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Just Say No

As you probably already know, an unprecedented meeting of the American fire service met in Tampa back in 2004.  The Life Safety Task Force generated a list of 16 Life Safety Initiatives. I’m sure most of us had seen or heard them.  But, if you are truly dedicated to saving your lives and the lives of those on your department and your crew, you will have come pretty damn close to memorizing them.  Yes, they are that important.

I’d like to touch on one of those today. It is the fourth initiative, and it reads as follows:  “All firefighters must be empowered to stop unsafe practices.”

In preparation of our latest program over at Firefighter NetCast, I was exposed to the arguments both for and against the use of positive-pressure attack.  Chief John Kriska, a proponent of PPA, was the featured guest for the program which can be found at our site http://FirefighterNetCast.com or over at iTunes under firefighter podcasts.  I ran across what may well be the best video out there to demonstrate what happens when a PPV is set in a doorway and started before adequate thought is given to its potential effects.

I have accumulated a fair amount of training whether it has been in the classroom, at a controlled practical evolution, or on the fireground itself.   I know you have too, because I’ve seen you there as well, learning new ways to perform tasks, honing skills you’ve already learned, and perhaps even sharing your knowledge with others.

Help me then if you will, to figure out why we continue to see examples of near-fatal consequences on the videos regularly making the rounds on the internet?  Surely you know of a few of these head-shaking videos, and you may have seen this one as well.

This article is not meant to argue whether or not PPA/PPV should be used on your fireground.  Rather, as you watch the video, count how many “trained firefighters” it takes to kill an interior crew.  Take a peek:

As this video clearly shows, there are several on the fireground who seem to have forgotten some of the basic stuff we learned in our very first fire training classes: fire behavior.  As a “trained firefighter”, can you read the smoke?  Does it tell you what is happening inside this “box”?  Has the fire vented?  Will it?  What’s going to happen when it does vent?  Where do you want to be when this happens?  Would you have done anything differently before crawling inside?

Of course!

Sitting here in front of your computer monitor, not many of you would miss the signs of an impending hostile fire event, would you?  I wonder if the guys in this video would see the same signs if they were watching the video rather than performing the dance toward death.  If they were “trained” they probably would have seen the problems.  Why then, did no one speak up in a real situation?

I’ve seen it locally.  Firefighters with decades of experience seem to forget some of the basics.  Perhaps they take a shortcut, emboldened by the lack of disaster as their shortcut worked so many times before.  These are trained professional firefighters, many of them friends I have known for years.  They know better.  Why, then do we do stupid things on the fireground?

Maybe it’s because we have gotten away with it before.

Maybe it’s because no one stopped us before.

Maybe it’s because “that’s the way we’ve always done it.”

But, maybe our luck will run out one day, as it does about every 80 hours here in America.

As a firefighter, do you feel you have the ability, indeed the responsibility to say “NO” to your company officer?  As a company officer, do you feel you have the ability, indeed the responsibility, to say “NO” to your chief officer?

In this video, who should have said, “NO”?  Everyone.  Even the camera operator, if he/she were a “trained firefighter” should have the ability, indeed the responsibility, to keep our brothers and sisters from killing themselves, purely because we don’t feel it is our place to say “NO.”

Departmental policies, procedures, and guidelines must allow for “All firefighters must be empowered to stop unsafe practices.”

But moreover, each member must realize that they are not only able -but as trained firefighters- also responsible to stop unsafe practices.  We need to establish ownership of this responsibility.

If you or your department hasn’t made this paradigm shift, the time is yesterday.  Take your own steps now to enact each of the 16 Life Safety Initiatives.  Let each of us “trained professional firefighters” all work together to get the job done safely so we all go home at the end of the day.

Just say no.

Posted in Administration & Leadership, Change, Command & Leadership, Firefighter Safety & Health, Firefighters, Firefighting Operations, NetCast, Training, Videos, training-fire-rescue-topics

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Posted by John Mitchell on August 26, 2010 • View Comments

Explore the poisons in what we commonly call “smoke”

www.FirefighterNetCast.com

On Thursday, July 29th, Firefighter Netcast Presents The Voice of Reason will welcome special guest Shawn Longerich, Executive Director for the Cyanide Poisoning Treatment Coalition (CPTC) and can be found on the world wide web at www.FireSmoke.org.

The mission of the CPTC is to “focus the required attention and resources on the issues, the CPTC aims to increase awareness about the risk of fire smoke cyanide exposure as it relates to Awareness, Prevention, Protection, Detection, Diagnosis and Treatment”.

Please join Art and his guest, Shawn Longerich on Firefighter NetCast at 9:00 pm EDT on Thursday, July 29th for a very special evening as we explore the poisons in what we commonly call “smoke”.

Posted in Firefighter Safety & Health, In the Line of Duty, NetCast, training-fire-rescue-topics

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Posted by John Mitchell on July 28, 2010 • View Comments

Training Opportunity Video- Impress Upon Your Crews the Importance of Early Ladder Placement

I stumbled across this video of a firefighter who found himself in a situation requiring an immediate egress from a second floor window.  Unfortunately, he needed a ladder and “a little help here!”.  Then, almost simultaneously, he appeared at a different window.  Wait- no that’s a SECOND firefighter “needing a little help here.”
Whenever you have interior crews operating, it is imperative to quickly throw ladders to every potential point of egress.  Firefighters operating on the outside have the responsibility to their brothers and sisters inside to provide them with a viable escape option should it be needed.  We don’t have time to play ‘catch-up.’
Ladders are not decorations on your engines and trucks.  Take a look at your ‘burning box.’  Where will your crews most likely need a ladder?  Put one there before you need it.
In the following video should a second ladder have been placed as well?  A third?
Also note what comes out of his lungs as he coughs at 3:50.  What does he need right now?  Does he have it?  Why not?
In this video, we can’t be sure how long the interior operations had been going on.  However, by the time the need for a ladder was finally realized, they had to run and get one, then figure out which of the windows to place their single ladder.
Once again, we have an excellent opportunity to learn and improve based on previous mistakes.  Rather than criticize their actions, revise your own.
Ladder early, ladder often.  Stay stoked!
-J

Posted in Firefighting Operations, Training, Videos, training-fire-rescue-topics

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Posted by John Mitchell on May 10, 2010 • View Comments

Fire Daily’s Daily Fire- First Interstate Bank Fire

First Interstste Bank Fire

First Interstste Bank Fire

On May 4 and May 5 of 1988, nearly 400 LAFD firefighters busted their butts getting a handle on what was the largest high-rise fire in their history at the First Interstate Bank at 707 West Wilshire. It took 64 fire companies, 10 City rescue ambulances, 17 private ambulances, 4 helicopters, 53 Command Officers and support personnel, and considerable assistance from other City departments to bring this fire under control in about four hours.The firefight that night would eventually provide for the foundation of training for high-rise operations around the world.

