Welcome To October Fire Notes!■ Following you will find Tips, Tricks, Quotes, Cool

Stuff, and Stuff that Makes sense to me from throughout the Month of October

■ This is somewhat my way of Passing it On ■ All this Information has been Taken from

Facebook, Twitter, Websites, Books, Articles, Videos, Etc.

■ NONE OF THIS IS MY INFO, IT HAS ALL BEEN PASSED ON AND I HAVE SEEN IT

■ Please Pass this On if you find Value in it ■ Thank you for Taking the Time to Better Yourself

October 2016 Fire Notes

■ We will offer NO Remorse for having a High Standard of Performance for Ourselves, Our Crew, For Others in the Department, and for being Uncompromising in these Convictions. Sometimes we're Enthusiastic in sharing our Vision. We will NOT Apologize for the Zeal that Drives our Mission, not to you or Anybody else.

■ Apologies Sound Like Excuses to us. We are Tired of Excuses.

Understanding Building Layouts, Being able to Recognize the Type of Room you're Searching and Knowing the

FACTS of Fire Victims will Lead you to THEM.

Note the Ladder Placement According to the Steep Pitch. Not Every Roof Requires a

“Climbing Angle".

Every time you talk, you are Influencing

others Decisions and

Opinions.

What Influence will you Leave?

Know What YOUR Rig Can Do!

A Fire Wall Wont Stop Auto-Exposure

How Do You VES? Do you Use the “Monkey Technique”?

■ Motivated Employees become “Quiet" when one or more Issues are Experienced:■ Breach of Trust■ Lack of Leadership Consistencies ■ Dishonesty■ Leadership Selfishness ■ Lack of Vision

~ Tim McClure

■ One of the biggest

complaints I heard in the

military and even now in the Fire Dept is officers

forget where they came from. Don't

forget!

■ You don't matter nearly as much as your people

do.

"...the first-due engine company's primary function is to push a handline into the

structure and control the fire. Separating the burning area from the uninvolved rooms that must be searched for occupants is the most vital function of the engine company. Putting

water on the seat of the fire is the very heart of what we do. An old adage says that

a properly placed hose stream will save more lives than any other action taken on

the fireground."

~David Wood

■ Too Many People have Lost Site of the Goal.

■ Citizens Expect you to be GOOD.

■ It's your Job to Figure Out How to be Good and Safe.

■ It is Not Acceptable to Compromise Good so that you can be Safe.

■ Make Sure when you are Doing your Scene Size-up you are Looking for Hazards above your Head.

■ Many of these Units are Only held by Cheap Thin Angle Iron and Under Fire Conditions they won't hold up. Also Remember that the Building they are Anchored to is Being Compromised as Well.

■ As the Operating Crew we need to Keep an eye out for these because We Tend to Get Tunnel Vision and Forget that these Hazards exist. I Personally don't want to find out how much a unit weighs.

Know

Your

Flow

Door control is not anything new.

It is however miss understood by some.

Once we have water flowing into the

building we have the ability to take back

the atmosphere from the fire.

Chock the door and flow as you go!

A Crew that Masks Together Stays Together. Practice for Speed and

Accuracy and Mask up While Waiting for Water.

"A Mistake Made Twice is No Longer a

Mistake, it's a Choice."

■ Step Up and Lead

■ Truck Work Compliments Engine Work. ■ Discuss Tower Ladder Ops so as to Get the Most out

of Such a Great Apparatus.

Understanding The Difference Between Well Involved & Fire Showing

Bastard Filing To The Perfect 90

Check the Rig

Check the Tools

Mentor the Probie, Learn from the

Senior Man

Leave the Department

better than you found it

Exterior Doors - Sweep & Size-up■ 8% of Firefighter Rescue

Survey Victims are within a 6ft. radius of

an exterior door.

