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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

Duckbill Lock Breaker – By: Andrew Brassard

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Nowadays firefighters tend to become over reliant on saws during forcible entry operations and often forget some of the most basic of fireground tools. The Duckbill Lock Breaker is one such a tool that has become a forgotten tool that tends to sit in a compartment on the truck. But what about the times when, the saw does not start? Or you have to change the blade? Or you have to remove locks inside of a building where the saw will be choked out by the smoke? The duckbill is a tremendous secondary tool for these situations.

The Duckbill Lock Breaker works by driving the lock shackle off the body of the lock. The lock breaker will remove an American 700 Series Lock with no problem, in fact there are very few locks that can not be defeated by the lock breaker. One lock the can withstand the forces that can be applied with the lock breaker is the disc type lock. If a disc type lock is present a different forcible entry method should be utilized.

 

The Duckbill Lock Breaker is a single functioning tool, meaning it's only function is to force entry into padlocks.

The duckbill is made of soft metal, usually brass. The reason for making it out of soft metal is so that as it is driven down in between the padlock body and the shackle the lock will "bite" into the soft metal of the wedge and hold it's position until it is struck again. Every time the lock breaker is struck it is driven down a little further into the lock, this places more and more pressure on the lock until it finally fails. If the wedge was made out of a hardened metal it would simply bounce out every time it was struck.  

To use the Duckbill Lock Breaker, simply place the wedge into the lock. This is where mistakes get made! The only way the duckbill will work is with the top edge of the wedge on the shackle and the bottom edge of the duckbill on the body of the lock, do not put the duckbill into the lock with the top and bottom rails on both side of  the shackle! Once the lock breaker is in place use the 8 lbs forcible entry axe or a 12 lbs Maul to drive the duckbill into the lock, continue driving it in until the lock fails. It is that simple!

So dust off the duckbill lock breaker, dig it out from the compartment, or buy one to include to your forcible entry arsenal. It is a great tool that can prove to be extremely valuable on the fireground.

 

 

 

 

Posted by on October 31, 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

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Take a look at these two videos for a great example of coordinated ventilation.  The outside vent (OV) firefighter on the fire escape waits until the line is putting water on the fire to take the windows.  Doing so helps the engine make the advance into the fire area a little easier.  Waiting until the line is ready will ensure that you do not prematurely feed the fire additional oxygen and possibly trap firefighters searching ahead of the line. 

 

 

Posted by on October 26, 2011 • Filed under: Attack Line, Engine Company Ops, Ladder Company Ops, RIT or FAST Operations, special-operations, training-development, training-fire-rescue-topics, Ventilation, videos • Tagged:

Pressure Reducing Valves – By: Chris Collier

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Lack of water on the fire is a fire ground problem that seldom stands alone.  When water is not being applied to the fire at the proper rate we can all agree that things get worse on the fire ground.  When we look at fires where maydays or firefighter fatalities occurred we can often find reference to water loss or water problems.  One such fire is the one Meridian Plaza fire which occurred in Philadelphia PA on February 23, 1991.  This fire took the lives of three Philadelphia Firefighters.  One (of several) issues that plagued firefighters at this fire was improperly set pressure reducing valves.  These valves were set to allow 60 psi discharge pressure which was inadequate to operate the fire department's 1 3/4" hoselines and combination nozzles. 

Pressure reducing valves are found on many standpipe systems and there are dozens of types of these valves.  This blog post will show only a few so be sure to familiarize yourself with the ones found in your response area.  Pressure reducing valves are designed to regulate the pressure at a given standpipe outlet.  Pressures can be very high when dealing with fire pumps or gravity tanks.  These valves are intended to prevent over pressurization of components after the valve.  By reducing pressure flow is also reduced. 

The best and easiest way to deal with a pressure reducing valve is to remove it completely.  One style of pressure reducing valve threads onto the standpipe outlet.  When this type of valve is found, remove it with a spanner or pipe wrench and proceed as normal.  If the valve can not be removed you may have to go to the floor two floors below the fire and hook up there.  If you are unable to remove any of the pressure reducing valves, ensure the valve is in the full open position and proceed with caution. 

Some standpipe outlet valves have a pressure reducing device built into them.  Some of them can be adjusted with a screwdriver or allen wrench and others require disassembly of the valve and special tools.  These are the pressure reducing valves that firefighters must be intimately acquainted with before the fire to ensure a successful operation. 

Once we remove the pressure reducing valve we can control the pressure ourselves using the outlet valve and our inline pressure gauge.

Posted by on October 11, 2011 • Filed under: Attack Line, Building Alteration-Renovation, Engine Company Ops, fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, special-operations, training-development, training-fire-rescue-topics, Water Supply • Tagged:

Electric Roll Up Gates – By: Andrew Brassard

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Not all forcible entry has to be forcible, in some cases a little knowledge and some finesse will get the job done quicker than some more traditional methods.

