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School Bus Roll-Over in Virginia

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Is your department prepared for the challenges you may face if a school bus loaded with children is involved in a crash.  This past Wednesday a school bus rolled over in Virginia.  It is fortunate that reports are stating all injuries are considered minor.  The picture to the left is from a training scenario a few years back.

What do unstrained passengers go through when a school bus rolls?  Check out the video below for an example.  The video is from a camera mounted on the front bulkhead that are common on many buses these days.   (more…)

More Jack Team Work On A Roll-Over Pinning

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What are your options when faced with a vehicle roll-over pinning?  What comes to mind first?  Airbags, hydraulic tools, wreckers, jacks, lifting struts, pry bars, wedges?

For this scenario you have a single victim pinned under an overturned vehicle.  What is the safest and fastest option to free the victim?  For the remainder of the discussion we are going to show the use of a jack.  In the picture to the left and video to follow you will see the First Responder Jack in use, another common option is the farm-jack.  Add other options in the comments below.   (more…)

Medical Oxygen Tank Over Pressurization On Wheels

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Here’s your scenario:  You get a call for a truck with a high-pitch sound coming from it.  On arrival the truck is a Class B straight truck with hazardous materials placards easily identifiable on your approach.  It’s 80 degrees outside.  You also notice the labeling on the side indicates the vehicle is a medical oxygen service truck.  You also notice a white pressurized gas coming from a vent on the roof of the cargo box.  Some children playing in nearby yards.  Neighbors inform you that the trucks usual driver lives across the street. (more…)

First Responder Jack – Review

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We have recently had the opportunity to review the First Responder Jack.  Although we have more to do, a bunch of techniques with this jack have been completed.  This tool is firefighter-designed and has up to a 46oo lb. of lifting and winching options.  Previous posts on high lift jacks or “farm jacks” can be found here and here.

Some of the features described by the designers of the First Responder Jack include:

A.  Removable top clamp-clevis attachment

B. Durable powder-coated bright yellow main components with fire red actuating pieces

C. Safe use information on the handle

D. Aggressive 36 sq. inch base provides a safe and effective platform, while offering a wide array    of rescue options that encompass; cribbing, chains, straps, and has a 360 degree pinnable rotation platform (more…)

Car/Semi Under-Ride With Fire – Company Drill

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Andrew Brassard shared this video in an heavy rescue email group.  It looks to have bene a very challenging rescue that dates back to 2003 and happened in the Salt Lake City area.  The intensity of the scene rises as the video progresses until the extrication of the patient.  Check out the video below and tabletop some questions below with your crew.  Add any other questions you think to bring up in the comments below.

  • Have we done extrication training in full PPE while breathing air?
  • Have we done extrication with a hoseline operating overhead?
  • What are our foam and water supply capabilities?  ARFF resources?
  • What stabilization concerns do we have?  What are our capabilities?  Additional resources?
  • Does everyone understand tunneling operations in an under-ride scenario?
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First Due Tackle Goes Live

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It is with great excitement that we can announce the launch of this new Fire&EMS blog network site.  Much of the information on this site has been transferred in from my old blog including the posts contributed by others.

Here’s a bit about the site:

By routinely reflecting on the challenges that first due companies face, the materials herein will hopefully get you thinking critically and/or more creatively about how to use your tackle.  Contributors to this site and members of the crew vary in experience, age, technological abilities, and number of fish caught.  In addition, their houses of call cover the spectrum of rural volunteer, small combination, and career metropolitan fire departments.  It’s this aspect of our writing and instruction that we hope will find a place in your firehouse and on your training ground.  Read more about the premise behind the logo here.

I cannot thank brother firefighter Darrell Fitch enough for his awesome work on the FDT logo.  He turned some thoughts into the great design above.  Check out Fire Medic Art on facebook or his website.

Many others have contributed to the making of this site and I thank you.  For everyone else, thank you for your viewership, insight, and contributions.  Let’s keep it going for the betterment of the fire service.

Be sure to join in on Facebook and Twitter.

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Training Websites, Blogs, and Magazines

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A few weeks ago, brother fire instructor Melvin Harrington from NY posed the question in Facebook group The Training Room:  What training sites should we provide on a list for new graduates leaving our academies?  The list is certainly not all inclusive, but here’s what was added.  If you have more you think should be added comment below with the link.

Magazines/Journals

FIREHOUSE                FIREENGINEERING              FIREFIGHTERNATION (more…)

Anhydrous Nurse Trailer – Company Drill

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This company drill was passed over to me from Lt Bronner (Perkins Township FD).

Many of you are seeing anhydrous nurse trailer throughout your jurisdictions this time of year.  The “nurse trailer” in this picture was parked about 15 feet from a country road.  Immediately, three things popped into my head.

The first was a video that a coworker (Bryan Brace) sent to me.

(more…)


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