This month, we will look at some strategic considerations for ladder companies when they arrive at a working fire in a multiple-occupancy dwelling. These types of structures pose many severe risks over and above the routine structural fire, and the ladder company functions are not exempt. It is not my intention to discuss the typical duties and responsibilities of the ladder company; instead, we shall discuss the application of some key functions on-scene to improve the overall outcome of the incident.
Staffing in the fire service has dwindled because of numerous reasons over the past few decades. An engine or ladder company arriving with half a dozen personnel was once the norm; it is now a rarity. Both in the career fire service as well as the volunteer fire service, we are responding with less and less resources. Specific National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards can be used to justify resources and staffing whether the department is career or volunteer.
Somewhere in the country, a crew of firefighters will initiate a fast and aggressive interior attack at a residential structure fire only to be engulfed in a rapidly advancing and blinding wall of fire. As a result, the crew will instantly become disoriented and some will not be able to evacuate the structure.
One of the key elements to the success of any fireground operation is the ability of the incident commander to keep several steps ahead of how the incident is unfolding. Proper planning and deployment of resources has a direct impact not only on the success of the operation but also in the safety of the members operating at that incident.
If your agency is dispatched to a possible clandestine drug lab, would you know how to recognize one? What happens if your responders find one during routine activities?
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A fire department is composed of many functional units, referred to as companies. At the basic level most departments consist of mainly engine and truck companies. Engine companies are responsible for securing water at the fire scene, putting initial handlines in position, protecting exposures, operating master streams, and extinguishing the fire. Truck companies specialize in supportive operations, such as forcible entry, laddering, utility control, ventilation, and search and rescue.
I have been a firefighter for over 30 years and have been fortunate to work with two very progressive fire departments. While both of the departments differ greatly in their scope and service delivery areas, they both have something in common: the need for tanker apparatus.
Firefighters battled a stubborn blaze Wednesday afternoon at an auto shop in Hallandale Beach.
Broward County firefighters had a tough time knocking down the flames at Klondike Auto Service in the 200 block of Northwest Fifth Avenue. The smoke was visible from several miles away.
Investigators told Local 10 the fire began sometime Wednesday evening, just before the shop was scheduled to shut down for the night.
