FSWTraining - 2.5" Hose Drills

This week's video blog starts us on the direction of offering a variety of TRAINING drills.  Our goal here at Fire Service Warrior is to forge fire service excellence through the mastery of our knowledge, skills, and abilities across the range of Fitness, Training, and Mindfulness competencies.  You can look now for our posts on those topics to have that tag.  Last week Brian Brush brought us a FSWFitness Video, and this week he has a great FSWTraining video.  Next week I will be hitting a FSWMindfulness topic.  Enjoy the video and leave your comments below!



Please remember that these skills are meant to improve your ability to Master fundamental fireground skills which increase your capacity and ability to thrive on the fireground. 

The Combat Ready Company Officer- Knowing Who You Are and Who You’re Not

By: Brian Brush

If you are the type of firefighter visiting this site, than more than once you have felt or heard this directed at you “Who the hell does that guy think he is?” I know all too well that at times there can be a certain conflict between being a proud professional and being among your peers in the firehouse; I just can’t understand why it is so powerful. It wasn’t until this year when I was given the opportunity to present at FDIC that I put sharing my message and experience ahead of what my nay saying peers might think. 14 years in the fire service before I really stood up? I guess I wasn’t quite the proud firefighter I thought I was by letting perception limit my opportunities. I now wonder if I will ever be able to look back.

I am not perfect –I will have bad days, I will miss work outs, I will let my frustrations show and my emotions run my mouth. I will recover from these points because I know that you do not always have to be in front to be the leader. You do not have to be the best, but you must always be looking to be better. We all know perfection is not possible so just be what you believe, an example of your expectations of others. Your greatest accomplishments and proudest moments should leave you wanting more. Your darkest days and lowest points should lead to introspection and be fuel to counter the downward spiral. I am not perfect but I am still a fire service warrior and I am accountable to you as much as myself (Loyalty). I am not perfect, I am real and true, and that is the model of the Fire Service Warrior.   

I am always a firefighter- We acknowledge that we need balance. Family, hobbies, other passions in your life will, and must, take you away from this profession. The last thing we wish to see is that a fanaticism about the fire service leads you down a road of burnout. It is healthy, necessary and understood that you have a life outside the fire service. At the same time we should never be ashamed of the fact that we choose to use time outside of the department to study or prepare. I have made the defensive statement before that “I have a life outside the fire service”. It is a weak and transparent attempt to down play how much I really care in front of the guys at the station and I regret it. The conscious choice to use personal time for the fire service should be a sign that you have found your calling. The fire service has instilled in me a commitment to serving others as I would my neighbors. This makes me a more active member in my community and charity work, be it coaching 4 year old soccer, or spending hours planning, traveling and supporting the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation Memorial Stair Climb Campaign. My ethical standards and virtues mirror those of the fire service warrior ethos. I do have a life outside the fire service; the reason why I enjoy it so much is because I am a proud firefighter and see such personal and professional reward from my life’s work. In Jim Cramer’s book “Confessions of a Street Addict” he describes how the all consuming world of running a hedge fund cost him friends, his health and nearly his family as greed and money became his moral compass. I know that for me personally the more I allow for the true ideals of the fire service to influence my life the better father, husband, and firefighter I become.

I am capable of making change- Today I regret the many years of holding back. In such a short time I have recognized that the more you give to this profession the more you get back. I wrote “Being your Best is Their Best Chance” over a year ago as a note to myself. After looking at it for about a month I shared it through email with a close group of friends and was immediately taken aback by the response but once again tabled it. After FDIC I was feeling strong and chose to share it within an email to Bobby Halton. Chief Halton took the piece and made it an online article which has since been republished in 4 languages for other publications both print and online. I still get friend requests on Facebook from German firefighters and through rough translation I think they like what I have to say. Taking your message, beliefs and experiences beyond your notebook or company comes with certain risks like ridicule and rejection. If we do not take chances we may never see rewards and we will certainly never see true progress. I am telling you right now that you must stand up and be what you believe because without moving there can be no movement.

I am not alone- You may be the only Fire Service Warrior in your company, department or community college fire science class but you are not alone. Across the fire service today we are coming together in CrossFit Boxes, corners at FDIC, hands on training classes, FOOLS chapters, and on the internet.  If you haven’t completely bought into the Fire Service Warrior ideal yet that is fine too. This isn’t about complete subscription and imitation, the idea is not for everyone; you do not need to tattoo yourself with the Fire Service Warrior logo. I understand if you disagree with a label or title but I cannot understand how any true fire service professional could disagree with the example that is the Fire Service Warrior Ethos. This is about commitment, understanding, and example. I am committed to being the person I outlined above with an understanding that things will change and there will be breaks. I am committed to being a Fire Service Warrior with an understanding that I might have a slightly different view of how to apply the Ethos Statement than Christopher Brennan does. The commitment to the Ethos is universal, the living example is individual. You will find your model for the Fire Service Warrior; together we will expand the message.  Please get involved with us. We cannot pollute the fire service we are so proud of by creating celebrities and fans. If we are brothers and sisters we should model it. Regardless of department size, rank, or call volume we will not stand for a varsity and JV mind set, we will stand side by side. Help those that you can and contact those who can help you without reservations. thefireservicewarrior@gmail.com

I know who I am and who I’m not today. This has changed over the years and will continue to with age and experience. Please commit to become a student of yourself when you commit to being a student of this profession. You should be your fiercest critic; the personal accountability that comes with examining your own behavior will draw things from and drive you further than you ever thought possible. Chronicle your work, goals, feelings and challenges. Within them you will find your map, vehicle and fuel to the person you aspire to be.