Comprehensive coverage of the incident can be found in an article by FireRescue Magazine in todays FirefighterNation.com. It includes a  timeline of events and videos taken that day. FireRescue Magazine’s Editor in Chief Timothy Sendelbach offers some thought-provoking lessons learned:

“At the time, the First Interstate Bank Fire was said to be, “the high-rise fire that you can’t put out.” More than 20 years later, the largest high-rise fire in LAFD history continues to provide valuable lessons to urban and suburban firefighters throughout the country. While many of the lessons from this incident have been applied–in engineering, building construction, fire prevention and fire suppression–many more have since resurfaced with deadly consequences (in short, we failed to learn from the past) pressure-reducing valves, overtaxed communications, air operations, out-of-service sprinkler systems, command and control issues, etc…In reading the post-incident report and the numerous links related to this incident, few will argue that this incident should be (if it isn’t already) one of the most formidable tools in training today’s firefighters in the challenges and complexities of high-rise operations.”

Posted in Firefighting Operations, Fires, Major Incidents, Training, training-fire-rescue-topics

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Posted by John Mitchell on May 4, 2010 • View Comments

If We Do What We’ve Always Done, We’ll Get What We’ve Always Gotten…

The Worcester Cold Storage Warehouse Fire left the most indelible impression in my mind.

I imagined myself on the scene in one of three roles.  First, as a trapped firefighter in sheer terror wondering where the cavalry was.  Second, as a brother firefighter pleading, begging, nearly physically forcing his way past a Chief who would deny entry for yet another set of firefighters to die.  And finally, the Chief who denied entry, despite the verbal assaults, the M-Fing, and the physical altercation, stood his ground at the door denying the Worcester 6 would become the Worcester 8 or the Worcester 12.  Although I imagined myself in all three of these positions, I could never truly comprehend the raw emotion on that fireground that day.

God bless them all.

I could rehash the story of the Worcester 6, but it has been so heavily publicized by authors much more capable than I.  I won’t waste your time with my retelling of one of the most tragic incidents in fire service history.

I would rather take the opportunity offered by the First Due Blog Carnival to express my disgust with those in the service who make no changes to the way their agency operates based on the findings of the NIOSH reports.  It’s not that the reports are hard to find, they are rubbed in our noses constantly.  Why?  Because many are not doing a damn thing on a local level from lessons learned by brave firefighters who have paid the ultimate sacrifice.

If this applies to you, shame on you.

Make it a point to go over the recommendations offered and apply them to your agency.  Make it a training opportunity so that each of your firefighters can learn the lessons of those who have gone before them.  Challenge your members to get involved and create an atmosphere of open and robust communication designed to make the changes necessary to ensure that your department is not the next department highlighted by NIOSH.  Sadly we are in the mindset that this stuff only happens to the other department.  Guess what?  To those departments, WE are the other department.

If you can’t do this, then relinquish your position of leadership to someone who gives a damn about their firefighters.

Late last year, I randomly selected several NIOSH reports and culled their recommendations.  See if you can detect a pattern.  See if your department can benefit by a change in your procedures, your approach, your mindset, based on the recommendations offered.

Make a difference.  Do it now.

Allow me to cheat a bit by re-posting the information as my contribution to this month’s First Due Blog Carnival.  Special thanks to Bill Carey of BackstepFirefighter for hosting this month’s topic.

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I see that NIOSH reports have popped up on the radar of the blogosphere recently.  Frankly, I’m surprised at the heat a few have been giving them.  Maybe I’ve been missing something (it’s happened before). So I took a closer look.
We already know that heart attacks and traffic accidents are the main murderers of us firefighters, so I’m sure we’ve already dedicated the necessary resources to firefighter health and safety initiatives and accident scene safeguards to keep these killers from having free reign over our troops.
Right?
So, I went to the Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation Reports page from NIOSH and randomly picked 5 of the reports with deaths involving fire suppression. I was looking for patterns. Guess what I found….
NIOSH Report 2008-26

A residential basement fire had been burning for over 30 minutes. A crew was directed to enter the first floor to perform horizontal ventilation and found a spongy floor. The last (victim) of the four-man crew was just about out when the floor collapsed into the basement on top of working crews. Heavy smoke conditions hampered efforts to locate the victim and he died on the scene.

Among the NIOSH recommendations:

Sizeup, Risk/Gain “ensure that the incident commander (IC) conducts a 360 degree size-up which includes risk versus gain analysis prior to committing interior operations and continues risk assessments throughout the operations”

SOP’s/SOG’s- “ensure that standard operating procedures are established for a basement fire”

Coordinated Ventilation- “ensure that proper ventilation is done to improve interior conditions and is coordinated with the interior attack”

TIC- “ensure that interior crews are equipped with a thermal imaging camera”

RIT/RIC- “ensure that Rapid Intervention Teams are staged and ready”

NIOSH Report 2008-34

One of only three firefighters on the scene, the victim entered a burning residence alone with a partially-charged 1 ½ inch line and became lost in thick-black smoke, radioing for help from the other two. They couldn’t locate him, a flashover occurred, and the home became fully engulfed. A cop found him an hour later.

Among the NIOSH recommendations:

Size-up, Risk/Gain- “ensure that officers and fire fighters know how to evaluate risk versus gain and perform a thorough scene size-up before initiating interior strategies and tactics”

SOP’s/SOG’s- “develop, implement, and enforce written standard operating procedures (SOPs) for fireground operations”

Staffing- “ensure that adequate numbers of apparatus and fire fighters are on scene before initiating an offensive fire attack in a structure fire”

Coordinated Ventilation- “ensure that properly coordinated ventilation is conducted on structure fires”

RIT/RIC- “ensure that a rapid intervention team (RIT) is established and available at structure fires”

SCBA- “ensure fire fighters are trained in essential self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) and emergency survival skills”

Mayday- “ensure that protocols are developed on issuing a Mayday so that fire fighters and dispatch centers know how to respond”

NIOSH Report 2008-08

30 minutes into a residential fire, crews had been pulled out. A decision was made to send a crew back in to extinguish the fire. A crew of 3 (A/C, Capt, FF) made their way into the basement of the burning structure with an 1¾ line. One by one they evacuated due to conditions. The third never came up the stairs. RIT was activated but repelled by the heat. Victim found an hour later.

