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We’ve been doing a little rope rescue review and training. More complicated scenarios to come as we put more pieces together. Remembering all the parts of our rope systems is sometimes tough because of the intervals between use and/or training. Below are two videos to help with your review of the munter hitch and load-releasing hitch.
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By Paul Hasenmeier
I’ve had the privilege, opportunity, and burden to have the newest rookie hired on shift for the last 6 months. Ok, burden…may be a bit sarcastic, but you know how those energetic, skillful, and educated young guys are.
First, Charlie our rookie will be referred to as the Sweat Bee because a few months back, he called the rest of the crew, hornets. We asked what he meant and he said , “you guys are being dicks for no reason, like a hornet.” The whole interaction was all in good firehouse fun and we quickly decided to nickname him the Sweat Bee since he doesn’t really have a firehouse stinger yet.
Grip strength training
P90 what?
We’ve done a bunch of training with the Sweat Bee since he’s been with us full-time and will continue for years to come. He started full-time after a year full-time at another department and several years of part-time experience. The Sweat Bee also has a solid foundation of technical rescue training.
The basics along with physical fitness and some technical rescue have been part of our daily trainings. Today for example, the crew did some S&R, hose advancement, aerial ladder ops, and threw some ground ladders.
On another note, the Sweat Bee usually receives an evening call or two from his fiancee, who by the way is a busy pharmacy student. She also bakes us some awesome desserts that can only be metabolized by moving more. For some reason when the Sweat Bee’s fiancee calls, his little wings carry him out to the apparatus bay away from the hornet stingers. We tend to check up on him after a while to make sure he is fully listening to his soon to be wife.
It will be fun to continue working with the Sweat Bee and watch his professional and firehouse stinger development. We’ll keep you updated with the progress and summarize his first year towards summer.
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Dave Walsh is on fire forwarding some good training materials this week. If you get a chance check out the SUNY Dutchess Fire Science Program on Facebook. For this post we simply linked the new bowstring truss interim operating procedure out of the FDNY. Within the linked pdf below you will find some reasoning for the changes in procedure and some strategic and tactical considerations. Also below are a few pictures of bowstring truss system in our area. Share your pictures and more importantly talk about the hazards in your jurisdiction at the kitchen table and then go visit them before a fire. Be safe.
BOWSTRING TRUSS INTERIM OP PRO FDNY
School gym
Ford dealership
Manufacturing occupancy
Street view 1 of 2
2 of 2. 3 occupancies.
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Some of the tools available.
Over the last few weeks we have had the opportunity to review and provide feedback on Ryno Concealment’s tool caddy. They have been making gun holsters and other accessories for some time. The founder, Ryan, is a Kansas City firefighter by trade and his innovation is tested on the streets. He wanted some feedback from a different perspective, so we added our 2 or 3 cents. He has been receptive to the ideas and the product seems to be a solid piece for all firefighters from big city to small town.
The tool caddy is made with Kydex, which is a thermoplastic sometimes used in place of leather. It is a hard material that requires heat to mold into position. Ryan’s secrete is a toaster oven that was collecting dust in his basement. Below is a picture of the tool caddy when it first arrived. It included channellocks, an 11 in 1 screwdriver, and cutters.
The demo caddy
One problem we first experienced was the screwdriver tips fell out of the handle when riding in the bunker pocket. We also predicted that the screwdriver tips could potentially puncture the bunker pocket. Ryan was receptive to fixing the problem and came up with the fix in the picture below. The screwdriver is solid in the caddy, but comes out easily with a twist. It is in black Keydex only because he ran out of orange. You can get yours entirely in either color.
Reviewing this tool caddy all started a month or two ago after I posted a picture of my old tool pouch that had tools falling through some holes. I was pretty used to pulling the old tool pouch out of the bunker pocket and selecting the tool needed. So, securing the new tool caddy into the pocket was not a huge deal. However, several other firefighters thought it would be a good idea to tie the caddy into the pocket to allow for one-handed tool removal. After consulting with Ryan, he suggested using paracord. We weaved the paracod into the eyelets of the caddy and then put the cord through the drain holes in the bottom of the pocket. Two overhand knots on top of each other prevented the paracord from being pulled through when removing a tool. Check out the video below for a demonstration. The last tool removed (cutters) seemed a bit tight, but will probably become a bit more smooth after use.
