Take It Back

By Mark vonAppen
from www.fireengineering.com

This will be the year that the rogues come home.

Everyone has a plan until they get hit in the mouth. Our professional plan, when the dollars flowed freely and operations mattered, used to include slack in the system to absorb the unforeseen and unthinkable.

Not anymore. 

Do we have a plan for a fight gone bad?  At street level, where it really matters, we have to because often the organization, mired in bureaucracy and catch phrases, does not.  We have to create our own plan because no one else will. Is operating without a plan and hoping things will work out for the best any way to do business?  

No.  

So, let's dispense with the pleasantries and talk honestly about what is going down.   

We're not waiting anymore.  We won't accept average.  We won't be shackled by fear and ignorance.  We won't ask for permission to to carve time from the day in order to train and make ourselves better and safer.  We will do as we see fit to uphold our obligation to our brothers and sisters in the firehouse and in the community.  

"The insiders are counting on us to be passive.  They're counting wrong.  We're not being polite anymore.  We're at the door and we're taking the craft back for ourselves."  

Aggressive, educated, proactive firefighting that starts with the mindset that every run is the real deal, every structure is occupied, and that we will extend risk (our lives) to effect the rescue of our neighbors.  It is the foundation of a movement to put the fight back in firefighter and bring strong leadership back to the fireground and firehouse.  

Our best insurance policy is a strong base of education and the ability to practically apply knowledge to the appropriate situation.  We have to be functionally intelligent and possess the ability to think on our feet. We must invest in ourselves and be willing to fight for what we believe in.  In order to win the fight, we have to be in the fight.  Being in the fight means doing it on your own and leading from everywhere.

This is not a threat, it's a promise to do our job.  We're not being polite anymore.  We're at the door and we're taking the craft back for ourselves.  The insiders are counting on us to be passive.  They're counting wrong.  If owning our responsibility makes us rogues, then so be it.  

We're the outsiders.  Ready or not, here we come.

Transitional Attack vs. Interior Attack

Since the recent NIST and UL studies in Spartanburg, SC there has been a lot of talk about transitional attack. Everyone from tailboard firefighters to the most well known national instructors seem to have a strong opinion on this "new" tactic. Opinions range from stark defiance to adopting a "less aggressive" firefighting tactic, to those who champion transitional attack as the "holy grail" of the fire service, sure to all but eliminate line of duty deaths and injuries. As with most debates, I tend to believe the answer is somewhere in the middle.

First off, transitional attack is not new. It is simply a new buzz word attached to a tactic that firefighters have used since the days of the bucket brigade. Before the advent of fully encapsulating turnout gear and self-contained breathing apparatus, firefighters had no choice but to make conditions more tenable from the exterior before being able to make entry to perform search and complete fire extinguishment. As protective gear became more advanced, we were able to push further into hostile environments. Unfortunately, as the level of protection from our PPE increased, so did the heat release rates (HRR) of the materials found in structures. We are finally starting to realize that the increase in the HRR of fuels has surpassed the advances in PPE. Also, the high level of thermal protection that our PPE affords us masks the rapid increase in heat prior to flashover until it is too late. This fact coupled with poor tactics, lack of communication, lack of situational awareness, and failure at the task level have put many firefighters in a position to be caught in a flashover.

Another thing that tends to lead to trouble is when firefighters with small town staffing attempt to use big city tactics in situations where they just won't work. Let's face it, there are just some things that a three-man engine company cannot do with a reasonable margin of safety that a six-man FDNY engine company can. This is where transitional attack is a viable option for us. When faced with fire showing from the structure with insufficient staffing to make an interior attack, or where conditions are too severe to engage in an interior attack without backup, getting water on the fire as quickly as possible is our best alternative. Once water reaches the fire, overall conditions will improve and buy us some time to gather enough personnel to mount an interior attack.

One thing that has been conspicuously absent from much of the transitional attack debate is the actual skill of using it. Transitional attack is not just randomly lobbing water through a window and hoping for the best; it is a tactic which must be understood and performed properly to be successful. While the studies may have proved that applying water from the exterior cannot push fire, it is an undeniable fact that a hose stream can push the hell out smoke, heat, steam, and gases; and those are what kill unprotected occupants. The following video is from the Los Angeles County Fire Department and does a very good job of explaining and showing how to properly use transitional attack. For some reason it won't let me embed the video so follow this link:

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lkM2AsZqlM

While transitional attack is a great tactic in certain situations, it is not always a feasible or correct option. It is also not the "magic bullet" that will eliminate firefighter deaths and injuries. Transitional attack only works when you have fire venting to the outside. It will not work when you have only smoke showing and it won't work on deep seated fires in large buildings. Even when it does work, after the fire is knocked down from the exterior we still have to go inside to search and complete extinguishment. The external knockdown does not extinguish the fire, it simply takes some of the energy out of it to buy us some time. Fire is never static; it is either growing or it is dying. Once we knock it down from the outside, it begins growing again until we reach the seat and extinguish it. Transitional attack does not make our job safe, it makes it somewhat safer. "Safe" is a relative term in our business.

