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My Visit to Houston Fire Department

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Houston House 8

My family and I recently took a trip to Houston and Galveston Beach.  Well, like most firefighters, I like to stop in and see the local firefighters and to talk a little shop and to see what they have in the way of equipment.

We didn’t get to a Galveston station, but we did stop by Houston FD Station 8 in downtown Houston.

First, let me say that the men that were on duty that day were very nice and treated my family and me very well.  My kids, being used to the firehouse setting, ran crazy and were all over the trucks; with adult supervision of course.  Thanks to all of the guys on that day, you know who you are.

No matter where I go, I always learn something new and interesting about that particular department. Whether it be about the house we are visiting, the equipment, operations or historical information, each place has it’s own story and way of doing things.

Two person pike pole.

This picture shows a two person pike pole that HFD has mounted to the front of this engine.  It was explained that it is used on buildings that have some very “tough” walls, like double plaster and lathe that back up to each other.  This pole allows two firefighters on each side to double the force of the pole.  I had never seen one of these and was very interesting.

Firefighters, as we know, are all very creative in one way or another.  The next picture shows a hood that HFD wears.  I had never seen one of these either, but a HFD firefighter came up with this concept and is now produced by gear manufacturers.  It is a hood that is made of the same material as the coat and pants.  It is lined the same and is quite a bit thicker than the traditional nomex hood.

Inventive hood style.

They didn’t seem to mind the hoods too much and indicated that it really keeps the heat off of your ears.  They also explained and were aware of the ability to get deeper into buildings and the associated hazards when we are so well insulated.

Another piece of equipment they have is an old reserve pumper that has been converted into a ceremonial truck.  This truck is used only for funerals and the honor guard mans this vehicle along with an SUV that accompanies it.

This truck is designed to hold a casket and the pall bearers.  As you can see, they have placed axes on each side and is a very attractive apparatus.  They use this for LODD, active that pass away off duty and for retirees.  It is a great tribute to our fallen Brothers and Sisters.

Honor Guard Apparatus

The trip was fantastic and I can’t say enough about the guys who spent the time to talk to us and show us around.  If you ever get to Houston, stop in and see the men at the 8′s.

Stay safe and take care.

Posted by on July 3, 2010 • Filed under: firefighter-safety-health, forceable entry, fun stuff, in-the-line-of-duty, line-of-duty • Tagged: , , , , , , ,

Great Training Opportunity

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Three days of ball busting training evolutions on acquired structures!

If you missed FDIC, you have to make this training event.

I have had the opportunity to spend some time with Nate and  Kevin and they are the real deal.

The training is real and practical.  It is stuff you will use in real life, on real calls.

You just can’t afford to miss this.  The price is right and the location is in the middle of the country.  I just can’t say enough about the classes and teaching style of the Brotherhood Instructors.

Even if you can only make one day, it is worth the travel.  But, beware, you will be whooped by the end of the weekend.

Get to the Brotherhood Instructors Facebook page and look at their videos, blogging and pictures for an idea of what they do.

See you soon and train hard with The Brotherhood!

Posted by on June 10, 2010 • Filed under: buildling construction, fire-rescue-topics, firefighting-operations, forceable entry, forcible entry, fun stuff, rescues, RIT, scba, search, training-development, training-fire-rescue-topics, vacant building fires, vent, ventilation, VES • Tagged: , , , , , ,

Some Good Forcible Entry Techniques

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This video was suggested to me by a buddy of mine.  It is a good video showing some different methods of forcing doors.  This is a skill that too often gets overlooked.  I will posting some more videos of forcible entry soon.  In the meantime, if you have a method or technique that you would like to share, post or send it to us to post.

Stay safe and happy forcing.

Posted by on June 6, 2010 • Filed under: buildling construction, fire-rescue-topics, firefighting-operations, forceable entry • Tagged: , , , , ,

Take the Entire Window

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Here is a short but good video from our friends at Brotherhood Instructors and Urban Firefighter Magazine on taking the window.

Do yourself and those inside a favor, take the entire window.

Train and stay safe.

Posted by on May 10, 2010 • Filed under: buildling construction, enter, fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, forceable entry, rescues, RIT, search, situational awareness, vent, VES • Tagged: , , , , , ,

One Method for Overhead/Roll Up Doors

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Here is look at a good video showing one method on how to gain access for garages and other roll up/overhead door applications.

Make sure to wear the proper personal protective equipment and be familiar with your equipment prior to to using. Also, having the correct blade helps too.

Stay safe and take care. I hope to see some of you at FDIC.

Posted by on April 6, 2010 • Filed under: fire-rescue-topics, firefighting-operations, forceable entry, RIT • Tagged: , , , ,

False Exterior Walls

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Do you see anything different here?

Do you see anything different here?

I  was out of town most of this past week for class and noticed this building on the first morning I drove in.

The first morning they had only installed the wall to the “r” in Performing.  The second day I realized that I needed to snap a picture of this to share.

This false wall is about four stories tall and covers the entire length of the building.

What challenges do you see?

What challenges do you see?

As you can see, this wall definately would challenge any rescue efforts were there victims in the windows.

Not only will it hamper rescue efforts, performing ventilation or suppression from this side of the building would be challenging at best.

The frame of the false wall is set off of the building wall at a distance of approximately two feet.  That is just a guess, but operating ground ladders here is almost impossible.

Interior crews would need to know that this side is limited access and egress because of the wall.   It will certainly challenge our strategies and tactics should an incident happen here.

This is one good example of why you need to get out and see your area.  Know what’s going on and get involved.  As a crew you can preplan this building by just parking out front, take a picture or two and go back and have a discussion about how you would operate at this building.

Stay safe and be careful.

Posted by on April 3, 2010 • Filed under: buildling construction, command-leadership, exits, fire codes, fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, forceable entry, high rise, situational awareness, ventilation • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Cool Tool Ideas

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I good way to keep two tools together. Picture from Brotherhood Instructors

I good way to keep two tools together. Picture from Brotherhood Instructors

Here is a cool way to get two tools to stay together.  Firefighters can get real creative when they want to.

This is a good example of getting out of the chair and doing something to help the fire service.

Using multiple tools can make forcing entry much easier and more effective, so it is beneficial to have more than one tool.

The last post was about bringing tools, so I thought this was appropriate.  To see some other tool drills and ideas, click the picture for Brotherhood Instructors site.

Posted by on February 24, 2010 • Filed under: enter, fire-rescue-topics, firefighting-operations, forceable entry, search, training-fire-rescue-topics, vent • Tagged: , , , ,