NFPA 1410 Drills

Great job by everyone again this week on NFPA 1410 Evolution 4. As usual the times improved each day and as a department our times are getting better with each drill. Shift 3 set the bar with a time of 2:40 and Shift 2 barely edged them out with a time of 2:36. Shift 2 had the fastest average time with 3:26 with all three shifts being well below the NFPA standard of four minutes. Keep up the good work.

Region 5 Course Update

This is a brief update on some of the upcoming catalog courses in Region 5:

·        2153-12-504, I-300, scheduled to start 1/21 at City of Charleston Fire Dept will go

·        1153-12-507, FFI, scheduled to start 1/23 at Summerville Fire Dept will go

·        2113-12-503, FSS: Personal, scheduled to start 1/23 at Beaufort Fire Dept has been cancelled

·        2727-12-502, Haz Mat Awareness, scheduled to start 1/23 at Colleton Co Fire/Rescue has been cancelled

·        2118-02-506, PICO, scheduled to start 1/27 at Hilton Head Fire/Rescue will go

·        8118-12-504, PPV, scheduled to start 1/28 at Hampton Co Fire Dept will go

·        1205-12-504, POV, scheduled to start 1/30 at Jasper Co Fire Dept will go

·        1210-12-509, EVDT, scheduled to start 1/30 at Isle of Palms Fire Dept has been cancelled

·        2150-12-505, I-300, scheduled to start 1/30 at MCAS Beaufort  will go

·        2171-12-503, Leadership I, scheduled to start 2/2 at Hilton Head Fire/Rescue will go

·        3224-12-505, Arson Detection, scheduled to start 2/7 at St. Andrew’s Fire Dept will go----this class is full, and is free through grant funding

·        1160-12-505, Truck Co, scheduled to start 2/14 at St. John’s Fire Dept will go

·        2150-12-504, ISO, scheduled to start 2/18 at City of Charleston Fire Dept will go

·        2147-12-506, NIMS ICS, scheduled to start 2/20 at Beaufort Fire Dept will go

·        3310-12-505, Rope Rescue, scheduled to start 2/24 at MCAS Beaufort will go---this class is full

·        1250-12-505, Aerial Ops, scheduled to start 2/27 at Summerville Fire Dept will go

The following classes are in danger of cancelling (low enrollment):

·        1210-12-508, EVDT, scheduled to start 1/23 at Burton Fire Dept (need 2 more students)---we will hold this class until Tuesday, in the hopes that we can get a few more registrations.  If not, we will have to cancel it.

·        2144-12-502, IC: High Rise, scheduled to start 2/4 at Bluffton Fire Dept (need 3 more students)

·        2100-12-503, Fire Officer, scheduled to start 2/6 at Hardeeville Fire Dept (need 7 more students)

·        4171-12-504, Fire Instructor, scheduled to start 2/6 at Burton Fire Dept (need 1 more student)

·        2145-12-501, IC: Structural Collapse, scheduled to start 2/11 at Bluffton Fire Dept (need 5 more students)

·        3330-12-506, Auto Extrication, scheduled to start 2/11 at Jasper Co Fire Dept (need 7 more students)

·        1210-12-510, EVDT, scheduled to start 2/13 at Hampton Co Fire Dept (need 10 students)

·        2139-12-503, Fire Inspection, scheduled to start 2/16 at Hilton Head Fire/Rescue (need 4 more students)

·        2728-12-504, Haz Mat Ops, scheduled to start 2/20 at Jasper Co Fire Dept (need 11 more students)

·        1225-12-502, Pumper Testing, scheduled to start 2/21 at Berkeley Co ESTC (need 4 more students)

·        1136-12-502, FLAG, scheduled to start 2/23 at Summerville Fire Dept (need 12 more students)

