As some of you may have already seen, our next training will be centered around ladder company operations. We will be going to the ESEC training grounds (old Wayne Township site) and we will be using the 3-story shipping container building on the North end of the site. I wanted to share with you some of the main points of importance for all members who will be attending the training and share with you what skills you should expect to utilize on the training ground.
Before I get too much into what we will be doing, I would like to remind everyone that as we start to get towards the main summer months, we really need to be making sure that our hydration is where we can be successful at performing our duties. This training will have some physically taxing moments, so if we are not hydrated properly, the training or the rest of your shift may be more difficult. Make sure you are taking care of yourself.
In the early morning hours, around 03:00, your crew is dispatched for a residence fire with possible entrapment. While en route, control advises that the neighbor states she can hear screaming from inside the residence and smoke is showing from a downstairs window.
-What type of things are you considering on the way to this run? Do you know the area? If you are the backstepper, do you feel confident in throwing ground ladders? When was the last time you performed a primary search? Does your crew know what type of search to do? Will everyone be on the “same page” when you arrive on scene?
In that scenario, you do NOT want to find the answers out at 03:00 in the morning. When this call is inevitably dispatched on OUR department, the time will be now to use the $500,000 appartus, the expensive SCBA and bunker gear, the hand tools and attack lines, and make a difference by giving our citizens the greatest possible chance at having a positive outcome during the worst moment in their lives. At this moment, you don’t want to second guess what you could have done differently. The decisions we are making today as a crew and as a department will be seen in action at a time that we won’t be able to predict. It is on all of us to have accountability to be the right firefighter at the right time at the right moment. We rotate crews, work trade-time, and fill-in (at times with little notice). Take this opportunity to sharpen your skills.
Crews arriving at the training are going to have the opportunity to work on using the aerial device to place the bucket under a window for a rescue. You will have the opportunity to throw ground ladders for search and rescue maneuvers. You will have a facility to search for victims under stressful and difficult conditions. Before you arrive to the training, I highly recommend knowing what size ladders you have on your trucks. If you are at an outside station, make arrangements to learn some things about Ladder 71. Ask your shift's Ladder Co Officer, Engineer, or Backstepper about their truck. Know where items are located that you will need to make your searches the most efficient and safe for you and your crew. Be prepared, because this training will be quick and to the point. Come out ready to do your best and we will provide you with a realistic approach to make us all better. Please, if anyone has questions, contact me via e-mail. You may have a question that will help others out, so don’t be afraid to ask.
As always, STAY SAFE!
Click Links Below for additional training
Can Search
Ground Ladder Tips
June 5, 6, 7
Justin Longerich
C-Shift STO
