Wire Box!

Now that I have your attention, and perhaps you are even a little scared, lets talk training. Perhaps a better statement would be, lets talk Survival Training. Recently C-Shift rotated crews through an entanglement emergency training at station 74. The first goal of this training was to get past the fear and apprehension that firefighters have towards this type of training. To a certain extent, you can understand why firefighters get nervous about this type of training. It is stressful, restricts movement, and they are the only person who can solve the problem. I will argue, however, that if conducted properly, this type of training will provide more confidence than any other training that we can do as firefighters.


The wire box should be just as important to us as firefighters as stretching an attack line or performing VEIS. The skills needed to properly mitigate an entanglement hazard while on the fireground are directly connected to firefighter survival skills. The ability to recognize conditions, control breathing, using gloved hands to use small tools like cable cutters, and remaining calm while under stress will help lead to the success of many tasks on the fireground. The wire box will sharpen all of these skills.

So what steps can you take to successfully negotiate this hazard? For starters, acknowledge that wire entanglements can happen on virtually any fireground, and train with this is mind. It is important to understand the situation you are in and know how you will respond. Taking a slow, deep breath can help set you up for success. This can almost act like a reset button. It can take just a few seconds, but that will be enough time to clear your thoughts and understand the situation you are in.

Secondly, we do a pretty good job in the fire service with our pre-plans. We pre-plan our buildings. We pre-plan our hose loads. We pre-plan our riding assignments for each tour. We must also make sure we are pre-planning ourselves. Let me explain what I mean. There is not a 100% no questions asked, guaranteed one-size-fits-all way for firefighters to wear their turnout gear. People choose different ways to carry their radio, what additions they add to their helmet, and which pockets they carry their tools. It is each firefighter's responsibility to pre-plan their gear. In relation to wire entanglements, we must know where our "hang-up points" are. The eagle on your helmet, the flashlight, the radio, and even the SCBA could be snagged by a wire. Knowing where we are vulnerable to get hung up with wires before it happens will greatly improve our chances to successfully solve our problem.

Creating a "Dependable Position" should be a priority during an entanglement emergency. With your bottle as low as you can get it towards the floor, you will be laying on one of your sides. If you are on your right side, use your right hand to cover the eagle on your helmet, and if you are on your left side, use your left hand. This will do a couple things that are very beneficial. It will help protect your helmet, face piece, and regulator from low hanging wires by creating a "dependable position" from your hand to your elbow. You can also think of this as if your forearm is a shield that keeps wires away from your head, face, and neck. While doing this, your top side arm will start fully extended and touching the bottom of your SCBA. Then slowly bring your hand towards your helmet while constantly maintaining contact with your bunker gear, making sure you are not allowing wires to come in between your top arm and your gear. As your top arm makes its way to the front of your helmet, lift up the wires as if you are swimming in a pool and move forward. A key point to remember is to not move too fast forward. This is a common mistake and can lead to wires dropping down before we are ready to bring our top arm back to the "reset position". A slow, methodical approach will set you up to successfully mitigate a wire hazard.

Now if you have done this, but still are becoming caught on a wire, you will need to know how to remove it. The first thing you want to try is to back up a little bit. Depending on how the wire got caught, or where it was caught, simply backing up may free the wire off of you. However, this won't always work and we must be able to be efficient with our cutters of choice. If you don't currently carry at least one wire cutter with your gear, you are not incorporating a survival attitude toward your job. If you have tried to back up and the when going forward you still feel caught on a wire, you need to keep tension on the wire and reach back and identify where at you are stuck. Again, knowledge of your gear and SCBA is key to knowing how to remove the wire. If you cannot pull the wire off by hand, it is time to use your cutters. Maintaining tension is important, because if you lose that tension and reach for you cutters, when you find a wire and cut it, it may be the wrong one. What does this hurt? Well, number one you are wasting time cutting a wire that did not need to be cut. Then, you will probably be adding to your stress level because after cutting the wire and thinking you have solved your problem, only to find out you haven't, frustration can start to mount and our breathing rate can rise. Little things at this point start to turn in to big things. Keep tension on the wire and cut it. You will instantly feel the tension from the wire disappear and can continue through the hazard. At this point, it is important to remember to back to your "reset position" and cover your eagle and bring top arm back down and be ready to do your swim technique. Another suggestion would be to keep your cutters out. Now that you have removed them from your pocket, you don't want to waste time by putting them back or even worse, dropping them. Keep them in one of your hands, and continue through the hazard.

