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Beyond the Academy Video Training Series – Engine Operations: Hydraulic Ventilation

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Check out the newest Beyond the Academy Video Training Series. This one is entitled "Engine Company Operations: Hydraulic Ventilation with a Smooth-bore/Solid Stream Nozzle.

Many fire service members believe that a fog nozzle is the only nozzle that can be used for ventilation, and "prefer" a fog nozzle for that reason. These techniques show that a solid stream nozzle can be used as a hydraulic ventilation tool as well.  We do not entertain the "Smooth-bore vs. Fog" nozzle debate, but we do have our preference.

As Tom Brennan stated when asked about his preference: "A smooth-bore nozzle doesn't make a terrible engine company a good engine company, and a fog nozzle doesn't make a good engine company a terrible engine company!"

Regardless of which one you use, know your tools, the capabilities and the drawbacks. 

Feel free to discuss on this blog.

Posted by on November 26, 2011 • Filed under: Attack Line, Brotherhood Topics, Email Drill Questions, Engine Company Ops, fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, fires, training-development, training-fire-rescue-topics, Ventilation, videos

Tool Modifications 2.0 – The 8 Pound Force Axe – By: Shane Klug

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February 2011, I transferred to a ladder company, my first time being assigned to a truck.  Detroit ladder trucks typically have 6-pound pick head axes and 8-pound sledge hammers on them.  I tried both of them on the roof, and my tool of choice became the 6-pound pick head axe. I managed to get my hands on an 8-pound pick head axe and gave that a try. While the extra weight was great for smashing through roofs, the balance was VERY nose heavy, which made it harder to control and also very uncomfortable to carry.  Over the summer I was able to attend the Brotherhood Instructors Forcible Entry Ops class held in Independence Twp Michigan, where I used an 8-pound flathead axe, specifically the fire hooks unlimited 8-pound force axe.  I really liked the way the axe was balanced.  It was easy to control when swinging (in the forcible entry class) and seemed easy to carry.  Sometime after the class I purchased my own to use at work.  I decided to make some modifications, but with a twist, compared to what I had seen in the Brotherhood Instructor class.  First, I wanted to try and put the “notch” that allows the halligan forks to marry with the axe in a location that put both tool handles together, so I could get my hand around both tools. In Detroit, most front door forcible entry is performed by engine companies, so for me, I won’t be carrying a halligan much. So the more important modification I wanted was some kind of overstrike protection for my axe, as it would be used mainly for venting the peak roof of single family dwellings.  I had seen small sections of angle iron welded on the bottom of the axe head on the axes used in Gary Fire Dept (Gary, IN).  But they were welded with some space between the angle irons and the handle itself. In my opinion, this location for the over strike protection made it very difficult to carry the axe, especially while climbing up ladders etc.  So I had a friend TIG weld on some sections of angle iron below the head of the axe, but positioned them right against the handle of the axe, following the axe handle contour.  For those of you who have used an axe on a roof to smash a vent hole, you know that often times the axe head will smash through the roof deck and stop on the handle itself, over time break the axe handle right below the axe head itself.  Hopefully this modification will add some life to the tool for me.

 

I know this axe is called an 8-pound force axe, but I think the name sells this tool short.  As I mentioned above, I don’t do the majority of forcible entry, as the engine companies often do the front door and Detroit truck companies only carry one halligan, which is mainly carried by the boss of the truck.  My main objective as a deckie on the back end is to make the roof and ventilate. The vast majority of the time, I’m using this axe to open single family dwelling roofs.  When used in tandem with a saw (chain or rotary), I can use the flat side of the axe to “turn” the boards over on the rafters after they have been cut.  Of if there is no saw available (or the roof doesn’t lend itself to using a saw), I can use the blade side of the axe to start a hole (especially on roof decks that have multiple layers of shingles), then can flip over to continue smashing the roof boards.

       All in all, this axe is fantastic for forcible entry and makes a great tool for vertical ventilation. With the addition of the over strike protection, hopefully the tool will have a long service life opening roofs!

Posted by on November 17, 2011 • Filed under: fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, Forcible Entry, Ladder Company Ops, RIT or FAST Operations, Roof Ops, special-operations, training-development, training-fire-rescue-topics, Ventilation • Tagged:

Veterans Day

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The staff of Brotherhood Instructors, LLC would like to take a moment to thank the men and women of our Armed Forces for their dedication and selfless service to their country.  We hope everyone has a safe long weekend while keeping the true meaning of Veterans Day in mind – honoring the men and women who have paid for our freedom and safety with their lives. 

The owners of Brotherhood Instructors, LLC. would like to thank the following members of our staff for their service to their respective countries:

Tom Dalton, United States Marine Corps – FDNY

Mark Becica, United States Army – Baltimore City FD

Matt Black, United States Coast Guard – Kansas City MO FD

Chris Overpeck, United States Navy – Elkhart IN FD

Ken Pagurek, United States Air Force – Philladelphia FD

 

Bruno Lamare, Canadian Forces & British Army – Mississauga FD

Posted by on November 11, 2011 • Filed under: Uncategorized

Through the Lock – Pivoting Deadbolt & Hookbolt

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Through the lock forcible entry is a quick and easy method of gaining entry into doors locked with pivoting deadbolts and pivoting hookbolts.  This skill is easier than many believe.  Click on this through the lock info sheet to download a PDF version.  Feel free to use it, print it, and share it with your crews. 

