What Does Vacant Mean?

 

What Does Vacant Mean?

by David Rhodes

The word vacant in the fire service has taken on a life of its own. By definition. as it relates to a structure,  it would mean that it is unoccupied (no one in there... for you vocabulary challenged guys). Many departments generalize the term vacant. I have even seen research papers on "vacant" structures and firefighter injuries. Unfortunately this has added to the developing risk aversion culture that tends to generalize the job. I even catch myself misusing the term due a normalization of deviance.

Vacant for the fire service now means several different things. It describes the appearance of the structure to some, it means that no one is currently paying rent or a house payment to others and in some areas it mean an old dilapidated structure that has weeds growing out of the siding.

In many urban areas there is rarely such thing as a vacant structure. Most structures are occupied by someone even if they are not supposed to be there. In many cases these structure are likely to have fires and have individuals trapped. They have no power (unless it’s being stolen) so, how did the fire start?

I propose banning the use of “vacant structure” from fire service terminology prior to a primary and secondary search by the fire department. I am in favor of identifying buildings that may be structurally unsound as “high risk” but not “vacant”. It is the fire departments job to determine if a structure is occupied or not when there is a fire in it. The fire department does not make decisions on when to rescue based on the economic status of the individual. A life is a life. The determination of when to “go or not go” should not be based on a self-imposed classification of building as “vacant”.

The overall victim survivability and structural risk profile is the determining factor for “go or no go” once on scene. Front loading a perception of “vacant” has a harmful side effect of creating a nonchalant, slow, not a big deal “just another vacant structure” mentality. All the while, someone may be inside.

One of my crews rescued a 60+ year old man out a structure that the initial crews took for “vacant” based on appearance and had been operating in the exterior defensive mode for over 25 mins. When we arrived we could see areas of the structure that we determined could be and needed to be searched. So we asked to change from defensive to offensive based on our assessment and sure enough a victim was rescued and he lived. In fact he only spent one night in the hospital and was released.

Please stop front loading the term "vacant" and use another descriptor to identify potential risks. Once you have search the building the declare "all clear". Let's leave the term vacant to the real estate brokers. They are not interested in searching a building and saving anyone. It just means no one is paying right now to them.

Flooded South Carolina Firefighters

South Carolina Firefighters’ AssociationPublished Monday, October 12, 2015

We have been made aware of several firefighters who have either lost their homes or suffered major damages due to the flooding. We fully expect to hear of many more areas of need in the weeks and months ahead.

We have an opportunity to make a difference in those lives and others. Would you consider a donation to the S.C. State Firefighters' Foundation?  Many of you have asked how you can help, and this is one of those ways.  If you are planning a fundraiser, would you consider donating the proceeds to the Foundation?  There are many great organizations working to support relief efforts throughout the state. We are asking that you consider a gift that will go directly to our members. Please share this campaign with as many people and organizations as you see fit.

"What better way for us to assist a brother or sister than to assist them in a time of need when they are protecting our citizens?" - Chief Jamie Caggiano, Foundation Chairman

There are two ways to make a donation:
1.    You can donate online through our website here (select the 2015 Flood Relief option):  https://shop.scfirefighters.org/foundation-donation/
2.    You can mail checks payable to the S.C. Firefighter Foundation to:
           S.C. State Firefighter Foundation
           111 Westpark Boulevard
           Columbia, SC 29210

South Carolina State Firefighters' Association

The firefighters of the state can cooperatively work to find better ways of protecting the lives and property of their fellow citizens from the ravages of fire and disasters. The South Carolina State Firefighters’ Association Endowment is dedicated to the truth that man is at his best when “He’s Helping His Fellow Man.”

** The Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, therefore all donations are tax-deductible.

Mindset

A healthy dose of fear is good. Too much is debilitating

by Dave LebLanc

from www.backstepfirefighter.com

If you read the magazines, social media or take a class, you can’t help but be bombarded by the messages that proclaim this job is dangerous. So much of it is used today to advocate for us being better at our job is safety. Which is a good thing, or is it?

When we preach from a position of fear are we preparing our firefighters correctly to do the job? “Hundreds of firefighters die each year in fires.” “Firefighter safety comes first.” “Life safety priorities start with the firefighter and then the victim.” If we are training our firefighters correctly, we should be training them in such a way that their safety is inherent with their decisions and actions. The lessons of all those that have gone before us should be incorporated into every rookie school, lesson plan, company drill and kitchen table talk. Certainly specific examples will be used, they hold some critical information, but the sensational headlines of “you can die if you do this job” over and over again, sow seeds of fear and doubt into those charged with protecting the public.

Make no mistake, this job is dangerous and you can be killed and that message needs to be conveyed. But as is often the case it isn’t what you say but how you say it, or even more importantly how the message is received.

A Firefighter No More?

from www.hooksandhooligans.com

When do you quit being a firefighter? When was the moment, wherever you are in your journey in the fire service, that you stopped being a firefighter? Was it when you made driver? Made Captain? Made Chief? I remember years ago when I was in some social situation with my wife and after an introduction one of her colleagues would ask, “And what do you do?” My response was, “I’m a fireman.” (I will dive into my thoughts on gender titles some other time.) My supporting spouse added in, “He’s also a Captain and a Paramedic.” While that was true and I was not trying to conceal those facts, my first response was that I am a fireman. 10 years, and a couple promotions later, I still like to say that I’m a firefighter. Do I get to spray water? Force doors? Perform a search? Vent the roof? Rarely, and it is a blessed treat when it comes along. 

  I will admit that I have weaseled my way in on a few extrications here and there with the justification that, “They just needed another pair of hands.” But that’s about all I get these days. Such is life as a chief officer. 

  For me the desire is still there. Regardless of the bugles on my shirt I still want to be a firefighter. Given the choice of sitting in a meeting or training on pump ops? Its pump ops every time. QA reports or drill on setting up a Z-rig? Z-rig wins. File training reports or wash the rigs? Hand me the brush.  

 My point is this. If you can answer that question, if you can point to that spot along your journey that you no longer considered yourself a firefighter, then what are you? The bigger question is, “why are you still here?” Think about all the things that make up being a firefighter, the values and the ideals, the things that drew you into the job. If that isn’t still a part of you and your purpose for serving, then what are you doing it for?  

 In my opinion, we have no other purpose than to serve. We may serve in different ways, operations, support, training, prevention, but we should all have in our hearts that we exist to serve. Hopefully, along the way in our journey we have retained the essence of being a firefighter. We think of service before self. We think of brothers before self. We see what needs to be done and we do it. We solve problems that our within our realm and we make a difference. 

  So my question is, are you a firefighter? And if there is any hesitation in your response, how can you get back to it?  

 – Chief Dave Cline Hooks & Hooligans Senior Correspondent - See more at: http://hooksandhooligans.com/a-fireman-no-more/#sthash.BJ4SCiku.dpuf

Region 5 Update

Fire Instructor I class:  We have one space remaining in a Fire Instructor I class at St. Andrew’s Fire Department 4/24-5/3 (two weekend class).  Registration is available on the portal.

Course Updates:  The following SCFA courses are currently in the update process, with new revisions coming soon: 3330-Auto Extrication, 3224-Arson Detection, 2723-Haz Mat Tech, 4165-Fire & Life Safety Educator, 2100-Fire Officer I, 2102-Fire Officer II, 1210-EVDT, 1220-Pump Ops, 1221-Pump Ops II, and 1250-Aerial Ops.  Instructors will be notified about the update process for each one.

Long Range Planning:   Now is the time to meet with your neighboring departments and coordinate training through the remainder of 2015.  Once you have determined your training needs, coordinated with your neighboring departments, and looked on the portal to see what is already available, please email your in-house and request class needs to Brent Turner at brent.turner@llr.sc.gov    Brent will need the following information via email:

·         Course Name/Course Code

·         Will it be In-House (you will supply the instructors) or Request (SCFA will supply instructors, must meet a minimum student requirement)?

·         If you have a preferred schedule—evening, weekday, weekend, etc.. (if you need us to staff, please do not give us specific dates, let us pick dates based on our instructor availability)

·         Location of class (station name or number)

·         Any SCFA equipment/trailer support needed

Additionally, you can let Brent know if your department would like to host an IFSAC testing/general retesting session at any point after June 30, and some potential dates/times.

Retesting policy:  Be aware that students have up to 120 days from course completion to take their first retest.  If they fail their first retest, then they have up to 210 days from course completion to take a second retest.  Please make sure students schedule their retesting session far in advance, so we are able to accommodate them during their eligibility period.

Reminder: Students cannot register for a class until all the required prereqs for that class are on their transcript.

Available IFSAC testing & general retesting sessions  **To register for any session, please contact the regional office** 

3/25	Wed	9am	Colleton Co Fire/Rescue, Sta 19
4/25	Sat	9am	St. Paul’s Fire Dept HQ
5/27	Wed	6:30pm	Burton Fire Dept, Pinewood Sta
6/24	Wed	9am	Colleton Co Fire/Rescue, Sta 19

Region 5 Update

ProBoard Information/Update:  Please see attachment.

HSO Class:  We have 2 spaces remaining in a Health & Safety Officer class at Jasper Co Fire/Rescue on 4/25 & 4/26.  Registration is available on the portal.   

Evaluations:   When agreeing to evaluate, please make a note which position you have been assigned (lead or skills).   Also, instructors,  please note that evaluations will be conducted per the course schedule.  If you are running ahead and want your evaluation to start earlier in the day, please communicate with the regional office at least 24 hours in advance.

Allendale/Bamberg/Hampton Weed & Feed:   There is some room in the Allendale/Bamberg/Hampton Co Weed & Feed program starting mid-March.  This program will be weekends only and include IOW’s/teach backs for the entire Essentials series (1152/1153/1154), Haz Mat Ops, EVDT and Auto Extrication.   Instructors wishing to attend should have successfully completed these classes as a student and have successfully completed the Fire Instructor I class.  The Weed & Feed program is not available for electronic registration, so please submit paper registrations to this office.

Long Range Planning:   Now is the time to meet with your neighboring departments and coordinate training through the remainder of 2015.  Once you have determined your training needs, coordinated with your neighboring departments, and looked on the portal to see what is already available, please email your in-house and request class needs to Brent Turner at brent.turner@llr.sc.gov    Brent will need the following information via email:

·         Course Name/Course Code

·         Will it be In-House (you will supply the instructors) or Request (SCFA will supply instructors, must meet a minimum student requirement)?

·         If you have a preferred schedule—evening, weekday, weekend, etc.. (if you need us to staff, please do not give us specific dates, let us pick dates based on our instructor availability)

·         Location of class (station name or number)

·         Any SCFA equipment/trailer support needed

Additionally, you can let Brent know if your department would like to host an IFSAC testing/general retesting session at any point after June 30, and some potential dates/times.

Southeastern Fire School:   The brochure for Southeastern can be found at the following: http://www.scfa.state.sc.us/PDF/2015_Southeastern_Brochure.pdf  

Retesting policy:  Be aware that students have up to 120 days from course completion to take their first retest.  If they fail their first retest, then they have up to 210 days from course completion to take a second retest.  Please make sure students schedule their retesting session far in advance, so we are able to accommodate them during their eligibility period.

Reminder: Students cannot register for a class until all the required prereqs for that class are on their transcript.

Available IFSAC testing & general retesting sessions  **To register for any session, please contact the regional office** 

3/25	Wed	9am	Colleton Co Fire/Rescue, Sta 19
4/25	Sat	9am	St. Paul’s Fire Dept HQ
5/27	Wed	6:30pm	Burton Fire Dept, Pinewood Sta
6/24	Wed	9am	Colleton Co Fire/Rescue, Sta 19

Complacency: "It's just a car fire."

Although most car fires go out relatively easily and safely, there are plenty of potential dangers involved. Toxic smoke, exploding bumper struts, air bags, seatbelt pre-tensioners, fuel spills, propane cylinders, combustible metals, and the vehicle suddenly moving are just some of the hidden dangers that may not be readily apparent when we arrive on scene. Remember that no fire is "routine" until it is out. Every fire, regardless of how benign it may seem, could be your last fire if you allow yourself to become complacent. Here are a few general guidelines regarding car fires:

• Always wear full PPE and SCBA. I used to not wear a flash hood to car fires. I thought it wasn't necessary since I wasn't going interior, until one time I directed a narrow fog stream into the passenger compartment of heavily involved car and the steam blew back on me. Steam burns suck. 
• Stage the apparatus in a safe location. Stage uphill and upwind when possible. When it's not possible to stage uphill and upwind, stage further away. If you are within reach of the bumper line on a well-involved vehicle you are probably too close. We have longer hose lines; we don't have fire-proof fire engines. Also, don't stage over or near manholes or sewer drains. Fuel leaking into the sewer system could cause an explosion; you don't want the engine parked over a manhole when that happens.
• Chock the wheels of the burning vehicle when it is safe to do so. At the very least, have a couple pieces of cribbing handy to throw in front of the tires if the vehicle starts rolling. 
• Approach from the corners of the vehicle at a 45 degree angle. Many modern vehicles have pressurized gas struts in the bumpers, hoods, and hatch-backs. When these struts fail they can fire the metal rod just like a bullet. There have been several documented cases of serious firefighter injuries due to this. In at least one case, the rod actually penetrated the firefighter's femur even though he was wearing full turnout gear.
• Use the reach of a straight stream to knock down the bulk of the fire before moving closer. Also remember to deflect the stream off the ground to extinguish fire beneath the vehicle.
• Don't stick your head in the window to extinguish the fire in the passenger compartment. Try to open the doors instead. Air bags can deploy at any time and, once again, steam burns suck. 
• Consider water supply and foam early. Most gasoline now contains ethanol. Ethanol is an alcohol and mixes with water, making it more difficult to extinguish than pure gasoline. I have noticed in recent years that car fires tend to be much more stubborn and sometimes require more than one-thousand gallons of water and the use of foam to extinguish. Don't wait until you run out of water to start thinking about water supply. 
• The engineer is responsible for protecting the apparatus. If there is fuel leaking it may be necessary to pull another line to protect the apparatus from burning fuel running down the road. It may also be a good idea to have a shovel handy to build a small earth berm to deflect runoff away from the apparatus. Also make sure to check ditches for runoff. 

These are just a few basic tips for vehicle fires. Always use solid fundamentals and remember that complacency kills. 

Loss of Skill

By Ray McCormack

from www.fireengineering.com

Many in today's fire service feel that there is resistance to change in regard to extinguishment techniques and other tactics, and they are correct. While resistance is what is felt, the reality is that changes need to be peer-reviewed--not just by a select few, but by departments, as well. Resistance toward change is one thing; resistance to changes is another. However, all of this is a good thing, because changes, especially ones that may go against department policy andextinguishment culture, are critically important and typically require measured acquisition.

The silent component of pushback on many changes is that they reduce the skill levels of firefighters. Some of the biggest centers of resistance to new extinguishment decrees are places where fires occur frequently. This makes sense because those that have developed the skills necessary to attack fires from the interior see little need to change. This is especially true since little science has been produced to prove that they are incorrect in their approach.