Tactical Safety: Entry-Level Firefighters

The fire service’s weekly safety column

Examining firefighting to see if there is a better and safer way to operate.

Entry Level Firefighters

By Ray McCormack

All firefighters are not created equally, and that is a problem. Fire academies utilize curriculum based upon standards of training, however, they are not carbon copies of each other and even classes within the same institution will vary. This is accepted because base-knowledge for firefighting and firefighter development hinges upon known and accepted operational principles and regional aspects of needs. Academies strive to accomplish a difficult task, graduating firefighters. These newly created firefighters still have much to learn and absorb. Training does not end at rookie school; it continues, as there are different levels of training for different stages of firefighter development.

Skill development requires time and repetition to adhere properly; this process is started in the academy but must continue afterwards. For some firefighters it does, for some it does not and for the lucky few, training simply becomes a part of their routine. It is important to remember that we do not wish our firefighters to stay at the entry level beyond that limited time period.

Like any training schedule that must cover many topics, some topics will be covered amply while others will receive only cursory treatment. Academic schedules are tight and heavy: structured with the addition burden of including mandated educational tracts. One recent study complained that operational learning took up too much time.

If we do not obsess over operational function, then what level will our firefighters be at when they graduate? Could we reach a level below entry level? Yes, we could. We would develop Non-entry level firefighters who could help with tasks, except entry. What level of “fire service” will we be able to provide to others when we do not understand or haven’t learned how to perform entry level firefighting?

Looking at this study: if an academy wants to spend more time on non operational course development items, it will have to cut somewhere. Are you willing to eliminate or shorten training on PPE, or SCBA, or RIT, or any other life preserving operational tactic? Core training on firefighting is not negotiable. We can never ignore the reality of our profession no matter what the current climate or additional learning items are placed on the list.

If your vision is 20/20, you can see that entry-level training on firefighting practices does not contain deductable subjects, if you want your new firefighters to be safe and effective. Ongoing training based on entry level firefighter skills never gets old; it is the foundation on which all advanced training rests. We must make sure that what firefighters are learning at the entry level provides maximum tactical safety so that they are prepared when fire happens.

Next Tactical Safety – If Only Everyone Was A Firefighter

Tactical Safety: That's Wrong, Maybe

The fire service’s weekly safety column

Examining firefighting to see if there is a better and safer way to operate.

That’s Wrong, Maybe

By Ray McCormack

It was recently reported that students who took mathematics exams were receiving partial credit for incorrect answers. Most of us have never experienced such exams, especially dealing with what most people would consider a cut and dry topic. Two and two does equal four, but if you said five you can still earn points. How is that possible? Well, it depends not only on how things are graded, it depends upon on how one arrived at the answers. We would never allow this in the fire service or on the fireground!  Are you sure? Even firefighter entrance exams have employed this gradient.

I have always followed the tactic that the hoseline should be charged with water outside the fire area. Most would consider this a reasonably prudent operational directive and should not negatively impact on your extinguishment goal. The only rallying cry I hear against it becomes when the fire is above the first floor and you ask that the line be charged at ground level – translation- the line is heavy now.

So what happens if you stretch the hoseline correctly without service-interrupting kinks and call for water? And place your nozzle team inside the fire area while awaiting water? Is the operation wrong? Well no, it is only partially wrong if we follow the first rule. The problem with something that is only partially wrong is it may be just wrong enough to tip the scale in favor of getting you or others into real trouble.

So if we follow this stretch back a bit further and kink the hoseline severely enough to restrict water flow, but charge the line outside the fire area, we still have a stretching error. How wrong is this stretch? Once again, we have an error, but we also have a built in safety factor in that we have complied with rule one. If we do not fix the problem (kink), and enter (problem two) the fire area we could be facing real trouble.

Staying outside the fire area until we have a good water supply is the solution. Wait a minute, you never mentioned that a good water supply was needed! If we are to enter the fire area with a charged handline, we should know what caliber ammunition our hose stream possesses. Granted you will find out soon enough when your extinguishment is stalled.