In closing, I urge everyone to reevaluate the importance of the wire box. For too long we have let this training tool get the best of us physically and mentally, when we should be embracing it. Repetitious training on this prop can help save your life. It cannot be overstated; IT CAN SAVE YOUR LIFE! Unlike some trainings that can be more slanted towards engine company or truck company operations, entanglement trainings are firefighter trainings, point blank. Embrace them and become a better firefighter today!

--Justin Longerich

Capnography Can Make You a Rock Star

Capnography Can Make You a Rock Star

How Did they Know That?

Don't say their name, but I am pretty sure a face will come to mind if I ask "Do you know one of those officers that can immediately tell you a factoid about one of your pieces of equipment (I always liked being told the torque settings on a K-12 when we didn't have the kind of wrench that would indicated that) or a historic bit of information, or possibly a percentage of events that happen during certain incidents - but at an emergency had trouble operating the can door? Sure you do. 

But on the other hand, have you been at a difficult emergency scene and one of your officers or firefighters offers a solution that you would not expect that person to know about?

How about that officer that always seems to have the right answer, maybe even intuition on what to do?

If the person hasn't done the task before themselves, or train on that topic or scenario, how did they know what to do? Most often that knowledge is really coming from the person's informal learning; knowledge gained through the observation of what has worked  and not worked in different situations. And, for the most part the decisions or actions were taken by others - although the recipient gets to learn from them.

In theory, everybody should have that observed knowledge thta they can apply when needed. But it doesn't normally seem to work that way. There are some people that are readily able to "record" information that is readily accessible based on what they see, or what they read, or hear about. There are methods that you as an instructor can use to help with this process.

Join Dave Casey as he discusses "intuition" by looking at the results of a recent US/Canadian survey on the sources of 'leadership' learning. Do we get it from formal education, college education, books, or from each other on the streets? As instructors, let's look at the different methods available and some not-so-common techniques that can help you spread the wealth of experience and knowledge to better prepare your "up and coming" officers, and your current officers.

Teaching and Learning Leadership; Beyond the Textbook

Dave Casey, EFO, MPA, CFO is the Director of Louisiana State University's Fire Emergency Training Institute (Louisiana's State Fire Academy) and is co-owner of Ascend Learning. He previously served as the Superintendent of the Florida State Fire College and was Fire Chief of Clay County (FL). He co-authored Fire Engineering's "The Right Seat" DVD series.

Register for the 2016 ISFSI Fall Instructor Development Conference here.

NFPA News Release

July 11, 2016 – The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), Metropolitan Fire Chiefs (Metro Chiefs), National Association of State Fire Marshals (NASFM), National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) and the United States Fire Administration (USFA) join together to condemn the tragic events in Dallas, Texas that took the lives of five career police officers.

As fire service leaders, first responders, and EMS professionals, we understand the pain in our communities and stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in law enforcement. The attack in Dallas, along with recent incidents elsewhere across the country, prompts us to remind our brethren to take caution.

We encourage all first responders to refer to these resources that address the issue of civil unrest, active shooting incidents, and body armor basics for first responders. Six of the documents are downloadable and two are available via hyperlinks.

·         DHS and FBI Countering Violent Extremism and Active Shooter (CVE-AS) web portals

·         Fire and EMS Operations During Periods of Civil Unrest

·         IAFC active shooter and complex event resource

·         Metro Chiefs Position Statement on Active Shooter

·         Metro Chiefs Presentation on Active Shooter Response

·         Metro Chiefs Presentation on Southern Nevada Hostile Fire MCI Response Policy

·         Metro Chiefs Presentation on Selecting Ballistic Vests for the Fire Service

·         Responder Forum Workgroup Presentation on Civil Unrest

About the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)

Founded in 1896, NFPA is a global, nonprofit organization devoted to eliminating death, injury, property and economic loss due to fire, electrical and related hazards. The association delivers information and knowledge through more than 300 consensus codes and standards, research, training, education, outreach and advocacy; and by partnering with others who share an interest in furthering the NFPA mission. For more information visit www.nfpa.org. All NFPA codes and standards can be viewed online for free at www.nfpa.org/freeaccess.

