Check out some firefighter training articles from the September 2024 issue of Fire Engineering, which focuses on technical rescue.
The cover, from photographer Dennis Walus: Miami-Dade (FL) Fire Rescue units responded to a traffic incident. On arrival, fire crews found that a garbage truck had collided with a tree following the truck driver’s medical emergency. Two people were trapped inside the truck. Technical rescue crews used hydraulic tools to perform extrications. Two adult patients with traumatic injuries were transported to a trauma center. Extrication on large commercial vehicles is often more technical than it is on smaller passenger vehicles. Training on these types of vehicles is often logistically difficult but critically important. Understanding the capabilities and limitations of our rescue tools is essential for success at these types of incidents.
FEATURES
The ABCs of Water Rescue Command
During training, we often overlook leadership skills at rescue scenes. These skills are as important as, if not more important than, the rescue itself. GREG MERRELL
Not Your Usual Man-in-the-Machine Rescue
A victim was buried in chert, a hard, fine-grain sedimentary rock, up to his head and could only slightly move one hand. The void area around him was small and the material was unstable and compact, making this a challenging rescue. DARYL NEWPORT AND STEVE VINEYARD
The Versatility of Wood Wedges
Wood wedges are extremely versatile, but they are not one-size-fits-all. Technical rescuers use wedges to secure machinery, for help in lifting heavy objects, in trench rescue situations, and to add a level of safety when pressurizing vertical shoring. AL RIFFLARD AND JEREMY RIFFLARD
Imagine having someone hand you a halligan for the first time, with the verbal instruction to force a door. This would simply not happen. So why does it happen with thermal imaging cameras, which can be used in many different situations? JOSEPH DeVITO
Analysis of a Rescue as It Relates to the New FSRI Training Program
This article examines a rescue at a fire in a three-bedroom, two-bathroom, single-story house, similar in size and configuration to the ones used by the Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI). The examination was conducted to see how the fire relates to the tactical considerations examined in the program concerning search, fire suppression, and occupant isolation and removal. BILL GUSTIN
If you are the company assigned to rapid intervention, you need to do a size-up. You’ll need to consider a lot of the points of the first-due units, including the type of structure, location and extent of fire, weather conditions, and all the other 13 points of size-up that you learned at the academy and from your reading. ART BLOOMER
Departments
EDITOR’S OPINION: The Lack of Search Training Is Appalling
TRAINING NOTEBOOK: Compounding Emergency Mechanical Advantage
VOLUNTEERS CORNER: Grant Management Basics for AFG Awards
THE RESCUE COMPANY: Portland Deep Excavation Rescue: Is Your Team Prepared to Break Its Own Rules?