We could stretch this new testing analogy further and get to the nitty gritty for some in the fire service; and ask what number of firefighters adds up to a sound engine crew. A recent study said four was a number that added up: A nozzle team is two firefighters; A nozzle team of one does not constitute a team. Your team of one does get partial credit but will probably only achieve partial operational effectiveness, however. To really make this crew operationally effective at a mixture of fire events, add two or three more firefighters until the magic answer is reached.

We also need a firefighter to assist with the line’s advance at a minimum unless of course our nozzle firefighter has worn that hat also. It is reality that firefighting operations don’t always add up, but we must at least try to get to the effective solution whenever we can to make our extinguishments, especially the challenging ones, add up to being tactically safe.

Next Tactical Safety – Entry Level Firefighters

Tactical Safety: Bleeding Control

The fire service’s weekly safety column

By: Ray McCormack

Tactical Safety examines the process of firefighting to see if there is a better and safer way to operate.

Bleeding Control

Surprise! Bleeding control is not about emergency medical care. It is however, the midpoint of an series of checks that should be performed by the hoseline attack team so that they lessen their need for future medical care, or worse. Bleeding control is about removing the entrained air contained within your hoseline. It is also about where and when to perform this vital operational component of fire attack.

Remember, it is the little things that lead us down the tunnel of trouble. There are no little things when getting the hoseline into proper service. The cornerstone of all successful fire attack operations is the role of the engine company: The type of attack, appliance or hoseline chosen must be correct, as well as having proper integration at the fire’s seat. The knowledgeable use of hoselines (management) is extremely critical because hoselines bring us inside the fire building.

This interior attack capability not only allows for the seat of the fire to be hit most directly, it also provides: egress protection, search orientation and a rescue path. If your fire attack normally starts with outside streams into the fire building through windows, then bleeding control is not a factor; nor is inadequate flow, because you were in an outside safe zone when you started. When that line eventually goes interior, you must compensate for your new environment by having adequate flow which creates your best effort interior safe zone. This is one example of the importance of fully understanding fire attack. Having a properly charged hoseline for interior work is about flow rate. Nozzle technique now becomes the crux of operational tactical safety when we advance through the interior. You will have to do a lot more than just aim at windows now.

An initial LODD report of a charged handline in operation was further clarified later to report that an uncharged handline was deployed inside the fire building. To understand why such an event might occur, we have to examine several factors and mindsets: First, where do you believe the attack line should be bleed?  To develop a sound understanding of when and where to perform this operational check, you must first understand protective building features. Private homes should be considered the fire area because they rarely provide safety barriers to an uncharged hoseline and its crew. The fire area is an area that either contains fire, or includes an area of extension that does not provide reasonable safety.

Single story homes should be assigned the rule that entry with an uncharged hoseline is unacceptable. Why be so rigid? This proclamation when followed will go a long way in providing tactical safety for a future crew. By always insisting that the hoseline be charged before entry we are doing all we can for ourselves and others. Taking a charged hoseline into every house develops a fire-smart mentality that provides the best safety insurance we can buy and optimizes our effectiveness against sudden fire development.

If we enter a two-story home and the fire appears above the first floor, shouldn’t we just charge the line on the second floor or the stairway?  When an engine company gets into trouble because they have a dry line, then we really have a problem. If your size up was incorrect and fire is below you, will have a charged line ready to handle that oversight. The role of the engine company is to raise the safety level on the fireground, not lower it.

Firefighters should not call themselves such if they cannot stretch a charged hoseline up a flight of stairs. Period! The effort expended to complete that task is not a viable excuse in the face of professionalism, and understanding the principle of being covered for unexpected fire events.

A variation of hoseline bleeding control occurs when we operate in code-compliant multifamily dwellings and within protected stairways. Buildings that contain fire-rated doors and hallways allow us to stretch dry hoseline closer to the point of operation. Private homes typically do not provide such protection.

Bleeding a hoseline is simple stuff really; it is the location you choose to do it in that becomes the critical element. Placing your attack team inside the belly of the beast is bad policy. The biggest problem is you don’t always know that you are already inside. Bleed then proceed - toward tactical safety.

Next Tactical Safety – That’s Wrong, Maybe

ISSUE 2

COMING SOON!