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SAFE Fireground: Stretching

A couple months ago we discussed the fact that fast fires need fast water and introduced the concept of SAFE training (Stretch, Advance, Flow, Extinguish). The basics still work, and a SAFE training ground inevitably leads to a safe fireground, for both firefighters and civilians. SAFE training focuses on the most fundamental tool we have, handlines. This month we’re going to deconstruct SAFE and take a closer look at stretching the initial attack line, specifically, stretching an extended line. While there are MANY different ways of extending a line, what matters is that you train on them and everyone is on the same page when the tones drop. That means that we’re all speaking the same language and working from the same playbook. Below are a handful of training topics to consider when examining your stretching skills. Stretching: - Choosing the correct line (1¾“ vs 2 ½” vs master stream) - Estimating the stretch - Overcoming obstacles (fences, parked cars, etc.) - Extending lines - Single-family dwellings (room and contents, structural, basement, attic, attached garage, etc.) - Multiple dwellings (center hall vs garden apartment) - Going vertical (i.e. standpipe, well hole, out a window, etc.) - Exterior AND Interior attack Multiple fireground variables (operational mode, fire location, distance to the fire, fire size, staffing, etc.) ultimately dictate how we perform an extended stretch. Although for this video we will be focusing on quickly extending a line with two firefighters, for an interior attack when the crosslay will come up a bit short. In the video we use a 200’ leader line of 2 ½” off of our rear static bed, reduced with a bell reducer into our 100’, 1 ¾” apartment bundle. Through training, we’ve found that for a short extension (300’-400’ stretch) this way is fast and simple and limits the potential failure points. One common failure point that many departments have unfortunately discovered themselves is the use of a gated wye for interior operations. While the gated wye has the obvious advantage of getting two attack lines in place relatively quickly, it has some rather important disadvantages that are often unknown or overlooked. The disadvantages are the hydraulic (pressure and flow) balancing issues, potential for the wye valves to get inadvertently closed by other operating crews and effectively moving your pump panel inside the fire building (and placed on the floor). While these problems might be tolerable when the crew is operating outside the fire building, these potential failure points are unacceptable for our crews inside the IDLH. Again, to state the obvious, to truly make a fireground safe takes much more than fast water - it takes fast entry, fast search, fast rescue, fast ladders, fast back-up, fast supply, fast... I think you get the picture. Next time we’ll look a little deeper at advancing the initial attack line.