When there is the potential for savable lives inside the fire building, transitional attack is less likely to be the best tactic. Often the best tactic is to place a hoseline between the fire and the occupant's means of egress. In a ventilated fire, the environment becomes much more tenable behind the nozzle team as they advance toward the fire and push the smoke, heat, steam, and fire gases out the ventilation point. The following video shows this very well. Notice the improvement in conditions behind the nozzle team as they make the push.

The keys to making this type of attack successful are having a ventilation opening opposite of the fire and being able to "push". A "push" means flowing water while advancing the hoseline simultaneously. Unfortunately this is a skill that most firefighters don't have but once you acquire it, it can be a game-changer. Flowing water while advancing pushes all of the products of combustion ahead of the nozzle team and out the ventilation opening. It also allows the nozzle team to advance behind the protection of the hose stream, cooling the gases and fuels along the way. The chance of being caught in a flashover during a push is virtually eliminated. Sadly, most firefighters who are killed or injured in flashovers never open the nozzle. In the following video watch how quickly the ceiling temperature drops from over 1000 degrees to less than 200 degrees in a few seconds by sweeping the walls, ceiling, and floor while advancing the hoseline.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOtgY7as4x8


As I said earlier, I believe the answer to the debate lies somewhere in the middle. There are many different tactics and most have a place in the fire service. If we jump on the band wagon for the newest hot topic and forget all other options then we become a one trick pony. Good firefighters are not one trick ponies, but rather  have several options at their disposal to handle different situations. This is only accomplished by studying our job and relentlessly training on the basics. There is no tool, tactic, trick, gadget, or gimmick that will improve safety on the fireground more than an educated, skilled, aggressive engine company that makes the right decisions and gets water on the fire quickly.

Into Combat

by Dave Werner
from www.fireengineering.com

I was eating supper at work yesterday, reading a book at the same time, and as it does so often a random thought popped into my mind. In order to provide some context for what follows, this thought was inspired by several sources. First was the book "About Face" by Col. David Hackworth. If you haven't read it, do it soon. It is inspiring and thought provoking. My mindset is still reeling from that book. Number two was a blog from leatherhead109.com titled "Know What Your Doing: It's Expected", a powerful post on the importance of competence and proficiency in leaders. The third source for my random thought was the book I was reading at the time, "Outlaw Platoon" by Lt. Sean Parnell detailing the hellish fighting he saw serving with the 10th Mountain Division. Again, if you haven't yet read this book get to it!

I was reading a section of the book detailing a particularly hairy encounter Lt. Parnell's platoon had with Taliban fighters. Things were going to hell in a handbasket, and options had run out. The Lt. had suffered injuries, as had several of his men and it took every ounce of physical and mental willpower for Lt. Parnell to gather himself, assess the situation, determine priorities, and act. It was an enthralling scene to imagine. We will never be able to repay the debt we owe to those men.

My thought goes as follows:

We send ourselves and our coworkers into combat every time we arrive on the fireground. We expect people to operate skillfully and efficiently in a combat environment. We hold these expectations while in the meantime we deliver and receive completely inadequate training and weak if not completely absent mission support from our leaders. Why on earth are we surprised when we lose firefighters to LODD events? Why on earth are we surprised when we see videos of, and witness firsthand absolute incompetence on the fireground? We continue to send lightly trained public employees into combat zones expecting them to operate with the speed, proficiency, and foresight which we would expect from a special forces unit.

That was what I jotted down on my note pad. Harsh, indeed. I typically try to avoid becoming dramatic when it comes to pleading my case. Unfortunately I believe ambiguity is no longer advised. All around us people are fighting to get the message out. Mark VonAppens post, "Rogues", has over 12,000 hits. Not on Facebook, on Fire Engineering's Training Community. There is no telling how many hits it has on Facebook. The messages are getting out there, but it seems to get lost along the way.

Maybe I am searching for another way to get the message across. I feel like the combat example is one that is powerful enough and easy enough to grasp. Please understand when I say combat I am not implying that our role as firefighters is synonymous to that of a soldier. Far from it. Fire may be a living, breathing animal, but it usually doesn't have AK-47's and RPG's. I am arguing a point which has been previously made by myself and other individuals; that the "characteristics" of the fireground are matched by those seen on the battleground. Realizing this fact, we are undoubtedly tasked with going into combat.

The fireground is a violent, unpredictable, mind numbing, and sense robbing environment. Why do we continue to operate as if we have it all figured out? For fear of abusing the military examples, look at Vietnam. We fought that war just as we fought every other war up to that point. We continued to apply the same tactics which hadn't even worked in the previous war. The armed forces failed to realize the implications of fighting a guerrilla style battle. By guerrilla I mean unconventional, and more specifically a battle of maneuver.

This is where we come back to the fire service. Most of us don't have the resources to wage a war of attrition on the fireground. We can't throw endless resources at the fire until it is obliterated. Most of us operate understaffed and undergunned. Enter maneuver warfare. This is the world of relative superiority. This term may sound familiar from one of Chris Brennans recent posts. It means we have to be so good that despite our disadvantage in resources we still manage to kick ass. How do we do this?
We get really good at what we do. We discard the mindsets of safety and complacency and replace them with a mindset of combat. What kept Lt. Parnell's crew from being overrun and beheaded by Taliban in the battle I was reading about? Number one they were the best of the best. No one knew their job better than they did. They were so good they didn't have to think about it. Number two, and arguably more important, they had a mindset of survival. They knew they were not going to be displaced by the enemy. They fought as a collective group, many hearts beating as one. How does a group of individuals attain this level of performance?
They work their tails off! They train together every opportunity they get. They critique every action and incident to glean every valuable tidbit of improvement. This is where it happens. Nothing else will bring about a bond such as this. This is what brings survival. I dare you to ask Lt. Parnell where his Safety Officer was positioned during the battle.
This message is two pronged. The first is to the individual in the trenches. I am talking about the back seat, tailboard, jumpseat riders. If we don't take this to heart none of it will matter. When the airbrakes are pulled it is time for us to go to work. We need to stop passing the buck and shoulder the responsibility of our role. This means building stock in not just physical courage, but the moral courage to do what we know is right. Cut the excuses, and get your mindset right.

The other prong of this message is for those in the formal leadership roles. You have one responsibility at the end of the day: make absolutely sure that your men and women are ready for combat. This can only be accomplished in one way: set the example you want to see in your people. Model the mindset of the warrior. Provide them the opportunities to build the cohesion and skill sets they will need in combat. Do not under any circumstances sell your people short on training. Stop looking at your people as lightly trained public servants and instead start treating them as warriors. Make them feel like warriors. Expect from them what you expect from a warrior.

Stop tossing around the term "combat ready" like it doesn't mean anything. You either live it or you don't. Saying it will not bring you any closer. Living it will allow you to say it with pride. Again, this is a mindset. Empty routines and mindless administrative nonsense has no bearing on combat readiness. Shed the white noise that encompasses so many of our organizations. It won't be a popular move, but it will never happen if we don't start. Remember, we are going into combat. It is time that we start acting like it. As always, stay smart, and stay combat ready.

Flow Path

By Mark vonAppen
from: http://mark-vonappen.blogspot.com/

 All of my life I have been known as a bit of a trouble maker.  I have pushed limits and challenged authority.  In the process, I have trampled a path that few have chosen to follow.  Sometimes it's a lonely place.  I feel like I have no home, I find my place where I ramble. 

The limit pushing and challenging of authority continued after my appointment as a career firefighter.  Until recently, I struggled with this identity, pushing forward and standing in front with a huge bulls eye on my back only to have the organization punch me repeatedly in the face.  I began walking the fence as I tried to be a crowd pleaser, attempting to appeal to everyone.  In doing so, I have felt reined in, put in a box, metaphorically bound and gagged (my emails are still screened).  I felt average and frustrated.  I was out of the flow path.

No more.  So here it comes.

Respect is far more important than approval.  I start trouble over matters of principle, not in a sophomorish attempt at capturing the spotlight.  I have never stirred up trouble simply for trouble's sake.  I am outspoken on issues that I am passionate about, usually regarding education in the fire service, high standards of performance, and treating people right.  On these issues I will not waiver, my standards will not be compromised.  If that alienates some, so be it.  If you agree with what I say, but not how I said it, so be it.  If you don't like me, so be it.  I own it.

"I am outspoken on issues that I am passionate about, usually regarding high standards of performance and treating people right.  If you don't like me, so be it.  I own it.  Respect is far more important than approval." 

