“Examining the process of firefighting to see if there is a better and safer way to operate” Tactical Safety – Why The Engine Needs To Be Perfect By: Ray McCormack As we know, no company operation is always perfect; however there are some that get pretty close. The extinguishment of fires is the primary task of the pumper that is purchased by public tax dollars through the local fire department. The engine may have a steady diet of additional tasks to perform that some may mistakenly see as its primary mission; however, the true mission of an engine company is fire suppression. Fire suppression delivered as close to perfect is the goal because the engine operation is the foundation upon which all subsequent moves are based. The need for the engine to save a lot is high, the need for the engine to save a little is low, and the need for the engine to save nothing does not even fill a need. Some fights we can complete without ever changing our attack style, while other battles will require a combination of approaches for containment. All extinguishment tactics must be planned out, thought out, and carried out with the desire for success attached. Get out your calculator and determine the risk to savable and responder life when no water is made available for your compartment battle ground. Perfect engine operations start way back at the fire station and are not solely based on arrival speed, apparatus placement or water resources; those additional factors if done correctly will enhance the chances of a perfect engine operation but they do not guarantee it. So what is the key? Besides having hosebed options, working nozzles, correct flows and a crew that understands all the various elements and how they relate, and depend upon one another, you also need a large dose of determination and sound tactics for a heads-up operation. The vast majority of battles are won by a single handline, properly positioned, flowing and staffed. There are as many variations to buildings and fires as there are to the sameness of events. Fires today are different, heat loads are higher, flashover more rapid but a fully involved room is still just that, and heat from any fire when you get too close can burn you, those things have never changed. We must be able to recognize when we are not hitting the fire and when we are not making progress. These two factors play more heavily on unsuccessful fire attacks and serious firefighter consequences than many other issues. How would you size up your engine company capability to take on a variety of battles? Effective fire engagement is a commitment to an extinguishment plan that follows the basic tenets of firefighting. Protect egress for all, contain the fire, extinguish the fire; sounds simple enough, and yet it becomes increasingly difficult without clear focus, SOPs and specific skill development training. We must come to the battle properly dressed and equipped with a full team and dynamic leadership. We must not arrive with apathy and defeatism, and without a plan because that places all participants in great danger. The best firefighter survival tool we have is a charged hoseline. How can we overlook such an obvious allegiance to firefighter safety? The performance model of any sound firefighter safety program begins and ends with hoseline effectiveness. Enter the fire area with a charged hoseline and you will be on your way to becoming a perfect engine because you understand the need for our greatest life saving tool. It is available to even the smallest departments to protect residents and firefighters alike. We can only expect better returns when we fully engage on the importance of water delivery and acknowledge its impact on tactical safety. Next Tactical Safety – What Type of Film is in Your Size-up Camera?
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“Tactical Safety: Why The Engine Needs To Be Perfect”…
