Brennan Q&A November 2003

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TOM BRENNAN has more than 35 years of fire service experience having responded to 33,000 fire alarms. His career spans more than 20 years with the Fire Department of New York as well as four years as chief of the Waterbury (Conn.) Fire Department. He has a bachelor of science degree, summa cum laude, John Jay College; Alumnus of the Year Award, John Jay College; chairman of the Connecticut Fire Chiefs Association and a charter member of the National Fire Protection Association, Fire Service Section. He has delivered courses and seminars throughout the United States and has instructed at the National Fire Academy. He was the editor of Fire Engineering Magazine for eight years, is currently a technical editor, and his column “Random Thoughts,” is a regular monthly feature. He is co-editor of The Fire Chief’s Handbook, Fifth Edition. He is the recipient of the 1998 Fire Engineering Lifetime Achievement Award.

NOVEMBER 2003

Question: I am very curious as to the reasons why the FDNY (according to many of the articles I've read) positions their firefighters on the same side of a hoseline during an advance and throughout fire attack operations. For years, my department has employed a staggered position on hoselines that has been very successful for a variety of reasons. I for one am always looking to improve my company's efficiency and am definitely open to new thoughts and ideas. Thank you.

Answer: Myth tends to become truth the further fire houses (never mind departments) are located from one another.

As far as I am concerned, after 15,000 or more structure fires, there is a lot more important information that decides where the hoseline team is situated; and “all on the same side” is not one of them. Neither is “staggered,” I might add.

The member assigned the nozzle will usually be on the side he or she likes to be to handle the barrel and bail, which usually boils down to left- or right-handed. When experience and training (in the fire station and at critiques) start to make a dent, the person assigned the nozzle will get to the side opposite the turns in the layout of the burning structure and the path that the hoseline will take. He will want to “push” the nozzle around the 90-degree turns and not pull it. If a firefighter finds himself pulling the line around an object, he is between the hose and the immovable object; and that is not the place to be. It is inefficient and unsafe and mucks up the stretch by providing another “kink” in the smooth advance. (I am sure all of us can remember our own frustrations over that one.)

That means that the layout of the dwelling or the simple commercial building is important. A great nozzleman will not get trapped between his hoseline and the wall at a turn. In short, if the layout goes right and right and right (apartment dwellings), he will find himself wanting to be on the left side of the hose — if he wants rapid advance.

The second firefighter on the line (backup or No. 2) has the same problems. It is much more efficient to be on the outside of the turn of the hoseline, and that means on the same side of the line as the nozzleperson. Of course, this is not always-and-for-sure when the hoseline is in a large-area commercial structure or the center apartment of a large complex — the one that splits the left- and right-turning dwellings and tees at the end of a long hall to dwelling rooms both left and right.

In most cases, the No. 1 and 2 firefighters on the line will dance from one side to the other, depending on where the nozzle is going — not only straight or left or right but UP or DOWN directions of the stream.

Other physical layout problems will tell which side of the hoseline to be on — staircases and fire escapes, for instance. Stretches in the fire building should keep the firefighter against the stair support wall while ascending and hand stretching. Fire escapes should keep the firefighter between the structure and the hole in the balcony — at least while moving to the entry point.

The No. 3 person on the stretch (if you are that lucky) should be at the door to small occupancies, such as dwellings, and ready to move up to a difficult second or third turn that the hoseline has to pass to the seat of operations.

The officer has no side, except to stay out of the stretch mechanics and into the tactical supervision and awareness of surroundings and data-gathering and reporting. As soon as the officer puts his or her hands into the mechanics of the stretch he or she ceases value as an officer. Flashover, rollover, collapse signs, fire travel and direction, adequacy of the hoseline, extension and internal exposures (life and unburned areas) are all his or her responsibility, as are the smooth, orderly, and efficient stretch and operation of the hoseline.

I always recoiled when someone wanted to make a rule for a tactic that was necessary for inside fire attack: always stand to the inside of the halligan, mark the door in primary search situations, always ladder the fire building, to name three examples.

Fire is simple stuff. It needs people like you to get the real-world information to the “troops.”

And you may have a different set of circumstances, as this is only my opinion based on experience up to today. I am always ready to change my mind to a greater idea.

Write again. I enjoyed the chat. Regards to the brothers and sisters in L.A. City.

P.S. My son is located in Santa Barbara and his in-laws live in Pasadena. We should be out there from time to time. Perhaps we can shoot the breeze in person some time.

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Write if you agree or don’t agree or on anything. Tbrennan@firenuggets.com

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