Fireground Operations

[EXPCAP760]

I just wanted to know, how much actual firefighting are you guys as explorers doing on a fire scene. My post is actually very involved. On Wildfires we are doing as much or more than our older firefighters and actually getting on the nozzle and getting actively involved in the firefighting. Structure fires are a little different, we are not allowed inside or on top of the buildings, but on the outside we are involved in combat firefighting. MVAs we get to do some if there are not a lot of medics around, we usually don't get involved until after the patient is cut out and ready to be removed from the vehicle.

What Do You Guys Do On a Fire Scene?



Cody Winniford
Captain - Explorer Post 200
Talco, Texas

[shammrock54]

My depts post usually runs like so:

Medicals-goher or helping w/treatment

MVAs- goher,staging, and extra set of hands w/the crews during extrication (holding board, moving pieces away from tools,etc)

Brush Fires- Fire attack(always w/a FF and usually not in the heavy fire areas) lumper, rehab.

Structure Fires- Rehab, exterior lines, salvage and overhaul, gopher for pump operator/OIC

[WFDjr1]

Medicals-Help the medics, work the PulseOx or whatever it's called, whatever else is needed.

MVAs-Assist with extrication, help the medics, put the fire out if there is any

Brush fires-Be nozzleman on attack line, rehab, etc.

Structure fires-Exterior attack, rehab, BA refills, assist pump operator, work hydrant, etc. Also, I know how to work the ladder on Tower 1 if need be.

[NJOUTLAW6]

Well on our firegrounds we r ran alittle diffrent. We change Air-Pacs remove hose from the engine, hook into hydrants, and if our local first aid squad isn't present we help with rehab. We aren't allowed with-in a certain distance to extereme heat or flame. We r treated like LiL babies even though we r trainned to do alot more i am not saying we should be on handlines in the building but they should let us do alittle more then we already could. Even the BSA say we could do certain things. It's just some ppl do want us there doing whatever because we r considered kids. I am 1 year away from being a Firefighter i am one of the Senior Explorer Members and i think we should be able to do alittle more.

[BFD196]

EMS-Before we got our MRT certs, we used to carry the bags in, and just give a hand when needed. Assuming a routine medical comes in, we used to have to take both paid drivers who are EMT`s, because each medical requires at least 2 medically trained personel on the rig(1 EMT and another EMT or MRT). Now, instead of both drivers, 1 will drive the rescue, and myself and another probie can go along and actualy provide care. This leaves a driver back in case of another call, and allows us to take the rescue rather then the engine. They have equal equipment, but the rescue has extra supplies if needed for some strange reason. Medicals are the only area where everyone`s equal, Junior or not.

MVA`s-I`ve been to a few minor ones where I directed traffic or dummped speedy dry(like I said, minor). Now that I`ve got MRT, I might end up inside securing the patient if needed. Also, they could have me backing someone up on the tool, or put me on the line. We keep a charged line with someone at the nozzle througout the extrication, which I think most departments do.

Brush Fires-Very rare around here. The usual leaf piles I`ll have the can, or the trash line, if we had anything bigger I`d go where I`m told. The last significant brush fire we had was about 30 years ago, and the stories about that include tails of lines being chopped with axes, so rigs could get out of the fires path. That land got developed about 10 years later.

Structures-The usual Junior stuff. If we had something big enough where we needed to turn defensive, then I guess I could be put on an line outside, usually we just get simple house fires where I go in after and pull a few ceilings down.

[evfire92]

we can do anything but interier firefighting. and must stay with in a certain amount of distance from the engine. we can do exterier firefighting.