Up Against the
Big One
Big fire photos with tactical tips, p. 44
Plus New NFPA 1407 RIT standard, p. 84 CAFS & the wildland/ urban interface, p. 105
February 2010 Read It Today, Use It Tomorrow Connect with us at FireďŹ ghterNation.com
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February 2010 Volume 28, Issue 2 To subscribe, visit www.fire-rescue.com
44
Fireground Tactics
Apparatus
30 Fire Attack
24 Apparatus Ideas
A review of the most commonly used hose loads & finishes
By Mike Kirby & Tom Lakamp
H ow to perform vertical ventilation on a residential structure with lightweight trusses By Randy Frassetto
M ultipurpose apparatus provide attractive options for departments trying to do more with less By Bob Vaccaro
72 Battling the Hidden Danger T actical considerations for firefighting operations in lightweight construction By James M. Dalton, Peter Van Dorpe, Robert G. Backstrom & Steve Kerber
94 P resident’s Letter Personal conduct can leave your career, department & public trust in the wreckage
88 Have It All
44 Full-Scale Fire Big fire photos with tactical tips from FireRescue’s technical team
The International Association of Fire Chiefs’ leadership section
By Bob Vaccaro
36 Truck Company Operations
F actory visits & customization ensure satisfaction for Marion County (Ore.) Fire District 1
Plus!
96 L eadership Skills
U nderstanding the process of change can help you lead personnel through it
By Chief Marc Revere
102 S afety
84 Saved!
N ew NFPA 1407 provides a best- practices resource for RIC operations By Chief (ret.) Bill Peterson & Chief Ken Richards, Jr.
By Chief Jeffrey D. Johnson
Engine company operations must reflect the new rules of modern building construction
By Christopher J. Naum, SFPE
103 N ear-Miss Reports Lightweight construction speeds floor collapse By Deputy Chief John B. Tippett Jr.
Wildland/Urban Interface 105
Fight with Foam How to use Class A foam & CAFS to protect structures in the WUI By Keith Klassen
WUI Exposed FireRescue talks with presenters at this year’s Wildland/Urban Interface Conference
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February 2010
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124
In This Issue …
118 Make the Cut Don’t forget to include tow operators in your extrication rescue plan By Todd D. Meyer
12 From the Editor
W hat we call “success” on the fireground may deserve a second look By Timothy E. Sendelbach
14 ToolsNewsTechniques
• Gear Test: Leatherman’s Super Tool 300 is a “does-it-all” tool • News: NYC exhibition highlights naval warship built with WTC steel • Announcement: Record-breaking 1,000 reports posted to the Near-Miss site in 2009 • LODD: NIOSH reports recently released
20 Nozzlehead
C riticizing job performance requires thoughtful approach & delivery By Ray Gayk
Exclusively Online! Visit www.tinyurl.com/FireRescueblog to read these articles:
122 Rural Fire Command
Safety tips for using Class A foam By Keith Klassen
Light It Up Ventilation & search & rescue ops in lightweight structures
124 Quick Drills
S imple ways to determine your fire flow requirements
By Stephen Higgs
By Homer Robertson
Collapse Times for Different Assemblies
130 Survival of the Fittest
A dvice for a gay firefighter surrounded by cruel co-workers
115 Company Officer Development
New ColumN
Need-to-know info from the Underwriters Laboratories study
U se the “Deck of Cards” workout to spice up your routine
By James M. Dalton, Peter Van Dorpe, Robert G. Backstrom & Steve Kerber
By Jeff & Martha Ellis
134 Fire Prevention
T he Rhythm Nightclub Fire provides tragic lessons, but many of us never heard about it
136 New Products
By Jim Crawford
138 New Deliveries 141 Ad Index
About the Cover The Terrytown (La.) 5th District Volunteer Fire Department performed a live-burn exercise on an old, two-story golf clubhouse that was due to be torn down. Yellow caution tape was stretched across rigs to indicate the hot zone. The aerials kept the fire down to prevent it from spreading to nearby trees and shrubbery. TACTICAL TIP: “Burn to learn” has been the longstanding motto of the fire service as it pertains to live-fire training. Although live-fire training is the most exciting and oftentimes the most realistic form of training, it’s also the most dangerous. Strict adherence to NFPA 1403: Standard for Live Fire Evolutions, as well as ensuring that ALL participants have met the prerequisite training requirements, is of the utmost importance. Pre-burn planning should also take into consideration public and environmental safety issues, such as smoke emissions and contaminated run-off potential. Photo Chris Mickal
142 Classifieds 145 On the Market 146 Response Time
R anks support an effective command culture By Brian A. Crawford
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February 2010
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editor-in-chief
Timothy E. Sendelbach - tesendelbach@msn.com managing editor
Shannon Pieper - s.pieper@elsevier.com senior editors
Cindy Devone-Pacheco - c.devone@elsevier.com Janelle Foskett - j.foskett@elsevier.com onLine neWs/BLog manager
Bill Carey - bill@goforwardmedia.com editoriaL director
A.J. Heightman - a.j.heightman@elsevier.com editoriaL department
Phone 800/266-5367; Fax 619/699-6246 art director
Jason Pelc - jasonpelc@yahoo.com director of eproducts/production
Tim Francis - t.francis@elsevier.com WeB production coordinator
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Kevin Root - k.root@elsevier.com advertising department
Phone 800/266-5367; Fax 619/699-6722 advertising director/Western account manager
Sheri Collins - sheric@nevpacinc.com 520/825-3770 Western emedia saLes representative
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Phone 410/872-9303 managing director
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Chris Hebert - chris@goforwardmedia.com director of audience deveLopment & saLes support
Mike Shear - m.shear@elsevier.com audience deveLopment coordinator
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James O. Page 1936–2004 Choose 130 at www.ďŹ rerescuemagazine.com/rs
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February 2010
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Editorial Board To reach any member of our editorial board, e-mail frm.editor@elsevier.com and include the contributor’s name in your subject line.
tEcHNical Editors aPParatus Fire Chief Bob Vaccaro (Ret.) Deer Park, N.Y. comPaNY officEr dEvEloPmENt Capt. Ray Gayk Ontario (Calif.) Fire Department firE attacK Chief Greg Jakubowski Lingohocken (Pa.) Fire Company
Editorial advisors & coNtriButiNG Editors Chief Brian Crawford Shreveport (La.) Fire Department Dwight Clark FirstCare Forsyth, Ga. Chief Scott Cook (Ret.) Granbury (Texas) Fire Department Battalion Chief Henry Costo Philadelphia Fire Department
Capt. Mike Kirby & District Chief Tom Lakamp Cincinnati Fire Department
Assistant Chief Brian Fennessy San Diego Fire-Rescue Department
EXtricatioN Battalion Chief Todd D. Meyer Gig Harbor (Wash.) Fire/Medic One
Deputy Chief William Goldfeder Loveland-Symmes (Ohio) Fire Department
firE PrEvENtioN Fire Marshal Jim Crawford Vancouver (Wash.) Fire Department
Fire Chief Ed Hartin Central Whidbey Island (Wash.) Fire & Rescue Fire Chief Jeff Johnson Tualatin Valley (Ore.) Fire and Rescue
fitNEss Division Chief Martha Ellis Salt Lake City Fire Department QuicK drills Capt. Homer Robertson Fort Worth Fire Department rEscuE Capt. Andy Speier Snohomish County (Wash.) Fire District 1 rEscuE rEPort Tom Vines, Rope Rescue Consultant Red Lodge, Mont. rural firE commaNd Capt. Keith Klassen Summit (Ariz.) Fire District Resident Instructor Patrick Pauly Pennsylvania State Fire Academy Lewistown, Penn. trucK comPaNY oPs Capt. Michael M. Dugan Fire Department City of New York Capt. Randy Frassetto Surprise (Ariz.) Fire Department Lt. Jim McCormack Indianapolis Fire Department
coNtriButiNG PHotoGraPHErs Michael Coppola, Keith Cullom, Glen Ellman, Craig Jackson, Chris E. Mickal
Fire Chief Rhoda Mae Kerr Austin (Texas) Fire Department Steve Kidd Delve Productions, Inc. Orlando, Fla. Chief Tom Kuntz Red Lodge (Mont.) Fire Department Thomas E. Lubnau II Lubnau Law Office, P.C. Gillette, Wyo. Chief Steve Pegram Goshen (Ohio) Township Fire & EMS Department Battalion Chief Tom Pendley Peoria (Ariz.) Fire Department District Chief Billy Schmidt Palm Beach County (Fla.) Fire Department Deputy Fire Coordinator Tiger Schmittendorf Erie County Department of Emergency Services, Buffalo, N.Y. District Chief John Sullivan Worcester (Mass.) Fire Department Deputy Chief John Tippett Charleston (S.C.) Fire Department Battalion Chief Matt Tobia Anne Arundel (Md.) County Fire Department
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February 2010
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FromTheediTor
No Blood, No Foul? What we call “success” on the fireground may deserve a second look
I
By Timothy E. Sendelbach
12
t all starts with a couple of young “Booters” (aka young, overly energetic rookie firefighters) who suddenly become bored after a gut-busting dinner. At first it’s a simple game of H.O.R.S.E. As the evening wears on, eventually the entire crew, including the more “elderly” crewmembers (a 31-year-old driver and a 40-year-old captain), is out in the bay playing along. As the trash talk escalates, someone in the group (usually one of the attention-seeking Booters who’s losing) decides to change the rules, and a game of “Killer Hoops” is suddenly in full swing. You know the game I’m talking about—the firehouse free-for-all with only one rule: No blood, no foul. As a young firefighter in Kentucky, I played this form of roughhouse hoops nearly every shift after dinner. In most cases we had a blast, yet there were those nights when a twisted ankle, a bruised shoulder or a fat lip required some makeshift medical intervention. In short, those were the days. We were having fun and playing without boundaries. Unfortunately, some firefighters and officers have extended this free-spirited approach beyond the apparatus bay and into the streets. You know who I’m talking about—the ones who go to a fire and when the fire goes out and no one gets hurt, they immediately claim victory: No blood, no foul. In some cases, they even boast about how good a job they did. Are they truly deserving of this self-initiated praise? All things considered, if the only way we measure whether a fire is a “success” is that the fire went out and no firefighters got hurt, we’d have the same track record if we stayed in quarters and didn’t respond at all. Progressive organizations are willing to be critical of themselves, to constantly question the status quo. Te simple fact that the fire went out and everyone returned injury-free should not be a mark of success, but rather an expectation. With the number of fires diminishing (and being offset by EMS calls and other tasks) we can’t afford to overlook the few opportunities we have to improve our performance. When was the last time you sat down with your crew and truly hashed out your performance on the fireground? When was the last time you discussed the communications between the fire attack group and the vent group? Were you in sync or just lucky? When was the last time you were assigned the task of “back-up”
Firerescue Magazine
and you and your crew patiently stood guard of the exit/ means of egress for the safety of the fire attack crew, vs. venturing into the active firefight? If we’re honest with ourselves, I think we all can identify a time or two when our performance was less than stellar. It’s becoming too frequent that firefighters are overrun by fire or receive critical injuries from flashover. Close calls continue to make headlines. As sad as it is to say, there’s blood in the water. Tose who aren’t willing to be critical of their performance may eventually pay the ultimate price. For years, the fire service has avoided being overly critical of the mistakes we’ve made. In fact, many departments have opted out of conducting postincident analyses or incident reviews because of the internal battles they create. Is this the mark of a professional organization or the discouraging equivalent of a teenager who stomps their feet in frustration and runs away in rage, unwilling to play nice with others? Te competitive nature of the fire service is one of our best traits. At every level of this profession we compete—to get hired, to promote and to perform the job we love so much. So why is it that we so often refuse to be critical of our performance? Is it a fear of failure? Te truth is, the only way we can avoid failure is to constantly work to improve our individual performance and the systems we work within. In the private sector, change is not an option; it’s a way of life. If a private business fails to be critical of itself, it’s quickly passed over by its competitors. As a result, employees in the private sector are often required to seek new and innovative ways to do their jobs, which brings about constant improvements within their respective fields. Te time has come (in some cases, it may have come and gone) for members of all ranks to become harsh critics of the way we do business on the fireground, or while providing emergency medical care, rescue operations, etc. Te battlegrounds of our profession are constantly evolving—and so too must we. Legendary Notre Dame head coach Lou Holtz once said, “If you burn your neighbor’s house down, it doesn’t make your house look any better.” By setting a low bar for performance success, we accept the status quo. On the contrary, we should look at every shift as an opportunity for self- and organizational improvement. So ask yourself this: Is it time you cried foul? February 2010
Choose 19 at www.ďŹ rerescuemagazine.com/rs
Tools News Techniques How To
Leatherman Super Tool 300
Pros
Training
People
Gear Test
Leatherman’s Super Tool 300 is a “does-it-all” tool
Cons
F
Leatherman Tool Group Inc. P.O. Box 20595 Portland, OR 97220 Tel: 503/253-7826; 800/847-8665 E-mail: info@leatherman.com Web: www.leatherman.com
14
Events
In Search of the Holy Grail
+ Wide variety of tools; + Compact; + Durable; and + Backed by warranty.
- Needs additional cut-outs; and - Lacks windowremoval device.
Web & Media
By Greg Jakubowski
irefighters like to be ready for anything. Te trick is to have whatever we need immediately at hand, even though we know doing so is nearly impossible. We see it with our apparatus—we try to carry more and more on one vehicle so we’ll be ready for anything and, as a result, the apparatus just get bigger and bigger. And all of us would like to have one tool in our hands that “does it all”—a sort of The tool is solid and durable, and I liked the overall size and feel. Holy Grail of tools. Te folks at the Leatherman Tool Group have tried to give us this Holy Grail with their Super Tool 300 a firefighter who does a lot of work with his hands— (ST300). Tis stainless-steel tool is actually a signifi- George Stahl, chief engineer with the Midway (Pa.) cant number of tools rolled into a 4 ½-inch-long, Volunteer Fire Company. Te tool is solid and dura9.6-oz. device that can be worn on your belt in a ble, and we liked the overall size and feel. Te indileather or nylon sheath. Te small but versatile tool vidual tools can withstand some punishment, and we liked the fact that the wire cutter jaws are replaceable includes the following: if they get damaged by overuse. Te serrated blade • Clip point knife with straight edge would likely be useful for cutting seatbelts or other • Sheepsfoot serrated knife straps, and the saw is a good idea as an addition for • Needlenose pliers cutting small wood. • Regular pliers We found it a bit difficult to • Replaceable wire cutters The small but versatile access the tools located in between • Wire stripper tool includes everything from a clip point knife the sharp blades that are outboard, • Electrical crimper with a straight edge to especially when wearing gloves. Te • 5⁄16" screwdriver wire cutters to an awl file is unique, but we weren’t sure • 7⁄32" screwdriver with a thread loop. we could come up with a practical • ⅛" screwdriver use for it on the emergency scene. • Phillips screwdriver Tere are cut-outs on the side of • Wood/metal file the tool for both the straight edge • Saw and the serrated knife that allow • Bottle opener them to be easily pulled out, but it • Can opener would be useful to have the same • 9" ruler cut-outs for the tools on the other • Awl with thread loop side of the handle. We also thought When I received the tool it might be more useful to add a in the mail, I shared it with
Firerescue Magazine
February 2010
Photos Courtesy Leatherman tooL GrouP
Equipment
spring-loaded or center point punch for window removal, perhaps in place of the file. As previously mentioned, it’s quite difficult to put together a compact tool that does everything we want it to. Te Leatherman folks have done a very good job of doing so with the ST300, and we feel this tool would be a nice accessory to firefighter turnout gear. Te Leatherman ST300 stainless-steel body version costs $84; a black oxide version costs $97. Te tool is backed by a 25-year factory warranty. Greg Jakubowski is a fire protection engineer and certified safety professional with 31 years of fire-service experience. He is a Pennsylvania State Fire Instructor, serves as chief of the Lingohocken Fire Company in Bucks County, Pa., and is a member of the IAFC. Greg is also a principal in Fire Planning Associates, a company dedicated to helping fire departments, municipalities and businesses with pre-emergency training.
News
A Show of Steel
NYC exhibition highlights naval warship built with WTC steel By Jane Jerrard
T
it tells a very specific story, and it’s a national story,” says Meriam Lobel, the center’s curator. “Our previous exhibits have dealt with specific communities in New York—the works, transportation, etc. Tis exhibit speaks to the nation.” Te USS New York exhibit first details how the steel debris was transported to Louisiana, where it was delicately recycled and then refined. “You can hear from the people who worked on the project there, many of whom were survivors of Katrina,” Lobel says. Te shipbuilders, who are quoted in the exhibit, devoted themselves to building the USS New York as a “testimonial to America’s resolve,” treating the steel with reverence and respect. An interactive section of the exhibit lets visitors explore the unique features of the state-of-the-art amphibious transport ship, from the new stealth technology in the ship’s outer skin that makes it very hard to detect, to the symbolic crest of the ship, which contains tributes to the state of New York, the FDNY, the NYPD and other entities. Te last part of the exhibit focuses on the ship’s crew—all of whom volunteered for the New York. Tere are quotes and stories from crewmembers, the ship’s captain and the chaplain, all of whom are proud to be part of the tribute warship. “When the ship was in port, crewmembers took turns staffing the exhibit and telling visitors about the ship,” Lobel recalls. “And during Fleet Week, they came down and did some painting and touch-up work for us.” In turn, Tribute WTC has been supportive of the crew, even hosting a reception for their families in the visitors’ center. Visitors to the exhibit are invited to write notes to the crew of the USS New York.
A BeAuTiful MessAge
TriBuTe WTC
Asked about what part of the exhibit he finds most powerful, Ielpi says, “It might be as simple as the
Te Tribute WTC Visitor Center, located along the south side of the World Trade Center site, was created by the September 11th Families’ Association. It includes five galleries that offer permanent and rotating exhibits on topics related to Sept. 11. Right now, the center’s special exhibit is USS New York: In Tribute. “You have to think about the steel that they used,” says Lee Ielpi, one of the founders of the Tribute WTC Visitor Center, who lost his firefighter son in the collapse of the World Trade Center. “Tey refined the steel … and used that in the bow stem. Tat’s the first piece that cuts through the water. It’s tremendously significant.”
s
here are countless memorials, tributes and remembrances to the victims who fell at the World Trade Center on Sept. 11. But few are as powerful as the U.S. Navy’s new warship, the USS New York, whose bow was forged from 7 ½ tons of steel recovered from Ground Zero. And now, the Tribute WTC Visitor Center offers a look at the people who refined that steel, built the ship and serve on it today.
NIOSH Reports Recently Released To read the complete reports, visit www.cdc.gov/niosh/fire/ F2009-10: Career firefighter dies when backed over while spotting an apparatus Date: Jan. 2, 2009 Location: New Jersey
F2007-31: Volunteer lieutenant dies after falling from a bridge while attending to a motor vehicle crash Date: Aug. 10, 2007 Location: Arkansas
F2009-07: Volunteer lieutenant and firefighter die while combating a mobile home fire Date: Feb. 19, 2009 Location: West Virginia
F2008-22: Volunteer firefighter dies in apparatus crash Date: July 7, 2008 Location: Ohio
F2008-08: Volunteer fire lieutenant killed while fighting a basement fire Date: March 5, 2008 Location: Pennsylvania
F2009-02: Firefighter trainee suffers sudden cardiac death during maze training Date: Nov. 9, 2008 Location: Virginia
An exhiBiT BuilT Around PeoPle As with Tribute WTC’s other exhibits, the USS New York exhibit focuses on people—specifically, the people behind each stage of building and serving on the warship. But the exhibit is also a departure for the center: “Tis exhibit is different for us because February 2010
Firerescue Magazine
15
Photos Courtesy of the tribute WtC Visitor Center
Right: The Tribute WTC Visitor Center’s current special exhibit, USS New York: In Tribute, offers a look at the warship, whose bow was forged from 7½ tons of steel recovered from Ground Zero. Far Right: The exhibit tells the story of the people who refined that steel, built the ship and serve on it today.
photo of the ship. It sends a beautiful message. Tat ship was built specifically to carry a landing force of Marines, but it will be used for humanitarian purposes more than war. Ships like this one deliver aid after tsunamis, earthquakes and hurricanes. And when it arrives, carrying the name of New York, it will demonstrate to people that we’re a generous and peaceful people.” He adds, “But it is a warship, and it also says that if our freedoms are challenged, we’ll continue to fight for our freedoms.” USS New York: In Tribute runs until April 12, 2010. Te Tribute Center’s next special exhibit will look at the uniformed services that responded on Sept. 11, and how they’ve changed since then. For more information on the Tribute WTC Visitor Center, go to www.tributewtc. org. For facts and details about the USS New York, visit www.ussnewyork.com. Jane Jerrard lives in Chicago and writes regularly for FireRescue.