Chicago Fire Department - Everyone Goes Home

We Did Our Best

As firefighters, the very nature of our business is dealing with difficult situations. We are often called into chaotic scenes rife with danger, difficult decisions, and impossible tasks. Most of us embrace the challenge and take pride in a job well done. Unfortunately however, sometimes things don’t turn out the way we would like despite our best efforts.  Most often it is because of circumstances beyond our control; after all, people don’t call us when things are going well. When faced with these difficult times we often attempt to rationalize by saying “we did our best”. But we have to take an honest look at ourselves and ask, is our best the best it could be? Consider the following questions. Would my best be better if I were more physically fit? Would my best be better if I took more classes? Would my best be better if I put more effort into training? Would my best be better if I studied more? At this point it should be clear that our best is never as good as it could be. With the dynamic nature of our job and the wide variety of services we provide, it is impossible to be perfect in every aspect of our job. But while we will never achieve perfection, it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t strive for it. Lives depend on our best being good enough-our lives and the lives of those we serve. We owe it to ourselves, each other, and the customers to try to make our best better every shift.  

Captain Earle

2012 SC Firefighter's Association Health & Safety Conference

Click here for the flyer:
http://www.scfirefighters.org/fileadmin/Storage/pdf/2012_Safety_and_Health_flyer.pdf

Click here for the registration form:
http://www.scfirefighters.org/fileadmin/Storage/forms/2012_Safety___health_Registion_form.doc

If you plan to attend just fill out the registration form and submit it to me.

1410 Drills

Good job everyone this week on NFPA 1410 Drill #2. Congrats to Shift 2 for having the fastest time and the fastest average time. The average times are as follows:

Shift 1- 3:51
Shift 2- 3:25
Shift 3- 4:41

Department Average- 3:59
NFPA recomended time- 4:00

Keep up the good work and remember the lessons learned and reinforced for the next evolution. The times improved each day as lessons learned from each shift were passed on. That is what these drills are all about, sharing knowledge and improving our department as a whole. While I encourage friendly competition to drive us to become better, remember that speed comes from proficiency, efficiency, and teamwork, not from taking unjustified risks. Stay safe and keep training hard.

Looking Beyond the First 5 Minutes

Mrs. Smith’s lasting impression of an incident is as important as the tactical approach we take at its beginning.

http://www.firefighternation.com/article/management-and-leadership/looking-beyond-first-5-minutes

Brooklyn NY Firefighter Mayday Audio 12/19/11

Click here for the video and article.

http://www.firefighterclosecalls.com/news/fullstory/newsid/151914

Reminder: Slow Down and Think Before You Act

Coming Soon

The Multiforce forcible entry door prop has been ordered and should be delivered in about 8-10 weeks. I will be looking for one or two people from each shift to go through a train-the-trainer course so that after the initial training, the prop can be used for company training so long as a trainer is present. Let me know if you are interested.

NFPA 1410 Drill # 2

Good job to shift 3 today on the 1410 drills. So far the time to beat is 3:22.

Quote of the Week

Amateurs practice until they get it right; professionals practice until they can’t get it wrong. Train everyday.

UL Study Recommends Tactical Changes for Fires in Structures with Solar Panels

http://www.firefighternation.com/article/news-2/ul-study-recommends-tactical-changes-fires-structures-solar-panels

Safety Message From the Chicago Fire Department

The Argument for Safe Extinguishment

We can’t continue to look at “safety” and “extinguishment” as two different cultural approaches

http://www.firefighternation.com/article/management-and-leadership/argument-safe-extinguishment

Region 5 Course Update

This is a brief update on some of the upcoming catalog courses in Region 5:

·        2118-12-505, PICO, scheduled to start 1/7 at City of Charleston Fire Dept will go

·        3330-12-505, Auto Extrication, scheduled to start 1/7 at Goose Creek Rural Fire Dept will go

·        8118-12-503, PPV, scheduled to start 1/7 at Berkeley Co ESTC will go

·        1152-12-505, Fund of FF, scheduled to start 1/10 at Berkeley Co ESTC will go

·        1152-12-506, Fund of FF, scheduled to start 1/10 at Hampton Co Fire Dept will go

·        2153-12-504, I-300, scheduled to start 1/21 at City of Charleston Fire Dept will go

·        1153-12-507, FFI, scheduled to start 1/23 at Summerville Fire Dept will go

·        1205-12-504, POV, scheduled to start 1/30 at Jasper Co Fire Dept will go

·        2153-12-505, I-300, scheduled to start 1/30 at MCAS Beaufort will go

·        2171-12-503, Leadership I, scheduled to start 2/2 at Hilton Head Island Fire/Rescue will go

·        1160-12-505, Truck Co, scheduled to start 2/14 at St. John’s Fire Dept will go

·        2150-12-504, ISO, scheduled to start 2/18 at City of Charleston Fire Dept will go

·        2147-12-506, NIMS ICS, scheduled to start 2/20 at Beaufort Fire Dept will go

·        3310-12-505, Rope Rescue, scheduled to start 2/24 at MCA Beaufort will go

·        1250-12-505, Aerial Ops, scheduled to start 2/27 at Summerville Fire Dept will go

The following classes are in danger of cancelling (low enrollment):

·        1210-12-508, EVDT, scheduled to start 1/23 at Burton Fire Dept

·        2113-12-503, FSS: Personal, scheduled to start 1/23 at Beaufort Fire Dept

·        2727-12-502, Haz Mat Awareness, scheduled to start 1/23 at Colleton Co Fire/Rescue

·        2118-12-506, PICO, scheduled to start 1/27 at Hilton Head Island Fire/Rescue

·        8118-12-504, PPV, scheduled to start 1/28 at Hampton Co Fire Dept

·        1210-12-509, EVDT, scheduled to start 1/30 at Isle of Palms Fire Dept

Quote of the Week

Better a thousand times careful than once dead.  ~Proverb

Worcester, Mass. Suffers LODD 5 Days After 12 Year Aniversary Of the Worcester 6

Here is the link to an article and video of the fire.

http://www.firehouse.com/news/top-headlines/massachusetts-firefighter-killed-three-alarm-blaze

New UL Study Reinforces the Need For Back-to-Basics Training

Check out the link below for a great summary on the UL study about how ventilation affects fire growth and spread in both old and new construction. The study reiterates the importance of much of the training we have been doing recently.

http://www.fireengineering.com/blogs/blognetwork/nick-martin/2011/11/new-ul-study-reinforces-sound-old-fire-tactics.html

Region 5 Course Update

This is a brief update on some of the upcoming catalog courses in Region 5:

·        2118-12-505, PICO, scheduled to start 1/7 at City of Charleston Fire Dept will go

·        1152-12-505, Fund of FF, scheduled to start 1/10 at Berkeley CO ESTC will go

·        1152-12-506, Fund of FF, scheduled to start 1/10 at Hampton Co Fire Dept will go

·        2153-12-504, I-300, scheduled to start 1/21 at City of Charleston Fire Dept will go

·        1153-12-507, FFI, scheduled to start 1/23 at Summerville Fire Dept will go

·        1205-12-504, POV, scheduled to start 1/30 at Jasper Co Fire Dept will go

·        2150-12-504, ISO, scheduled to start 2/18 at City of Charleston Fire Dept will go

·        3310-12-505, Rope Rescue, scheduled to start 2/24 at MCAS Beaufort will go---this class is full

The following classes are in danger of cancelling (low enrollment):

·        3330-12-505, Auto Extrication, scheduled to start 1/7 at Goose Creek Rural Fire Dept (need 10 more students)---this class cuts off tomorrow morning!

·        8118-12-503, PPV, scheduled to start 1/7 at Berkeley Co ESTC (need 9 more students)---this class cuts off tomorrow morning!

·        1210-12-508, EVDT, scheduled to start 1/23 at Burton Fire Dept (need 10 students)

·        2113-12-503, FSS: Personal, scheduled to start 1/23 at Beaufort Fire Dept (need 9 more students)

·        2727-12-502, Haz Mat Awareness, scheduled to start 1/23 at Colleton Co Fire/Rescue (need 9 more students)

·        2118-12-506, PICO, scheduled to start 1/27 at Hilton Head Island Fire/Rescue (need 7 more students)

·        8118-12-504, PPV, scheduled to start 1/28 at Hampton Co Fire Dept (need 13 more students)

The Lost Art of the Nozzle Team

Quote of the Week

"If you put the fire out, most of your other problems go away."

While many different tactics are critical to fireground success and safety, the most basic and important element of our job is still to put water on the fire. This month we will focus on engine company operations with an emphasis on selecting, deploying, and advancing hoselines.

Firefighter of the Year

Congrats to Keith Kelley for being named Firefighter of the Year. Also congrats to Jon Bekemeyer for being a very close runner-up. It was well deserved by both of you. Thanks for your hard work and dedication. Keep up the good work Brothers.

Region 5 Course Update

The following courses are in danger of cancelling (low enrollment):

·        2118-12-505, PICO, scheduled to start 1/7 at City of Charleston Fire Dept (need 8 more students)

·        3330-12-505, Auto Extrication, scheduled to start 1/7 at Goose Creek Rural Fire Dept (need 14 more students)

·        8118-12-503, PPV, scheduled to start 1/7 at Berkeley Co ESTC (need 13 more students)

·        1152-12-505, Fund of FF, scheduled to start 1/10 at Berkeley Co ESTC (need 8 more students)

·        1152-12-506, Fund of FF, scheduled to start 1/10 at Hampton Co Fire Dept (need 2 more students)

·        2153-12-504, I-300, scheduled to start 1/21 at City of Charleston Fire Dept 9need 3 more students)

·        1153-12-507, FFI, scheduled to start 1/23 at Summerville Fire Dept (need 1 more student)

·        1210-12-508, EVDT, scheduled to start 1/23 at Burton Fire Dept (need 10 students)

·        2113-12-503, FSS: Personal, scheduled to start 1/23 at Beaufort Fire Dept (need 12 students)

·        2727-12-502, Haz Mat Awareness, scheduled to start 1/23 at Colleton Co Fire/Rescue (need 9 more students)

·        2118-12-506, PICO, scheduled to start 1/27 at Hilton Head Island Fire/Rescue (need 10 more students)

·        8118-12-504, PPV, scheduled to start 1/28 at Hampton Co Fire Dept (need 15 students)

·        1210-12-509, EVDT, scheduled to start 1/30 at Isle of Palms Fire Dept (need 10 students)

·        2153-12-505, I-300, scheduled to start 1/30 at MCAS Beaufort (need 10 more students)

Colorado Firefighters Recall Intense Close Call

http://www.firefighternation.com/videos/colorado-firefighters-recall-intense-close-call

'Black Sunday' Firefighter Hero Found Dead In LI Home

http://www.wpix.com/news/wpix-black-sunday-firefighter-hero-found-dead,0,4153382.story

Vehicle Fire Safety

While it is easy to sit back and critique an obvious lack of fundamentals, none of us are immune to making mistakes. The more complicated this job becomes, the more important it becomes for us to train on the basics. After the video, discuss the firefighting basics that were forgotten here. Here are a couple of my observations; what else did you notice and what would you do?

1. Stage upwind/uphill whenever possible.
2. Chock the wheels.
3. Don't stretch the line through burning fuel.
4. Attack from a 45 degree angle.
5. Water supply and back-up, this isn't your typical vehicle fire.
6. Every vehicle fire is a haz-mat incident.

Is Your Engine Company Combat Ready?

Check out the link for a good blog about combat readiness for engine companies. Be honest with yourself; are you as combat-ready as you should be? Read this blog with your crew and discuss other ways to become a more combat-ready engine company.

http://www.fireengineering.com/blogs/blognetwork/nick-martin/2011/11/what-is-a-combat-ready-engine-company.html

Happy Thanksgiving

Just wanted to wish everyone a happy  Thanksgiving and thank you for all of your hard work and enthusiasm in training. For those of you on duty, enjoy your Thanksgiving but remember, fire doesn't care what day it is; every day is a training day. Be safe.

Collapse Close Call

National Fire Fighter Near-Miss Reporting System: Garage Fires

http://www.fireengineering.com/articles/2011/11/near-miss-garage-fires.html

SCFA Course Dates January-June 2012

The new course dates are out. Make sure you sign up early for any course that you wish to take or need for promotion. Here is the link:

http://www.scfa.state.sc.us/PDF/Jan.%20-%20June%202012%20Public%20FS%20Course%20Dates.pdf

Quote of the Week

“If you only do what you’ve always done, you’ll only be as good as you’ve ever been.” (Robert “Bob” Murgallis)

The Company Officer: The Perfect Training Officer

Check out the link for a good article about company training. Remember, if you are the senior member of your company, YOU are the company officer.

http://www.fireengineering.com/articles/print/volume-162/issue-7/features/the-company-officer-the-perfect-training-officer.html

Quote of the Week

"I frequently remind the men of my truck company, 'You may not fight fire every day or every week like they do in the Bronx or in L.A., but fire here won't care; it doesn't know you're not a New Yorker, and it won't wait for you to explain, but it'll expect you to start actin' like one.'" — Captain Ben Fleagle, firefighter in Alaska

You're First-Due: What Would You Do?

