Who or What do you Believe? Smoke Signals GOLDEN FIRE DEPARTMENT Volume 10 , Issue 6 June, 2012 Chief’s Corner John Bales, Fire Chief O ne of the things that amaze me the most over the last 40 or so years is the terminology of the fire service and how it is applied. What is the meaning? In the last year or so there has been a play on some of the terms regarding fire ground attack. “Offensive/Interior Attack”, “Defensive Attack”, and “Transitional Attack” have for a long time been batted around loosely. Then we hear “Positive Pressure Attack”, “Wind Driven Fires” and “Pushing Fire” being dis- cussed and debated. The concept of fire attack has and will continue to be debated with various sides trying to convince the other or those unsure, that theirs is the right method. I think it is very important to note these differences and that reason is that the latest re- search in fire dynamics and behavior is just now start- ing to reach the firefighters in the field. The latest re- search has been quite con- troversial and challenges many of the firefighting truths I have personally be- lieved since my rookie days. The problem is what we do with all of this infor- mation. Some of the infor- mation leads us to believe that attacking the fire from the exterior is wacky and that the idea of a transi- tional attack is just plain crazy. Some will tell you that if a transitional attack is attempted, we will surely burn the house down. There are others who have adopted the “new” methods hook, line and sinker. They believe that this is the new method is the only way to conduct our firefighting busi- ness. Many of you are caught in the middle with your heads snapping back and forth as we try to figure out who is right. (Continued on page 2)
Transcript
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Volume 10 , Issue 6
June, 2012 Chief’s Corner John Bales, Fire Chief
O ne of the things that amaze me the most over the last 40 or so years is the terminology of the fire service and how it is applied. What is the meaning? In the last year or so there has been a play on some of the terms regarding
fire ground attack. “Offensive/Interior Attack”, “Defensive Attack”, and “Transitional Attack” have for a long time been batted around loosely. Then we hear “Positive Pressure Attack”, “Wind Driven Fires” and “Pushing Fire” being dis-cussed and debated.
The concept of fire attack has and will continue to be debated with various sides trying to convince the other or those unsure, that theirs is the right method. I think it is very important to note these differences and that reason is that the latest re-search in fire dynamics and behavior is just now start-ing to reach the firefighters in the field. The latest re-search has been quite con-troversial and challenges many of the firefighting truths I have personally be-lieved since my rookie days. The problem is what we do with all of this infor-mation. Some of the infor-mation leads us to believe that attacking the fire from the exterior is wacky and that the idea of a transi-tional attack is just plain crazy. Some will tell you that if a transitional attack is attempted, we will surely burn the house down.
There are others who have adopted the “new” methods hook, line and sinker. They believe that this is the new method is the only way to conduct our firefighting busi-ness. Many of you are caught in the middle with your heads snapping back and forth as we try to figure out who is right.
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The correct answer is YES! Yes to both points of view. The thing that decides the method of your fire attack comes down to one strategic point and that is staffing on the scene. While on a recent trip in San Francisco I saw a response to an automatic fire alarm by the SFFD consisting of two engines and two truck companies (tillers) as well as the Bat-talion Chief and his aide. That was twenty person-nel on a fire alarm. Denver Fire only does nine of this type of response and our response consists any-where from two to nine depending. We have to consider the environment in which we operate. Our big city brothers and sisters have historically en-joyed maximum staffing on the responding units (although even the big cities are seeing staffing reductions these days.) In rural America, it is considered lucky when they arrive with two or three personnel. Aggressive interior attack is about “making the building behave” according to the former Editor of Fire Engineering Magazine Chief Tom Brennan. Chief Eddie Buchanan is a Division Chief with Hanover Fire & EMS in Rich-mond, Virginia and a former past president of the International Society of Fire Service Instructors. Chief Bu-chanan stated, “We get into trouble when understaffed fire departments attempt aggressive interior tactics without sufficient staff – in other words, we attempt big-city tactics with a small-town crew.”