Announcement
Kudos to the Near-Miss Program
Record-breaking 1,000 reports posted to the site in 2009
T
he National Fire Fighter Near-Miss Reporting System reached a milestone in December when it posted the 1,000th report for 2009. Tis marks the first time in the program’s 4-year history that 1,000 Choose 20 at www.jems.com/rs
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Firerescue Magazine
February 2010
Choose 21 at www.ďŹ rerescuemagazine.com/rs
reports were received in a single year. Te total number of reports received since the program launched in 2005 is more than 3,100. Te National Fire Fighter Near-Miss Reporting System is an all-hazard, voluntary, confidential, non-punitive and secure tool to provide data and case studies for efforts related to the prevention and reduction of firefighter injuries and fatalities. Te program is entirely funded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (AFG). Te AFG Program, along with Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company, provided funds for the creation of the program, which is administered by the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC). Chief Jeff Johnson, IAFC president and chairman of the board, credits the increase in report submissions to the growing acceptance of near-miss reporting at every level of the fire and emergency service: “Learning from a near-miss story told around the
“Learning from a near-miss told around the firehouse kitchen table has always been intrinsic to our industry. This program has created a virtual kitchen table.” firehouse kitchen table has always been intrinsic to our industry. Te Near-Miss Program has created a virtual firehouse kitchen table for everyone who visits www. FireFighterNearMiss.com.” Johnson adds, “I commend every firefighter who took a proactive approach to firefighter safety by submitting a near-miss report in 2009. Tey have helped one of our own by sharing their stories.” Dennis Smith, chair of the Near-Miss Advisory Board, commented that several developments will continue to raise awareness and acceptance of near-miss reporting, including the recent launch of a Near-Miss Facebook page (www.facebook.com/firefighter nearmiss) that will reach new audiences. Additionally, FirefighterCloseCalls.com recently announced that when a firefighter submits a report to the site, they now have the option to submit it to FireFighterNear Miss.com as well. Te Near-Miss program is also researching the possibility of providing downloadable mobile applications, which may be available as early as the summer of 2010. Choose 22 at www.jems.com/rs
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Firerescue Magazine
February 2010
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66
NOZZLEHEAD
Dealing with “Haters” Advice for a gay firefighter surrounded by cruel co-workers
D
ear Nozzlehead: I’m a gay firefighter and I am wrought with pain. The problem is that my brother and sister firefighters don’t know, and they’re so cruel in their remarks about gay people. We cover a city that has a large gay population, and they hate all GLBT (gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender) people—the same people who pay our salaries—and they would probably hate me if they found out. They use the word “gay” as an insult all the time, as well as much worse words, and while they see them as just words, they don’t get it. People suggest that I come out, and I laugh and cry at the same time because nothing could be worse for me, considering the firefighters I work with. Of course, what I do know, and what they do not know, is that a significant number of their superior officers are GLBT. Sometimes, that’s my only comic relief. I’m not really sure why I’m writing you, but thought you might have some ideas, suggestions or advice—unless, of course, you’re also a hater. —Rainbows on the Bay
20
Firerescue Magazine
s
Dear Rainbows, You’re correct. I am a hater. I hate lima beans. I mean, I absolutely HATE them. Tey’re mushy, nasty and have no taste at all. Tey serve no purpose but to get in the way of my other frozen mixed vegetables. Can you imagine what a wonderful world it would be with just corn, peas, carrots and pea pods? First of all, I addressed this subject in this column many years ago, but I think it’s a subject well worth discussing again. So in responding to your letter, I’ll use some of the information I provided in that column as well as some new thoughts. Now before I go on, I should say that I’m not fully qualified to discuss this subject because I’m not gay. I do have several gay friends (and possibly more whom I don’t know about) and am never shy to be around them. Tat’s simple for me because I really don’t care. I’m not sure why, but some people are very concerned about what others do in their private lives. Honestly, I would guess most folks do some things in their private lives that shouldn’t be advertised. But how does that impact any of us at the fire department? It shouldn’t. It has nothing to do with the job, so who cares?! Te answer: You do and they do, and the emotions are running high.
Te problem is that when we’re in the firehouse, we forget that it’s NOT all about us—it’s about laws, policies, procedures and opinions. Our behaviors and opinions can and should be controlled and directed for the overall good of the whole. Our personal opinion really doesn’t matter, especially when it’s potentially harmful to those we work with or serve. As for you “haters,” you’re probably in the wrong line of business, career or volunteer, because one day, one way or another, you’ll respond and help a gay person and then what are you going to do when your friends find out? Are you gonna be in trouble or what?! Well, maybe this isn’t all that simple. Maybe as a firefighter, you don’t like gay people but are willing to help anyone. Tere, that’s better. Ten how about we just shut up about the kind of people we like and the kind of people we don’t like? Just be quiet, if that’s possible. Are you able to function knowing you’re working with gay firefighters? Are you able to function knowing you’re serving gay people? I’ve done my homework and spoken to several friends who are gay. So now, I’ll try to give you some applicable information. I’ve been a firefighter for almost 40 years and have met and worked with many people along the way. As much as it may surprise you, your letter does not surprise me, and I can imagine and understand the pain and problems you’ve dealt with. I bet hiding who you are hasn’t been easy (this from a person who writes under the name Nozzlehead). We both know we all work with all kinds of jackasses. Problem is, they can act like jackasses and not worry about it. After all, they have been “outed” as jackasses by their jackass behavior. Tey don’t really care to hide who they are, but they oughta. Sometimes those who aren’t ashamed to show who they are or what they’re made of should be the ones to stay in the social closet. To be honest with you, I couldn’t care less what you do in the privacy of your own home, bedroom, kitchen or bathroom. Just don’t do it in the firehouse. Hey, here’s a tip: No sex in the firehouse for anyone of any gender or sexual orientation. Sexual behavior in the firehouse is a huge problem—we read about it February 2010
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NozzleHead
To be honest with you, I couldn’t care less what you do in the privacy of your own home, bedroom, kitchen or bathroom. Just don’t do it in the firehouse. almost every day. And in many cases, it doesn’t bother us—until it’s too late. We think it’s OK to “play” while on duty. Silly firefighters. Silly straight firefighters. But then, some firefighters find out that another firefighter likes to be around their own kind and WHOA! We have a crisis! And we really shouldn’t. Bottom line:
Don’t do anything on duty that you wouldn’t do in front of your mom, your chief or an attorney, and you’ll probably be safe. But as for off-duty, the lifestyle you choose to lead is yours. When the few gay firefighters I know chose to come out to me, I treated their information with the utmost privacy and respect—to the point where I would say, “I don’t care whether you’re gay, just get off your rear and go do your job.” But I didn’t say that until after we had spoken. I listened and assured them they were no different from anyone else; they needed to focus on the fire department’s mission. I’ve never had any problems due to the fact that some members chose to out themselves to me. I can appreciate the relief that one would have in being able to discuss it. But again, it’s a very personal choice, and I can respect a person’s decision to come out or stay in the closet. Quite frankly, in our business, depending on where you work or run as a firefighter, you may very well be better off keeping it to yourself—and I don’t particularly like the fact that this is what I recommend, but it’s probably reality for your own security and comfort. You’re obviously surrounded by some homophobes who act like morons (or, quite possibly, other gay firefighters who just act this way in order to fit in). It creates an uncomfortable situation for you; dealing with your situation is probably difficult enough. So here are your options, Rainbows. Option 1: Simply keep it to yourself and deal with the pressure, even though that’s not the easiest way to live. Option 2: Come out to those you work closest with, which is what one firefighter I worked with did. He was accepted to some extent, but I also heard some negative comments and saw some negative behavior. However, none of it was worse than the comments and behavior displayed prior to his coming out. Life in the firehouse can be pretty cruel. I know someone will write me and say, “Tat’s leadership’s fault.” Well, I guess so. But realistically, the firehouse can be cruel, good leadership or not. It can be a macho man’s place where anyone showing weakness can become a target. Just listen to the things that come out of people’s mouths—probably your own from time to time. I’ve observed this classic firehouse mouth-running for years in every firehouse I’ve ever been in! Tis behavioral problem exists with men and women, so
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those women out there shaking their heads, listen to the things you say as well. It’s human, albeit cruel, behavior. Normally, when we run our mouths at the firehouse, those we’re talking about aren’t there unless no one knows they’re there—just like you described. Get the point? Option 3: Carefully select a fellow firefighter whom you know you can trust—I mean REALLY trust— to help you decide whether to come out. Tink really hard about that. Discuss your situation with that individual and ask for their assessment of your department’s or company’s reaction should you come out. Remember, you may risk losing friends and colleagues. But you’ll likely be better off than you are now. Maybe. Unfortunately, your decision is a simple but complicated one. Simple because it’s either come out or don’t. Complicated because the solution may be to live two separate lives. During your 24-hour work shifts, you can be a straight-appearing firefighter who shares virtually no details of your private life with those you call your brothers and sisters. When off duty, you can lead a happier life as a gay person within your circle of friends. If you come out, you may have to deal with your fellow firefighters saying, “I don’t trust him (or her)” and “I’m not sleeping in the same room as him (or her).” Firefighters are a strange group. We’ll risk our lives and do anything to save anybody of any color, race, religion or sexuality— until after the fire. We’ve all heard our fellow firefighters talking politics or personal opinions. Trough the years, I’ve been shocked by some of the nasty, prejudiced and cruel comments I’ve heard. And for those of you reading this, getting all nervous, relax: Gay people normally don’t go around “hitting” on someone they know is straight, just like you usually don’t go around hitting on someone who’s gay.
Maybe you should seek out other firefighters in the same situation as yours. Tere’s nothing better than the lessons learned from others to help us determine the right course of action. Your situation is no different. Consider contacting FireFLAG/EMS, a national peer support group for gay, lesbian and bisexual firefighters, EMTs, paramedics and their friends. Check out their Web site at www.fireflag.org. You can also reach them at 208 West 13th St., New York, NY 10011.
Got a fire service question or complaint? Let Nozzlehead hear all about it. He’ll answer you with 2,000 psi of free-flowing opinion. Send your letters to: Nozzlehead, c/o FireRescue, 525 B St., Ste. 1800 San Diego, CA 92101-4495 frm.editor@elsevier.com Choose 25 at www.firerescuemagazine.com/rs
February 2010
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apparatusideas
Planning Pays Off Factory visits & customization ensure satisfaction for Marion County (Ore.) Fire District 1
Photo courtesy WVFrA
By Bob Vaccaro
The Marion County Fire District 1 recently took delivery of three Pierce PUC pumpers built on the Impel chassis.
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n some ways, the recent apparatus purchase made by the Marion County (Ore.) Fire District 1 (MCFD) was 30 years in the making. Following a functional consolidation by the Willamette Valley Fire and Rescue Authority (WVFRA), the MCFD continued to operate an aging apparatus fleet. By the time it took formal action to replace its front-mount pumpers, the vehicles were nearly 30 years old.
Playing CatCh-UP
Willamette Valley Fire and Rescue Authority
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good timing Around the time the MCFD apparatus committee began the spec-writing process, Pierce announced the unveiling of its PUC (Pierce Ultimate Configuration) at FDIC 2007, and the department took advantage of the opportunity. Te PUC is built on a pump-under-cab design that allows for ease of maintenance as well as added compartment space. “We sent four of our apparatus committee members to FDIC to investigate the new concept,” Henson says. “To say we were impressed is an understatement. Te PUC has 25 to 30 percent more compartment space than most vehicles, a shorter wheelbase and pump-and-roll capability. Although we only use that capability on a rare basis, it’s a benefit for us to have it.” Following FDIC, MCFD members traveled to the Pierce factory in Appleton, Wis., on several occasions to see the demo, and were impressed not only with the vehicle, but the whole operation. “Te PUC has a clear, crisp pump panel and a lot of extra compartment
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According to Chief Kevin Henson, the quest to replace the MCFD’s out-of-date pumpers began about 2 ½ years ago. “Our apparatus replacement program was supposed to have front-line pumpers be in service for 10 years and then moved from a high-volume station to a low-volume station for a total service life of 20 years,” Henson says. “Unfortunately, we were behind.” Te department formed an apparatus replacement committee comprising members from the chief’s office, a mechanic, volunteer and career officers, and an apparatus operator. Te committee wrote specs for three Class A pumpers. “Our entire fleet had front-mounted pumps, and we wanted to make a change,” Henson says. “We looked • 8 stations at traditional top-mount and side• 75 apparatus mount pumpers all over our area.” • 150 volunteer firefighters In addition, the apparatus needed • 50 career firefighters to be appropriate for the response area. “Our response area is 80 square • 2 engines and 2 medic units miles, featuring a mixture of urban staffed by career firefighters and rural areas,” Henson says. “We
also have some agricultural areas with no water supply. Te vehicles needed to have a short wheelbase, be able to get into and out of narrow areas in our district and have lots of compartment space.” Firefighter safety was another big concern for the MCFD, especially when it came to the back end of the vehicles. “We wanted to have safe tool and ground ladder access, be able to get extrication tools on and off the vehicle quickly and be able to load and unload LDH [large diameter hose] safely,” Henson says.
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space that we needed on these vehicles,” Henson says. “It proved to be highly maneuverable and navigable on our narrow roads and driveways.”
The driver’s side of the pumpers features large compartments and a slim pump panel.
Photo courtesy WVFrA
Customizing the Rigs
Pierce PUC Specs • Pierce Impel chassis with aluminum body • 425-hp Cummins diesel engine • Allison 4000 EVS transmission • 1,500-gpm Pierce single-stage pump • Pierce Husky foam system with 25-gallon foam cell • 750-gallon water tank • 10-kW Harrison generator • 17' Will-Burt light mast • EMS and vehicle extrication tools
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Careful budgeting practices and voter-approved general obligation bonds allowed the MCFD to obtain funds to replace three engines initially. After a long review and spec-writing process, the contract was awarded to Pierce. Department members visited the factory several times again during the building process. “After looking around at some of the other vehicles currently being built on the assembly line, our committee made 150 changes to the vehicle specs,” Henson says. Te changes made to the original PUC demo specs included alterations in compartment design and tool placement. Another change: the width of the tailboard. “We wanted our firefighters to be able to safely unload and load hose into the rear hosebed. Te original step was too short, so we added a few inches to it to solve the problem,” Henson says. Following the very positive experience with Pierce, the department decided to award the company a second contract for an additional three engines. “Te great cooperation that we received from Pierce was the deciding factor in choosing them again,” Henson says. “Pierce accommodated all of our wishes
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appaRatusideas Right: The officer’s side stores electrical reels, portable fans, EMS equipment and hose packs.
Photo courtesy WVFrA
Photo courtesy BoB VAccAro
Far Right: The PUC’s pump panel assembly gives easy access for maintenance.
without a problem. Tey’re a very professional organization, from their corporate people right down to their local dealer, Hughes Fire Equipment.” In my column, I frequently cite “service after the sale” as one of the most important factors in making an apparatus purchase. Te MCFD had a positive experience with Pierce in this area. “We had some minor glitches with the vehicles, mostly vendor problems, that were all taken care of by Pierce, which impressed me,” Henson says.
Get It RIGht Planning for your apparatus purchases is a big concern for any department, whether you’re part of a small community or large municipality. You’ll be spending a significant amount of taxpayer money, so you must be confident that you’re making a sound purchase—both from a financial perspective and a safety perspective. Te apparatus committee from the MCFD did it right. Not only did they send their members to an industry show to investigate a new model of apparatus, but they followed up and visited the manufacturer’s factory to actually operate the vehicle and see how it was built. After the contract was awarded, they were able to visit several more times and make changes to improve the vehicles before they were delivered. Proper planning is the way to go when designing a new piece of fire apparatus for your community. Hopefully you’ll have the means to go above and beyond to ensure you make the right choice. Bob Vaccaro has more than 30 years of fire-service experience. He is a former chief of the Deer Park (N.Y.) Fire Department. Vaccaro has also worked for the Insurance Services Office, The New York Fire Patrol and several major commercial insurance companies as a senior loss-control consultant. Vaccaro is a life member of the International Association of Fire Chiefs. Choose 29 at www.firerescuemagazine.com/rs
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Fireattack
Know Your Hose A review of the most commonly used hose loads & finishes
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he way in which we carry or store fire hose on engine companies and other apparatus with pumps depends on many factors, such as apparatus layout, needed hose lengths, type and size of hose used, available manpower, tradition and/ or orders from higher up in the food chain. It’s important to be intimately familiar with the loads used on the fire company to which you’re assigned. Some questions each of us should consider and/or reconsider: • What type of load do we use? • How many feet of hose are in this load? • Are there any special finishes to this load? • When was the last time I deployed this hose load or practiced deploying it? • Will the hose loads allow the most efficient deployment for the building fires I encounter in my response area? • What available manpower do I have to deploy the attack line? Remember: Our primary mission is to suppress fires and, when assigned to the engine, be proficient in getting the hose into service, no matter what hose load we use. Te fire doesn’t care whether we use a flat load or a minuteman load, if we’re operating at a woodframe ranch or a multiple dwelling of ordinary construction, or if the fire started on the first floor or the
By Mike Kirby & Tom lakamp
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The FlaT load Te most common load used in the fire service is probably the flat load, which can be used in a variety of narrow and wide hosebeds for a variety of fire lines. We’re most familiar with using the flat load for supply lines; most large-diameter supply lines are loaded with a standard flat load. Many 1 ¾" and 2 ½" fire lines are also carried in flat loads. Tis is usually because they’re easy to load and deploy. Te flat load allows for standard shoulder or arm deployment. Te nozzle person can also grab and flip the hose as they put it up on their shoulder, instantly creating a minuteman load on the last section or two if deploying to an upper floor from the apparatus. Because there are no formal finishes on standard flat loads, the nozzle person can take as much hose as they want. Unfortunately, the nozzle person can take too much hose, which sometimes causes kinking at the drop point. Te flat load does create sharp bends in the hose. In hosebeds that aren’t used or deployed frequently, the hose should periodically be pulled off and reloaded to move the bends throughout the hose. Tis load is best suited for situations involving multiple types of properties, such as single-family, multi-family and large and/or tall multi-family structures with various types of stairs.
The MinuTeMan load One common variation of the flat load is the minuteman load. It requires some thought to
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Photo Mike kirby, toM LakaMP
Putting water on the fire is perhaps the most important fireground task, which is why it’s crucial to not only be familiar with the hose loads used in your fire company, but also with your response areas and the types of water supplies they require.
fourth. Getting the hoseline into service and putting water on the fire are the greatest life-saving actions we can perform on the fireground. To do this well, we must train on the hose loads we use regularly. Although a variety of hose loads exist, as well as specific variations of common hose loads used by fire departments, in this article, we’ll discuss the basic loads commonly used and variations of these loads.
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fireattack
load, but it’s easier to load than the triple- layer load. Tis load is popular because it allows the hose to flake and deploy from the nozzle person’s shoulder as it’s advanced into a structure (e.g., up a stairwell). Tis load also controls the amount of hose the nozzle person can deploy, thus eliminating the problem of taking too much hose. Tis load can be used in standard beds in conjunction with a flat load to help split up large or long hosebeds; however, it’s best suited for situations requiring shoulder deployment of hose up various types of stairwells when ascending multiple floors.
The flat load is best suited for situations involving multiple types of properties, such as singlefamily, multi-family and large and/or tall multifamily structures with various types of stairs. Remember: Large multifamily dwellings require hose to be advanced from a load into the building prior to charging.
The Triple-layer A third common hose load is the triple-layer load, which is hardest to load and therefore easy to mess up without practice. Tis load is best suited for companies with minimal manpower that commonly respond to fires in one- and two-story single-family dwellings where the line is flaked and charged upon entering the building. One person can easily clear the hosebed and deploy this load. Photos Mike kirby, toM LakaMP
The triple-layer load is best suited for situations involving one- and two-story single-family dwellings.
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The accordion Lastly, there’s the accordion load, which actually isn’t as common as it used to be. It’s found in beds that carry 2 ½" or 3" hose for fire attack or supply. One disadvantage to this load is that it creates
February 2010
One common finish to the flat or accordion load is the reverse horseshoe finish. Tis finish allows for a more timely deployment of attack lines in a reverse-lay situation or when the fire is beyond the reach of the standard pre-connected hoseline on the apparatus. Tis finish works well in large, static hosebeds where the last section of either 2 ½" or 1 ¾" line is connected via a wye or reducer to a large static bed of 2 ½" line. When used for long lays, the reverse horseshoe makes deployment easier.
hoseload Tips As you spec or purchase fire hose and apparatus, consider the layout of your hosebeds to best meet the needs of your response area. If you have areas that are predominately residential with one- and two-family dwellings, relying strictly on pre-connected hosebeds is
Photo courtesy caPtain Josh bLuM, LoveLand-syMMes Fire deParMent
The ReveRse hoRseshoe
left: The triple-layer load is hardest to load and easy to mess up without practice. It must be loaded correctly, and all the hose must be pulled out of the bed for each stretch. Below: A reverse horseshoe finish allows for easy reverse lay operations or long lays in areas inaccessible to the apparatus or preconnects.
