Hand Tools for Residential Search and Rescue Operations

Hand Tools for Residential Search and Rescue Operations

Firefighters conducting search assignments in a residential occupancy must have hand tools with them to facilitate the tactical objectives in order to achieve success in a safe and timely manner. In fact, every firefighter on the fire ground, unless specifically assigned to operate the nozzle should have some type of hand tool with them. All too often we see firefighters on scene or in photographs standing on a roof or on a ladder with nothing but their good intentions in their hands. Simply stated, a firefighter without tools on the fire ground is nothing more than a well dressed spectator.
For those firefighters assigned to perform search operations or who will attempt to affect a rescue, there are specific tools that are essential to facilitate these jobs. Searching firefighters should not be inside the residence without hand tools “taking a look”. Even worse would be for a potential rescuer to believe, “I don’t need tools if I’m going to drag a victim out”. Just as a mechanic needs tools to repair a car, so does a firefighter require tools in order to properly mitigate an emergency.

P.P.E. and Safety
It should go without saying that any firefighter operating on the fire ground needs to be wearing a full complement of p.p.e. (personal protective equipment). This p.p.e. includes wearing the entire bunker gear ensemble correctly. That means all buckles and snaps should be secured, chinstrap in place and the flash hood pulled up; not just worn around the neck. Suspenders have to be worn correctly; that means up and on the shoulders and not hanging down below the coat in that cool firefighter photo op fashion that so many have become fond of. And structural firefighting gloves must be on for the duration of the incident.
Any protective gear incorrectly worn will not provide appropriate levels of protection and can, in the case of hanging suspenders for example, cause a hazard.
All firefighters must be wearing N.F.P.A. rated structural firefighting gloves and not work gloves. This may seem like it goes without saying but, it is not uncommon to see personnel wearing these leather work gloves while engaged in firefighting operations. And the excuse for this negligent breach of safety is always the same, “I can work better with these gloves”. The simple fact of the matter is that structural firefighting gloves at this point in time are bulky and cumbersome and can make routine tasks seem difficult. But in the end this is an excuse as well. If firefighters are not comfortable performing routine tasks while wearing structure gloves then they need to practice with them until they are proficient and comfortable working with these gloves; there is no substitute or excuse that is acceptable. Work gloves are not design to withstand the rigors of structural firefighting operations. Moreover, the work gloves themselves will not withstand the thermal impact (heat) of interior structural firefighting operations and will quickly deteriorate during a call to the point that the gloves can literally fall apart at the seams.
The N.F.P.A. 1971 Standard for Structural Firefighting Apparel exists to promote the safety of firefighters and these standards should not be compromised on scene because firefighters are not proficient with their personal protective equipment.
Furthermore, any firefighter that operates in an I.D.L.H. (Immediately Dangerous to Life and Health) environment must have an s.c.b.a. on and be breathing from it. The p.a.s.s. (personal alert safety sensor) device must be activated. An s.c.b.a. is not a back pack or counterweight. It is an integral piece of life safety equipment that is useless if it isn’t being used appropriately.

If these statements seem like a reproach then maybe they are. Safety is an individual responsibility and rests with each one of us. Conversely, at the risk of sounding philosophical, we are our Brother’s keeper. It is everyone’s responsibility to point out safety violations that are blatant. Heroic rescues cannot be performed if the rescuer becomes a casualty. A breach in safety regulations can literally mean the difference between members going home at the end of the shift or the difference between a trip to the emergency room or the morgue. The mantra is; risk a lot to save a life, risk a little for property and risk nothing for what is already lost. Firefighting is and always has been all about life safety- period.

