Observations of a Truck Guy:
by David Baldwin 6-Ladder
So many times I see an entire truck crew enter the
building the same way the engine guys did.
Or the 2nd due truck not throwing a second ladder to either
the roof for the vent team or to above ground windows for rescue. For some reason, there is the mentality that
we all have to get inside the fire room and get “dirty”. Fire after fire I see seven or eight guys in
a 12’ x 12’ bedroom all trying to pull ceiling, and no one completing the basic
truck responsibilities.
Most of these tasks are not glorious, but are just
as important as getting to the seat of the fire with the hose. These basics have to be completed each and
every time by the truck company. Here
are some of the basics that are important and should be reviewed:
SIZE UP:
This is where it all begins. What type of incident are you responding
to? When you get there what do you
see? What is the building construction? What is the roof covering made of? What are the fire conditions on
arrival? What are the smoke
conditions? What types of access
problems do you have? Are there any
visible victims in need of immediate rescue?
These are the questions you should be asking
yourself. You will only have a few seconds to “read” what is going on, and then
make decisions based on what you see.
If you “misread” or “tunnel” on what is in front of you, your actions
may make the situation worse.
The time to get this information is prior to the
alarm sounding. Know your
district! Know what types of roof
coverings are prominent in your district.
Know the floor plans in your district!
In my district there are only a hand full of basic floor plans, most of
which you can read from the front of the building.
While on your 6th first-aid call of the
tour, take the time to study the floor plans.
Pay attention to where the bedrooms are. What side is the kitchen on? Is
the hallway in the center of the structure?
Is there a rear door? Is there a security door? Are there bars on the
windows? What are the living conditions
like? Are there mattresses scattered
all over the living room with kids sleeping in them? Has that laundry room off the rear of the kitchen, next to the
back door, been converted into a sleeping area?
By knowing these facts ahead of time, you will
decrease the time it takes you to get to the living areas and perform a rapid
search for victims.
VENTILATION:
There are two basic concepts for ventilation,
venting for fire and venting for life.
Venting for fire includes vertical and/or horizontal
ventilation. This is the standard
ventilation practice that has been taught to every fire recruit at the fire
academy. Cutting the hole high above
the fire as possible to assist in the removal of heat and gases from the fire
building. Or sticking a fan at the
front door, after making an opening on the opposite side of the
building, to improve fire conditions on the fire floor.
Venting for life is the immediate ventilation and
access to an area where there is suspected life regardless if you actually see
it or not, or it is reported to you on arrival. Most of the time this involves the removal of glass to redirect
the fire or improve the smoke conditions in the room.
“Hey in there, don’t break any windows” Heard that
gem before? For some reason people
think that breaking glass is a fire ground taboo. I say break it if you think is necessary. But, don’t break glass just to break glass. Have a reason.
If breaking glass allows you to search another foot,
then break it! If breaking glass allows an unconscious victim a few more
breaths before we find them, then break it!
If breaking glass improves visibility allowing you to see hidden dangers
(holes in floors, missing stairs, victims) then break it!
Breaking glass also reassures the inside crews that
ventilation is taking place. They know that their hostile environment will soon
be getting better thus reducing the panic factor. By doing so you are also telling the outside people where you are
in the building. Usually searching firefighters,
not civilians, break glass from the inside.
Civilians tend to run to the closest exit (door) while firefighters are
trained to break glass for smoke and heat removal. Should you be above ground,
the breaking of glass will indicate where ground ladders should be placed for
your secondary means of escape.
ENTRY & SEARCH:
The general operation that the trucks in my
department employ is splitting into 2 teams of 2. The Captain and the Irons FF comprise the “Inside Team”, and are
responsible for entry. The Operator
(driver) and Saw FF comprise the “Outside Team”, and are responsible for
ventilation operations.
The first question the inside team should ask is
there another way in? ALWAYS.
Find or make another way in!
This is the job of the inside team.
We have made it a practice on private dwelling fires to get
to the rear or side of the building.
This operation does several things:
1) It allows us to see more sides of the building, especially the
rear. You would be amazed what you find
or see in the rear. 2) By going to the
rear and forcing the door, it creates a channel (horizontial) for the smoke and
heat to exit the building, thus allowing the engine company to get to the seat
of the fire quicker. 3) But more importantly we have created a second way out
for the interior operations. Searching behind the fire and in the opposite
direction of the engine search means quicker more efficient searches being
completed.
It is the third point that I feel is
important, but is often neglected.
Searching “Behind the Fire”.
Common sense tells us that if a civilian is cut off form their normal
egress (i.e. front door) that they will try to escape through other means. That just might be via the back door. So why not initiate a search there? Why not increase your chances or odds to
make a successful grab. Why get bogged
down behind the engine going through in the front, when you can go to the rear
and be free of obstacles like hoses and other firefighters. Sounds simple, right? But this may be one of the most dangerous
places to start our search.
Just beware that you will be in
front of the advancing hose team. Know
that when you open that rear door and enter for a search that you are going to
take a beating from the rapidly moving fire.
This is the area where the nozzle stream will push the fire and heat, so
timing is everything. The fire is looking for a place to escape, and you just
provided it.
You must to get to the rear, make entry, search and
get out, preferably before or at the same time the engine pushes in. If there is any delay in your getting to the
rear, that position will soon become untenable for you and the civilians. So time is of the essence.
What is missing from this equation? Communication and practice. Don’t just decide to try this without
letting someone know what your doing.
If you and the rest of your company members have not talked about and
practiced going to the rear, you can get lost in the shuffle. You MUST
make sure every one on your company knows where the Inside Team will be
working.
When do we search?
EVERYTIME! That dwelling is not
clear until you say it is clear. Just
because the person on the street tells you on arrival “I think they are not
home”, do not take their word for it.
That boarded up building deserves as much attention as the occupied
dwelling. The fire had to start some how. Unless you search, you will never
know until it is too late that there was a life that might have been
saved.
When making your search, you should be on your hands
& knees. Trapped and unresponsive
civilians usually will not be standing up waiting for you to find them; they
will be collapsed on the floor. It’s
better to crawl and find them, than it is to step and trip on them. Your search has to be a disciplined,
aggressive, systematic, rapid and thorough. Remember break out a window if it
helps you go another foot on your search.
Begin your search in the fire room. Anyone in this area is in the greatest
danger, and has the least amount of time for survival. Also from this vantage point you are able to
size up the fire conditions, and the type of fire you are dealing with. Controlling the fire might be a simple as
closing the door, thus buying some more time for the victims until you find
them.
These basic items:
1) knowing your district, 2) proper and timely glass removal, 3) finding
a second way into a building, and 4) performing a rapid search, will greatly
enhance your efficiency and effectiveness in finding those soles who are
counting on you to find them.
References:
Brennan,
Tom. Hey
in there don’t break any windows, April 1998, Fire Engineering
Get
the rear, September 1992, Fire Engineering
More
on Search, November 1993, Fire Engineering
Pressler,
Bob Vent-Enter-Search,
June 1996, Fire Engineering