Among the NIOSH recommendations:

Risk vs. Gain- “ensure that the Incident Commander continuously evaluates the risks versus gain when determining whether the fire suppression operation will be offensive or defensive“

SOP’s/SOG’s- “review, revise as necessary, and enforce standard operating guidelines (SOGs) to include specific procedures for basement fires and two-in/ two-out procedures“

TIC- “enforce standard operating guidelines (SOGs) regarding thermal imaging camera (TIC) use during interior operations“

Mayday- “ensure that fire fighters are trained on initiating Mayday radio transmissions immediately when they are in distress, and/or become lost or trapped“

NIOSH Report 2008-06

Without the protection of a charged hoseline, a Lt and FF (victim) were searching a 2-story residence for a trapped occupant. They did not know where the victim was and had no TIC. Conditions deteriorated, trapping the two on the second floor. The LT exited the front door and RIT was deployed to get the victim. Both were hospitalized and the victim succumbed to burn injuries 5 days later.

Among the NIOSH recommendations:

Size-up- “ensure the Incident Commander receives pertinent information during the size-up (i.e., type of structure, number of occupants in the structure, etc.) from occupants on scene and that information is relayed to crews upon arrival”

SOP’s/SOG’s- “develop, implement, and enforce written standard operating procedures (SOPs) for fireground operations”

Coordinated Ventilation- “ensure ventilation is coordinated with interior fireground operations”

TIC- “ensure that fire fighters conducting an interior search have a thermal imaging camera”

Mayday- “ensure that Mayday protocols are developed and followed”

NIOSH Report 2007-32

Two firefighters died while conducting an interior attack to locate, confine, and extinguish a fire located in the cockloft of a restaurant. One victim had been flowing water into the cockloft from the kitchen, another had been checking for fire extension in the main dining area. At about 5 minutes in, a rapid fire event occurred.

Among the NIOSH recommendations:

Size-up- Risk vs. Gain- “ensure that the incident commander conducts an initial size-up and risk assessment of the incident scene before beginning interior fire fighting operations and continually evaluates the conditions to determine if the operations should become defensive”

SOP’s/SOG’s- “develop, implement and enforce written standard operating procedures (SOPs) that address the hazards and define the strategies and tactics to be used while operating at specific structures known as “taxpayers”

Coordinated Ventilation- “ensure that fire fighters understand the influence of ventilation on fire behavior and coordinate with interior fire suppression operations”

RIT/RIC- “ensure that a rapid intervention crew (RIC) / rapid intervention team (RIT) is established and available to immediately respond to emergency rescue incidents”

TIC- “use thermal imaging cameras (TICs) during the initial size-up and search phases of a fire”

Any patterns?
Size-up, Risk vs. Gain- Does your first in crew perform a 360 and report an accurate size up of conditions to all others? Is a risk vs. gain assessment actually made? Are your initial tactics based upon these findings?
Why not? Didn’t you try to implement the NIOSH recommendations to keep from killing your firefighters?
Are your SOP’s/SOG’s current to the ever-changing tasks being performed at your incidents? Do you follow them? Do you even have any?
Why not? Didn’t you try to implement the NIOSH recommendations to keep from killing your firefighters?
Is ventilation performed early and integrated with your interior attack? Or has ventilation worked its way down to fifth or sixth on your list of priorities? After all, it will eventually vent itself.
Why not? Didn’t you try to implement the NIOSH recommendations to keep from killing your firefighters?
Is a RIT/RIC established early on? If you don’t have the personnel to form a RIT/RIC, do you have a mutual aid response to give you the number of firefighters needed to operate safely?
Why not? Didn’t you try to implement the NIOSH recommendations to keep from killing your firefighters?
Does your department have at least one Thermal Imaging Camera? It’s been called the best thing since SCBA in many firefighting circles. You have SCBA, right? Does your department know to call a Mayday early? Too macho to call it? Does EVERYONE ON THE SCENE know what to do when a Mayday is called?
Why not? Didn’t you try to implement the NIOSH recommendations to keep from killing your firefighters?
WHY ARE WE NOT FOLLOWING THROUGH?
Are the reports too difficult to understand? Perhaps we need to dumb them down or fluff them up? Fine. I’m all for whatever it takes.
But let’s not forget that the reports are just that- reports. We need to make the changes, NIOSH ain’t gonna do that for us.
So read the reports, see how they killed our brothers, and take a hard look at how you and your department operate.
THEN IMPLEMENT THE CHANGES YOU NEED TO KEEP YOUR GUYS ALIVE.
Because if we continue to do it the same way, we’ll get what we’ve always gotten. Another NIOSH report with the same ol’ stuff.

Posted in Administration & Leadership, Change, Command & Leadership, Firefighting Operations, Funding & Staffing, In the Line of Duty, LODD, Leadership, Line of Duty, Never Forget, News, Staffing, Training, Training & Development, WTF?, training-fire-rescue-topics

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Posted by John Mitchell on April 28, 2010 • View Comments

Fire Daily’s Back Page- Are We On The Same Page?

“MAYDAY, MAYDAY!”

Did you get enough training so far this week?  Because you are a proud and professional firefighter, I already know your answer.  So allow me to offer some more.

Here’s a little something to think about:

Is everyone on the same page regarding MAYDAY’s on the Fireground?

Many departments have “talked” about MAYDAY’s, maybe even practiced one on that burn down in September, remember?  No, seriously, do you remember?

MAYDAY’s are like aircraft crashes- very rare but we’d better be ready to act decisively when they occur.  This is when you need to be at your peak performance.  It’s Showtime.

  • Have you put much thought into what you should do if confronted with a situation in which you need to initiate a MAYDAY?
  • Do you know what information to give on the radio?
  • Have you heard of the acronym LUNAR?  Quick- what does it stand for?
  • As you come to realize you are having the worse day of your life, will you able to verbalize that information succinctly and effectively?
  • How will the other members of your own company respond to a MAYDAY report from a company operating nearby?
  • Is some form personal accountability utilized on EVERY incident?

The time to answer these questions is now, BEFORE the crisis, so that your actions will be effective and REFLEXIVE.  Your ability to respond to this nightmarish event WILL make the difference between a successful outcome and a department funeral.

So What Should I Do?

Start with a thorough review your department’s SOP’s/SOG’s on initiating and reacting to a fireground MAYDAY. Sit down with your company and make sure that you understand what will be expected of you should a MAYDAY occur.

Sadly, there are still some departments out there without an SOP/SOG for MAYDAY’s.  If that’s your case, don’t let that stop you.  Step up.  Draft one up with your group and submit it to the proper people on your department.  Get the ball rolling.  It’s your ass on the line, too.

Practice verbalizing your own MAYDAY.  Actually performing this task will make it more AUTOMATIC for you when the feces hits the fan.  That’s where you want to be in your head- AUTOMATICALLY ACTING.

Review the responsibilities of each crew operating at your incident when a MAYDAY is called.  Do you drop everything and save the firefighter?  Ignoring the fire can kill your trapped comrades, as well as those who need to effect a rescue.

Bottom Line: Everyone on your department needs to be on the same page so that you act REFLEXIVELY and EFFICIENTLY together when a MAYDAY is called.

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Watch this video from the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation ‘Courage to be Safe Program’ of a MAYDAY in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  It will get your juices flowing to make sure you are all on the same page

» The Mayday – “Are you ready?”
Kevin Sehlmeyer, Chief of Training, Grand Rapids Fire Department (MI)

Next Steps:

If you haven’t already done so, visit the Everyone Goes Home Website and take advantage of the Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives Resource Kit Volumes 1 – 4.  DVD’s 1, 2, and 3 offered for viewing on this page.

Then click here to request a copy of DVD #4 be sent to you free of charge.

Finally, share them with every firefighter you can.  Keep on training. Help spread the word.

Help get your team better prepared so that Everyone Goes Home.

Stay Stoked!

-J

-Send me a note on a MAYDAY in which you may have been involved.

Share your experience so that others may benefit.

Posted in Close Calls, Firefighter Safety & Health, Firefighting Operations, Training, Videos, training-fire-rescue-topics

Posted by John Mitchell on February 25, 2010 • View Comments

Open Phones Night over at Firefighter NetCast- Tuesday at 9pm ET

Firefighter Netcast is live again this Tuesday night at 9pm ET.  Join me and my co-host Rhett Fleitz (FireCritic) for the first “Open Phones Night” in which you- the caller- decide the direction of discussion.

As usual, Rhett and I will have our own takes on a few of the more interesting and notable firefighter stories out there.  We’ll also have a new Training Drill Bit as well as another look at the upcoming events at FDIC in Indianapolis in April.

Join us to participate either by phone or in the live chat room, or feel free to just listen in.

Of course, if you can’t join us live, we’ll always be available at iTunes where you can subscribe to our show and download past shows to your iPod or other mP3 player to listen to at your leisure.

All the information can be found at the Firefighter NetCast website.

Posted in NetCast, Tips and Tricks, Training, training-fire-rescue-topics

Posted by John Mitchell on February 21, 2010 • View Comments

Indoor Video of a Catastrophic Fire Event

I’ve read about and heard from a few firefighters who have told me that they were in a room which flashed.

The mere fact that they are able to relate such an experience is almost always a clear indication that a flashover did not occur.  Certainly some type of catastrophic fire event (CFE) took place, but in all likelihood, no one survives a flashover and lives to tell about it.

So what happened?

A trick question that always gets my students is:  Does it really matter what type of CFE it truly is?

The answer is hell yes!  Why?

If we want our crews to survive, we need to constantly be aware of the what’s going on inside the burning box we’re crawling through.  Different CFE’s give different clues as to what will be occurring next.  Recognizing these clues will make the difference between crawling out of the structure, or being carried out by your brothers.

In the spirit of training, here is a cool video (from fireman985 over at FireRescue1.com)  of a catastrophic fire event taken from five feet outside the door of the room.  Watch it closely as it develops, then make your guess as to what type of CFE it may be.

Above all, learn to recognize these clues and keep your brain engaged constantly next time you’re crawling through that burning box.


FlashoverTV is powered by FireRescue1.com

This is a flashover as viewed from 5 ft away from the doorway. The fire was allowed to continue on purpose to achieve the flashover. I captured the footage with my special camera. A secondary smoke explosion in the attic blew two sheets of tin off. I use the footage for training. Hope you can use it for instruction as well.- fireman985

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Posted in Firefighting Operations, Training, Videos, training-fire-rescue-topics

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Posted by John Mitchell on February 3, 2010 • View Comments

360 Burn Size Up of the Fire Web- 1/13/10

And the Winner is……….

Mark Glencourse, the creator of Medic999, emerged victorious in what ended up to be a neck-and-neck race to the finish for the Best Fire/EMS Blog of 2009.  Congratulations, Mark!

FireGeezer sure gave him a run for his money, as they each traded leads in the exciting final stretch.  But Mark had an entire Kingdom of loyal readers mobilized and they came through as the contest ended last night. He stayed up late (1:00 am UK time) to take the honor of becoming the first guest on the live premiere edition of FirefighterNetCast to accept his “award”.

Obvious to all but the most childish (;->), no one here wanted an Oscar or was hurt because they weren’t considered or didn’t win.

There are no trophies, but there is the sheer triumphant joy of “bragging rights”. Those that truly know the fire and EMS services can appreciate the value bragging rights bring.

On the NetCast, Mark spoke eloquently to the goal of the “contest”: a means by which to expand the awareness of so many excellent bloggers out there, whether in the contest or not.

He is “spot-on” (methinks is a favourite saying acrost the pond) with that viewpoint.   We really are fortunate to have so many high-quality bloggers sharing their thoughts, views, and perspectives.  If you have a few favorites which you regularly visit, be sure to take time to check out some of the other talent out there as well.

To those of us who lost and have the bitter taste of defeat today- I say- wash that taste away with a high-end lager and say what we always say here in in The Windy City (home of the Cubs): “Just wait ‘til next year!”

You can read Mark’s reaction to his win here.

Appreciation must go out to my buddy and partner Rhett Fleitz over at FireCritic for spending is valuable time, talent, and treasure in creating and hosting the contest.  If he wasn’t running the project, there is no doubt you would have seen FireCritic vying for the gold as well.

Also a quick shout-out to my Mom- Hi Mom, thanks for voting for me!  Yep, just you and 14 others!  No, it’s OK, I’m fine.  Again…

Congratulations again to Mark, as well as all the other fire and EMS bloggers.  Let the 2010 games begin now!

Helmet Cam and the Outside Vent Guy

Speaking of excellence in fire/EMS blogging, head on over to Traditions Training Blog and catch an excellent helmet-cam video of DC Firefighter Joe Brown as he performs the tasks as the “Outside Vent Guy”.  While viewing the video, Joe adds important training tips on laddering, opening up windows, gaining access, and vent-enter-search practices.  This is a must-see video for any firefighter that wants to be on top of his game as a truckie.

You may also want to check out Joe in yet another DC Fire helmet cam video of ”Outside Vent Guy” at my earlier post, “Be This Guy.”

We are so pleased to have Traditions Training Blog as one of our newest partners here on FireEMSblogs.  Traditions Training is composed of fire department veterans from around the country, including the Washington, D.C. metro area and City of New York. The mission of Traditions Training is to teach “beyond the book” and provide knowledge and skills that will enhance your safety, efficiency, and knowledge as a firefighter.  Be sure to bookmark them and stop in regularly!

Too Aggressive or Too Safety-Conscious?

One other member new to FireEMSblogs.com, but certainly a seasoned veteran fire chief and nationally-recognized fire service leader and educator, Christopher J. Naum joins us with his newest blog The Company Officer.

In a recent post entitled Company Fortitude & Courage to be Safety Conscious,  Chris tells us that “dynamic risks must be managed at the company level with a balanced approach of effective assessment, analysis and probability within company and command decision making that results in safety conscious strategies and tactics.”

Does your company have this level of courage, or is there room to evaluate your ability to recognize the situation and adjust the manner in which you accomplish your fireground tasks?  Let this blog plant a seed in your head as you embark out into the new year.

Content Was King!

A final thank you to all who listened and participated in the live premier of Firefighter NetCast Tuesday night.  Despite the technical glitches that seem to always be lurking in the shadows, Rhett and I were absolutely thrilled and honored to have the caliber of discussion and listener participation to make the show truly special.  Special thanks to our featured guest, Bill Carey over at Backstep Firefighter for his vast knowledge and continued focus on Line of Duty Deaths.

A live netcast brings special surprises, as we found out by calls from Chief Art Goodrich (Chief Reason Art) and Christopher Naum (see above).  The interaction between these three guests was simply extraordinary.  I believe this may have been the first time these gentlemen spoke together on one show, as well as relating to input from our listeners in the live chat room.  We are indeed proud to be a part of that.

If you missed it, you can link to the raw feed at our site (hurry, before I have a chance to splice and dice out the glitches!) and make it available on iTunes.

Our next NetCast will also be live, this time at 9pm ET on February 4.  The featured topic will be Old School vs. New School and Social Media.  All the information can be found here.  We hope you can join us!

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Human Horror

As we watch the unimaginable human horror unfolding in Haiti where thousands have perished in the most intense earthquake there in 200 years, our hearts pour out to all those affected.  On a personal note, our family has an adopted child next door in the Dominican Republic and despite several attempts, we still aren’t able to determine her conditions.  Please pray for all of the victims.

We are so proud of the USAR teams and other specialized rescue workers from the United States who are either mobilizing now or are already on scene doing what they do best.

An earthquake survivor carries a small baby in a shanty town on the outskirts of Port au Prince, following a major earthquake in Haiti, Tuesday Jan. 12, 2010. (AP Photo/Matt Marek/American Red Cross, ho)

Posted in 360 Burn, Command & Leadership, Disasters, Firefighter Safety & Health, Firefighting Operations, In the Line of Duty, LODD, Leadership, Line of Duty, NetCast, News, Tips and Tricks, Training, Training & Development, Videos, training-fire-rescue-topics

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Posted by John Mitchell on January 13, 2010 • View Comments

If You Had Something Valuable, Would You Share It With Your Crew? You Do! And You Should!

SHARE THE WEALTH!

Yesterday, I ran a post focusing on quick, simple, and innovative tailboard training sessions.  Those of us who see the length and breadth of all four seasons, including the frosty bite of Old Man Winter, have come up with a few great ideas to train on a small scale- say a company of 3- inside on your bay floor.  I asked if you might want to SHARE THE WEALTH with the rest of us looking to become better at what we do.

The results are quite impressive.  Dozens of ideas have flooded in already, and not one is a repeat of another.  You can submit your drill suggestions simply by commenting on this post, or by emailing me at blog@firedaily.com.  Keep them coming, we’ll be sharing them all shortly.

We can’t speak about SHARING THE WEALTH without again giving a shout-out to our friends at VentEnterSearch.com.  I have yet to find a better site devoted to forcible entry and rescue techniques.  Specifically, they feature a page called Tips From the Bucket of submissions from their readers sharing their wealth.  If you have a moment, page through their site- you’ll find them quite interesting!

Don’t forget to vote for your favorite Fire EMS Blog of the Year 2009.  You can vote every six hours until the polls close January 12 at 17:59 hrs ET.  The winner will be announced on the live premiere episode of the Firefighter NetCast Tuesday night at 8pm ET.  Check out the Firefighter NetCast website for all the details and links.

* * * * *

Many of you have changed shifts this new year.

Perhaps you are working for a new company officer or B/C.  The fire service is a dynamic, ever-changing experience.  Whether you feel you’ve made a move for the better or otherwise, look to your new changes as a perfect opportunity.

You now have an opportunity to learn from a new cache of individual knowledge from your new partners, or offer your own bits of wisdom to them. In either case, your opportunity to SHARE THE WEALTH results in a team that becomes better prepared to meet the challenges we all face in the coming year.  It sounds cliché, but if you strive for professionalism, you’ll probably get there sooner than you think!

Again, keep the suggestions for tailboard training drills coming, and stay warm out there!

Stay Stoked!

-J

Firefighter NetCast Premieres Live Tuesday, January 12 at 8pm ET

Click the logo above for more info

Posted in Brotherhood, In Da House, Tips and Tricks, Training, Training & Development, training-fire-rescue-topics

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Posted by John Mitchell on January 11, 2010 • View Comments

What Simple “Tailboard Drills” Have You Found Valuable?

Baby it’s cold outside.  It’s our busy season.

That’s why it’s so important to stay on top of our game, now more than ever.

It’s a great time for a simple “tailboard drill.”

I’m looking for your suggestions on quick company drills that you have found to be great ways to spend a few minutes while stuck inside.

Let’s gather some ideas and we’ll use them on a future Firefighter NetCast as well!