Photo Mike kirby, toM LakaMP
many sharp bends in the hose and places the hose on its side, exposing the side area to damage. Te hose also gets packed tightly into the hosebed, sometimes making deployment difficult. Some of the apparatus in our department have a wide, short hosebed, making this load the most efficient for storing 600–800 feet of 2 ½" hose that’s used to supply fire department connections and 2 ½" attack lines.
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Differing colors allow for easier hoseline management by the apparatus operator.
Photo Mike kirby, toM LakaMP
fireattack
probably going to work most of the time. If you have areas where access is restricted and long hoselays are necessary, beds that allow for quick deployment of long hoselines are essential. In addition to making sure your apparatus works well for your firefighters and hoselines, make sure that when you purchase new hose, you consider alternative hose colors for commonly used fire lines. It’s much easier in multi-line operations to ask your apparatus operator to start the water on a line of a particular color versus making the operator guess which line you’re referring to when two or more lines are deployed. Other specs may include making sure your preconnected crosslays are closer to the ground to enable the average-size firefighter to grasp the hose from the ground without stepping on a step or side running board; rear hose loads that allow for large preconnects of 1¾" and 2½" hose, and as a minimum, static loads of 2½" and 5"; and lower hosebeds that can be reached easily from the ground for quick, easy deployment.
ConClusion Our job as the engine company is to get the fire line into operation and extinguish the fire. To accomplish this, we must ensure we’ve performed the proper training and that our equipment is ready for rapid deployment; however, the method in which you load your hose is strictly a department-based issue. Each of us must be familiar with our response areas and ensure our hose-loading techniques and methods match the needs of our area. Training is essential to ensure we can deploy the hoseline efficiently to complete the required task. Remember: Getting the hoseline into service and putting water on the fire are the greatest life-saving actions we can perform on the fireground. Mike Kirby is a captain with the Cincinnati Fire Department (CFD), assigned to Engine Company 3. He is an 18-year veteran of the fire service with experience in paid and volunteer fire departments. Tom Lakamp is a 21-year veteran of the CFD. Currently serving as a district chief in Fire District 4, he’s an adjunct instructor at the University of Cincinnati Fire Science Program and holds a bachelor’s degree in fire science. Lakamp is a graduate of the National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officer Program. Choose 33 at www.firerescuemagazine.com/rs
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TRUCKCOMPANYOPERATIONS
Vertical Steps How to perform vertical ventilation on a residential structure with lightweight trusses
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By Randy Frassetto
homes, ventilation must be rapid and effective; therefore, the location of the vent hole must be precise. Note: Te best place to pre-plan how to vertically ventilate a structure is in the comfort of your firehouse, with a whiteboard, a couple of markers and a crew of eager firefighters. Tis will alleviate any confusion on the fireground and will ensure that important tasks are assigned to all responding crewmembers.
Step By Step Te tactical approach for a crew operating on a lightweight roof should be well orchestrated and, as I mentioned, begins with every member having a predetermined job. When ventilating, emphasis should be placed on three main tasks: 1) ensuring proper ladder placement on the unburned portion of the roof, 2) ventilating over unburned and/or unaffected trusses, and 3) standing on structural roof members that can support a firefighter’s weight. Te following steps allow for efficient size-up and a well organized vent operation.
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ightweight wood construction is the most common type of roof construction you’ll find on homes that have been built within the last 30 years or so. Why? Because today’s construction is driven by one factor and one factor alone: money. A lightweight truss can be built quickly at an offsite location, and it relies on a structural system for strength, not surface area. Te weak links of the truss system include the gusset plate (also called gang nails) and the lumber that makes up the top and bottom cords of the truss. Any breach in this system, such as direct fire impingement, contributes to early and rapid failure of the truss involved. Homes today are filled with synthetic materials that promote a rapid temperature increase in the interior and contribute to flashover conditions. Te quickest way to remove gases/materials that contribute to flashover conditions: Cut a well-placed ventilation hole. When the tones kick off for a fire in one of these
Photo Courtesy sean Cahill/surPrise Fire
Lightweight wood construction is the most common type of roof construction you’ll find on homes that have been built within the last 30 years or so. A lightweight truss can be built quickly at an off-site location, and it relies on a structural system for strength, not surface area.
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TruckcompanyoperaTions
Photo Courtesy randy Frassetto
1. Keep it to a minimum: When working on a residential roof, keep the number of firefighters to a minimum to lessen the weight on the roof. Generally, there should be three personnel performing roof ops: a captain, a sawyer and a sounder.
A burned-out truss from around the gusset plate.
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Te captain should determine the tenability of the roof and where to begin ventilation. Te sawyer should be competent with the saw and comfortable with the cut sequence. Te sounder must know how to identify structural members and have the confidence to identify warning
Firerescue Magazine
signs of a catastrophic event, such as a collapse. 2. Read the smoke: Confirm that the fire is indeed a room-and-contents fire. Pressurized smoke from the gable ends usually means fire is present in the attic. If attic vents are present, use them as “report cards” to monitor the progress of the fire. 3. Use smoke holes: As a ladder company pulls up to a house fire, it’s imperative that the company officer determine whether it’s a roomand-contents or if the fire has extended into the attic; however, fire conditions and therefore fireground tactics always change. If the fire starts out as a room-and-contents fire, personnel will ascend to the roof. At this point, the captain (or first person on the roof ) should create a smoke hole. If flames come out of the hole, the fire has progressed to the attic, and you should descend from the roof. Important: In homes with lightweight trusses, heavily-involved attic fires should be deemed too risky for roof operations as early collapse will most likely occur. 4. Remember, location, location, LOCATION: Te roof crew should operate from the unburned side of the house and work toward cutting the hole directly over the room/contents that are on fire. Listen to the interior crew’s radio reports, as they may give a geographical location of the fire
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the sounder steps to the neighboring truss (most designs are 2 feet on center) to allow the sawyer to make their ascent. Te captain will monitor the roof conditions and radio traffic for the duration of the operation.
The best place to pre-plan how to vertically ventilate a structure is in the comfort of your firehouse, with a whiteboard, a couple of markers & a crew of eager firefighters. Typical attic vents may be used as smoke indication holes to determine the location or progress of the fire.
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Photo Courtesy randy Frassetto
or identify which room is on fire (e.g. kitchen, master bedroom). Reading vent pipes and windows will also give crews an idea about the layout of the house. 5. Select the right ladder: Pick the right size ladder, keeping in mind that you want the tip to be visible at least three rungs past the roof. Remember: Two-story houses can be deceiving. A 35' ground ladder may be the ladder of choice to maintain a proper climbing angle and clear any overhangs that may be present. 6. Check overhangs: Note the distance of the overhang to the load-bearing wall. Tis will ensure crews are walking on load-bearing walls—not the overhang. If smoke indication holes are cut, this must be done on the attic portion of the load-bearing wall to get a true smoke read. 7. Locate a truss: Tis will become the sawyer’s safe area for the remainder of the operation and the center point for which the sawyer will operate their saw. Te lead person on the roof can sound out a truss using an axe or a trash hook. Tey should then mark the truss so the sawyer can make a back cut to confirm the presence of the truss. 8. Ascend toward the ridge: Te sounder will work up the truss that’s been located at the loadbearing wall while remaining on that structural member. Once the location has been reached,
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TruckcompanyoperaTions A center rafter louver ventilation hole.
Photo Courtesy randy Frassetto
While the captain & sounder are positioned on opposite trusses, the sawyer can cut a center rafter louver. If the hole needs to be bigger, extend it downward with construction. 9. Spread out: To limit the live load on any one given truss, it’s good practice for all three crewmembers operating on the roof to situate themselves over their own structural member. Te center truss is reserved for the sawyer, while the outside trusses are occupied by the sounder and captain. Te captain should have a good view of the fire side of the structure so they can monitor conditions and progression of the fire. 10. Make the cut: While the captain and sounder are positioned on opposite trusses, the sawyer can cut a center rafter louver. If the hole needs to be bigger, extend it downward with construction. Tis will make it easier to pop out drywall if needed during a room-and-contents fire. 11. Climb down: After a hole has been cut successfully, climb down off the roof in the same way you climbed up, ensuring everyone is still on a load-bearing wall. It’s not safe to walk “cross country” on a roof, and only 90-degree turns should be made while on the roof.
ConClusion Although operating on a roof under any condition is inherently dangerous, a wellcoordinated operation can make it safer and more effective. Remember: Never operate on lightweight trusses that are under (or have been under) direct fire impingement. Randy Frassetto has worked for the City of Surprise (Ariz.) Fire Department since 2001 and was promoted to captain in 2005. Surprise Fire is part of the Northwest Valley Firefighters Local 4361. Frassetto has been assigned to Ladder Company 305 for most of his career and he chairs the Arizona Ladder Operations Cadre, which represents most fire departments/districts in the state. This Ladder Cadre was developed to standardize ladder work and further training and research as in pertains to ladder company operations in the state. Choose 37 at www.firerescuemagazine.com/rs
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Photo Glen ellman
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Fort Worth (Texas) firefighters were dispatched to a fire in a 9,000-square-foot home near completion. Upon arrival, crews found the house totally engulfed in fire. Tactical Tip: One issue not commonly discussed with big fires is communications. Communications is truly what allows big fires to be brought safely under control. Company and chief officers should always work to capture a verbal picture of all sides of a fire, assign division supervisors to each geographical area and regularly request progress reports from each area to evaluate the effectiveness (or ineffectiveness) of the specified strategy.—T.S.
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Photo Bill tomPkins
Belleville (N.J.) firefighters arrived on scene to find heavy fire in the rear of a two-story taxpayer. Flames had taken the second floor and were breaking through the roof. The fire extended to the “B” exposure and also severely threatened the “D” exposure. As the fire was steadily advancing through the two involved buildings, command decided to go defensive. A ladder pipe was set up in the rear, and several handlines operated from an empty lot on the “B” side. A Squrt, a ladder pipe and a master stream worked the front of the buildings. After an approximate 2-hour battle, all the heavy fire was knocked down and parts of both fire buildings had collapsed.
Tactical Tip: These aerials have great tactical positioning at the corners of the building. This positioning takes advantage of the stronger areas of the building and lets the aerial master streams have good coverage. Being at the tip of the aerial is one of the most dangerous locations on the fireground. It’s recommended that you minimize your personnel’s exposure by using aerials that have master streams operated from the turntable or remotely controlled from RF handheld controllers. If your aerials have a pinnable waterway that allows the nozzle to be stored away from the tip, make sure that the pin is securely positioned. When operating at the “big one,” always have the nozzle in the fly section to give you the best reach with your master stream.—H.R.
Got Fire? If you’ve got an amazing shot of a raging inferno that you’d like to see in the pages of FireRescue’s annual big fire photo essay, contact us at frm. editor@elsevier.com. All submissions will be considered.
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On Nov. 8, 2009, firefighters from Greenfield, Mass., responded to a five-alarm fire that resulted in many tenant ladder rescues. The fire was the result of an improperly disposed cigarette.
Photo Fireground 360°
Tactical Tip: There’s an awful lot of water going into dark windows here. We know there’s fire in there somewhere, but where? Sometimes you need to shut it down and get a look from the outside (the platform is a perfect place) to ensure you’re actually fighting fire and not just getting stuff wet. And remember, for every gallon you put in there, you add 8.33 lbs. to the floor load. If the six visible streams average 250 gpm each, that’s nearly 12,500 lbs. per minute. How long will the floor last?—S.C.
East Orange (N.J.) transmitted a box for a report of a working fire with a possible elderly woman trapped. On arrival, units found heavy fire in the rear of a large 2 ½-story frame dwelling with serious exposure problems. An interior attack and search were attempted, but water problems and the heavy volume of fire forced crews to go defensive. After about a 2-hour battle, all the heavy fire was knocked down and overhaul began. Due to the structural instability of the building, firefighters had to proceed very cautiously as they searched and hit pockets of fire. About 20 minutes into the search, a major collapse of the “B” side of the original fire building occurred. This prompted a mayday transmission, and all firefighters were withdrawn. A personnel accountability report (PAR) confirmed all members were accounted for.
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Photo Bill tomPkins
Tactical Tip: Sometimes when the stick is used as an unmanned elevated stream, the engineer will set it—and forget it. But it’s important that the engineer remain with the ladder controls to move it quickly if needed. A change in wind or fire conditions can instantly make our apparatus an expensive exposure. Damage to the ladder can render it stuck in place until personnel get it fixed, or worse, cut apart.—S.C.
Firerescue Magazine
February 2010
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Photo Chris MiCkal
On Jan. 29, 2009, New Orleans Fire Department first-due Squrt 14 arrived at this four-alarm fire in a block-long warehouse that had been vacant since Hurricane Katrina. Most of the building ultimately collapsed. The large billboards on the roof made it dangerous to get close to the building, as they were the first to come down.
Tactical Tip: Squrt apparatus can provide a quality master stream while providing minimal risk to personnel. Positioning aerial apparatus, including Squrt apparatus, on the corner of a building allows for the aerial device to access two sides of the building.—G.J.
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February 2010
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Photo Dennis Walus
The Roseville (Mich.) Fire Department responded to a working structure fire with heavy smoke showing. Upon their arrival, Eastpointe Truck 1 was special-called to the scene. The fire was fought in a defensive mode due to fire and building conditions. Upon starting defensive Tactical Tip: Big fires should operations, a second alarm was requested. The fire equal bigger guns. As firewas brought under control using one tower, one ladfighters, we often become der pipe and several handlines. creatures of habit; we do what we’ve always done (pull a handline and attack the fire)—it simply becomes the operational norm. With largescale defensive fires, we must control our adrenaline and let the big guns (largecaliber master streams) do the work, followed by a transition of fresh crews doing the mop-up with handlines. Always control personnel risk, which includes all aspects of exposure (personnel fatigue, smoke and heat exposure, as well as potential traumatic effects secondary to structural collapse). –T.S.
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In May 2009, Houston crews responded to a fivealarm fire at a furniture warehouse.
Photo Brandon JacoB
Tactical Tip: Sometimes the battle is lost before we arrive. In this case, the BTUs far exceed the potential of any first-alarm response. The most important factors in this case are firefighter safety (in all cases, but especially with high-BTU-producing fires and probable collapse conditions), confinement (four-sided master streams), collapse zone positioning (make sure firm lines are established to avoid personnel or equipment exposure due to heat or collapsing walls, etc.) and crew rotations (front load the response, call the extra alarm early and ALWAYS have additional crews in staging to allow for immediate relief.)—T.S.
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Firerescue Magazine
February 2010
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February 2010
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On April 13, 2009, firefighters from Northhampton, Mass., responded to a Meadowbrook apartment fire caused by the improper disposal of a cigarette. Upon their arrival, the fire was out of control because there were no fire sprinklers inside the structure. One firefighter was injured in a ceiling collapse.
Photo Fireground 360°
Tactical Tip: Fires that spread into apartment building attics will show smoke that looks similar to smoke given off at flammable-liquids fires. Asphalt roofing and vinyl siding produce nasty byproducts when they burn. The temptation is great to use aerial master streams in these cases, although fast action in the interior, ahead of the fire—hooking ceilings and applying heavy-volume handlines from the top floor into the attic—may make the stop. Be aware of the potential for ceiling collapse, and don’t combine the interior attack with exterior master streams.—G.J.
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OctOber 2009
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Companies were dispatched to a building fire in Delaware County, Pa. Upon arrival, crews found heavy smoke showing, so they began making an interior attack. The fire soon flashed over on the first floor, and flames began to show from the upper floors, so all crews were evacuated from the building. Companies moved multiple aerial devices into position to make an exterior attack.
Photo Frank Wesnoski
Tactical Tip: Backing the rear-mounted aerial into a fire is a sign of a welltrained and disciplined crew. They didn’t try to hurry by pulling head-first into the scene. By taking the time to ensure that their aerial was positioned correctly from the beginning, the crew will be able to take advantage of the aerial’s reach, including lower operating angles that result from using the aerial off the rear of the truck. It takes a little more time but it’s well worth the effort.—H.R.
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February 2010
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Firerescue Magazine
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Photo Gordon nord
Highland Park (Mich.) firefighters responded to a fully involved dwelling fire on Detroit’s border. Upon arrival with two engines and a ladder truck, firefighters began to cover the exposures. The original fire building was totally involved and eventually collapsed. It also produced severe radiant heat and direct flame contact with the adjoining exposure buildings. As a result, firefighters were faced with three well-involved dwellings. The Detroit Fire Department responded with a full box-alarm assignment and worked jointly with the Highland Park firefighters to bring the blaze under control, using several master streams from apparatus-mounted monitors as well as a ladder pipe. Tactical Tip: Lloyd Layman taught us long ago that the second tactical priority of a firefight is Exposure Protection (RECEO: Rescue, Exposure, Confinement, Extinguishment, Overhaul). We can’t extinguish a fire until we first limit the fuels being exposed to radiant heat spread. Keep in mind the most effective means of exposure protection is provided by large-caliber lines (master streams or 2 ½" handlines) cascading water directly onto the exposure. If available, a quick coating of Class A foam should be considered for an extended level of protection.—T.S.
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February 2010
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Photo Gordon nord
Upon arrival at this still-and-box alarm fire, Chicago firefighters were faced with heavy smoke and fire conditions in the rear of the third floor of this three-story structure, which housed a commercial occupancy on the first floor and apartments on the two floors above. Firefighters stretched several lines and began an aggressive interior attack while truck and squad crews began opening the roof. Due to a “wind-driven fire condition,” firefighters were forced to quickly take a defensive posture. Well-placed ladders and firefighter accountability allowed all firefighters to exit the building in an organized and prompt manner. In addition, apparatus properly located upon their initial arrival provided a quick and Tactical Tip: As the caption said: “Due to a ‘wind-driven fire condition,’ firefighters were efficient switch from forced to quickly take a defensive posture.” Personnel must remain aware of potential offensive to defensive collapse zones when working exterior, especially when a collapse or falling debris can be operations. The fire hidden by heavy smoke conditions. Situational awareness is critical for all personnel on quickly spread throughthe fireground, not just firefighters on the interior, especially on large fires that can go out the third floor and from “smells and bells” to fully involved in short order. Safety Note: Firefighters must was fought by numerous use extreme caution not to overload the aerial ladder. Also, it’s strongly recommended elevated master streams that all firefighters use SCBA during roof operations.—S.C. as well as handlines.
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February 2010
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Photo Jason Frattini
Companies from the 9th Battalion responded to a report of a vacant hardware store on fire. En route, companies reported heavy smoke showing. After arriving on scene, crews made an aggressive interior attack but were forced out due to heavy smoke conditions. While the second alarm companies were en route, the building collapsed.
Tactical Tip: It’s critical to provide a continual size-up and to remain flexible so you can change tactics from offensive to defensive when appropriate. Vacant buildings with heavy fire and smoke are good indicators that you should consider a rapid switch to defensive operations.—G.J.
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Photo Bill tomPkins
Tactical Tip: At large fires, it may be more appropriate to utilize limited water supplies to protect exposures rather than to attack the fire directly, particularly when the involved building will likely be lost. Also, when buildings are well involved, assume that there’s not only a potential for collapse, but also for explosions from a variety of pressurized vessels that may be in the building. —G.J.
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Upon arrival at a century-old train station, Hackensack (N.J.) firefighters found heavy fire showing from the rear of the structure. With the closest hydrants supplied by only a 6" main, water supply and pressure were problems. The exposure 2 building (aka B exposure), a three-story occupied multiple dwelling (OMD), was a major concern and was evacuated immediately. As heavy fire blew out toward the exposure 2 side of the fire building, an exposure line was put into operation and a line was stretched into the building. This tactic proved effective and the flames didn’t extend to the structure. A New Jersey transit official on the scene warned that there were propane tanks inside the building. Several explosions occurred, keeping firefighters back. Soon the fire building was fully involved and was being contained by one ladder pipe, one deck gun and several handlines.
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February 2010
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Photo Steven Frank
The City of Saginaw (Mich.) Fire Department was dispatched to a commercial structure fire around 0500 hrs. Upon arrival they found heavy smoke and flames visible from the eaves of the warehouse. Two hazards the fire department had to contend with: a propane tank and 29 cylinders of phostoxin, which is used to fumigate the nearby grain silos.
