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Where Goes the Second Line?
We all know that it is easy to fall into a rut when it comes to training and even operating at what is labeled the "routine" call. Especially for those that are in suburban, mostly bedroom communities.
If your like most of the country, you pull past the house to get three sides, stretch a pre-connected hand line and make entry into the front door. Does this sound familiar to anyone? And, more times than not, this works just fine.
However, sometimes the bigger issue becomes where to take the second line? What apparatus does it come from and what size should it be? What about the length?
For most single-family, single story homes, line placement becomes mundane and we get a bit complacent. The second line many times gets pulled from the same rig as the attack line and goes in the same door as the attack line.
Again, I prefer a seconday apparatus for the back up line, but in most house fires the front door is appropriate for the back up line too. Of course, it all depends on what is taking place and many other variables as well.
One of the biggest problems I see quite often is on two story house fires. The first line goes to the fire up stairs and the back up line is at the door. One of the primary concerns is the integrity of those stairs. That second line needs to go to the stairs to protect the egress for the crew operating on the second floor.
The same has to be done if you have an attack team on the first floor and a search team on the second; a line needs to be deployed to the stairs. We must protect that egress point. In addition, note changing conditions to the search team and the attack team. Maybe the fire has spread or can't be found by the attack team and your observations are important.
What are your operational guidelines for the back up line? Share you experiences and thoughts.
As always, stay safe and train hard.
Jason
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Ben Waller on
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As the guy in the nursing home said, "It Depends".
If the fire is well involved in an open area such as the newer style open kitchen/dining room/den/foyer combinations common in my area, the second line follows the first line in. If the first line doesn't can't get the knock, it tends to push the fire around obstacles in the open area, such as a partial wall that supports the kitchen cabinets. The second line can cut the fire off so that doesn't get pushed back to the side of the 1st line's nozzle team.
If the fire has extended upstairs, the second line placement is obvious. The 1st line protects the stairs, then extinguishes the downstairs fire and the 2nd line gets the upstairs extension.
In commercial fires, the 2nd line may be needed to conduct a parallel attack down another product aisle at the home improvement store or WalMart. It may be required to protect an attached lateral esposure at a strip mall fire, or it may be required to protect the dock from a running fuel spill fire at a marina fire.
The thing to avoid is the "circular firing squad" whereby one line opposes the other and they compete to see which one can drive the fire over the other nozzle team.
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Permalink Reply by Jason Hoevelmann on
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Ben, great points and I love the nursing home analogy. Have a Happy Easter!
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Permalink Reply by Fabulous Heather Days of Summer on
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OMG - the small text now - distorts this picture - sorry
It says: "When 900 years old you reach, have control, you will not!"
i had to post it... for ben ;-)
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Permalink Reply by 55 TRUCK on
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Our 2nd line istask with protecting the primary line to insure fire doesn't get behind them.
To get the spot fires and to protect the staires. If evacuation is called the back up line is the last to leave.
1st due engine is attack, 2nd is back up, 3 is exposers or extension. Lines when
Possible should be connected to there respective pumpers.
4th due piece is RIT.
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Permalink Reply by Fireman Larry on
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Lesson one, in order to pass the test, learn how to spell Captain... lol
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I guess I've been doing this wrong, all of these years, my first line is for search and rescue, the second would be for fire attack...
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Permalink Reply by Michael Paschal on
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Second line I assume is the back up line. I like to have it close enough to the attack crew that it can be used to cover a retreat or assist with a quick knock down. B/U also needs to be able to get a visual on attack or at least be able to hear them. Back up needs to be out of the path of retreat, not in the hall way for example, but just inside a bed room or perhaps at the end of the hall way. If the attack crew must run away they will knock the B/U crew down and all will suffer. Use straight stream up over and past the heads of the retreating attack crew NOT A FOG, NOT EVEN A 45 DEG FOG PATERN. Regarding the picture. I like to get 3 lines minimum in that house. 1 attack, 1 back up, and one has to be dedicated to the stairs, again not on the stairs at the bottom of the stairs. Fire on second floor attack goes up B/U goes up to hall way stair line is at bottom. Fire on 1st floor attack goes to fire B/U takes position discussed earlier, stair line stays at bottom of stairs for protection of division 2 search team.
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Search and rescue can be done more quickly without a hoseline. If you're dragging a hoseline, it limits that team's ability to conduct an effective primary search.
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Permalink Reply by Leland Lavender on
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awesome, " It depends"
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OMG - you slay me Larry !!!
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Permalink Reply by Sparky3317 on
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I was always trained that the second line goes to the stairs as many have said to protect egress for the 1st line in operation unless it is needed for fire attack, or another assignment and then the 3rd line becomes protection for both crews.
Also the second line should always come from your piece of apparatus ( if possible) especially if you are a mutual aid company because if you pull from your piece of apparatus you know how your line is packed, set up and also how long it is.
Although this would change if the OIC makes an order for you to pull a certain line off the first due apparatus.
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That's great...if there are any stairs. Where does the 2nd line go if the fire is at WalMart or Home Depot? Where does it go at a strip mall? Where does it go at a 3,500 square foot single-family dwelling with no 2nd floor?
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