Test your strategy & tactics skills on this bread-and-butter house fire by clicking on the following link:

http://www.firefighternation.com/article/training-0/first-due-what-would-you-do

Dangers of Modern Firefighting

We all know that fires burn much hotter and faster than they did 30-40 years ago. This video produced by the UL clearly shows why interior firefighting is far more dangerous now that it used to be. Combine the speed of fire development with lightweight roof construction and it is no wonder why we are getting killed in structure fires at a higher rate than in the past.

Be a Student of Your Profession

Below is a link to a great short article by Battalion Chief John Salka, FDNY.

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb4760/is_201106/ai_n57807806/

Bread and Butter Operations

Saw this on http://www.safefirefighter.com/ this morning.

Below is a great video of bread and butter firefighting at a DC house fire.  I originally caught this video on www.backstepfirefighter.com.  Over there, Bill Carey pointed out how efficiently the engine crews got the lines to the Charlie side.
Typically, the Charlie side of a structure is an after thought (or an uh-oh thought) until something back their grabs our attention.  Always remember there are six sides to every fire.
Speaking of which, also notice the number and placement of ground ladders (all visible sides are laddered).

I would also like to point out the one-man ladder raises, which happens to be one of our training topics this week. You can see how quickly the building can be laddered using this technique. The Brothers working on the floor above the fire are now much safer with multiple egress options.

One-Man Ladder Throw, A Critical RIT Skill

Laddering a building to create secondary means of egress has a huge impact on firefighter safety. Profiency in the one-man ladder raise allows the RIT to throw multiple ladders simultaneously.

Quote of the Week

"The best thing an old firefighter can teach a young firefighter is how to become an old firefighter."

Chicago Fire Department Mayday 12-22-10

Houston Firefighter Mayday

FDNY "Black Sunday" Bailout

Click here for the complete audio.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXo25xL01MM&feature=related

Firefighter MAYDAY call's

Region 5 Class Update

This is a brief update on some of our upcoming catalog classes:

·        1220-12-506, Pump Ops, scheduled to start 11/28 at Summerville Fire Dept will go---this class is full

·        1221-12-501, Pump Ops II, scheduled to start 12/3 at Burton Fire Dept will go

·        3310-12-504, Rope Rescue, scheduled to start 12/5 at James Island Fire Dept will go---this class is full

·        1250-12-504, Aerial Ops, scheduled to start 12/6 at Hilton Head Fire/Rescue will go---this class is full

·        1221-12-502, Pump Ops II, scheduled to start 12/10 at Colleton Co Fire/Rescue will go

·        2154-12-503, I-400, scheduled to start 12/10 at North Charleston Fire Dept will go

The following class is in danger of cancelling (low enrollment):

·        2173-12-502, Leadership III, scheduled to start 12/10 at Bluffton Fire Dept (need 4 students)

Video: Wall Collapses on Ind. Firefighter at Warehouse Fire

Check out the link for video of the collapse.

http://www.firehouse.com/news/top-headlines/video-wall-collapses-ind-firefighter-warehouse-fire

Firefighters Trapped and Killed in Rescue Attempt

Asheville, NC Mayday

This week starts our Safety & Survival month. The entire month of November will be dedicated to firefighter survival and rapid intervention. Don't stop with the sceduled training; there are many great training resources on the web. Study LODD and near-miss reports and learn from them. Let no firefighter's death be in vain.

