RT @alertpage: PHOENIX,AZ *2ND ALM W/MAYDAY* 3663 W LOWER BUCKEYE | UNITS OPERATING AT LRG MULCH FIRE - 1 FF TRANSPORTED AFTER MAYDAY DECLA… 10 hours ago
By now I am sure a lot of you who frequent the trade magazines, fire service blogs, etc. have seen videos and reports on how new and old furnishings impact fire growth and development.
We all know it yet we continue to see minimal change or acceptance to change on the tactical level.
I heard this quote from an instructor the other day while he was teaching about difficult airway. Basically he said when it comes to difficult airways he doesn’t belive in “fighting fair” and he is going to use every tool at his disposel in order to secure the airway, and secure a good clinical outcome for the patient. This brought to mind the question….
Why do we fight fair?
Lets think about it.
Fire is dangerous: It is hot, it produces toxic smoke and can use it’s by product for destruction and death. It is already well ahead of us by the time we know about it.
Buildings are dangerous: The wood used today even if dimensional is not of the same density, of legacy construction and does not perform as well under fire conditions. Additionally the buildings connection components are not as strong as they used to be.
Our training is inadequate for todays fire environment: We train in concrete burn buildings with class A combustibles that in no way mirror the fire growth, fire behavior, or building response of the modern fire environment. Even when we train in acquired structures the fuel packages and safety features we add to the houses make them unrealistic.
Some of our staffing levels are inadequate: Some departments are being made to ride with less than 3 people making it even more difficult to make a positive impact of today’s fires.
Taking into account all of these things, knowing all that we know, and yet we still make the conscious effort to fight these fires fairly!
We do not owe these fires a fair chance! We need to take the maximum amount of water, people, and equipment in order to overwhelm the fire. BY taking in undersized crews, handline, or pushing poor tactical choices is the same as going after an elephant with a BB gun.
Do not get me wrong overkill is not the answer, but when appropriate use the big guns, as an old captain of mine used to say know the difference between an infantry fire, and an artillery fire. Do not be afraid to knock it down from the outside and then finish it off, in that same breath do not be afraid when it is warranted to crawl down that dark hallway with a handline and put the fire out.
No matter what you do, or who you are the fire always has the element of surprise when it comes to us, lets minimize its advantage by using our superior fire power and not giving it the chance to win.
As usual thanks for reading spread the word and STAY SAFE!
Thanksgiving may be a few days away but this week it feels like Christmas has come early! I have had the chance to get some really neat stuff and experience some very cool things.
First my brother-in-law Adam has recently just returned from his military deployment aboard the USS Enterprise. Adam is a Ship Board Firefighter in the United States Navy and this was the last deployment of the USS Enterprise. On top of that being cool enough they had to ride through Super Storm Sandy! Well Adam brought back a gift for me here it is
HOW COOL IS THAT it is the Challenge coin for the Enterprise Firefighters, and no offense to The Fire Critic and Ironfiremen but this goes to the front of the list for the coolest Challenge coin I have ever received. I can’t thank Adam enough and I hope that once his military service is over that he gets to realize his dream of becoming a career firefighter.
Second I got an email the other day from Brian Brush over at Fireservicewarrior.com. He said he wanted to send me a copy of the new Fire Service Warrior Foundations book, and a little something extra for helping spread the FSW message. So today I got this in the mail.
I got a copy of the book, and a Colorado 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb Shirt! I am very humbled that Brian and the other guys over at Fire Service Warrior thought to send me these things. I plan on putting myself though the foundations program and giving a full review on the blog. Thanks a bunch guys and I will see you in INDY!
Lastly today I got to participate in my first official podcast with Ryan Pennington from www.viewsfromthejumpseat.com . Our Podcast “Average Jakes Views From The Jumpseat” will be a monthly podcast on Firehouse.com and will be a street level podcast for the and from the firefighter perspective. To say I am excited would be an understatement. This has been the culmination of a lot of skyping, meeting, hard work, and conversation, and I think the finished product will be one that everyone will be able to enjoy. I want to thank Ryan for involving me on this venture as we have never met in person only through texting,email, skype and twitter. He took a chance on a complete stranger and we have even become friends throughout this process. Another big thanks goes out to Peter Mathews the editor of Firehouse.com for the chance to do this. So stay tuned every month to Firehouse.com for the show and please send a TON of feedback.
Well that is all for tonight. As usual thanks for reading, spread the word, and STAY SAFE!
Wow has it been busy around here! Working both jobs, studying for class and the promotional assessment center, kids, and add in a super storm hurricane and it has been quite a lot going on and it has been taking a lot of my time up and away from the site. So I wanted to post today because with the storm still closing in we may or may not have power in my area.
First off my podcast venture with Ryan Pennington on Firehouse.com is still a go. There have been some editing issues and other technical stuff that has delayed the launch but it will be out soon. In the mean time we are getting ready to record the second episode so that once the first one hits the web the next one will be locked and loaded. So stay tuned to twitter, Firehouse.com, this site and http://viewsfromthejumpseat.com/ for information.
Speaking of Ryan and the “Views Crew” I had the pleasure of viewing his very first webcast today on Fires in Hoarding Homes. Ryan has become an expert on this topic and has done research all over the world on the topic. This is a very serious topic that affects EVERY Fire and EMS provider. The webcast was just an hour-long but I have spoken to Ryan and he is already planning the next one. If you or your department is looking for a great training class then you need to hit the link above and get Ryan to come to your locality. YOU WILL NO BE DISSAPOINTED! Hoarding is a serious threat to us all and we need to be ready, Ryan has some great information so contact him today!
Lastly I have become a member of Team Firefighter http://teamfirefighter.blogspot.com/ is a group of firefighter from all over the country who race in road races, adventure races, triathlon, and other endurance races. On the site you will find bio’s of all the team members, and reviews of the races they have run. Here is a link to my bio page http://teamfirefighter.blogspot.com/2012/10/robby-owens-bio.html . If you are interested in running races, or already to and want an avenue to share ideas, and your thoughts on racing and fitness then contact Team Firefighter and join today!
Well that is it for now, hopefully the Hurricane will stay a non issue and I will not have to report back to duty until Wednesday. If your out there in the storm, or on duty stay safe,and keep your situational awareness high.
As usual thanks for reading, spread the word, and STAY SAFE!
Short sweet and to the point, the handcuff knot is vital to RIT/RIC operations. It can be used to attach to down firefighters either using the loops created by tying the knot, or using those loops and attaching a carabiner. The biggest advantage is that the knot creates to pulling points for firefighter to use in the rescue attempt. This provides a great mechanical advantage in lifting the firefighter from below grade.
Bottom line this knot saves lives! You need to be able to tie it in the dark, in the smoke, with gloves on, under the most stressful conditions imaginable. Take some time this month (whats left of it) to practice this knot like someone elses life depends on it, CAUSE IT DOES!
As usual thanks for reading, spread the word, and STAY SAFE!
With our staffing levels getting lower, and our buildings getting higher it seems counter productive to ask people to ADD something to the tools and equipment they carry into and around a fire building. However in order to accomplish our mission we need to make sure we are carrying the right stuff for the occupancy types we are facing.
If you have a standpipe or sprinkled building in your district you need to seriously consider carrying a wire brush in you standpipe kit, and your rig in your drivers compartment. Let me explain.
The wire brush can be a vital tool in allowing you to connect to the FDC on the exterior or the stairwell standpipe in the interior.
This is rust build up in a standpipe. This same rust that builds up over time due to age, water flowing, improper maintenance, and a host of other reasons can also build up on the threads and connections of the exterior FDC, and interior standpipe connections. This rust can cause the threads to not meet up correctly and alow you not to make a proper connection for water delivery. Also from years of cross threading metal spurs can exist on these threads or connections and also hinder the threads meeting up properly.
Taking a few seconds to deploy the wire brush on the exposed threads of the stairwell standpipe, and the female threads and swivel of the FDC can overcome some of the rust build up, and metal spurs, allowing the connection to be made and water to be successfully delivered to its destination. Think of the time that can be wasted, and the fire growth that can occur if you have to abandon your original connection! Taking a few seconds to use the wire brush could save valuable minutes of time in the long run.
The good thing is this is simple, and wire brushes are cheap. The hard part is going out before hand and identifying your trouble standpipes and FDC’s.
As usual thanks for reading, spread the word, and STAY SAFE!
It is not glorious, glamorous, or even a desirable position to fill. However the hydrant and the hydrant man are VITAL to succesful fireground operations.
In order to perform aggressive interior operations we need to establish a continuous supply of water as fast as possible, yet we often focus our training on the “sexy” stuff like stretching lines, searching, etc. Without the hydrant man, and the water coming out of that hydrant all of those other things can not take place. I have seen veteran firefighters struggle hooking into and getting water out of a hydrant.
So this month make it about the hydrant! Get out there and practice hooking into the different hydrants in your district. You might think this would be boring but not every hydrant is the same as the one on the ramp of your firehouse. Some are short, tall, obstructed, and hidden. All of those things can change how you have to go about hooking into them. Also take a look at the below video for one example of how to hook into the hydrant and some tips.
As usual thanks for reading, spread the word, and STAY SAFE!
Lets face it there is always a lot of focus on the Special Service Companies in the fire service. You always seem to hear people talking about searching, ropes, forcing entry, venting etc. It dominates our training menu sometimes and it dominates a lot of our fitness routine. However the Engine Company is the back bone of everything we do.