Tactical Tip: It’s no secret that warehouses are especially hazardous. The phostoxin stored in this one reacts with H2O to release hydrogen phosphide gas—extremely toxic (IDLH is 50 ppm) and explosive/flammable (1.8 percent lower explosive limit), and may violently and spontaneously ignite in air when above the LEL. We need to be proactive before the fire to identify these hazards and plan accordingly. Strict PPE enforcement is also crucial.—S.C.
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Firerescue Magazine
February 2010
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Photo Peter C. Lobo
On Dec. 23, 2009, firefighters in Weston, Mass., responded to a four-alarm blaze at a school. In this photo, firefighters stay clear of a wall that eventually collapsed. tactical tip: When setting up defensive operations, careful consideration should be placed on positioning and operating outside the collapse zone. Keep in mind, the effectiveness of defensive streams will be based on their ability to hit the seat of the fire (or at least the lowest area of fire involvement). Whenever possible, try to position master streams (ground monitors, deluge guns, large-diameter handlines, etc.) on the side of the building(s) with windows, doors or other such openings.—T.S.
Contributors Scott Cook is the former chief of the Granbury (Texas) Volunteer Fire Department and a member of the FireRescue Editorial Board. Greg Jakubowski is a fire protection engineer and certified safety professional with 31 years of fire-service experience. He is a Pennsylvania State Fire Instructor, serves as chief of the Lingohocken Fire Company in Bucks County, Pa., and is a member of the IAFC. Greg is also a principal in Fire Planning Associates, a company dedicated to helping fire departments, municipalities and businesses with pre-emergency training. Captain Homer Robertson has been involved in the fire service since 1978, starting as a volunteer with the Granbury (Texas) Fire Department, of which he is a life member. He has served the Fort Worth Fire Department since 1985 and is currently in charge of the fire equipment division, which includes the apparatus fleet. Timothy E. Sendelbach is the editor-in-chief of FireRescue magazine. Choose 66 at www.firerescuemagazine.com/rs
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In this test, a standing firefighter mannequin becomes engulfed in flames as he falls through the floor assembly behind the crawling firefighter mannequin.
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ultiple firefighter fatalities at large commercial fires attract the attention and scrutiny they warrant. However, it’s also important to remember that many line-of-duty injuries and deaths occur in single- and multiple-family dwellings during routine, “bread and butter” residential fires. A review of 22 investigations conducted by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program between 1997 and 2009 illustrates this issue: Tese incidents involved fires in residential buildings that resulted in 28 fatalities and numerous injuries. One common denominator in these incidents: rapidly spreading fire in areas of unprotected wood construction, the collapse of unprotected dimensional lumber or the collapse of lightweight engineered wood components.
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Tactical considerations for firefighting operations in lightweight construction By James M. Dalton, Peter Van Dorpe, Robert G. Backstrom & Steve Kerber February 2010
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we test these built assemblies in a scientifically valid and quantifiable way so that the results can be used to affect changes to building codes and construction practices. In this article, we’ll share selected results of research conducted by Underwriters Laboratories (UL), the Chicago Fire Department, the International Association of Fire Chiefs and Michigan State University that highlight the dangers of lightweight construction. Te findings of this research have also been developed into a Web-based training program for the fire service. Tis free interactive program is at www. ul.com/fire/structural.html. In addition, this article will also share some tactical recommendations for any firefighter responding to fires in buildings featuring lightweight construction.
A modern lightweight 12" wood I-joist floor without ceiling has a tested collapse time of 6:03 minutes. Right image depicts the excessive floor deflections at the time of failure. Bottom image depicts the condition of one of the surviving engineered I-joists after extinguishment.
ALL Photos Courtesy uL
TIC image and temperature measurement of a 2 x 10 joist floor assembly with wooden sub-floor and finish floor. Bottom image depicts the TIC view. Right image provides temperature measurements above and below the finished flooring.
73º Surface of Hardwood Floor
The evidence UL and its partners were awarded funding from the Assistance to Firefighters Grant program to subject a representative group of floor and roof assemblies to the industry standard fire resistance testing method, ASTM E119: Fire Tests of Building and Construction Materials. Following are some findings from the research: • Residential fires may actually pose commercial fire risks. Many of today’s “typical” house fires are in buildings that, based on size and interior volume, can and should be categorized as commercial structures with commercial fuel loads. Combined with modern synthetic fuel loads, fires in large, unprotected and un-firestopped voids made of lightweight engineered building materials can be catastrophic. Today’s fireground operations must reflect this new reality. • Termal imaging cameras (TICs) don’t provide an adequate indication of a weakened floor or pending collapse. Tere’s a potentially dangerous misconception in the fire service
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In addition, departments nationwide have experienced numerous near-miss incidents involving lightweight structural components and truss construction; the National Fire Fighter Near-Miss Reporting System has documented more than 80 reports of such incidents. Te fire service has been aware of the hazards associated with lightweight construction for decades, but until recently, we lacked the scientific data to quantify the anecdotal evidence from the fireground. Furthermore, while manufacturers understandably submit for testing only those assemblies for which they expect to achieve the desired fire resistive ratings, building codes allow unrated, or unprotected, assemblies (i.e., wood covered with non-rated sheathing materials or exposed wood) to be used in residential construction, particularly in single-family homes. Because the use of lightweight and engineered assemblies has become virtually the exclusive means of constructing floor and roof systems in residential buildings, it’s imperative that the fire service develops a better understanding of how these assemblies behave under fire conditions. It’s also imperative that
72º Subfloor
674º Bottom of Subfloor Side of 2x10
564º
850º Air (mid-depth)
Bottom of 2x10
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February 2010
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Tests of a modern lightweight metal gusset truss roof with ceiling. Above image depicts significant volume and velocity of smoke during initial portions of test. Right image depicts the collapse of the continuous plastic ridge vent.
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that TICs can detect fire on the floors below or above a firefighter. TICs detect variations in surface temperatures for objects in the camera’s field of vision. Tey cannot detect temperatures in areas that are thermally shielded from the camera’s view by the finish materials of a floor or ceiling. During these tests, average temperatures below the assembly were in excess of 1,200 degrees F, while average temperatures on top of the carpet were less than 100 degrees F. Te application of water during suppression operations will further mask or eliminate the thermal signatures available to the TIC’s sensor. • Floor collapse can occur in 6 minutes. Engineered wood floor assemblies have the potential to collapse very quickly under wellventilated fire conditions. When it comes to lightweight construction, there’s no margin of safety. Tere’s less wood to burn, and therefore less time before the assembly fails. During this research, the shortest failure time was noted during the unfinished/unprotected engineered wooden I-joist test. Tis assembly experienced a total structural collapse at 6 minutes. • Tested assemblies significantly weaken well before they completely collapse. Te ASTM E119 definition of collapse requires that the floor totally collapse. Several fire test standards recognized outside the United States, such as ISO 834:1: Fire-resistance tests, Elements of building construction, Part 1, look instead at how long a test sample is able to maintain its ability to support the applied load during the fire test, taking into account when a floor is progressively deflecting or failing prior to a complete structural collapse—clearly a critical piece of information for the fire service. Te bottom line: If the ISO standard was applied to the unprotected engineered wooden I-joist assembly, the accepted failure time would change from 6:03 to 4 minutes. All lightweight assemblies studied in this series of tests exhibited similar differences in time-to-failure based on the standard applied. Fire service instructors are encouraged to use these different criteria for time-to-failure or collapse to emphasize that test results can only be used for comparison and are not accurate indicators of operational time on the fireground. Choose 70 at www.firerescuemagazine.com/rs
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• Plastic ridge vents can mask fire intensity. In the LSI early stages of the modern roof assembly test, 3 there was a significant amount of smoke emitting from the continuous plastic ridge vent. risk Management As the temperatures increased, the ridge vent For more, visit melted and collapsed upon itself, sealing the everyonegoeshome natural opening. Te heavy smoke emitting .com/initiatives.html from the continuous ridge vent diminished to a light smoke trail, although the fire was still raging below. Temperatures in the attic space went from approximately 200 degrees F to 1,400 degrees F in less than 60 seconds. Tese are flashover conditions and can cause global failure of the ceiling. Firefighters conducting size-up and attempting to read smoke conditions from the exterior may be deceived by this change in the volume and velocity of the smoke venting from the roof, and roof teams may conclude that the roof is safe to operate on, when in fact it may be rapidly approaching the point of collapse.
TacTical consideraTions
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Over the last few decades, millions of single-family homes have been built with truss-constructed roofs that create large, undivided attic spaces and unfinished basements that have unprotected lightweight wood floor systems above them. Tis study established that while all unprotected wood floor assemblies are susceptible to early failure when exposed to fire, modern lightweight assemblies fail significantly sooner—and the failures are more global. Unprotected combustible wood construction also poses the threat of accelerated fire development. Following are some tactical considerations for firefighting operations in lightweight constructed structures. • Develop standard operating guidelines (SOGs) for lightweight construction. Francis Brannigan spent his life teaching the fire service the importance of “knowing your enemy.” Residential structures, and particularly “starter castle”-sized single-family homes made from lightweight engineered wood assemblies, are a very different enemy than legacy-constructed 1,500-square-foot homes. If your SOGs weren’t specifically developed for lightweight construction, they are inadequate. • Collect and refer to standardized pre-fire planning information. Torough pre-fire planning is an essential tool that highlights potential tactical considerations for responding companies approaching an unfamiliar structure. When possible, provide prefire planning information on mobile data terminals or via radio transmissions for responding units and incident commanders. • Consider available department and mutual-aid resources. Review your department’s dispatch protocols to ensure that the assignment and staffing complement are sufficient for not only the occupancy but for the size and construction of the subject structure itself. Upgrade alarm response early and often. If you don’t have adequate resources to conduct an interior operation while protecting firefighter’s lives, consider a defensive operation. • Adjust your initial size-up consideration. Assume this is a lightweightconstructed building unless/until you know otherwise. Start laying 2 ½" hoseline for your fire attack. Continually monitor the exterior of the building using a TIC, looking for signs of fire in the truss voids between floors. Consider the age of the structure, construction features, occupancy and the visual indicators of the fire’s progress, behavior and location. Follow Brannigan’s
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For More Information... • For a complete interactive training program that explains the UL study in detail, including the motivation, methodology, testing and lessons learned, go to www.ul.com/fire/structural.html. • For a chart showing the collapse time for different assemblies, go to http://tinyurl.com/collapsetimes. • For further information, please e-mail Robert.G.Backstrom@ us.ul.com, Stephen.Kerber@us.ul.com or James.Dalton@ cityofchicago.org. To submit additional information and/ or photos on local fire incidents within your area that may inform the issues discussed within this article, please contact James.Dalton@cityofchicago.org.
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dictum and distinguish between a contents fire and a structure fire. Once fire is attacking the structural components of a lightweight constructed building, you’re out of time. Get out. • Conduct a risk/benefit analysis. Continually assess potential victims’ survival profile. Aggressive interior attack should cease if and when the occupants are accounted for. Aggressive interior attack should also cease if and when fire conditions preclude victim survival. Tis does NOT mean we must always abandon the building and “surround and drown.” It DOES mean that we should identify when we’re the only viable life hazard within the building. Once established, tactical considerations should be based on the ability to conduct safe operations while protecting the fireground life hazards. • When multiple “immediate” tasks must be accomplished sequentially, make fire control your first priority. Rescue of trapped occupants is the first strategic priority, but not necessarily the first tactical priority. More people are saved by a well-placed and advanced hoseline than by any other tactic. Controlling the fire removes the hazard from the victim, which is much more efficient than trying to locate and remove the victim from the hazard. Do not conduct unsupported or unprotected search and rescue operations, and support and protect the search and rescue operation sensibly. • Open void spaces upon entry. Lightweight construction is balloon framing with lots of extra holes punched in the joists. Once fire enters the voids, it will travel anywhere and everywhere. Upon entering the fire floor, make an inspection hole in the ceiling above and the floor below. Inspection holes can help verify the conditions of structural framing members and uncover areas of hidden fire within the void spaces. • Consider a transitional fire attack. Interior fire attacks can begin with a stream operated from the exterior of the building. A correctly applied solid stream from the exterior of a fire area with flames visible and venting from one or more openings will slow the fire’s growth and buy the necessary time to allow for a more considered and deliberate interior operation. Bring the nozzle as close as possible to the exterior opening and play the solid stream off the ceiling and walls. Shut down and reposition as soon as knockdown is achieved. Tis tactic works best with an adultsized (i.e., 2 ½") hoseline. • Check below your area of operation. Always check below the apparent fire location before committing to interior operations. Do not advance until conditions below the area of operation are verified. • Aggressively ventilate all fire areas. We must verify the integrity of the lightweight structural components as soon as possible. To do Choose 74 at www.firerescuemagazine.com/rs
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this, we need to see; to see, we need to ventilate. Tis is especially true for basement fires. Once the fire is controlled, ventilation and opening of the ceiling voids has to happen now, not later. • Vent attic fire areas from the exterior. With truss roofs, ventilate and attempt knockdown of attic fires from the exterior (aerial platforms, fire-protected areas or adjacent buildings) before committing personnel to the floor area below the attic. Interior extinguishment and search teams should remain below the landing of the stairs leading to the top floor. If a lightweight attic or cockloft area is so charged with smoke or fire that it’s truly in need of ventilation, it’s already at the point of collapse. No personnel should be allowed to operate on or below this structure. • Vent, Enter and Search (VES). Monitoring crew locations is critically important during operations in lightweight constructed buildings. Tis search and rescue method has the advantage of always letting you know exactly where the search team is operating. Te search team can also be sure of their means of egress; they brought it with them. VES can also be conducted on the ground floor with the appropriate-sized ladders or in a frame dwelling by making doors out of all the first-floor windows. • Maintain operational flexibility. You don’t know when the “countdown to collapse” clock started. Conduct a continuous risk assessment and be prepared to revise the operational plan when necessary. Maintain awareness of operational progress and consistently monitor fireground communications. If little or no progress toward fire control is being made, interior occupants have been accounted for, interior occupants are no longer viable and/or primary search and rescue has been completed, consider moving to a defensive operation. • Always use an adequately sized rapid intervention team (RIT). Deploy a dedicated handline with the RIT. Many RIT scenarios, especially those dealing with rapid flashover or structural collapse, can benefit greatly from the ability to control fire.
Venting & Search & Rescue in Lightweight Construction For a related article by Stephen Higgs describing tactics for venting and search and rescue ops in buildings constructed with lightweight materials, go to http://tinyurl.com/ventandsearch.
A FinAl Word Fires in today’s “modern” residential buildings pose greater risks than their “legacy” predecessors. Tese structures are subject to rapid fire spread through areas of unprotected wood construction, the collapse of unprotected dimensional lumber, and the collapse of lightweight engineered wood components. Understanding the testing methods employed and the results of this study, even on a basic level, will assist firefighters in conducting a safer fireground operation the next time the alarm bell sounds. A working knowledge of these results is also a critical step for all members of the fire service who are actively engaged in the growing movement to enhance firefighter safety by modifying the current code requirements for residential construction. James Dalton is the coordinator of research and development for the Chicago (Ill.) Fire Department. Peter Van Dorpe is a battalion chief for the Chicago (Ill.) Fire Department. Bob Backstrom is a senior staff engineer with Underwriters Laboratories. Steve Kerber is a research engineer with Underwriters Laboratories and has 12 years of firefighting experience. Choose 77 at www.firerescuemagazine.com/rs
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Photo Ryche GueRReRo
The NFPA Technical Committee on Fire Service Training has developed NFPA 1407: Standard for Training Fire Service Rapid Intervention Crews (RICs), which was approved by the Standards Council in December 2009 and is currently available for use by the ďŹ re service.
February 2010
Photo Curt hudson
By Chief (Ret.) Bill Peterson & Chief Ken Richards, Jr.
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nterior structural fire suppression operations are some of the most hazardous activities we engage in. Te risks and hazards have been recognized for a number of years, and provisons are included in various NFPA standards, all of which direct fire departments to provide adequate personnel on scene for the rescue of firefighters operating at emergency scenes who become lost, injured, trapped, incapacitated or disoriented. Over the past few years, the fire service has developed a variety of training programs that achieve a rapid intervention and rescue capability. Until recently, however, there was no national review of The purpose of the new NFPA 1407 standard: to specify a training program that produces a strictly disciplined, highly capable team of firefighters to rescue other firefighters who become lost, injured, these programs to identify “best practices” for unitrapped, incapacitated or disoriented in the course of both emergency scene and training operations. versal application. Recognizing this shortcoming, the NFPA Technical Committee on Fire Service Training developed NFPA 1407: Standard for Training Fire Ser- activities. NFPA 1407 requires that every fire department have a stanvice Rapid Intervention Crews (RICs), which was approved by the dard operating procedure or guideline (SOP or SOG) in place that Standards Council in December 2009 and is currently available for clearly specifies the response of an RIC to all interior operations, the use by the fire service. specific conditions that would require the deployment of an RIC at an incident, and the criteria for the termination of the rapid intervention function at an incident. Te standard includes a model SOP to The DevelopmenT of nfpA 1407 Te purpose of the new NFPA 1407 standard: to specify a train- help guide the fire department with compliance to the document. ing program that produces a strictly disciplined, highly capable team of firefighters to rescue other firefighters who become lost, STAnDArD requiremenTS injured, trapped, incapacitated or disoriented in the course of both NFPA 1407 requires the fire department to establish written policies emergency scene and training operations. If fire departments train for rapid intervention training that meet the specific elements identitheir personnel using the prescribed process, they are much more fied in the standard. All RIC training and incident operations are likely to operate at fire scenes in the same structured manner, greatly required to be guided by the department’s written policies or guidereducing the risk for RIC members and maximizing the potential lines and reinforced through a comprehensive training program confor rescue of a downed firefighter. ducted by the department or training organization. Te policy must Te standard specifies basic evolutions that can be adapted to local include the entry-level requirements for crewmembers, the training conditions and serves as a standard mechanism for the evaluation of objectives and basic skills necessary for safe operation, and a list of minimum acceptable performance during training for rapid intervention suggested equipment to be used for RIC operations. Te standard February 2010
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also includes recommended evolutions that may be used to train firefighters who will be tasked to conduct RIC operations. NFPA 1407 contains minimum training and experience requirements for training instructors, RIC crew leaders and RIC team members.
RIC TRaInIng NFPA 1407 identifies minimum requirements for RIC training and specifies that the training is to be developed and carried out in such a manner that teams are trained and qualified to provide a constant, sustainable rapid intervention capability at an emergency scene utilizing a minimum crew size that is specified in NFPA 1710: Standard for the Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations, Emergency Medical Operations, and Special Operations to the Public by Career Fire Departments. Prior to being allowed to participate in RIC training, firefighters must meet the job performance requirements for Fire Fighter I in NFPA 1001: Standard for Fire Fighter Professional Qualifications. RIC team leaders must meet the requirements for Fire Officer I in NFPA 1021: Standard for Fire Officer Professional Qualifications. Both firefighters and RIC team leaders are required to successfully complete a rapid intervention training program before they can be assigned RIC responsibilities on an emergency scene. Instructors who train firefighters and team leaders to perform RIC operations are required to meet minimum qualifications set by the individual fire department or training organization. Te standard recommends that this minimum training level meet the job performance requirements for Instructor I of NFPA 1041: Standard for Fire Service Instructor Professional Qualifications. Choose 79 at www.firerescuemagazine.com/rs
WhaT’s RequIRed Te required minimum training specified in NFPA 1407 must include the following subject matter areas: 1. Risk assessment and risk management; 2. Activation and management of rapid intervention operations; 3. Communications procedures of the department that are specific to rapid intervention functions; 4. Personnel accountability and resource management; 5. Criteria for the deployment of RICs and resources to the emergency scene; 6. Integration of the firefighter rescue operations into the incident command system (ICS) used by the fire department or training organization; 7. Implementation of an incident accountability system that meets the requirements of NFPA 1561: Standard on Emergency Services Incident Management System; 8. Te potential impact of RIC operations on the safety and welfare of rescuers and others as well as on other activities at the incident scene; and 9. Te clear distinction between “rescue” and “recovery” modes of operation at an incident. In addition to the basic nine elements of an effective rapid intervention training program, the standard requires that personnel receiving RIC training be rotated in and out of the training periodically to prevent and reduce stress and fatigue that could result in injury to any of the participants. Firefighters, individually and as members of a RIC team, who successfully complete a training program for rapid intervention operations in compliance with NFPA 1407 will be adequately trained and evaluated for knowledge, skills and abilities dealing with:
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1. Declaration of a firefighter emergency; 2. Appropriate search techniques; 3. Rescue access and extrication; 4. Air supply/air management techniques; 5. Use of ropes, slings and harnesses for rescue operations; 6. Methods to safely protect firefighters in place; 7. Methods to move downed firefighters to safety; and 8. Firefighter self-rescue techniques. Te standard also requires the fire department or training organization to identify the tools and equipment that will be used in rapid intervention operations and to train all personnel that will be assigned to an RIC team in the proper use of the provided tools and equipment.
