“Dropkick Jimmers”…
By thehousewatch | June 28, 2009
My buddy Jimmers and Mrs. Jimmers from Chicago came up to the Brew City this weekend to hang out for a couple of days and take in some Summerfest. More importantly, the Dropkick Murphys were playing that night and Jimmers is a good friend of Scruffy, their piper. I have been a huge fan of the Murphys for a while and was hyperventilating all day knowing I was going to get a chance to meet them. Little did I know I was in for one of the best nights ever…
I met the Jimmers’ clan at the lakefront and lo and behold coming through the crowd for us was Scruffy. After the customary introductions and vomiting on myself for being in the presence of greatness, I realized what a regular and down to earth guy he is. It was truly an honor to meet him. As the time for his gig approached, he bid his farewell to go change for the show; and we settled in on the bleachers with beers in hand to enjoy the show. That’s when Jimmers’ cell phone rang…
Scruffy called him and told him to have Mrs. Jimmers, thehousewatch, and Mrs. housewatch meet him by security stage-left. My mouth hit the ground as I thought I we were going to get a chance to see the backstage area and meet the band before the show started. I’ve never been backstage at anything and was happy for the opportunty. Holy cow was I wrong, we were going ON stage! Scruffy quickly met us to tell us we were going to be allowed to stand on the side of the stage during the show; and that’s when I noticed what he had changed into before going on: A Milwaukee Fire Department t-shirt (sleeves removed of course). And not just any shirt, but one of the MFD’s Red Shirt Friday campaign shirts that are sold to raise money for returning troops from overseas. What a true gentleman he is and shows how much respect the Dropkick Murphys have for our Firefighters and Soldiers.
The show was truly amazing and periodically Scruffy got our attention to lift his MFD t-shirt by the shoulders to acknowledge the MFD (in front of the thousands watching). Awesome… What’s more, Scruffy even ran over by us later in the show to give Jimmers their playlist that was taped to his amp. Priceless…
After the show, I attempted to come down from my temporary and unexpected VIP cloud and calmed down enough to take it all in. After taking a bunch of pictures of my wife with the band, we met back up with Scruffy to hang out by their bus. The Summerfest security made an announcement that they were closing the lakefront for the night and for everybody to leave. The place cleared out and we hung by the bus and put the wives in a cab for home. Jimmers and I remained, and sat with Scruffy taking it all in with a packed cooler for the next couple of hours; and that’s when I realized that I never took out the camera again to get some more photos of the experience; I didn’t need to. I was having enough fun just talking with two regular guys (one rockstar, one firefighter) about politics, music, firefighters, etc. Moreover, it was like hanging out at the firehouse kitchen table with friends. That never gets old does it?
I want to thank Jimmers, Mrs. Jimmers, Scruffy, and the Dropkicks for a night no one would ever forget. I am especially grateful for Scruffy wearing a MFD t-shirt for us. We all have a few once in a lifetime experiences in our lives and this one probably tops them all. Furthermore, it was great to have conversations that didn’t denigrate into fire department/economy gloom-and-doom that I love getting sucked into these days. I guess I figured out that during the hard times in life and economy, the most important focus should be on family and friends; even the ones I just made.
Topics: Editorials | 1 Comment »
“Tactical Safety-Entry Door Check”…
By thehousewatch | June 26, 2009
Tactical Safety - Entry Door Check
By Ray McCormack
Passing through the door to the fire area is the moment of truth in the fire service. We have decided to engage; and this threshold is where we draw the battle line that will test your bravery, knowledge, and team work. We can not control every aspect of a structural fire, however we must always attempt to take steps that raise the odds of success and lower the odds of error. Making things go our way is accomplished by developing standards of operation that cover the majority of typical tasks preformed at fires. There are many factors to read, and more importantly, comprehend when we are assigned to a structural fire call. One task that can and should be done at all fires is a check of the entry door.
Once you are at the entry door and it’s confirmed that the entry team is set (all PPE worn), the door is forced open. The entry door may violently swing open once forced or you may just be able to break a pane of glass and reach in and unlock it; either way control of the door is task number two. There are ways to control a forced door from getting away from you once the locks are breached. This is especially important if the fire is located in close proximity to the entry door. Some entry teams will place a loop of rope on the door handle and secure the other end by kneeling on it. Other methods include using the Halligan and quickly reaching in and pulling the door back towards the frame once the door pops.
