For more information on Real Fire Training visit www.Real Fire Training.Net

Removing the door stop can allow for an ease of access to setting the tool. Its not an option that can always be used, but provides another option especially when working the door by yourself

T3 Fire Hoox donated one of these awesome tools to raffle off to our students during our Truck Company Operations class seminar on April 21, 2017. The student that won this tool was very pleased!!

Check the website out at www.t3firehoox.com.

Fire Service history on the halligan bar

A Halligan bar (also called a Halligan tool or simply Halligan) is a special tool commonly used in the fire and rescue service. It was designed by and named after Hugh Halligan, a First Deputy Fire Chief in the New York City Fire Department, in 1948, based upon the well known Kelley tool. The Halligan is a multipurpose tool for prying, twisting, punching, or striking. It consists of a claw (or fork), a blade (wedge or adze), and a tapered pick, which is especially useful in quickly forcing open many types of locked doors. Either the adze end or fork end of the tool can be used to break through the latch of a swinging door by forcing the tool between the door and doorjamb and prying the two apart, striking it with another Halligan, a Denver tool or a flat-head axe. Using a K-tool and the adze end, a lock cylinder can easily be pulled. There are many other uses of the Halligan tool, including vehicle rescue and opening of walls.

The Halligan is available in a number of lengths, and of various materials, including titanium or stainless steel, and may be found with replaceable head, handle and fork, and with carrying straps or rings.

A married Halligan bar and flat-head axe.A Halligan bar and a flathead axe can be joined together (and partially interlocked, head-to-toe) to form what is known as a married set, or set of irons — a particularly useful combination.

They are standard equipment for fire departments from North America to New Zealand, making them possibly the most widely-deployed tool in fire fighting today.

Note: The halligan bar shown to the right is made of multiple pieces of metal that are fused together. Some feel that this is not a true halligan and is what some firefighters call a "hooligan". These purists feel that a true halligan bar is made of one piece of metal, not multiple pieces that are fused together.

(Forest Volunteer Fire Department Forest, VA.) We have had alot of students in our Truck Company Operations class from this fire department and even had Chief Monty Coleman back this year as an instructor for our class.

Third and Inches

Your level of training can make or break the fireground

11/02/2017

Brad Dougherty

Let’s say you are the offensive coordinator for a six time super bowl team, from the steel city. You find yourself in a third and inches situation, there are two minutes on the clock and you are deep in your rivals territory, and down by two touch downs. For the grid iron decision makers this is a critical football situation, leaving you with three choices run, pass, or punt. Your decisions could contribute to you maintaining momentum and ultimately winning the game and going for that seventh ring. The average football player commits twelve to fourteen hours a day preparing for their game day. They spend time on the field, running various plays, in the gym working on physical conditioning and then in the classroom learning plays and watching films assessing their opponents. They are trying to learn and dissect the behavior, strengths, and weaknesses and decision making process of the upcoming adversary.

I know that what we do is vastly different compared to a professional football player and our profession is not a game, but when you look at the training regiment, the learning and the desire to always be better than you were yesterday, one can’t help but to make comparisons. What if we took the above scenario and translated it to a fireground event, such as being the first arriving engine company officer at a working residential structure fire, with entrapment? You are in essence the offensive coordinator and in a third and inches scenario. Your size-up reveals that your opponent has the upper hand at this point, fire is on three sides and quickly extending to the second floor. You have no control over the clock, but seconds are ticking away, a lot of information must be gathered, decisions must be made in seconds to regain control to swing momentum back to your favor. Where are survivable spaces and how will you defend them? Where is your water coming from? How long before additional resources arrive? Prior to this fire what have you done to prepare your members and yourself, like an offensive coordinator studies his opponent have you studied yours? Was the last time you looked at fire behavior and building construction in academy?

These are formidable opponents and can wreak havoc on your game plan if you aren’t up to date on them. The offensive coordinator has studied and watched and he or she knows that in certain situations this opponent is going to blitz. Have you reviewed strategy and tactics? Off of the football topic for a moment but I would be remised if I didn’t mention one of my heroes in this article, General Hal Moore would review battles that occurred before Vietnam, seeking to know how did officers succeed and how did officers fail in their planning and deployment of their tactics. Have you reviewed NIOSH reports, studied near misses and shared with your members?

