In Case You Missed It: December 2017 Firefighting Articles

Check out roundup of some of the featured articles we ran on the Fire Engineering site in December 2017. There are still more features at www.fireengineering.com/features.

The Ins and Outs of the Halligan

Clay Magee takes a look at modifications you can make to the halligan to ensure consistent use on the fireground. He also discusses some of the technical details of how firefighters obtain leverage with the tool.

 

The Second Line: A Backup Line or a Second Attack Line

Anthony Rowett discusses tactical considerations for using the second hoseline as a backup line or second attack line.

 

Construction Concerns: Cavity Walls

Greg Havel looks at this feature of building construction and the potential hazards associated with it for firefighters.

 

Training Minutes: Dealing with Padlocks

In this Training Minutes video on forcible entry, Paul DeBartolomeo and company demonstrate two ways of defeating padlocks.

 

Humpday Hangout: The Firefighter’s Oath

Why do firefighters go through the ritual of taking an oath? On this week’s Humpday Hangout, Frank Ricci and P.J. Norwood talk to guest Anthony Correia about what this oath represents, what it’s based on, and how you should view the oath not just on Day One but throughout your career.

 

Training Minutes: Air Bag Applications

Steve White and company demonstrate two different applications for air bags: using the tool to spread objects apart for extrication trapped extremities and using them in vertical lifts. 

 

Big Data Driving Operational Performance and Fireground Safety

Having a common data platform with surrounding mutual and automatic aid partners is an essential component from a responder safety stand point. Todd LeDuc on investing in technology that works to elevate firefighter performance and enhance safety.

 

SCBA Quick Tips: Transfill Line and RIT Pack

In this new SCBA Quick Tips video from MSA, Joe Alvarez and company demonstrate MSA’s transfill system for SCBA, as well as the interface with the MSA RIT pack.

 

Engine Company EMS: Clockwork

Lessons learned on routine calls are invaluable when the stakes are higher. Michael Morse reflects on how EMS training and experience “clicked” on one call to result in a successful outcome.

 

Jolly Old Saint Firefighter: One Firefighter’s Journey from PTSD to Santa Claus

Jada B. Hudson looks at how one firefighter who had been badly injured during training worked through trauma to find fulfillment in his retirement.

 

Humpday Hangout: Big Box Mercantile and Large Storage Occupancies

On this week’s Humpday Hangout, Bill Gustin, Mike Dugan, and the rest of the panel are joined by special guest Kyle Smith, NFPA 14 Committee member, to talk about fires in big box mercantile and large storage occupancies.

 

Training Minutes: Victim Removal Techniques

In this new Training Minutes video, Sean Gray and company detail two methods for removing a victim from the IDLH environment of the fireground.

 

Planning for Successful Size-Up

The initial size-up and radio report of the first-arriving company at an incident scene is one of the most important actions undertaken by the company officer. David DeStefano writes about drills to hone your skills.

 

Truck Company Operations: Truck Tools

Mark van der Feyst looks at some of the tools of the truck company firefighter and the various functions then can help accomplish.

 

UL FSRI Releases Part III of the Fire Attack Study: Full Scale Experiments

This report details the results and analysis from 26 full-scale structure fire experiments looking to quantify the differences in interior and transitional fire attack.

 

The International Fire Service and World War II

Michael Kuk looks at how World War II irrevocably changed things for firefighters around the world. 

 

UL FSRI Releases Part II of the Fire Attack Study: Air Entrainment

This report and associated online training detail the results and analysis from the air entrainment testing. These tests were conducted without the presence of fire, to gain a fundamental understanding of how hose streams entrain air.

 

UL FSRI Releases Part I of the Fire Attack Study: Water Mapping

This report and associated online training detail the results and analysis from a series of experiments, using fire service hose streams, conducted without the presence of fire, to gain a fundamental understanding of water distribution within a compartment.

 

Fire Service Sexual Harassment: Leaders Must Set the Tone

With the abundance of sex harassment cases being brought to light these days, Tom Warren says it’s time to revisit your fire department’s policies and procedures on the issue.

 

Training Minutes: Rescuing a Firefighter Who Has Fallen Through the Floor

In this Training Minutes video, Paul DeBartolomeo and company demonstrate a method for rescuing a down firefighter who has fallen through the floor.

 

Construction Concerns: Sprinkler Head Flex Drops

Greg Havel reviews some details on the features of automatic fire sprinkler systems. 

 

The Battalion TV: The FDIC Experience, Part 4

In part four of The Battalion TV’s FDIC International 2017 special, visit with FDIC Education Director Bobby Halton and others during the annual 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb at Lucas Oil Stadium.

 

Mayday Monday: Out-of-Air Emergency

December 3rd marks the 18th year since the tragic fire in Worcester, Massachusetts, that took the lives of six firefighters. Tony Carroll reviews one of the lessons learned from this fire service tragedy.

 

MORE FIREFIGHTER TRAINING

In Case You Missed It: January 2017 Firefighting Articles

In Case You Missed It: February 2017 Firefighting Articles

In Case You Missed It: March 2017 Firefighting Articles

In Case You Missed It: April 2017 Firefighting Articles

In Case You Missed It: May 2017 Firefighting Articles

In Case You Missed It: June 2017 Firefighting Articles

In Case You Missed It: July 2017 Firefighting Articles

In Case You Missed It: September 2017 Firefighting Articles

In Case You Missed It: October 2017 Firefighting Articles

In Case You Missed It: November 2017 Firefighting Articles

NJ Apartment Building Fire Displaces 41, Sends One to Hospital

A fire tore through the top floor of an apartment building on Palisade Avenue in Bogota on Sunday.

Providence (RI) Firefighter Pinned by Sliding Fire Truck During Snowstorm

A Providence firefighter was pinned between a fire engine and a parked car early Sunday morning when the truck got stuck and slid into the…