The One With All the Answers

One of the top reasons I love being a firefighter is the possibility of encountering something I have never seen before. My day can go any one of one hundred different ways each time I am on shift. The potential to encounter the unknown is there every single time the tones go off for a run. I have worked in retail settings. I have worked behind the counter in a bank. I have worked in a cubical day after day. My lack of satisfaction in each of these jobs was not based on the usual suspects of a terrible boss, mistreated employees, or even poor pay (though I would have always been happy to have more in my wallet). What drove my desire to find something greater was the monotony of doing the same things every day with little long-term impact.

Firefighting is a profession unlike any other. During any given shift, you could be called upon to perform CPR, put out a car fire, stop a gas leak, open a stuck elevator, administer medications, stabilize an overturned piece of construction equipment, and then install a car seat.  Realistically speaking, this does not all happen on a daily basis. However, I can almost guarantee that you can throw together any number of random call types, and someone out there has had it happen to them. With that being said, are you prepared, regardless of what is found once the apparatus pulls up to the incident?

Thankfully, we are not expected to be subject matter experts for every response type we encounter. It is expected that we use the collective knowledge of both our crew and other available resources to come up with logical solutions. Most of us can relate to a time (or perhaps many times) when we truly had no idea what that solution was going to be. That helpless feeling should drive us to be better. Let that be the last time that particular scenario leaves us feeling stumped; in this profession, odds are it will come up again at some point in our career.

Hopefully, you have had the opportunity to work under either an officer or senior firefighter who had the uncanny ability to find a resolution. As if by some magic, these guys are the ones who seem to have all the answers.  I can remember one particular incident in which multiple companies were called to a smoke investigation. The first arriving company was unable to locate any incident at the location provided. For several minutes, three engine companies were traveling up and down a residential block with no signs of smoke trying to locate anything that even resembled an emergency. Within a minute of arrival, the District Chief got on the radio and made the bold statement that the companies should be looking for a chiminea, based on what he smelling. Shortly thereafter, the first-in engine reported that a lit chiminea was found in a backyard. It was, in fact, the source of smoke. For those living in the southwest, this probably would not sound like a farfetched scenario. I can assure you though, when it happens in intercity Houston, one can really only laugh and shake their head in amazement.

Many will argue that the only way the aforementioned could be possible is through experience. There is no doubt that hands-on, life experience will do wonders for a firefighter’s ability to find the needed solution. Obviously, it takes time to build a similar repertoire of knowledge. However, for those with experience, there is always room for more. Likewise, we should not use lack of time or experience as a crutch for not striving for better. I would submit that pointed efforts can also net similar results to that of the previously mentioned District Chief. There are steps that we can daily take to become “that guy.”

Enter into each shift with the mindset that you will walk away a better firefighter than when you
came. This will set the tone for your time on-duty, and leave you seeking opportunities to make that possible. Maybe you don’t remember a particular EMS protocol. Perhaps it has been a while since you last looked over a friction loss chart. It could be that you are unaware of the location of high voltage wiring on a particular hybrid vehicle. In many cases, these small bits of information can be committed to memory in a short period of time. Why not take that little bit of time to correct the shortfall the moment you realize a particular area of weakness? Surely, we would not let pride keep us from doing it, right? The trade-off could be an easily avoided cluster on an incident scene.

It is also well known that one of the best ways to learn a complicated task or concept is to teach others about it. In preparing for passing on that knowledge, it will hopefully clarify those areas of difficulty for yourself, also. Remember that teaching can take place both formally and informally. A five minute coffee-table discussion might be all that is required.

The flip side to teaching is listening. Truly, listening. This is a skill that is vital up and down the ladder of authority. In an age when many of us listen only in passing, waiting to get back to whatever distraction is on the cell phone, we have to get back to listening intentionally. It is easy to forget that each person brings something different and usable to the table. Each time something new is presented, add it to your own mental roll-a-dex. Shadow those who have shown themselves to be a valuable resource. Learn from and apply the knowledge that they have passed along.   

