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:  First thing you see is a Truck pulling up to the scene.  YOU’RE ON THAT TRUCK! Based on what you see with the building, the conditions, the Engine Co. and other crews’ operations, WHAT ARE YOUR ASSIGNMENTS FOR YOUR CREW?  Compare this FD’s ops to your FD and  give us your RECEO VS considerations.  Enjoy!

• RESCUE profile
• EXPOSURE considerations
• CONFINEMENT issues
• EXTINGUISHMENT strategies/tactics
• OVERHAUL considerations
• VENTILATION strategies/tactics
• SALVAGE considerations

• 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!

Click here to view the embedded video.

NOTE:  This week’s video was recommended by Bill Carey of www.backstepfirefighter.com.  Thanks as always Bill!

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:  This week we’re gonna mix it up a bit!  What can you tell us about this fire from its aftermath!  Based on what you see, what would you do?  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!

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:  This video is a great training tool for size-up, radio comms & Command presence.  This FD sounds very professional despite difficult fire conditions.  This week we’ve got heavy fire & smoke on an upper floor w/ standpipe ops in progress and a Mayday called while transitioning to Defensive Ops.   Compare this FD’s ops to your FD and  give us your RECEO VS considerations.  Enjoy!

• RESCUE profile
• EXPOSURE considerations
• CONFINEMENT issues
• EXTINGUISHMENT strategies/tactics
• OVERHAUL considerations
• VENTILATION strategies/tactics
• SALVAGE considerations

• 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!

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:  Here We Go!  What would your FD’s operations look like for something like this?   How many and what type of resources, water supply considerations, exposure considerations, etc.?  Enjoy!

• PLEASE REMEMBER… First Due Friday is a CONSTRUCTIVE tool!  Mudslinging comments WILL NOT be posted.  Thanks and enjoy!

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!

Click here to view the embedded video.

DO WE TRAIN OURSELVES INTO MEDIOCRITY?  It is rare to go to a live burn, fixed building or acquired, that realistically prepares us for the homes and businesses that our duty requires us to enter when they’re on fire.

As much as I would love to search and advance lines into buildings that aren’t packed with furniture, toys, desks, chairs, etc., it’s just not realistic.  I SEE MORE PACK RAT HOUSES THAN “BETTER HOMES & GARDENS” HOUSES.  Which begs the question,   IS THIS THE ROOT OF COMPLACENCY?  Do non-realistic training scenarios generate non-realistic tactics which results in non-realistic muscle memory?  IS THIS HOW BAD HABITS START?

We always talk about ‘”landmarks” when teaching search and tend to apply those principles to advancing hose lines in heavy smoke.  So what happens when the “landmarks” are out of place?  Can we trust ourselves, our crew, training and experience enough to press on despite misleading signals?  Can we identify and overcome obstacles in our path to complete the task at hand?

SCIENCE EXPERIMENT:  The next time you’re training on advancing lines through structures or searching, pile as much junk (pillows, cushions, books, magazines, boxes, toys, etc) into the building.  Acquire or build wooden end tables, night stands, chairs to be knocked over during the advance or search.  PUSH YOUR FIREFIGHTERS!

 

HERE IS A PRIMER!  How many of you have seen stuff like the pictures below? It’s very common.  The question is…

MID NIGHT FIRE, HEAVY SMOKE & FLAMES SHOWING FROM THE SECOND FLOOR.  YOU ARE ON THE FIRST ENGINE and THESE ARE THE STAIRS YOU HAVE TO MAKE.  DO THESE PICTURES REPRESENT A BIG PROBLEM OR A LITTLE PROBLEM?

 

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:  Heavy Smoke from a split-level. What are some of the specific challenges in split-levels? Where do you think this fire started? What is YOUR strategy for SEARCH?  What about VENTILATION?  Give us the initial report and your RECEO VS considerations.  Enjoy!

• PLEASE REMEMBER… First Due Friday is a CONSTRUCTIVE tool!  Mudslinging comments WILL NOT be posted.  Thanks and enjoy!

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 your FD do for this attached garage fire?  Would your FD make entry through the front door and push the fire out OR knock it down from the outside, then go in?  What would you do to address the extension issues?   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!

Click here to view the embedded video.

This past weekend, we were fortunate to be able to teach our “Ventilation, Entry & Search Techniques” class at the South Carolina Fire Academy’s annual Southeastern Fire School.  We had a great weekend both teaching (& learning), spending time with old friends and making new ones.  Here are some of the highlights…

• 377 – Ground ladders were thrown
• 290- Security bars were cut
• 232- Rooms were searched
• 87- Doors were forced with the irons
• 58- Locks were cut
• 1- Busted lid

Safe Firefighter, LLC and our instructors would like to thank the SCFA for having us and for their logistical support, especially David Coates.  We’d also like to thank the students for their hard work and open minds.

Get It Done, No Excuses. 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:  Large residential w/ HEAVY FIRE!  We’ll call this one a rural firefighting operation.  Could your FD handle a water shuttle operation for this?  What resources would you use for it?  What may be some other issues to consider?  What does the RECEO VS profile look like for this one? Enjoy!

Special thanks to Paul Hasenmeier for the heads up!  Keep ‘em coming Brother!

Rescue:

Exposures:

Confinement:

Extinguishment:

Overhaul:

Ventilation:

Salvage:

• 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!