“Being Your Best is Their Best Chance” Brian Brush FireEngineering.com  April 2011 www.fireengineering.com/index/articles/display/0990240639/articles/fire-engineering/leadership/commentary/2011/04/brush-training.html

©2011 Brian E, Brush

FSWFitness - Now With Video

And for your fitness enthusists out there, Brian Brush has a few ideas for us this week!

The Combat Ready Company Officer - Warriors of the Wildland

By:  Brian Brush

I joined the fire service as a volunteer in Northern California in the spring of 1996 just as fire season was starting. My first paid position with the fire department was as a seasonal firefighter in my home town in 1998. In 1999 and 2000 I also worked as a seasonal firefighter for the California Department of Forestry Sonoma Lake Napa Ranger Unit. Shortly after I began working at my current department, I joined the wildland team and was able further my experience in this field. Ever since I joined the Fire Service Warrior team I have wanted to do a post about wildland firefighters and how they exemplify the warrior message, with the summer quickly approaching I realized I should wait no longer.

This year has already been extremely devastating. Here in Colorado we have seen more acres burned and homes consumed this winter than we totaled over the entire 2010 season. Texas is once again heating up and 12 homes were lost in a fast moving fire over the Memorial Day weekend. Florida and Arizona are also seeing extreme fire behavior early in their perspective seasons. Fire Service Warriors are not just taking to the streets in cities and towns; they are tooling up in the prairies and rugged wilderness to defend our rural neighbors and natural resources. Today I ask you to take the time to consider the Fire Service Warriors of the wildland and what we can all draw from them.

The mindset of a wildland firefighter is quite different than that of an urban counterpart. Wildland firefighters are more accepting of, and quicker to recognize when the odds are stacked against them. From early on in your training certain things are repeated so frequently that they become subconscious considerations in nearly all your future actions. Wind – Topography – Fuel Type. Safety planning is also a constant through LCES: Look outs, communications, escape routes, and safety zones or the 18 shout “watchout” situations. Because wildland incidents can quickly change from a job to a campaign, firefighters tend to approach their work with a wider vision and longer term view. Most purely structural firefighters are in the “shock and awe” game of overwhelming the enemy early to prevent any escalation. By making comparisons I am not picking a side. For the most part these are two totally different theaters of operation however there will always be times when Mother Nature will assert herself and we better be quick to yield. 

On the afternoon of September 7^th 2010 a windstorm moved through the City of Detroit and in just 4 hours 20 separate fires destroyed 85 buildings. One fire location at Van Dyke and 7 mile destroyed 17 buildings, another at Moenart and Luce took 15 structures. It is my opinion that had this occurred in just about any other city there would have been multiple line of duty deaths. In a heartbreaking downward spiral the City of Detroit has seen challenges that no American city should be faced with. Detroit firefighters are faced with serial arson, vacant structures and staffing cuts that are so foreign to me I can’t imagine how they are still able to perform. The simple fact is that the men and women of Detroit Fire Department are experienced survivors. The skills they have developed through these hard times brought that wider vision and a rapid recognition of battles which are best managed and not fought. Thankfully most of the structures lost that September afternoon were vacant, and we as a fire service are truly fortunate that none of our brothers and sisters were taken from us. It is unfortunate to know that the survival skills which saved the lives of these urban firefighters comes from the decay of a city that they are sworn to protect and not from recognizing potential lessons their wildland counterparts can offer. 

Physical preparation for the wildland firefighter is also different and once again it shows in the earliest stages. 

Most fire department physical ability testing is based on the CPAT, a high intensity short duration effort. Most of the fitness programming we are providing on the site is also based on metabolic conditioning for the one or two SCBA bottle work period. The physical ability test for the USFS Red Card is a 1.5 mile walk with a 40# weight vest. The goal of this is to match the longer duration, consistent and constant strain that wildland fire duties typically involve, like progressive hoselays or fireline construction. Wildland firefighters also take a longer term approach to their physical preparation and you will hear the words acclimate and hydrate far more frequently then bench press and protein. On larger scale incidents a work cycle will be 12 hour on and 12 hours off for two weeks. The off time is typically spent in a tent in the same heat that is driving the fire with food that may or may not be prepared by inmates. This means that you body is not truly recovering or resting between periods. 

