David Polikoff's Blog – September 2015 Archive (2)

Just because you are on an engine company, does not excuse you from bringing hand tools in to do work other that hose line stuff.  A good engine crew will be ready to overhaul the fire area once the fire in knocked. Sometimes the truck crews are doing other stuff like search, laddering or venting. The truck crew might not be there to pull ceilings so it is up to you as the engine crew. Same holds true for forcing doors. You carry those tools on the engine for a reason.

When running an inside gas leak ensure you protect yourself and your crew from possible explosion. Call out your water supply. You may have to take a hydrant further away to avoid passing the incident. Park your apparatus away from the front of the building and approach with your meters on. Call for additional resources as needed. Control sources of sparks, such as lights, doorbells, pilot lights. Turn on all hand lights prior to entering the building.…