The Many Roles of a Company Officer

Task “You are the weakest link…Good-bye!!!” A phrase many of us have heard from the television program The Weakest Link. How true this is in the fire service today. That’s right, the fire service is dependent upon the company officer to make the system work and implement the direction and mission set by the Fire Chief. This Instruct-O-Gram is focused on the development and education that is imperative for company officers. Strong company officers lead to the knowledgeable and efficient crews. The combination leads to missions being carried out. Objectives 1. The firefighter/company officer upon completion should be able to describe the duties of a company officer. 2. The firefighter/company officer upon completion should be able to describe the national standard for competency for fire officers. (NFPA 1021) 3. The firefighter/company officer upon completion should be able to describe the strategies for success as a company officer. Motivating the Student Many of you have had a company officer who is lazy, hates to come to work and is not very well educated when it comes to the fire service. So how did that individual become that way? We learn by example. Someone in the front of them, who was a mentor, mentioned in a negative way. It is crucial that today’s company officer be much more. We must get beyond using the old saying… “It has been that way since I came 20 years ago.” We must break old traditions and find new ways that are more efficient, effective and safer. Company officers are the future of the fire service. Presentation I. NFPA 1021 A. Origin and Development of NFPA 1021 B. Purpose of NFPA 1021 C. Various Levels of Fire Officer listed in NFPA 1021 II. Responsibilities of a Company Officer A. First line supervisor 1. Performance of crew 2. Safety Crew 3. Emergency operations 4. Non-emergency activities B. Leading others is the company officer’s principal job. 1. Developing an efficient company 2. Developing capabilities 3. Fostering good morale. III. Roles of the Company Officer A. Coach 1.Company Officers teach and help develop personnel in a multitude of ways not just limited to the fire service but to other aspects of life. So how do we coach? a. Allow individuals to tryout different roles. b. Give assignments that will allow the firefighter to enhance weak areas. i. Areas can be addressed through outside training ii. Tasks are not usually performed at their level c. Allow them to exercise their talents after being taught i. Let them make mistakes that will create a positive learning experience is the best teacher. Training and non-crucial functions can provide prominent information that will be later used in “cued” decision making. d. Encourage the firefighter to get involved in the department at a much higher level than just coming in and doing their job. There is a lot more that could be done in the form of special projects that chief officers or manpower does not address oftentimes due to lack of time. This will allow them to have an insight of the next organizational level. B. Counselor 1. Everyone makes mistakes or needs guidance. Being able to provide information and guidance to personnel will help them reach their goals learning from mistakes. These mistakes help develop and build cued information for future decision making processes. 2. A Counselor is there to lead people and give guidance in every aspect. The following are some good rules to follow. a. Tell them what they don’t want to always here…the truth! b. Don’t be afraid to correct problems, actions or other aspect immediately. Waiting can lead to confusion. c. Don’t sugar coat it. d. Shoot straight from the hip, don’t try to be buddies. C. Decision Making 1. Every company officer will be in the hot seat and have to make decisions. This routinely happens multiple times per day. Training, education, experience and foresight will help in the decision making process. 2.When making decisions refer back to your training and experience. This is the “Cued Decision Making” talked about earlier. 3. Take a few seconds to get the big picture. You should always use the fisheye or window to the wider world approach. Look at the entire picture not just a portion. a. Avoid tunnel vision. b. Get all the facts. c. Take time to think before you act. d. Utilize your resources and experiences. e. Make training count in real life. D. Firefighter 1. In a perfect world the company officer would only direct crews during operations. In the real world, the company officer will be engaged in fire operations performing firefighter duties as they work with the company in a team environment. 2. Don’t forget your role though. You are the team leader not the firefighter on the nozzle. 3. Utilize your firefighting knowledge and experience to make decisions as an officer. 4. Remember the safety of the crew is your responsibility. E. Friend 1.This is a narrow line with a large grey area on either side. A company officer must be able to separate friendship from business when necessary. However, a company officer may be just that, a friend, a strong shoulder to lean on during a personnel time to just as a listening ear. Do not confuse friendship with earned respect. 2.It is important to remember that even though you may be a friend one minute you may have to switch roles instantaneously. The switch from friend to supervisor is one that must clearly be understood. F. Innovator 1. In today’s society budgets are not loaded with money to burn. However, the needs of the fire service have changed. In times of limited budgets the company officer must learn to be innovative. 2. A company officer must learn to be innovative for other reasons. a. Finding new ways to make training successful b. Finding and utilizing local resources to your advantage c. Finding new ways to provide services to the population you serve d. Advancing the fire service to a new level. e. Better service delivery on current problems G. Instructor 1. The company officer is the true instructor of the fire service. More education takes place at the company level in one day than in every major conference in a year. It is important that the company officer be an instructor. Education can build not only the knowledge; the by-products of education produce much more for the fire service as a whole. 2. Ensuring daily response readiness of your crew 3. Delivering education programs on safety to the community 4. Encouraging education and knowledge sharing among colleagues H. Leader 1.Each day when administration goes home for the evening with whim do they leave the functions of the department? That’s correct, the company officer. Company officers must be leaders. No other public safety supervisor has more monetary responsibility for equipment, life, and property than a company officer. Just think…1 Tower Ladder, 1 Engine, 1 Rescue and 5 square miles with a population of 20,000 residents. Large responsibility! 