As officers we must understand and know the gravity of our situations, moment by moment we have to make decisions. Unlike professional football players we can’t try again next Sunday. All of our mistakes have severe and swift consequences. We must make sure that those we are entrusted to lead are fundamentally prepared to fight. We have to get out and review on the basics, throwing ground ladders, forcible entry skills as well as hose deployment and placement must be drilled on constantly and mastered, then drilled on again.

As I watched some of training camp preparing for this, I saw veteran players practice the same skill over and over again until they couldn’t get it wrong. Watching these professionals truly inspired me to strengthen my skills, knowledge and abilities as well as those I work for, I work for my members if I am not one hundred percent in my fundamentals how can I make sure they are.

Coach Chuck Noll of the Pittsburgh Steelers is well known not only as a winning head coach but as a teacher of the game. He instructed his members in the game of football. He passed along his knowledge of the game and made the players better. I am always amazed by the efforts of those hoping to achieve the dream of becoming a professional football player from high school and college to combines and hopefully a chance to play. Again another fire service similarity, people will go to great lengths to accomplish their dreams. As officers we need to foster that, one hour of halfhearted training with full committed whining, followed by smashed hindquarters in recliners isn’t going to produce successful out comes for us on game day.

Every football season I listen to the members talk about this team and that team on Monday morning. I hear “well so and so didn’t practice and you can tell their heart wasn’t in it. I always ask what is the difference? Unlike our offensive coordinator we don’t get second chances, we have one opportunity to be successful in our mission. All of our pre-game efforts in training, learning and instructing must pay off every single time. If we aren’t successful we have failed those we are sworn to serve and those we serve with.

Get out of the recliner and get out on your practice field and learn, walk your districts, throw some ladders and stretch some line. You never know when your number will be called and it’s your game day will be!

Brad Dougherty is a 21 year student of the fire service, currently he serves his organization as a captain on the world’s largest naval installation. He also serves as an adjunct instructor for the Virginia Department of fire Programs instructing various fire service disciplines.

The Little Things That Matter

4.30.19 GREG SELLERS

Attention to detail is key for the individual firefighter and the entire company

We all have those things–those little things in life that can make your day or ruin your day. Whether it’s not having enough fuel in the car to get to work or forgetting your cell phone charger before going on a trip, those little things can change the course of your plans or even your life. The same is true for the fire service: Little things that you don’t think are a big deal can make or break a fireground operation or your company’s ability to properly operate.

We all have our pet peeves; some are minor, some are major, but they matter in one way or another. There is a reason for having a “pet peeve,” whether it’s a past experience or the way you were trained. Those “pet peeves” may seem like little things, but when all is said and done, they matter to the effectiveness and efficiency of a fire company or fire department.

In this article, I will bring up some “little things” or “pet peeves” that I believe matter and that if not done correctly or even at all will have an overall effect on the operational performance of your company. I will break this up into Engine Company, Ladder Company, and then personal actions that can affect the mission.

Engine Company

1. Booster tank is not full. Having a less than full tank will reduce the amount of water available prior to establishing a water supply.
2. SCBA cylinders just below full. Having less than a full SCBA cylinder may mean the difference between life and death, running out of air too early, or having to change the cylinder prior to making entry.
3. Hoselines not packed correctly. This can delay or even prevent proper stretching of handlines to the entrance to the fire building.
4. Apparatus placement. If apparatus is not placed properly the first time, chances are that it will be very difficult, if not impossible, to move apparatus later in the incident.
5. Flushing the hydrant. This MUST be done. Failure to flush a hydrant may cause damage to the pump. Flushing the hydrant will determine whether the hydrant is good or bad. A bad hydrant will change the dynamics of the incident. It’s better to find out early than find out when you have 600 feet of large-diameter hose on the ground and personnel are inside the fire building.
6. Fog nozzle checked for damage. Missing teeth, inoperable pattern adjustment, or inoperable gallon adjustment can make the hoseline inoperable or insufficient to handle the fire conditions. Check your nozzles, adjust your patterns, check your bails. Your nozzle is your pistol in a gunfight; make sure it works.
7. EMS equipment is adequately stocked. This equipment is unmistakably the most used equipment on the rig. Make sure the EMS bags are stocked, glove boxes are full, and the oxygen tank is full.
8. Adjustable hydrant wrench. Make sure the adjustment part works and spins freely. If it doesn’t, it may make the wrench unusable. You don’t want to be at the hydrant and the wrench don’t fit.
9. Laying supply lines. Make sure you lay the supply lines against the curb on the hydrant side (if possible). Laying lines down the middle of the street will most likely block the incoming truck company and later arriving companies.
10. Gaskets in couplings. Be sure that gaskets are not missing/damaged in hose couplings. A missing/damage coupling will cause connections to severely leak, causing water loss.

