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Company Drill: Standpipe Operations

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This is a great drill from a great Brother and friend, Lance Peeples of the Webster Groves Fire Department in St. Louis County.  Look for more great material from Lance in the future.

 

 

Daily Drill 1: Standpipe Operations

 

“The Daily Drill” is designed to spark discussion about operational issues in YOUR fire department.  To do this we use photographs or videos depicting fire operations in other fire departments.  We do not know the exact circumstances in which our Brothers in these fire departments are operating.  Photos or videos are not intended to embarrass our BROTHERS and SISTERS but rather are intended to provide US with learning opportunities relevant to OUR specific operational framework.  DON’TFOCUSONWHAT THEY’RE DOING…FOCUS ON WHAT YOU WOULD DO!  Stay safe!

 

Watch the video below and answer the following questions:

 

 

1.  Using the National Fire Academy Fire Flow Formula, what gpm would be required to extinguish a completely involved 500 square foot apartment fire?

How large of an undivided floor area is often found in high rise office buildings and what fire flow would be required there?

 

2.  Under previous editions of NFPA 14 what was the minimum psi required to flow 500 gpm at the most remote riser?

 

3.  What is the target gpm you are attempting to flow from your standpipe hose and nozzle combination?  What psi must be available at the standpipe operation to supply that hose and nozzle combination in order to flow your desired attack flow?

 

4.  The operation depicted showed using 4” supply line into the fire department connection.  What is the working pressure limit of LDH used in your department?  What is the elevation head pressure in a 30 story building?  Are standpipe operations usually high flow or high pressure operations?  Is using large diameter hose in FD standpipe connections a good idea?

 

 

 

 

 

 

5.  What is the diameter of hose used in your standpipe pack?  Is it an automatic/constant flow fog/smooth bore tip?  What nozzle psi is required for its designed flow?

 

6.  Will rust, scale, and other debris commonly found in standpipe systems pass through an automatic fog nozzle?  Will rust, scale and other debris usually pass through an 1 1/8” smooth bore tip?

 

7.  Can fire department pumpers ALWAYS be used to increase available pressure on the fire floor?  What about damaged or missing FD connections?  Pressure reducing and restricting valves?  Missing piping or excessive head pressures?

 

8.  At the One Merdian fire in Philladelphia on February 23, 1991 what was the length, diameter, and nozzle type (including psi/flow requirements) of the standpipe kits used by the fire department?  Did this setup work?  Why or why not?

 

9.  What were the names of the Brothers that died at One Merdian that tragic day?

 

Posted by on November 29, 2012 • Filed under: buildling construction, fire sprinklers, fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, fires, high rise, historic fires, in-the-line-of-duty, line-of-duty, major-incidents, mayday, RIT, scba, search, self rescue, situational awareness, size up, Training, training-development • 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: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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: , , , ,

Common Diseases and Health Problems of Firefighters

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This is an article that was written by a reader. He is passionate about firefighter health and safety and wanted to pass along some information.  We all know that we can always do better when it comes to our own health.  We do a good job of promoting safety to our citizens and community, but neglect the same message for our own safety.

Read the article and pass on the information.  Thanks to Taylor for submitting it.

 

 

Common Diseases and Health Problems of Firefighters

The dangers of firefighting are not always readily apparent.  Obviously, the most visible hazard is the fire itself and the severe damage it causes to the structure the firefighter must enter.  However, even without serious injury, firefighters have a high risk of long-term health problems as a result of their occupation.

Chronic Respiratory Problems & cardiovascular disease

Even if the smoke from a particular fire does not contain any toxic substances, it can still have a detrimental effect on the firefighter’s health.  Smoke and dust inhalation can exacerbate existing heart and lung problems, as well as cause new problems like bronchitis or lung inflammation.  While most fire stations are equipped with self-contained respirators, they are often impractical for lengthy jobs such as wildfires, when 30 minutes of oxygen may not be nearly enough to get the job done.  While treatments such as steroid inhalers can help mitigate the symptoms, more research needs to be done on the long-term effects of smoke and dust inhalation.

No one would argue that firefighting is not a high-stress occupation.  Even the most careful firefighter must deal with extreme stress on a regular basis, and that kind of strain takes a toll on the body.  Chronic stress wears down the body’s immune system, making it more prone to other diseases.  But perhaps the most dangerous aspect of stress is its effect on the heart – hypertension (high blood pressure) is very common among firefighters, and left unchecked, it can lead to stroke, heart attacks, and aneurysms.  Smoke, too, has a detrimental effect on the heart and blood vessels when it prevents the blood from properly delivering oxygen to all systems of the body.  The National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety lists cardiac death as the most common cause of fatality in firefighters.

