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:  What would do you do for this heavily involved attached garage fire?  Does the split-level layout change your strategies/tactics?  Give us the report and your RECEO VS considerations.  Have fun!

• What is your initial report?
• Rescue considerations?
• Exposures?
• Confinement issues?
• Extinguishment strategies and tactics?
• Overhaul, what areas will you focus initial searches for extension?
• Rig placement?

Click here to view the embedded video.

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:  Check out the video and let us know how you would handle it.  Ready…Go!

• What is your initial report?
• Offensive or Defensive?
• Search type?
• What type of attack lines would you use, how many & where would they go?
• Ventilation considerations?
• How many resources would you have/want for this fire?

Click here to view the embedded video.

Enjoy & Be Safe!

Safe Firefighter, LLC will be teaching it’s 16-hour “Ventilation, Entry & Search (VES)  Techniques” during Southeastern Fire School at the South Carolina Fire Academy.

NOTE: In the catalog, they are calling it “Tools in your Hands: Truck Company Operations” but it’s our VES class.  Below is a class description & registration to print out…

This hands-on based class will provide participants with life saving skills needed to effectively force entry, ventilate and search fire buildings using multiple different truck company tactics and skills.  Participants will get high repetition training on critical skills using realistic props and scenarios.  These skills include: conventional forcible entry, power saw (K12) forcible entry, rope search, vent-enter-search (VES), vertical and horizontal ventilation and advanced ground ladders.  Participants can take the skills from this class home and have an immediate impact on fireground safety. 

SIGN UP HERE: SoutheasternFireSchool_Registration

GOT QUESTIONS?  Call us (843) 247-6044 or email us at info@safefirefighter.com

A while ago I was having an “All Smoke” with a couple of my mentors, Captains Richard Dollahan and Chris Garniewicz.  We were busy solving the Department’s problems (yeah, ours has them too) and started wondering how we can motivate people to approach the job with the same passion and intensity that we do.  HOW DO YOU TEACH SOMEONE TO “GET IT”?

We discussed all of the key topics such as mentoring, being “the thumb” and other brilliant theories.  The collective conclusion was that YOU CAN’T!

Could it be as simple as, you either GET IT or you DON’T? Maybe it is.

We are optimists, so we reorganized our thoughts and realized that the three of us were always the ones (respectfully) taking the time to intimately learn our equipment, asking questions in training and having this discussion while everyone else was in the house enjoying “personal time”.

So our new theory is this… if you GET IT, then maybe you need to GIVE IT to other people.  Even if it means holding their hand, breaking the ice or handing them a tool in the dayroom and asking them questions about it.

Maybe the problem is that we get so deeply engaged in expanding our own knowledge, experience and brains, that we forget to include others who may be content hanging back.  They may be willing to learn but need a nudge or they may too intimidated by the “Type A” macho crap to pipe up and ask.  Give it to them, set them up for success, build their confidence and maybe they’ll start to “get it”.  Drag people into conversations and training and remember that little nugget of knowledge may save their life or yours.

I love this job.  I love my brothers (some more like distant cousins, but family anyhow).  Our profession is one of the most intense, interpersonal, technical and risky out there. I understand and appreciate what it takes to have pride and ownership in myself, a crew, a rig and a firehouse and how all that translates to success when the bells ring.  I get it… and I’m gonna give it to you?

-Thanks and Be Safe-

Also check out…

“30% Club…  Wanna Join?  Pay Your Dues”, by Jake Rixner via www. SafeFirefighter.com,  April 26, 2011

“Be The Warrior”, Matt McDowell via www.safefirefighter.com, May 25, 2011

“We Hold These Truths To Be Self-Evident”, Chris Brennan via www.fireservicewarrior.com, December 26, 2010

Safe Firefighter, LLC is proud to announce is newest training partner TroxFire Training Solutions, creator and manufacturer of the TruForce forcible entry training system.  We are excited to be working with Captain Danny Troxell of the DCFD and look forward to getting the TruForce on the streets down here in the Southeast.

We just took delivery of our TruForce system and will getting in service and road-ready ASAP.

Safe Firefighter, LLC will also be an authorized dealer for the TruForce system.  If you have any questions about the TruForce or would like to setup a class or demo please contact us at info@safefirefighter.com or (843) 247-6044.

Click here to view the embedded video.

THIS IS NOT A JOB, IT’S A CALLING!  The Bluffton Township Fire District is looking for highly motivated, team oriented individuals to join their growing tradition.  The BTFD provides fire, rescue and non-transport basic and advanced life support services to a growing and diverse population in the South Carolina lowcountry.

Bluffton is waterfront community in SE South Carolina nestled between the May and Chechessee Rivers and minutes from the Atlantic Ocean.  Bluffton borders Hilton Head Island, is a suburb of Savannah, Georgia and is roughly two hours from Charleston,SC,  Columbia, SC and Jacksonville, Florida.  Bluffton and surrounding areas are home to numerous colleges/universities and offer endless recreational activities.

Are you ready to change your life and your lifestyle? Apply today!

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE HIRING PROCESS GO TO: http://www.blufftonfd.com/employment.php

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:  Check out this “soupy” commercial job in PG County, MD.  Give us your RECEO breakdown, initial actions and initial rig placement.  Ready…Go!

• What is your initial report?
• Rescue considerations?
• Exposures?
• Confinement issues?
• Extinguishment strategies and tactics?
• Overhaul, what areas will you focus initial searches for extension?
• Rig placement?

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:  Watch the video of this heavily involved 2-story balloon frame house.  Note the wind and the exposures.  Give us your RECEO breakdown, initial actions and initial rig placement.  Have fun…

• What is your initial report?
• Rescue considerations?
• Exposures?
• Confinement issues?
• Extinguishment strategies and tactics?
• Overhaul, what areas will you focus initial searches for extension?
• Rig placement?

As seen on YouTube and Facebook…

Click here to view the embedded video.

NOTE:

• The Command presence
• Notice the professionalism of the operating crews
• Notice the window A/C unit falling to the street (around :40)
• Notice the Outside Vent crew stopping floor below as the Engine starts getting a knock on the fire

Go to the Facebook conversation to get full details, accounts and reactions from brothers in cyberspace as well brother who were at the fire and know the area and operations… http://www.facebook.com/NateDeMarse/posts/292471494132640

Thanks and be safe!

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:  You’re wearing all the hats today! You’re dispatched to a reported “structure” fire.  It’s the middle of the week during Christmas vacation and the neighbors don’t know if the kids are there or not.

• What is your initial report?
• Where is the fire?
• Where is it going?
• How many lines do you anticipate for this fire?
• What size AND length line would you use?
• HOW MUCH OF A PRIORITY DO YOU PLACE ON SEARCH?
• What search tactics would you use?
• What type and where would you vent?
• What tactics are a priority?
• What are your assignments for YOUR crews?