Truck Company

1. Fuel/batteries. Make sure the gas-powered equipment (saws/extrication) has full fuel tanks. There is nothing worse than being on the roof and the saw runs out of fuel. Be sure your batteries on your equipment are fully charged.
2. Hand tools. Make sure the hand tools are clean, properly marked, and maintained. Having a chipped ax blade or a loose head on a sledgehammer can cause injury or improper tool operation. If tools have custom markings (i.e., halligans with squared shoulders or department markings), make sure they are well marked.
3. Electrical pigtails. Make sure you have the correct pigtails to make the connections for your lights/fans. Having the wrong pigtails can place the equipment out of service because you are unable to make the connections.
4. Halyards. Be sure the halyards on extension ladders are in good shape. A frayed halyard can break, leaving the ladder unserviceable.
5. Saw blades. Make sure the chainsaw blades are placed in the correct direction of cut. Make sure the teeth are in good condition and the chain doesn’t come out of the groove in the bar.
6. Pinnable waterway. Be sure the waterway is set to the “rescue” position. Most of our aerial work is for access to a roof or window. The nozzle, if place at the tip, will just be in the way. Making sure the nozzle is set back will eliminate the need to reset the nozzle back to the “rescue” position.
7. Using the tillerman. Use the tillerman in a tractor-drawn aerial to help spot the turntable. He has a great view of the building, the turntable, and overhead obstructions.
8. Rope at aerial tip. A piece of rope, approximately 18 inches long, and a bright color at the aerial tip on the turntable side will help with depth perception. Once the rope moves past the roof line, you know you’re on the roof.
9. Thermal imaging camera. Make sure the battery is fully charged; the camera is a valuable search tool, but if the battery is low to begin with, it’s not going to last long.
10. Ladder tunnel. Make sure, through training and department policy, that later arriving apparatus don’t park so close to the rear of the truck that you can’t get the portable ladders out. Give at least 20 feet to be able to get your longest ladder out of the ladder tunnel.

Personnel Considerations

1. Rest. Many of us have busy lives–family and second or even third jobs and personal commitments–but we must try and get adequate rest. This helps reenergize us, prevents injuries and sickness, and helps with clear thinking
2. Diet—OK, yes, we are all firefighters and love a great meal, but we need to eat as healthy as we can. Having a balanced diet helps with daily activities in the fire service and in everyday life.
3. Exercise. Yes, we should all work out. Not all of us can bench press, but we should follow some type of physical fitness program. Mix cardio with strength training and include stretching.
4. PPE. Properly fitting, properly maintained PPE will help with your job performance. No one likes baggy or tight-fitting gear. Holes in pockets or other parts of your PPE may make it unserviceable. Reflective striping that’s torn or missing may reduce your visibility and can lead to injury or death. Also, make sure you have all your PPE. Nothing is worse than going to a structure fire and asking the driver, “Hey, do you have an extra pair of gloves or a hood?”
5. What’s in your pockets? Have you been asked for a flashlight, a screwdriver, or a door chock? Carry these and whatever else you think you’ll need to perform your duties, but don’t overload yourself with “stuff.”
6. Know your order of arrival. If you assign riding positions based on order of arrival, know which “due” you are. It’s not good having to ask the officer, with all the other things going on, “What are we due, boss?”
7. Check your tools/SCBA/radio. En route to a job is not the time to see if your assigned tools are there and in working order. You should check your tools and SCBA prior to responding or when placing your gear at the beginning of the shift. Be sure your radio has a full battery; en route to a call or inside a fire building is a bad time to find out your radio is dead.
8. Arriving early for duty. Being early for your duty shift, whether volunteer or career, speaks volumes about you. It shows that you look forward to getting to the job and look out for your fellow firefighters by getting them out early; and it’s a good way to get ready for the day by not being rushed.
9. Be a mentor, Mr. Senior Firefighter. As we progress through the years, the younger members will, or should, look up to us for knowledge, direction, and support. Be that mentor: Teach them, listen to them, and guide them. Be the informal leader they expect you to be. A well-known company officer once said, “If you’re not teaching the younger members as a senior firefighter, you’re not doing your job.”
10. Off-duty time. As stated earlier, we are all busy in our personal lives, but there’s nothing wrong with hanging out off duty with the members, even if it’s once a month. This can be a prearranged date every month or just a spur of the moment thing. We used to meet for lunch on the first day of our five-day break after a cycle, just to bond and have fun away from work. It brought us together and made the team stronger.

