Category Archives: Rescue Company

850 FIREMAN – OPERATIONAL DISCIPLINE-COMBAT READINESS

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850 FIREMAN – OPERATIONAL DISCIPLINE-COMBAT READINESS

“The What’s and the Whys”

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You really can’t say one without the other being attached to it. You can’t really be “Combat Ready” if you don’t maintain strict “Operational Discipline”. If you don’t practice, live, and believe in being operational disciplined and maintaining a state of combat readiness….the outcome of our incidents are predictable. People will be injured, people will die, even firefighters will be injured and die….…..it may not happen today or tomorrow, but rest assured it will happen. Don’t expect to handle the nothing calls with complacency and expect to perform exceptional on the big calls…….it won’t happen that way. It’s rolling the dice and sooner or later, our luck will run out and we will pay a big price.

I debated on whether to post this because on the surface it seems so basic and non-interesting. However, the more I thought about this seemingly apathetic approach that some have in the fire service and reflected on my own personal experiences, it became clear that this is something worthy of mentioning again. A vital step in being prepared to succeed on the fireground, starts with how we dress and prepare for the big game. Every call is the “Big Game”, regardless whether it is a fire alarm activation or a reported structure fire with multiple calls received. Taking the same disciplined approach to every call fights complacently. There is nothing more accurate than a recent statement made by the City of Pensacola Fire Department Battalion Chief Ginny Cranor. “Complacently is the best friend of worst case scenario”. Think about that quote for a moment and let it sink in…..the unforgiving blunt truth. And…if you are an officer take NOTE, it’s all on your shoulders. What you permit, you promote.

So let’s take a look and dissect a company that exudes operational discipline. This is an engine company in my department and what one can expect from every company within my department-Operational Discipline being Combat Ready on every run.

FULL PPE on EVERY CALL INCLUDING SCBA-All the bunker gear donned and worn properly. Everything is in a place for a reason. Suspenders up tight, gloves either on or readily accessible for rapid donning, collars up, jacket snapped. SCBA donned properly including the SCBA waist strap…..I know it looks cool with the waist strap hanging down but looking cool does nothing but create an entanglement hazard with operating in a combat situation. Wait until rehab and look cool then.

HOODS ON EVERYTIME-If you don’t don your hood every time, it is VERY likely you will forget when you are masking up. How do I know that? Because I have made that mistake multiple times including one time burning my ears when I forgot to hood up. I fixed the problem by NEVER going on a call without my hood donned. In addition, GAS LEAKS-as Battalion Chief Curt Isakson pounds into everyone’s head, “Hoods up, flaps down”. That IS your only flash protection in the event shit goes sideways. Hoods on every time and create that muscle memory so you don’t forget like I have.

RADIOS IN THE RIGHT PLACE-Radios on radio leather straps, under the coats, just below the waist line of the SCBA so that the firefighter can lift up his jacket and have access to the radio knobs. Lapel mics just outside the coat collar so that the firefighter can easily HEAR and TALK on the radio. It is under the coat because the radio and the accessories are not heat rated, meaning at a certain temperature much lower than your gear, it will degraded and malfunction. Avoid the “door chalk” radio…the radio that has no lapel mic and the one you have to carry or put in your pocket. Carry it and it takes up an arm/ hand that you should be using for a tool. Unless you plan on holding it up to your ear the entire incident, you WILL miss radio communication. Find a better way to carry it…or spend your own money and buy a strap. It may save your life….don’t take my word, research it and you will understand.

LIGHTS-You will never have too much light….but you will not have enough light at some point. Notice all the firefighters have THREE lights. A box light, a 90 light, and a helmet light. They all have their purpose and it may make the difference whether you make a grab or not, or find an exit or not. Don’t take my word……..talk to a brother that is proven and been in many fires, they will attest to the importance of multiple lights.

IDENTIFIERS-All four company members have the correct company identifiers on their helmets. This is important and makes all the difference when trying to determine who is with what company. I can tell you from and command perspective, this is vitally important. Notice the names on the shields…this helps increase firefighter accountability as well. HOWEVER, this is usually varies from FD to FD depending on what their standard is. BUT, what you can do (but you can’t see in this picture), is use a label maker and place your last name on the bottom part of your mask. This makes it easier to identify you quickly, especially if you are injured or unconscious. You also can’t see in this picture, but company identifiers on the bottles of SCBA are vital and increase company accountability as well.

TOOLS-Every firefighter has assigned tools based on riding positions on the rig. As Chief Lasky would say, a firefighter without tools is nothing more than a well-dressed spectator. Not only carry the correct tools, but also tune the tools up so they work best for the company. IRONS tuned filed down, marked and married together for quick deployment and convenient carrying and an aluminum wedge to further assist with forcible entry. Hooks equipped with wrap for good grip, always carry the versatile 6 foot hook, the water can with a strap to easily carry-notice it is equipped with multiple wedges. Always carry tools….don’t be “that guy” that comes to the command post and is given a task, but doesn’t have tools with them to accomplish a given assignment. FDNY Lt Mike Ciampo has a simple rule and just makes sense, “2 Hands, 2 Tools”.

POCKETS-Guaranteed that every firefighter in this picture has multiple items in their pockets for immediate use such as wire cutters, webbing, rope, carabineer’s, additional gloves, pliers and more.

COMPANY OFFICER-The guy (or gal) that the company’s successes and failures fall on. He always carries the TIC. He is the most experienced and is responsible for making VITAL decisions and many of those decisions are based off what he interprets through the TIC. If the company only has one TIC, there should be no reason anyone else carries it other than the officer. Officer tool-usually the choice of the officer. In this case it is a 4 foot hook with a haligan and an aluminum wedge. This allows him to force entry if need be and a hook for other functions.

Operational discipline takes work everyday, every hour. Be diligent, strive for excellence and fight complacency by being Operational Discipline and maintaining a Combat Readiness. Don’t allow anyone, any culture, or any rank keep you from being prepared and ready. I can assure you that your kids, your family and loved ones expect nothing less from you!

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Searching Without a Line!

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SEARCHING WITHOUT A LINE: WHAT WOULD YOU DO?
05/01/1998