RIC Team evaluaTIon NFPA 1407 identifies various training scenarios that are to be used to evaluate the performance of rapid intervention teams. Te standard prohibits the use of a live person to act as a trapped victim in the training scenarios. Each training scenario is required to be staged as closely to the conditions expected to be encountered in an emergency scene where an RIC team would be deployed for a firefighter rescue operation. Training scenarios must include the following RIC operations: 1. Locating, assessing and removing a downed firefighter; 2. Moving a downed firefighter up a flight of stairs; 3. Moving a downed firefighter down a first flight of stairs; 4. Removing a downed firefighter from a first-floor window; 5. Removing a downed firefighter from a second-floor window; and 6. Removing a downed firefighter from a hole in the floor. Te standard also includes a wealth of additional information and recommendations for a fire department or training organization that will implement a rapid intervention training program. Tis additional information includes recommended tools and equipment, breathing air management recommendations, and heat exhaustion and heat stress prevention information, among others.
SummaRy Most fire departments significantly underestimate the complexity, resources and time required to rescue a downed firefighter. To be successful, the fire service must understand the absolute necessity of performing a thorough risk assessment at an emergency incident prior to assigning personnel to interior operations where there is a risk of collapse or entrapment. Departments that make a conscious decision to commit personnel to interior operations must recognize the importance of training their personnel to meet the minimum requirements of NFPA 1407. Some departments, after reviewing the requirements of NFPA 1407, may decide to reduce or limit their interior operations accordingly. Te bottom line: Te best rescue to conduct is no rescue. But if a rapid intervention rescue must be performed, NFPA 1407 will guide fire departments in how to achieve the safest and best outcome for all involved at the emergency scene. Bill Peterson is the retired fire chief of the Plano (Texas) Fire Department, and the chair of the NFPA Fire Service Training Technical Committee. Chief Ken Richards, Jr. is the fire chief of the Old Mystic (Conn.) Fire Department, and the chair of the NFPA 1407 Task Group on the Committee.
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Multipurpose apparatus provide attractive options for departments trying to do more with less
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he latest fire apparatus industry buzzword: “multipurpose.” And because the economy is wreaking havoc on fire service budgets, these multifunction apparatus probably couldn’t come at a better time. Not only do fire chiefs and administrators have to deal with firefighter layoffs, but many departments are delaying or canceling future apparatus purchases. In short, doing more with less is the name of the game, which is making the process of designing fire apparatus more daunting. Fortunately, fire apparatus manufacturers are taking the budget crunch seriously, and have their engineers working overtime to come up with new and innovative ideas to save departments money. Te result: a new breed of vehicle that features a shorter wheelbase, larger compartment space for carrying more equipment and lower hosebeds that have a more ergonomic fit for loading and unloading hose on the fireground. Many of these vehicles are rescue pumpers, designed for multiple uses. In some cases they even provide patient transport capabilities.
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In this article, I’ll highlight five manufacturers that have brought multipurpose vehicles to market in the past 2 years. Other manufacturers offer multifunction apparatus as well, but these five represent a good range of the possibilities on the market. In addition, I’ll talk a little about pros and cons associated with buying multipurpose apparatus.
Braun Braun, one the nation’s leaders in ambulance manufacturing, took its vision a step higher with the release of the Patriot. Tis vehicle is designed with a patient transport configuration and options that include compressed-air foam systems (CAFS), a 200-gallon tank, a 15-gallon foam tank and two 1" booster reels on each side of the module. Te vehicle is built using Spartan’s Furion chassis and has some notable features, such as the EZ Glide sliding door that allows the ambulance door to slide against the module rather than out into traffic. It has 73 inches of interior headroom and enough space for six crewmembers, plus the required equipment to answer light
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rescue, EMS and light fire-suppression alarms. Te truck is built using solid body construction, which adds strength by constructing the floor, roof, sides and doors from brake-formed parts with full contact-welded seams.
Crimson Crimson’s FRAC (First Response All Call) vehicle is built with a modular design so it can be configured in different ways to deliver multiple capabilities. Te vehicle is currently built on a Ford F-650 chassis and offers different set-ups depending on the department’s needs. Te pump module, which is available with a pump capacity up to 1,250-gpm and a tank up to 300 gallons, can be mounted in the middle of the vehicle or at the end. It also has 200 cubic feet of storage space and a CAFS system. Te rescue module offers more than 300 cubic feet of storage with optional hydraulic rescue tool systems and generators. Te transport module is designed as a fully functional BLS or ALS ambulance with a cot, EMT bench and medical storage space. Tere’s also a command module that has a command work station with a secured, centralized operations area as well as storage cabinet options.
Ferrara Te Multi-Vocational Pumper (MVP) built by Ferrara can be used as a standard pumper, rescue pumper, squad unit, RIT unit or heavy-rescue. Te truck can be built on the Igniter, Inferno, Ember and Intruder 2 chassis with a basic 183" wheelbase or longer, if needed. It comes with a 2,000-gpm Hale Q-Max pump and can have anywhere from a 500to 1,000-gallon tank. Using a larger tank, of course, will increase the wheelbase and decrease some compartment space. Te MVP features 425 cubic feet of compartment space, which is available in
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different configurations including a hazmat compartment; a pump operator and forcible-entry tool compartment; an extrication compartment; a generator and a three-fan compartment; and compartments for airbags, cribbing, ALS, swiftwater rescue, rapid intervention and high-angle rescue equipment. On top of the vehicle are six oversized coffin compartments. You can equip the MVP with various foam systems, including CAFS, and the unit is available with pump-and-roll capability, a generator and LED scene lighting. Pump module access allows easy maintenance. Low crosslays, a slideout backboard module, a Stokes compartment and a threesleeve backboard compartment round out the vehicle.
Marion Te RPM (Rescue Pumper Marion) is another unit that can operate as a Class A pumper or rescue pumper. Te vehicle on display at FDIC last year was built on a Spartan Gladiator chassis with a Cummins 425-hp engine. Te vehicle is all aluminum with fulldepth rescue compartments, a 1,000-gallon water tank and various options for pump size. Other features include a 3,000-watt light tower, a 10-kW Harrison generator, portable winch receivers on all four sides, a rearview camera system, a front bumper extension with hydraulic reel and tool storage, three
hydraulic reels and rescue tool storage, a climate-controlled EMS compartment, easy ladder removal, full-width hose storage and low, accessible speedlays with fully extendable roll-out trays. Hidden cascade bottle storage, an enclosed pump panel and easy access for pump maintenance is included.
Pierce Last but not least is Pierce’s entry, the PUC (Pierce Ultimate Configuration), which made a big splash at FDIC in 2008. Te new concept is available on all Pierce chassis, including pumpers, rescue pumpers, aerials, rescues and its Contender line of apparatus. Ergonomic features built into this vehicle include chest-high crosslays, chest-high ladder storage and 8–12" lower hosebeds. Tis way, the pump operator is positioned next to hose connections instead of over them. Te trucks feature a new Pierce pump
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that’s 30 percent lighter than most pumps on the market. An easier two-step pump set-up makes it easier to put the pump in operation. Also included is a dash-mounted, single-touch water/foam/CAFS selection, an enclosed pump panel and 500 cubic feet of compartment space. Te tilt cab provides full access to all pump components for easy maintenance. Te PUC also features an options list that includes 500-lb. sliding floor trays, tiltout shelves, swinging tool boards and reel mountings. Te rear of the truck has a foldout work platform and angled folding ladder to the hosebed and top of the vehicle. Aluminum construction is standard, with stainless steel as an option.
Pros & Cons As you can see, all of these manufacturers focused on firefighter safety in their designs. Lower hosebeds, compartments, ladder storage and easy, lower access to crosslays are all attributes that I deem highly important in any modern apparatus. Te multipurpose vehicles make it easy because they come with these options standard, and you can choose from a wide variety of other options to configure the vehicles just about any way you want. But as with any apparatus purchase, there are pros and cons, and before you jump into buying a multipurpose vehicle, you need to decide if it’s the right truck for your department’s needs. So let’s look at a few pros and cons. Pros Are you going to replace a pumper and heavy-rescue with one of these multipurpose vehicles? Or are you just adding an additional piece of equipment? With limited manpower responding, some chiefs might consider one of these vehicles for a limited daytime response, when rolling an Choose 83 at www.firerescuemagazine.com/rs
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Saving manpower by rolling the 1 unit is probably 1 of the best reasons to purchase these vehicles. engine and heavy-rescue is prohibited because of a lack of manpower. Another reason to consider a multipurpose vehicle is the lack of qualified drivers for big, tandem-axle heavy-rescue units. Personnel qualified to drive a standard pumper can drive one of these multipurpose units, providing Class A pumping capability and all your extrication equipment on the scene in one unit. Also, saving manpower by rolling the one
unit is probably one of the best reasons to purchase these vehicles. Ease of maintenance is another big concern. Tis is especially true if you employ your own mechanic. Te tilt-cab and greater access to the pump module that many multipurpose vehicles provide can significantly reduce maintenance costs. Cons Multipurpose vehicles that provide ambulance transport certainly expand your capabilities in one vehicle, but that can also produce the need to change standard operating procedures (SOPs). If the vehicle has rescue tools and a CAFS line deployed at the scene of an incident, how does it quickly convert to a transport vehicle? Planning is needed to come up with some SOPs to deal with this different type of vehicle and its response capabilities. Budget is another thing everyone’s concerned with. Although multipurpose vehicles are billed as money savers, in some cases they can cost more than a normal Class A pumper. Of course, you must consider the trade-off. If you’re planning on replacing two units with one multifunction vehicle, you’re definitely saving money. Adding to the cost savings is the ability to respond with fewer personnel. However, because some of these units do cost more than a conventional pumper, you really have to do your math to see if this type of purchase is functional for you and, most important, cost-effective in the long run.
The RighT FiT? If you’re in the market for a vehicle replacement, whether a light-duty rescue unit with transport capability and CAFS or a rescue pumper, you might want to check out multipurpose vehicles. Tere is a wealth of information on the Web, where you can download the product brochures and engineering drawings. Whatever you decide, ensure that you’ve done the necessary preplanning for your community’s needs, and talk to departments that have purchased similar vehicles. With the right consideration before the purchase, you’ll know if a multipurpose vehicle is right for you. Bob Vaccaro has more than 30 years of fire-service experience. He is a former chief of the Deer Park (N.Y.) Fire Department. Vaccaro has also worked for the Insurance Services Office, The New York Fire Patrol and several major commercial insurance companies as a senior loss-control consultant. Vaccaro is a life member of the International Association of Fire Chiefs. Choose 84 at www.firerescuemagazine.com/rs
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PresiDenTÕs LeTTer IAFC BoArd JEFFREY D. JOHNSON PRESIDENT & CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD JOHN E. ÒJACKÓ PAROW FIRST VICE PRESIDENT AL H. GILLESPIE SECOND VICE PRESIDENT
By Chief Jeffrey D. Johnson, efo, Cfo, Mifiree
Hit by the “Stupid Truck” Personal conduct can leave your career, department & public trust in the wreckage
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ublic attitude surveys regularly cite the fire service as one of the most highly respected professions. While humbling, this isn’t surprising given the caliber of men and women I’ve had the good fortune to serve with and those I’ve met nationally and internationally. As a fire chief, I benefit from the reputation of the fire service as I work to deliver on community expectations. Te last thing I want to do is squander this advantage as a result of my own behavior. We all know individuals whose personal conduct demeaned the work and sacrifice of those they serve with in the fire service. While frustrating at any rank, I’m constantly amazed by talented officers who get mowed down by the “Stupid Truck.” Unlike other managerial skills that get better with time, increased experience and expertise do little to protect us from the “Stupid Truck.” In fact, the more successful and confident we become, the more likely we are to commit what I call the “Five Types of Stupid.”
5 TyPes of sTUPiD Te fundamental trait of Ego Stupid is the inability to be self-reflective. It’s “American Idol comes to the office,” and we’re the clueless contestant who’s certain we’re the best. As “the boss,” we project a supreme confidence that stifles the participation and caution that are key to a healthy workplace and instead encourages a false sense of personal and organizational safety. With Invisible Stupid, we think we can’t be seen. Whether viewing inappropriate Web sites or sending threatening e-mails on our work computer, consuming alcohol or drugs on shift or discharging illegal fireworks at the station on the Fourth of July, we operate as though our identity is protected by Harry Potter’s invisibility cloak. Examples of Sex Stupid are everywhere. I draw a distinction between Tiger Woods’ public infidelity and that of a metro police chief who had a relationship with a subordinate and felt it necessary to describe his physical features to her in e-mails—which later found their way to the press. Both admitted to being Sex Stupid, but Tiger’s indiscre-
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tion was personal, and it’s that aspect of his life that will pay the biggest price. By contrast, there can never be a good professional outcome when those in power engage in a relationship with a subordinate. Public assumptions made about how we used our power and influence may be entirely unfair, but they are the reality we contend with. Belonging Stupid is the most understandable in the fire service. Station life makes us enjoy and rely on being part of a group. As leaders, our desire to be liked by the group can result in condoning behavior that is locker room-inspired at best, or offensive and perhaps criminal at worst. When the desire to fit in clouds our judgment, we lose sight of who we are ultimately accountable to: the community we serve. Finally, Humor Stupid is seen by some as the over-reactive creation of our politically correct culture. I believe that laughter widely shared is a good indicator of a healthy team or organization. But when jokes take on an exclusionary tone (racial, gender, sexual orientation), or when they target colleagues in a manner that can’t be controlled (e-mail and the Internet often play a role), we’ve lost sight of the sense of team that is fundamental to the fire service and establish it as a club attainable only by certain groups.
in sUM It’s difficult to overstate how much work it takes to gain and maintain the public’s trust. For many of us, it has been the focus of our entire professional lives. Public trust is perishable, and we must always keep an eye out for individuals in our organization who would endanger it by playing chicken with the “Stupid Truck.” Te wellbeing of our individual careers, our organization and entire fire service depends on it. Chief Jeff Johnson began his career as a firefighter in 1978, and he has served as fire chief of Tualatin Valley (Ore.) Fire & Rescue since 1995. He is past president of the IAFC Western Division and Oregon Fire Chiefs Association. He is a member of the Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association and has been active in many IAFC sections, including Fire & Life Safety, Volunteer & Combination Officers, EMS, and Safety, Health and Survival. Chief Johnson is a National Fire Academy Executive Fire Officer graduate and has received his Chief Fire Officer (CFO) Designation.
LARRY J. GRORUD PRESIDENT 2008Ð2009 WILLIAM R. METCALF TREASURER RICHARD CARRIZZO MISSOURI VALLEY DIVISION JOHN W. DEHOOGE CANADIAN DIVISION WILLIAM WALTON JR. EASTERN DIVISION JOHN SINCLAIR EMS SECTION ALAN W. PERDUE FIRE & LIFE SAFETY SECTION KENN TAYLOR GREAT LAKES DIVISION LUTHER L. FINCHER JR. METRO CHIEFS ASSOCIATION ROGER BRADLEY NEW ENGLAND DIVISION I. DAVID DANIELS SAFETY, HEALTH & SURVIVAL SECTION JACK K. MCELFISH SOUTHEASTERN DIVISION JERRY ÒJ.D.Ó GARDNER SOUTHWESTERN DIVISION FRED C. WINDISCH VCOS JOSEPH M. PERRY WESTERN DIVISION IAFC StAFF MARK W. LIGHT, CAE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ANN DAVISON, CAE STRATEGIC INFORMATION MANAGER FIrereSCue StAFF JEFF BEREND PUBLISHER/VICE PRESIDENT TIMOTHY E. SENDELBACH EDITOR-IN-CHIEF A.J. HEIGHTMAN EDITORIAL DIRECTOR SHANNON PIEPER MANAGING EDITOR CINDY DEVONE-PACHECO JANELLE FOSKETT SENIOR EDITORS JASON PELC ART DIRECTOR MIKE SHEAR DIRECTOR OF AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT & SALES SUPPORT DEBBIE MURRAY DIRECTOR OF MARKETING
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LeaDerShiP SKiLLS By Chief MarC revere
The Challenge of Change Understanding the process of change can help you lead personnel through it
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vertical line on the left indicates the degree of difficulty of the change, while the horizontal line on the bottom indicates the amount of time it takes to make the change. Te model shows that change typically begins with knowledge of heading in a new direction or doing something differently, which leads to a change in attitudes; then individual behaviors will start to change; and finally organizational and/or cultural change can take place. Numerous examples within the fire service show that cultural change is often slow. Consider personal protective equipment (PPE). As recent as the 1970s, we didn’t even use the term “PPE.” Our protective gear consisted of helmets, jackets and gloves; there were no ear flaps or hoods. In fact, it was widely believed that our ears acted as a heat sensor. Today, we don’t allow any skin exposure. What has changed in your career?
OrGaNiZaTiONaL ChaNGe
PerSONaL ChaNGe
In Ken Blanchard’s (author of the popular “One-Minute Manager” series) Four Levels of Change Model, the
Unlike the Blanchard Model, which depicts organizational and eventual cultural change, the Bridges
s
t’s been said that the only constant in life is change. Good leaders intrinsically know the importance of change. But experienced leaders also understand that most employees want three key things from them: protection, direction and order. Focusing on the latter two, consider the following: Doesn’t direction suggest a new path (i.e., change)? And doesn’t order refer to maintaining status quo? Direction and order seem to be counteracting forces, but that doesn’t mean they can’t work together. If direction and order are equally important, orderly change is a preferable approach. I’d like to focus on some models that can provide a better understanding of a process for orderly change. Tere are two classic models worth reviewing; the first deals with organizational change and the second with personal change.
The Blanchard Four Levels of Change Model
Individual Behavior DIFFICULTY
Easier
Harder
Group Behavior
Attitudes Note: This figure is adapted from materials produced by Ken Blanchard, Blanchard Training and Development.
Knowledge
TIMe InvoLveMenT
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LeaderShip SkiLLS
Transition Model explains personal change. Tis model suggests that there are three phases or transitions one goes through during a change process: letting go of the past; uncertainty during a transitional/neutral stage; and, finally, establishment of new beginnings. Te Bridges Model is ideal for counseling and explaining changes to subordinates. It doesn’t take much imagination to put yourself in one of the three categories in this model—a child growing into adulthood, a single person getting married, a couple becoming parents, etc. And there are plenty of fire service examples as well: being hired as a firefighter or getting a promotion to company officer. Each time
you move forward, change status or experience a loss, you must let go of the past before moving toward the new normal.
BaBy StepS
s
Change (personal or organizational) typically doesn’t occur in one great leap. It doesn’t matter if a change effort is designed to help re-organize or create a new policy. To be successful, change requires thoughtful, step-by-step procedures. It’s important to note that reviewing these models and adapting them to your current change initiative doesn’t mean you’ll be successful. Tey show us the change process; however, they may not completely support it. One of the most important steps within a change effort is to ensure and maintain open communications. Te communications strategies you’ll use will depend upon the breadth and depth of the change, but staying open and communicating a positive, compelling mission are essential. Effective communication also helps lower resistance to desired change. Lack of understanding or knowledge by members can create an atmosphere of uncertainty and distrust of the management team. In the absence of knowledge, rumors often start. Tis misinformation can be circulated throughout the department, which then requires a great deal of effort to counter. At the University of Bremen in Germany, two professors (Nieder and Zimmerman) developed a resistance-to-change pyramid. At the base is Not Knowing, then Not Able, and at the top, Not Willing. In theory, satisfaction at each level of resistance reduces resistance at the next level. Not Knowing is the easiest and often most overlooked level of resistance, where basic communication includes details about the “who, what, where, when, why and how” of the change. Tink in your own career how often this was overlooked and how frustrating it was. Not Able is countered by education, training and sharing new techniques. A classic example of this is when computers were introduced into the workplace. If you were around then, you understand how this change first seemed daunting to us, something we weren’t able to do right away, but training helped us overcome our resistance. Not Willing (the most personal of the levels) requires intervention by setting goals and benchmarks, coaching, providing
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Leadership skiLLs
Uncertainty can spur resistance in even the most forwardthinking employee. feedback and rewarding. Because being unwilling to change relates to the member’s personal attitude toward change, reviewing the Bridges model can be helpful.