One such instance is Electric Roll Up Doors and Gates.  With a little bit of knowledge and a screwdriver entry into these gates can be very fast with very little force. Electric Roll up Gates are most commonly found in my area on loading docks, garbage rooms, and on the occasional roll up gate. These electric door openers are usually found mounted around 4' off the ground directly beside the door that it opens. There is a key way on the control panel.  This key way controls the door going up and down. The key way is often a standard mortise lock cylinder, on the back side of the cylinder. A large pivoting arm is bolted to the key way. When the key is inserted and turned the pivoting arm will twist and hit a limiter switch to either roll the door up or down.

 

 

 

Forcing entry
Forcing entry into the door usually does not require very much force at all, the only tool that you need is a screwdriver in most cases. The first thing you want to do is undo the screws in the four corners of the face plate. I have been told by friends that they have encountered security screws in these from time to time, I have never encountered these security screws. Most of the time standard Philips, Robertson, or Slot headed screws hold the face plate on. Once the screws have been removed the face plate will need to be pried off with a halligan or Rex Tool. The reason for this is that the pivoting arm on the back side of the cylinder hits small tabs on the  edges of the electrical box. The tabs are why it says on the front of the lock face that you must have the key in order to open the lock, when the key is inserted into the key way and it is turned the pivoting arm turns and is able to fit past the tabs on the electrical box. To pry the face plate off is not difficult, these tabs on the electrical box are light gauge galvanized metal that will bend quite easily with a little pressure with a prying tool.

Operating the gate
Once the face plate has been removed and pried out you can operate the gate. Directly behind the pivoting arm is a limiting switch with a simple button to operate the gate up and down, there is one button on each side of the lock cylinder. You can simply use your finger (or a pencil if it makes you feel more comfortable) to push the button and activate the door. If you look at the face plate you may be able to tell what side the limiter switch is for "Up" and what one is for "Down" by the words on both sides of the lock cylinder. If no words indicating what side is "Up" are present simply try pushing one side, if it does not work it means that it is the other side. Keep in mind that you are dealing with live electrical wires so extreme caution must be taken not to touch any wires, if you use the proper techniques and give any electrical component the respect it deserves than that should not be a problem.

Also remember to take a thorough look at the gate and properly size it up. If there are additional locks on the door such as traditional pin, hasp, and padlock assemblies, then these locks must be removed before this entry method can be performed.

In some instances these gates are also locked from the inside or the electrical switch no longer works, in these instances the gate or door will have to be cut with a power saw.

Also be sure to check with your departmental SOP's and SOG's before performing this entry method, some departments have policies against members touching an electrical equipment such as this.

This is an extremely quick and effective method for forcing entry and it causes very little damage. The best way to prepare for these types of forcible entry situations is to pay a visit to the company in your city or town that install these electric gate openers, ask them to run you through the most common types that they install in your area.

Till next time, stay safe!

Posted by on September 30, 2011 • Filed under: Building Alteration-Renovation, 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:

Modular Cribbing – By: Mike Tesarski

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One thing I've always liked about the Fire Service is the ability to improvise, adapt, and overcome problems. If you give a firefighter a problem you can be assured they will come up with an answer. I have always found it interesting to visit firehouses across North America and see different tools and equipment that have been modified or made “in-house” to solve a specific problem that the department or crew faced.

One such homegrown invention that firefighters have come up with is known as modular cribbing.  This invention came from the Mississauga Extrication Team in 1997, when the need for speedy vehicle stabilization was needed with limited manpower.

After trying a few versions of this cribbing the final product was perfected.  Modular cribbing is 6 4×4 wood cribs that are divided into two separate modules and screwed together firmly on two rubber mats (conveyor belt). Using a more solid piece of rubber allows the crib to be slid into space and rotated with ease. Each 4×4 is spaced 4 inches apart. This allows two tiers of 3 4×4 box cribbing to be stacked. This also allows for the two sheets of cribbing to be stored as one solid piece. Both pieces are held together with a metal bar slid through the middle where holes are drilled.  A handle made of a piece of seatbelt nailed to the end makes this easy to take off a truck shelf and carried to the scene.

To deploy the modular cribbing is a simple process. The cribbing point is selected and then the metal pin can be pulled, this separates the 2 individual modules allowing them to be stacked in opposite directions in place underneath the vehicle or what ever is going to be lifted. 

Another tremendous advantage of the modular cribbing is that because the cribs are tied together with the rubber matting it helps prevent the cribbing stack from slipping or inadvertently moving during extrication or lifting operations. The belting also provides a fantastic and stable platform for air bag operations

One point of contact on a 4×4 crib will hold approximately 6,000 pounds of force. With nine points of contact this cribbing will support up to 54,000 pounds which is ideal for stabilization of large vehicles or heavy machinery. Airbags can be used on top of the modular cribbing with ease and stability.

Having used this type of crib in competition and in "real life" scene I can tell you that it is extremely useful and quick.

Posted by on September 24, 2011 • Filed under: fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, rescues, RIT or FAST Operations, special-operations, training-development, training-fire-rescue-topics • Tagged: