Practice What You Don’t Do Often

This has been said a bunch of times in many different ways, but it needs to be said again.

What I am referencing applies to fire suppression and EMS but I am going to confine my discussion to firefighting.

Someone on social media put out a video the other day about a deck gun being used on a 4th or 5th floor of a high rise window blowing fire. In the old days the text books said that master streams are generally good from floor 3 or 4. Obviously there are a ton of variable here as with most fire situations, but it shows a tactic which was effective, which I can tell you has not been used often.

Where you place the gun, how close can you get, is it on the ground or off the top of the truck? These are all some variables not to mention the tip size, pump pressure and a bunch of other stuff including angles and other stuff.

My point of this blog is how often is that practiced? How do you create a scenario that you do practice that? I know of a fire academy that used to practice that skill but stopped, because “…you should never be shooting a master stream through the window any way…”

Our job is changing by the day literally. Discoveries and practices are continuously evolving. The question is are you?

Every day many departments stretch handlines, 2 1/2″ lines and fight fire. Using a deck gun on a multi story doesn’t happen every day, and moving you deck gun 200 feet away into a back alley position needs your attention.

Practice what you don’t do often.

Tactical Fire Problem – Motel

This week The Tactical Fire Problem is a motel fire in daytime hours.

This is a non sprinklered facility.

1.) Give the initial CAN report.

2.) What additional resources will be requested because of the nature of the occupancy?

3.) What are you going to do about the auto exposure to the floor 2 balcony?

4.) As the IC, how much time will it take you to get a primary on a 32 unit motel?

5.) What is your plan for displaced transient fire victims?