Firefighter NetCastEpisode 1- Live Premiere Tuesday, January 12 at 8pm ET

Posted in In Da House, NetCast, Tips and Tricks, Training, Training & Development, training-fire-rescue-topics

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Posted by John Mitchell on January 10, 2010 • View Comments

The Ghosts of Fires Past

In January of 2002, a fatal fire broke out in the Plaza on DeWitt condominium hi-rise at 260 East Chestnut in Chicago.  In that fire several firefighters were injured and residents were rescued from the building’s roof where they were forced to flee to escape severe smoke conditions.

A few mornings ago as reported here on Fire Daily, history repeated itself.  As the first brutally cold and windy night of winter charged into the city, fully one-third of the on-duty personnel of Chicago’s firefighters were again called to the Plaza on DeWitt.  The 36th floor fire was again fatal; again eight firefighters were injured; several residents again were rescued from the building’s roof where they were forced to escape severe smoke conditions.

A little over a week ago on December 3, we all took pause to remember the Worcester Cold Storage Warehouse fire of ten years ago.  Six firefighters lost their lives that day on an interior rescue for squatters believed to be inside the old building.

Yesterday, history again repeated itself.

A two-alarm blaze in a vacant South Boston warehouse yesterday was eerily reminiscent of the Worcester fire.  Boston Fire Rescue Company 1 was advised that the building was known to be occupied by squatters and people may be trapped inside.  They entered, split into two groups and began their search.  Two of Boston’s bravest tripped and fell into FOUR FEET of standing water during the effort.

One of the firefighters was able to feel his way up some stairs and found the lone occupant who had become disoriented in the heavy smoke conditions.  That firefighter, 63-year old John Smith, a FORTY YEAR VETERAN FIREFIGHTER. led the man outside to waiting EMS workers.

The report from the Boston Globe describes the scene:

“Fire officials said the rescued man was one of several people living in the warehouse. Inside the building, an intricately organized squatters’ residence could be seen, with beds, televisions, microwaves, and even a stocked kitchen setup, complete with a spice rack. Fire officials said yesterday that the legally vacant building was even wired for electricity.

South Boston is home to an array of warehouses and industrial-type buildings, and fire officials know that homeless people gather here.

“Since Worcester, there’s been a heightened awareness among firefighters’’ as they go about their searches,” (Boston Fire Department Spokesman Steve) MacDonald said.

Smith said his crew stayed focused on saving anyone who might be inside the warehouse yesterday. “This is a prime spot for homeless people at this time of year,’’ he said. “Inside these buildings, they can set up quite a bit of housekeeping and stay there for quite some time.’’

The firefighters in Massachusetts and Chicago have witnessed history repeating itself.

Because they applied knowledge gained from these previous incidents, they were better prepared to handle the next incident.

Here is tangible proof that the Worcester 6 an others like them have not died in vain.

We have learned from their tragedy and all become better prepared to handle the next call where history will invariably repeat itself.

Again.

Stay stoked!

-J

Posted in Chicagoland, Close Calls, Major Incidents, News, Rescues, Tips and Tricks, Tradition, Training, training-fire-rescue-topics

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Posted by John Mitchell on December 14, 2009 • View Comments

360 Burn Size-up of the Fire Web 12/12/09

The New Haven 20 Finally Get Their Due

Amid blaring bagpipes, the crowd erupted with even louder cheers, whistles and shouts when firefighters entered a high school auditorium to receive their promotional badges after a 5-year legal battle that ended with a U.S. Supreme Court victory. Read more on the promotions of the group who became known as the New Haven 20 and the finish line they crossed yesterday in a contest that began back in 2003.

Berkshire County Loses National/Local Treasure

A five alarm fire marks the end of a historic and beloved building in the Massachusetts Berkshires this week.  The Egremont Inn is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, having been around since before the American Revolution.  The three-story wood frame structure did not have a sprinkler system.  Of course, the cause has not yet been determined.  One firefighter suffered minor injuries. Read more from the Boston Globe here.

VIDEO:  When it becomes second nature, training can save your life.

Toronto firefighters on a residential second-floor interior attack forced to bailout a window and down a ladder.  See how each firefighter came down the ladder and file it away in your memory banks under training.  Also a great “Reading Smoke” video…


FlashoverTV is powered by FireRescue1.com

Posted in 360 Burn, Administration & Leadership, Close Calls, Firefighter Safety & Health, Firefighters, Fires, Major Incidents, News, Training, Videos, training-fire-rescue-topics

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Posted by John Mitchell on December 12, 2009 • View Comments

360 Burn Size-up of the Fire Web 12/3/2009

Ten Years Ago Today

On December 3, 1999, the Worcester Cold Storage Warehouse Fire took the lives of six firefighters.  Head on over to FirefighterCloseCalls.com for a full report, complete with links to articles, photos, audio, and much more.

Follow that up with a read of an article entitled “A Chief’s Perspective” by retired Worcester District Fire Chief Michael O. McNamee and hope you never have to go through his nightmare. With trapped crews inside and after others had gone in to save them,  Chief McNamee ordered that no more firefighters go in.  He was met with heated threats of physical violence by his firefighters on the scene, many demanding to allow them to go in to rescue their brothers.  But he hung firm- and in doing so stopped that massive fire from killing any more of his men that night.  Thanks, Chief.  Use the information at FirefighterCloseCalls.com to create a training session for everyone on your department, especially for the newer guys who may never have heard the tragic details.

More is Less is Less is More

Did you catch the post by FireGeezer on Tuesday about the Newark (OH) fire chief who did the math?  Turns out that hiring more firefighters resulted in less overtime costs (way less).  Read the story about how fire chief Jack Stickradt was able to show the city manager how it could be done, after which the mayor followed suit.  Now with more firefighters, there’s les OT, less injuries, and more safety.  Hmmm.I’ve always wondered why a municipality would want to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars rather than hire more people…

Next on the horizon for firefighters?   Personal air conditioning…ahhhhhh…

Colorado State University engineering professors are using a $917,000 Fire Prevention and Safety Grant to develop technology that would protect firefighters’ cardiovascular health and stave off heat stress. Researchers will use a device called the SCAMP (Super Critical Air Mobility Pack) device from Niwot Technologies that can cool firefighters and hazmat teams as they work. SCAMP was developed for and used by NASA astronauts 20 years ago and uses cryogenically-cooled air in a thin compact case. Their work looks to help alleviate the number one cause of firefighter line-of-duty deaths (cardiovascular failure- 43% of all deaths) by providing up to four hours of purified air and body cooling. See more here.

