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European High-Angle Rescue Competition

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Seventh Annual Event

EARLIER THIS MONTH ON MAY 12 the seventh edition of Grimpday was held.  It is a competition for high-angle rescue teams from throughout Europe, representing fire, police and specialized teams.  This year's meeting saw 30 teams from 12 different countries competing in the primarily-rope rescue challenges and was held in Namur, Belgium.

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Each team has to complete six designated rescues and they are judged on swiftness, safety for the team members, as well as the security and comfort of the victim.  Timing of the evolution stops when the victim is safely inside the ambulance.

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The First Place winner was the team representing the Fire Brigade of Venice (Italy).  Second place was grabbed by the Alpine Caving team from Neuchatel, Switzerland.

The Vigili del Fuoco (Italian National Fire Service) has posted the story and photos HERE.
El Periodic (Spain) has MORE.
All unattributed photos via Vigili del Fuoco.

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Posted by on May 22, 2012 • Filed under: rescue, Special Operations, Training, training-fire-rescue-topics • Tagged: ,

Mock Wreck Turns Dynamic

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Safe-Driving Display Gains Unwanted Realism

YOU HAVE ALL PARTICIPATED in one of those mock car accidents designed to teach teenagers about the dangers of careless or drunk driving.  That is what was going on in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, Friday morning when the town's fire department and police department were staging a crash with injuries along with the safety lectures, plus the extrication and first aid demonstration by the firefighters, for the Detroit Lakes High School students.

WDAY-TV

With the entire student body of 400 gathered on portable bleachers, the demonstration began with a police officer giving the lecture and a few students and community volunteers acting as trapped, injured victims.  Without warning, the unmanned fire engine started rolling and it was aimed right for the "crash" scene.  It struck the two wrecked cars at a low speed (less than 5 mph) causing some minor injuries to the police officer, an EMT and two of the student actors.

The demo became real as the FD had to perform genuine extrications and ambulances were called for real-blood injuries.  Six people were transported, but all were treated and released for minor cuts and bruises.  It hasn't been determined yet for sure why the pumper started rolling.  At the time it was believed that the parking brake had been applied, but that has to be determined yet.

WDAY-TV has the story and more photos HERE.

Firegeezer notes:  This is why all departments must have a firm policy of always using a wheel chock whenever the operator is out of the cab, whether the motor is running or not (outside of the equipment bays, of course).

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Posted by on May 5, 2012 • Filed under: EMS Topics, Fire Rescue Topics, Training, training-fire-rescue-topics, Vehicle Operations & Apparatus

FDIC Day 1 notes

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… in Twitter format

Chief Van Dorpe (Chicago Fire Training)

The three essentials: Fire Behavior, Building Construction and Tools/Equipment

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

@fossilmedic

 

 

 

Mike "FossilMedic" Ward

Posted by on April 18, 2012 • Filed under: Fire Rescue Topics, training-fire-rescue-topics, Twitter • Tagged: ,

UK Decision to Sell Off National Fire College Brings Widespread Complaints

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Crumbling Economy Leaving Fire-Rescue Destitute

BRITAIN'S NATIONAL FIRE SERVICE is running out of money, as are all the governmental entities in the once-great nation.  As funds shrink, the fire service departments have been undergoing schemes like consolidation and further consolidation of the consolidated departments.  Just recently it was announced that the already-combined fire-rescue departments in Scotland will be bunched into one national fire department.

Dispatch centers have been "centralized" with the result of calls for service coming from 50 or more miles away and the dispatch going to the wrong location.  The London Fire Brigade – one of the world's largest fire departments – cannot afford to buy fire engines and is leasing 500 firetrucks from a private company, AssetCo.  Now AssetCo is more than £8 million behind in its taxes and is facing liquidation as its stock price has dropped to 3 p. and other debts pile up.

Now it's the National Fire Service College that is adrift and broke.  The 500-acre campus with extensive training facitlities for every type of emergency is unable to maintain its facility and the buildings are starting to fall apart.  Aiding its deterioration was a decision several years ago permitting fire departments to utilize privately-run training programs at their discretion, removing the monopolistic franchise of the national academy.

National Fire Service College campus

Earlier this month the Communities Minister of the government, who oversees the Fire-Rescue Service, announced that the College will be sold to the highest bidder for the property.  This has brought outrage from all corners of the public, especially the union representing the 70 employees of the college.  BBC News is reporting today:

A report last year showed the government-owned site was "beset by debt and financial issues". Communities Minister Bob Neill said "disposal as a going concern" was the best option.