Any firefighters that are assigned to search evolutions must be equipped with a portable radio and all fire departments should consider the portable radio to be a vital part of a member’s p.p.e. A searching firefighter must be able to advise the I.C. of what they have or have not found/encountered while operating inside the residence. A search team is essentially a reconnaissance group for the Incident Commander. They are the Incident Commander’s eyes inside the structure and should report to the I.C. anything that they see or encounter, regardless of whether a victim is located or not.
Just as important is that a search team needs to be able to call for immediate assistance in the event they locate a victim, become separated or get into trouble while they are performing the search. When rescuing victims, firefighters must be able to initiate the Rescue Sequence and broadcast this vital information over the fire ground frequency. See Fire Engineering: The Rescue Sequence for Residential Search and Rescue.
Furthermore, it should not need explaining that the very best p.a.s.s. device on the fire ground is not the one mounted to the s.c.b.a. waist belt but rather the portable radio. Firefighters in distress can broadcast a Mayday and can advise the Rapid Intervention Company (R.I.C.) of their location and specific needs. For this reason alone all firefighters and not just company officers, should be radio equipped. That is not to say that a p.a.s.s. device is not needed. On the contrary, redundant features are better and communication is always the key to a successful and safe outcome of any fire event.
All firefighters must also have a reliable flashlight as part of their basic equipment p.p.e. list. The importance of members having a stout and reliable flashlight with them while they conduct search operations cannot be overstated. Any firefighter that has ever performed a search under real conditions during a residential fire can attest to the validity of a reliable and powerful flashlight, even in the middle of the day.
The most advantageous flashlights are those that can be attached to the front of a firefighter’s coat thereby keeping hands free for tools, searching and other work. Actually, many bunker coats are now designed for a flashlight to be mounted to the front of the coat and have a pocket or carry tab built onto the front of the coat for just this purpose.
Conversely, lights mounted on helmets tend to become easy snag hazards and depending on the weight, size or shape of the light itself, can cause the helmet to shift off center or even fall off the firefighters head while being worn, especially during aggressive physical activity like a rescue. To that end, some departments have instituted rules that prohibit members from mounting lights or carrying equipment on their helmets. These rules are intended to promote firefighter safety; period. Mounting lights or carrying tools on the helmet creates an unnecessary snag hazard that is contrary to the design intent of the helmet.
As a matter of fact, the habit or tradition of firefighters carrying tools and lights on their helmets is a holdover from the days of long turnout coats and pull up boots. Firefighters were restricted to the two small coat pockets for carrying additional equipment. So for the sake of expedience or convenience, personnel began carrying things on their helmets. But, with today’s bunker gear of multiple pockets, firefighters no longer need to put “things” on their helmets. In truth, mounting or carrying anything on the helmet changes the performance characteristics and design intent of the helmet itself. Young rookies see the old timers doing this and believe that a hardware store on the head is the trademark of a salty old dog and so begin putting junk, tools and stickers on their helmets.
The justification has always been, “I need this light/chock/screwdriver/knife/wrench/ratchet/whatever, all the time and I can get to it easier and faster this way”. The appropriate answer to this behavior is to instruct firefighters to carry personal equipment and tools properly and safely within the pockets provided on their bunker gear and to retrieve from the pocket and use said tools all while wearing structural firefighting gloves.

Finally, any firefighter operating on the fire ground must be equipped with a personal escape system; some type of personal gear that will facilitate the firefighter making a rapid escape in the event members become trapped on upper floors or the roof. It is not sufficient to simply have a length of rope or piece of webbing. The individual firefighter needs to have a complete system that includes a descending device, harness, rope and system anchor. These components are dedicated solely and specifically to firefighter self rescue.
Lastly, all personnel must be trained in and proficient with this self escape equipment in addition to the department’s May Day procedures. It is not enough for firefighters to be able to get into residential occupancies to perform a search; they must be able to get back out and be thoroughly trained to exit the residential occupancy under the extreme stress of performing a rescue and/or individual emergency conditions.

Specific Tools
This brings us to the types of specific tools that firefighters assigned to perform search and rescue operations will require. One firefighter alone may not be able to carry all of this specific equipment but a search team of at least two firefighters can easily carry and employ all of this gear.

