Fire in the attic and firefighters on the roof
The photo on the cover of the February 2019 issue has a firefighter on a house roof with flames coming out of the roof. Another firefighter is apparently exiting the roof. I don’t believe that firefighters belong on any house roof with fire in the attic. Cutting the roof under these circumstances is risky, and the rewards are minimal. Residential roof sheathing is flimsy at best. A fire in the attic or cockloft will burn through and vent itself without our help.
If the fire is not in the attic, it usually isn’t effective to cut open the roof because the ceilings keep the majority of the smoke out of the attic. It is difficult to impossible to push down the interior ceilings from the roof to let the smoke out. Removing hatches and skylights, however, is an effective way to ventilate these fires.
Usually the best way to ventilate house fires is by using horizontal ventilation. Unfortunately, too many ladder companies automatically begin to cut open house roofs for ventilation.
Where do we go from here?
Throughout history, there have been many major events that have changed the tactics of how we fight fires and how we operate. The Great Hinckley Fire of 1894 led to the destruction of 200,000 acres. It was not unusual then for the skies to be full of smoke from bonfires, campfires, and regular slash pile fires.
During the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and fires, firefighters used dynamite to try to create a fire break. This resulted in the destruction of multiple buildings and fires spread by flaming debris.
Fast forward 101 years to the Charleston Sofa Superstore Fire in 2007. Nine firefighters were killed. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health investigators concluded that the incident command system could be strengthened and that ventilation should be coordinated with interior operating crews. All of these events have contributed to major changes in the fire service.
Today, many jurisdictions have a permit process to burn openly. We don’t use dynamite to extinguish fires, and we coordinate ventilation with interior crews. We need to develop positive leaders. We need to ask ourselves some questions to improve the fire service for the newest generation of firefighters and to leave a positive legacy.
Where does the fire service go in the future? What are the most underused resources available to the fire service today? How do we use technology to influence our tactics? To answer these questions, we assess ourselves and begin to say “I” instead of “we.” In the fire service, we are teams that must work together, train together, and live together, but sometimes we must show initiative, pursue our own dreams, and better ourselves first so that we can be better for those who need us. Our primary goal is to rescue victims while not becoming victims ourselves. We need to say, “I can accomplish this by understanding building construction, fire behavior, reading smoke, initial tactics, gaining physical strength and stamina, and educating myself.” Second, “I must pursue improvement in each of these areas.”
All of them are needed. Any one of them is not good enough on its own, and none is better than the others. It takes each of them to improve our future and, ultimately, the fire service. Many resources can help you achieve professionalism for yourself, in your career, as well as in your department’s service to the community. Enroll in classes at your local community college, attend courses at the National Fire Academy, and shadow local contractors to learn their jobs and how buildings are built. You don’t always have to take courses in fire science. There are courses in nearly every topic imaginable. Many of them would be beneficial to our careers. If you don’t have time to take classes in a brick-and-mortar setting, take advantage of online options.
Depending on the state in which you live, there are multiple options for online fire service courses that meet the requirements of National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1021, Standard for Fire Officer Professional Qualifications; NFPA 1031, Standard for Professional Qualifications for Fire Inspector and Plan Examiner, and NFPA 1041, Standard for Fire and Emergency Services Instructor Professional Qualifications, among others. There are programs that offer hybrid first responder, emergency medical technician, and paramedic programs. Earn a degree. Seek out a program that will make you successful.
We should be regularly participating in strength training, flexibility training, and cardiorespiratory training. It doesn’t matter what tactics we employ or how much knowledge we have if we can’t physically perform when needed. On the educational side, find a college that will accept credits that you have previously earned. Take advantage of job-related training or certifications you already have. The American Council on Education (ACE) already recognizes many job-related courses for college credit. You can transfer these ACE credits to any of nearly 2,000 partner colleges. In this day and age, there is no excuse for career firefighters, and especially fire officers, not to have a college degree, or at least be pursuing one. If you don’t want a fire service-related degree, there are other options. Almost any degree would be beneficial—in business, marketing, psychology, sociology, medicine, agriculture, or fire science, for example.
If you take the initiative to better yourself, you will improve your morale and the fire service. Unlike in the past, there’s no reason today to wait for a big disaster to change the fire service. We have the power to make that change today. We must first make it in ourselves; then we can encourage our coworkers to also make a change that will benefit them. The grand result will be a more professional fire service. Be the change your department needs; become a leader by exhibiting professionalism.
Annual testing and early detection crucial
I’ve a huge favor to ask. Last fall, I was diagnosed with prostate cancer. I had the robotic surgery two weeks ago. The pathology came back good, and my prognosis is good also. No radiation! Early detection and action are of the utmost importance. Please help me drive that point home. In this climate of financial restraint, it seems that “the extras” are the first to go. My department HAD annual physicals for everyone in the department. When our enduring budget crunch occurred, this very physical was one of the things cut last year. My numbers were being monitored by this medical care company. When I decided to retire, I decided to have a physical on my own since one wasn’t offered. We all, from the firefighter to the chief, should fight to have this benefit maintained all across the country. If we wait until we feel sick to go to the doctor, odds are it will be too late. I can’t overstate the importance of annual testing and early detection!
