THE ATTACK LINE Over the last 20 to 30 years, the fire service has evolved from just fighting fires to many specialties and disciplines. In the '70’s it was EMS (thanks Johnny and Roy). In the '80’s we added Haz-Mat. The '90’s gave us Rescue and US&R. And now it’s WMD. But what happened to fighting fire? It’s a proven fact that fire duty has declined since the '70’s, add to that the fact that the “Old Timers” who fought all of those fires and gained all of that experience have retired leaving the new generation starving for this elusive experience One glaring deficiency that has surfaced from this lack of experience is the ability to efficiently and rapidly stretch the initial attack line. To address the attack line we must first look at the individual jobs that each position has and how each pertains to the attack line. Whether you formally adopt riding positions or some variation, it is vital that you talk about, train, practice and perform these tasks. The riding positions and assignments are just a starting point for the first due engine company. Riding Positions & Tool Assignment This is an example of the basic riding positions and tool assignments for a four person engine company. Company Officer
Engineer
Nozzle firefighter (sits behind the engineer)
Back-up firefighter (sits behind the officer)
RESPONSIBILITIES In addition to the tool selection, each company member has a pre-designated list of tasks or responsibilities that must be completed to ensure the efficient placement and advancement of the attack line. It is imperative that each member has the self-discipline to accomplish their tasks and trust that their company members will do the same. With that said, each company member must be able to adapt and react to assist another member when an unexpected situation occurs. Company Officer The Officer has many responsibilities that must be accomplished prior to arrival at the incident. Travel route, hydrant location, switching to the tactical channel and getting dressed are just a few. The officer must communicate clearly to the rest of the company what information they need. Whether it is the print out of the call with the details, an update on the MDT (Mobile Data Terminal), or radio traffic, this information must be passed to the back and acknowledged by the firefighters. There is a chance the firefighters may have missed an update, because they had their headsets off while they were getting dressed. On arrival the first-due officer must give a size-up of conditions, announce what action they will be taking, and assign the other incoming companies (see photo 2).
Once this task has been completed, the officer should proceed to the anticipated entry point for the attack line and size up any entry problems and be prepared to assist the back-up firefighter with light forcible entry. After the entry needs have been addressed, the Officer positions himself behind the nozzle firefighter and backs him up on the line and proceeds inside the building to locate and extinguish the fire. Several duties of backing up the nozzle firefighter are:
Engineer The engineer's first job is to get the engine and the crew to the scene safely. Although this seems obvious, 16-17 percent of total fire-duty deaths in 2005 occurred while responding to or returning from an emergency scene.[1] On arrival at the scene, the engineer needs to correctly spot the building, engage the pump, charge the attack line and set to the proper pressure (see photo 4).
After the attack line is charged and moving, the engineer can concentrate his efforts on securing a water supply, whether that entails hand-jacking a line to the plug, or having the second-due engine bring him water. These duties can be reversed if water supply is a concern (i.e. 2˝-inch attack line). Nozzle Firefighter This position should be assigned to the least senior firefighter on the crew. This job has the fewest pre-assigned tasks and is usually under the direct supervision of the officer. The primary responsibilities of this position is estimating the required stretch, selecting the correct attack line (pre-connect vs. a bundle pack), and stretching the line to the desired location. Once the nozzle firefighter selects the appropriate attack line, he is usually responsible for the last 50 feet of the attack line and the nozzle, concentrating on the working length of line, ensuring its placement, flaking it out, making sure the bale is off and calling for water. The remaining hose work should be picked up by the back-up firefighter and the officer. When flaking out the line, be sure to flake it towards (perpendicular) to the entry point instead of to the side (parallel) to the entry point (see photo5).