I have learned a couple of things over the years.  One: Educated and aggressive beats timid and uninformed any day of the week.  Two: We tell the same stories again and again, repeatedly proclaiming the same tired, flawed tactics should have worked, that they will work next time, and the text book is the be-all-end-all.  They won't, and it's not.  Three: Even if you are speaking the truth, most people don't want to hear it, it makes them uncomfortable.  They're usually mad at themselves for who they are, not for who you are.  Four:  Even if you work your ass off you don't always win.   Five: Quick change happens slowly.  Positive change shows itself when you least expect it and need a lift the most.  

Comfort zones are for people whose jobs are predictable, they are safe and cozy for having them.  Our job is neither safe nor predictable so personal comfort levels must be pushed and the boat must be rocked.   Occasionally, people have to be dumped out of the boat in order to learn if they will sink or swim when on their own.  Finding a way to get comfortable being uncomfortable is the only way we can successfully navigate the fireground, a place where consequences are immediate, unforgiving, and sometimes irreversible.  This isn't a game, and it's not cool to be stupid.  We can't have scared, stupid firefighters.  

What's cool?  Learning.
What's cool?  Coaching.
What's cool?  Leading.

If you lead you're automatically a target. Being in the flow path is a dangerous business.  Often you find yourself on your own.  I've learned a lot of things the hard way, making a lot of mistakes because I put myself out there.  Change is occurring, I can see it.  In order to continue, change requires those who push.  Sometimes it might seem like you have no shot at winning, but you'll never know unless you try.   

I am proud of what all of us have been creating through this movement of, "We'll do it on our own together."  I will continue to push and I will continue to grow.  This thing is fully involved and I'm standing directly in the flow path; who's with me?

Why do we start trouble?  Because somebody has to and there is a lot more work to be done. 

Contaminate Your Crew

by Nick Ledin

from www.fireengineering.com

 

CDC Current Intelligence Bulletin 67: Fire Service Epidemic

        There's an epidemic in the American fire service, and terrifyingly little is known about it. Some estimate that as many as 1% of your brothers and sisters might already be infected, while others claim that number is as high as 10%, although evidence is clearly showing that the incidence rate is rising. If you're reading this, there's a good chance that you're already infected; and since this disease is highly contagious, there's also a good chance that you've unknowingly infected numerous others.

        The hallmarks of this disease include: an insatiable appetite for knowledge and constant focus on your craft. Other symptoms include relentless drilling, training, reading, sweating and questioning, leading to increased proficiency on the fireground. The CDC has developed a quick, three question diagnostic test (highly reliable and valid) that one can use to determine if they're infected.

                        1.  Can we push fire with a hoseline?

                        2.  Is your pimp hand loose?

                        3.  When out with your significant other, do you often find yourself sizing-up doors and buildings?

                       -  If you answered No, Yes and Always, respectively...then you're most likely contaminated.

        The etiology of this disease is unknown, but there is a strong causal link between great mentors and infected individuals. Many claim that this disease has been around for generations, while others claim centuries. There are numerous accusations (although scientifically unfounded) reporting Franklin, Layman or Fredericks as the fire service's "Typhoid Mary"; although no one knows whom the original host was. An unnamed source even went as far as stating that he has evidence that FDIC is an orgy of infestation, and that The Godfather (Chief Halton) is not only aware of this, but that he has been proactively working to make this a global pandemic. Recently, cases of this disease have even been found as far away as England, Sweden, India and Chile.

        Predictably, like seemingly everything else about this disease, the route of transmission is not fully understood, but anecdotal evidence suggests that it's spread through copious amounts of sweat. At this time, the long-term prognosis for this disease is unknown. There is no known cure, and the CDC is advising palliative care and symptom management, to include: reading articles and books, training, going to conferences and going to working fires.

        If you, or someone you know may be infected, contact the CDC and your PCP immediately.

Rogues

by Mark vonAppen
http://www.mark-vonappen.blogspot.com/

I believe firefighters can be placed into 3 categories in terms of engagement and leadership.  Generally speaking: 

• 25% believe in (or pretend to believe in) current leadership staff
• 35% have no faith in (some of them even hate) the leadership staff
• 40% could go either way given strong direction and leadership 

Of the 35% that contains the haters, there is a very temperamental subset that can have a profound impact on organizational chemistry. 

The most important firefighters to capture are the rogue leaders, those passionate individuals who, if ignored, can be savage and destructive forces on the team.  Like it or not, your truest leaders are not always the ones who do exactly as they are told or what the book says is right every single time. Your best leaders are not necessarily "yes men".  The  best leaders are functionally intelligent, independent thinkers who scare the crap out of micro-managers.