As you can see, there are a lot of “little things” that can make a big difference in how we perform our jobs. If we pay attention to things that don’t seem like a big deal, when it comes time, the “big deal” things will come naturally.

Greg Sellers is a senior firefighter with the Chesapeake (VA) Fire Department. He is also a volunteer firefighter for the Smithfield (VA) Volunteer Fire Department. He is an instructor in engine and ladder company operations and a 27-year veteran of the fire service

The Short-Staffed Truck Company

In this era of financially hard times some things that seem to suffer are fire department staffing. With brown outs, layoffs, and limited hiring of new firefighters, or volunteers experiencing manpower shortages, fire ground operations still need to be carried out safely and effectively. With today’s fires burning hotter and faster due to higher fire load, lightweight construction and tighter sealed buildings basic truck company tasks (forcible entry, search, and ventilation) still need to be carried out. The minimum NFPA 1710 standard suggests truck companies staff with a crew of 4. This is usually the case in the major cities (New York with 5 FF’s and officer, Chicago) but most departments only staff with 3 firefighters sometimes even 2. This article will explore what a three person crew can do and still be effective in getting the three basic tasks completed in a timely manner during a residential structural fire.

DRIVER

With a three person crew, the Driver (Chauffer) responsibilities include getting to the scene safely and in the most quickest way, taking into consideration approaching companies, positioning of the first due engine company (who should be pulling past the structure for a 3 sided view of the fire building and to leave an opening for ladder apparatus positioning), type of structures responding to and of course wires and trees. When pulling into the scene always anticipate the worse, so position the apparatus for the rescue of life first if it’s prevalent on arrival or as if you are going to use the aerial or tower ladder. Once the apparatus in properly positioned and the use of the aerial or tower ladder is not immediately needed for rescue or access, the driver will now act as the Outside Ventilation firefighter. The tools of choice may vary with the type of occupancy encountered but normally they should carry a 6’ or 8’ pike pole and halligan tool, these tools can be used to take glass and force doors. The driver should perform a 360’ of structure, this will accomplish several things. First, it assists in determining the location of the fire by reading the smoke or seeing fire and where to begin horizontal ventilation, second, you can provide the Incident commander and interior crews with additional information such as auto-exposure to the floor above or extension to exposures. Once a hose line is in place and advancing toward fire begin horizontal ventilation, of course, coordinate this with the interior truck officer. Remember to make a “Window into a door” and remove all glass, screens and sash. Also, if it is in your departments’ Standard operating guidelines and outside meters and panel boxes are observed, you can secure the power and gas to structure during your 360’. Always try to secure the power at the panel box first, pulling the meter should be a last resort and members should be properly trained to accomplish this task. Once utilities are secured, notify the incident commander. You can also force a door in the rear or side for secondary access or egress. Once the utilities are secured, notify the incident commander. Once these tasks are completed, begin throwing ladders for secondary means of egress for interior crews or additional access points into structure. A common tactic if it is a multiple story structure is to throw ladders to the fire floor or floor above or throw ladders to the roof of single story structures if roof ventilation is a possibility. Remember to place at least two ladders for egress and notify the inside crews where you placed them. Don’t forget that utilizing your ladders for upper floor ventilation is very effective. Once you vent with the ladder by taking out the glass with the tip of the ladder, climb up to finish the ventilation opening. With this you’ve accomplished both upper floor horizontal ventilation and means of egress ladders. If Positive Pressure Ventilation in your departments operational standard, once confirming with the officer inside, now is the time to start the fan. Again, the building must be properly ventilated with horizontal and/or vertical ventilation with an exhaust opening opposite the fan. Now that ventilation is started, utilities are secured, ladders have been placed (tired yet), hopefully the fire is knocked down, if not, remember the aerial, you may want to begin setting it up for defensive operations. If the fire is knocked down consider running interior lighting and if at night extra exterior scene lighting, this will make the fire ground safer. By this time, the firefighters inside will be coming out for new SCBA bottles or tarps for salvage. As the truck driver a lot of duties must be done in a short amount of time. One of the most critical operations, ventilation, is accomplished as well as ladders and utility control. A well trained and confident driver will have little trouble making sure these tasks are a performed effectively and safely.