With the door in our possession we can get low, look in, and try and determine the layout of the area as the smoke lifts and exits the doorway. Ideally the officer should be tasked with not only checking what is behind the door but the swing of the door. Firefighters have been killed when control of the fire area door was lost. Doors can suffer damage from entry that causes the door to be ‘out of square’ and difficult to move. Some doors, by design once fully open, may “lock” in place and be difficult to reclose. Either way we must overcome any hardware or damage that would prevent the door from moving again. Door control is especially important in apartment buildings where doors may be located close to stairways and other egress points. Doors can also be super heated and warped; however, in those cases a hoseline would be required for initial entry.
By setting up your entry procedure to include a test swing of the entry door, we will be better able to avoid losing door control; as well as determining the layout near and behind the doorway. The entry door should be made to swing inward fully under the control of an entry team member. If a full swing is not possible the area behind the door must be carefully examined. Once that is done and we are assured that no unconscious victims are behind the door we should set the door in the position requested by the officer.
Some officers may wish to close the door or chock it open perpendicular to the frame upon entry. Either way additional safeguards must be used. When the entry door is to be placed in the closed position we must guard against accidental relocking. There are several ways to accomplish this such as using straps (tire tube bands and specially molded straps) that cover the locks; engaging dead bolts so that the throw keeps the door from actually closing completely; or disabling the locks. If a door is to be held open the chocking method can vary from wooden wedges to hand tools. Two rules to follow include that the door be chocked low so that the chock can easily be removed if needed due to fire conditions; and that you test the chocking method so that the door stays in position and will not accidentally close. As an additional safe guard doors that have throw bolds or dead bolt locks, if still functioning, can be activated as a secondary measure.
The entry door check doesn’t take long and is one of those tactical safety measures that become a habit quickly. Knowing you have control of the entry door because you checked it just like you checked your SCBA is not only comforting; it shows you that you understand that safety is achieved incrementally and procedurally bit by bit and habit by habit. Tactical safety is not theoretical it’s real and credible.
Next: Tactical Safety - An Area of Refuge
Topics: Training and Development | 2 Comments »
“National Man Day”…
By thehousewatch | June 15, 2009
For those of you left wanting for the return of celebrated manhood, today is National Man Day. Today is the day to man-up and do something manly. For example, those on the Truck can actually look inside the hole they just cut and pay homage to the real men (yeah, that’s right, the Engine) working underneath them…inside. Heh, Heh. All kidding aside, it appears a few Aldermen in the City of Milwaukee also celebrated the soon-to-be National Holiday; and did perhaps the most manly thing they could today: voting down an initiative by the Mayor to cut the fifth Firefighter off the MFD’s Truck Companies. It takes a set of balls to do that these days and I’m glad to see some still have a pair…
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“Engine 321″…
By thehousewatch | June 12, 2009
By Ray McCormack
A recent news story told of a fire department that responded to a house fire; Pretty standard fare so far, except that the engine company arrived alone. That’s not so unusual either, come to think of it; But what really made the story stand out was the fact that the engine company did not make entry into the house and put out the fire once they were set up. Now that’s different! Or is it?
You see, it wasn’t that the fire had full possession of the home and the firefighters were being prudent by not entering. It was also not the case of fire weakened lightweight construction and making sure firefighters didn’t enter. There was no evidence of a potential backdraft or flashover that kept the firefighters outside initially. It wasn’t even a vacant building that held them at bay. No, the reason the firefighters stayed outside was because they arrived on scene aboard Engine 321.
The prevalence of Engine 321 is quite common in many communities. The problem is most people don’t know its secret call sign (Engine 321). It’s that number that makes it so “special.” You see Engine 321 can’t go inside to fight a fire because its staffing doesn’t allow it.
When Engine 321 pulls up on scene at a structural fire with three firefighters or two firefighters or one firefighter all it can do is wait. It is not that those firefighters don’t wish to go inside and save your home, they can’t. Why? Because Engine 321 is part of the OSHA fire department.
OSHA’s policy regarding 2 in and 2 out on firefighter stand by teams only works when there are four or more firefighters assembled and ready to go, not three or less. The difference being if there is a known life hazard. This law is there to protect firefighters.
What about your community? Are they aware of Engine 321? Probably not. Maybe we should tell them. Yes budgets are tight and there is a mountain of reasons why Engine 321 is prevalent. For some fire departments it will never change. Is it deceitful to hide this fact from the public? Budgets are the current scapegoat, maybe we need to analyze ambulance staffing, and response aid and firefighter classifications. We need to find that fourth firefighters quickly. Or you’ll end up doing what happened at this fire; waiting seven to nine minutes for an additional engine to arrive.
Fire departments that “staff” Engine 321 run the “risk” of explaining the “inaction” of their firefighters to the public. The public that pays taxes, and looks on wondering why are these firefighters just standing around holding their hoses?
