Dear Editor Halton and Lt. McCormack …

… ABOUT YOUR FDIC PRESENTATIONS

I was a late commentator on the FDIC big room presentations this year, posting my impression ten days ago (HERE). I shared my opinion that Halton likes to force us out of our comfort zones and that I was more comfortable with McCormack’s personal opinion on fireground risk analysis.

I am in the process of editing the second edition manuscript for Fire Officer: Scope and Practice.  At this point the comments and questions from the reviewers and editors are added into the manuscript in preparation for a final content review.

RECONSIDERING THE CULTURE OF EXTINGUISHMENT

The Fire Attack chapter had few comments and a nice kudo. Made me feel warm and confident. The chapter reflects eight years of street experience as a career company commander and more than a dozen years teaching at the fire academy and community college.

WORDS MATTER

The sweet spot for suppression risk assessment is somewhere between

• running into a collapsing and burning Type V building to rescue a checkbook
• never entering a building with smoke showing until you get independent confirmation that there is a savable life requiring rescue  … and all command vests are properly deployed

I re-read the risk assessment portion of the chapter. I could see how an officer candidate could infer that it was a RARE occassion to enter a burning structure to conduct a primary search and perform offensive extinguishment.   

That’s not gonna happen.  I will be late getting this chapter submitted as I significantly rewrite the section on suppression risk assessment.

A section that had NO comments, questions or suggested revisions.  MY editor is not happy, but I will know that it is right.

Mike “FossilMedic” Ward