Tactical Safety: It's All About the Break-In

The fire service’s weekly safety column

By: Ray McCormack

Tactical Safety examines the process of firefighting to see if there is a better and safer way to operate.

It’s All About the Break-In

New firefighters; new ideas; new methods; and new challenges need to be met head-on and with clarity. A new baseball glove is not at its best when first purchased, it must be carefully broken- in so that it works for you and not against you. New firefighters need to be broken-in correctly too. What is seen as correct and necessary varies between companies, departments and shifts. One thing is for sure, if the break-in period is not handled correctly and reinforced, we will be facing a shorthanded situation. This version of being shorthanded has nothing to do with staffing levels per say…it has everything to do with not realizing full potential.

Firefighters need to realize their full potential, but they cannot do it alone.  They must have people around them and on them to instill proper work habits and routines. How many firefighters just ride it out and coast through their experiences? You do not always have to be ‘all over it’ but you do have to have that capability. The way you get that capability is to have people in your corner from day one. The place you will find them is in the firehouse; they are the ones who broke you in and set you off on the correct path.

There is more to the fire service experience than just fire; that’s true, but few components require the study and attention to detail that firefighting demands. You must be up to the demands of increased developmental changes and tactics, and learn to be curious and question what people are telling you to do. Developing a mindset of discovery should also have been a portion of your extended break-in period. There are many people who have ideas on how things should be done, and that is expected in any trade; what the knowledgeable firefighter has on their side is the ability to exclude tactical noise from tactical pragmatism.

The emphasis on new recruits learning fire skills and the ways of fire operations is never a wasted effort and should not take a back seat to learning other forms of response or day tasks. The reason is simple: to make sure we develop life-saving skill-sets for firefighters. The most critical thing we can do for a new recruit is to show them how to handle fires. If you believe that new recruits would be better served by other disciplines, that is of course your choice, but just remember that what you don’t share or develop in the new recruit will be almost impossible to recreate later. And in that time, the potential for exposure to the enemy-and losing- is heightened by utilizing this new age form of complacency.

You can be complacent and do harm by omission too. If you do not help new firefighters learn what needs to be learned, and do not develop in them the tradition of helping other firefighters learn the craft, then you are forfeiting legacy. Fire is the true equalizer because it does not care if you haven’t learned how to effectively battle against it. Your fellow firefighters from the chief on down- and from the rookie on up- must understand firefighting and realize the importance the component knowledge. Knowing all your assignments, tools and gear are life saving segments that can not be ignored if we are to have tactical safety for firefighters.

The knowledge and good habits you pass forward and reinforce could save a life on day, maybe even someone else’s.

Next Tactical Safety – Bleeding Control

Tactical Safety: Was Old-School Unsafe or Just Poorly Dressed?

The fire service’s weekly safety column

By: Ray McCormack

Tactical Safety examines the process of firefighting to see if there is a better and safer way to operate.

Was Old-School Unsafe or Just Poorly Dressed?

When we think of old school firefighting, the time line will be different depending upon how long you’ve been around; and your perception of old in general. A common theme is the personal protective ensemble (PPE) and how it dates our past. The majority of departments use bunker gear for structural firefighting. Without getting into a debate over gear and its collective protection properties, a question to ask is: which came first, being unsafe or poorly protected?

The protection level of modern bunker gear is more inclusive and constant, and it has lowered the number of burn injuries and their severity; and that’s a good thing.

It is interesting to note that firefighters who only know one level of protection (bunker gear) would probably be aghast at observing those who may still wear (old-school) gear. The resistance would most likely be based on the fear of less protection and increased opportunity for injury. In some instances, this would be correct, but not always. The idea that gear has “saved the firefighter” is not shared by all, especially those who came before ‘bunkers.’

A firefighter who is fully geared-up using modern PPE will suffer less injury and be much better protected from sudden event changes than an old-school firefighter would be in the same spot. The difference in injury is not the hazard alone; it is the depth of firefighter involvement.

Does modern gear warn us? Does it take too long to warn us? All of that is subject to debate. What old-school firefighters always knew was when it was getting too hot. Did they get into trouble also? Yes, they did, and we do too. The question is: does better gear make you unsafe? Of course it doesn’t, lack of knowledge does that.