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SEARCHING WITHOUT A LINE: WHAT WOULD YOU DO?
BY MIKE LOMBARDO
Risk analysis models influence much of the fireground decision making in the fire service today. But at times we are called to go against these models, act against the odds. The results of such actions are sometimes tragic and sometimes successful. Regardless of the outcome, the fire service must remember that we are a human service, and a standard set of rules or guidelines cannot always dictate the actions of the firefighters who serve the public.
On the evening of January 29, 1998, at approximately 6:30 p.m., a full first-alarm assignment was dispatched to a report of a fire on Townsend Street in Buffalo, New York. The assignment consisted of three engine companies, two truck companies, a rescue company, and a battalion chief.
Truck 11 arrived right behind Battalion 3; the fire was only two blocks from the unit`s quarters. It is a single unit stationed only with the chief; it carries no water and was staffed that evening with five firefighters and an officer. On arrival, the fire was observed venting from two doors and two windows on the number 4 side, from the first-floor rear apartment of this two-story wood-frame dwelling.
With very heavy fire venting from every opening on the number 4 side of the building except one and no engine company yet on location, the prudent decision would have been to await the arrival of an engine and the stretching of a line. However, there were also a frantic mother and father screaming that one of their children was not yet out of the apartment.
Battalion Chief Tom McNaughton also relayed to us that a child was indeed inside the building. He requested that we attempt to enter and search for the child.
There were no openings on the number 3 side of the structure, and windows on the number 2 side were immediately inaccessible by security bars (doors to the apartment were on the number 4 side).
I made the decision to enter the only remaining window into the apartment that was not venting fire. Heavy smoke pushed from the window. Firefighters Tom Jackson and Chuck Sardo and I entered the window into a bathroom. There was a high heat condition in this room. Ahead was a small hallway, where fire was rolling across the ceiling. Jackson crawled through the hallway and into the kitchen. Conditions were worsening rapidly. Fire was heavy in the kitchen.
Outside, Truck 11`s driver, Firefighter Tom Schmelzinger, handed a 212-gallon extinguisher into the bathroom window to me while Firefighters Tom Sullivan and Mike Taube went to the number 2 side of the building to force entry through the security bars on the windows there. (There were also scissor gates on the doors of this apartment house, though they were not a factor in the fire.)
Jackson traveled through the kitchen, with Sardo following. I tried to protect them as much as possible with the water can. Then Jackson entered a small bedroom off the kitchen. He searched a set of bunk beds in this room, with negative results. He came to a pile of clothes in front of the bedroom closet. He found a two-year-old boy.
The bedroom window was barred, providing no exit. Jackson rushed the baby out of the room and almost became trapped in the tiny space at the beginning of the hall between the kitchen sink and hallway wall, which measured less than 18 inches. His helmet was dislodged halfway off his head. He handed the baby to Sardo, who handed the child to me, and I passed him outside to firefighters. The child was in cardiac arrest, and the firefighters performed CPR as they rushed him to a waiting ambulance.
Meanwhile, I used the water can to protect Jackson and Sardo as they made their way forward to the bathroom. It did not extinguish much fire but slowed its progress. I ascertained from Chief McNaughton that this was the only person reported to be in the structure, and we exited the structure. Engine 3`s crew had advanced a line into the building by this time and pushed into the apartment, quickly controlling the fire.
WHAT WOULD YOU DO?
There was tremendous heat in the bathroom, where our team entered. The tub surround had melted into the bathtub, and a medicine cabinet had melted off the wall. Firefighter Jackson received minor burns to his head when his helmet was dislodged in the hallway. These types of conditions normally would indicate that entry should not be made without a handline.
However, with reliable reports such as those given that evening by the child`s family, an attempt must be made to enter and search. If a handline had been immediately available, it still may not have guaranteed success; it most likely would have been advanced in through the apartment door, and crews would have had to delay the search while this line was advanced.
About two months after this fire, a man and woman walked into the quarters of Truck 11. With them was their son, Elijah, the boy rescued from the fire. The child had a fairly large burn on his head that was still healing, but otherwise he was in great shape. If his parents were asked about the firefighting risk vs. benefit of the rescue of their child, there is no question what their answer would be. And with the successful rescue of the baby, I am sure that the collective fire service voice is in agreement.
At the time we entered, Elijah Hall`s life was in the balance, and the duration of that life would be decided within the next few seconds.
But what happens when the child does not survive, or a firefighter does not survive or is seriously injured? It seems, then, that the collective fire service voice is very muddled with armchair quarterbacks saying, “I told you so.”
Decisions such as the one made on Townsend Street are not made by a computer or in a classroom with time to ponder. They are made in a split second and often without complete information. Elijah Hall`s life was saved primarily by the actions of Firefighter Tom Jackson, but also in part by all the members of the team of firefighters who responded that evening. He was saved because Tom–with his training and experience and his team behind him, fully recognizing the risk–“went out and did what he had to do.” And that`s the essence of the fire service.
Events like this take place throughout the fire service. We seldom see names associated with these types of actions. They are not a component of ICS. What drives them cannot be taught in the classroom. Even with our ever-increasing reliance on technology and business management philosophies, the fire service must not lose sight of our primary mission–to save lives–and the fact that it is often the immeasurable personal qualities of individual firefighters that are the driving force behind the accomplishment of that mission. n

RIT Deployment “Firefighter Triage”

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Article Updated 05/07/2023

The Ultimate Test!

RIT DEPLOYMENT

Firefighters rescue civilians daily from the interior of a working structure fire and SAVE many lives by going interior to suppress and search for trapped occupants. Civilians have incredible respect for firefighters because saving lives is our top priority. Respect is enormous and not to be taken lightly. However, we can quickly lose it. Generally, most civilians respect the average firefighter and place them on a pedestal compared to other occupations. Firefighters should respect this and work to continue this admiration that is placed on our calling. I appreciate the admiration and respect that most civilians give us. Still, it is not what I’m looking for concerning earning respect/admiration. The civilian is very high on my priority list.

Still, the firefighters I’m responsible for are VERY high on this same list, and they frequently RISK their lives to save others. I want to feel confident I can command a Firefighter Rescue Operation “Mayday.” A Mayday and RIT operations is the ultimate test I may face one day as a Fire Ground Commander. I think about it every single day. I study previous Maydays and RIT OPERATIONS. I also do a lot of WHAT IFs. What if this happens, What if that happens, and how would I/we deal with that? We cannot do too much “What If Thinking.”