Philippa Childs, from Prospect, said: "The college is based in the middle of the Cotswolds, with training facilities considered to be the best in the world, but it's falling to bits. Government spending constraints have meant that no money could be spent on the infrastructure or recruitment, and staff have also faced a pay freeze."

Ms Childs (also) said: "Our members are worried about being transferred out of the public sector, not least because of the potential impact on their pay, pensions and other terms and conditions.

"It is also outrageous that a national resource such as this, which provides vital training to a key emergency service, should be privatised and thus subject to market forces which rely on making a profit in order to function."

Despite the widespread dissatisfaction with the decision, it has apparently been committed.

See also Guardian newspaper report on "London's fire engines may be sold off…"  from last May HERE.
AssetCo WEBSITE.
UK Fire Service College WEBSITE.
Also see Firegeezer postings from 2009:
"Let's Just Sell Off All the Apparatus" HERE.
"11 Fire Engines Burn Up in Britain" HERE, story of $2 million fire at unsprinklered building on Fire College Campus.

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Posted by on April 16, 2012 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, Fire Rescue Topics, Training, training-fire-rescue-topics • Tagged:

Crematorium Fires Increase as Population Gets More Obese (Fatter)

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Germany Learning From Experience

IN GERMANY ROUGHLY HALF THE REMAINS of deceased people are cremated and half of them are medically obese, following the trend in much of the western world.  This high rate of cremation is bringing notice to a growing problem as large numbers of crematoriums are experiencing severe damages as burning fat overwhelms the capability of the furnace to contain the process.

Ulf Hanke writes in today's edition of Spiegel:

The crematorium employee in the western German town of Hamelin took a last look at the coffin before pushing it inside the furnace. This was the third coffin he had processed on the morning of January 13, and the body itself weighed over 200 kilograms (440 pounds). Of that, only two kilograms of ashes were supposed to remain after cremation. But, 15 minutes later, flames shot out of the crematorium's 10-meter-high (33-foot-high) stainless-steel chimney, and parts of it began to melt.

Unable to bring the fire under control, the employee called the fire department. Firemen determined that the smoking chimney was glowing at 600 degrees Celsius (1,100 degrees Fahrenheit). They cooled it from the side and used an infrared camera to track the spread of heat through the building. It took four hours to reduce the body in the furnace to ash.

It was determined that the cause of the fire was "extreme heat due to burning a high amount of fat." 

When an event happens and the fire/heat overwhelm the chamber, there is a flap behind the vent that automatically opens and discharges the excess heat and smoke, and the particulates of heavy metals such as dental fillings plus other things that are usually filtered out, directly into the outside air.  This is leading more crematories to restrict their use to bodies under a certain weight.  The industry is establishing guidelines for weight limits based on the size and type of furnace in use.  Hanke continues:

However, that still leaves the issue of what will be done with the bodies of those exceeding such weight limits. Indeed, such measures could force people to scramble around in hearses in search of suitable cremation facilities. In France, for example, several crematoriums refused to accept the body of a 140-kilogram (380-lbs.) woman. The woman's daughter then wrote to the newspaper Le Parisien complaining of post-mortem discrimination against her mother.

Now we have two new, additional problems to learn about and train for, excessive fires in sealed crematory ovens for firefighters, and the ambulance crews have to learn how to avoid post-mortem discrimination.

Read the entire article in Spiegel HERE.

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Posted by on April 13, 2012 • Filed under: Fire Rescue Topics, training-fire-rescue-topics • Tagged:

Citizen Dies in Bungled Fire Drill

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Fire Department Admits to "Lapses"

"They should have tested the quality of the rope before using it for the mock drill,"

THE BANGALORE, INDIA, FIRE DEPARTMENT is in heavy damage-control this weekend  after a poorly-planned fire drill at a clothing factory resulted with the death of a 25-year-old woman.

The fire department was demonstrating for the 1,200 employees of the Bombay Rayon Fashions factory how to escape a burning building by lowering yourself down a rope.  They convinced Nalina Reddy to climb out of a 3rd-story window and let herself down, but as soon as she got over the ledge, the rope snapped allowing her to plunge to the pavement below where she died immediately from major head trauma.

Cell phone video provided by DNA

The four firefighters in charge of the exercise were suspended while an investigation is begun into the incident.  The fire department has admitted to some "lapses" in the exercise, saying that the rope should have been tested first and that they should have had some cushions strategically placed around the drill site.

IBN tv followes up with this video report:

 

The fire department has promised that at the next drill they will be providing "cushions" for the hapless factory workers.

The Times of India has more DETAILS HERE.