Quote of the Week

"Your training should periodically show you your physical and mental limits, because reality will, at some point, try to lure you past them". — Firefighter Dan Snyder, AFPD

Forcible Entry for Garage & Roll Up Doors

Region 5 Course Update

This is a brief update on some of the upcoming catalog courses in Region 5:

·        1160-12-504, Truck Co, scheduled to start 11/19 at Colleton Co Fire/Rescue has been cancelled

·        2119-12-504, STICO, scheduled to start 11/19 at Caromi Fire Dept has been cancelled

·        3330-12-504, Auto Extrication, scheduled to start 11/19 at Berkeley Co ESTC will go---this class is full

·        2121-12-503. DMICO, scheduled to start 11/21 at Hilton Head Fire/Rescue has been cancelled

·        1220-12-506, Pump Ops, scheduled to start 11/28 at Summerville Fire Dept will go

·        1221-12-501, Pump Ops II, scheduled to start 12/3 at Burton Fire Dept will go

·        3310-12-504, Rope Rescue, scheduled to start 12/5 at James Island Fire Dept will go---this class is full

·        1250-12-504, Aerial Ops, scheduled to start 12/6 at Hilton Head Fire/Rescue will go---this class is full

·        1221-12-502, Pump Ops II, scheduled to start 12/10 at Colleton Co Fire/Rescue will go

·        2154-12-503, I-400, scheduled to start 12/10 at North Charleston Fire Dept will go

The following class is in danger of cancelling (low enrollment):

·        2173-12-502, Leadership III, scheduled to start 12/10 at Bluffton Fire Dept (need 4 more students)

Cutting the Adams Right Lock

Forcible Entry: Padlocks - American Series 2000 Lock

Roof Operations: Power Saw Safety

Quote of the Week

"To be the best in the future, you have to train harder than the best in the present" Unknown

Carbon Monoxide

Now that it's getting cold out people will be using their heaters and fireplaces, increasing the chances of CO exposure for both them and us. Check out the following video and links to refresh yourself on carbon monoxide.

http://www.thesilentkiller.net/co-poisoning-facts.html

http://www.childrenshospital.org/views/feb06/carbon.html

http://www.osha.gov/OshDoc/data_General_Facts/carbonmonoxide-factsheet.pdf

Reading Smoke

This weekend's training will be the Art of Reading Smoke. Here is a short video with some good examples to get started.

http://flashovertv.firerescue1.com/Media/3045-Fireground-Size-Up-and-Smoke-Reading/

How & Why to Conduct an Incident Debriefing

Here is a good article to go along with our new post incident analysis policy.

http://www.firefighternation.com/article/incident-command-0/how-why-conduct-incident-debriefing

SCFA Region 5 Update

This is a brief update on some of the upcoming catalog courses in Region 5:

·        2113-12-502, FSS: Personal, scheduled to start 11/15 at St. John’s Fire Dept will go

·        3330-12-504, Auto Extrication, scheduled to start 11/19 at Berkeley Co ESTC will go

·        1220-12-506, Pump Ops, scheduled to start 11/28 at Summerville Fire Dept will go

·        1221-12-501, Pump Ops II, scheduled to start 12/3 at Burton Fire Dept will go

·        3310-12-504, Rope Rescue, scheduled to start 12/5 at James Island Fire Dept will go---this class is full

·        1250-12-504, Aerial Ops, scheduled to start 12/6 at Hilton Head Island Fire/Rescue will go---this class is full

·        1221-12-502, Pump Ops II, scheduled to start 12/10 at Colleton Co Fire/Rescue will go

The following classes are in danger of cancelling (low enrollment):

·        1160-12-504, Truck Co, scheduled to start 11/19 at Colleton Co Fire/Rescue (need 7 students)—this class cuts off tomorrow morning!

·        2119-12-504, STICO, scheduled to start 11/19 at Caromi Fire Dept (need 9 students)--- this class cuts off tomorrow morning!

·        2121-12-503, DMICO, scheduled to start 11/21 at Hilton head Fire/Rescue (need 2 students)---this class cuts off Friday morning!

·        2154-12-503, I-400, scheduled to start 12/10 at North Charleston Fire Dept (need 5 students)---if you completed the I-300 class last weekend at NCFD, you can go ahead and register for this I-400….just put a note at the top of your registration form indicating that you completed the I-300 at NCFD on 10/16

·        2173-12-502, Leadership III, scheduled to start 12/10 at Bluffton Fire Dept (need 4 students)