 

Posted by on November 8, 2011 • Filed under: fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, Forcible Entry, Ladder Company Ops, RIT or FAST Operations, special-operations, training-development, training-fire-rescue-topics • Tagged:

Coordinated Ventilation – Part II by Nate DeMarse

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I stumbled upon a couple videos that drive home points made in the earlier Coordinated Ventilation post. These videos clearly show answers to previously asked questions, and bring up some new discussion tips as well. This is precisely how we should be training at drills and training burns. I don't know where this department is, but they are a class act in training!

Video #1 – The OV Position:

In the first video, we see an Outside Ventilation (OV) firefighter in the correct position to horizontally vent the building opposite the attack line's advance. Note that at the very beginning of the video, the Nozzle Team is advancing the hose line THROUGH THE FRONT DOOR and to the seat of the fire. The door is forced, and they are moving in when the windows are taken.

The firefighter is off to one side of the window, and takes the window located furthest from him first. This assures that he will be able to vent both windows without delay. If the window closest to the firefighter is vented first, and fire vents from the opening the second (furthest window) may have to be abandoned. This is especially true if operating on a portable ladder or fire escape. 

Video #2 – Points & Pointers:

I am not certain, but I think the video below is another angle of the same video above (a very rare occurance in our profession). If it is not the same fire, we are going to use it like it is for the purposes of driving home a point.

As I stated in the comments in Part I, "We should also wait if the line is delayed in getting into position, charged and READY TO MAKE THE PUSH on the fire. There is a vast difference in a line being there, a line being charged, and all of the members masked up and ready to push in." This video starts with a charged attack line, but the door hasn't been forced. If the OV takes the windows prematurely, this fire will continue to spread and grow as the line is not ready to advance. After entry is gained, you can hear the officer telling the OV to "take that glass".

Entering the Building Side-Note:  At the :35 second mark, you will see the camera move to the front stoop of the house. Note the visibility at the floor level! You can see nearly ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE HOUSE. Yet nearly every single firefighter that entered the building entered either standing or slight crouched with their head in the smoke, unable to see ANYTHING! I will reiterate at this point that I am not beating up on this department, THIS HAPPENS EVERYWHERE!!

Take a second after the door is forced to put your face piece directly on the floor and look UNDER the smoke. This requires you to get on your knees to accomplish. The nice thing about taking a look at the floor level is that you have to physically, consciously make a decision to stand-up to enter after you look.

Here are a few other benefits that stem from taking a few seconds to get low and take a look:

  • You allow the heat and super-heated gases that have built up in the sealed building a few seconds to "blow" and push over your head. This in turn will cause the smoke to lift off of the floor, and allow for the following:
    • You will be able to see a victim lying on the floor 10 feet or further inside the doorway, at that point you can say you conducted a rescue instead of tripping over someone and pretending that you rescued them! The Medal Ceremony will sound supurb, but you will know the truth!
    • You will be able to get a room, floor or apartment layout.
    • You will be able to see the glow of the fire on the floor, or the fire itself. You will know that it is on the right side of the hall, three doorways down.
    • You wlll see the large hole in the floor five feet inside the house and not fall into the basement and promptly call a "Mayday" within seconds of entering the building.

You will know all of this information at the front door, without walking (not searching) blindly. Then, because you are already on your knees conducting this vital size-up skill, you will enter the building safely on your knees, crawling towards your objective(s). When we couple the skills listed in this side-note with the OV performing those tasks in the correct position and the correct time, you will have the opportunity to gather vital information before entering.

THESE TASKS ALLOW US TO BE AGGRESSIVE AND SAFE! 
(and yes, those words can be used together)!

Forcible Entry Side-Note: The Forcible Entry team did a good job on the door. If you look closely, on the fourth swing the Striking FF nearly misses high with the axe. With hand placement so close to the axe-head, just a little more of a miss could have caused a crush injury. Believe it or not, in our travels this is the most common cause of injury in forcible entry (almost always resulting in at least one broken finger). To remedy that concern, This video (one of our first created nearly 2 years ago) shows safe striking techniques. Additionally, Brotherhood Instructors, LLC axes now have our company markings (colored electrical tape) 6"-7" below the head of the axe. Any firefighter using our axes know that if they place their top hand where the tape is, their hands are in the safe zone. Again, this is a very common injury and very rarely do we get a chance to catch forcible entry tools and members practicing their craft.

I think this fire department is doing a great job in getting their training done as we operate. Far too may training burns just walk members through the motions, leaving them with a false sense of security of what a real fire will be like (i.e: setting themselves up for failure). This department has their members on the radio, and conducting coordinated ventilation and fire attack. These videos left some open some great discussion points using realistic training and errors that occur on EVERY fireground!

Feel free to post comments, questions or concerns. We are all here to learn so let the learning commence!

Respectfully,
Nate DeMarse
Co-Owner, Brotherhood Instructors, LLC.

 

Posted by on November 2, 2011 • Filed under: Attack Line, Email Drill Questions, Engine Company Ops, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, fires, Forcible Entry, Ladder Company Ops, Search, training-development, training-fire-rescue-topics, Ventilation, videos