April Fools!

April Fools !!!

Those that know me know I can't pass up a good joke or firehouse prank. My sense of humor has gotten me through many a tough moment.
I thought that if I was going to have a commentary published on April Fool's day I should at least take a couple of shots at the fire service and how we sometimes can become April Fools!

I am going to list some random thoughts and comments and I encourage you to give me some of your own and agree and or disagree.

Here goes.....


"Well, I am a smart enough officer to know what to really do in the street and leave all that book stuff where it belongs!"

Now I know that book learning is not a substitute for experience but who the hell do you think wrote that book anyway? It is a sad and unfortunate experience for the fire service but our books are written with the blood of our members! When I first joined the fire service in the late seventies you were supposed to be back 1500 feet from a propane tank that had impinging flame. Then a piece of tank went 2000 so they re-wrote the book. Now pieces have gone over 3000 feet so we can re-write it again!
It is also interesting to note that the same guys who use the phrase above, when the have a good incident will say " I did that last one ...right by the book"
Hey, do you think that might be why it worked?

Practice the skills you have learned in training in the street and your likelyhood of success might be greater.



"That old mill down the street burned down because of the old....Oil Soaked Floors"

This is truly one of my favorites. Now while the oil soaked floors may have contributed to the spread, the real fact is that we could not adequately get a large fire flow (500 GPM or more) to the seat of the fire in a huge structure or an upper floor in time to do anything.
These large buildings with high fire loads, and large open areas, many with deteriorating alarm and sprinkler systems are beyond the capability of most first alarm assignments.
We simply don't have the manpower and resources to adequately deliver the required fire flow soon enough to make a difference.
There I have said it and I feel better now!

When faced with a large or comples fire condition or incident apply the rules of fire behavior and fire flow that you learned so many years ago. You may not put out the fire but you were certainly know the real reason why! But... if the 6 O'Clock news is there, you have my permission to keep the real reasons of lack of detection, suppression system, and manpower, and resources a secret. Just tell'em about the oil soaked floors!: "If I just had five more minutes, I could have knocked it down!You didn't have to pull us out."; The fire flow and rate of application theory cited in the above example still applies. It is one of the basic tenets of our training. The minute you apply a large enough flow fast enough and begin to absorb the heat being produced the fire will darken down immediately. The folks that have been to at least one fire know that when you get in a proper position with the nozzle and apply enough water correctly, the fire darkens down instantly like throwing a switch. Why many experienced fire fighters discuss "holding the fire" is nonsense. You are either winning or losing. (Now i understand holding it in a room to protect a search crew, or protecting exposures as holding the fire, neither of these relates to direct fire attack, which is what I am talking about.); This one is simple, if you are unable to advance a line doing fire attack, go get a bigger one or a second one and try again. Also never underestimate the fact that the IC or safety officer outside has a much bigger picture of the fire than you do. When he says go.....you probably should go!; "When they blow the airhorns to sound an evacuation we just get out of the building"; We have all made a small failing on this whole emergency evacuation things and I offer the following thoughts. First ask your troops what they do when they hear the evacuation signal. If you get an answer like the one above, think of these other possibilities and train you people accordingly.; Does the company operating in the first floor stairwell evacuate immediately, or do they hold their position until the companies operating on the upper floors get out safely?; Where do people go when the evacuate?; How is the accountability report given...Over the radio, face to face, using names, divisions, groups, roll call numbers....etc.; Do tools and hoselines stay or come with you?; Are there different types of evacuations and we only have one signal? Is orderly withdrawal of troops to go from offessive to defensive an emergecy evacuation?; Go back to your own department, and make sure all personnel are trained exactly what you want them to do in an "emergency evacuation". Consider that a first floor company might actually save another crew if they were safely able to hold a stairwell for a company to get down from an upper floor.; Just some thoughts to think about and make sure that we are not becoming April Fools and making sure that the joke is not on us.; Remember the difference between skill and luck is how long it lasts!; Send me your favorite fire service one liner like those above and your take on it, I would like to build and do a second page later on.