The Engine Company is the offensive line of the fire service. Guys on the engine do all the dirty work, and never get much of the glory. It is always those “other guys” who are well rested (cause they are not up running EMS calls), and there show muscles (cause they have a TON of time to work out) who get all the attention. We all know that without a well-trained and in shape engine company those guys would be crying for mama!
I kid, I kid, but seriously a lot of the focus is on things NON Engine sometimes, even out fitness. The above video is a great circuit workout that not only focuses on fundamental tasks of the engine, but fitness as well. All it takes is some hose, your PPE/SCBA, and some resistance. These guys use tires, but you can use sandbags, plate weights, whatever you have, it just takes some creativity and dedication.
Thanks to these guys for sharing this workout with the world, so that we can all benefit from it.
As usual, thanks for reading, spread the word, and STAY SAFE!
WOW man has it been busy around here lately, both at work and in my home life. There have been fires, interesting medical calls, and all of the mundane stuff that keeps us employed. Along with that is my part-time job which really ramps up during the summer months, and of course the family obligations.
Long story short I am a few days behind on my COBRABRAID giveaway but wait no longer!!!!
So congratulations to Brandi, and if you did not win be sure to go to WWW.COBRABRAID.COM and pick up one for yourself, you will not be disappointed!
Also if you are coming to Firehouse EXPO this week in Baltimore Maryland I will be teaching my class “Long Stretch Solutions” Thursday morning at 1015am in room 347. Unfortunately I will only be in Baltimore on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday for my class. Not so unfortunate is me and my family will be heading to Myrtle Beach South Carolina for a MUCH needed vacation.
My family sacrifices a lot to allow me to do what I do for a living, along with the teaching and touring aspect that is becoming more and more frequent. So the least I can do is sacrifice some Firehouse EXPO time in order to take them to the beach. Bottom line is they deserve it.
So do not forget to come see me at Firehouse EXPO, and follow me on twitter @averagejakeff
As usual thanks for reading, spread the word, and STAY SAFE!
Sadly the Louisa County Fire family has lost one of their own. Yesterday while driving to his assigned duty station 21-year-old career firefighter Charles Wilson was involved in an MVA and was not able to survive the injuries.
He also was a volunteer with the Mineral Volunteer Fire Department and Mineral Volunteer Rescue Squad.
I was given the opportunity to review the COBRABRAID 550 Paracord Bracelet “Firefighter” edition as well as the “Firefighter” edition key chain here are my thoughts on the products.
First the bracelet. It is made out of very durable paracord material. When I say durable I mean it. I got this bracelet dirty, wet, sweaty, soapy, hot, cold, you name it I put it through it and it stood up to all the tests I put it through. The design is nothing new as the thin redline in the black bracelet has been a symbol of fallen firefighter remembrance for as long as I can remember.
This version of the bracelet is secured with a velcro strap. The positives of this are the ability for you to add some extra tightness to your bracelet. However I found the material to become irritating while sweating, or if the bracelet became wet. COBRABRAID does offer a variety of other fastening devices for their bracelets so this is something customizable to the end-user. If you plan on wearing this during physical activity I would use some vaseline or runners glide to keep irritation down.
The key chain…
The key chain design is just like the bracelet, and the durability is the same as well. The only negative to this product is the carabiner size. It is very small and as I often clip my keys to my bag while I am at work the carabiner did not fit around the straps of my bag. I also often clip my keys to my belt loops while going into a store off duty, and some of my belt loops were to big for the carabiner. Other than that this is a solid product but could use some improvement with a larger carabiner option.
If this style is not to your liking then do not fret COBRABRAID offers a wide variety of bracelet, with multiple fastening and color options. They even have some special military, and police ones. They are also beginning to add medallions to the bracelets to add even more customization features. In these medallions you can add Maltese crosses, stars of life, your department patch etc.
For more information check them out on the web a WWW.COBRABRAID.COM oh and did I forget to mention this product is “Made In The USA” which is a huge point in any companies favor.
Ok so I know what you’re saying, you really like these products but you’re a little strapped for cash, well have no fear the great people over at COBRABRAID sent me a second bracelet and key chain combo to give away to my loyal readers.
These could be yours. All you have to do is email me at averagejakeff@gmail.com or tweet @averagejakeff me with the hashtag #COBRABRAID by July 9th 2012. Make sure you include your mailing address and name so if you win I can get them out to you asap. All entries will be assigned a number and via the “random number generator” (drawing out of a hat) the winner will be selected, and the prize sent out to you.
So tell your friends, enter to win and go to WWW.COBRABRAID.COM and check out all they have to offer. A big shout out to COBRABRAID for allowing me the chance to review the products an reward my readers with great products.
As usual thanks for reading, spread the word, and STAY SAFE!
