The following is a post with several insights and references on fire behavior, especially today’s fire behavior.  It’s not about guts or glory, but a priceless discussion on what the fire is doing in the buildings we are entering.

David Walsh (Program Chair for…

This past weekend we at Engine House Training, LLC had the distinct honor to interview and just talk with some of the leaders of the fire service at the 31st annual Missouri Winter Fire School. We were able to sit down with Billy Goldfeder, Dave Dodson, Forrest Reeder, Doug Cline and John Norman. To say the least, it was a great time. Click on the photo below to hear all of the podcasts. We also sat down with some of the great firefighters that attended. Challenge coins were flashed with two…

In a RIT Class I was taught how to make a 3:1 mechanical advantage system using three extra large carabiners and my personal escape rope.  You have a figure 8 with one carabiner to the victim, and a few feet behind the figure 8, away from the victime, a butterfly is made.  The rope works its way up to an anchor with the second carabiner.  The rope runs through this second carabiner, your anchor, and then the ropre runs through the third carabiner attached to the butterfly.  I'll try and get…

This post is from Lt Jason Deptula (Vermilion Twp. FD).

I’m sure we all practice RIT procedures in some fashion, here’s a twist to keep your crews focused on their situational awareness.  Send your attack team through an exterior door at your station or training center and let’s call that our “A” side of our working incident.  Have them proceed through a series of halls or rooms with a couple left or right hand turns.  While they are making their way through…

You are an engine company, not an Italian restaurant.

Despite what hoseload you choose to use, how you configure your hosebed and the number of members arriving as an engine company there is no excuse for spaghetti. It is even made worse when the engine is nosed in or "beached". Your 150' or 200' hoseline is…

Check out this video.  Heavy fire from the top floor.  Pre-arrival and post arrival footage.  What would you do?  What do you of their tactics?  Give us the report and your RECEO VS considerations.  Surf's up!

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE VIDEO!

Thanks and Be Safe!

Here’s a pretty easy drill for ladder truck placement training.  Phil Burden, JD Vasbinder, and Tom Wilcox have been doing this for years.

Pick a day, but Sunday’s work best when traffic is light.  Get your crew out of the recliners and take your truck out for a ride.  Pick a building, discus placement, set it up, recognize hazards, check out the roof, and see where and what you can reach.

Make it a Sunday morning habit and you will soon have greater efficiency and knowledge on…

I would first like to say that the use of the following article is not meant to be an armchair quarterback or to be critical of the department involved. However I do feel it can be a learning opportunity for us, to at least review some basics of having a search plan.

Article:

A man died in a blaze after four firefighters failed to spot him during two searches of a burning building, an inquest heard today. Danny Holt, 33, collapsed in his lounge after a chip pan caught fire –…

Here is a quick look at a building that offers more than one considering in regards to construction characteristics. The building in the photos is currently a resale shop. This building has been a tack shop, lawn equipment, sold boats and trailers. If you look hard at the front, it has been added onto.

The right side of the building was the original and the left was…

I once found a baby in the trash. On a beautiful summer morning we were engaged in our normal coffee and BS session when an alarm came in for the engine company. The horn went off. I didn’t pay much attention as I was riding on the ladder truck that day.

The pumper bros rushed out of the kitchen while I continued to eat my breakfast of eggs and green chili. In double company stations there are generally two kinds of trucks, a pumper truck, that’s the one that carries the water and…

by Peggy Sweeney

The Sweeney Alliance

Grieving Behind the Badge program

 …

What would do you do for this heavily involved attached garage fire?  Does the split-level layout change your strategies/tactics?  Give us the report and your RECEO VS considerations.  Have fun!

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE VIDEO!