OvercOming resistance In an article dealing with resistance to change, Joseph and Bettie C. Stanislal outline some key points that
contribute to employee resistance to change: surprise, lack of information (especially how the change will affect the employee’s job) and lack of training. Te absence of real understanding accompanies change in most organizations. Uncertainty can spur resistance in even the most forward-thinking employee. Interestingly, even when the employee does not like the outcome of the change, if they know and understand what that change means for them, it’s almost always preferable to the unknown. Tink about the 16 Life Safety Initiatives, many of which are really about cultural change. Te desired outcome is a 50 percent reduction in preventable line-of-duty deaths (LODDs) by 2014. How will we achieve it? Trough providing information and changing individual attitudes and behaviors, which will then lead to widespread change throughout the fire service. Let’s examine this change initiative using Blanchard’s model. Whether you agree or disagree that our current LODDs are preventable, if we think there will always be deaths, then in some way we are accepting them. However, if we are true to the motto “Everyone Goes Home,” then what we’re really saying is LODDs are not acceptable. It’s not until this belief system (attitude) is institutionalized in the American fire service that we will be able to stop these preventable deaths (behaviors). Direction vs. order? Tink about how difficult it is to provide a new direction even when it’s in our best interest as firefighters.
can YOu adapt? Regardless of the change effort or model one chooses to follow, it is paramount that leaders have an in-depth understanding of change concepts and theories so they can understand the thought processes leading to resistance and implement steps to overcome it. Much as we might like, we cannot escape change. So, we must learn to master it. As Charles Darwin wrote, “It is not the strongest of the species, nor the most intelligent, that survives, but rather the one that is most adaptable to change.” Marc Revere is the fire chief of the Novato Fire Protection District, an Internationally Accredited Agency in Marin County, Calif. Chief Revere’s 33-year fire service career includes more than 17 years as a chief and fire officer. He has completed executive education at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and holds a bachelor’s degree in management from the University of Redlands. Chief Revere is a certified Chief Fire Officer and an Executive Fire Officer graduate and serves as one of 12 members representing the Professional Development Committee for the IAFC. Choose 91 at www.jems.com/rs
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SaFetY BY CHRiStoPHeR J. naum, SFPe
Game Changer
Engine company operations must reflect the new rules of modern building construction
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he success of suppression operations is determined by the deployment and application of water in sufficient quantities, location and duration—or as engine companies like to say, “Put the wet stuff on the red stuff.” However fundamental, this statement is ambiguous at best in the context of today’s building construction.
Reexamination RequiRed Engine company operations are built upon 8 decades of time-tested and experience-proven strategies and tactics, which continue to be taught in training academies. But such tactics are no longer sufficient for today’s fires. Today, engine companies must also appreciate and understand fire behavior, rate of heat release and the growth stages of compartment fires. Tey must be constantly identifying how an occupancy will “perform” during fire suppression operations. Our buildings have changed; differences include the structural systems of support, the degree of compartmentation, the characteristics of materials and the magnitude of fire loading. Engineered structural systems (ESS) have created compartment (room) areas in excess of 500 square feet, volumes that are open and spaciously interconnected to other habitable space and fire load packages (furnishings) that create extreme fire behavior, compromising structural stability in shorter periods. All of these factors decrease the amount of time we have for interior ops while also increasing the fire flow requirements for successful extinguishment. Firefighters are used to giving everything they’ve got when it comes to an aggressive fire attack, but the hard truth is that brute force and sheer physical determination can no longer define structural fire suppression operations. However, many of us don’t understand the need to consider modern building construction and how to adjust tactics appropriately. Why not? In part because we weren’t taught such things in the academy, but it goes further than that. Most of our decisions are “recognition-primed” decisions; that is, we recognize the situation and we apply a tactic that was successful in similar situations. We predict that fire will travel in a defined manner, that fire will remain within a room (compartment) for a predictable
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amount of time, and that the fire load and related fire flows required will be similar to those we’ve encountered in similar size buildings. Te problem: Te differences in modern building construction that turn all of these predictions on their heads aren’t always immediately visible. Terefore, we make command decisions while failing to recognize that such buildings in fact create a completely unfamiliar situation, one in which we can’t fall back on previously successful tactics.
a new CuRRiCulum Te rules for structural fire suppression have changed, but we have yet to write the new rule book. Te new rules must align traditional tactics with emerging science. Tey will address such aspects as fire stream effectiveness, flow rates, cooling capacity, extreme fire behavior and fire dynamics, compartment fire theory, propagation and cooling capacity, and tactical deployment. Fire officers must become familiar with the work of such notable suppression theory pioneers as Paul Grimwood, Ed Hartin, Stefan Särdqvist and Stefan Svennson, including the concepts of 3D firefighting and Building, Smoke, Air Track, Heat, and Flame (B-SAHF). Te National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and Underwriters Laboratories also provide essential information on fire development, fuel-controlled and ventilation-controlled fire development, operational time-duration parameters and degradation and failure mechanisms related to compromise and structural collapse. Fire Chief Anthony Aiellos (Ret.) of the Hackensack (N.J.) Fire Department, who served during the Hackensack Ford Fire in 1988, put it this way: “If you don’t fully understand how a building truly performs or reacts under fire conditions and the variables that can influence its stability and degradation; movement of fire and products of combustion; and the resource requirements for fire suppression in terms of staffing, apparatus and required fire flows, then you will be functioning and operating in a reactionary manner. Tis places higher risk to your personnel and lessens the likelihood for effective, efficient and safe operations. You’re just not doing your job effectively and you’re at RISK.” February 2010
Aggression redefined Aggressive firefighting must be redefined for modern building construction. Aggression will still mean determined, effective and proactive firefighting, but it must also be defined by risk-assessment, safety and survivability. It will take into consideration needed changes to fire flow rates, hoseline sizes and staffing. Perhaps counterintuitive, aggressive firefighting will always consider the need for defensive positioning. Remember: • Risk assessment, strategies and tactics must change to address the new rules of structural fire engagement.
• You need to gain the proper knowledge and insights, and change and adjust your operating profile in order to safeguard your personnel. • Strategies and tactics must be based on occupancy risk, not occupancy type. Christopher J. Naum, SPFE, is the chief of training for the Command Institute in Washington, D.C. A 35-year fire service veteran, he serves on the board of the IAFC’s Safety, Health & Survival Section and is the second vice president of the International Society of Fire Service Instructors. He lectures throughout the United States and internationally and is the developer of the portal www.buildingsonfire.com, as well as a NFFF/EGH Firefighter Safety Advocate.
neAr miss reports
suddenly falling Lightweight wood-truss construction is something every firefighter should be familiar with. The building industry’s march to cheaper, engineered systems has entered its fourth decade. From the profit side, the use of lightweight engineered materials is inarguable; such buildings are erected in record time and perform incredible feats of engineering—until they catch fire. Then those systems fail with lightning speed, killing or injuring dozens of firefighters each year.
event summAry: report no. 06-165 “We responded to a residential structure fire involving a townhome with a lightweight wood truss roof and floor. There was a medium smoke condition on arrival. The first hoseline, with four firefighters, went into operation on the second floor. They encountered medium fire conditions in the rear bedroom/bathroom area. The attic scuttle was opened to check for extension. Firefighters encountered heavy smoke and some heat. A hoseline was directed into the attic as a firefighter crawled into the bathroom to ventilate via window. The floor collapsed, causing him to fall through.”
Comments To deal with today’s fire problem, we must know as much about the building as we do about smoke, heat release and fire conditions. Two of the most perceptive people I’ve met in the fire service, the legendary Frank Brannigan and Lt. Tom Aquino (Montgomery County, Md., Fire and Rescue), spent (and in Lt. Aquino’s case spend) significant portions of their time studying how buildings are built. Although many in the fire service are students of Brannigan and owe their lives to him, they may not be so familiar with Lt. Aquino. When many firefighters had subscriptions to fire service trade journals and hunting magazines, Lt. Aquino’s reading material included a trend-alerting architectural magazine. He was frequently on the cutting edge at drill time, bringing the newest and latest in building construction to the table. Within a short period of time, much of what Lt. Aquino introduced to us could be observed in the new construction that saturated the area. Lt. Aquino taught all of us who know him not to look outside the box, but rather to look between the sides of the box. By doing so, you may learn that what appears to be sturdy construction is actually a mirage.
February 2010
Lightweight construction speeds floor collapse By Deputy Chief John B. Tippett Jr.
Once it’s assaulted by fire, the truth is revealed as the assembly fails as if it were a house of cards.
prepArAtion
• Remember Brannigan’s mantras, “Beware the truss,” and “The building is your enemy.” • Consider Lt. Aquino’s approach to firefighting. His philosophy can be likened to Sun Tzu’s, “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the results of a hundred battles.” • Visit new construction projects in your response district. Get in there when the structures are being framed. Concentrate on elements like the mass of the structural members, the types of fastening systems and the combustibility of all the materials.
prevention & Closing All the former rules governing how long a crew has to fight a fire are useless considering today’s building construction. Ignition time can only be estimated, and collapse time is guaranteed. So, do we abandon the interior attack? Not at all. Do we change our approach? Absolutely. Given that structural assemblies continue on a course to having more mass removed, our only recourse is to do two things: 1) Ensure the fire has not penetrated to the structural members before mounting an interior attack, and 2) devote every expendable minute to requiring that all lightweight construction be protected by sprinklers. One final point: The prediction for fire officers is not that the structure will collapse in “x” number of minutes when the structural members are assaulted, but that the building will collapse—period. Until next time, be vigilant and stay focused. Note: You can see other near-miss reports on lightweight constructionrelated incidents by visiting www.firefighternearmiss.com/Resources/ Reports_for_Training/. John Tippett is the deputy chief of operations for the Charleston (S.C.) Fire Department. Tippett recently retired from Montgomery County (Md.) Fire and Rescue after 32 years, the last 7 as a battalion chief. He has served as project manager for the National Fire Fighter Near-Miss Reporting System since 2004. In 2007, Tippett was awarded the International Society of Fire Service Instructors’ George D. Post Instructor of the Year award.
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Photo keith klassen
How to use Class A foam & CAFS to protect structures in the WUI
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very year, wildfires threaten or destroy both residential and commercial structures in the wildland/urban interface (WUI). Both wildland agencies and municipal departments may be called upon when WUI conflagrations occur; therefore, it’s important for all responding agencies to have the tools and the training to effectively and safely manage these incidents.
hoseline, compressed air is injected at the discharge. Te air and solution mixture forms bubbles through a scrubbing action as it travels through the hose. Te result is a finished foam product at the nozzle. Te product can have a wet consistency similar to melted ice cream for fire attack and mop-up, or a drier consistency like shaving cream to provide a protective blanket. When using foam for interface structure protection, both consistencies are usually used.
How Foam works One tool that’s very effective for protecting structures in the WUI is Class A foam. Simply put, Class A foam is a high-grade synthetic detergent. Its surfactant properties reduce the surface tension of water, which allows water to spread into a thin sheet, creating more surface area and thus more heat-absorbing ability. Te broken surface tension also allows the water to penetrate into small, tight spaces within the Class A fuels. Tis raises the fuel moisture level, providing increased protection from fire. Class A foam is also attracted to carbon, so when it’s mixed with water, it becomes “carbon-loving,” causing a foam solution to form. Te solution then grabs and hangs onto Class A, carbon-based fuels. Tis helps keep the fuels wet, thus providing protection from heat and flame.
Creating Class a Foam Te best way to create and apply Class A foam is via a compressed-air foam system (CAFS). CAFS creates finished foam bubbles by first mixing the foam concentrate in the proper percentage with water to create a foam solution. As the solution is pumped into the February 2010
CaF appliCation Te typical procedure for protecting a structure with compressedair foam (CAF) begins with triage of the structure. As with patients in a mass-casualty incident, fire personnel must sort structures to determine which ones can be saved. Numerous items must be considered when triaging structures, such as defensible space, fuels such as woodpiles close to the structure, building construction and type of roof. (Tese are outlined on a quick reference triage card, which allows consistency in grading the structures.) Once firefighters determine that a structure is a good candidate for CAF application, the operation begins by backing the apparatus into the driveway of the residence or structure to provide quick egress. Next, firefighters prep the structure by removing combustible items from around the property and turning off all utilities. Finally, firefighters apply CAF to the structure, which is easily accomplished with a minimum crew of three personnel. Te most effective method of protecting a home with CAF involves applying the wet foam first, then the dry.
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Photo Keith Klassen
During CAF application, firefighters begin together on the side of the structure closest to the apparatus, then move apart, extending the lines around both sides of the structure and meeting again on the opposite side.
Te engine operator will engage the CAFS and adjust it to provide a wet foam consistency. Te firefighters/officer will deploy a trunk line, typically a 1 ½" line, from the apparatus to the structure. Te end of the trunk line should have a gated wye attached, with either 1" or 1 ½" lines stretching from both sides. Firefighters begin the application together on the side of the structure closest to the apparatus, then move apart, extending the lines around both sides of the structure and meeting again on the opposite side. Tis first application of wet foam is designed to penetrate and raise the fuel moisture level of the building. At this point, the crew will communicate with the engine operator, who will adjust the system to provide a drier foam consistency. Te crew will then work their way back around the structure, applying the shavingcream-like foam over the now wet structure. Tis layer will act as an insulating, reflective blanket over the structure to protect it from radiant heat and hold in the moisture. Te layer will also degrade slower over wet fuels than it would over dry fuels.
The ember Trap CAF must cover large surface areas when using it for structure protection; however, attention must also be given to any area that may serve as an ember trap, such as gable vents, eves, decks and porches. Structures in WUI fires ignite primarily due to falling embers rather than flame-front impingement. While coating the structure, pay particularly close attention to any vegetation that’s close by, to prevent its ignition. Ground fuels should also be addressed by applying a blanket of foam on the ground around the structure. Te width of the blanket will be determined by the type and height of the fuels. As soon as CAF application is complete, return the hose and other equipment to the apparatus and move on to the next structure.
The Issue of TIme
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To provide optimal protection, timing of CAF application is crucial. Early application will allow the foam blanket to break down, reducing the insulating benefits. Te fuels, however, will still remain wet. Late application may put the crew in harm’s way of the fire. Crews may have time for the full operation, or they may have only minutes before the fire front arrives and the area becomes unsafe. When time is short, a quick application of CAF as a protective blanket may be
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the only option possible. If this is the case, the product applied should be the drier, shaving-cream-like CAF. Because WUI fires often require quick initial action, there’s often no time for even momentary interaction with the public to brief them on the nature and details of the operation. In extended incidents, however, a liaison officer from the incident management team may meet with homeowner, business or government groups to explain the operation.
Crews & AppArAtus
ConClusion CAF can be an effective tool in protecting at-risk properties in WUI incidents; however, if your department is called on to perform operations involving CAF application, you must be thoroughly familiar with the operation and capabilities of your apparatus and foam system. You must also be schooled on foam types, application methods and how the foam reacts in various environments. Most importantly: Be safe. Review the 10 Standard Fire Orders and the 18 Watch-Out Situations. (To view the complete lists, visit www.fs.fed.us/fire/ safety/10_18/10_18.html.) Maintain a high level of situational awareness throughout the incident because saving lives is far more important than saving property. Keith Klassen is a career captain with the Summit Fire District, a rural combination department bordering Flagstaff, Ariz. He has 33 years of volunteer and career experience in both structural and wildland firefighting, and a background in mechanical and vocational education. Klassen is also an international fire service instructor.
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Crews providing structural protection during WUI incidents are typically assigned to a structure protection group, which may be led by a structure protection specialist. Units assigned to these groups should have at least Class A foam capabilities, and preferably CAF capabilities. Apparatus may include type 1 structure engines, type 3 interface engines or type 6 brush trucks. Each has their place depending on access, location and terrain. A water tender may also be assigned to the group to provide mobile water supply. A few considerations for apparatus operating in the WUI include pump-and-roll capability, which eliminates the constant switching from pump to road and back, and provides the ability to flow foam on the run. Bumper turrets can also be effective because they allow foam application from the street to cover large areas and
can move quickly when time is short. Note: If using bumper turrets, be aware of the volume of water that will be consumed and secure a water supply for the operation. A couple handy additions to WUI apparatus: two poles or hooks in the tailboard area, which can be used to quickly loop the hose for transport between structures as opposed to rolling or reloading the hose in a hosebed.
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February 2010
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Photo Mike Meadows
FireRescue talks with presenters at this year’s upcoming Wildland/urban Interface Conference
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February 2010
Due to wildland/urban interface (WUI) expansion, more and more people run the risk of encountering—and possibly evacuating from—a massive WUI fire. Classes and other resources offered at WUI 2010 take an in-depth look at America’s current WUI situation, attempting to find answers to questions, solutions to problems and bridges over boundaries.
Courses at a GlanCe Presentations and panel discussions will be held and led by some of the most influential people in the WUI arena. One of those people is John Glenn, fire operations division chief for the Bureau of Land Management and a 25-year member of the fire service. Glenn will be taking part in Structure Protection: Roles & Responsibilities, a panel discussion involving federal, state and local agencies. “Structure protection is truly a
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onsidering that the wildland/urban interface (WUI) is growing at an alarming rate all across the country—and in other countries— the 2010 WUI Conference is one show you can’t afford to miss. Developed by the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the annual WUI conference brings together the leaders on the front lines of the WUI issue, as well as the ground-pounders whose job it is to come face to face with WUI conflagrations to protect threatened lives and property. Tis year’s conference is chock-full of workshops, resources and networking and educational opportunities. WUI 2010 offers more than 80 hours of NWCG courses and 6 hours of NIMS certification in the following areas: • S-215 Fire Operations in the WUI • S-330 Task/Force/Strike Team Leader • S-339 Division/Group Supervisor • S-270 Basic Air Operations • M-313 Unified Command
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Conference information
2010
URBAN Interface
WUI 2010 will be held March 28–April 1 at the Grand Sierra Resort and Casino in Reno, Nev. To obtain detailed conference information, and to register online, visit www.iafc.org/wui.
Photo Keith Cullom
Because of the population explosion in the WUI, fire agencies simply don’t have the capabilities to protect all structures.
contentious issue,” he says. “Tink about it: We’re dealing with large incidents and situations that have large cost centers. So it’s going to be a great opportunity to sit down with federal, state and local entities to talk about where they excel, where we excel and try to build more understanding between us.” Glenn points out that because of the population explosion in the WUI, fire agencies simply don’t have the capabilities to protect all structures. Tey therefore need to look at current partnership strategies and make changes. “If you look at the local or municipal department, their training and expertise involves protecting neighborhoods. But if you look at the federal agencies, their focus is primarily on wildland fire. Tey generally look more at the larger, national picture. “By having this discussion,” Glenn continues, “we can hopefully set up agreements ahead of time rather than during the heart of a fire situation.” Te discussion, 302: Structure Protection: Roles & Responsibilities, will be held on Wednesday, March 31, at 10:40 a.m.
The Grizzly Fire Drill When the alarm sounds for an evacuation, are all of your emergency responders and your residents fully prepared for the challenges they’re about to face? Planning for the unique fire disasters that could affect those living in your response district, before the disaster actually occurs, is imperative. Tis is why it’s important to attend 204: Te Grizzly Fire Drill, another noteworthy class offered at this year’s WUI conference, which highlights the largest evacuation drill ever conducted in the state of Nevada. Te Sierra Fire Protection District (SFPD) conducted the Grizzly Fire Drill with its 4,000 residents through a program developed by the SFPD called Preparing Residents in Disaster Evacuations (P.R.I.D.E.). According to presenter Mark Regan, prevention captain with the SFPD, the drill was a huge success, as it demonstrated how preplanning for large evacuations can mean the difference between order and total chaos. “Te Grizzly Fire Drill enabled us to validate concerns that existed in key areas, such as communications, escape routes, animal control and meeting the special needs of residents with medical concerns,” he says. Te P.R.I.D.E. program trains all residents and first response personnel in large-scale evacuation procedures, including how to limit panic and chaos and carry out a quick and safe evacuation, which allows emergency responders to address the disaster more efficiently. “After attending the Grizzly Fire/P.R.I.D.E. class,” Regan says, “each participant should have the skills necessary to successfully complete P.R.I.D.E. drills in their area.” To view a short video of the SFPD drill, visit www. youtube.com/watch?v=-2RB02cYXnE. Te class, 204: Te Grizzly Fire Drill, will be held Tursday, April 1, at 8 a.m.
