Jake Jakabosky
In my previous Fire Lines article (October 2017) I wrote about one of our recent Fire Department drills where we practiced responding to a structure fire. At the end of the last article, the first fire engine on scene had laid a 4” supply line with a 3-port Siamese fitting for water tenders to connect to. The engine had then been positioned in a safe place facing away from the house and one or more smaller hoses run to the door of the structure.
After a hose line is laid to the door, four entry-qualified firefighters assemble there. Two of them pull on their face masks, pull up their hoods, strap down their helmets, turn on the air on the SCBA tank (Self Contained Breathing Apparatus), and put on protective gloves. They then cautiously open the door and crawl in on hands and knees, staying below the worst of the smoke and dragging the hose in search of the fire.
The two other volunteers are a Rapid Intervention Team (RIT). They stand by with a RIT bag containing an air cylinder with hose and face mask. If the first team gets in trouble, the second goes in to rescue them by following the charged hose.
As more engines arrive there will be additional entry-qualified personnel with SCBA’s to back up the original four.
Meanwhile, other firefighters may be opening a hole in the roof and ceiling to vent the smoke and access fire in the attic. Additional hoses might be used to pour water onto or into burning areas of the house. Other actions will depend on the nature of the structure and the fire activity, such as accessing fire in concealed spaces, forcing smoke from the building with a positive pressure, and continued mop-up of smoldering embers until the fire is dead out.
Next time I’ll discuss more fully the firefighters’ personal protective equipment, radio use, and everything that happens between page-out and arriving at the scene.