If the line is parallel to the entry point, you have already introduced a 90-degree bend in the stretch even before you have entered the structure. As a rule of thumb, at every 90-degree bend, you need to commit a firefighter to help pull hose around the corner. Once the hose is charged, and before entering the structure, the nozzle firefighter must check to ensure proper pressure/GPM and stream pattern (if not using a smoothbore nozzle), by opening the bale and flowing water for 3-5 seconds. The nozzle firefighter must notify the back-up firefighter or the officer of inadequate pressure so he can chase kinks or chase kinks himself if the back-up firefighter is committed to other tasks. Avoid the urge to call for more pressure in this situation. An inadequate pressure situation usually is a result of a kink in the attack line. This is especially true for the low pressure nozzles, where one kink in the line can cause up to a 40 percent reduction in GPM and PSI. The stream must be checked to ensure a straight stream pattern, accomplished by turning the tip of the nozzle all the way to the right (“Right to Fight”), is selected. This prevents a fog pattern from being introduced into a superheated atmosphere. We should all know why this is bad. Once inside, the nozzle firefighter has to make sure that he is properly holding the attack line in order to make the job of attacking the fire easier. The nozzle should be held about 16-18 inches in front of the nozzle firefighter. This allows him plenty of line to aggressively move the nozzle around the room, reach the overhead directly above, and to get the left and right of the opening. If the nozzle firefighter is operating the hose line on the right side of the body, then the hose should be tucked underneath the right armpit and firmly held against the body with the right elbow allowing the movement of the nozzle to be done with the left hand. This technique will help reduce the nozzle reaction. The right hand will be supporting the hose 16-18 inches behind the nozzle, and the left hand will be supporting the hose just behind the coupling. The only time the nozzle firefighter should have a hand on the bale is when opening or closing the nozzle. This allows for easier movement of the nozzle (see photo 6).
Back-Up Firefighter The back-up firefighter should be assigned to the most senior firefighter on the crew. The back-up firefighter at times may be operating without direct supervision of the officer and will need to rely on his experience and ability to think and react to different situations. Some of the responsibilities of the back-up firefighter include light force entry of the building, chasing kinks, feeding hose to the attack team, wedging the door for the entry team, searching behind the attack team, and bumping up inside the house to help feed hose around corners. On arrival of a working fire, the back-up firefighter should grab the irons and hook, and proceed to the point where the attack line will enter the building, usually the front door. He will meet the officer at the door, and the two of them will make light force entry of the door, if needed, while the nozzle firefighter is stretching the attack line. Once any entry problems have been addressed, the back-up firefighter will return to the engine and work his way toward the nozzle flaking and chasing any kinks. After working back to the front door the back-up firefighter wedges the door, if needed. The next priority is to feed hose to the attack team until they either reach the seat of the fire, or you have to bump up inside the building to assist feeding hose around a corner or up stairs (see photo 7).
When you bump inside, be sure to bring some hose with you. It’s easier to bring hose with you inside, then trying to pull it in from the outside. When gauging how much hose to push in use the “S” technique. Push enough hose in to form an “S” in the line. Having the “S” in the line accomplishes three things:
The back-up firefighter needs to pay attention to the attack team and always maintain that “S” in the line. When the "S" disappears, that means the attack team is advancing and more hose is needed. If the “S” reappears then they have stopped. If within earshot, the attack team should yell how much hose is needed instead of just yelling for more hose. This will help prevent the back-up firefighter or other crews from bringing more hose than is needed. TAKING UP Although there are many different ways to assign the various tasks and responsibilities to your company members, based on your operational needs, staffing levels and equipment, the fact is you should have a plan and practice the plan often. Whether your department has formal riding positions and SOP’s or your company informally adopts some of these concepts you should have a plan and make sure everyone is aware of the plan. By having a plan, it gives the company more flexibility in adapting to situations because the company members understand their assignments and responsibilities. A company officer should expect the crew to perform any task asked of them by giving simple and concise orders. Like plays in a play book, all company members should know what is expected of them when the company officer says: “Tank-line” or “Leading in dry” or “Drop two” and should feel comfortable when the officer calls an audible for those unusual situations. But the basis for being successful is knowing your crew and their abilities, knowing your equipment, training often and realistically, and being prepared to adapt. When your engine company is first due, you will most likely be tasked with stretching the attack line. By having assigned responsibilities your crew is more likely to place the attack line in the proper position and effectively. We all know the saying “as the first line goes, so goes the fire.” Set up for success by establishing a plan for the attack line.
1. U.S. Fire Administration 2005 Fatal Summary Statistic. (Return to text) © Copyright Firenuggets.com 2006 • Click here for Terms and Conditions of Use
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