Basic Equipment List for the Search Team
At a minimum the searching firefighters must have:
-P.P.E. including s.c.b.a., flashlight, escape system and portable radio
-The Irons
-Utility webbing
-2.5 gallon pressurized water extinguisher-the can
-A six foot pike pole-the hook
-Thermal Imaging Camera- the t.i.c. if available

The Irons is a term that really designates a set of tools. These tools are the eight pound flat head ax and the Halligan bar. The Irons are used for forcible entry as well as forcible exit in the event the searching firefighters encounter a situation in which their exit is locked, blocked or not provided. The Irons can also be used for an infinite number of other tasks along the way. In the hands of an experienced firefighter, the Irons are relied upon so much that they can almost become an extension of the arm. The Irons are the staple when it comes to firefighter hand tools.
The Irons should be stored together on the apparatus and they should be carried together by a single firefighter. In a pinch one well trained firefighter can use both of the tools alone while his partner is otherwise engaged. To make the Irons easier to carry around during the search they can have some type of webbing strap attached to them so the searching firefighter can simply carry the Irons slung on his shoulder. This is just one more way of keeping the hands less encumbered for other tasks. This strap also makes carrying the Irons much easier during those alarm investigations or long stair climbs.

Utility webbing, unlike webbing used in the personal escape system, is webbing for utility purposes and is approximately twenty feet in length and generally tied together using a Water Knot. A carabiner can also be attached to the webbing.
This webbing can be used for any number of jobs and purposes. From hoisting tools, securing hose or doors and dragging victims, utility webbing is an essential piece of equipment for any firefighter to have stored in his bunker gear. The real trick with utility webbing is to have it immediately and easily accessible to the firefighter while he is working and wearing structural firefighting gloves.
The webbing should be stored in a pocket that it is easy and convenient to reach and the webbing should be correctly Daisy Chained so that the member needs simply to pull the ends of the webbing to open it up and make the webbing functional.

A two and a half gallon pressurized portable water extinguisher (the can) is an ideal tool for the search team to have with them. Properly used, the can will allow the search team to prolong their stay inside of the residence while remaining highly mobile. Within the parameters of the primary search and through judicious application of the water in the can, one member of the search team is able to keep a room and contents fire in check while the primary search continues under conditions that would ordinarily drive them out. One experienced firefighter prudently “shooting” the can has frustrated more than one Engine Company by knocking down, although maybe not completely extinguishing, a substantial sized fire.
For ease of use and portability, the two and a half gallon pressurized water extinguisher can be equipped with a webbing sling. A firefighter will then be able to carry the extinguisher slung over his shoulder. Again, the benefit of this sling will really be appreciated on those long stair climbs or alarm investigations.

A six foot pike pole, more commonly referred to as “the hook”, is another essential piece of equipment that the search team should have with them. The space limitations here preclude listing all of the possible scenarios in which a searching firefighter may need to extend his reach that a six foot hook easily facilitates. That being said, a pike pole longer than six feet is almost useless inside of the average residential occupancy. Remember, we are talking about the typical residential dwelling here, the place where most of us non millionaires live; unless of course your response district includes large, palatial residential dwellings then you should adjust accordingly and bring the appropriate sized pike pole. Again, we are talking about the average sized residential occupancy.
A pike pole can be used to push open or pull closed interior doors, service access’s and attic scuttle hatches, pushing up ceiling tiles and/or venting windows as needed. The hook can also be used as an anchor point to extend the reach of searching firefighters within a dwelling, thereby allowing personnel to extend their reach- for their safety and those of the victim as well. See Fire Engineering: Anchor Points-Residential Search and Rescue.
The pike pole can be driven into a wall, hooked over a window sill or onto a doorjamb while the firefighter holds the other end and sweeps the search area with his free hand. The firefighter is now performing an anchored search that prevents disorientation or getting lost during the search of an environment with restricted visibility.