Posted in 360 Burn, Command & Leadership, Firefighter Safety & Health, Funding & Staffing, In the Line of Duty, LODD, Leadership, Line of Duty, Major Incidents, Never Forget, News, Staffing, training-fire-rescue-topics

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Posted by John Mitchell on December 3, 2009 • View Comments

If We Do What We’ve Always Done, We’ll Get What We’ve Always Gotten…

I see that NIOSH reports have popped up on the radar of the blogosphere recently.  Frankly, I’m surprised at the heat a few have been giving them.  Maybe I’ve been missing something (it’s happened before). So I took a closer look.
We already know that heart attacks and traffic accidents are the main murderers of us firefighters, so I’m sure we’ve already dedicated the necessary resources to firefighter health and safety initiatives and accident scene safeguards to keep these killers from having free reign over our troops.
Right?
So, I went to the Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation Reports page from NIOSH and randomly picked 5 of the reports with deaths involving fire suppression. I was looking for patterns. Guess what I found….
NIOSH Report 2008-26
A residential basement fire had been burning for over 30 minutes. A crew was directed to enter the first floor to perform horizontal ventilation and found a spongy floor. The last (victim) of the four-man crew was just about out when the floor collapsed into the basement on top of working crews. Heavy smoke conditions hampered efforts to locate the victim and he died on the scene.

Among the NIOSH recommendations:

Sizeup, Risk/Gain “ensure that the incident commander (IC) conducts a 360 degree size-up which includes risk versus gain analysis prior to committing interior operations and continues risk assessments throughout the operations”

SOP’s/SOG’s- “ensure that standard operating procedures are established for a basement fire”

Coordinated Ventilation- “ensure that proper ventilation is done to improve interior conditions and is coordinated with the interior attack”

TIC- “ensure that interior crews are equipped with a thermal imaging camera”

RIT/RIC- “ensure that Rapid Intervention Teams are staged and ready”

NIOSH Report 2008-34

One of only three firefighters on the scene, the victim entered a burning residence alone with a partially-charged 1 ½ inch line and became lost in thick-black smoke, radioing for help from the other two. They couldn’t locate him, a flashover occurred, and the home became fully engulfed. A cop found him an hour later.

Among the NIOSH recommendations:

Size-up, Risk/Gain- “ensure that officers and fire fighters know how to evaluate risk versus gain and perform a thorough scene size-up before initiating interior strategies and tactics”

SOP’s/SOG’s- “develop, implement, and enforce written standard operating procedures (SOPs) for fireground operations”

Staffing- “ensure that adequate numbers of apparatus and fire fighters are on scene before initiating an offensive fire attack in a structure fire”

Coordinated Ventilation- “ensure that properly coordinated ventilation is conducted on structure fires”

RIT/RIC- “ensure that a rapid intervention team (RIT) is established and available at structure fires”

SCBA- “ensure fire fighters are trained in essential self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) and emergency survival skills”

Mayday- “ensure that protocols are developed on issuing a Mayday so that fire fighters and dispatch centers know how to respond”

NIOSH Report 2008-08

30 minutes into a residential fire, crews had been pulled out. A decision was made to send a crew back in to extinguish the fire. A crew of 3 (A/C, Capt, FF) made their way into the basement of the burning structure with an 1¾ line. One by one they evacuated due to conditions. The third never came up the stairs. RIT was activated but repelled by the heat. Victim found an hour later.

Among the NIOSH recommendations:

Risk vs. Gain- “ensure that the Incident Commander continuously evaluates the risks versus gain when determining whether the fire suppression operation will be offensive or defensive“

SOP’s/SOG’s- “review, revise as necessary, and enforce standard operating guidelines (SOGs) to include specific procedures for basement fires and two-in/ two-out procedures“

TIC- “enforce standard operating guidelines (SOGs) regarding thermal imaging camera (TIC) use during interior operations“

Mayday- “ensure that fire fighters are trained on initiating Mayday radio transmissions immediately when they are in distress, and/or become lost or trapped“

NIOSH Report 2008-06

Without the protection of a charged hoseline, a Lt and FF (victim) were searching a 2-story residence for a trapped occupant. They did not know where the victim was and had no TIC. Conditions deteriorated, trapping the two on the second floor. The LT exited the front door and RIT was deployed to get the victim. Both were hospitalized and the victim succumbed to burn injuries 5 days later.

Among the NIOSH recommendations:

Size-up- “ensure the Incident Commander receives pertinent information during the size-up (i.e., type of structure, number of occupants in the structure, etc.) from occupants on scene and that information is relayed to crews upon arrival”

SOP’s/SOG’s- “develop, implement, and enforce written standard operating procedures (SOPs) for fireground operations”

Coordinated Ventilation- “ensure ventilation is coordinated with interior fireground operations”

TIC- “ensure that fire fighters conducting an interior search have a thermal imaging camera”

Mayday- “ensure that Mayday protocols are developed and followed”

NIOSH Report 2007-32

Two firefighters died while conducting an interior attack to locate, confine, and extinguish a fire located in the cockloft of a restaurant. One victim had been flowing water into the cockloft from the kitchen, another had been checking for fire extension in the main dining area. At about 5 minutes in, a rapid fire event occurred.

Among the NIOSH recommendations:

Size-up- Risk vs. Gain- “ensure that the incident commander conducts an initial size-up and risk assessment of the incident scene before beginning interior fire fighting operations and continually evaluates the conditions to determine if the operations should become defensive”

SOP’s/SOG’s- “develop, implement and enforce written standard operating procedures (SOPs) that address the hazards and define the strategies and tactics to be used while operating at specific structures known as “taxpayers”

Coordinated Ventilation- “ensure that fire fighters understand the influence of ventilation on fire behavior and coordinate with interior fire suppression operations”

RIT/RIC- “ensure that a rapid intervention crew (RIC) / rapid intervention team (RIT) is established and available to immediately respond to emergency rescue incidents”

TIC- “use thermal imaging cameras (TICs) during the initial size-up and search phases of a fire”