So whom do you believe? I would encourage officers and firefighters to research the topic and develop your own opinion based on the conditions and situations you are going to face. Go to www.fire.gov and read the reports, watch the videos of the tests and then decide what works best for you. Chief Officers may need to modify primary attack strategies based on what they learn. Also, take the time to conduct some training and research on ventilation methods at structure fires. Improperly place fans and blowers will contribute to fire spread. I am a firm believer that ventilation being improperly done contributes more to fire spread than any hose stream ever has. It is time we figure out what strategies fit our real fire suppression capabilities.
Interior, Exterior, Transitional Attack along with traditional ventilation and/or positive pressure ventilation are only as good as the understanding we have about them. They should be considered tools in the toolbox and it is up to us to know when and what tool will be our best method of attack. Changing tactics? Maybe or maybe not, but only do so after some intelligent research and we can do so in an informed manner. Maybe what we learn will warrant a modification, or maybe not. Stay safe.
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Total Calls - 101 Hazardous Condition - 10 Mutual Aid Given - 2
District # 1 - 49 Clear Creek Canyon - 3 Average Response Time - 3:30
District # 2 - 48 Miller Coors Property - 0 Average Firefighters/Call - 5.50
Fire Response - 7 Out of City/Other - 1 Average Total Time/Call -
Rescue/EMS - 47 Mutual Aid Received - 3 Est. Fire/Damage Save - $180,200
NUMBERS FOR MAY 2012
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A s we all know, the profession we have all chosen requires us to make quick, critical decisions that are reactive in nature. A great deal of the decisions and actions that are made on scene have to be made with the information that is provided to us en route and as we arrive on-scene. As firefighters we must
continually train to sustain and enhance the skills that we have, and to always add another “tool to the tool box”, because many of the environments that we place ourselves in are hostile and ever changing. With the vast array of skills that we receive here at GFD, there is another way that we can better utilize our expertise as well as enhance operational decisions before we receive the tone. Pre-incident planning.
In a nutshell, all pre-incident planning is, is gathering information; the more information available the better. The information that is gathered allows us to know what types of hazards we may face if an emergency ever occurs at that specific occupancy. Pre-incident planning allows us to gain a great deal of information and a bet-ter understanding of the occupancy under ideal, non-emergent situations; that may not be available to us in emergency situations. These plans can help us become more familiar with the structures, their uses and associ-ated hazards. When gathering this information it is advantageous to visualize how standard strategies and tac-tics may apply to that specific structure and its contents; and when those do not apply develop new ones.
The basic information that we want to gather is that of access, utilities, fire protection systems, water supply, construction type, occupancy, building layout, exposures, and fuel load. We all know the basic information above, but I want to stress taking a closer look for special hazards that we are unaware of which can increase the likelihood of an emergency situation becoming worse. For example; Alderson Hall on the CSM campus, at first blush, we can simply consider this a typical college classroom building. When in reality they have large quantities of inert and flammable gasses throughout the entire structure. This scenario can be applicable to many of the occupancies throughout our district. With the implementation of Emergency Reporting and the upcoming outfit of iPad’s on first due apparatus, all of this information will be available to us in a conducive format while on scene. We will be able to see for example; the hydrants available at any given location, fire protection systems that are installed, and hazards that are unique a given structure. So as a department, let’s work together toward making our jobs safer on a consistent basis because we want to. If there is any interest in conducting pre-incident planning while on shift or during a work detail; I can put together a list of occupancies that would be beneficial to have completed. Let me know and we can work together to make the implementa-tion of Emergency Reporting work to its fullest extent.
Fire and Life Safety Steven Parker, Fire Inspector
Pre-Incident Planning
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Construction Update All of the major construction at the School of Mines will be coming to a close within the next few months. Marquez Hall (16th & Arapahoe St.) an approximate 84,000 square foot classroom/lab building will be complete at the begin-ning of July. Once this project is complete we will send an update and/or have a training to expose you to the build-ing, layout, and fire protection systems. The new Student Wellness Center (18th & Elm St.) will be complete around August. The Jeffco Courts and Admin retrofit of a new fire alarm & smoke control sys-
tem is com-plete as of the middle of May. And finally, the Fast Tracks light rail station and parking garage is partially complete. The garage itself is done and is waiting on the remainder of the site work and testing of the trains to finish before opening; which should be the beginning of next year. With the exception of those pro-jects, the majority of construction projects are small tenant fin-ishes. As always, if you are around the station or on shift feel free to come out to any of these projects with me on an inspec-tion, do a pre-incident plan, or to just take a look around.