■ Force the door - Get down - Sweep from wall to wall (Touch the wall behind the door to confirm a full sweep) - Take your time to get your eyes up and look for LIFE, FIRE (Location, Heat, Smoke) and LAYOUT (Stairs, Hallways, Doors, Rooms)

Sweat the Small StuffLIVES Depend on it!

"'The Fire simply follows the Conditions given, whether we know them or not' (Stefan

Svensson)... What we Experience and Observe on the Fireground is the result of the Conditions

the Fire has to work with to Produce or not produce Flashovers and other Deadly

Conditions...What we need to Know and Understand are the Conditions that Effect Fire

Development and how We Change those Conditions through Search, Ventilation, and Fire Attack Operations... Additionally, we must have the Understanding that will enable us to choose and modify Fire Tactics and Strategies on the

Fly." - Jerry Knapp and William Quinn (excerpt from Modern House Fires: Effects of

Research on Strategies and Tactics, Fire Engineering - October 2016).

A Good Officer is Measured by what they do on the Job.

Their Leadership is Measured by what the Crew does when the Officer is Not Around.

■ To Teach the Job you Must Know the Job

■ Learn All you can Now, so you can Teach Later with Substance and Experience

■ When you climb into the cab for the first run of the day at 09:30 am, and the lineman has yet to place their gear on the engine

■ Complacency the biggest killer of firefighter's!

“The First and Most basic Scientific truth is that water is our primary fire-extinguishing

agent. Water is nature's answer to the problem of controlling and extinguishing

fire. Adequate knowledge of the characteristics of this common liquid and understanding of the natural laws that

govern its extinguishing action are essentials to those engaging in firefighting

activities”

■ Lloyd Layman, Attacking and Extinguishing Interior Fires

“Knowing is not enough,

we must apply.

Willing is not enough,

we must do!”

~Bruce Lee

■ Ritual: noun; Any practice or pattern of behavior regularly performed in a set manner.

Do your rituals set you up for failure

or success?

Body Positioning Matters

Extend your Reach, Monitor Conditions Above, Use your

Hands, and Search the Areas that

People Typically Occupy in a Room

■ The Right Size Line, Taken to the Right Place, with the Right Length, will have a Direct Impact on so Many Other Outcomes on the Fireground.

■ Stretch it Right, Stretch it Efficient.

■ Is your Leadership creating a Forward Thinking Receptive Environment in your Organization? One with Passion & Vision.

■ If not, many of your People Probably Struggle with being Silenced or Put in a Corner.

■ These Passionate People may Eventually Give-up on their Work and Lose Interest, with Bad Leadership being the only one to blame.

■ As an Officer, Gratitude goes a long way. Not the kind that comes to you but rather the kind that comes FROM you.

■ Let your members know you appreciate them.

“Try Not to Suck!"-Lt. Bill Ross,

Columbus Fire Engine 2

■ To speed up time on the fire ground and some thinking outside the box we used the 35ft extension ladder with the fly down to act as a roof ladder.

■ We got to the peak faster than throwing two ladders.

■ Another tool for the tool box. Not "the way" but "a way."

■ Shared Experiences are what Connects each of us.

■ Don't take for Granted the Opportunity to share yours with others.

■ Make it a goal to grab an engine some hose, and call some friends and work something out.

■ The keyboard only gets you so far.

■ Complacency is Often the First & Most Significant Domino to Fall in a LODD.

■ Honoring the Brotherhood means Eradicating Complacency from EVERY Run.

■ Don't Permit it to Infect You or Others.

“A officer must quickly survey, analyze the situation weigh various factors, apply basic principles, decide what

action should be taken, formulate a plan and exercise command. Success or failure on the fire ground depends

on a major degree upon the ability of an officer to perform these essential functions in a skillful manner.

This requires a disciplined mind which has been trained in the art of clear and logical thinking. This mind must possess the necessary professional knowledge and be

able to apply such knowledge in a skillful and resourceful manner. Individuals who are unable to

maintain self-control and to think clearly and logically amid confusion and excitement on the fire ground

should not aspire to positions of operation command!”

