Friday, January 30, 2015

"...Everything Gets Better": The Importance of the First Due Engine.



The actions of the first due engine company have a great impact on the out come a fire .  A well disciplined, self sufficient company is key to success.  


A wise battalion chief and greatly respected personal mentor once said, "If we put the fire out, everything gets better". This recently rang true once again.

Our 24-hour tour was a fairly standard one; a mix of medical calls and fire alarms filled the crisply lined page of the company logbook.  Around 0130 the "long tone" hit.

"Finally!" We moved  down the spiral stairs with haste  and donned our gear, the dispatchers voice crackled over the house page " attention engine 7, engine 1, engine 10, ladder 3, ladder 2, rescue 1, the rescue squad and battalion 1:  an alarm of fire has been transmitted...".  “First due!" I thought, as I slung my flashlight over the top of my SCBA and the pumper raced the 10 or so blocks. 

As we turned into the block it was very apparent this wouldn’t be "meat on the stove".   The officer reported over the radio "engine 7 arriving, signal 30 ( working fire)".   A quick exchange of "200' top floor?” -"Yup" was made prior to leaving the rig.   As the stretch of the nozzle length off the pumper commenced, the boss was talking to an occupant who informed him that there were still additional occupants in the rear bedrooms on the fire floor. He relayed this information to the additional companies. 

After chocking the door from the front porch open, and proceeding to the top of the apartment stairs. I dropped the nozzle, we donned our face pieces and the boss called for water.  As the line filled with water the captain of rescue 1(a two man paramedic unit) alerted us that they would be going ahead of the line to search the rear bedrooms for the occupants.

  The line was bled and we started our push in the door to the left where the main body of fire was.  As the boss chased kinks, I started to cool the thick black velvet like smoke above us. Moving in about 10 more feet we found the main body of fire located in a small "bump out" and front porch. Using the reach of the stream, we started to knock down the bulk of the fire from the porch doorway. As we operated the line, rescue 1 reported they had removed both occupants via the interior stairs. At this point the main body of fire was knocked down.   As additional companies made their way to the fire floor, the task of checking for extension and "opening up" began.  After an hour or so the extensive overhaul was complete and we started to break down the ice-covered hose and shortly returned to quarters where dry clothes awaited.

All in all this fire was a "home run"  due to the efforts of all members involved. The first and second due engines worked together on advancing a line. The first due chauffeur established a positive water source, the trucks threw ladders and opened up and TWO OCCUPANTS WERE SUCCESSFULLY RESCUED. 

Talking to a brother about this job a few days after the fact. He stated, "Wow, you guys still stretched a line even with reported entrapment". At first I wasn't sure what angle he was going for so I had a puzzled look on my face. He elaborated, " Most guys would go for the grab and leave the line". My puzzled look continued.

The job of the first due engine isn't especially glamorous on the list of fire ground tasks but one of absolute necessity. Without water on the fire in a quick and efficient manor, the rest of the priorities come to a screeching halt as conditions become untenable. 

The fire service as a whole just reflected on the 10-year anniversary of a fire that spiraled out of control in a split second and lead to the loss of three brothers. Our goal is to never repeat this and we've undoubtedly made many advances in the arena of "personal safety". Let's try to keep up in the arena of "personal discipline".   
Shortly after the main body of fire was knocked-down(Photo by Ralph David Spence) 

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