Fire School - Search and Rescue Training

Monday night we had Search and Rescue training. We had enough instructors that we split the class in two, and each team of students (there are 8) got to work with 1 instructor. Normally it's two teams per instructor, so this was a good thing.

I found myself in the 'apartment side' of the burn building - the object was to work on search and rescue techniques for smaller areas, we had another instructor doing wide area, a pair doing another closed area (in the house side) and someone else outside supposedly teaching lifts, drags and carries. This setup was mirrored at the 'highbays' (a facility that is tall enough to house an extended aerial apparatus, yet also has an elevator shaft, and more rooms of an apartment / housing type).

Overall, the students did well with the basic concepts - sounding the floor, keep checking for entanglement hazards and doing the actual search with appropriate communication. I believe that at some point they all 'died' by not doing the basic survival steps (floor/entanglement). But as it was their first night, no biggie. The public humiliation will start in a couple of weeks if they are still doing dumb things that can/will get them killed.

I found myself doing something I really really hate: talking longer than the actual doing during a practical session. I'm of the opinion the lecture is for talking, the practical is for doing. Simple right?

Well there were a few key points I felt it important that the students think about.

1) how to size up a structure to know where the victims are likely to be (i.e. we most run at night, so how to tell where bedrooms, living room and bathrooms are from a glance at the building from the outside before you go in)
2) using that information to better decide where to search
3) proper radio traffic for doing primary/secondary searches, as well as what to say should you find a victim
4) what do to when you do find a victim
5) what's the best way to extricate a victim? Through the main door? Balcony? Defenestration?

While I'm sure it went over the heads of most of the students, I did get some feedback from one of them I ran into last night at my station. He said that when driving down the street, he is looking at buildings in a new way - trying to visualize their layout just by looking at the outside.

That made it all worth it.

Ironically I'm meeting the same student today as I want to drive around my first due with a pre-plan book looking at some target hazards and new construction. I've been been in this part of the county 6 months, so I need to get to know it better still.

Hopefully we'll both learn something today.

The Triumvirate as a Success Story

Aside from spending my (free?) time teaching Fire and EMS classes, I am enrolled in the county's Command School. This is basically a series of National Fire Academy classes as we as some State and County leadership training. So this past week I found myself as a student, and not an Instructor.

It was a welcome change. Unlike the students in the basic firefighting and EMS classes, the wearing of uniforms, shaving and such are entirely optional. Classes at this level are a lot more informal: there are fewer students (in this case there were 7 people, unlike the core classes of around 50), we (the students and the instructor) have all known each other for a few years.

This was my kind of class, and this is the environment where the baldest member of the Triumvirate really shines.

The class was "NFA Emergency Response to Terrorism - Tactical Considerations for the Company Officer." The course material provided little in the way of actual tactics (i.e. just how far do you need to be from a car bomb, a small incendiary device, biological weapons etc). In fact, I think the entire class could be summarized with the following statement:

"Treat a terrorism incident like a large Hazmat incident."

So what do you do when you have 12 hours of class time when the course can be summarized in 1 line? You goof off, crack jokes, tell stories. All related to the topic at hand of course.

for example:

T: "When dealing with a large mass casualty incident, the press and public tend to get upset when you just leave bodies lying around."

me: "Well the bodies clearly don't, if they did - they'd move."

**

T: "Yeah, I really had my dick ground into the dirt on that one."

**

T: "Man, I really hate the guy who manages the vending maching [this was break time], he only comes here once a week to bring me stuff. I really really hate him."

me: "Damn, I hate to ask what you think of Santa Claus"

**

Some other highlights were when two guys in the class who have a history of mutual intense dislike almost got into it.

Anyway, the class itself was awesome. The Triumvirate member in question is much better dealing with smaller advanced groups than the basic core classes. He (understandably) wants to provide all the information the students need in the real world, but unfortunately that does work when they're trying to figure how to tie a rope to a tool. I had taken Fire Officer II with him and 3 other people. It was excellent. Much discussion. Here's hoping the tools in the current class will last long enough to enjoy the baldest Triumvirate in his element.

Coming up: Module 1 Skills Final tomorrow. I wonder how many will fail.

I can't wait.

Learning the Ropes

Saturday was my debut lecture where I was teaching the Firefighter 1 and 2 class all by my lonesome.

And it was the incredibly painful (yet very very important) lecture entitled, "Ropes and Knots." In other words, Boyscouts 101.