 

Mesothelioma

Asbestos is widely known as a health hazard.  However, though it is no longer used in the manufacture of new construction materials, it is still commonly found in homes and other buildings constructed before the 1980s.  When intact, asbestos-containing materials pose little danger to the residents, but firefighters most often contend with these materials as they are being destroyed.  Tiny, needle-like asbestos fibers can be inhaled into the lungs, where they can cause serious health problems including symptoms of mesothelioma, an aggressive and extremely deadly cancer of the lining of the chest.  By the time these symptoms appear, the disease has often progressed past the point of treatment. This makes mesothelioma life expectancy extremely severe and short on average.

Other Cancers

Asbestos is not the only toxin released by burning buildings.  Firefighters also have unusually high rates of cancer such as Hodgkin’s lymphoma, multiple melanomas, and testicular and prostate cancer.  Unlike mesothelioma, there is not a known direct link between the particular toxic chemicals and these cancers (for example, we cannot say that chemical X causes cancer Y), but there is no doubt that firefighters come in regular contact with clouds of toxic smoke in the course of their jobs.

The chronic health effects of firefighting have received more press in recent years due to the heroics of the New York Fire Department during and after the collapse of the Twin Towers on 9/11.  Just recently, Congress passed the Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act to provide health care to those who responded after the terrorist attacks and are still experiencing illness.  Hopefully, both lawmakers and the public alike will continue to remember that the danger to firefighters does not disappear as soon as the fire is out.

Taylor Dardan is an EMS/First Responder Health and Safety Advocate.  He is very passionate about making sure that firefighters and other first responders are properly aware of various hidden dangers surrounding rescue work.

Posted by on May 6, 2011 • Filed under: firefighter-safety-health, in-the-line-of-duty, line-of-duty, training-fire-rescue-topics • 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: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Seat Belts and SCBA’s: Practice

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Since we are looking at the Denver Fire Department for some great training information in relationship to firefighter rescue and survival with the Denver Drill, let’s look at another issue that Denver has attacked. Seat belts and SCBA’s.

It is a common known fact that firefighters are killed and injured each year because they were not wearing their seat belt. I personally have heard firefighters and officers make statements that are just flat out ignorant in regards to wearing seat belts.

It takes too long to do; I can’t get it on over my gear; I can’t get packed up and put my seat belt on. There are many more, but the bottom line is that a few extra seconds allows us to arrive safely and to actually make the save or make an attack on the fire.

If we don’t arrive safely, we can’t do our job. We owe it to ourselves, the people we serve and our families to arrive to calls and back safely.

The Denver Fire Department has put together this video that shows some practical solutions and methods for putting on your seat belt over your gear and pack. Put aside you ego for a few minutes and learn something and then pass it on. Officers, make your crews watch this.

Please stay safe at all times and be careful.

Posted by on October 24, 2010 • Filed under: administration-leadership, command-leadership, firefighter-safety-health, in-the-line-of-duty, line-of-duty, training-development, training-fire-rescue-topics • Tagged: , , , ,

The Reason for the Denver Drill

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I recently had the pleasure to spend some time with Chief Dave McGrail from the Denver Fire Department. Besides discussing high rise and stand pipe operations, we talked about the Denver Drill and the circumstances from which it was derived.

Most have heard the story of Mark Langvardt and the fire that took his life. The following videos show just how difficult it was for Denver firefighters to rescue firefighter Langvardt. You can see the desperation and helplessness on their faces as they work to exhaustion to save their downed Brother. They were doing everything that they could to rescue him and were met with almost impossible conditions and a situation that they were not familiar with.

This is why we need to learn the lessons that our Brothers and Sisters all over the country can teach us about training for situations like this. We must train for and be prepared for bad things to happen. We cannot take a day off from training and we have to take RIT seriously, no matter how “routine” the fire seems to be.

Please remember Mark Langvardt and the Denver Fire Department while watching these videos and all the others who have sacrificed. We owe it to them to train hard and often and to learn from those experiences.

Stay safe and be a Bulldog about training. It makes all the difference in the world.

Posted by on October 20, 2010 • Filed under: fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, in-the-line-of-duty, line-of-duty, mayday, rescues, RIT, training-development, training-fire-rescue-topics • Tagged: , , , , , , , ,

How Do You Honor Them?