When you look at the photos of Michael Dick taken in the early eighties, you see moments in time that showcase firefighters doing what firefighters do, just with less protective equipment. Certain injuries would be worse because it occurred to an under-protected part of the body. The advent of a more encompassing protective envelope blocks routine injuries and some would argue invites exposure to sudden events.

We must wear our gear fully, and be aware that it is only temporary protection for sudden events. Sudden events don’t care about your protection level. Only you can lower your injury risk by gaining knowledge, and feeling your limitations like those in the (old-school) so that you remain tactically safe.

Next Tactical Safety – It’s All About The Break In

Ladder Dogs

By Emmett "Pat" Nichols, Boston Fire Department Tower Ladder 10 (photos by author)

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Ladder Dogs, also known as dog chains, are used in Boston and surrounding communities as an additional margin of safety when placing ladders at precarious angles and/or sloping terrain. There are two chains which are placed at the tip of the ladder and crossed when the ladder is placed in a rescue position (See photo 1). One chain is used when the ladder is placed at the left side of the window when the ladder is placed for firefighting; utilizing the window frame to secure the ladder from moving to the left (See photo 2). One dog chain would also be utilized when the ladder is placed adjacent to a metal fire escape to secure it from sliding across the building. In that case, there is a hook on the chain to allow it to be looped around the fire escape and clipped back on itself.

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The dog chain consists of: a chain approximately 18 to 24 inches; a metal 2 or 3 inch loop at one end (See photo 3);  and a sturdy hook/spike at the other which would be driven into the wood window sill or roof line.  To apply the dog chains, you bring the ring end of the chain through the top rung between the beams, bringing it under the beam;  then,  feed the spike end through so it will cinch down when the spike is brought across and driven into the wood sill or roof line.

This procedure should be utilized when there is a risk of ladder movement or hose line operation over the ground ladder. It should not sacrifice proper technique or placement, but when added safety is required, then the dog chains will offer the desired safety.

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Tactical Safety: Equal Opportunity for Life

“The fire service’s weekly safety column”

By: Ray McCormack

Tactical Safety examines the process of firefighting to see if there is a better and safer way to operate.

Equal Opportunity for Life

Do we question life on the fireground? Yes; we question if it is present; we question where it may be present; and we question if we can get to it in time. Do we question if life still exists upon arrival? Yes, we do that too. If we believe that there is no savable life contained within, then a search should be considered dead too, should it not? All buildings need to be searched at some point so that we can collectively close the case with the assurance that we did our best. Active searches must always err on the side of life.

For as long as you play this game, no firefighter has seen everything. Firefighters are not always correct, just like they are not always wrong. Firefighters must always be the most dedicated advocates for the trapped and incapacitated. When the bedroom fire is knocked down, do we not bother to look around and see if someone is laying on the floor or the bed? We search because we are in the pursuance of life; we search everywhere and every time because life, even damaged life, is precious. We do not just throw up our collective hands in defeat. We must make sure that we are never predefined for defeat by inaction or dismissal.

We do not always save people in dramatic fashion; some are just discovered while we conduct our operations. However, all firefighters must provide equal opportunity for life by being determined to assist that victim. The first step in assisting them is to recognize that they may actually exist. We must base our tactical actions on sound principles to best ensure our personal effectiveness and safety while creating opportunity for the saving of lives.

There is a fallacy in wanting to help others when we act negatively and lack diligence towards creating alternatives that could bring about positive results. For every horror story there is one of hope that defines and balances us toward why we truly do this job. When you are refused entry or would be denied exit, your actions will be placed on hold, and you must know it when you see it. Denying recognition is a training flaw; the denial of victims from giving your all once you are: able, have access, and an escape, is a character flaw.

The truest appraisals are best acquired from those that do not have a stake in the value of the purchase. Firefighters, however, must always be their own appraiser for every action or decision you make on the fireground. You must be skilled in appraising safe entry and exit by yourself first, even while being encumbered with your charge. The idea behind working together and in groups, ranks and experiences allows for additional appraisals of the same plan.