Any patterns?
Size-up, Risk vs. Gain- Does your first in crew perform a 360 and report an accurate size up of conditions to all others? Is a risk vs. gain assessment actually made? Are your initial tactics based upon these findings?
Why not? Didn’t you try to implement the NIOSH recommendations to keep from killing your firefighters?
Are your SOP’s/SOG’s current to the ever-changing tasks being performed at your incidents? Do you follow them? Do you even have any?
Why not? Didn’t you try to implement the NIOSH recommendations to keep from killing your firefighters?
Is ventilation performed early and integrated with your interior attack? Or has ventilation worked its way down to fifth or sixth on your list of priorities? After all, it will eventually vent itself.
Why not? Didn’t you try to implement the NIOSH recommendations to keep from killing your firefighters?
Is a RIT/RIC established early on? If you don’t have the personnel to form a RIT/RIC, do you have a mutual aid response to give you the number of firefighters needed to operate safely?
Why not? Didn’t you try to implement the NIOSH recommendations to keep from killing your firefighters?
Does your department have at least one Thermal Imaging Camera? It’s been called the best thing since SCBA in many firefighting circles. You have SCBA, right? Does your department know to call a Mayday early? Too macho to call it? Does EVERYONE ON THE SCENE know what to do when a Mayday is called?
Why not? Didn’t you try to implement the NIOSH recommendations to keep from killing your firefighters?
WHY ARE WE NOT FOLLOWING THROUGH?
Are the reports too difficult to understand? Perhaps we need to dumb them down or fluff them up? Fine. I’m all for whatever it takes.
But let’s not forget that the reports are just that- reports. We need to make the changes, NIOSH ain’t gonna do that for us.
So read the reports, see how they killed our brothers, and take a hard look at how you and your department operate.
THEN IMPLEMENT THE CHANGES YOU NEED TO KEEP YOUR GUYS ALIVE.
Because if we continue to do it the same way, we’ll get what we’ve always gotten. Another NIOSH report with the same ol’ stuff.

Posted in 360 Burn, Command & Leadership, Firefighter Safety & Health, Firefighting Operations, Fires, Funding & Staffing, In the Line of Duty, LODD, Line of Duty, Rescues, Training, Training & Development, WTF?, training-fire-rescue-topics

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Posted by John Mitchell on November 22, 2009 • View Comments

So These Two Chevy’s Meet on the Street…

So I see this commercial pitting the old Chevy against the new one and my mind begins to wander -as it often does- about how much has changed in the cars over the years and how we perform extrication. (cue dream-sequence music).

Remember when we had crashes that involved those nice old cars like this ’59 Bel Air that just needed a crowbar and a come-along to remove the body, err victim, err patient?

Nope, neither do I- I’m not that old. Yet.

But it wasn’t too long ago that crumple zones never existed and an air bag was just another derogatory term used to describe a (insert noun here).

Then yesterday, I ran across a post from Smitty at Firefighter900.com

He offered up a host of useful links firefighters can use to enhance their knowledge of the dangers of certain vehicles involved in crashes. Automakers have done a nice job of supplying volumes of information full of safety warnings and diagrams of various systems on the newer cars today. But there is so damn much of it!

My department has a disproportionate amount of crashes which involve expensive luxury vehicles (do you have any Grey Poupon?). When these new-fangled wiz-bang auto machines with their “pre-tensioned this” and “airbag that” first came out, it took a little bit of time for us to realize that vehicle extrication would never be the same. New hazards became part of our crash scenes year after year. Sadly, many our brothers and sisters across the nation were injured or worse at what we used to call a “typical” extrication.

Basic information on these new safety systems was easy enough to learn. However the vast variety of new components and their placement based upon the manufacturer makes our job so much more difficult.

Knowing that old VW batteries were located under the back seat was about the extent of “extra” knowledge needed back in the days of disco. Today, it’s impossible to remember everything about every vehicle. Pulling up on a crash scene and knowing just where to cut and pry and how to “make-safe” each component of each vehicle has become an increasingly difficult yet no less necessary.

So what’s a jake to do?

Short of getting that Dex guy to sit on the roof of the vehicle to give you pointers, we’re left with few options.  So let’s start with a few suggestions to help you prepare for that next crash between a Chevy Equinox and an ‘09 Altima Hybrid:

First, does your agency have SOG’s/SOP’s that are up-to-date with the new automotive systems? Take a look at them now and update them as needed to keep pace with new changes as they are introduced.

Some departments have on-scene technology available that enable the rescue crew to pop the VIN of a vehicle into a computer. A diagram can be spit out and taken to the vehicles to develop and implement the safe tactics needed to mitigate the situation unique for that vehicle. This is a great way to utilize mobile computing if available to your agency.

Before the incident, train by reviewing basic safety measures for hybrid vehicles, natural gas-powered vehicle, and electric vehicles. You’ll never know all the specifics, but you should definitely be aware the basics of how to safely disable and power down each type of system.

At the crash, ensure that the scene is safe now and will remain safe throughout your rescue. Disable systems early to avoid problems later. Realize it will take more than just “taking the battery”.

Ensure the rescue team has one leader and a plan. We’ve all seen the cluster that develops when we start tearing apart the car without one leader and a plan. Never assume who is in charge of the extrication. Never begin until everyone is on the same page.

Work as a team, constantly communicating with each other, constantly offering suggestions. The guy doing the cutting may not see what the guy inside sees. Remember, with each step in the rescue process new challenges may crop up. Talk constantly.

Always have a Plan B. Be fluid. Don’t be locked into a plan that should be changed as your rescue progresses. Focus is paramount, but tunnel vision is poison.

If you are doing the cutting/prying/spreading, carry a small hand tool in your pocket that will quickly allow you to “peel-n-peek” before you bring in your big guns. Removing cheap plastic to glance inside is a small investment in time with great benefits to your safety.

As should be the case for any incident, perform a quick and informal critique at the company level once back at your house. Review your team’s actions. Identify new issues that arose. Above all, encourage input from everyone and address positive criticisms for what they are- opportunities to improve.

Change is inevitable. We accept that. Keeping sharp on new challenges is a part of developing that certain “pride in company”.

Remember, this job is a helluva lot more fun when you know what you’re doing!

Stay stoked!

-Jeremy Black, FireDaily.com

Stop by Smitty’s post for all the links to many of the manufacturer’s emergency response guides. Don’t’ forget to drop him a line with some thanks. Be prepared though, because there are 42 separate links based on make, and model and year, and whatever. And for dessert, there’s a link for the Mercedes Benz Emergency Response Guide that clocks in at 120 pages!

Bon Appétit!

Posted in Fire Rescue Topics, Rescues, training-fire-rescue-topics

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Posted by John Mitchell on October 21, 2009 • View Comments