Several options of cutters. Ryan is saying the small bolt cutters on the left are awesome. We have not played with them, but did see his video demonstrating cutting a 16d penny nail with one hand.
Be sure to contact Ryan via Facebook, cell 816-898-7246, or his website linked below for a new tool caddy. He can also make a custom caddy if there are other tools you prefer.
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We received this quick little reminder and training piece from David Walsh. From the emails it comes from Brothers at Miami-Dade Fire Rescue (Gustin and Garcia).
A small fire in the cellulose ended up requiring us to drop the entire ceiling in the kitchen. No smoke inside the structure or initially showing on the exterior. The lazy officer could very easily blow this off as “no emergency” call and clear, only to come back in the middle of night to a well involved attic fire.
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We spent another couple hours in the horse barn this past Saturday practicing some forcible entry techniques. Several first time horse barn trainees joined in on this last session for a while. The prop moved back to the shop for a little maintenance and a couple additions.
In addition to the actual forcible entry training we continue to see the motivation of firefighters to perfect their trade. Over the last three weeks of ad hoc horse barn trainings, we had about 30 firefighters show up to train on their own time. We’ll get back into small more trainings like these soon…maybe some torch work next.
If you missed the posts on the last horse barn trainings click HERE and HERE. We showed a technique on the residential side of the prop in the first post and then did it on an acquired structure. Be sure to check it out and give it a try.
By: Paul Hasenmeier
If you have been following the blog; you probably have seen the videos of forcible entry on our homemade prop. I’ve been told that one of the recent videos where a single firefighter using the blade of an axe to gap the door won’t work. The jury is still out and we need to try it some more, but I can tell you that it works on the prop and worked on the acquired structure door in the pictures and video below.
As firefighters on volunteer, combination, career, small town, rural, or big city departments we must remember that through training we perfect our trade and find other options to get the job done. We often use props to simulate a technique that can be performed on a real structure, but remember that props are like batting cages. The prop gives you routine, muscle memory, and repetition in the same manner that a pitching machine does. However, when you get in the batters box at the ball field or on the door step of a working fire; be ready to adapt to the real life situation.
Common lockset and deadbolt.
The door in the pictures and video below is a standard 32″ x 80″ steel exterior residential door. It had a typical lockset and deadbolt. No additional chain, slide-bolt, or drop bar security measures were on this door.
The door jam itself was in good condition and the door shut tightly when the deadbolt was locked.
The step below the door was already removed, which caused me to place the axe handle on the door threshold. Ideally, the blade would have been better placed just below the lockset.
Check out the video and try the technique…maybe you’ll find it to be a useful option for your tackle box. In addition to the conventional forcible entry techniques, we will be trying this one more in the future. I welcome the discussion, however, if you decide to comment be sure to use your name and add constructive dialogue.
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By: Charlie Hillman
If your jurisdiction contains residential structures serviced by propane tanks; controlling this hazard should be a tactical priority.
Here is a picture of a typical residential propane tank that we can encounter in a rural setting:
This is a 250 gallon propane tank that provides heating and cooking fuel. Propane is used in the rural setting rather than natural gas in most cases. Natural gas is normally delivered via underground lines, and the cost to run miles of natural gas line makes it cost prohibitive in rural settings. Thus, most rural homes are serviced by a propane tank that is on site. The propane is delivered by truck to the tank when the consumer is in need of fuel. Be cautious of appliances that were designed to use natural gas and are being fed by propane. Propane has a higher amount of BTU’s per cubic foot; so if used in an appliance that was designed for natural gas it can have disastrous consequences. These appliances have smaller orifices for propane and larger orifices for natural gas.
As we all know when one of these tanks becomes exposed to excessive heat a BLEVE (Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion) can occur. To prevent this from occurring use simple tactics to mitigate this hazard.
Remember, these tanks (propane or compressed natural gas) can also be found on alternative fuel vehicles.