People can survive and have survived- to our collective surprise- through events we might think were impossible. We should not be so quick to judge because it puts us in the wrong frame of mind. We must be positive.  We must answer the victim’s unheard cry for help. We must find them, remove them, and pass them forward to those that make life calls. We must allow ourselves to excel at returning life to those that would not have any chance without our efforts. We make judgments all the time at fires, that’s part of firefighting!

Another part of firefighting is to remember why we signed up in the first place: to help people. Within the boundaries of safe and reasonable firefighting, we will come upon the trapped and incapacitated whose last hope is to be discovered by us and saved. By internalizing equal opportunity for life, we are fulfilling our personal mission collectively to save lives especially ones that are hidden from view.

Next Tactical Safety – Was Old School Unsafe or Just Poorly Dressed?

Brotherhood Instructors Course Announcement: Ralston, NE

Brotherhood Instructors Course Announcement: East Nassau, NY (Albany Area)

Tactical Safety: Glimmers of Training

“The fire service’s weekly safety column”

By: Ray McCormack

Tactical Safety examines the process of firefighting to see if there is a better and safer way to operate.

Glimmers of Training

Everyone says: “we need to train;” “we need to train every day;” “we do not train enough;” “training is the key to better performance;” “training is the key to survival;” and “training keeps us safe.” What is reality when it comes to fire training? Is it frequency, relevancy, or outcome? Much like the best of intensions in life, training sometimes gets relegated to the back of the to-do list. We must not get so hung up on just the idea of training, the formal set up of training, and the check-mark mentality of completion that we miss the value in glimmers of training.

Training at the company level is the most frequent type of training firefighters participate in; and hopefully the most relevant; training that is local and specific to the needs of the company and the demands of the response area. My three rules for company training are that it be: relevant, realistic and repetitive. There are many time hooks pulling us in various directions in the fire service, and we want to be good at our ever expanding job; however, there is one discipline we must shine in, fire duty.

To assist us in making our training more enjoyable, memorable and marketable to our people, we must first be relevant. Training that seems far-flung and is hard to stamp with relevance will automatically have a learning gate placed in front of it that firefighters must jump over or pass through in order to comprehend it; and that of course hinders understanding and program buy in.

Realistic training does not have to be the real thing, but we have to attempt to come close. We must not be so quick to jump into realism without first knowing if our people are up to the task. When we practice stretching and flaking-out a hoseline in smoke, how do we do? It will be difficult to assess due to lack of supervisory vision until the smoke has lifted. You should not expect good result unless you have gone over what the ideal actually looks like, and how the participants would arrive at that level without some smoke free drills first.

Repetitive drills should not be carbon-copies of a same drill. They should cover the same elements but should be varied as to either add a new element, a new location, or an increased level of difficulty. We should work on a core of drills that revolve around what we do the majority of times. Once we get these foundational skills up to par, then branching can occur. Many times it is the fundamental skill that corrupts our operations causing fireground problems and injury.

If you are positioned to provide training, you must find a way to increase interest in your subject matter and your delivery. It is not necessary to organize extensive drills that last a long time. This is probably the biggest killer of good information ‘pass-along.’ We must learn the correct way to approach training. Sometimes the best training occurs through glimmers. Training using short, yet relevant examples to sustain and support the main focus of the learned or polished skill is often the best received and remembered effort.

Next Tactical Safety – Equal Opportunity for Life

Brotherhood Instructors Course Announcement: Bensenville Fire Protection District, Illionois

Tactical Safety-Raising the Bar above the Ground Floor

“The fire service’s weekly safety column”

By: Ray McCormack



Tactical Safety examines the process of firefighting to see if there is a better and safer way to operate.



Raising the Bar above the Ground Floor



Raising the bar to improve and go beyond expectations in search of excellence is admired in athletics, science and firefighting. How high is the fire service bar when it comes to hoseline operations? For many, the bar is sedentary and easily forgotten. When engine companies stretch dry to the second floor of a private dwelling, because advancing a charged line would be too difficult, do we nod in agreement? Or do we ask that the bar be raised to fight against such apathy?

