VES

I know there's a lot of smaller volunteer departments on here and I was just curious how many of you use VES on a regular basis.(Career departments too) VES, Vent Enter Search for those that don't know, seems like it would actually be fairly beneficial to smaller departments because you can get more done at once. Here the hook man on the truck and sometimes the tillerman will perform VES. We already have the bar man inside forcing doors and searching by himself in front of the engine company. Then the rescue squad has two teams searching as well. If the hook man is throwing ladders, it saves time if he just does a quick search since he's already breaking out the window.(We never throw a ladder without breaking the window. Otherwise there's no point in the ladder)

Here's a nice video by a guy I work with. He's the tillerman on 17 Truck. It shows how quick you can have a ladder up, ventilate, perform a search, and get out by yourself. He recorded it with his helmet cam and used it for a training company run by himself, other DCFD guys, and some FDNY guys. Hope this helps some people. He has several others on YouTube as well that are interesting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBTjoCvok5w

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Permalink Reply by Jack/dt on February 3, 2011 at 10:02am

Maybe we should make a concerted effort to keep the relevant (real) topics at the top of the list.

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Permalink Reply by Wade Seely on February 3, 2011 at 11:06am

Just a question as to what other departments take for tools when doing VES. In my department We do VES in pairs, one stays at the window and usually has a short pike pole, and the other who goes in usually has a halligan. If anyone who does this on a more regular basis uses different tools or has some small technigue that they have learned I would be glad to hear it.

TCSS

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Permalink Reply by capcityff on February 3, 2011 at 11:17am

A lot of things here depend on the company. One thing that many do have though, are tools attached to the ladder. So when I pull say a 24 foot ladder, a hook is already attached to the top of it. That way I throw the ladder, climb it, and the hook is waiting for me. Other than that it's preference. One of the guys throwing ladders is usually the hook man anyway so he usually has one with him.

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Permalink Reply by Wade Seely on February 3, 2011 at 11:39am

Thanks for the info capcity, We have tools mounted at the top of our platform, but not the extension ladders, so it then becomes a matter of what tool is going to do the most for me for this task. I do like the idea of the pike attached to the ladders and will mention it to the guys in those nice clean white helmets.

TCSS