Share your strategies, tactics and experience! Every Friday we’ll post a picture or video and want to get your take on the situation.
THE SCENARIO: Here is a great pre-arrival video of a house fire transitioning from serious to worse. This would be a great size-up tool for anyone riding the seat. Give us the report and your RECEO VS considerations. Enjoy!
- PLEASE REMEMBER… We want to critique this video, however First Due Friday is a CONSTRUCTIVE tool! Mudslinging comments WILL NOT be posted. Thanks and enjoy!
NOTE: This week’s video was recommended by Bill Carey of www.backstepfirefighter.com. Thanks Bill!
Also on SAFE Firefighter …
- First Due Friday; Attached Garage with Heavy Fire & Extension (Video) – February 24, 2012
- First Due Friday; We’ve Got a Hot One in the Desert (Video) – March 16, 2012
- First Due Friday; Surf’s Up! We Need More Than the Surfboard On This One! – February 10, 2012
- First Due Friday; Working Multi-Family w/ “Obvious” Rescues (Video) – June 8, 2012
First, BIG FIRE BIG WATER. Using a 1 3/4″ line with 5 guys on it is a waste of time. If everyone is out of the building, hit it with the deck gun to darken it down and then go inside with handlines if the structure is intact. Most of the fire looks like just the siding burning and maybe one room downstairs. Can’t tell without being there.
Arrival:
2 story residential w/ heavy fire from side A, will be a defensive attack, 50-75% involvement. I need an additional 1 engine for manpower.
This will be a defensive, potentially transitional fire depending on numerous variables. At the moment, with the 2 minute video, nobodys going inside
Engine 1: 2.5″ nozzle, start hitting fire from side A.
No 360 was done by the video guy so I’ll have the officer do the 360
Engine 2: Get a water supply, then pull additional attack line(s) off engine 1
Engine 3: If no knock on fire, additional 2.5″. If fire is down, this crew will go interior. Truck company will have garage and front door forced. I need an interior condition report to determine safety/condition of floors.
Aerial 1: Get access to garage, force all doors to structure. Multiple ladders to upper floor.
Fire-medic (ambulance) unit 1: Report to engine 1 officer to provide manpower
Fire-medic unit 2: RIT/rehab with rescue.
Heavy rescue 1: RIT/rehab with fire medic
Engine 4: Manpower to the 2.5″ guys/overhaul
Engine 5: Manpower/overhaul
How did I do? Im only a probie :p
I also noticed a significant delay in the whole water on fire thing. Just sayin’
It all sounds good h dawg. I would definitely throw some big water at it with the first line. I’m personally not a huge fan putting a bunch of guys on a bunch of lines to attack the fire (not discounting exposure lines). I would definitely have 2 lines in service. If the first line makes progress, I’d start making a push toward the interior (NOT necessarily to GO interior, just get close enough to get a good look, then go from there.) If the first line does not make progress, I’d douche it with the deck gun to try to blitz it while we set up aerials. As you pointed out, I would definitely want to get a good look at all sides before making any of these decisions, there’s just not enough info from the video view.
Thanks for comments and be safe brother,
Matt McDowell
Safe Firefighter, LLC