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What About Training for Fires?
It is 2000 hours, and you are rung down to respond to a reported kitchen fire. Upon arrival you find a single-story house with fire from the front kitchen window and smoke pushing from the eaves. As the first engine is knocking down the fire in the kitchen area, two truck crew members are performing a search, while another trucker is pulling ceiling. A quick assessment indicates that the fire has extended to the attic. The back up line is extended down the hallway toward the rear of the house in an attempt to cut off the progressing attic fire. As the two members of the search team are finishing their search of the first bedroom, the ceiling collapses, knocking both firefighters to the ground, with one member losing his helmet and mask. As smoke and insulation are filling the room, he regains his composure, puts his mask and helmet back on and attempts to exit the room. Debris and other obstacles now force the search team to perform a low-profile maneuver with their SCBA's. Once egress from the room is made, they find the hose line in the hallway and follow it out to the front door, checking to see that all other firefighters are accounted for.
The above fire scenario is what anyone who has a couple of years on the job should consider "bread and butter" operations, and although these simulated tactics may not be used in your department, something similar will.
At a time when many fire departments are experiencing call volumes that are 70 percent or more EMS related, the need to remember how and why firefighters die is imperative. In many departments, training firefighters to fight fires and deal with fireground situations is becoming a lost art, falling behind EMS, hazmat, WMD, and the list goes on. Basic fireground training and firefighter survival training must be a top priority, and they must be revisited over and over because sometimes the basic stuff gets lost in the shuffle.
All fire academies should be teaching recruits to properly don their personal protective equipment (PPE) in both pre-fire and fire conditions. With an emphasis on firefighter survival and RIC operations, low- and zero-profile SCBA maneuvers, how to use hose lines as an exit tool, and wall breaching must be taught to new recruits. Basic fireground and firefighter survival training must be a top priority initially and continuously throughout the firefighter's career. At a recent training exercise, we made several observations that reinforced this need for continuous survival training.
We have been actively teaching F/F Survival and RIC team training to our members for the last five years. The majority of our department has been through this training and all new recruits participate as part of their academy training. Recently, a training opportunity in the form of a soon-to-be demolished two-story house became available. In addition to using it for ventilation, salvage and forcible entry drills, a firefighter survival and mask confidence course was constructed. Approximately one third of the department was able to participate in the training, and the feedback we received was that it was both very challenging and rewarding.
The instructions for the course were simple, participants may bring any tools they wish, wear complete PPE, and don an obscured SCBA face mask. Participants were then directed to conduct a right-hand search and overcome any obstacles that they confronted. After rounding a couple of corners, they started to crawl up a somewhat circular stairway only to find steps missing. At the top of the stairs, entrance to the first room required a low profile SCBA maneuver through a wall breach. Unfortunately, this brought them into a closet requiring yet two additional low profile maneuvers, each progressively through a smaller wall breach. After moving through a small hallway, the next obstacle involved crossing over a section of missing floor. Firefighters made their way across floor joists that ran perpendicular and then parallel to them. Just as most of the participants were hoping it was over, they were presented with an attic ladder that extended through a hole in the floor. Once down the ladder, the course continued through a room with low-hanging cable running across it at different heights. The final exit required a zero-profile maneuver and a crawl through a four-foot long tube. Upon exiting the tube, the SCBA harness was re-donned and following a hoseline out using the couplings as a guide made egress.
The following reflects observations that were made and recommendations for these observations:
Observation:
Nearly half of the participants did not choose to bring a tool into the course.
Recommendation:
It is important that every member of the crew bring a tool. An axe or haligan tool used for forcible entry may be valuable for forcible exit.
Observation:
Participants who brought a tool found it to be valuable when sounding for openings in walls and floors. In some cases, the tool was used as a bridge over the open floor joist obstacle. Those who held the axe by the head found it easier to maneuver then those who held it by the handle.
Recommendation:
Remember basic leverage and physics. When crawling with an axe in you hand, hold it by the head. The weight of the axe head puts unnecessary strain on your wrist requiring more strength and adding to your fatigue. Also, the axe handle would inflict less injury than the axe head should it strike a fire victim. Remember to maintain contact with your tool and always know its location. Throwing a tool through a wall breach or across the floor may prove fatal. You could loose the tool that may be needed to get though another wall.
Observation:
Some participants did not sound the stairway for all of the steps. Some attempted to pass the missing step without identifying it. One axe was lost through the missing step.
Recommendation:
Feel for EVERY step while ascending or descending stairs in a limited or zero visibility environment. This will ensure that missing or weak steps can be identified, reducing the risk of you falling to the next floor.
Observation:
Participants had difficulty negotiating their SCBA through wall breaches.
Recommendation:
You must possess complete knowledge of your SCBA and protective equipment. Having the skill to negotiate the SCBA through obstacles should be your primary concern. It is important to know the location of straps, buckles, personal-alert-system buttons, and air supply hoses. While donning the SCBA harness, adjust the waist buckle to the center of your body. This will facilitate a quick release of the buckle. Adequate knowledge and continued practice with the SCBA should allow you to adjust, don, and doff a harness in zero-visibility situations without compromising your air supply.
Observation:
Many participants removed their harnesses unnecessarily, thereby adding time that could prove valuable in life threatening situations.