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Birthdays & Anniversaries
Anniversaries
No June Anniversaries!
Birthdays
Joe Anderson II 06/27
Noah Creaven 06/02
Casey Dragos 06/13
David Flynt 06/16
Jeanette Kehoe 06/06
Steve Oliveri 06/10
Jonathan Priestly 06/03
Zeljko Spiric 06/28
Jared Stricker 06/04
Marques Hall 16th and Arapahoe St.
Fast Traks Light Rail Station/Parking Garage
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I was racking my brain trying to come up with a topic to write about this month. It is not hard to find a topic considering the vast and amazing world of firefighting, EMS, and rescue. I could have written this article about actually fighting fire--lots and lots go into this thing we do. I could have written about all of
the different disciplines of rescue, rope, confined space, trench, building collapse and shoring, etc. I also could have written about patient care or perhaps efficient EMS practices…But when I started writing, I realized there is one common bond that links all of these together. And that my fellow brothers and sisters is: “the little things.”
As most of you know, when I am on duty at Frederick-Firestone, I depend on the GFD to keep my lovely wife and 2 boys safe if they were to need your services while I am away. It is a good feeling knowing that they will be taken care of with a high level of pro-fessionalism and compassion. I am so proud, humbled, and honored to be able to serve the Golden community. I know all of you are as well and that is why we are here, to help people and enhance the lives of the citizens of Golden. When they see our beautiful shiny white fire engines and fire trucks go by…believe me the citizens notice. They also notice if they are not shiny and beautiful--they might remember that even more! I know we all work extremely hard and for the most part, everyone tries to keep our trucks and stations clean and in good working order. Taking that extra 10-20 minutes at the end of a run to make sure that rig is fully back in service and spotless means A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE! It’s the little things. Re-loading the crosslays and hosebeds after you just worked your tail off on a structure fire is one of the little things, but taking the time to make them look and function perfectly means A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE!
Going up the canyon on a technical rescue call is exciting. We are so lucky to be able to perform technical res-cue and we are one of the few departments that ACTUALLY GET TO DO IT! Swiftwater rescue and rope rescue are two disciplines that involve a lot of equipment. When we are done with the call and return to the
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Bugle Notes Trevor Williamson, Captain
It’s the Little Things...THAT MAKE A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE!
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station, it is AS important to thoroughly check every little piece of this equipment as it is performing the actual rescue. Our lives could literally be hanging by the thread you inspected from the last call. Inspecting equip-ment, no matter what the equipment is, is a little thing that definitely means A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE.
As I recently read in an article written by Nick Brunacini, his father Alan Brunacini loved to say “All our cus-tomer remembers is how we regarded them. The most powerful thing we leave them with is how we treated them.” This goes for EVERY call, not just EMS runs. Believe me, I get it. We are going to have job security because there are a lot of technically, mentally, and just plain challenged people out there, but they still de-serve to be treated NICE! They have called upon our highly trained, well prepared, and compassionate mem-bers to come and help them in a very bad situation, possibly the worst time in their life. All the little things you can do to make someone more comfortable, less scared, and even appreciated--- that’s right, will mean A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE.
It truly is an honor serving with all of you, and I want you to know, I wrote this article just as much for myself as I did for anyone else. None of us are perfect, but with each other’s help and a lot of diligence, we can con-tinue to grow with the Golden community and provide the best possible service. After all……Who has it bet-ter than us?!! (Thanks Milan)
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Training Notebook Jeanette Kehoe, Training Division Lieutenant
Fighting Semi Truck Fires
O n May 31st 7 firefighters in New Jersey were injured, one critically, while fighting a semi truck brake fire that
spread into the trailer. The firefight-ers had gone to the back of the trailer to open the doors when it exploded onto them. The semi truck was car-rying crates of oranges. The cause of the explosion is under investigation.