2. As a leader people will be looking to you for a variety of aspects. These aspects will range from what to do on a scene to advice concerning career decisions. 3. As a servant leader you should constantly be focused on making the organization better. There is no better way than to tap into the organization’s most valued resource, the people within. By investing in these people, they will give the organization a substantial return. The most important component in the investment is the leadership you display, as success rises and falls on your dedicated efforts. Every time you increase the ability of a person in the organization by increasing their predicated knowledge, skills and abilities as well as developing their potential, you increase the ability to meet the mission and the vision of the organization. Everything gets substantially better when good servant leaders are leading the organization with influence creating a positive, productive culture and atmosphere. Remember as you are developing the people they become leaders as well. The more servant leaders lead an organization the more powerful and successful the organization becomes. 4.Servant Leadership as a Fire Officer a. Express Encouragement b. Have Genuine Empathy c. Maintain Unity of the Organization d. Understand the Organizations Purpose e. Are Not Politically Motivated f. Are Not Conceited g. Are Humble h. Work Well With Others I. Manager 1.We manage not personnel, but daily responsibilities to meet the mission statement. 2. Managers of personnel is one of the most difficult roles of an officer. To manage means several things. a. To direct or control the use of: personnel, resources, equipment, and talents b. To exert control over. Company officers have more control over day-to-day operations than any chief. We typically decide what the priorities are and carry out the necessary tasks to complete them, keeping the department mission statement in mind c. To succeed in accomplishing one’s purpose. So now what is your purpose? This question may be asked more frequently than some may realize. Your purpose is to provide the very best service to the citizens you serve with the resources you have. d. Your resources are important. A good manager can develop their resources to assist in accomplishing one’s purpose, the department mission statement. But what else does this development do? i. Develops future managers ii. Allows opportunities for coaching, leading, motivating and much more. J. Mentor 1. A young firefighter looks at you after a large fire which was successfully attacked and extinguished and says “I want to become just like you when I become a company officer.” This is one of the best compliments you can be paid as a company officer. We thus have a large role to develop and lead people who are the next generations of the fire service. You, as a company officer, are the driving force in educating the future of the fire service. 2. A mentor is much like a coach. One aspect is that we provide help and seek out opportunities for others. K. Motivator 1. It is a proven fact that money is a motivator. However, it is a short –term motivator. The human factor has proven to be a much stronger and longer lasting motivator. Whether it is authority or just simple respect for the individual. 2. A mentor is much like a coach. One aspect is that we provide help and seek out opportunities for others. They will do what is asked of them to meet the standards set. This often leaves talent and energy unused. 3. Respect will usually lead to a much higher level being produced. The personnel and doing it out of respect, not having to. Motivation in individuals can be created from good mentors. L. Public Relations Representative 1. Who is the first person from the fire department that most citizens have contact with? A company officer. We should be the goodwill representatives for the department, working to meet the mission statement in a professional matter. M. Role Model 1. Role models are like mentors. You are looked up to. Role models set examples. What type of example are you setting? 2. Do as I say not as I do. Where will this get you? Usually nowhere more than demanded respect. All too often there is a double standard when it comes to the officers versus the troops. The old philosophy. “I had to go through it, now it is my turn to give it for a while” often surfaces. Strong leaders lead by example. This is more crucial at the company level. Company officers must set the example for the personnel. That example should be positive, not negative. N. Safety Officer 1. As a company officer our primary goal is to return each and every firefighter to their families following the tour of duty in the same form or better. We are the ones who should be supervising our crews. Part of supervision evolves around the safety of your personnel. O. Student 1. A good company officer is well educated and experienced. Each one of us is a student of the fire service. For company officers to be effective and educate their personnel they must be educated themselves. 2. Education is a continual process throughout life. The life of a company officer must be filled with education both formal and non-formal. Without this education, how can company officers be at the level they should be? P. Supervisor 1. Part of the company officer’s role is to ensure the work has been done. This an easy definition of a supervisor. The unique part of being a company officer is that company officers are working foremen. 2. Supervision will not be just on the fireground, but in every aspect of the fire service life. 3. Failure to direct and “lead” personnel will result in a failure of the company officer at the expense of the department and the communities we serve. Q. Writer 1. Company officers are responsible not only for reports but also for evaluations, press releases, disciplinary actions, documentation, evaluations and much more. 2. Good writing skills are needed in every aspect of the role of a company officer. Resources Fire Officer 1 Curriculum, Great Oaks Institute of Technology, 2002 8 Attitudes of Servant Leadership, www.thefireofficer.com Fire and Emergency Services Company Officer, 4 th edition, IFSTA 2007 Fire Officer Standard (NFPA 1021), National Fire Protection Association Acknowledgement Douglas Cline is a 37-year student of the fire service and an Assistant Chief of Professional Development with Horry County Fire Recue, South Carolina. Chief Cline is a past President of the International Society of Fire Service Instructors (ISFSI), past President of the Southeastern Association of Fire Chiefs (SEAFC), 3rd Vice President of the South Carolina State Fire Chiefs Association, a member of the South Carolina and North Carolina Society of Fire and Rescue. In 2000 he was awarded the International Society of Fire Service Instructors (ISFSI), George D. Post International Instructor of the Year