All Blog Posts Tagged 'Firefighting' (24)

The brotherhood of the fire service is unparalleled, understood only by members of this exclusive club.  Firefighters train alongside each other, rise through the ranks, and entrust our lives to each other’s hands. We understand without explanation what other firefighters are experiencing, even when located halfway around the world.  We know the rush of adrenaline when the pager goes off, comprehend feelings of pride and accomplishment, and understand…

Most everyone these days is familiar with the acronym PTSD: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Military personnel Are coming back in record numbers suffering from this disorder. PTSD was first added to the DSM by the American Psychiatric Association¹. With the recent wars and military activity, the number of those diagnosed with PTSD has dramatically increased. What we realize now is that PTSD is not limited to those who have served in battle. There is another…

Even to this zealot, the arguments against the tactical improvements inspired by fire dynamics research can, at first, sound persuasive:"The aggressive interior attack has proven effectiveness."; "Experiments have little application to the 'real world' of structure fires."; and "Nothing works everywhere” are common examples.  Furthermore, I have heard and read these and similar statements from many fire service leaders, and such pronouncements generally garner more applause…

I returned from FDIC 2017 with the nagging impression that the American fire service remains divided into two general camps regarding our tactical approaches: those who embrace the results of research, and have modified their methods accordingly; and those who have little accord for experimental evidence, and continue to embrace familiar methods.  There was even a significant imbalance in the reactions to the different viewpoints: presenters who spoke of the duty, honor, and sacrifice…

So, think you know how to fight fire?  Sure you do!  And, as a reader of this blog, you’ve shown your interest in trying to keep up with all of the advances in knowledge that continue to come out of fire dynamics research.  But, have you translated this information into practical use?  That is, have you or your department made changes to your operational procedures that take advantage of the increased speed, effectiveness, and safety of the various MFA methods?  Even if you are…

"Don't spray water on smoke" has been uttered as a dismissive command from generations of instructors, officers, and senior firefighters attempting to stop what was viewed as a useless action, and to instead encourage progress to reach and extinguish the seat of a fire.  A result of the fire service's movement from using almost exclusively exterior streams to the currently-standard interior attack (an evolution that has been ongoing for the past 50 years or so, and which, by…

I thought it time to leave for awhile the references to tools in the Modern Fire Attack (MFA) arsenal and instead look at a few of the new tactical rules that should be guiding our actions.  First, though, a few words regarding the whole idea of attempting to create strict edicts for something as dynamic and variable as structural firefighting.  Since one of the things that characterizes a true MFA proponent is avoidance of the words “always” and “never”, pretty…

If “more tools in the toolbox” is a good metaphor for new tactics, then our favorite attack hoseline setups might serve as a more specific comparison to our standard fire suppression approaches.  With multiple available combinations of nozzle types and hose diameters, lengths, and folds for structural firefighting, each fire department typically carries one or more arrangements that best suit its needs.  Selecting the ideal configuration requires consideration of staffing and hazard…

Product development and performance improvement are two processes that are alive and well in the fire service, resulting in a continuous stream of proposed “advancements” for our consideration.  Stronger, lighter, smaller, safer, and faster are typical descriptors of “upgrades”.  Most of these "new" items or methods are actually just modifications of equipment or procedures we already have on hand, with only a few being novel, such as the Personal Alert Safety System (PASS) or Rapid…

Continuing with our examination of MFA tactics as additional “tools in the toolbox” for the control of structure fires, today’s post will consider the issue of ignoring viable options.  This topic is pertinent to every fire department because, thanks to the hard work of the ISFSI, UL, and many others in developing and distributing information about improvements to firefighting inspired by fire dynamics research, and the fact that these changes are merely modifications of traditional tactics…

It’s 0400, and the alarm goes off. The synapses crackle to life. Adrenaline, rushing through your brain. The amygdala fires off and muscle memory takes over. It’s a blur as you rise to wakefulness and body your way through the hall to the ready room and from there, the crew carrier, the engine, or the ambulance. This is the life of the first responder. One moment, dead asleep, exhausted. The next, firing on all cylinders, your mind racing, reviewing your SOP’s internally. The teeth clench,…

Note: With the dawn of a new year, I'm determined to become a better blogger.  The Modern Fire Attack series has been running as a self-posted blog for about a year and a half now, and I have simultaneously, though less often, been submitting more general fire service articles under the title of my old column "From the Jumpseat".  Other than the topics, the size of the two (and the effort I put in to them) are roughly the same.  Having long ago begun writing for emergency…

We are learning that the fireground is more complex than we had previously understood, and we probably still don’t know the half of it.  While the recommendations for tactical changes that have arisen from ongoing fire dynamics research have spawned the most discussion amongst members of our profession, the raw information alone was revolutionary in its own right, even absent the practical applications that followed.  Flow paths, smoke as fuel, and the (actual) effects of hose…

From my perspective - that being someone who entered the fire service just as the era of "surround and drown" was being replaced by the "get in and hit it up close" approach - the most immediate and practical operational change inspired by fire dynamics research is the early application of water.  While the recommendation to delay ventilation also has significant benefits - and loud critics - “opening up”, especially vertically, was a tactic that many of us who worked in small departments…

     It is essential that both paid and volunteer engine companies understand how staffing shortages will affect their company’s operation at a fire because operating under staffed will greatly change the way they need to think and act at a structure fire. The difference in minor actions and decisions by the company will greatly affect the fire’s outcome and the overall performance of the company.

     One of the first things the pump operator and officer need to consider when…

When firefighters hear the term “air management” they often think of the ways they were taught to maximize their working time while on air in an IDLH environment. They picture consumption courses, spaghetti drills, and all the fun things from recruit school and other trainings that aided them in prolonging their operational time while wearing their SCBA. They think about skip breathing and various techniques taught by others to help get the last breath possible out of that bottle. Those are…

How many of us practice “catching” a hydrant or dropping supply line at the end of a driveway before we drive up to the actual scene and start getting ready to fight fire? More often than not, the first due engine company pulls up, drops the attack lines and begins the process of setting up for the attack before water supply is really…

I can’t remember what I am supposed to do at a fire anymore. The acronyms keep coming and I don’t want to screw anything up so I’m going to suggest we use OMAHA just like Peyton Manning. If you get to a point where all the acronyms run together and you are about to panic just take a deep breath and call,…

For kids, a snowy forecast is cheerfully received as a sign that tomorrow will be an easy day.  No school, watch some movies, have mom bake some cookies.  In the fire service, some make similar assumptions - no drill today, chief won't be by on rounds, just show up to nap and run some calls.  WRONG.

Across the country, some firefighters deal with snow more than…