■ Lloyd Layman; Firefighting Tactics.

Is There Really Any Other Way

To Be?

■ Think about parking apparatus across the street as compared with right in front of a well involved commercial building fire ... outside the collapse zone and away from a potential radiant heat problem. Use a hydrant that's outside the collapse zone.

■ The collapse zone (1-1/2 times the height by the full width) can include “secondary collapse” items, e.g., a telephone pole brought down by the initial collapse could pull an adjacent pole/lines (100 feet away).

■ One thing I feel strongly about as a company officer is how important our example is. We can't let our men and women see us throw excuses around for our behavior. Always demonstrate pride , a positive attitude, and professionalism even in the midst of personal or professional struggles.

■ I'm not saying bottle it all up either. Find an outlet, a confidant to vent to. Your people will remember your actions and attitude and will likely lead in some of the same manner when they are in your position. Grin and bear it and lead from the front. Show them he right way to lead.

Anybody can set the Aerial up on their Front Ramp but how about on

your Real Buildings? Practice!!!!

So, is the Tank Empty or 1/2?■ How Often do you Empty your

Booster Tank to Verify that the Tank Level Indicator Lights are Properly Functioning? ■ If you Don't do it at least

Monthly it's Something you Should Consider doing Quarterly, at a Minimum.

■ PS. The Tank was Empty.

■ Push your crews hard. ■ Hold them to high standards.

■ Standards that will make them competent and dedicated professionals.

■ Maybe not all will get on board, but some will.

■ Your goal should be that when they move on to other places they will continue to uphold the standard they were shown along the way, ultimately making your department better.

■ Always remember though, it starts with YOU!

“A Closed Door is an Open Opportunity.”

~Brian Olson

Assume Fire is on the Floor Below you Until Proven

Otherwise

■ Would you miss these doors on the Charlie side at 3am?

■ We need to anticipate the odd obstacles as well as the expected ones.

What's Hot?

■ Human Skin begins to Feel Pain at 111F■ First Degree Burn at 118F■ Second Degree Burn at 131F■ Human Skin instantly Destroyed at 162F■ Charring of Natural Cotton at 480F■ Charring of PPE at 570F■ Temps in a Post Flashover Room 2,000F+

■ As an IC or Company Officer, how many people are you responsible for? 2? 3? 10? 30?

■ Don't forget to include the spouse, the children, the parents, the grandparents, etc., of the members who work with you.

■ You have a responsibility to them too.

■ Being in charge is an awesome responsibility.

■ You can never know enough about the job.

■ Learn the job. ■ Love the job. ■ Do something each day to make

yourself better.

"Is your organization spending more energy trying to avoid errors than achieving

excellence?“

Capt. (Ret.) David L. Marquet, U.S. Navy, author of "Turn the Ship Around!

A more Important Priority for the 2nd Engine, above pulling a 2nd

line, is Making Sure the 1st Line is Moving and Getting in Place to

get First Water on the Fire. This is Especially true with 2 1/2" Attack

Lines.

■ Statistically, most Mayday Emergencies occur within the first 10 minutes of arrival, a time when a company officer is most likely in command.

■ A key to survival in a Mayday emergency is a strong calming command presence directing crews in the efforts of firefighter rescue.

■ Preparation through realistic training is key in training our company officers in managing these stressful high emotion events.

"The Hallmark of a Good Fire Department is an

Aggressive and Thorough Search. Most

Departments Mention Somewhere in their

Mission Statements the Tenet to Save Life and Property. In Reality,

Saving a Life is Really what Firefighters are

Here for"

~ Mike Lombardo, Buffalo Fire

■ "Connecting our day-to-day activities to something larger was a strong motivator

for the crew. Once the crewmembers remembered what we were doing and

why, they would do anything to support the mission“

~Capt. David L. Marquet (Ret.) U.S. Navy, author of Turn the Ship Around!