The possibility of a semi truck catch-ing fire in our response area is a very real possibility, especially within the I-70 and C-470 area. Even without hazardous cargo these fires present significant dangers. Years ago I was on a crew fighting a fully involved semi truck fire on I-70 with a trailer that ironically was full of fireplaces. As the fire was being knocked down we were told by command to gain access to the interior to put out the smol-dering debris. As we attempted to gain access the entire middle of the trailer split and dropped to the road. The side of the trailer that was intact also bulged out and threatened to collapse onto our crews.
Semi trailer fires are extremely hot and create a very unstable situation. When arriving on scene park the en-gine up wind and uphill at a safe distance from the fire. Assure that traffic control is set up to give a safe work-
ing area and that the vehicle is sta-ble. Shut down the roadway if neces-sary. Note any placards on the trailer or question the driver if avail-able. Sometimes if the trailer is in-volved in fire the semi driver may have disconnected the cab section from the trailer and moved it away from the fire. Wear full PPE with SCBA and attack the fire at an angle. Avoid approaching straight on to-wards tires or, as in the case above, doors that could explode. If the semi contains a hazardous material revert back to hazmat protocols and do not risk firefighter safety – back off to a safe distance and reassess.
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F ather’s Day is coming up this month and I put the saying above on the list to be put on our church sign the week of Fa-
ther’s Day. As I was thinking about that I was thinking of some of the things I was glad my dad taught me. He taught me things like how to catch a fish, how to change a tire, how to build a campfire, and how to open a door for a lady. As I grew up I realized dad wasn’t a su-perhero like I thought when I was a little boy, nor was he perfect, but no matter how tall I got or how old I was, there were always things I looked up to him for.
There are also people in my professional life that no matter how far I go, I will always look up to. They taught me lessons that were not just lessons for the job, but they were life les-sons. When I was a young airman, I remember a staff sergeant who threatened to kick my butt if he ever heard me tell an NCO no again. He instilled the respect for authority in me that helped make me a good leader when I became an NCO. I remember a master sergeant who told me I could go far in the Air Force if I would always be willing to learn. He helped me become an expert in my field.
In the fire service you will come in contact with a lot of people who will teach you both professional lessons and life lessons if you will let them. I’m sure as you are reading this, you can think of some of the people who have been great teachers or mentors for you. No matter where you go in life, their lessons will stay with you and in some cases may have even saved your life or may save your life in the future.
As you remember those people there are a couple of things you can do to pay them back. First, pass that infor-mation on to someone else. Be the kind of person yourself who is someone to look up to. Second, follow that advice and use it to be all you can be. Lastly, if you have the opportunity, find that person that you look up to and say thanks. It will mean the world to them.
Hope all is well with all of you and I am always available if you ever need me.
Chaplain Mark
Fire & Brimstone Mark Testroet, Interim Chaplain
Trained Professionals
From moneyreason.com
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For his attention to duty on May 26, 2012 regarding an ambulance short-age and his quick action responding to the incidents.
FIREFIGHTER OF THE MONTH
ON THE SCENE WITH THE GOLDEN FIRE DEPARTMENT
On Saturday, June 2 Academy class of 2012 trains RIT/firefighter survival at the Fairmount Fire Protection District training facility.
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ON THE SCENE WITH THE GOLDEN FIRE DEPARTMENT
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Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fr i Sat
1 2 RIT Firefighter Survival 07:00-17:00 FFPD Training Facility
3 Work Detail Battalion 3
4 5 Business Meeting 19:00 Station 1
6 Fire Detection, Alarm & Suppression 18:00 Station 1
7 Fire Prevention & Public Education 18:00 Station 1
8 9
10 Work Detail Battalion 1 Heritage Square Chair Lift Rescue Training 09:30-12:00
11 12 Swift Water Drill 18:30 Station 1
13 Loss Control 18:00 Station 1
14 Protection of Fire Scene Evidence 18:00 Station 1
15 16 Academy Burn House #1 07:00-17:00 Station 1 Tow Show Extrication Demo
17 Work Detail Battalion 1
18 19 Driver Operator Pumper Fire Attacks 18:30 Station 1
20 Fire Department Communica-tions 18:00 Station 1
21 Basic Prehospital Emergency Medical Care 18:00 Station 1
22 23
24 Work Detail Battalion 2
25 26 Multi-Company Fire Operations 18:30 Station 1
27 Case Study Presentations Mapbook 18:00 Station 1