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With the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial weekend upon us, we all will take a moment to reflect on those that have been lost, not just this past year, but in years and decades past. Although some may never have been directly impacted by a Line of Duty Death, we all feel for the families, friends and fellow firefighters who have lost Brothers and Sisters.

Many of us will lower our flags, others will hold ceremonies and events, and some will be in front of their computers watching the live feeds on the internet to watch the event. Unfortunately, some will go about their everyday business and not think twice about what this weekend means. Those folks are just “employees” and are not engaged in the fire service.

Even for those of us that understand the significance of the upcoming weekend, do we really make it mean something? Do we do everything we can to make sure it doesn’t happen to us, our fellow Brothers and Sisters and our families? The answer is probably not.

As we mourn those we have lost and pray for them and their families, we must take inventory of ourselves. We must recommit this weekend to train more, train harder, stand up to the “slugs” of the fire service. We must wear our seat belts every time we get on our apparatus and demand that the rest of the crew do the same.

We must do a 360 on working fires. We must check our equipment every day and ensure that it is all in good working order. We must mentor, coach and encourage our younger generation of firefighter and instill in them the traditions, pride, honor and “right” way of doing things.

With all the things that we must do, we must recommit to taking care of ourselves. We must get in shape and eat healthier. We owe it to our citizens, our Brothers and Sisters, our families and to ourselves to be the best we can be every time we answer the call. In addition, if the leadership in your organization isn’t taking the lead on these issues, become that leader. Make a difference and stay engaged. It’s contagious and you will inspire someone.

So, tell us, what have you been doing to honor their sacrifices? What lessons have you learned and passed on to honor their sacrifices? How have you ensured that we “never forget” and honor those who have fallen?

Posted by on September 29, 2010 • Filed under: administration-leadership, command-leadership, firefighter-safety-health, in-the-line-of-duty, line-of-duty, training-fire-rescue-topics • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , ,

Help Build a Monument

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For those of you who remember my posts about FDIC 2010, I met some really great people of the Brownsburgh Fire Department. Not only did I get to meet these fine people, but they generously invited us to a dinner that was awesome, just because they believe in and exude what Brotherhood is.

Now they need out help. They are working hard at getting a very fitting tribute to the 343 who made the ultimate sacrifice on September 11, 2001.

If you could find time while your surfing the web to get to the “Build a Monument” site for Pepsi, our Brothers and Sisters in Brownsburgh would really appreciate it.

Below is a short video rendition of what the memorial will look like. Please take the time vote everyday. Hey, pass this on to your family and friends and other bloggers. Let’s help Brownsburgh FD help us to never forget.

Posted by on August 2, 2010 • Filed under: 911 coin, charity, Foundations, in-the-line-of-duty, line-of-duty, major-incidents • Tagged: , , , , ,

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: , , , , , , ,

Apply the Lessons Learned

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With the fire service and others taking this day and weekend to remember the Charleston 9, along with other high profile LODD, I wanted to do something different. I wanted to look at how we can specifically apply the recommendations that were listed in the report on the Charleston Super Sofa Fire.

I am going to do this just one at a time and I will likely take several weeks to cover them all.  It is very likely that some will intermingle with others, and will be covered together.

Today I want to look at pre-incident planning.  For me, this starts with when the building is being built.   In reality, it is a combination of both, during construction and visits and regular intervals.

conduct pre-incident planning inspections of buildings within their jurisdictions to facilitate development of safe fireground strategies and tactics

Light weight, engineered floor joists.

Today, we stopped in on a new restaurant.  As you can see from the photo it is all light weight, engineered construction.

The comment was made that we need not enter this building if it burns.  Well, in an ideal world that is correct.

The fact is is that we just don’t know what we will be tasked with doing if this building catches fire.  We can’t predict what time of day or who will or will not be in it.  What we can do, however, is know what this building is made of and the hazards associated with those materials and products of construction.

We also must be prudent in our tactics when arriving, like lifting ceiling tiles before we get too far in the building, looking for fire running above us.

This visit provided some great information aside from the type of construction and those hazards associated with them.  First, the building is completely sprinklered.  That is a plus.  We located the FDC and the nearest hydrant.  Both good things.

Concealed spaces over the booths.

We found that this concealed space had sprinklers dropped down to the ceiling level, but none were in the space or immediately above it.  An easy place for fire to spread quickly.

As we discussed earlier in the post, most would say we don’t need to enter this building.  In theory I agree, but we never know what we are facing when we arrive.