Extending Reach with Hand Tools
Indeed just about any hand tool can be used to extend the reach of searching firefighters provided the tools are used in the correct manner. And despite some older texts or the reluctance of some instructors, it is unsafe, unprofessional and even downright foolish for anyone to swing around a steel tool in an effort to locate an unconscious human being during a primary search. Unless you train regularly in the identification of objects and victims through the handle of an ax or through a steel Halligan bar or through a pike pole, you simply will not know what you have located; only that something is there. It is almost impossible to differentiate between an unconscious human form and the endless list of inanimate objects located inside the private residential dwelling fire. And if you don’t think you’ll make a mistake like that you had better think again. The fire service is full of stories in which search teams, sometimes very experienced firefighters, didn’t know or even recognize that the object they had bumped into, climbed over or bypassed was in fact the victim. Remember those structure gloves everyone complains about because they make working and identification of objects so difficult? Now, factor in the handle of a tool and the identification factor just got exponentially worse for the searchers who should be performing their primary search in a rapid manner.
“Probing” with an ax or Halligan bar is not only a time waster but potentially lethal to the victim. Just imagine the repercussions of “rescuing” a victim of smoke inhalation only to learn that the victim’s eventual death was the result of blunt force trauma to the head from a carelessly swung Halligan bar.
The firehouse kitchen is a common place to hear firefighters perpetuate the misconception of how they can use the tool to reach into a room that is too hot to enter during the primary search. But what these same mythmakers will not tell you is how you are supposed to identify or differentiate between a victim and an inanimate object through the handle of an ax or through the steel shaft of a Halligan bar. And should you be fortunate enough to identify a victim in this dangerous manner, how do you then rescue the victim from an environment that is too hot for a fully geared firefighter to enter? Is the victim simply speared on the end of the tool and dragged out to safety? Furthermore, if the room is too hot for a fully geared firefighter to enter, what are the chances of the victim still being alive? Time is all the while being wasted when a savable victim could very well be dying right across the hall, awaiting a rescue that will not come in time because firefighters are too busy probing into untenable rooms.
It is far better and more professional to use the tool to close the door to this untenable room if possible, broadcast the location of the fire to the I.C. and all operating companies and move on with the primary search. Remember, the primary residential search is supposed to be a very fast but thorough process.

Thermal Imaging Cameras (T.I.C.) The t.i.c is great tool for the search team to have with them. Unfortunately, the major drawback to these devices is that they still tend to be very cost prohibitive to many fire departments. Even within those organizations that can afford a camera, there are usually so few of them due to cost restrictions that the t.i.c. never really seems to arrive on scene in a timely enough fashion to be utilized by the members performing the primary search. That is not to say that the t.i.c. is all but useless to fire companies. On the contrary, when the camera is available they are very useful pieces of equipment.
Crews must be aware of the cameras limitations; they cannot see through walls or through water nor can they see under a pile of blankets. A thermal imaging camera cannot even see through glass. Rather, it reads the surface heat signature of an object in an area and interprets that into a signal that is viewable to the eye. Regrettably, a hindrance of too many cameras available today is that they tend to be rather cumbersome to carry in a practical manner.
Those favoring the use of thermal imaging cameras during a primary search may argue that there are new models coming out onto the market all the time with new shapes, sizes and operating features. And they would be correct. A small, lightweight, user friendly model is the obvious better choice and they are certainly available. This information will unfortunately not be a help to those departments that have already invested in one or several of the older style cameras because most fire departments simply do not have it in their budget to purchase a newer, smaller model of camera every time there is a new innovation within the industry.
This brings us to the point of having to rely on good old fashion, dependable search techniques and emphasizing aggressive ventilation tactics that will improve the tenability of the environment for the safety of operating companies and the survivability of any trapped victims. Ventilation should be evaluated, implemented and ongoing by the I.C. and the search team when appropriate. It is far better to get the smoke out of the environment than to have to rely on a device to see through the smoke.
Specifically speaking of the thermal imaging camera, it is an incredible device that has saved firefighters untold amounts of time during the critical phases of the primary search. Hopefully they will become available to every fire department in the near future.
Should fate smile and there is a t.i.c. available, it should accompany the primary search team. Firefighters must be thoroughly trained and competent regarding the correct use of the t.i.c. in order to maximize the camera to its fullest potential.
Having a t.i.c. available though does not negate good sound firefighting tactics. Searchers should remain oriented to the environment in case Mr. Murphy is waiting around the corner and the t.i.c. fails or is lost.
Lastly, searching firefighters need to remain mindful of the victim during the search. Firefighters can see through the smoke with the t.i.c. and breathe fresh air from an s.c.b.a. and remain insulated from the heat by wearing bunker gear; the victim has none of these luxuries available to them.
The residence should be aggressively vented when and where appropriate. Searching fire companies must know the difference between venting for fire suppression and venting for life.