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From Josh Portie
From Ross Marsh
We’ve been sharing some ideas about how you can store tools in your bunker gear over the last few days on Facebook. Many others have added to the conversation and some have shared pictures. There are endless possibilities on how to store your tools and even more opinions on what tools to carry. Everyone is correct because if it works on your job then its the right tool to have in your pocket.
It seems that most firefighters do an inventory every so often to see if they can lighten the load or move a tool to a more useful location. This can even be a simple company drill and create a good discussion about the pros and cons of certain tools.
From Lt. Bronner
From Jamie Irwin
From Jamie Irwin
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Last week we posted about a horse barn forcible entry training. The project started when I was asked to help a young firefighter-to-be prepare for a high school demonstration. Read last weeks post HERE. Unfortunately, the young lad won’t be going to the regional qualifier because other students presenting on basket weaving and the aerodynamics of horseshoes were selected instead. I don’t get it, we don’t get it, but all I can say is keep training and learning.
Jenga or blocks for the prop?
After last weeks post, we’ve had more interest in the training by some local firefighters. Since we were teaching anyways we didn’t turn anybody away. After a quick breakfast we all headed to the horse barn. One good thing about an ad hoc training like this is that more guys add to the conversation and the passing of knowledge is easily transferred.
Below is the firefighter-to-be demonstrating on the residential side of the prop. Remember, this is one technique and not necessarily the gold standard. Your text book teaches you one way and the street teaches you multiple ways. In the video you will see how he works with two tools and rotates the tools so they work more efficiently. At very least, this technique on this prop makes the firefighter think about tool placement and how the forces are applied. Talk with your crews about the different options of forcing doors.
In other news, we have been helping Ryan at Ryno Concealment refine his firefighters tool caddy. The product is improving and being used on the street in Kansas City and several other locations. They are working on a website, but for now be sure to “Like” the Facebook page for updates and contact information. More coming soon.
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So one of the local high school career center students and fire explorer asked if I could help him learn more about forcible entry for a skills challenge competition. He said competition, right? All in!
He has to prepare a 5-7 minute presentation and demonstration about his topic along with organizing the logistics. He is going to use our forcible entry prop and focus the presentation on the single firefighter residential door technique.
Below is a video from the first training evolution for him. We covered some specifics about different tools, door construction, and the Ol’ Gap – Set – Force task. We plan to invite others to our once a week or so horse barn forcible entry trainings until the competition in February. We’ll keep you updated with his progress.
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Here is a quick training drill that ultimately gets you thinking about grain bin rescue. Andrew Brassard did this with his crew over the holidays and we tried it yesterday.
We kidnapped my daughter’s little Dora doll who became the victim for the scenario. All you need is a two liter bottle, some bird seed and your favorite little toy.
This is a small little prop that shows the technique for cutting grain bins to lower the grain level. In the first example you will see the victim being swallowed up when only one triangle cut is opened up. Then in the second example you will see the victim riding the product down because two triangle cuts were opened up simultaneously. This will certainly get some conversation going with your crew.
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The temperatures in Northern Ohio and other parts of the country have been cold enough to give us some ice for training. This is just a quick post with a few reminders and ideas for training. REMEMBER: (1) Reach, Throw, Row, Go. Time is of the essence when someone is in the water. I’m not going to get all hypothermic and EMS protocol on you, so I trust you get the idea. (2) Wear and take the gear you need; ice awls, throw bags, radio, whistle, flashlights, strobes, sled (Marsars, homemade?, jon boat), something to reach with (pike pole, Marsars Reach Pole, ladder, inflatable fire hose). (3) Make sure you have adequate resources coming (FD, mutual aid FD’s, USCG, as an example the Ohio Department of Natural Resources has ice rescue capabilities in our area, air boats?, helicopter, warm shelter).
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We’ve had the opportunity to review two COAST Products. Some thoughts on the HP14 LED Flashlight and Rapid Response 3.00 Knife are included in this post. Overall, both seem durable and reliable enough for everyday use.
Specifications from the COAST website:
FF Andrew Brassard and Lt. Steve Robertson will cover:
Register by email: ewebb@ehove.net
Register by phone: 419-499-4663 ext. 281
CE provided by Ehove Career Center
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