Maybe if we told the people what the real story was they might just pressure those in charge of the nickels to let a pair loose to fix this problem. Imagine the outrage if the campaign read “When Engine 321 responds don’t expect much until the reinforcements arrive.” It’s bad enough when a community has a fire its even worse to watch one as a firefighter and not be able to do something about it. Let’s staff Engine 321 and rename it Engine 4 “Ready for Fire Duty.”
Topics: Editorials | 2 Comments »
“Interpretation”…
By thehousewatch | June 2, 2009
Everything is left to interpretation in one way or another. Beliefs, ethos, morals, upbringing, etc., all contribute to how we see things and henceforth act accordingly. However, when we interpret things that can alter and change someone’s life forever, we are often asked to suppress these obstructions in favor of fairness and objectivity. At the firehouse kitchen table, all bets are off however, for any fair debate; they’re no fun to watch without one injecting personal opinion and bias. But that only works at the kitchen table and or company outings. What I want to discuss with you folks are recent interpretations that will/may impact us as Firefighters forever…
The National League of Cities recently were in cahoots partnered up with Tri-Data consultants to conduct research that attempts to deconstruct the correlation between Firefighting and Cancer. Tri-Data claims in their ’study’ that there was a lack of a ’substantive’ evidence to confirm or deny a link between firefighting and certain types of Cancer. They try to spin their obvious bias against labor by essentially stating that the numbers just weren’t there to support those poor Firefighters, for or against. The impact this has on us is that Cancer presumption legislation can now be easily repealed when times are tough; and times are definitely tough now. Stay tuned.
NIST is also sifting through data recently obtained after conducting a series of tests on varying staffing levels. This study intends to quantify, using proven methodologies, the effects these varying staffing levels have on firefighting operations. NIST is conducting the research with several academics and fire service organizations. The study is being hailed by those in the fire service as a groundbreaking study that will prove once and for all what ‘adequate’ staffing should be. One would think that we’d see finality on this issue. However, the rub is that there will surely be another study done to refute the former one and hence bring us back to argumentative interpretation. Not to sound defeatist personally, I do have high hopes and optimism for the study; and after seeing whose hands are on it, it should have teeth. Conversely however, a toothless document, NFPA 1710, has undergone unrelenting interpretation and is being used to actually CUT staffing in my job. The new study needs to ensure that it doesn’t have the holes in it that 1710 has and does not relay deceiving and vague language.
And finally, Prez Obama has nominated Sonia Sotomayor to take a seat on the Supreme Court. Sotomayor will surely be confirmed after she undergoes the ritual meet and greets with those who will give her the nod. What many may not know is the fact that last year she ruled on a case brought before the appellate courts by 19 white Firefighters from New Haven. Regardless of your personal position on the case, she will be charged with interpreting the Constitution in cases, like this and possibly others in the future, that are brought before her and the Court. Although it is likely that the case will be decided on before she takes a seat, it just goes to show that perhaps everything (including the examples above) will always be left to interpretation; and that sometimes, we are winners and losers based on that.
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“Another Moment of Zen”…
By thehousewatch | May 27, 2009
Topics: Editorials | 5 Comments »
“Brew City Promo”…
By thehousewatch | May 20, 2009
GET SOME!!!!
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“Sickation”…
By thehousewatch | May 20, 2009
Hat tip STATter 911
The Providence Fire Department seems to have found quite a unique way of curbing overtime, injury leave and sickation days…by using private eyes to spy stakeout observe those who aren’t in their assigned seat at work. I received exclusive footage obtained by one of these private investigators who leaked some of the video surveillance to thehousewatch.com. One is from a hidden camera in Administration’s office, the other one from a member’s side job. Enjoy:
Topics: Editorials | No Comments »
“Stepping Into Zen”…
By thehousewatch | May 11, 2009
In 1960, Joe Kittinger rode a balloon up to 102,800 feet. Why? To measure the effects of extreme altitude on the human body. One could imagine what contributions to the field of aeronautical science could emerge from such an endeavour. However, after reaching 102,800 feet, Kittinger did something that completely revolutionized the field. He jumped…
The gang at thehousewatch.com has making its small contribution to the fire service for well over a year now. It has been great being a part of the growing circle of bloggers that seek to opine about all things fire service. However, like Kittinger’s balloon ride, thehousewatch.com is about to embark on a revolutionary endeavour as well. Oh, I almost forgot…we will be making our jump in a few weeks. Stay tuned and thanks for the continued support.
