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First Due Friday; Bread & Butter House Fire? (Video)

safefirefighter — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 11:30:40 +0000

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.

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

First Due Friday; Heavy Fire on 2 Floors (Videos)

safefirefighter — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:30:04 +0000

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!

Class Announcement! VES @ SC Fire Academy

safefirefighter — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 22:20:27 +0000

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.

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

First Due Friday; Heavy Smoke from a Commercial

safefirefighter — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 12:25:26 +0000

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?

NOTE: Thanks to JT for citing the source of this pic as being from the Berwyn Height VFD site @ http://www.bhvfd14.org/zarc1004.php via the Firehouse Guy.

~~I got this pic a while ago but now I can’t remember where I got it. Since Berwyn Heights is in the pic, I’ll give the credit to the Brothers at Co. 14.~~

First Due Friday; 2-Story Balloon Frame Rockin’ on the Peninsula

safefirefighter — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 16:34:28 +0000

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?

Click here to view the embedded video.

NOTE: This video was found at The Fire Critic, via YouTube. It shows a challenging fire for our Brothers in Charleston, SC.

First Due Friday: Row House Fire

safefirefighter — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 12:30:21 +0000

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?

NOTE: Source of photo unknown

2012 Class and Event Planning In Progress

safefirefighter — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 16:09:01 +0000

Make training, professionalism and pride part of your New Year’s resolution! We’re in the process of building our 2012 calendar with intense, realistic hands-on training, interactive classroom events and good old-fashioned brotherhood. A couple of events already scheduled include:

Ventilation, Entry & Search Techniques – Southeastern Fire School @ SC Fire Academy – March 10, 11
SC State Firefighters/ Fire Chiefs Conference – Myrtle Beach, SC June 4-9

In the works we’ve got:

S.A.F.E. Firefighter- Smart, Aggressive, Fundamental, Efficient (Interactive Lecture, 2 Hour) – 2 in January – Dates in the Works
First Due Forcible Entry (Hands-On, 8 Hour) – Early February – Dates in the Works
Ventilation, Entry & Search Techniques (Hands-On, 16 Hour) – Mid February – Dates in the Works
First Due Forcible Entry (Hands-On, 8 Hour) – March- Dates TBD
Fireground Rescue (Advanced RIC) (Hands-On, 16 Hour) – April – Date TBD

This is just the beginning. We still have numerous other ENGINE & TRUCK classes available for to match to YOUR NEEDS!

Let us know if you want to SIGN UP for any of these classes OR SCHEDULE YOUR OWN CUSTOM CLASS!

For more information, call (843) 247-6044 or email info@safefirefighter.com.

First Due Friday; Truck Arrives First at a House Fire

safefirefighter — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 12:30:33 +0000

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 are the Officer on the 4 person TRUCK company who ARRIVES FIRST at this single-family house fire. Due to other call volume, the FIRST DUE ENGINE is 5 minutes away.

Where is the fire?
Where is it going?
As a TRUCK, what tactics can you perform ahead of, without, an Engine for 5 minutes?
What tactics are a priority?
What are your assignments to YOUR crew?

First Due Friday: “Big Box” Search

safefirefighter — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 14:13:57 +0000

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 are on duty with your usual crew on your usual rig. You arrive at this working fire in Lowe’s. The fire is in the rear loading dock area and spreading into the store. The manager reports at least 2 employees still inside. They were last seen in the rear (close to but not in the area of the fire). YOU CREW IS ASSIGNED PRIMARY SEARCH FOR THE VICTIMS. Smoke conditions diminish as you go deeper into the building until they are almost zero visibility w/ low to moderate heat. You encounter the typical “big box” layout (as pictured).

What are the known hazards?
What are the unknown hazards?
What resources would your FD assign to accomplish the necessary strategy or tactic?
What tactics would you use to accomplish your assignment?

RIC Refresher Breakdown

safefirefighter — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 05:39:00 +0000

Saws, irons, ladders and rescues were the flavor of week for our brothers in Bluffton, SC. Safe Firefighter, LLC just wrapped up a RIC Refresher for the Bluffton Township Fire District. Training included calling the Mayday, self-rescue, rapid intervention crew assignments and operations and performing proactive RIC tasks.

Luckily, each company was able to train with their own crew which made the training that much better. As a result of their hard work, the BTFD logged the following stats:

48 training hours
320 staff hours
320 Maydays called
160 “window bars” cut
160 “slide bolts” cut
80 “padlocks” and chain cut
80 hinges cut
80 doors force w/ the irons
80 windows laddered and vented by 1 firefighter
21 RIC deployments
21 downed firefighters rescued

Everyone’s great attitudes and efforts made the last two weeks a blast and an awesome training environment!

Thanks to everyone who participated, to the BTFD Training Division and Command Staff for their help and support. As always we appreciate the feedback we received from everyone and there’s no doubt that future training will be made better from your ideas and observations.

We would also like to thank our partners, Desert Diamond Industries, Leatherhead Tools and Avon Mfg. Their continued support enables to provide the most realistic training with the best equipment, all made in the USA!

If your department is looking for REALISTIC & INTENSE, HANDS-ON BASED TRAINING, check out our CLASSES PAGE or contact us at INFO@SAFEFIREFIGHTER.COM or (843) 247-6044.