People gravitate toward strong personalities, not drones who do just exactly what is expected of them and nothing more.  Some of the strongest leaders among us have pushed it right to the edge and some have even gotten kicked off of the team.  Passion is energy; channelling that energy in a way to best suit the needs of the team is the key to overall success.  Some of history's most influential leaders were agents of evil, I sure-as-hell don't want them on my team.  In order to bring the rogues home, you must first understand who they are.

Rogues are driven by passion.  Sometimes, your informal, real leaders wind up getting chapped by positional leaders who don't know what to do with them.  Rogues have a lot of energy and original ideas, because of this they are seen as trouble makers who rock the boat.  They ask questions. They can be found training by themselves or in tight-knit misunderstood groups.  They are often your highest fireground performers because their passion and drive for perfection won't let them stop training and learning.  They are students of the craft in the truest sense.  The rogue believes that when your job has the potential to take your life, you had best make it your life's work.  Rogues are intolerant of those who do not understand their drive or respect the craft.

Communication, trust, and confidentiality are the keys to success in any leadership endeavor, but particularly when dealing with the bristly rogue.  Cultivating trust in the firehouse is a must have if we seek an elite level of performance. 

"People follow passion much more readily than rules. Find your most passionate people and bring them on board."

Each rogue leader must be engaged individually.  Build trust by treating everyone as unique, and shower them with genuine interest.  Place these fiery leaders in positions where they have the best chance of affecting others with their strength, their passion for the craft.  They must feel that the organization will not quit on them, even when they overstep their bounds.  The deal breaker is if the rogue does harm to the team, this cannot be tolerated.  The obligation of the informal leader is to make every effort to try to contribute to the success of the team.  People must feel that the leader is speaking to them individually even as the leader is addressing an entire  group. Trust and connection must be built and it might take a while.

How do you develop trust?

• Communication
• Honesty - most rogues have something in their career that has made them jaded, be honest or you'll lose them forever
• Create stakeholders - include informal leaders in the planning process
• Clearly communicate the plan and then execute it 
• Mutual exchange - have expectations of the individual and allow them to have expectations of positional leaders
• Accountability  
• Patience

Rogue leaders can have the greatest influence on the firehouse.  Their infectious, passionate personalities are magnetic.  People are pulled in when they speak and they will emulate their actions. If you are able to rein in their energy for the positive, and are genuinely interested in helping them succeed for the good of all; then you will have an ally for life.  If you double-cross or lie to them you will have an enemy for eternity.  Trust is the biggest factor in getting and keeping rogues engaged.   

Create buy-in at all levels by subscribing to the BIG4: 
Do your job 
Treat people right
Give all out effort 
Have an all in attitude

Rogue leaders have loaded dispositions that can either move the team forward or tear it apart.  The key is taking all of that energy and focusing it in the right direction before it goes sideways from lack of exercise and frustration.  Rogues just need someone they can trust and who truly believes in them. People follow passion much more readily than rules.  Find your most passionate people and bring them on board.  True progress is made when passion and lofty goals meet planning and expectations.

Hydraulic Ventilation: Another Forgotton Skill

It seems that nobody uses hydraulic ventilation anymore. Maybe it is misinformation, or maybe it just isn't covered adequately in recruit school; but hydraulic ventilation can be a very valuable tactic when used correctly. It seems that everyone is quick to call for PPV as soon as the fire is knocked down, without even considering using the nozzle to ventilate the fire area. Our PPV fans will move about 10,000-15,000 cubic feet of air per minute, while a 30 degree fog pattern will move about 6,000 cubic feet of air per minute. That's not a bad tradeoff when you consider that hydraulic ventilation is literally right at your fingertips. PPV takes time and personnel to set up. Doors must be closed to create a positive pressure and control the flow path. Most importantly, if there is fire extension into the attic or void spaces, PPV can turn a good stop into a total loss very quickly. Remember to always check the attic before initiating PPV.

Conversely, hydraulic ventilation can be performed by the nozzle team immediately after the fire is knocked down. Quick ventilation after the knockdown improves survivability for trapped occupants, and makes it quicker and easier to search for victims and fire extension. A 2,000 square foot house with 8 foot ceilings contains about 16,000 cubic feet of air space. A nozzle with a 30 degree fog pattern moving 6,000 cubic feet of air per minute can complete a full air exchange in the house in about 2 1/2 minutes; probably quicker than it will take to set up PPV.  So next time you knock the fire down, consider using hydraulic ventilation before calling for the fan. As you will notice in the video, start out with a straight stream through the window then open the pattern until it fills most of the window and you are getting good smoke movement. Beginning this way ensures that all of the water goes out the window and prevents unnecessary water damage. Whenever using any kind of forced ventilation, frequently check behind you to make sure that the air flow is not causing fire to flare back up between you and your path of egress.