The Hose
Conspicuously absent from the list of tools is the hose line and this is still a controversial issue with some departments and therefore needs explaining.
Performing a search of a residential occupancy is an aggressive task that is enveloped by time. The victim has been exposed to the fire, heat and smoke for an unknown amount of time before the fire department was called. What specific time factors are known are the response times and the flex time of the department as well as the fire conditions on arrival. And time will continue to tick off the game clock while a hose line is placed in service, the fire located and then knocked down. That means the victim will continue to be exposed all the while before being removed from the toxic environment.

FLEX TIME
Flex time is the amount of time it takes the first arriving fire company to perform a definitive task on scene.
Calculating flex time begins when the first arriving company gets on scene and is measured until the water is flowing on the fire or a rescue has been accomplished.
The average flex time in the United States for a single story residential occupancy is approximately four minutes, barring unusual circumstances.

Firefighters that are specifically assigned to perform the primary search of a residential occupancy should not be equipped with nor encumbered by a hose line as a rule and not an exception. Searching with a hose line will slow the searching firefighters down- period. Dragging the line through the occupancy and humping it around corners and furniture is a time consuming and laborious task. A company of firefighters that are assigned to search a residential occupancy must be fast and fluid in their actions. Time is neither on their side nor the victims.
It has become an accepted tendency within the fire service for personnel to attempt to complete more tasks then they are capable of accomplishing; i.e. simultaneous suppression coupled with search and rescue efforts. This is an unfortunate and inevitable result of reductions in available manpower. In some instances it may also be a security blanket mentality. We default to what we know or are comfortable with and deviation from this is awkward.
There are those that will argue in favor of the search team having a hose line for protection but the inescapable result is that dragging this line through a residence costs time; time the victim doesn’t have. And once the victim is located what will become of the hose line that was so imperative to drag through the occupancy? Generally, it will be discarded on the floor and there remain useless until another company enters the residence without a hose line, locates the nozzle and puts the line back into service.
As for the protection of the operating firefighters, their safety is dependent upon their careful size up of the situation, the location and extent of the fire and their experience level not in the hose line. If they feel they will need a hose line for protection then they should not be conducting search operations in that location. Remember, a primary search is many things but above all it is speedy. Advancing a hose line takes the element of speed out of a primary search and reduces it to a recovery/removal operation.
The proper use of an attack line for protecting the firefighters that are searching is in a separate attack team manning the line in a position that keeps the fire in check, preventing extension and thereby allowing the searching members to carry on in a relatively safe manner.
Many will stipulate that if you put the fire out everything tends to get better and this is a true statement. However, it doesn’t take into account what happens to the interior environment when a victim is known to be present or highly suspected. Knocking the fire down produces a searing cloud of steam and causes a thermal inversion. Due to the previously mentioned manpower limitations, it must be ascertained whether adequate and necessary ventilation tactics have been performed in a situation where suppression actions are going to take place in a residential occupancy in which the presence of a victim is known or highly suspected.
Strictly speaking, this is not an admonition to abandon all firefighting efforts until a search has been completed. Each situation will be different and the decision to pull a line or initiate a search will be dictated by fire conditions on arrival, the rescue profile of the particular situation and the availability and experience level of personnel. The point here is that it is an inescapable reality that simultaneous actions are very difficult to perform in a timely, safe and effective manner. With limited manpower available, fire ground actions must be prioritized. And in a specific situation where there is a known or highly suspected victim within the occupancy, all efforts and personnel must be directed to the immediate rescue of that victim.
To paraphrase Chief Tom Brennan, “victims are not rescued by hoses; they are safely removed from residential occupancies once the fire has been knocked down. Rescues on the other hand, are made under extraordinary conditions in which firefighters and victims can no longer wait for the situation to be stabilized by suppression actions”.

The list of tools and equipment spelled out here is for those firefighters that are assigned to or designated on scene specifically to perform a search of a residential occupancy. One firefighter cannot carry all of this equipment but a team of at least two firefighters can effectively carry and utilize all of this gear while still remaining highly mobile in a situation that requires rapid deployment and execution of resources and abilities.