OFFICER AND FIREFIGHTER

As the officer, you should know the type of structures you are responding to and operational tactics that the truck must perform. In addition, you should know what companies are responding with you. Assist the driver with the most direct route to the scene, when approaching, SLOW DOWN and take a look for fire conditions, exposure problems, WIRES/TREES, hose lines or any other obstacle that may block your access to the FRONT of the structure. Be aware of aerial positioning, be it to the roof, upper floors or defensive attack, just like the driver you want to position the aerial like you are ALWAYS going to use it. Once you arrive on the scene the officer and firefighter will act as the inside team. Remember to take a look at the structure prior to making entry, look for changing smoke conditions, see if fire has broken out of the building anywhere, look at the windows, they may tell you what room is which and also this will be your last time to look at the building. There responsibilities will include forcing entry for the engine, performing primary search (for life and the fire) of the structure and assisting with checking for extension (open walls and ceilings). Depending on your run area your basic tools should be a set of Irons, 6’ or 8’ pike pole and Thermal Imaging Camera. Some additional tools may be a Hydra-Ram for heavier inward opening doors and/or a Rotary or chainsaw with the appropriate blade for heavier fortified structures, and a pressurized water can to knock down smaller fires or assist in “holding” the fire into a specific room during a primary search for life. Once inside, if the fire location is not immediately known, you will need to assist in finding the fire (Search for Fire). Communication between the truck officer and initial hose line crew is critical for a good coordinated attack on the fire. Once the fire has been located, begin to search areas you haven’t (Search for life). Remember time of day (nighttime-bedrooms) an assist with ventilation and vent as you go, be aware of fire location and don’t draft or pull the fire to your location or create an auto-exposure problem if you are operating above the fire. To speed up the search you can send the searching firefighter into the room to search as long as voice contact is maintained. You can alternate this by room, make sure the member not going in room stays at the door. Your thermal imaging camera will speed up your search but remember to stay on wall and take a feel of things about every 30 seconds and always search the opposite side of the bed where the T.I.C. can’t see. Stay orientated to furniture, wall turns, floor types (tile vs. rug) so you know where you are in case the TIC fails. If you are in an area where you can’t get the windows communicate with the driver to get them opened up, give your location. If the structure is opened up communicate with the driver, now may be the time for P.P.V. If a victim is found, notify command and work as a team to remove victim, call for assistance if needed, tell the I.C. where your exiting so that they may have assistance or EMS waiting. Once the primary search has been completed, notify the incident commander of the end result (all clear or negative). With the Primary Search Completed and the fire knocked down, begin checking for extension by opening up. Don’t forget to check the attic or basement, especially if it is a balloon framed structure due to the lack of fire stops from ground to roof in this type of construction. Utilize your thermal imaging camera as much as possible this will save you some time as well as some energy. By this time, hopefully you will be going to for a second bottle and the fires under control. Remember to brief the relieving crew of what you’ve done and anything else they need to accomplish. If conditions are getting worse, be prepared to leave the building and get ready for master stream defensive operations, which you’ve already prepared for when your arrived on scene.

TAKING UP

As you can see a lot of work by few must be done, departments without the luxury of 4-5 person crews can still get the basic truck tasks done. Coordination, training, and a well disciplined truck company will make sure these tasks are completed effectively and safely.

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