Recently I notified my battalion that we would be performing a RIT DRILL and gave them some details. I explained it would involve a down firefighter trapped in a collapse that required them to use airbags in a low visibility environment under challenging conditions. They had a few weeks to prepare/ train however they deemed necessary.

The drill involved two firefighters trapped in a basement under a simulated collapse. We used couches with bags of concrete as the weight to simulate a floor on top of rescue dummies. One of the dummies/downed firefighters only wore an SCBA mask and no airpack. Another dummy/downed firefighter with an airpack and SCBA mask in place was ten feet away. The low-air alarm bell had just run out once the RIT entered the basement. We also had smoke detectors and pass devices sounding. Distracting noises are critical for firefighters to learn the difference between a pass and a smoke detector. Smoke detectors can cause a false attraction and delay air/rescue to a trapped firefighter. Once the RIT locates the down firefighter, they must ID, check the air supply, and silence the pass. The three initial actions must occur in unison, and the RIT must report the findings to the incident commander. History tells us that we could find additional firefighters other than the one or ones that called a mayday. Historically, many firefighters located by a RIT never transmitted a call for HELP” MayDay.”

During the drill, each RIT found the firefighter with strictly a mask on first. They did the above priorities the best they could. They could not ID the firefighter because the firefighter was not adequately marked, YES, adequately marked. All firefighters operating on the fire ground should have their name on the bottom of the mask, front piece, and lower part of the bunker coat. In addition, the air pack’s bottle band and front shoulder strap must have the company designation. With these markings, IDing a down firefighter and confirming their assigned company is easy. Many fire departments still need to properly ID their firefighters, which amazes me. I have operated on the fire ground with well-identified and poorly-identified firefighters, which is a huge difference when firefighters are visibly marked.

Now back to the RIT drill.

Once the RIT gets the first firefighter on air and silences the pass, they hear a second pass alarm ten feet away. This downed firefighter has a fully operational airpack that is very low on air or has just run out. Now the RIT has a serious decision to make. Do they try and get RIT PACK between the two and provide a regulator to the mask of the first firefighter and trans-fill the second firefighter? Doing so would be a great option, but in this scenario, I purposely spread the two just enough that the RIT hoses would not reach. I wanted them to decide, YES, downed firefighter TRIAGE. Nobody wants to talk about it.

Yes, everyone goes home, but they might not go home alive. With this reality’s obvious nature, we must train to save those that can be saved. We do it with civilians, and it is a probability to be faced with the same situation during a RIT operation. I placed Worcester District Chief Mike McNamee’s picture on my screen saver in December 1999 and left it up for almost a year. I looked at his picture daily and thought about the decisions he faced and the ones he made that night. I have never met him, but he has impacted my career and voyage to prepare for the ULTIMATE test. So do we disconnect the first firefighter, trans-fill the second, then return to the first and re-hook up the regulator? I don’t know; each situation is different. Consider the downed Firefighters’ location, previous radio communications, signs of injuries, firefighter age, and other considerations we would prefer not to discuss openly.

DOWNED FIREFIGHTER TRIAGE.

Once you have established air to the down firefighter, the extrication process begins. What tools will you need, and have you trained to use them in this environment? Are the tools set up for RIT operations? Airbags used in a RIT operation must be set up correctly by the RIT Team with ropes or webbing to assist in dragging and operating in a hostile environment. They also need to be marked appropriately with isolation valves already pre-connected. The hoses need to be marked so you can identify them in low visibility. The setup of the control box and hose needs to be streamlined. When operating two bags, you should have three different colors, something to help manage the hoses during deployment and while setting up on arrival at the downed firefighter. It can be frustrating if you have not trained and thought out your airbag operation.

Back to the top.

The civilian respects you, but do your fellow firefighters RESPECT YOU?
Have you genuinely worked at preparing yourself for the Ultimate Rescue, a Firefighter Rescue?

I want the civilians I swore to protect to respect what I do and how seriously I take my calling. But more importantly, I want my fellow firefighters to feel confident that I have done and will do whatever is necessary to save them if they get caught or trapped in a fire. I hope to fulfill my calling.

Every day must be a Training Day!