Regardless of you assignment in the northern hemisphere, summer has arrived and soon enough you will be called to service in the heat. Even those of us blessed with a good schedule will see an extended heat wave take its toll on our bodies over a few shifts if we are not aware. Just one longer duration vehicle extrication in full PPE out in the sun can deplete you body of a full day of hydration. Prepare your body for this added stressor by acclimating to the heat. Do a workout outside or keep the air conditioning off in the rig. Hydrate well; the taxes placed on our body will far exceed the standard 6-8 glasses of water a day.  In the attached link on hydration it has been shown that athletes can lose water at a rate of up to 2 liters (4lbs) an hour when performing in high heat. This is something that will take days to recover from if you are not planning for it. 

I am one of the first to admit that with the warm weather come a lot of bad, but personally satisfying habits. Drinking more beer in the evenings and staying up later with the warm and lighter nights. I spend countless hours at the pool baking in the sun, and snacking on empty foods. For the most part I am able to get away with it but this doesn’t make it right. It is my new summer’s resolution to take a page from the wildland warriors and apply both a bigger and longer term look at my preparation and response this summer. The trade of three more beers and backyard BS session for a glass of ice water and early trip to bed might just provide the clear head and combat ready body the afternoon this summer when Mother Nature is the one that drops the tone.

Detroit 9/07/2010 wind storm fires

http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/24941644/detail.html

10 standard Fire Orders and 18 Shout Watch Out Situations

http://www.iaff3779.org/lces_10orders_%2018situations.htm

The Importance of Hydration During High Heat Training and Racing

http://www.cadencecycling.com/cmsfiles/hydration.pdf

© 2011 Brian E. Brush

The Combat Ready Fire Officer - Identifying an Ambush

By: Brian Brush

It has been noted before that our profession is at a distinct disadvantage because we do not determine when we go to battle, the battle comes to us. It might be 3:00 am while we are sleeping that the tone drops, or it may be at 3:00 pm when we are returning to the station in our rig following an inspection. This lack of predictability is like an ambush, and it can overwhelm our skills and senses.If we are to prepare for this inevitable facet of our job we need to understand how to identify the predicable ambush scenarios.

Operations in Iraq and Afghanistan have taken the IED (improvised explosive device) from a haphazard tool of terrorist to a complete game changer for our military in their training, equipment and operations. The IED is not a person or group, it is a device. It may serve to initiate an ambush but it is more commonly just detonated, with a potential secondary device but without a follow up of human force. So the focus in preparation for the military is both responding to an ambush and identifying in planning, points in the mission where units are operationally vulnerable.

Now we temper this thought and discussion down to a workable level. I cannot be, nor can I expect my crew to be on alert for an ambush for 48 hours at a time. I also know full well if I walked in to work in two days and tried to sell the guys on a “preparing for ambush” mind set I would be met with just a little resistance. So how do we bring this to the company level so it is acceptable but not completely compromised?

If we change the word “ambush” to  Operationally Vulnerable we can identify an ambush before it comes. What makes an ambush so effective? The enemy lies in wait till the time is perfect. The position they have selected conceals their forces, and the approaching victim is unaware and therefore unprepared for battle.

I see ambushes everywhere but it takes some work to articulate and present it accurately and effectively to your crew if you want them to accept the idea and respect the hazard through proper preparation. So after a lengthy introduction to the concept it is time for the example. I hope this can be used as a technique for training and preparing your crews with a mind set of identifying an ambush.

Mid-Rise Office Building Fire Alarm Response

Operational Vulnerabilities:

·         Chronic false alarms –

·         Complacency, Lack of PPE, Inadequate number of resources on initial dispatch

·         Perceived low fire loading-

·         NIST video attached of a single workstation fire. 

     Consider timeline of Alarm activation - Department notification - Units dispatched - 1^st unit arrival

·         http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUXdRcEO1DY 

NIST fire behavior video

·         Building Construction –

·         Type II construction has the greatest potential for catastrophic failure. Building systems like HVAC spreading smoke and gasses, utility chases concealing fire spread. Tight building design will not allow for an accurate exterior size-up

·         Reflex time-

·         Delay in filling out the alarm to a full assignment. Delay in getting to fire location, hooking up to standpipes, large area searches. ALS Base style command structure is overhead intensive and time consuming.

·         History-

·         Houston Fire Department Mayday Video – Office building arson mid afternoon.

·         http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpJjl_R-98M     Houston mayday 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmj4Xh7LNGA Houston mayday 2

 

Plans for Protection:

·        Recon -

·         Identifying and preplanning hazard occupancies. On site discussion and training with neighboring companies, building staff and chief officers

·          

      Tool Up -

·         Ensure that equipment is prepared to overcome disadvantages addressed above. 

      

      2 ½” hose packs – Hydraulic Forcible Entry Tool – Hooks

·         Experiment with added equipment to determine realistic expectations and assignments

·       Practice -

·         Drill in a response scenario from the station as a panel alarm that gets upgraded. Test your ideas and times in scenario based training.

·         Implement

·         Take plans and practice and make them procedure so you develop a common sense, plan for your companies with a consistent message.

For any documentation regarding training documents, department procedures or professional reference material from text books to articles please contact me. There is no need to reinvent the wheel, when all is necessary is appropriate application.   

©2011 Brian E. Brush Text and Images