You can do all sorts of fun (fire service related thank you very much) things with ropes and knots. I enjoyed it so much I somehow became a nationally certified NFPA 1006 Rope Rescue Technician. And by somehow I mean I'm afraid of heights. Heights like I hate standing on chairs.


I wanted to emphasize that ropes and knots are the corner stone of Technical Rescue work and can be damned fun.

Unfortunately, this is hard to do when you have 75 or so powerpoint slides with almost no pictures, and exciting information like the terms, "standing end, working end and running end" for parts of the rope you're using.

Shit, I'm falling asleep just recalling the lecture. I really did feel bad for the students.

So, knowing the material was dry, I decided to use a video clip I used for a Technical Rescue Awareness Class that an esteemed colleague (who has yet to earn a nickname) did for our Fire Instructor II project.

The video went something like this:




So the lecture only took around 1.5 hours of actual lecturing. Apparently this came as a shock to a lot of students. Apparently the Triumvirate don't hold to the mandated 1 min / slide guideline.

Then we learned to tie knots.

The Baldest Triumviate arrived midway through knot tying. He informed me that my bowline really wasn't a bowline (uh huh) and that bowlines should be used for rescue (perhaps 30 years ago, but that's not what is taught in Technical Rescue around the US and overseas).

I prepared for this ahead of time (well not the comment about MY bowline knot, but the rescue part) by trying to emphasize to the students during the lecture what knots are used for what, and what they USED to be used for. Don't how if they got it or I explained it well. Oh well. We'll find out later.

I later found out (after the lecture) that I was also organizing the practicals. I wasn't expecting this. It was also weird having people who taught me fire 1 and 2 here deferring to me. *boggle*

We managed, did the basic This Is How You Tie a Ladder, This Is How You Tie Fire Service Tools, and of course the obligatory Let's Make Sure You Actually Can Tie The Knot Itself practicals.

The fun part (or so I thought) was at the end when we did relay tool tying. It was pretty neat to see who really had the knots and how people did with teamwork, as well as how they responded to a little friendly pressure and competition.

All in all, it was a good day.

And no one messed with My Chair.

(I learned to lock my car)

Extinguishers

The other night was portable fire extinguishers. I managed to avoid the lecture (it was one of the Triumvirate), but I was on the pad to do some demonstrations/practicals.

The way we teach people to use the various flavours of portable extinguishers is to put some diesel fuel in a metal tub, some straw and light it with a flare. Depending on what type of fire you're simulating, you adjust the amount of straw.

Of course, I've never actually done this before. I've been it done, but never set it up.

Now imagine my delight when I found out I was organizing the practicals.

Shit.

We had three stations, each to cover the use of dry chem, CO and water extinguishers.

I had a new instructor (who is career in the county and a vollie at my vollie house) with me doing water, and the non-bald Triumvirate had the other two.

Apparently one of the Triumvirate used all the CO extinguishers in his first group (of three). *sigh*

The cool thing about doing the diesel and the stray is that once it gets hot enough, it ignites for you so you're not sticking your (in my case non-gloved hand) over the fire to relight it. Unfortunately that doesn't usually happen until the end of the evening.

All in all, it was fun. We did see some deer up at the main pad hanging around when we brought the empties back up.

Would have been good to recruit them - they would be better than some of the students, and if they failed - we could eat them.

Divine Intervention and the Acolytes of My Chair

This is My Chair.

At least, it's the best image I could find of the same type of chair without having to get off my ass to take a picture.

Apparently, the students in my Firefighter 1 & 2 class worship it.

Frankly, I can't blame them. My Chair, emboldened with a bright maple leaf; this chair, purchased in my home and native land; My Chair, lovingly transported to the nation 'down-below' (not to be confused with the land down-under - Oz is was cooler than the US), My Chair keeps my ass off the ground while giving me a place to secure my Venti Starbucks Chai while feigning passing interest in the epileptic mambo-like dance that learning firefighters find themselves doing.

My Chair is worthy of that worship.

Subsequently, the students believe that My Chair should be prominently displayed for all too see it and bath in its ass-supporting glory. Their faith seems to dictate that this should occur whenever possible. Their faith is strong and growing.

My chair found itself loving placed in the 3rd floor window of the training center's main burn building for all to see and worship.