"Progress is impossible without change; and those who cannot change their minds

cannot change anything"

■ -George Bernard Shaw

■ When Arriving on Scene with a Report of a Fire, the First Due Ladder Company Officer can be Tasked with Doing a Quick Check, while the Aerial is being Raised, Ground Ladders are being Thrown, & the Hoseline is being Stretched, to Ensure that the Seat of the Fire is not in the Basement.

■ Use your TIC Tactically During this Check to Help Determine the Fire's Location.

■ In General we Always Want to Know What's going on Beneath us & Over our Heads, Particularly within any Void Spaces.

■ The Subconscious Mind doesn't know the difference between Visualization and

Live-Firing. You can therefore train to Fire a Subconscious Shot Anywhere and

Anytime you want. You Simply Stop what you're doing, Relax, Close your Eyes, and

Imagine Firing a Perfect Shot as many Times as you Want.

■ Linda K. Miller and Keith Cunningham, Secrets of Mental Marksmanship

■ Respect, Honor and Tradition are Key Elements in Building the Firefighters of Tomorrow.

■ Teach them These Traits now Through your own Actions, so they Aspire to be Leaders.

"Orientation for Search"■ Get a look at 2

sides prior to Committing to the Interior, Orient Yourself to What you are About to Search.

■ Orientation is not Orienting Yourself to get out but to Orient Yourself to go in for THEM!

■ Sitting around Complaining about how things Should be Better is a Waste of Time.

■ If you Want things to Change, Change Them

■ If you're not Willing to do Something about the things you Complain about, you Lose the Right to Complain.

"To be a Good Officer: if you Don't Know What's Expected of your People, and you don't know what they're going through,

you don't know what you're doing."

■ When performing RIT evolutions for a firefighter down scenario, the SCBA back-plate and harness is NOT designed to be used as a lowering harness.

■ An actual harness or a quick hasty harness with 1" tubular webbing is much safer.

■ Training needs to be done correctly to keep our firefighters prepared and safe.

■ It takes hours upon hours of practice to produce moments of excellence.

■ Good officers understand this and are willing to lead their people in the hours of practice.

From The Drill Ground To The First Due

■ Throwing Ladders is More than Just Putting them in a Window, they need to be Thrown with a Purpose.

■ When using Ladders, Tactical Considerations need to take place.

■ A Size-up of the Construction, Height of the Building, and How Many Ladders you Have and their Lengths is Critical to the Operation.

■ When Throwing Ladders have Good Communication, let your Interior Crews Know where the Ladders are in case they need them for Rapid Egress.

■ Dry Standpipe Systems are Susceptible to Vandalism and Neglect.

■ Check for Caps on your way up and stay true to the Principles of Assigning 2 People to Water Supply.

■ Open Drains, Frozen Hydrants, or Damaged Pipe Systems will require a Team of Pump Operators to Get the Water to the Upper Floors.

■ Split Foyer or Split Floor Additions to a house can cause a few challenges.

■ If a Fire is in the Bottom of the Split Without Being Noticed you can Possibly have the Fire Chase you as you Make your way up the Stairs to the Top of the Split.

■ It is a Good Practice to have a Second Line in Place or Advancing to the Bottom of the Split Foyer for Protection.

■ As with Any Fire the OV has to be in Communication with the Interior Fire Attack.

■ Any Type of Window or Door Opened on the Bottom of the Split can cause the Split to become a Chimney again Chasing your Interior Crews as they make their way up the Second Floor of the Split.

■ One Last thing to Consider, if you are Doing Ahead of the Line Search and a Pressure Change takes Place due to Wind or Other Causes, it Could Cause the Door to be Slammed Shut and Catching you in a Position you do not Want to be in.

The Difference Between 3 Feet

When Stretching a Handline for Fire Attack Bring the 50’ Coupling with you to the Door.

This Allows the Doorman to Easily Feed the

Working Length into the Structure.

In Addition, Stretching Parallel to the Structure Minimizes Friction Points

at the Corners of the Door.