Moving Forward Is Secret of Engine Company Success
departments
The Volunteers Corner
When fires are extinguished expeditiously, it is the result of aggressive engine company operations. Before we say anything more, we must emphasize that coordinated ladder company work is vital to the success of engine company operations.
Engine companies must make every effort to enter the building and move toward the heart of the fire to extinguish it. While the decision to enter the building is a judgment made in the initial size-up, the officer in charge must make every effort to get the first-arriving engine company into the building unless the intensity of the fire and the structural condition of the building endangers the lives of the fire fighters.
Successful fire fighting is conducted inside buildings—not on the outside. A fire that is fought from the outside generally results in the loss of the building.
Knocking down flame: The officer of the first-in engine company has the responsibility to match the volume of his initial attack stream to the volume of fire. When heavy fire is met, it may be necessary to use a deluge set mounted on the pumper—or a deck gun—to knock down some of the fire before a hand line can be advanced into the building. Because so many fires can be extinguished with a 1 1/2-inch line, the officer must be constantly alert to recognize the situation where the additional volume of a 2 1/2-inch line is vital to a successful operation. A fire that first has to be knocked down with a master stream calls for the stretching of a 2 1/2-inch line while the engine-mounted deluge gun is put into operation.
Two men can easily put a mounted deluge set into operation, and even if there is only one other man in the company, he at least can start pulling a 2 1/2-inch line off the hose bed. There is no guaranty as to how much fire will remain after the master stream application has darkened down some of the flame. A partition may conceal an additional volume of fire, so a 2 1/2-inch line would then be the minimum necessary to pursue the attack. If all fire is darkened down, then there is plenty of time to turn to stretching a more maneuverable 1 1/2 or 1 3/4-inch line into the building.
Upon entering the building in heavy heat and fire conditions, it is the officer’s responsility to encourage his crew to move forward as much as possible. Sometimes you can see that your line is doing a job and it is only a matter of enduring a bit more high heat before the situation will begin to ease. A good engine company officer recognizes such a situation and keeps his crew in position for that minute or two while the situation changes in their favor.
Sometimes a dash of water to the ceiling provides enough relief to maintain a position long enough to knock down more fire so progress can be resumed.
Recognize the impossible: On the other hand, the engine company officer also must be constantly alert to recognize the impossible situation. Not only must he evaluate the effect of his hose stream on the volume of fire, but he also must consider the structural condition of the area. He must be alert to signs of possibly imminent structural collapse. He must weigh the volume of fire and the time it has been burning against the structural characteristics of the building.
With the aid of the ladder company in providing adequate ventilation, the engine company should be constantly moving forward. If a hose line cannot move forward, it generally is because there is inadequate ventilation or the volume of water being applied is too little—or both.
A good engine company officer gets word back to his chief officer when he cannot move forward. If the chief is told an engine company is bogged down, he can take action to relieve the situation. Admittedly, there are situations that are hopeless because they are beyond the resources of personnel, equipment and water supply that the department has available.
Work for safety: The company officer—any company officer—must constantly be looking out for the safety of his men. We have mentioned the need to be alert to imminent structural collapse, but there are other situations that kill and injure more fire fighters. The hole in the floor or roof that is unseen until too late, the stair treads that are no longer in place, the roof edge that is occluded in smoke are some of the situations that the officer must anticipate so he can sound a warning.
The department’s safety rules regarding such things as using breathing apparatus, wearing gloves and keeping clear of other fire fighters using hand tools are not worth more than the paper on which they are written unless the company officers enforce them. Not only does the company officer have to be a leader, he also has to be a guardian to prevent unnecessary injuries. Safety rules are written at headquarters, but they are enforced on the fireground.
The engine company officer also must be observant of the physical condition of his men on the fireground. He must be able to spot serious fatigue in a nozzleman and relieve him. In cold weather, an officer should notice who needs to be relieved so he can avoid frostbite. In hot weather—or after working in high fire heat—men may become exhausted quickly. In some cases, the officer may have to send word to his chief that the entire company needs relief. The department’s most important asset is its personnel.