As the analogy goes, you cannot walk a mile without first taking a step. It is the small decisions that we make on a daily basis that will get us further over the course of a career. Put forth the effort to step into the role of a firefighter that others can count on when it matters. I have no problem admitting that it feels like I am far from having all the answers; I guess that makes it all the more easy to keep striving for more.

Believing the Lies

For too long now, I have relied on other peoples' opinions to dictate how I operate. Like little devils on my shoulder, there has always been a barrage of voices telling me what is and is not possible. "You have to shut down the nozzle to make any kind of advance with a 2 1/2" line." "You have to have at least two people to carry a 35' ladder." "You don't gear up for an automatic alarm; the dispatcher would have told us if it was on fire."

These voices continually have won out before I even attempted to prove them wrong. Even worse, there have been numerous times that I passed along these false gospels. This only perpetuates the cascade of short-comings. Senior men wonder how the fire service has evolved to what they deem as "weak." It happens when we trade dedicated effort for the comforts of the dayroom.

I am here to admit that I have bought into some of the lies.
With that being said, I am tired of it. Watching how others have managed to put in hard work and push the envelope has proven that, far too often, I have given up too early. That is not acceptable.

The fire service was built by people who were willing to put everything on the line; the same people who saw an opportunity to take an unwanted job for the outcast immigrant, and elevate it to profession of greatness. What right do I have to do things differently?

The digital age of fire service training has seemed to blur a lot of the lines when it comes to finding the truth that I seek. Social media has allowed firefighters to pass along trainings and new techniques unlike any other time before. No longer do we have to wait for annual conferences to hear the latest and greatest. This information is now immediate. Unfortunately, the approach to this mass sharing of knowledge is often taken to one of two extremes.

On one hand, we criticize, deny and negate the feasibility of the things we see. I'll be among the first to admit that not all information is valid just because it goes viral, however, shouldn't we explore the possibility that the information is helpful prior to deciding upon a final verdict? All progress halts when we intentionally disregard what is being shared before any attempts are made to apply, or if needed, tweak and apply.

The other extreme occurs when all things are taken as truth, and then immediate attempts are made to implement them on an incident scene. You will likely hear our profession referred to as a craft. This implies that firefighting requires a calculated, skill-based execution of duties. The majority of the time, we cannot assume that this will be accomplished by watching a video several times. Yes, there are people capable of carrying a set of irons, a hook, and a vent saw while balancing a 28' extension ladder in a high-shoulder carry, but that does not mean that it anyone can replicate it effortlessly.

Where I have failed so often is by not even making an initial attempt. Say, perhaps, that I am one of those people who can carry the entire ladder truck on my shoulders. Yet, instead of doing so, I never try it. What, then, is the outcome when choose to believe the lie that tells me that these people are only an anomaly? No one benefits! My lack of action provides zero opportunity to make a substantial difference. These are the instances where the lies cannot win.

It's on me to test what my capabilities are. It's on me to sort through the garbage, and apply what I find to be true. I'm done believing the lies.

Forcible Entry Basics- The Shove Knife



The shove knife is a simple tool that can be used to gain entry in quick, non-destructive fashion. As lock technologies have progressed, the tool has lost some of its value. It should not be assumed, however, that the shove knife will not work on any door. Proper door size-up will provide the needed insight into the tool's effectiveness on the particular door in question.
 
Two situations must be present in order to gain access through a locked door using only a shove knife:
 
1. The sole locking device engaged in the door must be the slam latch.
 
2. If a tamper pin is present, the pin must be able to be moved into the latch keeper, whether by leaning on the door or otherwise.
 
Should either of these conditions not be met, another means of forcible entry will be required.

The majority of doors that can be defeated by the shove knife will be outward swinging. A gap will need to be created between the rabbet stop and the door jam, allowing access to the latch, in the instances where the door is inward swinging; metal door frames prevent this from occurring as they are constructed as a single unit.