Curt Isakson

Additional Note!
Do not run out of air as a RIT TEAM member with a FULL RIT AIR PACK in your hands or available. The RIT TEAM may need to share the RIT PACK. Practice trans-filling yourself. It takes practice..

The Ultimate Test!

RIT DEPLOYMENT

Firefighters rescue civilians everyday from the interior of a working structure fire and SAVE a lot of lives by going interior to suppress and search for trapped occupants. Saving Lives is our top priority and this is the reason civilians respect firefighters so much. Respect is huge and should not be taken likely. It’s not easy to earn, but can easily be lost. I think generally most civilians respect the average firefighter and place them on a pedestal in comparison to other occupations. Firefighters should respect this and work to continue this admiration that has been placed on our calling. I appreciate the admiration/respect that most civilians give us, but it is not what I’m looking for in relation to earning respect/admiration. The civilian is very high on my priority list, but the firefighters I’m responsible for are VERY high on this same list and they frequently RISK their lives to save others; and I want to feel confident, that I have the abilities to command a Firefighter Rescue Operation “Mayday”. I view this, as the ultimate test that I may face one day as a Fire Ground Commander. I literally think about it every single day. I study previous Maydays and RIT OPERATIONS. I also do a lot of WHAT IFs???? What if this happens, What if that happens and how would I/we deal with that. I don’t think we can do, to much What if thinking.

 

Recently I gave notice to my battalion that we would be performing a RIT DRILL and gave them some of the details. I explained it would involve a down firefighter, trapped in a collapse. That they would be required to use airbags in a low visibility environment, under challenging conditions. They were given a few weeks to prepare/ train however they deemed necessary.

The drill consisted of two firefighters trapped in a basement under a simulated collapse. We used couches with bags of concrete as weight to simulate a floor on top of rescue dummies. One of the dummies/down firefighters strictly had a mask on and no airpack. Ten feet away was another dummy/down firefighter with airpack and mask on. The bell was ringing or had just ran out once the RIT makes it down into the basement. We also had smoke detectors and pass devices sounding. This is critical for firefighters to learn the difference between a pass and a smoke detector. Smoke detectors can cause a false attraction and delay air/ rescue to a trapped firefighter. Once the RIT locates the down firefighter they must ID, check air, and silence the pass. These three priorities should almost be done together and reported to command. History tells us that we could find additional firefighters other than the one or ones that called a mayday. Historically a large number of firefighters have been located that never transmitted a call for HELP ” MayDay”.

During the drill, each RIT found the firefighter with strictly a mask on first. They did the above priorities the best they could. They were unable to ID the firefighter, because the firefighter was not properly marked. YES, properly marked. All firefighters operating on the fire ground should have their name on the bottom part of mask, front piece, and lower part of bunker coat. In addition to this, each air pack should be marked with company designation on the bottle band and front shoulder strap. With these markings, it should be fairly easy to ID a down firefighter and confirm the company they are assigned to. It still amazes me how many fire departments do not properly ID their firefighters. I have operated on the fire ground with both and it is a huge difference when firefighters are visibly marked.

Back to the drill.

Once the RIT gets the first firefighter on air and silences the pass, they hear a second pass ten feet away and this down firefighter has a fully operational airpack, that is very low on air or has just ran out. This is where the RIT has a serious decision to make. Do they try and get RIT PACK between the two and provide regulator to mask of first firefighter and trans-fill the second firefighter. This would be a Great option, but in this scenario, I purposely spread the two just enough that the RIT hoses would not reach. I wanted them to decide, yes down firefighter TRIAGE. Nobody wants to talk about it. Yes, everyone goes home. They just might not go home alive. This is a reality and we must train to save those that can be saved. We do it with civilians and we may be faced with this same situation during a RIT operation. I placed Chief Mcnames picture on my screen saver in December of 1999 and left it up for almost a year. I looked at his picture everyday and thought about the decisions he faced and the ones he made that night. I have never met him, but he has impacted my career and voyage to prepare for the ULTIMATE test. So do we disconnect the first firefighter, go trans fill the second, to then return to the first and re hook up the regulator?? I’m not sure, each situation could be different. Location, previous radio communications, signs of injuries, age of firefighter and other considerations that we don’t like to openly discuss. Down FIREFIGHTER TRIAGE.

