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Comment by Marc on May 1, 2009 at 9:32pm

Ben,
We wear the SCBA while going up to the roof incase the condition deterirates.
An Apparatus Operator and the Topmember can go up to the roof do a few inspection cuts and find out that there is no smoke or fire that has reached that high and there is no need for a mask. while other time they make an inspection cut clouds of smoke and sute coming shooting out, that a time when the A/O and the TM look at each other and mask-up.

We carry our breathers just incase.


When you saw the fire starting to get close and even touch the arieal ladder that is very rare. Our truck guys try to spot close to the fire with out endangering the FF and the apparatus.
This is just an example of how and situation can go from bad to horrible in a few second.
We always try to prepare for the worst with is why the Apparatus Opperator spoted on the opposite corner of the building.
All this video shows is that a situation can go bad quick!!

Comment by Ben Waller on June 21, 2008 at 8:59am

I question some of the stuff these videos show. Obviously the LA truckies know how to do roof work. For the most part, there was better work from the upwind side of the vent holes than you see in some places. There was also a textbook shot of how to sound a roof, get to the vent spot, and quickly make the hole.

On the other hand, there was at least one shot of fire impinging on the aerial. I realize that this may have been due to conditions going bad in a hurry, but it's a good idea to anticipate those conditions going bad prior to putting firefighters on the roof. Putting firefighters on roofs that are in the process of autoventing? Is there really a need to take that risk? There's also one shot of the roof team doing the vent work while wearing SCBA but with their facepieces off. If you're not going to breathe the air, then why bother with the weight and bulk of the SCBA? As the tile roof vid shows, it's all too easy to go through the roof if there's enough fire under it.

I'm not against vertical ventilation - I've done plenty of it in my career. From the Command perspective, I just wonder what was there anything really left to save in the fire underneath some of those commercial occupancies. If the building is already totalled and there is no rescue going on, then maybe we need to re-think the need to be that aggressive.

One other thing about the LA roof work - their helmets may not look as cool as a leather New Yorker, but 100% of them stayed on the firefighter's heads during the roof work, even the saw operators.

Comment by Lisa on June 19, 2008 at 11:36pm

Awesome!!

Comment by kimball on June 18, 2008 at 1:00pm

LA city sure does get it!! and they do a fine damn good job, even tho I do HATE those helmets but I know the reason why they wear them.