Recommendation:
The majority of the wall breaches could have been passed through by moving the bottle to one side of the body without removing any straps. Move the bottle high above your body on the side of the tight strap. This makes it much easier to pass through a wall breach than if you keep the bottle on the low side below your body. You must practice and become proficient at sizing up situations that demand low profile maneuvers to avoid using the time consuming zero-profile maneuvers.
Observation:
Some participants did not perform the zero-profile SCBA removal adequately.
Recommendation:
You must remain oriented to the position of your SCBA. When removing your harness, the belt strap should be unbuckled first. Then, remove the shoulder strap that does not hold the air supply hose. When removing the second shoulder strap, your hand should never let go of the strap. This ensures that you will always be orientated to the straps when re-donning the harness. Also, holding the harness by this strap and sending the bottle through a breach "neck first" will prevent your mask from lifting off your face. You will be provided with additional mobility because this method maximizes the length of your air supply hose.
Observation:
In situations where helmet removal was necessary, some participants had difficulty removing and replacing it.
Recommendation:
You must know the location of your helmet buckle and chin strap release. When wearing a mask, the only way to completely remove your helmet is to release the chin strap with the buckle. Knowing which side the buckle is on allows quicker removal. Loosening the neck strap is not effective because the air supply hose will prevent complete helmet removal.
Observation:
Many participants did not sound the floor before dismounting the attic ladder.
Recommendation:
Whenever you enter a room, climb onto a roof, or encounter a new surface, you should sound the surface. This is also important when exiting an already traveled surface. Floor joists and other supports may be weakened by fire or other additional loads since the first you crossed the area.
Observation:
Many participants became entangled in the hanging wires.
Recommendation:
Many firefighters have died because they were not able to free themselves from hanging wires or ceiling components. The most important thing to remember when becoming entangled is to remain calm. First, try backing up. This may be enough to remove the snag. In some cases, you may be forced to perform a low profile maneuver and roll over so that you are facing up. Performing a swim-like motion through the field of wires may help you identify and lift the wires over yourself. You should also carry a cutting tool or tools that are within easy reach. In the worst case scenario, knowing how to remove your SCBA could save your life.
Observation:
The two most frequent types of wire entanglement involved the SCBA harness and the helmet.
Recommendation:
Become aware of the construction and shape of your helmet. Knowledge of entanglement points could become crucial. SCBA clips, helmet shields and hardware, badge shield hardware, and helmet shape can contribute to entanglement. Consider if methods of eye protection other than a face shield are more effective.
Observation:
Several participants had loose or hanging equipment that did not stay attached through the evolution. Some did not wear Nomex hoods.
Recommendation:
It is important that you properly don your protective equipment. If your helmet must be removed to negotiate an obstacle, you must remember to reattach it after the obstacle is overcome. Radios must be secure in a pocket. Wear your radio microphone on your collar next to your ear. Not only will this reduce the slack in the handset cord, but also it will help you hear critical radio transmissions. We must get into the habit of "practice like you play". Action will then become second nature and reduce the potential for injury.
Observation:
Several participants removed their gloves to change their SCBA profile.
Recommendation:
Gloves must only be removed as a last resort. You should become proficient at donning/doffing your SCBA and helmet with gloves on. If you take off your gloves during an extreme situation, you risk injury, which can hamper an attempt to escape the structure. Critical time will be lost attempting to put your gloves back on. Putting the correct glove on the correct hand can be difficult in zero visibility. Also, the gauntlet of the gloves in combination with the turnout coat gauntlets poses a further challenge. If your turnout coat has gauntlets, consider using gloves that don't.
Observation:
Several participants ran out of air before completing the evolution. Many participants' low air warning devices activated before completion.
Recommendation:
Physical fitness and controlled breathing are the key elements to air conservation. If you find yourself breathing excessively, try to remain calm. Inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your mouth is one method that may help control your breathing. Cardiac arrest is still a major reason for firefighter deaths. Get on a workout program and stick with it. It may save your life and you won't even know it.
Observation:
Approximately half of the participants could not ascertain the correct direction out when asked to feel a set of connected hose couplings.
Recommendation:
A hoseline can be your best way out of a structure in low/zero visibility. It should be second nature for all of us to identify the correct direction back to the apparatus when feeling a connected hose coupling. The acronym "lugs lead out" is a useful way to remember to follow the hose out toward the lugged side of the couplings. The only time this may not hold true is if a reverse hose line is deployed into the structure. You must be aware of your department's hose loads and what type of hose line is deployed into the structure. When advancing hose into a structure, we must remember that the hose line may be our escape route. Excessive coils and flakes in interior attack hose lines have proven fatal to firefighters on more than one occasion.
CONCLUSION
Please keep in mind that some of the items mentioned may not pertain to your SCBA's, policies or procedures. The obstacles in the confidence course were numerous and forced the firefighter to negotiate them sequentially. Typically, firefighters may encounter only one of these obstacles at a particular incident. Hopefully, no firefighter will ever encounter these precarious situations, however, they should have the knowledge and skill to free themselves and survive the event. Personnel should always keep in mind that their survival is paramount. Knowledge and proper application of one's equipment is a key element in personal survival. Regular training in all aspects of firefighting is essential toward preventing firefighter injuries or fatalities.
Personnel should stay abreast of current issues and trends in the fire service. Every year nearly 100 firefighters die in the line of duty. Personnel should become aware of each case study and learn from the mistakes or misfortunes of others. An excellent source of information is Fire Engineering magazine. Both Fire Engineering.com and Firehouse.com also provide abundant information on the Internet.
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