I want to thank the Connecticut Fire Department Instructors Association, for allowing me to present a brief portion on Calling the Mayday and the responsibilities of the Rapid Intervention Team or Rapid Intervention Crew.
This was done during one of our monthly membership meetings. It has been difficult, this year for us to meet together, due to the COVID19 Virus.
As always, thank you for the opportunity to share.
www.fireofficertrust.org
I joined the Fire Smoke Coalition years ago. It was not until I got their information at FDIC (www.fdic.com) and reviewed it that I found a wealth of resources that can change firefighters lives.
The mission of the Fire Smoke Coalition is to focus the required attention and resources on the deadly and life-long consequences of breathing fire smoke by teaching firefighters and first responders how to Prevent, Protect, Detect, Diagnose, and appropriately Treat the exposure if it occurs. The Coalition is comprised of firefighters and the medical community – all who embrace the challenge of teaching firefighters how to stay alive – and prevent the disease, illness and death associated with today’s deadly fire smoke.
This post links you to an interview I had with the organizations Executive Director, Shawn Longerich. Her candor and passion for firefighter safety permeates this discussion.
Please visit: www.firesmoke.org for further information and resources. Support the cause that is focused on firefighter safety and health. We can do better!
Shawn Longerich, Executive Director
shawn@firesmoke.org
Fire Smoke Coalition
323 North Delaware Street
Indianapolis, IN 46204
www.FireSmoke.org
Every October, the Foundation sponsors the official national tribute to all firefighters who died in the line of duty during the previous year. Thousands attend the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend.
For additional and up-to-date information, please visit:
http://www.firehero.org/events/memorial-weekend/
@NFFF thanks for all you do!
Denver firefighters opened their doors and their hearts to share painful lessons to help improve firefighter safety across the country and around the world.
The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) has released Denver Fire Department: Leadership So Everyone Goes Home, a documentary highlighting the department’s efforts to make improvements after the tragic loss of three Denver firefighters over a six-year period
Let us never forget the tremendous sacrifice our firefighters, their families and coworkers make. Their efforts and legacy must be one of honor, remembrance and learning. Hear, in their own words, their story. Special thanks goes out to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation for this presentation and the their tireless efforts to assist firefighters in getting home.
To my friends in the Charleston, S.C., Fire Department, I am proud of your long, albeit painful, and continuing recovery process. Your story is one of lament, progress and hope. Your strength and resilience is inspiring.
A lesson for us all…
The Ultimate Sacrifice…
It is our greatest hope that firefighters will recognize trouble and exit the roof or upper floors before it becomes too late. The use of thermal image devices and training in flash-over simulators are giving firefighters better ‘intel’ concerning changing conditions on the fire-ground. Unfortunately, “Situational Awareness” is still lacking severely.
Loss of or limited egress options are causing firefighters to use personal escape rope or personal escape devices/systems. Firefighters must review indicators indicators and the decision list for deployment.
Firefighters must also become completely familiar and train with their specific system to become comfortable and confident in its use.
Thank you, Dr. Burton Clark, NFA, for your tireless efforts on behalf of firefighters and the important awareness of “May-Day” Training.
The “culture of the fire service” continues to be a barrier for firefighters to call for help when they need it. You’re in a fire. The situation is getting worse. You become lost, separated, low on air, you take a fall, the building or floor collapses; and we have firefighters debating, with themselves, on whether they are going to call for help or not.
This video clip is narrated by Jeff Cool from Rescue 3 of the FDNY. It’s a small segment taken from the IAFF Fire Ground Survival Program. The video recaps the events that took place at a tenement fire on January 23, 2005 in the Bronx, New York – Which killed Lt. John G. Bellew and Lt. Curtis Meyran and caused severe and critical injuries to Lt. Joseph DiBernardo, FF Jeffery Cool, FF Eugene Stolowski and FF Brendan Cawley
All videos and information we share here is to give us an opportunity to honor our dead and make sure that they did not die on vain.
Almost every SOP/SOG and change in tactics, we have, were written in blood and etched on tombstones.
Learn the lessons well…they paid with their lives for us…
Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed
Take a look at this simple but effective Mask Confidence and May-Day training evolution. Many times firefighters find themselves in trouble, when they lack situational awareness. They panic or even call for help too late.
Notice the importance or air management and communication. These two issues, along with others (teamwork, situational awareness and practice), aid the entangled or trapped firefighter to participate in his/her own rescue.
Rigorous and routine training in mask confidence will build up the attitude and skill set needed. Calling the MayDay, when MayDay parameters are encountered, will aid greatly in more positive outcomes.
I, recently, had a super session with some firefighters on just talking through the basics of safety and survival.
Questions like: How do you orient yourself, while moving through a building? How do you communicate with each other? How do you navigate additional hazards? How do you maintain accountability and crew integrity; when the fecal matter hits the ventilation system???
Bumps to the Pump!It was a productive and informative session. (and I hope they got something out of it too….LOL). #fireofficertrust
TIME to ACT: Review your agency’s MayDay procedures today! Update them, if needed. Train on them until you know them cold!
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