GUNTAR has the grisly, graphic video report:

 

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Posted by on February 26, 2012 • Filed under: Fire Rescue Topics, Training, training-fire-rescue-topics, Videos • Tagged: , ,

Smoke Jumpers !

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Advanced Forestry Tactics in 1949

THIS DOCUMENTARY FILM showing Smoke Jumper training and procedures from the late 1940's is provided by the National Archives and Records Administration.  The video runs for 54 minutes, so grab a cuppa first, then sit back and enjoy:

 

 

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Posted by on February 12, 2012 • Filed under: forestry, Training, training-fire-rescue-topics, Videos, Wildland • Tagged: ,

Time For A New Training Chief in Jackson?

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A New Legal Advisor Would Help, Too

THE JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI, FIRE DEPARTMENT has got itself in a pickle after 26 recruits in a class of 28 flunked the State Certification Exam.  It was learned that the final exam was administered in November, but after the massive fail rate the fire department has been trying to get the Minimum Standards Board to permit the city to re-test the recruits themselves.  The recruit schools run for 12 weeks in Jackson's own academy which has recently started another school of 12 recruits. 

WLBT image

The Jackson Clarion-Ledger reports:

Jackson Fire Chief Raymond McNulty would respond to questions from The Clarion-Ledger only in an email through city spokesman Chris Mims. Some of McNulty's responses were not clear or did not appear to directly answer the questions.

The Minimum Standards Board established a committee to inquire into the situation regarding Jackson recruits when the board discussed the matter in November.

The situation with the recruits apparently arises from a discrepancy between what JFD taught and what actually is on the minimum standards test, though the Minimum Standard Board approved Jackson's curriculum.

WLBT-TV posted this video report on the situation:

 

In the meantime, the 26 FF's that failed have been getting paid while they await the settlement of the problem.  The fire chief says that state law requires them to be certified before they can be allowed to perform as firefighters, so they remain in limbo.

Not true, says Joel Jones, attorney for the Mississippi Fire Personnel Minimum Standards and Certification Board.

"Jackson apparently has an internal policy that they don't actually use guys as firemen until they've passed the course. That's a Jackson policy," Jones said. "State law says after they hire someone they have to be certified in a year. There's no restriction in the state law as to how they use that person, they just can't pay them after a year unless they're certified."

The Clarion-Ledger says that this isn't the first time that Jackson has had learning problems:

An internal affairs report dated Sept. 20, 2005, obtained by The Clarion-Ledger, states that "approximately 80 percent of 2005 recruit class felt that the class was poorly organized and did not receive the quality of training expected."

The report further states: "The class stated that they were given a book for Jackson Fire Department Training Class and later it was determined that this was the wrong book. Instructor (Keith) Simpson told them that they will continue to train from the book. The recruit class felt that improper material affected their academic performance on the Minimum Standard Test."

The report concludes that "The overhaul of (the training) division may be the key to better this department in the future."

Apparently they didn't get a new key.

Read the full article in the Clarion-Ledger HERE.
Jackson Fire Department WEBSITE.

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CLICK HERE to read all the details and order yours.

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Posted by on January 26, 2012 • Filed under: Fire Rescue Topics, Training, training-fire-rescue-topics, Videos • Tagged: , ,

Monday Night Netcast

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Join Billy D. Hayes on Monday, January 23, 2012 at 9:00 p.m. EST as he hosts a special episode of STOP, DROP, and ROLL With the Punches.

Past episodes have included the Who’s Who in the fire and emergency service, but this one will be the view from the trenches. Billy’s guests include firefighters and company officers on the line to share their thoughts on why fire prevention and firefighter safety may succeed and/or fail.

We often miss the opportunity to listen to those in the trenches, so this episode is sure to be a hit! Join us on Monday, January 23 at 9pm ET for this LIVE internet radio show!

Here's the link to get started listening and the call-in number:  Stop Drop and Roll With the Punches.

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Posted by on January 23, 2012 • Filed under: Training, training-fire-rescue-topics • Tagged:

LODD – Florida

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During Training Exercise

A POMPANO BEACH, FLORIDA, FIREFIGHTER died Friday afternoon after falling from an aerial ladder during a training exercise.

Channel 10 News photo

William Elliott, 50, was at the top of the fully-extended ladder, about 90 ft. above the ground, when he inexplicably fell off and plunged to the ground dying instantly.  The fire company was holding an afternoon drill with the aerial and a second firefighter who was midway up the ladder witnessed Elliott's fall.  Firefighter Elliott had been on the job since 1989.

The Broward County Sheriff department is conducting the investigation of the accident.

WSVN-TV posted this video report from the scene:

 

The Sun Sentinel has the full story and more details HERE.

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Posted by on January 6, 2012 • Filed under: Fire Rescue Topics, Line of Duty, training-fire-rescue-topics, Videos • Tagged: , , ,

Million-Dollar Tiller Truck Stays Parked

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Plenty of Finger-Pointing Going On

FOR THE PAST NINE MONTHS, SINCE MARCH a brand new $1 million ladder truck has been parked in a Quebec City, Quebec, firehouse due to a squabble over training and licensing issues.  The new truck is a tiller truck and the first one Quebec has had in over 20 years, so the expertise in operating it has been lost over time.

The fire department sent one of their drivers down to the U. S. to receive enough training that he could come back and instruct the other drivers on the technique.  But then some bureaucrat in the city government proclaimed that since it is a tractor-trailer rig, then all the operators need to hold a Class 1 truck drivers license.  That immediately brought the issue into the realm of the firefighters union who said, in so many French words, Baloney!

The firefighters have no problem with training on the tiller, but to insist that they have to take and pass the commercial truck driver's test is unneccesary.  The Emergency Vehicle driving license that they currently hold is considered good enough for all emergency vehicles.

The view from the safest seat in the fire department.  (TVA Nouvelles)

Now the stalemate is on while the fire chief is telling the citizens that the truck will go into service in February, 11 months after taking delivery.  The firefighters say that's fine, as long as they don't have to pass a Provincial test to do it.

Stay tuned. 

TVA Nouvelles has the STORY.

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Posted by on December 22, 2011 • Filed under: apparatus, training-fire-rescue-topics, Vehicle Operations & Apparatus • Tagged: ,

Tonight’s Netcast

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ON TONIGHT'S EDITION OF THE FRONT SEAT hosts Dave and Bill welcome Ric Jorge as a guest.

Ric has taught in Florida and at the FDIC. Many of you will remember seeing the video on Facebook "Impact This". This video was of one of the most dramatic training evolutions many have ever experienced. The video is the "HOT" portion of the training Ric has provided at FDIC and elsewhere.  Join us for the story of how Ric got started training, his story of the brotherhood and what it means to him.

As a new segment to the show, Mike Walker will join us for a discussion on Strategy and Tactics. Mike is a Battalion Chief with the Oklahoma City Fire Department and has been a guest on The Front Seat before. We look forward to Mike making monthly appearances on the show and bringing good, honest discussion about strategy and tactics to your computers.

B. C. Mike Walker

We look forward to you joining us HERE tonight at 9:00 pm EST on The Front Seat.

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Posted by on December 1, 2011 • Filed under: Fire Rescue Topics, Training & Development, training-fire-rescue-topics

Wednesday Night Netcast

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Coming to you live Wednesday night at 9pmET on Firefighter Netcast!

Whether it is in a large urban city, a coastal community, or anywhere in between, special events require considerable pre and post event planning.

Former Fire Chief of the District of Columbia Fire and EMS department (DCFD) Dennis L. Rubin, and retired DCFD Assistant Chief of Operations Larry Schultz will discuss their experiences while serving the in the nation’s capitol and the coordination required in the capitol region.

In contrast and comparison, Fire Chief Hartley Brokenshaw and Deputy Fire Chief Keith Martin will share their experiences of large events occurring in their jurisdiction that draw similiar crowds with less resource capabilities.

Topics will include: case studies from events that have made the headlines, fire and life safety requirements, pre and post event planning, and the political considerations that have an ever present impact.

So join us here this Wednesday evening at 9:00 p.m. EST as Billy D. Hayes hosts Stop Drop and Roll With the Punches.

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Posted by on November 30, 2011 • Filed under: Training, training-fire-rescue-topics

Training Mishap Burns Miami Lieutenant

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Unexplained Flash Fire Causes Serious Burns

A MIAMI-DADE, FLORIDA, FIRE LIEUTENANT, Kevin McCrea was seriously burned Friday morning while he was preparing a simulation car fire device for a class at the fire academy.

MDFR photo

Witnesses say that McCrea was only wearing a polo shirt and regular pants when the accident occurred.  He was connecting a propane hose to a model car used for auto fire training when something happened that caused a leak.  The pressurized gas then flashed and burned McCrea in the face and on his arms.

WSVN-TV image

The firefighters standing by for the session immediately put out the fire and began life-saving procedures on McCrea while an air ambulance was summoned.  He was transported to a burn unit where he is in serious but stable condition.  Doctors say that he will NOT need any surgery and is expected to recover ok.

CBS Ch. 4 provided this video report:

 

(if the above video player fails to load on your browser, CLICK HERE)

Lt. McCrea has been in the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue department for 11 years and been in the training division for the past three years.

WSVN-TV has the story plus another video report HERE.

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Posted by on November 19, 2011 • Filed under: Fire Rescue Topics, Training, training-fire-rescue-topics, Videos • Tagged: , ,

Nevada Fire Science Academy Due to Close

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The Problem is Strictly Financial

THE FIRE SCIENCE ACADEMY AT THE University of Nevada, Reno will probably be shut down by the end of the year and sold to the Nevada National Guard.  The modern facility is widely used by firefighters from all over the world and also contributes to the Elko County economy.  But the school has an unsustainable debt that continues to increase with no foreseeable turnaround.  There is a $24 million bond indebtedness and a $12 million operating deficit.  The closure will cause the layoff of 28 people, as well.

Fire Science Academy photo

The Elko Daily Free Press reports:

"It is my decision to go to the Board of Regents to propose the closure. The actual decision will be with the Board of Regents,"UNR President Marc Johnson said Monday. "The reason is completely financial," he said.

The university plans to recommend the closure to the Nevada System of Higher Education Board of Regents at their meeting Dec. 1-2 in Las Vegas, according to UNR’s announcement Monday.

Elko County, the City of Elko and the Elko Convention and Visitors Authority all contributed $25,000 a year under a sustainability effort to keep the doors open, and Carlin provided a break on water rates. Academy clients also contributed.

Johnson said the contributions from the cities and county were supposed to be a stopgap measure for three years while the academy sought funds elsewhere for long-term financial support, but that didn’t happen.

KRNV-TV posted this video report:

 

The sale of the academy to the National Guard is progressing and is expected to be completed within the next few months.  National Guard officials say that their usage of the facility will replace the room sales and related economic activities, plus a planned expansion construction program will benefit the area as well.

The Gardnerville Record-Courier has more DETAILS HERE.
The Elko Daily Times report is HERE.
University of Nevada press release HERE (click on letter for full size).
University of Nevada, Reno Fire Science Academy WEBSITE.

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Posted by on November 16, 2011 • Filed under: education, Fire Rescue Topics, Funding & Staffing, Training, training-fire-rescue-topics, Videos • Tagged: , ,

Thursday Night Netcast

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Real World Staffing

Tune in this week to the latest episode of The Front Seat on Firefighter Netcast. Last month we were excited to add Bill Carey of Backstep Firefighter and Firefighter Behavior as a co-host. This month Dave LeBlanc and Bill will dig into the meat and potatoes of the Fire Service’s mission and the resources available to fulfill them.

We are all aware of our oath to protect lives and property, but what happens when that oath comes in direct conflict with our ability to do that? The policy makers are usually nowhere to be found at 2am when heavy smoke is showing from a single family residence and we are the ones forced to balance our mission and the safety of the public with our resources and the safety of our crews.

As part of this month’s show we asked you, the listener, to share your tips and tricks of operating shorthanded. We received some good write ups and we will be sharing those as well. We are also looking for you to call in and make this a true "kitchen table" discussion. We will also announce the winner of the "Expect Fire" contest.

Tune in to Firefighter Netcast tonight – Thursday – at 9 pm Eastern and be part of the discussion.

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Posted by on October 27, 2011 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, Training, training-fire-rescue-topics

Gateway Midwest early registration ends TODAY.

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Instructor Meet-Up October at St. Charles, MO

It was my second trip to a national fire training conference in the mid 1980s. The organizers promoted a networking opportunity at the local fire museum. For the 2011 equivalent of $50 I could rub shoulders with movers and shakers of the fire training community.

I showed up early, along with a handful of others. The organizer of the conference showed up, made sure that the food and drinks were present, and rushed off in his customized Escalade for a private dinner with the conference headliners.

The networking opportunity was like a freshman mixer … without girls  … or beer. Did not meet any of the scheduled instructors at the conference. 

 

We know how to run a meet-up!

The folks at Go>Forward have been arranging fireems blogger meetups at national shows for a couple of years. You have followed the meet-ups on Twitter, and read the stories from STATter911, Command Safety, The Fire Critic, Brotherhood Instructors, Life Under The Lights, Iron Firemen, Pink Warm and Dry, Ambulance Driver, Fire Daily, Green Maltese and others.

Gateway Midwest expands the meet-up and incorporates high quality fire and ems training.

Saint Charles, Missouri   October 21 – 23

go to http://goforwardtraining.com/gateway/ for more information and to register..

Put ffw10 or STATTER in the promotion code for a discounted registration.

