What If's

     Good afternoon from the jumpseat.  After my long, wet weekends training on the new river for swift water tech class I must say that it’s good to be back on dry land.  I learned a lot from the instructors and can comfortably say that I could perform a swift water rescue.  One of the best moments is when my LT. came up with the quote of the weekend.  “We are in the what If business”, he said loudly.  Ding! One thing about writing is that I am always looking for materials.So here it was a quote that pertains to our business to a tee!  What if we get the call to this particular house?  What if the car is on its top?  What if the patient has a communicable disease?  This could go on all night but the fact remains that we manage the situation when it happens and we are called.  It is our job to “solve” or “stabilize “the issue when we arrive because we are the fire department.   We are the one that is tasked with making the rescue, saving the day, or putting the fire out.

Photo Courtesy of Views Staff
Confined space tech class 2010

So how do we manage the what if’s?  Well, how about this one.  What if we stayed prepared to respond. Bam, there it is the solution to all of our problems.  Simple, plain, black and white right in there in front of our noses. How could we ever forget that our job is to be ready to answer the call, manage the scene, save lives, and protect property?  We do this when riding in the jumpseat by being physically fit, mentally focused, and properly trained.

So what if you stopped reading right here? Then you would miss the point of this blog.  We are in the what if business but it remains our job to manage the “if’s” to make for a safer fire scene.  Remaining proficient in the skills that are asked of us is our number one job while we ride in the jumpseat.  So get off your computer, grab a tool, and get ready for the next rounds of “if’s” to head your way.  Because it’s not  a matter of if, it’s a matter of when  you are faced with the “what if’s”.

Be safe everyone

 Bunker up, Buckle in, it’s where we all BEGIN!

Summit Ave. Fire in Hagerstown

Dramatic video out of Hagerstown Maryland.  This well involved apartment complex with entrapment had early reports of "clutter conditions".  Watch the conditions deteriorate as they order firefighters out of the building.  Great example of when to "back the truck up"

God bless the victims and Hagerstown Fire Department!

Hoarder Survey!

Loyal readers of "Views" we are looking for some information of Hoarder fires.  Please take a moment to answer these 10 questions.  Results to follow soon!

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/9V8DWY6

Thanks  

Would you give up your mask?

Good afternoon from the jumpseat.  Attached you will find a great picture taken by my good friend Peter Matthews from St. Paul Minnesota.  He captured this rescue while photographing the St. Paul Fire Department.  I posted it to start up a conversation among the loyal readers of views.

Would you have given your mask to her in this situation?

Photo Courtesy of Peter Matthews 

Come on firefighters.....let's hear YOUR opinion.  

Head Out

As I sit and talk with firefighters around my station and banter with those around the country it seems apparent that in the event of a catastrophe, such as losing water pressure or a flashover, we are coming out the window head first!

Head first is not how we normally think about a bailout situation. We think that we have time to grab our rope and hook find an anchor point and set up for a rappel. 

Whoever thought that we would have this much time must have not seen some of the videos that I have seen.  Most all of them have one thing in common, head first is the way we are coming out. 

Now that we have reasoned this method, we are going to bailout head first let's talk about training that way. Whether it is on the first floor or the 100th floor we need to review techniques for exiting this hostile environment quickly and safely. Bailout bag, ladder slide, or just hanging below the window sill are all great methods of exiting a hostile environment. They all have one thing in common: the need for constant and consistent training. With safety in mind we need to make these drills as close to reality as possible.

 

Staying low in the window sill and rolling out without placing yourself into the hot gases that are exiting or the flames rolling out need to be addressed. Training is the best tool we use, but training like its reality will make you ready for the time the real thing goes down.  Hanging a sheet to simulate the heat conditions would give the firefighter an idea of just how low they need to stay. 

Training is the best way to be ready in the event of a emergency but making your training realistic by adding smoke, reduce the window size and make the ladder angle steeper than normal are ways of making good training Great. Just remember that while you are bailing out that your most likely "heading out!"

Be Safe everyone.

Thanks for the visit to the jumpseat.