Protocols and Walk Throughs...

So this week we've been getting some good trainings in. Something we like to do from time to time, at least every other month or so, is go through our EMS protocol book in detail. Sometimes it seems like going over so much random information isn't that relevant but it has helped us be prepared for the more obscure calls we seem to get time after time. Another thing we try to do is open our drug boxes and go over each drug, its uses and dosages.

The other training this week was a walk-through and review of the fire alarm systems in our township's schools. Most of our alarm drops are at the hotels we have so it was nice to go over the alarm panels we see less often. Plus, the kids at the elementary school gave us cookies.

Training in Kent

One of the guys from my department and I went to Kent Fire Department yesterday and worked with Gary Lane on a Forcible Entry and lock-picking drill. Gary has a great forcible entry trainer that he's made and here it is;

Obviously, there was no kicking the door in or taking the K12 to it but it works great for going over proper techniques and "What if," scenerios while trying to pop a door. When it comes to this subject, the Fire Academy doesn't even scratch the surface. I feel ten times better with forcible entry after going over it with this trainer.
As for picking locks, we had the opportunity to go over several different kinds we might see at commercial structures and what we can do to gain entry without a knox box key (breaking down the door doesn't count). They have a great simulator that really helped me understand how these locks work.

Thanks again to Gary for the coffee, welcoming us to the station and the opportunity to learn a few things we hadn't gone over before.

Triangle Shirtwaist Fire Documentary

Tonight at 9:00, HBO will be airing a special on the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in NYC that occurred 100 years ago today. It changed how modern industry keeps its workers safe and was the deadliest workplace fire in America before 9/11. It also served as a huge and unfortunate lesson for firefighters to improve the service. So watch it.

RIT Pack Review

Every morning when I start my shift, just like almost every other Fire Department, I get a cup of coffee and hit the bays with the guys to do truck checks. When we're checking trucks, we're taking part in the C.Y.A. business and checking to make sure everything works and we have plenty of the supplies and tools we need. Something I do in particular is make sure my air-pack for the day is good to go.

What I've noticed is that the RIT pack is something thats easy to overlook. But if you think about what it can do for a downed guy on your crew, its probably one of the most important tools we have. And if you're making a habit of checking the air-pack you might have to breathe out of for that day, it makes sense to put this on the list.

Stressin'

Here's our 35 footer getting its flex on at 500 lbs.

A Couple Cool VentEnterSearch Things

I came across an article that had some cool things to keep in mind as signs and symptoms you can look for if you're involved in interior operations, where we all want to be.

Here's some good signs;
1. Lifting smoke and improving visibility
2.Smoke Lightens due to steam.
3.You feel a hoseline stream hitting the ceiling beneath you if you're a floor above the fire.
4.ANY decrease in heat.

Now, here's some bad signs;
1. Smoke does not lift, change in density and in color.
2. Rolling, black smoke moving down from ceiling to floor.
3. ANY increase in heat.
4. Visible fire through the floor (duh).
5. Weakening or "spongy," floor.
6. When your crew can't find the fire.
7. When there is ANY water problem.

CO Monitor Alarm Review

Ah, Carbon Monoxide detectors; the scourge of middle-of-the-night engine call.
Its easy to get complacent about these calls since the majority are false alarms but the truth is, with fire prevention safety measures in place,  these calls are our bread and butter. More importantly, CO is pretty hazardous to people's health when it actually does pop up. So here's some review on the subject and how we can best handle it.

Here's some quick facts;
1. CO is about the same density as air and will pretty much move with air current throughout your home. If there's no smoke involved, its colorless and odorless.

2. It comes from partial or incomplete combustion. Think of the things at home that make flames... stoves, water heaters, and furnaces.

3. Its a gas that binds to the hemoglobin in your blood 100 times more than oxygen. The problem is that once its there in large amounts, it stays. To get oxygen back into your blood, you need a pressurized oxygen chamber to clear things up. It has to due with pressure gradients and all sorts of medic school jargon.

4. When you breathe this stuff in, it gives you flu-like symptoms. Think of it starting with a headache and becoming more intollerable with more exposure. Its likely that children and pets will have symptoms first. Any symptoms need transport to a hospital for further evaluation.

When it comes to monitoring with the ITX, here's some numbers to keep handy;
-Less than 9 ppm is considered background CO and once you find the source and remediate the situation, evacuation is not necessarily warranted.
- Between 9 ppm and 100 is not acceptable in a home (up to 35 ppm is acceptable in the workplace) so get people out, ventilate the area and fix the situation using your monitor. If its the furnace or the stove or the water heater, turn it off and get it serviced before it can be turned back on.
- 1500 ppm is an IDLH environment.
And while we're on the topic of an ITX...
- Keep it calibrated.
- Zero it out from outside the home.

If all else fails, follow your SOG's and treat the symptoms of occupants.

So when you get this call in the middle of the night, remember how hazardous CO can be and even if the call turns out to be nothing, its a good chance to meet the public we all ultimately work for.