Recent fire science studies have underscored the importance of timely action on the fireground. Bobby Magee writes that firefighter training should focus on improving time performance of basic firefighting tasks.

Time-Based Firefighter Training: Where Science Meets the Street!

The radio strap is a very good aid because it moves the radio from the chest area and relocates the radio to the hip area.

Using the radio strap

When arriving on the scene of an incident, the fire apparatus becomes involved in the situation due to its proximity to the incident. Several factors are at play when considering at how close we should park the fire apparatus to the scene.

The first consideration is the weather. Weather patterns can change at a moment’s notice and they can change the dynamics of the fireground. Wind-driven fires are being studied now in more detail to see how they behave and what the best methods are for fighting them.

Parking the fire apparatus at on the leeward side of a burning building when a strong wind is blowing is not going to produce a good outcome. As you can see in this video, the fire quickly takes control of the parked fire apparatus. 

3 things to know when positioning the fire truck

The video in the below link shows Dearborn, Mich. firefighters narrowly escaping a roof collapse on a commercial structure. The overhead camera shot gives us a vantage point we don’t often get from on-scene video. Take a look and check out the discussion points below:

• Vertical ventilation is labor intensive, and it’s difficult for a line officer to balance tasks and watch for the overall safety of the crew. As a line officer, what do you do to maintain a balance of action and the big picture?
• What are some of the ventilation cues coming from the roof being cut, and what are some cues from the roof the team moves to after the collapse?
• What would your radio transmission be? Would you transmit an urgent message, a mayday message or just treat it as a normal fire ground communication?

Reality Training: Commercial roof collapse

Firefighters size up the scene after the bridge collapse in Minn. last week. Years ago, when I took my first search and rescue class, the instructor talked about the six-sided review of a building or incident. “Look up, look down, and make sure you look all around before committing yourself,” he told us.

Over the years, I have thought of that simple saying on many emergency incidents and have passed it on to thousands of my students during training. The bottom line: Don’t get sucked into something before you give it the old once over.

It’s easier said than done sometimes, especially when lives hang in the balance and quick action will affect the outcome of an incident. But what about all of those other occasions when you may have the time to do it right?

Rescue is a Thinking Person’s Game

In this drill by Forest Reeder, firefighters are asked to look at applications for self-survival skills and then consider the context that caused them to be used in the first place.

Firefighter Training Drill: Self-Survival Skills

Will you work for fire? Will you dedicate yourself to going beyond being merely informed when it comes to firefighting? Will you work to enhance your efficiency and knowledge of your trade? Being a member of the suppression force is an honor and, with that, you must not just talk the talk, you must walk the walk. If talk is all you’re capable of, reciting things you’re told, then you’re probably not going to create much.

Tactical Safety for Firefighters: Will Work for Fire

When the equipment is placed back on the truck, is it ready to go; has it been set up to pull off the truck and operate quickly?

Have equipment ready to work

To protect against this chaffing, keep the pants enclosure closed when doffing the pants so that the Velcro patch is not exposed.

Chaffing harness straps

One of the consistent problem areas for many rescue crews is not just the construction of mechanical-advantage systems, but their safe and efficient operation. If speed and simplicity are the objective, then rescue crews must develop systematic approaches to haul systems. To get started, we have to cover some basic concepts about mechanical advantage. The overall goal is to train all of your personnel to count units of tension and understand mechanical-advantage physics. However, crews are made up of diverse individuals with varied abilities to understand and implement these concepts. 

5 Rope-rescue progressions