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The Daily Drill 2: VES
Here is a post from a very good friend and very wise fireman, Lance Peeples. Lance is a firefighter/paramedic with the Webster Groves Fire Department in St. Louis County. Check it out and give some feed back.
Review the following video and consider how YOUR fire department operates when answering the following questions:
1. Is VES indicated if PPV is used by your department? What safety precaution should the operator of a PPV fan perform before starting the fan?
2. Notice how the VES firefighter enters head first. Very experienced instructors often recommend grasping the window frame with the head and upper body protected by the wall and then entering with the opposite foot. This permits the firefighter to make an emergency ladder slide if necessary.
What is another advantage of this technique?
3. On your first alarm assignment who is the firefighter assigned the responsibility for VES. Who is the firefighter that will assist him in this technique?
4. If the assisting firefighter ascends the ladder to orient the searching firefighter how can the ladder be butted? Does it always need to be butted? Could a tool be driven into the grounds at the butt of the ladder to prevent it from sliding?
5. Are the tools (hook and halligan) needed for VES mounted near the riding position of the member who is responsible for this function or are they mounted on the other side of the apparatus underneath the water rescue rope and drinking cups?
6. Notice how the roof ladder projects into the window slightly. However, the ladder is already at a very low angle that could result in the butt kicking out. Should the ladder tip be removed from the window to allow for easier emergency exit/victim removal or does the angle of the ladder preclude this? What are possible solutions?
7. Some of the commentators below the video are critical of opening the door upon preparing to leave the room…what say you?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by 55 TRUCK on
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To much time getting in the window. Just need a axe or halligan. What in the Wide
Wide World of Sports! Made him open the door once his search was done?
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Permalink Reply by Robert Owens on
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Need to sweep the floor for victims first before you sound it
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Permalink Reply by Wade Seely on
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Just a word on proper PPE, he may want to put his hood on. I know some guys don't like hoods because the can feel the heat better without them, but I always wear mine and can feel "the heat" just fine while also relying on my situational awarness and what conditions are telling me. Wiht the ladder the angle was poor, but depending on the ground surface footing the ladder may not be an issue.
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Permalink Reply by Jeff Cole on
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Not gonna say if this is "wrong" or right. But I will offer some observations: It's much easier when using a straight frame ladder, a little more difficult with an extentension...but certainly very not a problem. Second, taking out the glass first, then masking up. Let's hope that the bedroom door was closed to begin with, and the fire isn't in the hallway or working up the stairwell. Becouse we just provided a perfect oppurtunity for it to feed and work into the room and reach for the outside air.
It's a good idea to reduce the body profile before entering, instead of a head -first dive. Always should use a feet-first move. And as was mentioned, before you begin to sound the floor with a good push and jab with the hook, probe to see if your not going to spear an unconscious, or semi-conscious victim who may have made it to the window.
Good advice, many times forgotten to drop low and look under the smoke, if possible. The priority is to get to the door and attempt to slow fire extension by shutting it. If the door is compromised and you can get to a closet door and rip it down quickly, that can be used to cover the compromised doorway.
The biggest deception in these drills is the lack of furnishings, which will clutter the room, slow down the searcg a bit, and potentially obscure victims, especially children and infants that are wrapped in bedding. The other part is that we will not usually have any problem removing a very small child manikin. Unfortunately in my career I have come accross victims that we on upper floors and weighed 240-265 lbs. That will require pretty much all you got to move an unconscious victim from a bed, possible between beds and/or furnishings, over carpet and other room obstacles and hoist them to the firefighter on the ladder.
That's a whole different picture, but often the real picture.
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