Monthly Challenge

Recently I have posted several articles and posts about the need for repetition to develop the muscle memory needed to be able to perform basic fireground skills without thinking. When we are in a high-stress situation such as the fireground our sympathetic nervous system runs wild with the fight or flight response. When this happens our cognitive abilities diminish significantly and any skill that has not been practiced to the point it becomes second nature will suffer. This has been well documented in combat veterans and is why the military drills relentlessly on basic combat skills. The problem is that when we conduct multi-company shift training we review basic skills or learn new skills but we do not have enough time to perform the repetition needed to develop the required muscle memory. This means that in order to perfect each skill you must practice it on your own at your station. This is where the monthly challenge comes in. Each month I will post a short drill that can be performed by a single engine company at their station in thirty minutes or less. The challenge is for you to practice this drill every shift for that month. By the end of the month you should be very proficient at that skill and be able to perform it without thinking. If you accept this challenge I guarantee that the results will be evident at the next fire or training where you have to use this skill. So for all of you ready to accept this challenge read on for this month's skill:

February Monthly Challenge
One-person Extension Ladder Raise

I know that I have been driving this one pretty hard but it is for good reason; ladders save lives. Many civilians are rescued by portable ladders and placing multiple ladders gives the Brothers working on the upper floors more options for emergency egress. Remember, if a firefighter gets into trouble on the second floor and there is a ladder sitting on an apparatus not being used, we have failed him. Every ladder that stays on the rig is one less escape option. Since we don't have the luxury of a six-man truck company responding we must be able to more with less. By mastering the one-person ladder raise, the RIT team can deploy every ladder we have on scene in short time. Also think about the following scenario:

You arrive at a working fire in a two-story wood-frame dwelling. You have heavy fire on the first floor extending to the second by means of the interior stairs. You notice a woman on the second floor holding a small child out the window. The smoke is becoming noticeably more dense and turbulent indicating a rapidly advancing fire. The woman and child are in need of immediate rescue. You also notice that an above-ground LPG tank on the B side has direct flame impingement and the pressure-relief valve is beginning to operate. The second-due engine is at least five minutes out. You have three choices here: A. Perform a traditional two-person ladder raise to perform the rescue and hope the LPG tank doesn't BLEVE, B. Deploy a hoseline to cool the LPG tank and hope more firefighters arrive in time to rescue the mother and child, or C. do both at the same time. By mastering the one-person ladder raise you can rescue the trapped occupants while the other firefighter on your engine stretches a line to cool the propane tank. While this is an extreme example, the value of being 100% proficient in this skill should be apparent. So get out there and throw some ladders each shift. Here are a few tips:

-Start slow and make sure you use good lifting technique.
-As you begin to feel more comfortable working with the ladder pick up the pace until you are performing the skill in real time.
-ALWAYS check your overhead before raising the ladder.
-If the ladder is placed on concrete or asphalt it should be heeled before climbing.
-If you want to take it a step further make it a drill for the entire engine company. Practice the above scenario in real time and see how fast you can ladder the building and stretch the hoseline.
Here are some videos if you need a refresher: