Proactive Ladder Usage- Part One

Regardless of which side you fall on in the debate of truckie vs. engine firefighter, it should be noted that both may have a fire ground responsibility to throw ladders. This does not seem to be widely put into practice, however. Especially for those arriving on an engine, the tunnel vision of only stretching hose lines must be overcome. Ground ladder usage cannot die on the chalkboard.

Aggressive interior operations need to be supported by aggressive exterior operations.

I hope that by asking simple questions, we can come up with simple answers to remedy a general lack of proactive ground ladder usage. This will take place over the course of my next three posts.

Orienting Better Searches

The performance of a rapid, efficient search is vital on any fire where interior operations are taking place. This is, perhaps, the number one way firefighters achieve the goal of making life safety our ultimate priority. Despite the attention that completing a quality search receives, poor search tactics are still prevalent. Much of the shortfall can be blamed on either the mentality that "this is how we have always done it" or the handicapping of state requirements for certification. I challenge you to consider your own ways of performing search, and ask the question, "can it be done better?"