Once you have established air to the down firefighter, now begins the extrication process. What tools will you need and have you trained using them in this kind of environment? Are the tools set up for RIT operations. Airbags used in a RIT operation need to be set up properly with ropes or webbing to assist in dragging and using in a hostile environment. They also need to be properly marked with isolation valves already pre connected. The hoses need to be mark where you can identify in low visibility. The control box and hose need to be stream lined. When operating two bags, you should have three different colors and something to help manage the hoses during deployment and while setting up once at the down firefighter. It can be very frustrating if you have not trained and thought out your air bag operation.

Back to the top.

The civilian respects you, but does your fellow firefighters RESPECT YOU?

Have you truly worked at preparing yourself for the Ultimate Rescue, a Firefighter Rescue?

I would like the civilians, I swore to protect, to respect what I do and how serious I take my calling. But more importantly, I really want my fellow firefighters to feel confident that I have done and will do whatever necessary to save them if they were to get caught or trapped in a fire. I hope that I am able to full fill my calling.

Everyday must be a Training Day!

Curt Isakson

Additional Note!

Do not run out of air as a RIT TEAM member with a FULL RIT AIR PACK in your hands or available. The RIT TEAM may need to share the RIT PACK. Practice trans-filling yourself. It takes practice..

Rope Rescue Edge Pro

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Edge protection is a vital piece of the rope rescue puzzle but it is often overlooked or done improperly. Over the last 15 years of teaching rope rescue and working for a department that gets our fair share of high angle calls I have used almost every type of edge protection out there… most leave little to be desired.

Now their is a difference in wether you are doing a rope rescue in a urban setting (off of a crane or off an apartment building) or weather you are operating in a wilderness setting. If you are working in an urban setting the rope protection is fairly easy, a couple small rollers and you are set. But in a wilderness setting it can be slightly more difficult, the rope has several different rocks, tree roots, etc. that it can pass over. Several years ago I was shown a homemade version of edge protection that is still the best I have used to date.

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The edge protection is made using small diameter wood dowels that are strung together with some old 6 millimeter cord. The dowels are cut to length, drilled, sanded and then they are ready to be assembled. Small sections of clear water pump tube can be used as spacers on the ends to keep the dowels spaced.

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Once the edge protection has been made and it is placed on the rocks you will see how it can bend and be manipulated into the small cracks and forms to the shapes of the rocks. It makes a perfect “valley” for the rope to travel through, and you don’t have to worry about the rope wrecking your edge pro due to friction or sharp rocks.

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The homemade edge pro folds up easily and is carried in our rope rescue bags, it weighs a little more then some commercially sold edge pro but I feel the extra pound is well worth the trade off.

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The edge pro can also give you some added footing if the edge is slippery or there is the potential for loose ground. The whole edge protection cost about $20, which is well below the average cost for some edge pro.

Torch Training

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Cutting torches are one of the best most expedient metal cutting tools at our disposal in the rescue world. Like anything we do in the fire service training and experience are paramount in our success on the fire/rescue ground, torch work is no different. Most torch training I have seen usually consists of firefighters placing some scrap metal in a bench vice on the work bench and then taking turns lighting the torch and making a few cuts in the metal, this type of training is essential and it does have its place to get firefighters comfortable with the torch… but where do we go from there? Is that pushing our training to the next level? Is that preparing us for the real deal on the rescue ground?

When we need a torch on the rescue ground it will be for crawling under a machine to free a trapped limb or operating in a building collapse, we won’t always have the ideal body position to make cuts. Well if that is the case then we need to ensure that we train to that standard.

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Recently, Lt. Grant Light did a drill with the rest of his crew on Cincinnati Heavy Rescue 9. The drill was simple, they used a small piece of culvert with an “A” frame ladder at the end of it with pieces of scrap metal lashed to it. Each member had to enter the tube, light the torch, and make some cuts.

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This allowed the members to practice cutting in extremely awkward positions… which is real life! Pushing your training to the next level is imperative, a cutting torch is only as good as it’s operator.

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Special thanks to Lt. Grant Light from Cincinnati Heavy Rescue 9 for passing us along these great pictures and great training ideas.

