There are many perspectives on what types of skills, abilities and knowledge firefighters must have. From the exterior, it certainly could look fairly basic, and some of the activities that we are involved in absolutely are. However, once a person becomes a firefighter, or even during initial training, it becomes evident that there are many challenges, events and responsibilities that firefighters routinely handle.
The Top 8
It doesn’t matter whether you routinely respond on a pumper, a ladder or other type of apparatus. Anyone who wears a fire helmet should be familiar with and be able to:
Properly and rapidly don protective equipment. PPE is worn to protect firefighters from the many physical dangers that they encounter at fires, collapses, motor vehicle accidents and other incidents. Donning gear properly allows it to protect the firefighter from injury and death.
Don and use SCBA. SCBA is one of the most frequently used pieces of equipment in dangerous atmospheres. It allows firefighters to enter burning buildings to rescue and remove victims. It also is used for confined space operations and hazmat situations.
Select and stretch an attack hoseline. Quickly knowing what line to stretch (either 1¾- or 2½-inch) and how many lengths to stretch is vital for successful operations.
Force both inward- and outward-opening doors. Forcible entry is a critical tactic for every type of fire and emergency incident. Members must understand that different techniques and tools can be used. Inward- and outward-opening doors often require different tactics.
Start and properly cut with a rotary saws. Specific steps must be taken to start a rotary saw and a chainsaw. Different saws often have different steps. Further, carrying and transporting a power saw can be difficult and dangerous. The actual use of the saw, the cutting technique, the depth of the cut, the rolling of roof beams and other skills are important to learn and practice.
Select, carry and climb a portable ladder. Firefighters must know how to determine what length of ladder to use for every task and how to rapidly and safely transport that ladder to the location where it will be used. The raising and extending of portable ladders are specific skills that might vary based on how many firefighters are working with the ladder. Climbing and dismounting a portable ladder also must be conducted properly and safely.
Use a K tool or other through-the-lock tools. Through-the-lock forcible entry is dramatically different from conventional forcible entry and requires different tools. The K tool is an effective and easy method for this tactic. However, it requires specific steps to be taken in conjunction with other tools to successfully open the lock and gain entry.
Conduct an interior search in an IDLH atmosphere. This is another dangerous tactic that firefighters must be well trained on. In addition to training, firefighters gain valuable experience when they perform searches in various types of buildings and occupancies. Note: This tactic relies heavily on firefighters’ ability to don and use SCBA properly and to use several other tools, such as search ropes, door markers and hand tools.
Continual practice
Each of the skills that are listed above are complex and contain dozens of particular and technical elements. That said, there are more skills and abilities that firefighters must practice continually to become proficient and effective. In all cases, detailed and repeated drills and instruction periods must be conducted.