Something that we learned was that there is an area on the east side of this building, Side D, that is built with dimensional lumber and is sprinklered as well. The roof construction is not truss and the walls are all dimensional studs.  What can we take away from this?

Side D construction was different than the rest of the building.

We discussed that if there needed to be an attempt to make entry, it would be best to try to take a stand from this area. It is not part of the rest of the roof system and will likely hold up a little longer with the dimensional lumber.

Another idea was that RIT would be staged near this entrance if there would happen to be interior crews making a rescue or knocking down what was perceived as a small fire.  They know that there is a straight shot to the middle of the building through a more secure type of construction.

With all that being said, accessibility to the building needs to be looked at; where will multiple units be staged?  Where will you place ladders and are there overhead dangers?

It is important to look at all of these factors to make a good decision based on prior knowledge.  We also understand that Plan A doesn’t always work so have a Plan B ready based on the planning you did on the building.

There are many other components about pre-incident planning that I didn’t mention, but hopefully you get the point.  Get out and visit these sites.  Be involved and have discussions about how you would perform at a fire here.

Above all, don’t let the lives lost at any LODD be lives lost in vain.  Learn from their mistakes, but don’t be critical, we have all screwed up and been lucky enough to get away with it.  Be constructive and train on the recommendations so that you don’t repeat history.

Stay safe and please, never forget those lost in the line of duty.  We owe them our promise to train hard and to learn from them.

Posted by on June 18, 2010 • Filed under: administration-leadership, buildling construction, command-leadership, engineered lumber, fire codes, fire sprinklers, fire stopping, fire-prevention-education, fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, i joists, in-the-line-of-duty, inspections, line-of-duty, RIT, situational awareness, training-development, training-fire-rescue-topics, trusses • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , ,

NFFF Memorial Weekend

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Please visit this site regularly.

Over the next days and weeks you may see this banner on many of the blog sites that you visit to get your emergency services fix.

We have been asked to support this initiative to bring honor to those that have fallen and for the families that have been left without their loved ones.

Starting this Friday, there will be a feature of one of the 105 fallen firefighters that will be honored and remembered at this years memorial service. Dave Statter writes, “The feature will include a link to something else that is new this year, a virtual version of the Remembrance Banner. The Remembrance Banner is normally available for family and friends to sign while in Emmitsburg for Memorial Weekend. Now there is a way for those who can’t make the trip to be a part of the tribute.”

Please take the time to visit this site and to tell your friends and co-workers about the tribute.  We must never forget these brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Thanks and stay safe.  Never forget.

Posted by on June 15, 2010 • Filed under: administration-leadership, firefighter-safety-health, in-the-line-of-duty, line-of-duty, mayday, RIT • Tagged: , , , , , , , , ,

Great Article-Important Information

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Check out this article by Lance Peeples from the Webster Groves Fire Department in St. Louis County.  I know Lance very well and he is a great fire service leader and carries the torch for increased training on the basics and for firefighter safety.

Tell Lance how much you like his article on his Fire Engineering page and give feed back about it.  I know he would appreciate it.

Photo by Lance Peeples from Fire Engineering.

Posted by on June 1, 2010 • Filed under: administration-leadership, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, in-the-line-of-duty, line-of-duty, mayday • Tagged: , , , ,

Special Tribute to FDNY and All Firefighters

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In addition to remembering our fallen troops, I thought it would be fitting to add a special post to remember our fallen Brothers and Sisters in the fire service.

Stay safe.

Posted by on May 30, 2010 • Filed under: firefighter-safety-health, in-the-line-of-duty, line-of-duty, mayday, news • Tagged: , , , , ,

Remembering at FDIC 2010

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Remembering those who have fallen at FDIC 2010. Every time I hear this I get goose bumps. I was there, and it truly was a great time. There is nothing like hundreds of firefighters raising a cup to those who paid the ultimate sacrifice.

What a great tribute from the Pipes and Drummers from all over the country that made this tribute and gave us a moment to reflect.

Never forget, always remember, and always serve with honor.

Posted by on May 25, 2010 • Filed under: fun stuff, in-the-line-of-duty, line-of-duty • Tagged: , , , , , ,

Wind Driven Fires Part 1

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Check out the video above and pay real close attention to the fire behavior.

These tests were conducted as a result of some LODD that had strange conditions that were not typical in high-rise fires. NIST conducted the studies with the assistance of FDNY and Chicago FD.

The clip in the upper left is of a bedroom and normal furnishings and an average fire load for this type of apartment.

The upper right shows the same unit, but down the a hall in the kitchen area.

