Join Firefighter Thomas A. Merrill in this video companion to his article “The Engine Firefighter: Mastering the Basics,” which appears in the October 2017 issue of Fire Engineering.
Here, Merrill gives us this overview on what each and every firefighter should know regarding what’s on his apparatus before entering the fireground. He covers what should be in every apparatus bay, nozzle types and uses, seldom-used appliances, and hose packing methods.
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These are just a few hints and suggestions that every firefighter of any discipline or crew should know to best prepare himself before entering the battleground. The citizens he protects as well as the success of his department are ultimately counting on it.
THOMAS A. MERRILL is a 35-year fire service veteran and a member of the Snyder Fire Department (SFD) in Amherst, New York, where he has served 26 years as a department line officer including 15 years in the chief officer ranks and chief of department from 2007-2012. Merrill is also a fire commissioner for the SFD and a full-time fire dispatcher for the Amherst (NY) Fire Alarm Office.
