The Live Burn, Part 2: The Procedure

Firefighters head into the house for the pre-burn “walk-through”

During EMS, fire, and police training, responders frequently hear the phrase that they need to “train like they fight because they will fight like they train.” The firefighter live burn training in Richfield exemplified that phrase as the firefighters followed their normal procedures for on-scene operations and for training safety. There were no shortcuts.

They followed the NFPA training standard #1403 protocol, and firefighters walked through the structure before the live burning started. Crews were staged through the positions of the back-up team and Rapid Intervention Team (RIT) assignments in advance of working their way up to be the next to go inside. It went like clockwork, and they used baseball terms to indicate which crew was “on deck” and who was “up.”

When a crew was ready to attack the fire, two firefighters would “mask up,” take a line (hose) near to the door, wait for the engine company’s officer to conduct a 360-degree walk around the house, and then broadcast a “size up” of the scene on the radio. They were simulating their exact protocol at real fires even though this was training. The company officer would then join the crew, and they would enter the house to extinguish the fire.

The status board indicates the location of each crew

When the crew came out, there was a short debriefing as the instructors inside rekindled the fires before signaling to the on-deck crew that they were up. The firefighters got at least two entries into the house, and many got three as the outbound crew would rejoin the rotation. It was very methodical and amazingly quiet, except for sound of the engine pumping water from a hydrant to the firefighters inside.

What was not visible was the planning and coordination to make all of this happen at such a high level. The details were covered from coordinating a multi-day training session to arranging for a Hennepin County Medical Center paramedic ambulance to be standing by two houses down the block.

The fire department worked with the city and developed a training plan that allowed 275 firefighters to receive live burn training in real houses. It was a collaboration of people training on a standardized plan that will pay dividends long into the future. Congratulations to the Richfield Fire Department and Deputy Chief Mike Dobesh for a job well done.


Remember:

                                                       Responder Safety = Public Safety



Up next…An interesting idea from Kentucky

In the meantime, stay safe and be careful.



Rob

The Live Burn, Part 1: “The Collaboration”

Crews from nine departments trained together.

On a cold Thursday morning, firefighters from nine metro fire departments gathered on a residential street in Richfield. They were there for “live burn” training. The city of Richfield had obtained a block of homes for redevelopment and made the homes available for live burn training. 

Richfield Assistant Fire Chief Mike Dobesh was in charge. All of the homes were inspected and had hazardous materials removed prior to the start of training. The training was conducted over three evenings and one morning session.

It was a sea of cooperation. Chief Dale Speken from Hopkins gave the briefing, and that morning Minnetonka’s assistant chief, Kevin Fox, took the safety officer position and maintained the status board of who was where. Inside the house, “burn teams” made up instructors from Bloomington, Excelsior, Hopkins, and Minneapolis ignited the fires and positioned themselves to assist firefighters in need of coaching and to act as safety officers. Bloomington supplied the pumper, pump operator, and hoses. Three Rapid Intervention Team (RIT) response kits were laid out in case a crew or “company” got into trouble. None did.

Fire crews "mask up" before entering the house.

The fires were normal combustibles—or class A fires—and the ceiling temperatures were around 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit. Many of the current residential “real” fires burn closer to 2,400 degrees due to the high amount of petroleum-based products that are in the contents of modern houses. The temperatures were reduced for safety and to allow more fires in each house, but the techniques were the same.

In addition to the departments already mentioned, fire crews from Saint Louis Park and Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC) airport participated as well that morning. Chief Dobesh reports that more than 275 firefighters from 11 departments trained at the site during that week. Referring to the multiple departments on site, Dobesh said: “This is what we need to do more of.” He said more departments need to train together and know each other because they need each other’s assistance more than they have in the past.  

And one final point: there were no injuries.

Remember:

                                              Responder Safety = Public Safety



Up next…The Live Burn, Part 2: “The Process”

In the meantime, stay safe and be careful.



Rob

Updates and Links

SceneSafe Training Video

The “SceneSafe” training video is done, available, and it’s excellent. This 30-minute video blends real crash videos with the testimonials of crash survivors and high-quality animation to demonstrate how to make highway response scenes safer. In addition to instruction and considerations for properly responding to roadway incidents, it has critical tips and advice for setting up emergency traffic control scenes.

Copies of the video will be mailed to every law enforcement, fire, and EMS agency in Minnesota in the coming weeks. The video can be viewed online now at:

https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/sfm/training/Pages/scene-safe.aspx

Congratulations to Inver Grove Heights Fire Chief Judy Thill, who headed up the project, and to the State Fire Marshal’s Office for funding and supporting this venture.  

IACP Reducing Officer Injuries Final Report

The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) has released its report on police officer injuries. The study analyzed volumes of data, and the report matches our overall injury experience in Minnesota. Here are some of the recommendations:

-Findings show that there are certain groups and types of officers who are more likely to experience injuries, including those in the first five years on the job and those who are overweight.

-Data reveals that those offenders who had prior contact with police caused more severe injuries to officers than those without prior contact.

-Officer training efforts in the areas of arrest procedure and use of force resulted in fewer injuries during officer encounters with suspects, and thus should be incorporated into academy and in-service training.

The report also addresses training injuries and proposes a “safety lecture” that is similar to the Training Safety Officer (TSO) program’s safety briefing. The study can be found online at:
http://www.theiacp.org/PublicationsGuides/Projects/ReducingOfficerInjuryProject/tabid/1091/Default.aspx

Fire Attack Tactics

The International Society of Fire Service Instructors (ISFSI) issued a press release on October 30, which was straightforward:

“Given the latest research in fire dynamics and the potential impact on firefighter safety, the ISFSI board of directors unanimously releases this position statement. The ISFSI encourages all fire departments to incorporate the fire dynamics research into their tactical operations through any and all means necessary.”

The bottom line is the research on fire dynamics is challenging many long-held beliefs and tactics. Here is a link to the press release: http://www.isfsi.org/Resources/PressReleases/positionstatement.aspx


Remember:

                                               Responder Safety = Public Safety



Up next…A Live Burn

In the meantime, stay safe and be careful.



Rob