If you arrive to find your SCBA has entered the building ahead of you, reconsider entering said building. A person actively pulls on one of the student's legs while another person tries to turn off his SCBA. No, this is not a video from Prince George's County.
Many of us are constantly looking for new ways to train on old subjects. Creativity helps spice up an otherwise dull lesson. Unfortunately, if creativity loses sight of the lesson’s goals, then the value of training is decreased. Case in point, the SCBA drill captured in this video. There are quite a few good points from the whole lesson, such as keeping your bearings while PASS devices are activated and the operations of one’s SCBA. The Saran-wrapped facepieces help also, as does the little amount of furniture and the brief ‘entanglement’. Where I’m lost, and it might just be me, is the daisy chain search method, allowing gloves to be off, and turning off the SCBA. It’s true that our training needs to be as antagonistic as possible, but that means it also has to incorporate as much realism as possible.
If you were tasked with SCBA training using a realistic scenario, how would you do it?
Finally, we have to acknowledge that the department in the video is at least training. For every one example like this, there are probably three or four departments that said, “ah let’s do it next week, the game’s on tonight.” Oh, and the point where the student feels the form of the person sitting in the chair; when did they teach that bodies were obstructions?
Preface
At the start of 2009 I began a deeper look into the statistics that make up our line of duty deaths. One reason was to see in greater detail what firefighters are dying of and how. A second reason was to begin an honest and respectful look at what is both technically and culturally considered line of duty by the American fire service. To help understand the second half of the 2009 data, readers should review the articles from earlier this year. Readers should also note that the investigative reports do not exist for every 2009 fatality. Knowledge gained from those reports may affect the information interpreted below. (more…)
Back in November, a house fire happened in Cleveland. At the time it was rather insignificant; a boarding house fire seen by a unknown person passing by on a bicycle. By knocking on doors the cyclist was able to alert the occupants of the fire building as well as those in the exposed homes. The fire eventually damaged the exposures but not before it had claimed the lives of four people who live inside. Three of them died inside, but Ray Vivier died later in a Cleveland hospital. Ray, once woken, tried to get the other boarders out, and was successful in getting five out, but unfortunately he couldn’t beat the smoke inhalation and burns. (more…)
Heads up folks, change is coming.
Boston, October 1998
CBS 48 Hours comes to town and catches a nine-alarm fire at 85 Essex Street, a six-brick vacant.
Leo Stapleton was the Commissioner at the time.
Two water mains were shut off for construction and oh yeah, there were fireworks inside as well. (more…)
The premier broadcast of Firefighter Netcast will be discussing line of duty deaths. In the little bit of time between idea conception and maiden flight, Fire Critic and Fire Daily have put together what promises to be a intelligent program, even if it didn’t include me. And as a disclaimer, if it bombs, I’ll take the blame; give the guys a second chance and listen to the next program when it comes out. (more…)
Firefighters untangle hoses in front of a three alarm fire on East Seventh Street in South Boston. (Photo by Jim Mahoney)
This morning (11 January) a three-alarm fire struck a apartment house in Boston’s South End on East Seventh Street. Fire on the second floor extended into the attic. A frozen hydrant caused a slight delay and three firefighters suffered minor injuries. (more…)
Salisbury (MD) firefighters prepare to advance a hoseline at this residential basement fire. (Cliff Shockley/FITHP)
The 30-Second Drill is to provide a brief drill/discussion subject that can take no more than 30 seconds to read and reply to. (more…)
Herbert Portillo ran out of his home with his mother and father. A neighbor gave him a jacket to keep him warm. (Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff)
On Saturday, fire out the rear basement of a three-decker in east Boston went to the attic and exposures, prompting the chiefs to strike four alarms. The homes on Princeton Street sit relatively close to one another. (more…)
Unscientific Culture Study: Milwaukee
3 comments“It’s blatantly clear that these communities, if called upon to respond to a working structure fire of any nature within the City of Milwaukee, they would have extreme difficulty … not to mention the fact that the City of Milwaukee conducts aggressive, offensive firefighting tactics, which means that we actually go into the building and fight the fire to reduce any further damage.”
Letter of response, West Allis Board of Police and Fire Commissioners
“Head of Milwaukee fire panel backs suburban firefighters” Journal Sentinel
It’s not as if the suburban neighbors are going to go off and pout and stop running calls in Milwaukee, if called upon. The commission president composed a well written response, and the head of Milwaukee’s commission did a polite political two-step in reaffirming confidence in his neighboring fire departments. However, neither response will carry the day like Seager’s definition of “aggressive” firefighting.