How Mike will spend $50 at Gateway Midwest

Read

Meet me in St. Charles! October 21-23 Gateway Midwest

to find out.

Hope to see you in St. Charles!

Mike "FossilMedic" Ward

 

Posted by on September 30, 2011 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, EMS Topics, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighting Operations, Training & Development, training-fire-rescue-topics, Twitter • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Multi-National Drill in Italy

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Three Countries Participate

THE VIGILI DEL FUOCO, National Fire Service in Italy, held another of their well-regarded international fire training exercises on September 17 in Tarvisio, Udine.  This exercise included teams from Austria and Slovenia along with the Italian forces that also brought representatives from the National Volunteer Fire Brigade, some forest fire units and a mountain rescue group.

The event simulated:

* SAF (high angle rescue team) with rescue of persons in the channel of the river Slizza;

* A simulation of a search and rescue injured in an accident at work in the forest,

* The fire extinguishing of forest and interface,

* The rescue from a fire in a tunnel;

The exercise involved about 120 people. At the end there was a meeting at the Detachment of Tarvisio for debriefing and the ceremony of greeting to the Authorities and to the participants.

The Vigili del Fuoco national website carried the story  and a photo Galleria HERE.

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Posted by on September 26, 2011 • Filed under: Training, training-fire-rescue-topics

Mass Casualty River Rescue Drill in Paris

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Potential 30 Drowning Victims

THURSDAY AUGUST 25 A MASS-CASUALTY drill was conducted on the River Seinne in Paris, France.  The scenario spelled a serious accident when a tour boat sank at the Mirabeau bridge leaving 30 victims helpless in the water.

The "victims" take to the water

The alarm was sounded at 9:30am and the Fire Brigade water rescue team, based on the City Island, along with two specialized dive units and a police water patrol team converged on the scene with the intent on completing the rescue in 20 minutes or less.  "This simulation drill is primarily designed to test our response protocols," said Commander Samuel Bernes.  "We will measure response times and test the various equipment at our disposal."

Responding to the "tragedy" were several lifeboats and some vacuum mattresses (self-inflating mattresses) that are pulled to shore by cables. 

Also tested were two devices that were tried to assess their capability as aids in river rescues.  One was an articulated crane that can also be used for riverside fires and the other is a motorized pontoon boat owned by a private firm.

At 10:10 am the operation was completed.  The exercise involved 50 firefighters, 10 police officers from the river brigade, members of the Red Cross and several dozen emergency vehicles.

Le Parisien has the story and photo gallery HERE.

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Posted by on August 28, 2011 • Filed under: Training, training-fire-rescue-topics

Storm Prep For Probies

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Steve has some good tips for the youngsters scheduled to work during the hurricane:

My first night in the firehouse was June 21st, 1972, the same night that Hurricane Agnes hit the DC area. Assigned to ride bucket on Truck 11, it was a night that will stick in my mind forever. There are some lessons that maybe the current crop of Firefighters could benefit from, especially if you're scheduled to work this weekend:

#1. Report to work with extra changes of clothes and be prepared for at least 48 hours of hold over.

#2. Bring food!
Most all grocery stores closed early during Agnes as power was lost in the first round of storms and then didn't re-open the next day at all. The McDonald's down in the valley saved us by sending a grocery bag of burgers to 11 late in the evening on the 21st.

#3. If you have an extra set of turnout gear, make sure it's intact and at the station. You WILL need it. It's gonna rain. A LOT.

#4. Extra fuses for anything still running fuses as opposed to circuit breakers.
Tropical rain gets into everything. Remember the line from Forest Gump? Sometimes it even seemed to rain "up". Our windshield wipers failed early on from the heavy rain in the cab but the truck absolutely had to stay in service…so a volunteer was assigned to sit in the middle between driver and officer and spent the whole night pushing the inside wipers with his hands so that the outside wipers would work. (these new ffs have no clue that open cab firetrucks used to have inside and outside wipers!)

#5. Thank God open cab fire trucks are a thing of the past. Truck 5 was running as Truck 11 that night. It was the old American La France. I would have paid good money for a roof that night. Like they said in the movie "Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy"…bring a towel!

#6. Make sure your family is provided for before reporting for work. That means food, water, power and other emergency supplies. IF they are in a flood zone, MOVE THEM OUT EARLY.

#7 Units should be prepared to work on their own. We ran 26 calls the first 8 hours of Hurricane Agnes…that included 2 small working fires from lightning strikes. We were the ONLY truck company on the highway that night and ran many calls all by ourselves.

