Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Close Call? some say "nah"...


Our readers know the intent of this website and we continually try to meet your expectations. Even though the infamous Boston video is now making its way around the Fire Blogs I thought it would be important to post it here as well. I have already received some comments via email and know our readers would find them interesting and want to provide additional comments. As one reader writes, "there is one point that needs to be mentioned. They rescued 11 people from this fire including children." This fact should not be lost in discussing what happened during the roof evacuation. Now it is your turn... Thanks! Ron Kuley ---- Click here or the picture to watch the video.
As with any of our postings take the time to review with your shift and discuss the tactics involved. What if this was your company on that roof? Would you go to the roof next door or climb the ladder down? Who goes first? Ask the tough questions... WE all can learn from these incidents!
(AP Photo/John Cetrino)

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I can't help but to reply. Yes, a close call, but it appears at the very beginning of the video they had a chance to reach 2 seperate arial ladders to evacuate the roof. But regardless of what happened there is one point that needs to be mentioned. They rescued 11 people from this fire including children. Appears they may have risked a lot to save obviously a lot. I just wonder how much the vertical ventilation assisted in these successful rescues (somethig this county seems to be affraid to do) yet usually yields very beneficial results. I know, I know, lets not get into building construction right now! Anyway, just expressing my mind as I have a tendency to do. Thanks for the link. JM

Anonymous said...

A few things for comment. First of all good job as John said with vertical ventilation. Definitely a lost art in this county. I wanted to see what some thoughts are about these few points. As I watched the video a few times I caught more things as I watched it each time.

1. Why were they on the roof so long? One guy started to get off but then got back on the roof? Any comments or clarification on why they didn't exit right then? Instead they waited to a reposition of the stick.

2. What do you guys think about the Arial placement? It appears from the camera angle that Side C would have been accessible. They have 4 trucks on the scene and 3 in service on the same side.

3. I'm by far not the experienced truck operator but wow.... the second set of guys off the roof almost bit the dust! It makes me wonder is something was wrong with the truck and the controls? As some of you may have heard or read about there have been incidents were apparatus is not kept up and things are rigged up by the guys in the station to make them work or even labeled wrong on the controls.

4. Do you think the crews working inside had any idea of the fire above there heads? If you look at one of the zoom shots, One of the guys inside seemed to be more worried about the window seal smoldering than pulling ceilings.

Just some thoughts to spark some conversation. Let me know what you guys think? BG

Anonymous said...

Ok lets see-=-one firefighter leaves the safety of the unburned roof to recover his burning helmet--oops that was suppose to be on his head but the fact that he does not have a breathing apparatus on his back nor his coat even buttoned leads me to believe that they must have had to rush to the roof to save three or four people. Good thing that they had a secondary means of escape off the rear (like jumping) but those three aerial devices were extremely beneficial to the people conducting overhaul on the third floor while the roof burn off over their heads.

Sorry these things frustrate me. Safety, Safety Safety Safet Safe Saf Sa S........
LE

Anonymous said...

Can you say Complacent? Here is another example of our people being overly confident in their abilities and making mistake after mistake. Clearly they were only moments away from disaster. This should be a wake up call to all of us.

Four truck companies operating on the same side of the building. What happened to laddering all sides with aerials and/or ground ladders. Had these individuals had coverage ladder coverage on opposing sides, getting down would have been much simpler. A ground ladder could have been hoisted up and positioned across the two buildings to assist with escape. Thank God an aerial was available. The Charlie side appeared to have good truck access. Consider putting the truck in the yard to gain good access. This obviously was a good fire and justified good aerial positioning. Nothing wrong with doing whatever you have to if it is going to create a positive outcome.

When going to the roof to conduct vertical ventilation, cut the hole, determine its effectiveness, report same, and get the hell off of the roof. You do not have to stay up there to admire your work. Your job on the roof is done. Report to command for another assignment.

PPE issues were too many to count. No breathing apparatus, coats worn in the open position. Helmets were the first thing to go. They were left to burn, thrown to the opposing roof top. Wow! I thought this stuff served a more important purpose. Suppose these folks ended up falling through the roof, do you suppose they would have increased their odds of survival and less burns had they been fully and properly protected by all of their PPE?

What about taking a rescue rope to the roof, just in case you need to bail. "Saving Our Own" classes have taught us many ways to escape, but we have to keep the tools, equipment, and the lessons with us in order to effectively put them to use.

Maybe its time for a truck company school. Can the aerial operator be anymore shaky with the controls? He bounced the aerial and the crew members so much its a wonder the ladder didn't snap and he didn't send a few firefighters to the ground. When caos strikes, we must remain calm, cool, and collected or we add to the caos.

Kudos for the saves gentlemen, but come on, you/we can do much better, much better!

By the admission of some of you, the county in question does not do enough vertical ventilation. Maybe this is a blessing in disguise? I don't mean to be so judgemental, but I too get sick of seeing this kind of performance. No wonder we can't put a dent in bringing our firefighter fatality count down each year. I guess killing 100 per year is a tradition we intend on keeping. Some tradition is good, but not the traditions that get us killed!

Be Safe.

Anonymous said...

This was definitey a close call. But had a happy ending, "Everyone went Home " and the BFD rescued 11 civilians. I would be the 1st to say job well done and wow that was a close one! Now learn from the incident and continue to train more. This is a useful link for a rainy training night.