However, according to the Book of Chad 3:24 "When building a temple of worship to Me, thou shalt build it on high, so all unbelievers will feel the power of my Holy Ass Support."

So, My Chair was returned to the Holy Tabernacle (the back of my SUV) wherefrom it would be removed for the next service.

However, the devoted disciples, nay Acolytes of My Chair took heed to the Holy Book and placed My Chair upon the highest point of the burn building, for all to see.

Having seen the new Altar, and having Felt Their Love, I decided to complete the service my placing my ass upon My Chair.

Unfortunately the Forces of Evil were conspiring to remove me from My Chair in a Dorothy-esque manner. While basking in the Love and Worship from the Acolytes of My Chair, the evil Lowenstein and one of his minions attempted to remove me from My Chair by using the deck gun of one of the pumpers.

Keep in mind, these babies, with a 1.5" tip can flow many hundreds of gallons of water per minute.

I heard the pump throttle up, I looked down off the building and noticed I was staring straight down the bore of the nozzle.

Ruh roh.

And just as the stream was coming towards me, the Gods of My Chair intervened, the turret detached itself from the pumper and proceeded to drop a few hundred gallons of water on Lowenstein.

"The Acolytes of the Chair Rejoiced, knowing that their faith was true and their prayers were answered." Book of Chad, 43:32

God loves Canada.

The Acolytes also made a video of their ceremony to help spread the faith. I'll post it once I get clearance from the folks in it.

Meanwhile, this is Lowenstein getting soaked.

awesome.

Fire School - Show and Tell

Last night was the introduction to hose and appliances (not the beer fridge kind - the flows 1000 gal/min through it kind). I arrived at the training center early to help setup.

Imagine surprise and delight when The Chief was roaming around the pad around 15 minutes before class started. And when I mean The Chief, I'm referring to the Chief of [my home county] Fire Rescue, not my station Chief (who is usually a good source of Starbucks, wit and repartee).

This can't be good.

As a general rule, The Chief makes an appearance when things have gone horribly, horribly wrong for someone. Horribly wrong.

Horribly wrong like someone filed a suit, went to the hospital or the instructors/students completely fornicated superior so much that he was called.

It gets worse.

There is a video crew with him.

*shudder*

As the more senior instructors automagically vanished, it was left up to me to see what The Chief was up to.

"Hey Chief, what brings you down here tonight"

"Evening ," (I really really really hate he knows me by name - nothing good will come of that) "We're just making a child safety seat video. You guys carry on."

* P H E W *

I then discreetly wandered over to the various pockets of students to let them know The Chief was on the pad, so please, for *all* our sakes - behave well.

I should interject that this really isn't a problem with the class. They're actually pretty respectful, courteous and organized. All except for the ones I've know from before class, they haven't really learned that the roles and interactions are a little different. Still, hasn't been an issue so not worth mentioning.

Imagine the delight to all the instructors when 5 minutes before class was to begin, the students are all lines up, gear setup and ready to go.

And right at 1900...

"GO!" shouted The Chief.

And so class began.

Fire School - Watching the Master

I wasn't scheduled to teach last night, but I was in the area of the Training Center so I decided to stop by to listen to [Lowenstein] teach. Lowenstein is an excellent instructor, and a recent winner of Fire Instructor of the Year. So i decided to drop in during a break, sit at the back of the class and try glean nuggets from his teaching style.

Imagine my joy and happiness when one of the Holy Triumvirate was also there. He was lounging on the steps to the ministage at the front of the classroom as though he were posing for the centerfold of 'Pudgy Old Retired Firefighter Monthly'. Ugh.

The class was one of the fundamental classes that is absolutely critical to understand. Fire Behaviour. The name says it all really. I was glad to see that Lowenstein was the lead on this and HT was simply doing Pilates and Yoga at the front of the class.

My favourite moment in the class was when someone asked about drywall. The question was along the lines of 'is drywall fireproof?' Lowenstein started to answer, but was interrupted by HT. HT waxed lyrical (lyrical in the sense of Vogon Poetry) with a longwinded answer discussing the different ratings in terms of hours, composition, texture and other crap so convoluted I was rapidly losing the will live and wanted to choke myself with the nearest chair. Once HT paused for breath (a belly that size holds a lot of hot air), I interjected "the answer, as far as the State Test is concerned, is Yes."

HT glared at me, Lowenstein smirked and the class laughed, knowing that they were spared.

Sometimes, just sometimes, I totally rule.