#8. Be aware that the huge firetruck you are on creates waves when it goes through deep water across roadways. Those waves will wash other vehicles clean off the road. T-11 did just that down near FT Belvoir during Agnes while responding to the bridge collapse in Woodbridge. We had to stop and do a swift water rescue.

#9. Water supply WILL fail early on. It did in Agnes and we had Air Force tankers running calls with us later in the night. Water supply failed again during later hurricanes too. Poor placement on the water treatment plant in Occoquan. The area floods easily.

#10 Got a camping sleeping cot? Throw it in the car and take it to work with you. Extra shifts and extra personnel will likely be spending time at your station….not enough beds to go around!

#11 Ropes. If they are hanging in the store room, get em out and put on the apparatus. Even brush units and medic units will need ropes and flotation devices during a storm like this.

#12 Bring cash! ATMS will be out of service as soon as the power goes. Bring cash in case you have to buy something and can find a store still open.

#13 Still have a pair of the old hip boots? Time to dig them out.

#14 Check out the chain saws and trash pumps NOW, not when it starts raining. Extra chains, extra fuel and oil for them and whatever tools needed to replace those chains in the field should be on board the apparatus.

#15 Wear glasses? Bring a soft cotton towel just for drying your glasses. Every time you get out of the truck, those lenses will get wet and probably fogged over. Nice to be able to clean them off afterwards so you can see. If you truly depend on glasses to work, bring your extra pair to work with you.

#16. Hand lights. EVERY SINGLE HAND LIGHT needs to be working and charged and on-board the apparatus. Even the brush units will need extra lights and equipment not normally associated with a brush truck. A charged hand light does no good sitting on the shelf in the workshop or storage closet.

#17. Shelter. Is your station likely to be needed to shelter evacuees? Plan NOW who's gonna stay to supervise them, how they are going to be fed and make sure that a hand light is left for them. You will be out of the station when the power fails, and the emergency generator fails to start and they will need a light until you get back.

Good Luck!

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Posted by on August 26, 2011 • Filed under: commentary, training-fire-rescue-topics

Tonight’s Netcast

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Taking It To The Streets with Chris Naum

Join in on Wednesday August 17th at 9pm ET for another special and exciting program continuing our series of discussions on the Emerging Tactical Renaissance in the Fire Service.

This edition of Taking it to the Streets will be looking at the New Fire Ground and the First-Due.

Grab a cup of coffee and sit down for a special one hour program with Taking it to the Streets on FirefighterNetcast.com where we’ll be discussing developing concepts, methodologies and operational perspectives affecting today’s emerging and evolving fire ground and the considerations for the First-Due with Christopher Naum and two special guests, fire service leaders Division Chief Ed Hadfield and Deputy Chief Jason Hoevelmann.

CLICK HERE to log in to listen and join in the discussion on Firefighter Netcast.  If you can't join tonight, don't forget that all programs are archived and can be listened to later HERE.

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Posted by on August 17, 2011 • Filed under: Training, training-fire-rescue-topics • Tagged: , , , ,

News Editor Joins A Firehose Barrel Contest

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On a Hot Summer's Night

Recently the editor of the Long Valley Patch, Jason Koestenblatt in Washington Township, New Jersey, was working on a story about the area's volunteer firefighters.  It's part of a human-interest series that  he's working on about different ways that the citizens work behind the scenes to make the area better for everybody.

Five Area Fire Companies Got Together For
Socializing and Multi-Company Drills.
(Long Valley Patch photo)

When he attended a drill he didn't know he was going to get wet, but he experienced the fun and exercise of a barrel fight, the hoseline equivalent of a tug-of-war.  He writes:

I had the opportunity to suit up and take part in one of the ‘fights’. When I arrived at the fire company, I was wearing shorts and a t-shirt, and I was still sweating. Now throw on the gear and hold a hose strong enough to push a single person to the ground (remember, there were teams of three), and compete for up to five minutes or until one team won, whichever came first.

When my team finished the drill (we lost on distance, but didn’t allow for the barrel to reach our pole), I was dripping sweat. I couldn’t get the gear off fast enough, and it took a few minutes to catch my breath.

The rules say that you can't squirt the other team, but apparently they don't say anything about the spectators.  Check out the VIDEO HERE to see what we mean.

There's more to his story than that, so take a few minutes to read the entire ARTICLE HERE.  It's a good example of how first-responders can cooperate with media people to get the word out about some of their activities with some background reporting.

