Tradition conjures up visions of leather helmets, big fires and uncommon valor. There is a lot to be said about tradition. For me, the greatest tradition is calculated butt-kicking aggressiveness accompanied by unparalleled courage. No room for wanting to back out because it is “getting uncomfortable.” No such thing as “got to take a timeout to hydrate.” When lives are on the line and the going gets tough, the tough have the courage to take it to the next level. As a retired member of the San Francisco Fire Department the finest quality of tradition I witnessed were from those who went above the call of duty to protect and save the lives of civilians and firefighters as well.  It was exemplified by people like Battalion Chief Herb Osuna, who warned firefighters to get out of a burning office building shortly before the roof collapsed. In the process of ensuring all firefighters would exit the building safely. he was, sadly, killed. It was fireman Dan Salazar, who single-handedly made multiple saves at a Tenderloin District fire, earning him the Firehouse Magazine Fireman of the Year Award. It was Lieutenant Gerry Shannon who gained national attention during the 1989 San Francisco Earthquake after making repeated attempts to enter a collapsed building which was burning unchecked to successfully pull a woman out who had been trapped deep in the bowels of the structure. These are fire service traditions to which we should all aspire. It represents a love and commitment to our fellow human beings and to our profession that sometimes may have an intangible quality about it. Perhaps it is based in the risks we take and the dependence on our fellow firefighters for survival. Many of us have been in situations where we knew we might not make it, or, where fear was a significant factor. The unwritten law that we will make all effort to protect life is a noble tradition.

There are many good things to be said about “tradition” but, unfortunately, a few aspects of tradition tend to drag us behind. They are not so glamorous. Sometimes we don’t take the time out to think about the things we do day-to-day because “THAT’S THE WAY WE ALWAYS DID IT,” you know, “tradition” as we are sometimes told.

Use of an Aerial on Low Buildings

In one fire department, the tradition of not using an aerial ladder on any building less than three stories became so ingrained that it eventually wound up in print in one of their manuals. The reason stated is that the low angle of the ladder may cause a firefighter to fall through the rungs while climbing it. I have never heard of a firefighter falling through the rungs nor have I ever heard a firefighter express concern over such a possibility. In reality, the use of an aerial on buildings less than three stories in height is the norm by most of the nation’s fire departments because it has distinct advantages:

1. The safest place to be when opening a peaked roof is from an aerial ladder or elevated platform (see Photo 1 below). If the roof deck should fail during the vent process, the firefighter will be in a relatively safe position on the ladder.
2. It takes one person to raise an aerial ladder to the roof while it may take three or four to obtain the same results if having to raise a ground ladder. Clearly this is a more efficient use of staffing, particularly when many jurisdictions are cutting budgets.
3. Raising an aerial to the roof is often faster than throwing a ground ladder. In the event it needs to be moved to affect a rapid rescue, it is much easier and faster to move the aerial than to have to reposition a ground ladder or throw another.

Use of an Aerial as a Standpipe

When a hose line is led over the aerial to the roof, you are essentially turning the truck into a VERY expensive rope (see Photo 2 below). Once you lead a line over the aerial it no longer functions the way it should. It is no longer capable of moving from window to window to remove victims, provide access and egress for firefighters, conduct ventilation operations or function as a master stream device (ladderpipe). It is dead in the water.

Bottom line: use a rope to lead lines from the OUTSIDE of the building, NOT the aerial. It frees the ladder to perform the functions intended.

So often, firefighters get away with bad behavior simply because of good luck. The problem is that luck reinforces bad habits. In Photo 3 below, luck ran out for these firefighters who tried to lead a large line over the aerial at a rapidly progressing fire in a multiple dwelling. In this instance the only damage was to the hose. It is an expensive mistake, but imagine if this aerial had to be moved to remove victims from a window. 

Elevated Master Streams; Their Use and Positioning

Ladderpipes usually mean we have committed the building to doom. In other words, tactically we have gone defensive. Fire Service tradition suggests that once committed to a defensive operation there is no going back. In some cases, however, we can turn that defensive operation to one that is offensive. Admittedly it is rare, but in some instances master streams will gain enough headway to revert the operation to one where offensive action can be resumed (defensive-offensive strategy). Chief officers should always keep that in mind. (Refer to “Master Streams and the Defensive Mindset” in the April/May 2005 Issue of Fire Nuggets.)  In Photo 3.1 below, fire had made substantial headway in a six story multiple dwelling, extending from its point of origin on the 5th floor through vertical concealed spaces to the top floor and attic space. Firefighters were unable to get hoselines stretched fast enough due to the remote location of the standpipes and too few stairwells. When 80 percent  of the attic space became involved firefighters were withdrawn and defensive operations begun. In this case, had ladderpipes been directed from the lower floors and then into the attic from below, offensive operations could have been resumed in perhaps only about 5 to 10 minutes of their use. Unfortunately, all streams were directed from the top down through vent openings, prolonging the operation and causing far more damage than would have occurred if offensive operations were resumed.

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Directing the stream from a position above the roof level and into vent openings is one of the most agonizing applications of the ladderpipe I continually witness (see Photo 4 below).  Would you ever consider taking a line to the roof and putting the hose stream into a freshly cut vent opening? Of course not!  So why do we insist on doing it with elevated master streams?

As long as there is a sufficient amount of roof covering remaining, the stream should begin at the lowest floor of fire and work upwards to the top floor. With a smoothbore tip, breaching the top floor ceiling is easily attained with the resulting steam extinguishing fire within the attic space (see Photo 5 below).

Aerials to the Roof

Minimum laddering requirements generally demand that the fire floor, floor above, top floor and roof are laddered. Laddering the roof is not necessarily required on some peaked roof buildings where fire is not on the top floor.  Ballooned framed buildings are an exception. However, it is almost always called for on flat roof buildings, particularly multiple dwellings. (See "Flat Roof Operations: Multiple Dwellings in the March/April 2008 issue of Fire Nuggets.)

Over the years I have seen developing, a gradual, almost obsession, with the roof. With many departments fortunate enough to have multiple aerial ladders in their arsenal it is the norm now to see them all going to the roof. See Photo 6 below.

With multiple aerials or platforms responding on an incident is it wise to place them all to the roof? Consider positioning the second or subsequent aerials at or near the fire location if possible. In Photo 6 the building is five stories in height. If the fire is reported on the 4th floor, it would be more advantageous to have one of the aerials positioned near the fire apartment or above it in the event a rescue is necessary or a searching firefighter is forced to bail from his or her location. Anticipating and planning for the future is part of being a good firefighter. In Photo 7 below, the aerial operator at this 5- alarm fire in a San Francisco commercial building wisely anticipates that firefighters operating on the fire escape may need to vacate in a hurry. As you can see the aerial is following the firefighters along their trek upwards.

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