The role of the engine company on the fireground is to raise the safety level for all those involved. When an engine company does not command a charged hoseline, or does not cover areas of extension or egress, it is not fulfilling its secondary role. The primary role of the engine company is to protect life with direct intervention. If no visible life is endangered by a flame front, then the engine transitions to its secondary role of: life protection through “egress-ownership.” Once the travel and rescue route is claimed, suppression can begin. The tertiary role of the engine company is undoubtedly fire extinguishment.

The majority of times, the best laid lines cover the last two roles. We must not only know the mechanics of stretching, we must also understand the ‘why’ behind it. Why place a line in a particular spot? Which one of the three bases are we trying to cover? You must know what will work in your area and devise plans accordingly. You must understand that setting the bar high is not an encumbrance to success, rather, it is a benchmark of professionalism.

Anyone can open the bale of a nozzle; that is not difficult; what is difficult is getting the nozzle close to the point of application by using the correct pathway. The hardest fights often present themselves before we see any fire. It is the hot and dark journey that is the true test, not necessarily a room of fire.

When an engine stretches a dry line inside a home, it is taking a risk that the fire will not only behave for them, but also will allow them time to prepare. This as we know, is not a good bet. The role of the engine is to have water at all times while inside a house, so that if an error or an omission comes to light, it can be dealt with swiftly. Some get confused as to when to charge the hoseline. The building makes your decision for you. Those that have fire rated public areas and homes which do not afford the same level of security are dealt with differently.

To think that an engine company would consider the task of stretching a charged line to the second floor of a private home difficult is not something to be shared. If we allow a level of “stretching mediocrity” to reach the second floor, then perhaps it is time to raise the bar so that everyone is better protected; and tactical safety is maintained above the ground floor.



Next Tactical Safety – Glimmers of Training

One Picture-Bumps to the Pumps

There are many ways to describe the proper method of following the hoseline out of the fire area. Which one were you taught? Whatever method is taught in your department, it must be 100% clear to an individual whose life depends on it.

Tactical Safety: Following Orders

“The fire service’s weekly safety column”

By: Ray McCormack



Tactical Safety examines the process of firefighting to see if there is a better and safer way to operate.



Following Orders

When you work on the fireground, you are told what to do by receiving orders or preset guidelines. Standard assignment tasks that need to be completed at every fire include: secure the water supply, make a search and ventilate the building. The fireground is a much more cohesive operation when it is dictated under a set of guidelines both verbal and written.

If you are having a “safety moment,” are your concerns about completing your tactical assignments valid? You must not only assess the order, but also the process and the allowable range in which it can be carried out. An example might include: being assigned to extinguishing a basement fire; the assignment order may allow you to select the path your handline will take and/or the extinguishment tactic.

Under that example you have options. Some believe that by following orders, your options are eliminated, however they are not; you always have options on the fireground. The majority of times you will be on the same page as the person who gave the order. There really shouldn’t be too many surprises. Is the order way off the mark? Would another rational firefighter or officer of the same experience level make the same choice?

There are only two levels to task assignments options that require our attention: First, can the order as given be carried out? Furthermore, are there obstacles that initially thwart success, or has a road block suddenly appeared? Second, does your assignment as given include the proper exit strategy needed on the fireground? In other words, will completing this assignment place you in more danger?

Safety in regards to decision making is primarily about knowledge. When you have sufficient knowledge, your ability to make safer decisions is enhanced. Remember, no one on the fireground has a crystal ball to foresee the future. However, experiences with similar situations and a core understanding of tactics, timing and reasonable expectations help us process orders in relation to their safe completion. Is your safety increased by opting  out of following orders? Generally speaking, no it is not. The vast majority of fire assignments and orders make perfect sense and are requirements to stabilize the incident quickly and efficiently.

The idea of equality in a fire company is an interesting one; as much as we profess and aim for equal treatment, we do not give equal weight to expressed opinions of young firefighters as we do with those of senior firefighters or officers. Can a less experienced firefighter have a valid concern or see what no one else did? Of course, and the observation should be noted and passed up the chain so an evaluation can be made. That evaluation may just stay at the company level firefighter to officer-officer to command, depending upon urgency and impact level.

Everyone can speak and be encouraged to note anything unusual but we cannot allow people to dictate their own agendas without the necessary vetting. If two individuals watch an event on the fireground and one deems it safe, while the other does not, who is right?

We have to train our people to be observant and to understand how a fire scene develops and the many variations they may encounter. Fire engagement requires that we operate to accomplish goals that are within our resources and are completed with a reasonable expectation of safe and effective operations. If the doorway is full of fire, you cannot enter through that opening. You can either acquire a handline and put the fire out, or look for another entrance. No one is going to tell you to march through the opening.

We have to build in observation skills and knowledgeable options to varying occurrences on the fireground. We must be careful not to diminish our tactical safety with an abdication of responsibility.


Next Tactical Safety – Raising the Bar Above the Ground Floor

FDIC 2010

Wow...another great FDIC. Didn't go? I guess we don't know where to begin, but we'll give the long short story a shot: Ray and I made it in to Indy on Friday to gear up for Ray's workshop program(s) and my "Engine Company: Essentials" hands-on class. The engine class was sold out and we were able to train over two-hundred people over two days. It's always great to talk and walk the engine stuff and we were glad to see smiles as people dragged themselves back to the buses.

As for the rest of the week, Urban Firefighter Magazine had a booth across from Fire Engineering Books; and we saw a ton of traffic. Many of you had already heard about us and we made sure that those who didn't were pulled into the booth. How did we do it? Easy, we had plenty of help from Urban Firefighter Girl:



In all seriousness however, we enjoyed meeting new people and putting faces to the names of those we have been talking with for a while over the computer. The exhibits were packed and those who stopped by our booth also had the ability to purchase official Urban Firefighter shirts. It was the best deal going at FDIC and we will be selling official merchandise on the site very soon.

We had a huge announcement on Thursday; and if you missed it, here it is:



Afterwords, we sat down with Chief Bobby Halton, Editor-in-Chief of Fire Engineering Magazine, to discuss the partnership and what our act was about:



The announcement was well received by those in attendance and solidified Fire Engineering's and Urban Firefighter Magazine's desire to bring the very best in fire service academia, culture and media to you all. Ray and I aren't going anywhere and look forward to working with: Pennwell, Fire Engineering and FDIC, to provide the very content that you all look forward to in Urban Firefighter Magazine. Also, don't even think about missing next year's FDIC. It will surely be one that can't be missed academically and culturally. Furthermore, we are in the process of developing an Urban Firefighter Magazine track at FDIC that will be unlike anything you have participated in before.

FDIC wrapped up on Saturday and as always, was an incredible week. Thanks again to everyone who has supported Urban Firefighter Magazine; my wife Heather for also helping in the booth; P.J. for his help in getting the booth ready; The pipers who sported our shirts; and our authors and photographers. We couldn't have done it without you all. See you all next year at FDIC!

Rail Cut

There are many things to size-up when approaching store gates. What would some of these things be? One pressing question every truck asks itself upon arrival is whether or not to cut the locks. In these photos, the rail is cut above and below the lock and pin. By placing the cuts close to the lock, we will have less metal to bend backward. Use the fork of the halligan to bend the rail away which will release the pin. Finally, what type of lock would amost always make this the first option to get through the gate?

How Close Is Too Close?

“The fire service’s weekly safety column”

By: Ray McCormack

Tactical Safety examines the process of firefighting to see if there is a better and safer way to operate.

How close do you get to the fire? Do you stand above? Crawl by? Scoot under, or walk next to it? These events don’t sound safe on the surface, but under the right circumstances they are common and fundamental to being inside a structural fire. Extinguishment options besides getting the hoseline in place, which includes: deciding hoseline diameter, nozzle type and GPM flow, is the starting location of the initial attack.

At what point do we start our attack? When you have a room fire some distance down the hallway from your entrance position, and the fire is contained within the room, the nozzle should not be opened just yet; we need to advance closer first.

The reasons we do not open up right away in the first example is because we do not have a proper attack angle yet. If the room entrance is to one side of the hallway, then shooting the stream straight down the hallway will not put out much, if any, fire. You need an angle that allows the stream to enter and penetrate the fire room. Without that, you are wasting water and effort. A proper stream angle will make your attack more efficient which translates to a quicker knockdown.

If the fire has left the room and is coming down the hallway at you, we will be opening the hose line at first advance. When the fire is advancing on your position, you must hit it back and then move forward, getting closer to the point of origin. We should not be under the fire like a broiler, which is a sign of inefficient flow and or poor nozzle technique.

Do we pass fire? Yes we do pass fire but only for two reasons: suppression and rescue. These two caveats allow us to pass two different types of fires. For suppression, we pass fire only after it has been knocked down. Knockdown is controlling the fire within an area almost to the point of full-extinguishment; we pass knocked-down fire areas in pursuit of full- extinguishment of the fire area. If rescue is required, we may have to pass active fire which has not been attacked yet.

When you have a handline, you also have a responsibility to use it. You must attempt to knock down all the fire you see and save the rescue work for someone not assisting with extinguishment. There have been painful examples of abandoned hoselines due to attempted rescues when we probably would have fared better using the opposite approach.

The old time adage: that a properly positioned and operating hoseline saves more lives than any other rescue method is TRUE!

When we have fire at the door, we need to aim the stream upward and place it directly within the doorway space. If you normally use a circular attack motion this is not the time for that method. Remember, efficiency and economy of movement goes a long way to you finishing your extinguishment assignment.

Making it rain early pays big dividends. Shooting streams horizontally into rooms does not allow for optimum coverage, and will often result in a stream that shoots through the fire room extinguishing very little. Prior to crossing the threshold, we should have quite a bit already knocked down. Once we enter, move aside from the doorway and continue your attack; if you can locate the next room of fire, hit that too, so that the cooling effect can start reducing the heat release load and result in a faster knock down.

Open the line when you have a good shot at the fire; open the line when you’re in heavy smoke and high heat and uncomfortable in your gear. Remember that you probably do not have a knock down unless you have smoldering rubble beneath you. How close is too close should never be an issue if you use the reach of the stream to your tactically safe advantage.

Next Tactical Safety – Following Orders

IPonder

Ray McCormack, Publisher and Editor

This past Saturday, Apple® released its newest product: the IPad®. This latest, very impressive invention is sleek, amazing, and another push towards our technological future. It was developed to compete with other “readers” on the market, and recently opened to the awaiting crowds everywhere. After waiting to examine this new portable technology and playing with it for a few minutes, you can’t help but be impressed with the “tricks” it performs.

Like anything else in our society, a new product or service’s faults inevitably needs to be highlighted by someone, or many. While toying with a very large flat screen monitor, I read a blog that was critical of the IPad®: “It won’t do this,” “and be careful of that;” apparently some among us can’t ‘contribute’ comments or anecdotes unless they come from negative decorum. No machine does everything, and no machine does everything well; just like the fire service.

Here was this amazing machine that does things that not only make you shake your head in disbelief, but ponder how we ever got along without all this “stuff”. Criticizing this machine because it may be missing a feature you thought should be there, or because it misses a beat on certain applications, is really reaching when you take in the whole picture, or I should say image.

The fire service has many ‘distracters’ that like to examine our collective ‘features’ with a very critical eye. We can definitely take it, but that’s not the point. You can do everything seemingly right, and some will still find fault(s) with your effort.

Why is there not only a rush to criticize, but a coupling of “new sage” advice added in for good measure? Part of the reason is due in part to the available technology that allows you to read this wherever you are. Instantaneous information, along with instantaneous criticism, makes for good cyber fire reporting, or does it? Many solutions don’t hold water, but provide the needed ‘apps’ for those that demand something new.

There should always be good technique incorporated into fire extinguishment and tactical operations. Okay, you put the fire out, but did you take care of the little things that could come back and haunt or disable your effort, or result in a catastrophic outcome?

This new ‘reader’ took care of the little things ,and came out beyond cool. We need to step back and make a detailed examination of our product and service, and not be so quick to highlight our alleged shortfalls along with prescribing unproven remedies for fire service ills. What the fire service needs perhaps is an IPill.

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