Topics: Editorials | 3 Comments »
“The Importance of the Rookie”…
By thehousewatch | May 11, 2009
“The Importance of the Rookie”
By Kevin M. Galt
It is funny that if you ask most of the firefighters (the “We” in this little rant) I work with about “Rookies” you get much the same answer. “Good, someone else to clean the toilets;” “Good someone lower on the seniority list;” “Good someone between me and the Rescue (ambulance).” The last is my favorite since I feel my time on the transport unit is in the past. Are we missing something? Is this really all they are “day laborers” and buffers between us and the unemployment line? I don’t think so. We need to take an interest in these rookies because they are the future, our co-workers, and our future bosses possibly. I have come to the conclusion that as a firefighter I don’t have any influence on who gets hired but I can have an influence on what type of firefighter they become. Now this is a very broad and ambitious statement, but if we all do a small part then we can have a positive influence on our future and the future of the fire service. What can you do? How can you influence the Rookie? I can’t make a difference if these rookies are all a bunch of “know it all’s;” This “new generation is useless;” “terrible;”“a waste”, (insert your own adjective here).
While at FDIC I listened to a speech about “recharging your batteries.” I thought the Chief was speaking directly to me. I listened to Lt. Ray McCormack’s speech and thought everyone got the same message I got. The point is everyone has opinions and that is great but, sometimes the loudest voice drowns out some very good sound opinions. Our passion must be focused and maintained, it should not be dimmed by the negativity. We must persevere and try and impart our “nugget” to these rookies who are the future of the fire service.
You/We have much more influence than you think. Rookies are like little kids; they hear everything; and they “parrot” what they hear. Try and keep the whining to a minimum. Most of our gripes are out of our control. I know, I know, Galt is on his “soapbox” again. Listen I complain as well as anyone but, the fact remains most rookies are just happy to be here and will take their direction from us. Try and harness that energy and help it grow. Your small contribution when placed on top of all the other small contributions of others can build a quality individual for the future of your department.
I am not asking you to start a new program at your department or reinvent the wheel. I am simply asking you to adjust your approach to these new guys and girls. Maybe, just maybe, things will be a little better; or your confidence in that individual will be stronger when the “gut check time” comes due.
My first piece of advice is to think before speaking. Make an effort to be positive around rookies, remind them what a great place we work at. Not because of the pay, or awesome administration (sarcasm), etc. Rather, because of the crew, station, shift, the zone, anything about why you are there. I am not saying to forget reality but, make sure that they have positive things to hold onto instead of pure negativity. Remember I said, “Make an effort,” not do a 180 degree shift; not looking for miracles. Take some time with the rookies, answer their questions, and don’t forget to show them how the sinks and bathrooms are supposed to be cleaned (that way there are no excuses for it not being done right). Don’t hesitate to inform them of equipment and techniques you know, remember for the most part their “toolbox” is pretty light. Try and add to it. I know for me, talking over incidents, not formal critiques or learning points, just talking through the incident can help rookies start to put things together and understand different techniques.
Remember you are doing this for them and for you. Because next time they will do a better job or maybe they will ask to drill on that technique. Remember that whole thinking before speaking thing. Well, try using that when it’s time to drill with a rookie. Trust me they need it and it will never hurt you. Be helpful and always fall back on SOP/SOG’s and department rules and regulations. Make sure they have a good grasp of the basics then show them some or the “shortcuts” or “street” stuff. All that extra stuff will be useless if the rookie cannot stretch the line to the front door efficiently and properly. You may find like me that you like helping out with training which can lead you to different opportunities.
There is one other thing that I will ask you to do for these rookies. Try and include them in fellowship, I am not asking you to hold hands and learn their wife’s/boyfriend’s/whatever’s name, their favorite color and life story. I am saying while everyone is sitting around the table after dinner having fellowship, tell the rookie to stop scrubbing pans and sit down for 5 minutes (about the max at my station) and have some coffee. The dishes will get done, maybe (just a thought) if EVERYONE pitches in it will get done faster. Again I am not asking for miracles, if it is a small house the rookie can probably handle it, my house has a minimum of 16 per shift so clean up/house duties can be a big job.
I am not asking to make a monumental shift in how each of us operates or how the rookie is indoctrinated into the fire service. I am a firm believer in the rookie traditions such as the 4 “Ups” (Listen Up, Shut Up, Clean up, Step Up), projects, thorough solid training, looking squared away, last to sit first to get up, etc. What I am asking from you is the return of some of the traditions that were in place when I was hired. Where we have a vested interest in the quality of a rookie and don’t just complain about the poor performance. I don’t want a rookie to be written off before we have made an effort to work with them. I definitely don’t want rookies to drift through their first year taking just any old advice, picking up an attitude and bad habits. I know these rookies will be told a ton of stuff; some of it just plain wrong, and a lot of it negative. If we all do our part maybe some of these guys and girls will surprise us.
Topics: Editorials | No Comments »