Category Archives: Uncategorized

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The Final Exam (Repost from previous)

The class was over, and though it was tough,
They continued to teach us as it were never enough.

Some had said the final was not the last,
They spoke as if they knew this from their very own past.

They spoke of a jake, who thought he was done,
When training was over he could begin to have some fun.

It was late at night, some five years from then,
The jake was startled from sleep, by a still for engine 10.

It’s always been false, and I’ll be right back
He put on most gear, but not an airpack.

As 10 rounded the corner, the Lou said fire showin’, fill out the box,
The jake was not ready, he had no tools for the locks.

The people were screaming, screams he won’t forget,
It’s that he was not ready, is what he regrets.

The people were lost, in this tragic fire
He was burned pretty badly, and had to retire.

He doesn’t sleep well, his nightmares are great
He hope new recruits will listen before it’s too late.

Never stop learning, try to do more,
You don’t know what will greet you when you leave the bay door.

The learning doesn’t end, until you retire
Make sure you are ready for your next fire.

Your training was tough, and pushed you , your instructors were fair
After years on your job, you might wish you were back there.

Stay safe, stay healthy, look out for one other
It wasn’t your last exam, I’m sure there will be another,

Be prepared, stay sharp, for you, your family and your sisters & brothers.

Pete Lamb
Copyright 2013

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Fire Extinguisher Training

We often think about fire extinguishers as something the civilians use as first aid fire fighting equipment. Extinguishers are very valuable tools and we should train with them more frequently.

Often we don’t train because of monetary reasons as agent and extinguisher maintenance is costly.

Let’s just look at some basics of what fire extinguisher training should be like.

* Briefly discuss fire behavior the fire triangle and tetrahedron.

* Discuss the five classes of fires.

A – Normal combustibles wood paper etc.

B – Flammable liquids and gases

C – Energized electrical equipment

D – Combustible metals

K – Commercial cooking equipment, and oils

(More on class K later on but check it out, not many folks know it and it is not in the Essentials manual but it is in the new Delmar publication on Essentials.)

* Review the different types of agents and their various properties.

CO 2 , water, dry chemical, foam, etc.

* Talk about inspection of extinguishers

* Talk about extinguisher ratings and how they are rated by square footage of area and the use of a trained operator. Explain the limitations of size and duration of agent discharge.

If you decide to conduct small pan fire evolutions using extinguishers please check the following:

* All students will wear full protective gear.

* All students will properly carry and handle the extinguisher.

* All students will test fire the extinguisher before approaching the fire.

* Students will approach fire from upwind.

* Students will approach but maintain a safe operating distance.

* Students will use the P A S S method of extinguisher operations.

Pull

Aim

Squeeze

Sweep

* Students will complete;y sweep vigorously across the surface.

* Back away from the fire while facing forward.

* Insure the fire is extinguished from a distance.

If you have the chance, use dry chemical extinguishers in conjunction with a fog water stream. The fog stream can provide cooling and the dry chemical can be fired into the water pattern from behind the nozzle.

* Live fire training should be conducted by a qualified instructor.

Pete Lamb
Copyright 2013

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Extending The Line

An easy but overlooked drill that we have talked about before will be discussed again this week. We will be talking about a couple of different tactics that should be practiced and trained and in fact utilized even more than they are.

The first is pretty straight forward and has a lot to do with my opinion. I believe we should be carrying and using the 2 1/2″ straight bore nozzle with either 1 1/8 or large tip on them.

This nozzle has a great potential for fire knockdown, penetration, exposure protection and the like. In addition most of these nozzles have the capability to accept a hoseline onto the threaded fitting on the end. Many departments have taken these nozzles off apparatus and replaced them with TFT or fog nozzles.

My techniques and purposes for this training should be modified to fit your own department’s needs, district, and operating conditions.

Here is a look at some of the ideas and training areas.

* Try to get this line as a 150′ preconnected line somewhere on your apparatus. If this is not possible leave it in your hosebed with the nozzle on the end, and train in pulling off as much hose as the officer calls for.

* For the start of the evolution, just have two members pull the line, make a large loop in the hose ( Chicago or hydraulic loop) and play the line off of a designated target. Have the pump operator get a water supply but initially feed the line with tank water.

* There are those that will say this is crazy because you will run out of water. If you do not have adequate water flow for knockdown, you are going to run out of building!

* Time the evolution, try it with different members see just how long tank water will last. See if your operator can have a hydrant supply hooked up before you run out.

* Then after this portion is mastered, have the members re-pull the line and actually move it forward into a designated area assuming they were knocking down heavy fire. Then shut the nozzle down and add 100 feet of 1 3/4″ line to the tip and advance further into the structure or up a stairway. Use this combined evolution any number of ways but practice deployment as much as you can even if you have an acquired structure you can use.

* If you have buildings with large areas, long alley ways behind buildings this technique is extremely valuable. It allows you to knock heavy fire down and then proceed from there to advance at least one attack hoseline.

* The second piece of equipment that you could work into this drill is a water thief. This device has quarter turn shut off’s, has a 2 1/2″ inlet and a 2 1/2 inch outlet as well as two 1 1/2 or 1 3/4 inch outlets.

* A water thief deployed on the end of a 2 1/2 inch line stretched down an alley or through a long building provides for a great method of fire attack, lower friction losses, and an increased margin of safety because it allows for a larger size backup line if needed.

* The straight bore nozzle mentioned above will also call for a lower nozzle pressure which can help out.

* Look at these techniques and look around your response district and see where these tactics could be deployed.

These tactics are really designed to improve your fire attack options, but they will do you know good if you have not trained and practiced with them to determine their obvious limitations as well.

Pete Lamb
Copyright 2013

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Expand your circle…….

As I travel around and look at the current and real issues of the fire service, one issue that keeps becoming apparent to me is that members of the fire service stay very close to their own environment. That is to say if we are in a fire department we don’t look outside our own department. If we are in a fire district we don’t look outside our own district boundaries even within the same town in some cases. If we are a training organization we don’t look beyond the way “we” do it here.

My message this week is pretty simple. Look outside your own organization for a variety of ideas. These ideas might include training, equipment, procedures, or even working conditions.

I don’t say you should necessarily embrace every idea you encounter, because maybe some of them have some very good reasons why they can’t work or won’t work, or are too cost prohibitive for your department.

How do we do this you ask? Well that involves a little bit of personal effort. Go to training sessions outside of your department. Attend seminars and training sessions. Read trade journals and periodicals. Go on the web and look at what other organizations are doing and get a greater more global perspective of your job. Read textbooks on your profession.

Oh, I can hear it now……Well my department won’t pay me overtime, or pay me to go. I am not subscribing to a magazine with my own money…. They should always train me while I am on duty.

You know what…..I hear those excuses all the time. That is just what they are; Excuses.
Your level of personal commitment to this job and profession are determined by you and nobody else. You want the city town and community to do everything and you do not want to accept any responsibility for your own destiny.

I can get 100 people to give me excuses….I just want a few that want to do the job. to the best of their abilities and for the right reasons.

Try your best to be that person.

Pete Lamb @ Copyright 2013
For information contact pete@petelamb.com