The lower left shows the stairwell and the lower right is the outside of the apartment room with thermal imaging.

This test shows how an apartment fire turns into a blow torch when the fire room window fails or is vented by crews. The wind blowing into the apartment creates a blow torch effect making conditions untenable.

Watch the temperatures and the velocity of the heat and fire. At around 2:20 the window fails and all hell breaks loose.

The temperature is a a thermometer imbedded in the concrete wall for the thermal view.

This is some dangerous stuff and I will post more on this and the changes that are being suggested for high rise fire tactics.

But, this phenomenon is not isolated to high rise structures. We need only to look at the fire in Houston last year that claimed the lives of two firefighters and the Kyle Wilson LODD in Prince William County to see how residential fires are affected by wind.

Stay tuned and stay safe. More on this soon. For additional details and videos go to the NIST website at fire.gov.

Posted by on February 13, 2010 • Filed under: fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, fires, in-the-line-of-duty, line-of-duty, wind driven fires • Tagged: , , , , , , , ,

You Never Know

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Does not look too bad from here...

Does not look too bad from here...

Check out the story at firefighterclosecalls.com about a “check the well being” in a car.

This is another example of how the “routine” call is not always “routine” and we must expect the unexpected.

Between exploding dumpsters and this story, we must now more than ever use the safety equipment on calls.

When is the last time you used an SCBA on a dumpster fire or even a vehicle fire? I still see crews not doing that. Approach carefully and always be alert. Stay safe and read the article.

Posted by on January 3, 2010 • Filed under: administration-leadership, command-leadership, fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, fires, in-the-line-of-duty, line-of-duty • Tagged: , , ,

Trooper Identfied

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This is the trooper that was killed working an accident today.  Here is the link to the news story:  http://www.ksdk.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=192480&catid;=3
Stay safe and be careful out there.
Posted by on December 25, 2009 • Filed under: in-the-line-of-duty, line-of-duty • Tagged: ,

MO State Trooper LODD

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It is with much regret to pass along sad information from Missouri. This morning a Missouri State Trooper was struck while working at an accident scene in Eureka, MO.  Details are still few, but the trooper had gotten out of his vehicle and was struck by a passing motorist.  The trooper was taken by ground EMS to a hospital where he sadly passed away.

The roads in MO today have been slick and the time of this accident was when conditions were probably at their worst in that area.  The Eureka Fire Protection District ran the initial incident and transported the trooper to the hospital.  The trooper could not be flow due to poor weather.  Please keep this fallen hero and his family in your prayers.  As more details are released, I will post them.

Posted by on December 25, 2009 • Filed under: in-the-line-of-duty, line-of-duty • Tagged: , , ,

LODD FDNY 1998 On This Day

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On this day, December 18, 1998, 3 FDNY Firefighters  were killed in the Line of Duty at a high rise fire. Lt. Joseph Cavalieri, FF Chris Bopp and FF Jimmy Bohan died on the 10th floor of a labeled ”fireproof” multiple dwelling whose sprinklers had been shut off.

The three firefighters from L170 arrived and had the assignment of searching the fire floor and ascended 10 flights of stairs to rescue the resident in apartment 10-D, who was reported trapped. She escaped previously, but that was not known at the time. When the occupant left she left the apartment door open allowing air to feed the fire.  Although the building and hallways were equipped with sprinklers, they were functional and the fire spread rapidly.  It is believed that a change in wind direction created a wind of approximately 29MPH into the fire apartment and blew a superheated fireball into the hallway, taking the lives of the three FDNY firefighters.

For those of you that have not seen the NIST video on wind driven fires, take some time to watch it. Here is a link to find out more information on the tests done with Chicago FD and FDNY on wind driven fires.

http://www.fire.gov/WDF/index.htm

Posted by on December 18, 2009 • Filed under: fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, in-the-line-of-duty, line-of-duty • Tagged: , , , , , , ,

Remembering Worcester 6: Dec. 3, 1999

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Never forget the Worcester 6 who lost their lives on Dec. 3, 1999.  Here is an article that covers the incident very well; much better than I could do.  Also, check out the tribute video below.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-k8o11jUZF0]

You can buy Worcester 6 decals and stickers here:  http://www.powercallsirens.com/w6.aspx

Never forget our fallen Brohters and Sisters everywhere. Stay safe.

Posted by on December 3, 2009 • Filed under: firefighter-safety-health, fires, historic fires, in-the-line-of-duty, line-of-duty, major-incidents • Tagged: , , , , , , , ,