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Posted by on July 22, 2011 • Filed under: Fire Rescue Topics, public relations, Training, training-fire-rescue-topics

Upcoming Netcasts

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Busy Week in Baltimore

The Firefighter Netcast crew is in Baltimore for the Firehouse Expo and their packed schedule begins today, Wednesday.  They will be netcasting live shows and in between those they will be recording interviews to be played later.  Their recording sessions will be taking place in the Firegeezer booth in the Exhibit Hall  on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, so be sure to drop by and say hello to the gang.  Now for the early schedule of live netcasts that you can tune in and listen to:

Wednesday night’s show:

Imagine being a fly on the wall when several of the nation’s most respected and revered fire chiefs are all in the room with you.

Fire service leaders such as retired chief Alan Brunacini from Phoenix, Baltimore’s chief Jim Clack, retired Santa Rosa, CA fire Chief Bruce Varner, and retired Chief Dennis Rubin from our nations’ capital.

Well, be that fly on Wednesday night and listen in as Firefighter Netcast’s own Billy D. Hayes and John Mitchell sit down during a break from the Chief Alan Brunacini Leadership Conference this week in Baltimore as Firehouse Expo begins.

Join us for a special edition of Stop, Drop, and Roll with the Punches Wednesday night at 9pm ET and hear what they have to say about being a fire chief in our current trying times, the importance of fostering relationships and the necessity of mentoring all throughout your career.

Firefighter Netcast- this ain’t your Daddy’s fire service radio podcast!

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Thursday afternoon’s Stair climb

Live coverage from the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation 9-11 Memorial Stair Climb, held during Firehouse Expo on Thursday, July 21, beginning at 1:45pm ET. Participants will climb flights of stairs equaling 110 flights – the same number as the World Trade Center Towers.

Each climber, wearing turnout gear, station gear or workout gear will carry the photograph of a firefighter who was lost on September 11th. This is not a timed event or a race, it's a way for firefighters to honor and remember their comrades who made the ultimate sacrifice on September 11, 2001. Join host Dave Statter for a front-row seat to this incredible event!

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Friday afternoon’s newest Netcast show premiere

 

Some of the most important discussions take place at firehouse kitchen tables around the world. Whenever firefighters get together for a meal, watch a ball game, have a meeting, drill on something, remember a lost friend, relive the fire, tell stories, say hello or good bye, or just have a cup of coffee, the kitchen table is where the best chats take place.

Our premiere program comes to you live this Friday, July 22 at 2:00pm ET. It’s intended to be a virtual chat around your firehouse kitchen table. We will be sitting at the table just talking. We do not know what we will be talking about, we do not know who will stop by to talk. There is an open invitation to 1.2 million firefighters and we are interested in what you have to say.

So stop by, the coffee is on and the soda is cold; you never know who or what will be talked about at the firehouse kitchen table.

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Click on the links in each show description to tune in and join in with us in Baltimore.  Great to see ya'!

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Posted by on July 20, 2011 • Filed under: Command & Leadership, Fire Rescue Topics, News, Technology & Communications, training-fire-rescue-topics • Tagged: ,

Tonight’s Netcast

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The Brotherhood Instructors Come to Town

Tonight at 9pm ET, join Firefighter Netcast as John and Rhett welcome the crew from Brotherhood Instructors. Fortunate are the firefighters who have had the Brotherhood Instructors training experience come out to their department or training centers and actively participate in a hands-on environment of training focused completely upon their local needs. Not many fire departments have the access to the myriad of training equipment and props that can make the difference between understanding a concept and mastering its performance.

http://brotherhoodinstructors.com

As you listen in to the seasoned instructors, you’ll gain a true appreciation of their ability to pass along their knowledge with a level of excitement that is simply contagious, leaving the students completely charged up and ready to perform at their peak. Whether it be hoseline management, victim rescue, truck company operations, forcible entry, or any other fireground skill, find out why Brotherhood Instructors has become one of the hottest tickets in town, in fact, all across the United States and Canada.

As always, you can call in to share in the chat, follow along in the chat room, or simply listen in, find out more by visiting Firefighter Netcast. Time and again, they prove that this ain’t your daddy’s fire service radio podcast.

CLICK HERE to join in tonight's netcast.

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Posted by on July 6, 2011 • Filed under: Training, training-fire-rescue-topics • Tagged: ,

Netcast Tonight !

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Late Add-On to the Schedule

The C. A. N. Report hosted by B.C. Art Doss

Tonight:  Talking  Auto Extrication, with Internationally recognized leader
in all aspects of the discipline, Randy Schmitz.

The Show Begins at 9:00 pm Eastern Tonight!

CLICK HERE to log in and join the discussion.

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Posted by on June 30, 2011 • Filed under: Training, training-fire-rescue-topics • Tagged: