What’s on Your Stick?

5 comments

This past week we did some aerial operations and flat roof ops training over a three day period.  We used our own 105 foot straight stick and a neighboring departments 105 foot bucket. What learned real fast was that everyone uses their ladder/aerial device differently and has different equipment on the ladder/aerial device.

It made me very curious about why departments build and set up their device certain ways.  So, I have taken some time to look at a few aerial apparatus over this past week just to get a better idea about what is out there.  Does it make a difference to me if it is not my device?  Absolutely!

We run a great deal of mutual aid and there is a good chance that I might be operating off of someone else’s aerial device.  It is good to know what the different options are on our surrounding sticks.  How does the nozzle work?  What tools are on the ladder and what do I need to bring with me?  The options go on and on.

So, what do you have on your stick?  What tools are mounted and do you like to have on the ladder?  Does your device provide air or are you limited to what’s on your back?  If there are roof/attic ladders on the stick, what are their lengths? Will they reach down from your tallest parapet wall?

There is nothing like being prepared and this is sometimes overlooked because it is not always used, especially in rural and suburban areas.

Give us your feedback and comments, we are all waiting to learn some great ideas and suggestions.

Train hard and stay safe.

Posted by on November 3, 2010 • Filed under: fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, fires, ladder truck/aerial devices, training-development, training-fire-rescue-topics • Tagged: , , , , ,

Lucky Stop

3 comments

We recently had a fire in an apartment complex.  The apartments all have exterior entrances independent of each other.  They are two stories in height and the landings from the upper floor units are unprotected treated lumber.

These were built prior to my current position and I don’t remember what year they were built, but I am guessing that they are about 12 years old.  The fire started in a plastic planter that was next to the door and had what the tenant called “very old” potting soil in it.  The tenant used the planter as a receptacle for her cigarettes.

Plastic Planter

As the fire grew, it spread to the vinyl siding and got into the soffit and on into the attic. Luckily the tenant happened to wake up and noticed a glow on the porch; no smoke detectors were activated and the unit next door was vacant.

All occupants escaped with no injuries and fire crews quickly arrived and made a good find and stop.

When they started doing overhaul they noticed something a little different about the fire barrier between the two units.

As you look at the picture below, you will notice in the upper right hand side of the photo the charred truss chase that did not extend to the left due to the draft stopping.

Draft Stopping

However, this could have been worse because this should have been a continuous fire barrier between the two units.  In addition the draft stopping should be protecting both sides of the truss shown.

The problem that the builder ran into was that the truss did not line up with the separation wall and the code official at the time either missed it or let it slide.

It was a good example of how these measures work.  It was also a good opportunity to show the building manager how it worked and why it is important to do these things right.

If you get a chance to look at some of these buildings as they are going up, do so and look for these types of building components and fire stopping.  Oh, the ceiling did have the proper rating with two sheets of drywall.

Fire Stop the Breach

Also, that wire is a breach or penetration in the fire barrier/draft stop and should be fire stopped with rated, UL listed caulk.

Stay safe out there and be careful.

Posted by on October 26, 2010 • Filed under: buildling construction, fire codes, fire stopping, fire-prevention-education, fires, training-fire-rescue-topics, trusses • Tagged: , , , , , , ,

VES Video

1 comment

Here is a pretty good, basic video on VES (vent, enter and search).  It has good demonstration points from the beginning of the operation to the complete search of one room.  The thing I like about this video is the use of two persons for the VES.

Although this can be done with one person, you must weigh the risk vs. benefit, it is ideal to do this with two people.  However your department chooses to perform this function, you must train regularly.

One thing that is not mentioned in the video is the fact that personnel performing VES must be highly trained and experienced. Knowing how to read changing conditions, fire behavior and building construction is a must.

Keep on training and stay safe out there.

Posted by on October 19, 2010 • Filed under: buildling construction, enter, fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, fires, forcible entry, rescues, search, situational awareness, training-fire-rescue-topics, vent, VES, videos • Tagged: , , , , , , , ,

Passing “It” On: Part 1

2 comments

I recently taught an Instructor 1 class and one of the things that I really like to make a point to emphasize is that we need to  pay attention to those firefighters and officer who are “salty” and who have been around a while.

We know that we have to attend classes and that we must get our noses in the trade journals and worth while web sites, but do we really listen when our more senior members are “telling stories?”  If not, we really need to start paying attention.

As a disclaimer, not all senior members will share or they just have never been engaged in the fire service. But, even some of those guys have something to offer even if they don’t realize it.  Each story has a lesson and we need to recognize this and absorb all we can while they are here.

Okay, so where I am going with this?  A few days after finishing this class, we were doing the dinner dishes and the discussion came up from a couple of the younger guys about fires and training.  Some how the conversation turned to commercial buildings, more specifically strip malls and fast food restaurants.

Out of curiosity I asked one of them what the first thing they would do if they responded to one of these buildings with a slight haze, odor of smoke or even an alarm sounding?  His first response was to go to the electric panel.

Well, as most of you may know where I am going with this, we advised him that he was wrong.  He had never been taught to take a pike pole and lift a ceiling tile as soon as you walk in the door.  This is critical information and I was shocked that his captain had  not covered this at some point.  Granted, he spends a large majority of his time on an LSV, but this is something he should have known.

What we did was have a very informative training lesson while doing dishes. I am pretty sure this will stick with him for the rest of his career as we discussed some case studies on this type of fire.  It didn’t take a lot of class preparation or Powerpoint slides, just an eager firefighter and some older ones willing to share.

Talk fire and rescue.  This has to be a normal activity in the fire house.  If we can instill this in the newer generation they will pass it on also.  We owe it to them to give them every little nugget of information that we can, sometimes whether they want it or not.

What was passed on to you by someone that you worked or trained with? How did it change what you did in the fire service? Let us know your story and keep on fighting the good fight.

Stay safe and train hard.

Posted by on October 13, 2010 • Filed under: command-leadership, fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, fires, forcible entry, line-of-duty, situational awareness, training-development, training-fire-rescue-topics • Tagged: , , , , , , , ,

Basics of Size-Up and Smoke Reading

2 comments

Here is a good video from our buddy Dale Pekel. Dale has a series of great training videos. In this video, he shows some basics about size up and reading smoke.

We have to do more of this, and like Dale says, be proactive. Train hard and we’ll see you on the “big one.”

Posted by on September 6, 2010 • Filed under: backdraft, buildling construction, firefighting-operations, fires, vent, ventilation, VES • Tagged: , , , , , , ,

Adapting–The Rest of the Story

1 comment

First, let thank you all for the comments.  There are no right or wrong answers, just great thoughts and ideas for us to all think about and learn from.  Now, the rest of the story.

The rest of the story.

There is nothing earth shattering here, but I learned two valuable lessons on this fire.

When we pulled up on this fire, the first arriving engines were all two man cabs. We didn’t have jump seats in any of our trucks at the time. I did some digging and found out that this fire was in 1997.

The drive was narrow and we got hung up in the ditch, blocking the drive right off the bat.  Luckily we had multiple trucks rolling at the dispatch and we had adequate personnel.

The first crew stretched a 1 3/4 inch line in through the side B door in the kitchen and advanced up the stairs.  The first floor had no smoke or fire at this time.  It became apparent fairly quickly that the initial attack was not making any progress.

We advanced a second line, a 2 1/2 inch stretch up the same stairs and made a very fast knock down.  The importance of this is that we did this with less than 1000 gallons of water.  Why do I stress this?

I have had debates about using large lines when water supplies are limited or late in developing.  When asked about using a larger line the response is that they would not use one because they will run out of water too fast.  My rebuttal is always that they may just get enough gpm on the fire to put it out before you run out of water.  That is exactly what we did.  Oh, and two guys handled the hose!

So, lesson 1 is big fire equals big water. If the fire is advanced enough that you will run out of water, it wont make any difference what size your line is. But, the larger line will put out more fire in that short amount of time.

While we were up stairs fighting fire, there was a crew in the living room doing some work. They had started salvage operations in the unaffected part of the house.  Understand that we didn’t need extensive ventilation and we had adequate manpower.  But, they stacked and covered everything in the living room and did the same in other rooms that were appropriate.

This ended up paying off big with the homeowner. As happy as they were about us putting out their fire, they were just as happy, or even more so, that we protected what had not been damaged by fire but would have been by the water.  When they were interviewed by the paper they went on and on about our efforts to protect all of their property.

So, lesson number 2 is to take the time to perform salvage operations if manpower and conditions permit. It is something that is too often overlooked.

By the way, there was no basement here, but all of you are correct in assuming this until you know for sure.  All of the responses were great and I really appreciate the time that you took to share.

Stay safe and be careful.

Posted by on July 22, 2010 • Filed under: administration-leadership, command-leadership, fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, fires, training-development, training-fire-rescue-topics • Tagged: , , , , ,

Adapting

5 comments

What size line would you take?

This was a fire I was on one night over ten years ago.  It was a great learning fire and the tactics had to be changed for a successful stop.

I can tell you that a great deal went right this night and there were things that happened away from the fire that paid huge dividends.

If you are the first arriving unit and officer, explain where your going and what your doing.  I’ll give you a little information to help you along.

-This is in a rural area, no hydrants.

-The house is old. Old newspaper and straw were found in the walls during overhaul.

-We had plenty of manpower.

-On side B there is a door that leads to the kitchen and the stairs go up from the kitchen on that side, just so you know.

I would like to see a great deal of feedback on this one.  Please let me know what operations would be going on away from the fire.  After I get enough comments, I will post what we did and why it worked.

As always, thanks for your continued support and use this however you want for your training purposes.

Stay safe and be careful out there.

Posted by on July 18, 2010 • Filed under: administration-leadership, buildling construction, command-leadership, fire-rescue-topics, firefighting-operations, fires, overhaul, situational awareness, training-fire-rescue-topics • Tagged: , , , , , , , ,

What’s In Your Pockets?

10 comments

Since day one in the fire service, we have each had that one thing that we always carry in our gear.  A screw driver, pliers, wire cutters, rope or webbing.  Over the years we might accumulate more or downsize to just what we need.

What do you carry on your person?

I am always curious when I hear some state that they don’t want any extra weight on them, that their gear is heavy enough.

As you can see, we recently were issued the external harnesses.  We had members that complained about the weight and extra attention that needed to be paid to getting into the gear. I personally have not had any problems and I will post on these harnesses another time.

The matter at hand is “what’s in your pockets?”  I have things that I always carry with me no matter what and there are some items that I would like to add and just haven’t done it yet.

I keep a 30 foot piece of webbing, two cords, wire cutters, (need new ones), regular pliers, screw drivers, a  center punch and I wear a flash light on my coat.  There are some items that I need to add, but for now this is what I have.  For example, I would like to add a 25 and 50 foot section of 8mm rope, wooden wedges and a new pair of spring loaded wire cutters.

Flash light on the coat.

What do you carry and why?  Do you have any great stories of needing any of your tools and were glad you had them?

Share your input and give us your recommendations and suggestions on what to carry and why.

Stay safe and be careful out there.

Posted by on June 15, 2010 • Filed under: fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, fires, forcible entry, rescues, RIT, scba, search, training-development, training-fire-rescue-topics • Tagged: , , , , , , , ,