Shove knife position when opening an outward-swinging door

Tips:

• The shove knife can be inserted above or below latch. I found that I am more comfortable with entering below the latch. From this position, it was less likely that my momentum carried the tool beyond the latch after it exited the keeper.

• Placing a foot against bottom of the door will move the latch into a position where it is not resting against the keeper, allowing for a smoother pull. Doing so may also move the tamper pin into the keeper, if a pin is present.

• Twisting the head of the knife into position over the latch assists in gaining entry with greater success than what is achieved by only applying horizontal force. 



• Avoid the urge to pull the door open too early in the process. When a tamper pin is present, the tamper pin has the tendency to exit the keeper and prevent the latch from depressing. 

 
Attached is a video that covers the specific use of the shove knife in greater detail.

*Credit for the video tip of using the shove knife in the initial door size-up goes to Task Force 1, Inc.

 



Salt is Salty, Not Bitter

A letter to seasoned firefighters.

You have years behind you. As each passes, it seems like life at the station moves further and further from the way it was when you first came in. Regardless of whether the changes are positive or negative, it is not difficult to recognize their impact. Changes in what is acceptable, how the tasks are completed, the time spent together as a crew, the manner in which services are provided, the attention that is given to traditions, etc. all equate to a whole new fire service.

Being firefighters, it just seems natural then to find the source of the change and attempt to "stop the bleeding." This type of thinking is what we are best at. Problem solving is why people call the fire department in the first place, right?

The Servant Leader

"It is amazing what you can accomplish when you don't care who gets the credit." - Harry Truman

 I recently listened to a podcast interview with man who I consider to be a fire service hero. I refer to him as such because he has been at the forefront of leadership, travels both nationally and internationally championing the cause of the firefighting, and serves as the head of multiple organizations that disseminate fire service information to the masses. Upon concluding the interview, he described his desire to be available to anyone who may need him. He then went on to give out his personal cell phone number.

Up to this point, I found it acceptable to hide behind the anonymity of a general email address. It seemed like it would be okay for someone like him to have his people get in-touch with you. Obviously, this guy is far too busy to answer anyone and everyone. Admittedly, I initially went as far as thinking, "that was a dumb move. Doesn't he know that people who are undeserving of his time will be contacting him now?"

Those thoughts could not have been further from the truth for this man.

Proactive Ladder Usage- Part Three

For several posts now, I have discussed the need for aggressive deployment of our ground ladders. Ground ladder usage often gets a lot of push-back, despite being proven in their effectiveness. Hopefully, we can explore some ways to overcome the desire to just leave the ladders on the rig.

How do we make the shift towards being more proactive with our ladders?

The biggest push-back to throwing ladders is almost always a "lack of manpower." While I understand that many departments are handicapped in the number of personnel available, we can find ways to overcome this common issue.

Proactive Ladder Usage- Part Two

Our ladders are being left in their cradles on our engines and trucks. This is even the case on fire scenes. In far too many instances, we are not being aggressive in the deployment of ground ladders. It could be that these issues are only found within the scope of my own experience, but I do believe that a general lack of aggressive ladder work is more universal. Hopefully, recognition of the fact that we can do better will help bring about some positive changes. In the first post, we discussed the who, what, and when of ground ladder usage. Please take some time and read part one, if you haven't already. Next, we will dive into answering two more basic questions regarding this topic.  

Where do we need deploy our ladders?

There is much that can be said in regard to the specifics of ground ladder placement. Instead of going through the in's and out's of placement for window rescue vs window ventilation vs roof ventilation, this discussion is more geographic in nature.

Our ultimate goal in proactive ladder deployment is to establish a secondary means of egress. As was noted in part one, egress points can quickly be overcome by a growth in fire conditions. Fire does not discriminate between interior and exterior exits either; both can be compromised.