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February 2010
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January 2010
COMPANYOFFICERDEVELOPMENT
Dishing It Out Criticizing job performance requires thoughtful approach & delivery
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ast month, I wrote about how to take criticism (“Take It Like a … Firefighter: A 3-step process for taking the sting out of criticism,” p. 73); however, like most things in life, there are two sides to everything, so this article is going to focus on how to give criticism. Company officers must hone their ability to offer criticism because part of our job involves watching people perform tasks and evaluating how well they perform them. Terefore, at some point, someone isn’t going to complete a task as well as they should, which means you may have to be critical of their performance. It sounds rough, but it’s an essential part of the job. I like the way Winston Churchill put it: “Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfills the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things.”
A LittLe Honesty Tere are all sorts of methods for taking the “critic” out of criticism and making criticism feel good. Some people aren’t even comfortable with the word “criticism” (for this article, the warm and fuzzy folks out there can use a word like “evaluate” or “analyze” if that makes them feel better). But I’m not sure “warm and fuzzy” is what people always want to hear. What’s wrong with being objective and throwing in a little bit of honesty? Sometimes criticism can sting a bit or be flat-out painful, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t truthful or helpful. As I said before, company officers, at times, must be critical of their personnel to evaluate their ability to perform a job. To accomplish this sometimes difficult task, we must consider both our approach to the situation at hand and how we deliver the criticism.
If you’re visibly frustrated because someone on your crew did something that needs some critical feedback, you’re already climbing an uphill battle. Unless it’s a life-threatening or a time-sensitive matter, collect your thoughts first to keep things from getting personal, and keep in mind that the ultimate goal of criticism is to change someone’s behavior. A few additional rules to remember when considering your approach: 1. Don’t assume you know what happened unless you witnessed the action/mistake personally. A little research goes a long way. 2. Ask the person what they thought about their performance. Tis allows them an opportunity to examine their performance and gives you an opportunity to see where the conversation should go next. If they realize they made a mistake and that they need to fix it, the need
The approach you take toward any potentially tumultuous situation is probably the most important factor in its success or failure. for criticism is pretty much over with. If they don’t realize there’s a problem, then further discussion is on the horizon. 3. Find out why the person thought their action was correct and/or appropriate. Tis gives some insight into what was going through their mind and how that person performs their decision-making process. Don’t ever assume you know why someone did something a certain way; their explanation may be educational.
tHe ApproAcH
tHe DeLivery
Te approach you take toward any potentially tumultuous situation is probably the most important factor in its success or failure. Remember: People don’t generally do things that garner criticism because they wanted to piss off their boss, so don’t take poor performance personally.
For me, delivery is always based on two things: the information I gathered during my approach to the situation and the person I’m dealing with. Te information I gather is paramount to guiding my delivery of criticism, but the person I’m dealing with has a major influence on how I handle the situation and
February 2010
By ray Gayk
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COMPANYOFFICERDEVELOPMENT
Delivery is always based on two things: the information I gathered during my approach to the situation & the person I’m dealing with. present my criticism. If the person realizes they made a mistake, panicked or just blew it, we have a training issue. If the person is being arrogant, denies doing anything wrong, has a difficult time seeing the error of their ways or plays the blame game, we could have a discipline problem. It all boils down to one question: Should the person have known better or not? If the person didn’t know any better, the criticism generally turns toward education and training. If the person knew better and still made a bad decision, criticism turns down the less fun path.
and this is how we fix it”? It’s a simple approach, but I think we get too caught up in how criticism is going to make someone feel, rather than how we’re going to reach our goal of improving someone’s performance. Like Churchill said, “Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary.” I’d rather hurt someone’s feelings and improve their skills than watch someone continually make mistakes because I couldn’t do my job.
concLusion Company officers get paid to critically analyze their personnel’s performance, and there are several different ways to accomplish that task. Call me insensitive, but I’d rather gather the facts, find out where the individual was coming from and lay out any criticism honestly and directly. It’s like ripping off a Band-Aid: You know it’s going to hurt, but you’ve got to do it if you’re ever going to get better.
My personAL styLe Personally, I stay away from a lot of fluff. Tat may work for other people, but it’s just not me. From my experience, firefighters don’t want to talk about their feelings over a cup of hazelnut coffee and have a good cry. Tey want the basics: to hear why and how they screwed up and how they can fix it. And what’s wrong with saying, “You did this wrong,
Ray Gayk is a company officer with the Ontario (Calif.) Fire Department (OFD) and is currently working as the training captain. Gayk is a 17-year veteran of the fire service who has been actively involved with the OFD’s development of engineer and captain mentor programs. Gayk has also taught numerous classes on company officer development. Contact him at raygayk@verizon.net.
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MAKETHECUT
Tow the Line Don’t forget to include tow operators in your extrication rescue plan Editor’s Note: We’re pleased to welcome Todd Meyer to the FireRescue team. Todd’s extrication column will rotate with our Rescue Training column, providing you with practical strategies for increasing safety, effectiveness and efficiency at extrication scenes.
story & photo by Todd d. Meyer
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Te first part of the relationship is picking the right tow operator. Both parties have to agree to the parameters of the partnership. Just like dating, you may try out a few before you find someone who’s compatible. Some tow companies are better than others. Some have better equipment. Some companies have welltrained operators, and some have operators who are on parole and have gulped down their sixth energy drink for the day. Who do you want to work with? You may have to pass on the nearest tow company and find one that fits your needs. Remember, dating takes effort—well, for me it did—and this will, too.
TraininG opporTUniTies Invite the tow operator into your firehouse, and schedule training sessions with them so your troops know what to expect. Introduce them to the incident command system (ICS) and teach them how, where and when they will be plugged into the system.
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mergencies usually happen at the worst times and in the worst conditions, so in order to be successful, we must pre-plan for these events. Part of this planning involves developing relationships—with local law-enforcement agencies, public works, mutualaid companies and even local tow operators—and forecasting how these relationships will benefit our mission. As you might expect, tow operators are the most often overlooked. But I’m a firm believer that tow companies can help considerably and, in the past, I’ve had great success incorporating tow companies into my rescue plan. Te key: developing that relationship before you’re introducing yourself in the rain, on the side of the road, at O-dark-thirty.
The Good, The Bad & The UGly
It’s always best to explore tow operators’ capabilities and identify limitations on the drill ground rather than the incident scene.
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Make TheCUT
Tis will also allow the tow companies to show their wares and give you an opportunity to identify their limitations. Training sessions include a variety of topics, such
What’s a TIM? Traffic-incident management, or TIM, committees are the means to preplan, train and coordinate the resources of a number of different agencies to respond to and clear traffic incidents as quickly as possible while protecting the safety of on-scene responders and the traveling public. TIM procedures help protect responders and reduce the effect incidents may have on traffic flow and congestion. TIM committees usually consist of representatives from each of the core agencies that respond to roadway incidents, including law enforcement, fire and rescue, emergency medical, transportation, towing and recovery, hazmat teams, public-safety dispatch, and communications and the media. The committees are usually organized on a regional basis and most often are coordinated by state or local transportation agencies. —Excerpted from the IAFC’s Nov. 15, 2009, OnScene newsletter. For the full article about the benefits of TIM committees, visit http://tinyurl.com/TIMcommittees.
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as proper rigging techniques. Most firefighters have no clue how to safely operate around wire rope and chains. Other topics: heavy-lift evolutions and the coordinated effort of removing the patient and vehicle from an obstacle (i.e., semi under-ride). Further, it’s always better to do the fully-loaded-log-truck-ontop-of-the-SUV scenario for the first time on the drill ground rather than in the woods. It’s always better to drop Rescue Randy than Mrs. Jones.
Welcome to the Big top If you choose to include a tow company in your rescue plan, you’ll need to be on the same page if you want to be successful. Make sure you’re using common terminology as well as the incident command system for effective command structure. Don’t get me wrong, not every firefighter should have a vest and a clipboard. Work needs to be done, but it has to be coordinated. As for what tow operators need to know to be involved in the ICS, they want clear expectations and an identified point of contact. Has a Rescue Group Supervisor been established or are they working directly for command? In the past, when I have incorporated a tow company in my rescue plan, they have had one request: that they work and communicate with one person. Makes sense, as there can be only one “Ring Leader.”
February 2010
A final tip here: Leave egos at home and accept that the tow operators may have the best plan and the most experience in a given situation. Incorporating the incident command system into your response reduces the chance of inviting another clown to the circus.
Forecasting Involve tow operators early. Don’t get into a situation where Plan A fails and your Plan B is to use a Class C wrecker for a lift and you haven’t called them. If you haven’t picked up the phone, you haven’t done your job. No one wants to hear “uh oh,” followed by a frantic call for the wrecker. Be proactive about your resources; forecast your needs for different options in your incident action plan (IAP). Eliminate the “down time” associated with waiting.
Who Pays? Depending on the policies in your region, tow companies may be dispatched to motor-vehicle accidents on a law enforcement rotation. If you choose to bypass this arrangement and request your “go-to” outfit, you’ll need to communicate this action to on-scene law enforcement and your dispatchers. Tis action also begs the following questions: If you special-call the tow company, will they be paid and how? What are the rates and who’s responsible? If
Introduce tow operators to the ICS & teach them how, where & when they will be plugged into the system. they don’t hook up, will they charge you for stand-by time? If insurance is involved, will the bill be paid by the insurance companies of the parties involved? It’s best to have this figured out before the bill shows up on the chief ’s desk a month later.
in sum Successful relationships take time and effort from all parties involved. Just like dating relationships, working with tow companies involves compromise, planning and patience. However, it’s well worth the work when everything comes together and the extrication is executed in a timely fashion—without dropping Mrs. Jones. Todd Meyer is a battalion chief with Gig Harbor (Wash.) Fire & Medic One. He has 16 years of fire service experience. Meyer holds a bachelor of science degree in economics from Central Washington University, as well as IFSAC Fire Fighter I and II, IFSAC Fire Officer I & II and Strike Team Leader qualifications. He’s a Pierce County Type III team member and instructs extrication classes on the West Coast. Meyer is the co-founder of “Crunch Time,” a hands-on vehicle extrication class hosted by Gig Harbor Fire & Medic One.
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February 2010
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RuRalFiReCommand
All About “A” Safety tips for using Class A foam
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afety should be a primary concern during all fire service operations, including those that involve Class A foam. In this article, I’ll review some specific safety items to consider during these operations, which are common on the rural fire scene.
CheCk Your MSDS Story & Photo by keith klassen
When your department purchases foam concentrate, it comes with a copy of the product’s Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS). You should familiarize yourself with this sheet so you know what to do if someone is exposed to the concentrate. It’s also a good idea to carry a copy of the MSDS in the clipboard of the apparatus so it’s readily available in case of an exposure or if questions arise. Finally, it’s important to have the sheet available if you’re managing a mixing area that provides foam solution for air operations.
will turn the smoke white, making interior visibility better—more like a foggy day. However, the temperature drop and improved visibility do not mean that it’s safe to remove your SCBA. You must use a gas meter to ensure safe levels prior to mask removal. Compressed air foam systems (CAFS) have more moving parts and, consequently, create more noise than a standard fire pump. Auxiliary-powered systems are particularly noisy due to the additional engine noise. When operating CAFS, use the proper hearing protection. Panel-connected headsets will protect your hearing while allowing for communications. Another solution is an interface to connect the headset to a mobile radio. Tis allows the operator to move around the area without being tethered to the pump panel. Tis is particularly useful when there’s minimal manpower on scene and the operator needs to perform other functions.
PPe uSe Wear all your PPE throughout any incident involving foam. Tis is particularly important for respiratory protection during structure fires. Te proper use of compressed air foam (CAF) in interior structure attacks will drop the temperatures rapidly. Te carbonloving properties of Class A foam will also pull much of the carbon particulate matter out of the smoke. Tis
ClaSS a ConCentrateS Further, when working with Class A concentrates, keep in mind that you’re using a very concentrated synthetic detergent. Finished foam bubbles contain small amounts of concentrate—1 percent or less—and will be minimally irritating to the eyes and skin. When working with the concentrate, however, you must take additional
Watch your footing when working in foam. The higher the expansion, the more volume of foam is created and the more hazards can be hidden.
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care against exposure. Use eye protection when handling concentrate. Splashing concentrate in your eyes will be painful and may take you out of action at an incident. Like any soap, the concentrate will also cause dry, chapped skin. Tus, wear gloves to limit skin exposure. As a side note, Class A foam will also dry out leather products, so gloves may become hard and unusable in a shorter period of time. Leather boots must be cared for regularly per the manufacturer’s instructions to provide the longest life possible. When the concentrate is spilled, dilution is not the solution. Opening a hoseline on a concentrate spill will result in a mountain of bubbles. Instead, apply an absorbent and soak up as much as possible and then rinse away the remainder. It’s inevitable that foam bubbles will land on the apparatus paint. Tis is typically not an issue and can be handled by normal vehicle washes. However, if the concentrate is spilled on the apparatus paint, clean it off immediately to prevent it from getting under the paint and breaking it free from the surface, much the same way brake fluid would.
Steady on your Feet Slip, trip and fall hazards are a big concern on the fireground—and foam on the fireground certainly doesn’t help. Te higher the expansion, the more volume of foam is created and the more hazards can be hidden. In most structural applications, there won’t be large volumes of foam, but the foam can still hide hazards, such as weak spots in the floor. Because it’s soap, foam concentrate is also slippery, so watch your footing when working in the foam.
CaFS-SpeCiFiC Tere are also some safety concerns specific to CAFS. Te first is nozzle reaction. Because the energy is packed into the hose, there’s a strong nozzle reaction when the ball valve is first opened. Firefighters must be experienced with the line to know what to expect. When the nozzle is opened and the energy is released, the line will flex and bend much easier, as the line is full of bubbles, not liquid. Tus, proper nozzle technique is important. Use a ball valve with a pistol grip, and hold it close to the body for better control. Second, any line charged with CAF is a storage tank full of energy. Te larger the hose or the longer the line, the more energy it can hold. With that in mind, don’t open the line without controlling the nozzle. Be aware that even with the CAFS shut off, there may be enough energy in the line for it to flow for 15–20 seconds. And lastly, air and water alone do not mix. Te foam concentrate is required to form bubbles. If there’s insufficient concentrate in the mix, the line will be filled with alternating chunks of air and water. Tis condition, known as slug flow, can cause the line to bounce and jump, making the nozzle hard to control. If this condition occurs, the fastest way to stop it is to turn off the air to the discharge. Tis will leave only water in the line. When the concentrate is again being added in the proper amount, the air can be turned back on.
in Sum Class A and CAF are great tools that make our lives easier on the fireground. Attention to a few simple details will help provide for a safe foam evolution. Keith Klassen is a career captain with the Summit Fire District, a rural combination department bordering Flagstaff, Ariz. He has 33 years of volunteer and career experience in both structural and wildland firefighting, and a background in mechanical and vocational education. Klassen is also an international fire service instructor. Choose 116 at www.firerescuemagazine.com/rs
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QuickDrills
Know Your Flow Simple ways to determine your fire flow requirements
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by Homer robertson
ike most things in life, and especially in the fire service, the more you know, the more you need to know. Each new area in which we gain some useful knowledge becomes a stepping stone to another. Tis month’s Quick Drill involves flow requirements and the formulas that can help you determine fire flow needs, which will in turn help you in several other areas.
EvEryonE’s rEsponsiblE
2 Formulas Tere are several fire flow formulas in use today, but for the sake of space, we’ll only touch on two: the National Fire Academy (NFA) formula and the Iowa Rate
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Having a good understanding of fire flow requirements is essential to everyone on the fireground— from the firefighter in the jump seat, who must know how much their handline is flowing and how many involved rooms it will put out, to the company officer making tactical decisions about where and when to
attack the fire, to the chief officer defending their decision to dispatch four 1,500-gpm-rated engines to a building fire because it requires 6,000 gpm to control. Ask a lot of firefighters how the whole extinguishment thing happens, and most will tell you the story about “putting wet stuff on the red stuff”—and in its own beautifully simple way, that’s true. It really is gpm vs. BTU, but there’s a lot more science to it than that. As a result, we must all have a basic understanding of the formulas that determine fire flow requirements.
Photo Keith Muratori
This building is about 50 x 50 x 10 on each floor. Applying the Iowa formula, we get: [50 x 50 x 10] x 2 (to account for the two stories) = 50,000 ÷ 100 = 500 gpm needed for the total fire flow.
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Quick Drills This building is about 30 x 50 on each story and showing about 25 percent involvement. Using the NFA formula, the flow would be [30 x 50] x 2 (to account for the two stories) = 3,000 ÷ 3 = 1,000 x .25 = 250 gpm.
of Flow. Each has pros and cons. Te NFA formula is based on offensive interior operations where less than 50 percent of the building is involved. Te formula is: Needed fire flow = [(length x width) ÷ 3] x percent of involvement
Photo Keith Muratori
Example: For a 30' x 50' building that’s 25 percent involved, the flow would be 30 x 50 = 1,500 square feet, divided by 3 = 500 x 0.25 = 125 gpm. Based on that required fire flow, one handline pumped at the correct pressure should be able to produce the required gpm. Te Iowa Rate of Flow is based on work performed by Keith Royer and Bill Nelson while they were working for Iowa State University’s fire training program. While studying the effects of fog streams on interior fires, the pair demonstrated that all you need to do is put the right amount of water in the right place for the fire to go out—something that’s often overlooked by the modern fire service. Te Iowa formula is: Required volume = (length x width x height) ÷ 100 Example: Te same 30' x 50' building used in the first example is 10 feet high. 30 x 50 x 10 = 15,000, divided by 100 = 150 gpm.
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Drill 1:
What’s the Needed Fire Flow? Discuss both the National Fire Academy (NFA) and the Iowa fire flow formulas. Ensure that each member understands and can apply both formulas. Step 1: On a whiteboard, draw different-size building layouts. Have members practice developing fire flows for the provided scenarios. Step 2: Throughout the next several shifts, continue practicing on buildings in your response area. Ask crewmembers to quickly develop needed fire flows for various buildings by estimating approximate square footage. You should see improvement with practice. Choose 117 at www.firerescuemagazine.com/rs
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Quick Drills
Drill 2:
How Many Handlines & Master Streams? Step 1: 1. Using your department’s normal-length lines and pump pressures, use your apparatus flow meter or another measuring device to determine flows for each handline and master stream device. Step 2: Record these figures for reference later when determining fire flow based on the NFA or Iowa formula. Step 3: Using the whiteboard examples you used earlier, and based on needed fire flow requirements, determine what combination of handlines and master streams you would need to control each incident.
Te Iowa formula is based on science, while the NFA formula is based more on information gained from experienced fire officers from around the country. Te Iowa formula is also based on a 30-second application rate, which is more applicable to today’s fireground, where application rates should be based on gallons per second, not gallons per minute. Note: Because the NFA and Iowa formulas use different parameters, they’ll produce slightly different results for the same structure. Although I typically use the NFA formula for preplanning, I don’t prefer one over the other; they both get the job done.
The Iowa formula is based on science, while the NFA formula is based more on information gained from experienced fire officers from around the country. Know Before You Go When pre-planning target hazards, the fire flow formulas will add important information that can be reviewed prior to the incident. After calculating the total fire flow needed, break the flows down by 75 percent, 50 percent and 25 percent involvement. Remember: Te Iowa formula doesn’t take into account percentage of involvement, it just gives you the maximum amount of needed flow. But you can easily calculate the different figures based on percentage involvement. Fire flow formulas have a wide range of use, from the firefighter to the chief officer. Practice using the formulas to determine fire flows for structures in your response area. As you become more familiar with them, you’ll be able to determine which formula is best in a specific scenario. Captain Homer Robertson has been involved in the fire service since 1978, starting as a volunteer with the Granbury (Texas) Fire Department, of which he is a life member. He has served with the Fort Worth Fire Department since 1985 and is currently in charge of the fire equipment division, which includes the apparatus fleet. Choose 118 at www.firerescuemagazine.com/rs
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SurvivalofthefitteSt
Diamonds Are Push-Ups? Use the “Deck of Cards” workout to spice up your routine
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story & Photos by Jeff & Martha ellis
ometimes, creativity doesn’t come easily. Tis is certainly true when it comes to developing workouts. And considering that staying motivated can be the single most challenging aspect of working out, creativity becomes even more crucial to help keep you going. When you’re bored to tears with your current workout program, you don’t feel like spending a lot of money on fitness or you find yourself just going through the motions when you hit the gym, it’s time to get the creative juices flowing and infuse some inexpensive spontaneity into your fitness program. Tis month, we’re going to help you get creative. We’ve always held it to be true that as long as you have gravity, you can get a good workout. But if you can invest in a couple of dumbbells ($1–$1.50 per lb.), resistance bands ($10–$35) and a door-mounted chin-up bar ($20–$50), all the better. Combine these tools with the power of good workout partners, and you should be able to pick yourself up out of the fitness doldrums and into a fun, spontaneous workout. Te workout we’re referring to is called “Te Deck of Cards,” and it’s a great way to get your crew or friends involved in a creative and butt-kicking workout.