 

Hand Stuck in Paper Shredder

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Accidents happen and people always seem to find new ways of injuring themselves. I was doing some research for a training drill I was going to do with my crew when I came across an interesting extrication scenario, when I looked into it further I was amazed at how often it actually happens. The scenario was a person who got their hand stuck in a paper shredder. I happens more than you would think! People attempting to clear out paper jambs without turning the machine off is the leading cause or entrapment but I was also surprised to find that woman with long finger nails was another major cause.shredder

If we respond to a call like this there are obviously some things that we need to keep in mind, insuring that the machine is turned off and unplugged is going to be paramount… but insuring that the machine cannot be re plugged in by accident is also going to be a priority. This can be accomplished a couple different ways:

1) You can use a specific lock out tag out device designed for extension cords

2) You can cut the plug end off

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After lock out tag out has been completed and all of the proper medical procedures have been put into place extricating the patient can commence. Extricating the patient is not going to be that difficult if you have the proper tools, equipment, and training. Having a good selection of screw drivers at your disposal is going to be key, the machine can be very easily disassembled in a few minutes.

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I wanted to recreate this extrication scenario for my crew so I went to a thrift store and found an old paper shredder for $3, I used a foam hand and ran it into the shredder. I had my crew go through the scenario including lock out tag out, medical, and extrication.

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It was a short training drill but the guys took a lot out of it and it got them thinking, it also allowed some of our members that don’t have a high level of mechanical aptitude to hone their skills and get better skilled with the most basic of tools.

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Till next time, push your training to the next level.

 

Chainsaw and the fire service (keep it simple)

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Chainsaw and the fire service, keep it simple.

When I worked at the Oakland Fire department, we used a large power head, a Stihl 044 and/or MS 440 chain (No special saw… fire service design etc or special fire service chain). Saws were equipped with carbide tip chains using a 404-7 sprocket and .404” 20-inch bar. This set-up is for structure fires only(See below). We bought the Oregon generic carbide tooth semi chisel design in a large roll and made up our own chain. It worked great.

This way we could replace broken teeth and have a chain with a full set of teeth for every fire.  We also sharpened the teeth with a carbide tooth sharpening jig.  They were the saw of choice on every pitched roof op. The OFD regularly does vertically vent roof ops because of a large quantity of balloon frame housing stock.

 Chain of choice (Below)

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Bar of choice for the OFD (Below)

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Most of the small engine 2-cycle problems are from new blended ethanol gasoline (never had a saw not start or run well when taken care of).  Any saw exposed to an air lean environment like heavy smoke will not run perfMake sure to understand the problem with modern gasoline blends.  Buy non-ethanol blend gasoline for your small power tools, as ethanol attracts water.  Damage to your equipment will result without quick use of ethanol blend fuel both in the saws’ tanks and in storage fuel cans.  This is a major problem for the fire service with limited rapid use of mixed fuel and prolonged storage.  By the way, you can get straight gasoline at most marine gasoline pumps; this is because the water absorption issue is a well known problem in the marine boating community.

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Can Ethanol-Free Fuel Save Small Engines?

www.popularmechanics.com

Any chainsaw chain design, that protects the tooth too much, limits its cutting ability. Most fire service specific designed chain has this problem. You do not need a chain that cuts slow at the cost of preserving teeth. The bullet type chain is in my opinion the worst, almost none of the tooth is exposed the rake is huge and making the tooth almost useless. Sure it will last, but at the cost of functional operation.

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Above: Note not only the very large rake but the small amount of cutting edge exposed on the tooth

Think of a chopper blade on a cir-saw, it has a deep gullet to provide both rapid removal of debris and full tooth exposure. Fire service chain saw chain does the opposite of that, there was nothing wrong with generic carbide tooth semi chisel design chain. You can even file the rake down a bit to make it even cut faster.

Please- GO OUT AND TRY IT- buy a generic carbide tooth semi chisel design chain you will be shocked it how it out performs fire service special chain.  I recommend Oregon Chain and make sure not to buy their special fire service chain either.  With increased price and expense does not always come increase performance.  Fire service employees need to know the general physics regarding how tools work as well as proper care and maintenance of equipment.  Only this knowledge will lead to the best and proper tool selection.

Captain Dennis Legear Oakland (CA) Fire Department