Here’s how it works: As you know, a standard deck of cards has four suits: hearts, diamonds, clubs and spades. Te idea is to assign a specific exercise to each suit. Tis works out nicely because you can either work the “pushpull” angle (working opposing muscle groups) or you can simply make the four suits the arms, legs, back and abdominals. For example, if you choose to work opposing muscle groups during your workout, you could assign pull-ups to clubs and incline push-ups to spades, lunges to hearts and hanging knee raises to diamonds. Further, you don’t have to focus on isolating muscle groups. You can incorporate into your program exercises that recruit multiple muscle groups, such as burpees, squat jumps, push-ups and lunges. (See the sidebar “Good Exercises for the ‘Deck of Cards’ Workout.”) Once you’ve selected the exercises for the day’s workout, break out the deck of cards and get busy. Shuffle the cards well. As you flip the cards over one at a time, do the prescribed exercise the number of times designated by the number on the card. Aces are equal to 11 reps and all face cards are 10. Regardless of the card’s number designation, any static exercise should be held for 30 seconds. Also, peek at the next card before you begin each exercise. If it’s the same suit, add the reps and do them all in one set. Incorporating equipment isn’t a problem even if you’re limited on how many people can use any one piece at a time. Simply assign each suit to a specific exercise for a specific person. For example: Jeff, Matt, Kevin and Gil want to do the Deck of Cards workout. Tey’d like to include incline bench presses, pull-ups,
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If you’re bored with your current workout program, try the “Deck of Cards” workout. Take a deck of cards and assign a specific exercise to each suit. For example, if you choose to work opposing muscle groups during your workout, you could assign pull-ups to clubs and incline push-ups to spades, lunges to hearts and hanging knee raises to diamonds.
The Deck of carDs
Good Exercises for the “Deck of Cards” Workout • Planks • Lunges • Hanging knee raises • Push-ups • Pull-ups • Burpees
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• Sit-ups • Squats • Chair dips • Wall squats • Incline bench press • V-ups
February 2010
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survivalOF theFittest
It may seem complicated, but if you jot down your workout in simple chart form, it’ll be easy to follow, and you can log that workout for the next time you’re ready to do it again.
weighted squats and V-ups. Because they only have one bench, pull-up bar and squat rack, they can’t all do the exercises at the same time. Clubs will be Jeff’s bench press, spades his pull-ups, hearts his squats and diamonds his V-ups. Matt would have spades be his bench, hearts his pull-ups, diamonds his squats and clubs his V-ups, and so on for Kevin and Gil. It may seem complicated, but if you jot it down in simple chart form on index cards, it’ll be easy to follow. Other exercises that also work well with this type of workout: kettle bell swings, jumping rope and get-ups. As you finish each exercise, keep your rest time to a minimum. Flip the next card as soon as you’ve completed the previous exercise. Don’t forget to peek at the following card so you get the added benefit of compounding reps without rest if the suit is the same.
Get Playin’ Te Deck of Cards workout may sound silly at first, but it’s a great way to break out of your workout mold. Mixing things up and working several muscle groups in a short period of time helps with muscle integration and balances muscle development. Save your workouts on index cards if you’ve found them to be particularly satisfying. If you want to really mix things up, have four people assign each suit without knowing what the others are and then go with it. Don’t forget to give those muscles plenty of rest once the delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) sets in. (For more on DOMS, read “Ouch! It hurts, but muscle soreness is key to muscle strength” on the FireRescue blog on FirefighterNation.com.) Te bottom line: Have fun with it. Keep it interesting and get your friends or crewmates involved. Te synergistic effect of team training is profound. You’re more motivated to participate, compete and complete your workout, which is a win/win for all parties involved. Division Chief Martha Ellis has been a firefighter with the Salt Lake City Fire Department (SLCFD) for more than 14 years, serving as a firefighter, an engineer, a media technician, an ARFF training officer, an airport fire marshal and currently the fire marshal for Salt Lake City. She has won the Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge Women’s Division five times, and held the world record for 8 consecutive years. She also works as a certified fitness coordinator for the SLCFD. Captain Jeff Ellis of the Murray (Utah) Fire Department (MFD) has served for more than 23 years as a firefighter, an engineer, a hazmat technician and a shift training captain. He’s been a certified fitness coordinator for the department since 1996. As a competitor in the Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge, he has won two overall world championships, three Over 40 world championships and helped MFD take the team trophy. He has been active in teaching all aspects of firefighting, including swiftwater rescue and fitness and nutrition in the fire service. E-mail your fitness-related questions or comments to Jeff and Martha at fit2serve@gmail.com. Choose 119 at www.firerescuemagazine.com/rs
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FirePrevention
An Untold History The Rhythm Nightclub Fire provides tragic lessons, but many of us never heard about it
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by Jim crawford
ebruary is Black History Month. I was born in 1954, and I grew up in a Eurocentric environment, where I didn’t really understand the need for a month devoted to African-American history. I was taught a great deal about Abraham Lincoln in my school classes, but nothing at all about Frederick Douglass, the African-American abolitionist who played a significant role in the movement to free slaves in our nation. I learned nothing at all about the Slave Trade Act of 1808, which restricted further slave trade with Africa but didn’t abolish slavery in the United States. Te Tuskegee Airmen? Never heard of them as a student. What does this have to do with fire prevention? Just as the history we learned in school is sometimes vastly incomplete, our fire service history seems so as well.
Decorations are important for the festive environment of a nightclub, and in this case something called “Spanish Moss” was brought in and was hanging throughout the nightclub. I’m not sure whether the codes at the time addressed these types of materials, but I do know that even today’s business owners often don’t pay attention to how the decorations in their nightclubs can contribute to fire spread. In the case of the Rhythm Nightclub, the moss was ignited, probably by a discarded match, at the front of the building near the main entrance (and exit). Te rapidly moving fire quickly engulfed the entire building, trapping many inside and killing some 209 people. Te actual figures are different depending on the source, but regardless of the exact number, this fire and the ensuing loss were extremely severe. And every one of the victims was African-American.
Nightclubs AblAze As I grew up in the fire service, I learned about the Iroquois Teater Fire of 1903, the Cocoanut Grove Club Fire of 1942 and the Beverly Hills Supper Club Fire of 1977 (which, I learned, was NOT in California, but in Kentucky). Each of these fires is a notable example of inadequate fire safety features in locations where people crowd together for entertainment. Te number of people killed in each fire captured national attention and helped to usher in new building and fire code requirements about proper exiting and fire protection features that would help to prevent similar disasters. Nightclub disasters can still happen, of course, as we learned from the Station Nightclub Fire in Rhode Island in February 2003. But in general, these venues are much safer as a result of these historic fires that taught us so much. You’ve probably heard of all these fires, too, but what about the Rhythm Nightclub Fire? Until my good friend Faron Taylor told me about it, I’d never heard of one of the worst fires in United States history.
Why hAveN’t We heARd oF it?
the Rhythm Nightclub FiRe
Jim Crawford is a deputy chief and fire marshal with the Vancouver (Wash.) Fire Department and is chair of the NFPA technical committee on professional qualifications for fire marshals. He has written “Fire Prevention: A Comprehensive Approach,” published by Brady, and has also written a chapter on fire prevention in “Managing Fire and Rescue Services,” published by the International City/County Managers Association. Crawford is a past president of the International Fire Marshals Association and has served on the NFPA’s Standards Council. He is a member of the IAFC.
On April 23, 1940, a fire broke out in a nightclub in Natchez, Miss. A converted church had been remodeled to serve as a nightclub and—similar to what many fire marshals today still see—the windows had been boarded up to prevent those who weren’t willing to pay from seeing or hearing the entertainment.
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It is no coincidence that I chose this month to write about this relatively unknown fire. Tere’s no significant difference in this situation from what we’ve learned from other nightclub fires. A big-name musical act of the time was performing, so there were about 300 people in attendance. Exits were poorly designed; there was an exit in the back of the building, but it was blocked in part by the band. Because the windows were blocked, exiting through them was difficult at best. Te combustible decorations contributed to the rapid spread of fire. Te cries heard from people trapped inside serve as the same chilling reminder of the deadly possibilities that fire has presented in case study after case study throughout our history. In my opinion, the Rhythm Nightclub Fire should serve, along with the rest of the disasters we often hear about, as a historical lesson that continually motivates us to do better in our prevention efforts.
February 2010
NEWProducts Robo Recon
Gas Be Gone
The Recon Scout Rescue from ReconRobotics is a miniature throwable mobile reconnaissance device that allows search-and-rescue personnel to conduct visual reconnaissance of confined spaces and other environments. The 1-lb., 8-inch-long Rescue can be directed to move through an environment and transmit real-time video back to the handheld operator control unit as well as to the incident command post. Equipped with an infrared optical system that automatically turns on when the ambient light is low, the Rescue can “see” in complete darkness and can transmit video up to 100 feet indoors and 300 feet outdoors. Its titanium shell and toughened electronics enable it to survive repeated horizontal throws of 120 feet and vertical drops of 30 feet.
Designed with louvers to direct tailpipe exhaust discharge toward the ground, the tailpipe adapter from MagneGrip keeps hot exhaust from endangering operating personnel and the public and complies with the proposed NFPA 1901 Standard 12.2.5.6. The back side of the louvered tailpipe adapter has air inlet holes that allow ambient air to enter and cool the exhaust as it discharges. The inlet holes are sealed by a one-way silicon gasket that allows air to enter, but doesn’t allow exhaust fumes to escape when connected to MagneGrip’s exhaust removal system. MagneGrip 800/875-5440; www.magnegrip.com Choose 201 at www.firerescuemagazine.com/rs
ReconRobotics 866/697-6267 www.recon-scout.com/rescue Choose 200 at www.firerescuemagazine.com/rs
Power Up Newmar’s Power Distribution System, model PDS simplifies the wiring of electronic accessories in vehicles. It offers a quick way to power add-on electronics including lights, radios and mobile data computers/terminals and assigns them to an always hot, timed or ignition circuit. Each circuit includes its own LED warning light that identifies the blown fuse position. The PDS provides up to 20 total timed, battery hot and ignition switched circuits that can be configured in any combination up to 100 total amps. Newmar 800/854-3906; www. newmarpower.com Choose 202 at www.firerescuemagazine.com/rs
You TRAIN YOUR STUDENTS to perform under EXTREME CONDITIONS. FIRERESCUE MAGAZINE gives you the resources to help TRAIN THEM SAFELY. FireRescue Magazine arms you with vital information to help guide your students’ careers and help them stay safe. Each monthly issue includes: • Safe & Effective Fire Attack Strategies • Rescue & Extrication Training • Advice for New and Developing Company Officers • Wildland/Urban Interface Tactics • New Products, Apparatus Innovations & Technology
IF YOU’RE AN INSTRUCTOR, CALL TO ENROLL IN OUR STUDENT SUBSCRIPTION PROGRAM.
(800) 266-5367 ext. 6832 or FirefighterNation.com 136
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Off-Road Assault
A Warm Response
Designed for off-road firefighting in the wildland/urban interface as well as industrial firefighting applications, the Assault Force 70 Fire-Rescue Rough Terrain Vehicle from EJ Metals provides fast fire suppression and smothering and cooling properties with highpressure displacement. Features include a 70-gallon water tank, a 5-gallon Class A foam cell, a high-pressure fire pump and a unique, triple-discharge nozzle that allows firefighters to attack brush and wildland fires with a variety of water/ foam streams. The hydraulically driven, high-pressure system provides 6 gpm of water/foam discharge at 1,500 psi. EJ Metals 920/779-9913; www.ejmetals.com Choose 203 at www.firerescuemagazine.com/rs
Seam-sealed for cold, windy and rainy days, the Responder Parka from 5.11 Tactical offers waterproof-breathable construction and reflectivity. Two models are available—solid and ANSI/ISEA 107-2004 approved hi-vis. The solid features a nylon shell, while the hi-vis has a nylon and polyester shell with fluorescent yellow color blocks. The shell is lined with DuPont dot-laminated taffeta to resist bloodborne pathogens and has Armortex PU abrasion-resistant shoulder panels. Features include double stormflaps, a three-way zip-off hood, mic-loops, double-welt/double-zip underarm vents, flag holders and YKK zippers.
Quicker Picker Upper With its light weight and strong holding power, Green Stuff Absorbent from D2L Products offers a high level of efficiency and cost effectiveness for the quick cleanup of spills and leaks and for the removal of processing waste. Compatible with virtually any chemical, Green Stuff Absorbent’s phenolic foam granules provide greater absorption capacity than clay vermiculite and other granular materials, up to 15 times its weight. Nontoxic and non-biodegradable, it passes tests for hazardous waste disposal at approved landfills and for approved incineration operations. D2L Products 866/735-4083; www.greenstuffabsorbent.com Choose 204 at www.firerescuemagazine.com/rs
February 2010
5.11 Tactical 866/451-1726; www.511tactical.com Choose 205 at www.firerescuemagazine.com/rs
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NEWdElivEriEs The Tumwater (Wash.) Fire Department has taken delivery of a 2009 GMC G4500 North Star Ambulance from Braun. Powered by a 6.6L Duramax Turbo Diesel engine, it features electric oxygen, SBCA storage brackets, a LIFEPAK 12 harness, a refrigerator, IV warmers and Whelen super LED recessed emergency lightbars, flashers, intersection and grille lights.
Braun Northwest 800/245-6303; www.braunnorthwest.com Choose 206 at www.firerescuemagazine.com/rs The Sahara Petrochemical Company of Jubail Industrial City, Saudi Arabia, has taken delivery of a pumper from Rosenbauer. Built on a Spartan Gladiator chassis, it’s powered by a 515-hp Detroit Series 60 engine and an Allison 4000 EVP transmission. Features include a 3,000-gpm Hale 8FG pump, a 15-kW Onan hydraulic generator, a 1,000-gallon foam cell and Whelen LED warning lights.
Rosenbauer 651/462-1000; www.rosenbaueramerica.com Choose 207 at www.firerescuemagazine.com/rs The Greenwood (Minn.) Township Fire Department has taken delivery of a pumper/tanker from CustomFIRE. Built on an International 7400 4 x 4 chassis, the pumper/tanker is powered by a 330-hp International MaxxForce 9 engine and an Allison 3000 EVS automatic transmission. Features include a 750-gpm Waterous CGVPA PTO pump system, a FoamPro 2001 singleagent foam system, a 2,000-gallon water tank, a 30-gallon foam tank, drop-down portable tank storage and Whelen LED grille and intersect lights.
CustomFIRE 800/443-8851; www.customfire.com Choose 208 at www.firerescuemagazine.com/rs Choose 120 at www.firerescuemagazine.com/rs
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The U.S. Army in Fort A.P. Hill (Va.) has taken delivery of a skid unit from RKO Enterprises. It features a 250-gallon copoly water tank with an integral 12-gallon foam cell and the RKO Quick Quench Foam System. All piping is RKO stainless steel and carries a lifetime warranty. The pump is a Hale HPX200 with an 18-hp Briggs and Stratton engine. This unit also features a Hannay hose reel with 150 feet of 1" 800-psi Goodyear red booster hose and a Grote LED scene light.
RKO Enterprises 877/273-8813; www.rkoenterprises.com Choose 209 at www.firerescuemagazine.com/rs The City of Easton (Pa.) Fire Department has taken delivery of an aerial from KME. Built on a Predator LFD 6" raised-roof chassis, it’s powered by a 515-hp Detroit Series 60 engine and an Allison 4000 EVS transmission. Features include a 20-kW Harrison HYD/ PTO generator, Robinson roll-up doors, an IQAN motion control system and a 100,000-psi steel ladder.
KME 800/235-3928; www.kovatch.com Choose 210 at www.firerescuemagazine.com/rs The Franklin (Pa.) Fire Department has taken delivery of an engine from Pierce. Built on a Velocity chassis with a 10" raised roof, it’s powered by a 515-hp Detroit Diesel Series 60 engine and an Allison 4000 EVS P automatic transmission. Features include a 1,500-gpm Waterous CSU pump, a 750-gallon United Plastic Fabricating tank, a 15-kW Harrison hydraulic generator, Federal Signal LED warning lights and two Hannay cord reels with 150' cords.
Pierce 920/832-3000; www.piercemfg.com Choose 121 at www.firerescuemagazine.com/rs
February 2010
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EmploymEnt FIRE & RESCUE CHIEF Goochland County, Virginia is seeking a dedicated highly motivated individual with strong leadership qualities and management experience to fill the rank of Fire & Rescue Chief. To obtain detailed information and a county application, please visit www.co.goochland.va.us. Or for more information please call (804) 556-5831 Deadline for applying is February 26, 2010. Equal Opportunity Employer
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ResponseTime
What’s in a Title? Ranks support an effective command culture
By Brian A. crawford
got a call the other day from a fire chief with a question about the proper use of titles in a fire organization. Tis chief was hired from the outside and when he took over the department, he soon realized that no one used official titles when addressing one another. No one! I know this goes on at some level in a lot of departments, but coming from an organization that has always staunchly used class titles, I was slightly taken aback by the revelation that a city department operated in this fashion. I imagined them functioning on the fireground: “Hey Jim, can you pull me a 1 ¾" and get with Tom on the C-side of the structure, where Marcus and Scott are trying to make entry into the second floor?” When the chief asked his members about it, the typical response was something to the effect of, “You want me to call my buddy Tom ‘Captain Smith’ just to pass the salt at the dinner table? Tat just doesn’t seem right.” I explained to the chief that not only was he dealing with a stroke-of-the-pen policy issue, but a much tougher cultural issue. Te first is easily remedied; the second, not so easy—but in the end, he needed to mandate the use of class titles, and he needed to do it quickly. It would be unpopular among the rank-and-file, but necessary for the greater good of the organization.
I
control. Whether at the firehouse or on the emergency scene, titles are not only important, but critical. In some organizations, the class title issue isn’t a standalone problem, but rather a symptom of a more complex issue. In my experience, organizations that are lax in their use of class titles are also loose with basic management principles of responsibility and accountability. Leaders in such organizations demonstrate a laissez-faire or free-rein management style, which allows subordinates to act with minimal or no direction. Tis hands-off management style may be OK for a weekend knitting group, but it can be catastrophic for a public safety agency. Some officers reading this article may argue that they allow their members not to use class titles and everything works just fine. Are you being honest with yourself? Failure to use class titles handicaps and marginalizes the importance of not you personally, but the position’s role and that of every officer in your organization. So, I’ll ask again: Why are you really allowing it? Is it because your department functions better without class titles, or is it because the members like it that way and you don’t want to rock the boat? If the latter is the case, step aside and let someone else lead your department, because you are failing.
SourceS of Authority
An honor
Now, I’m not, nor should anyone be, defined by their title. Te words “Captain” or “Chief” in front of your name don’t automatically provide you with credibility or respect. Achieved authority comes from what we call “referent power,” which is granted to you by the members of your organization and derived from your competencies and performance over time. But referent power accounts for only part of the authority matrix for fire service officers. Equally important is formal authority. Tis is the legal authority granted to you by the city, township, state, etc., to do your job and is symbolized by your class title. When combined, referent and formal authority provide an officer with the greatest ability to lead.
By not requiring the use of class titles at all levels, we minimize the importance of our profession and our respective roles. If it’s so irrelevant, then let’s just do away with uniforms, badges, name tags and fire department patches. Just have everyone wear the same uniform with just their first name sewed across the chest. It’s not just extinguishing fires or saving lives that makes the fire service great. In our own eyes and that of the public we serve, it’s also the pride, dedication and loyalty that we continually demonstrate. It’s the professionalism, respect and honor we display to everyone else, including our brothers and sisters, that makes us truly great. Calling someone captain or chief should not be viewed as a chore but rather an honor … for them and you.
Why titleS?
Brian A. Crawford is the fire chief for and a 25-year veteran of the Shreveport (La.) Fire Department. He is a National Fire Academy (NFA) resident instructor, a NFA Executive Fire Officer Program (EFO) graduate and an IAEM Certified Emergency Manager and Commissioner. He also holds the Chief Fire Officer (CFO) designation and is a member of the Institute of Fire Engineers. Crawford serves as chair for the Program Planning Committee of the International Association of Fire Chiefs. He holds a master’s degree in industrial psychology.
At its core, the use of proper class titles stems from the fact that the fire service is a paramilitary organization, and as such, members should demonstrate and maintain a high standard of discipline, order, uniformity, esprit de corps, chain-of-command, and command and
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